A Humble Start

Oh wow! Ummmm, as you can tell from my lack of updating that motherhood took me a little off guard by being a little  harder than I expected.  (and I thought being pregnant was hard!) 

We made it all the way to 40 weeks! 

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. Psalm 115: 1 

We were so thankful that our little guy decided to stay inside until he was fully ready...in fact...he decided to stay inside an extra week! I kept reminding myself that it was, indeed, a blessing that he would stay put and that he didn't come early. Although, I can't say that I didn't complain in my uncomfortable state. *sigh* Maybe, just maybe, I will learn. 

My mom and sister, Paige, came up to stay with me and wait, wait, wait for the baby to show up. 

On October 23, 2013 at 41 weeks I was induced. 

We thought labor would be quick since I went to the hospital at 5 cm dilated...but that didn't end up being the case. I labored for 11 hours wearing an oxygen mask to keep the baby's oxygen levels up. Finally, I was ready to push!...and I pushed and pushed and pushed for 3 hours! Just when I thought I couldn't last 5 more minutes he finally arrived! 

 Graham Alexander McKee. 8.8 lbs. 21 inches long born at 8:00 pm. 

I was so excited when they placed him in my arms. He didn't lay his head down, he just held it right up and looked me right in the eyes. We stared at each other for a couple minutes and then they took him away. His oxygen levels were dropping. They took him away at 8:30 and I wasn't allowed to see him again until the next morning. They came to my room in the middle of the night (of course, I was not sleeping) and told me they were taking him to the NICU. I sat in the darkness of my room and cried and cried. It was heartbreaking to not be allowed to go with him. 

They let me take this photo before they took him away and I looked at it all night long. 

Finally, morning came and I hobbled down to the NICU. I walked into the Graham's room and I found him in his isolette. I looked at him for a second...then he started to cry. I didn't know what to do! There weren't any nurses around and I didn't know how to call one! After searching the halls I just stared at him through the glass and cried too. This was not what I had expected. 

His machines all started beeping and for what seemed like hours but was probably only 30 seconds, I waited for the nurses. Graham's nurse came in and she was as calm as could be. She took such great care of him and of me! She let me touch him and then eventually hold him. 

We spent 4 days with Graham in the NICU. 

We were so excited to take him home! We thought we had already gone through the hardest part...we were totally unprepared for what the next couple of weeks would bring. 

In short, Graham  cried  screamed from 1-5 weeks old. We had no idea what the problem was and we tried everything. I cried all the time too, feeling like a terrible mother. We finally figured out that he was starving. :( I was only producing 1 ounce of milk every 3-5 hours which is definitely not enough for any baby to thrive on. He was getting thinner and thinner. We began to supplement with formula and he stopped crying right away. In fact, within 24 hours he even smiled for the first time! It was incredible! I had a completely different baby after that. Graham is now growing and thriving! He is the happiest baby! 

 I was completely brought to my knees and humbled through this experience. 

I was reminded this child belongs to the Lord. He knows exactly what he needs and will take care of him. Despite all of my failures and shortcomings he will use me to do it. I will not judge others like I might have been more prone to do before. I will be compassionate on other new moms. I will celebrate with them or cry with them. I will do what I can to help them. I do not know it all...in fact, I know very little. I do not have it all together, but I know the one who does, and he LOVES me. He loves my family. 

Sweeter gets the Journey! -Rebekah 

Week 37

The Date: September 25th-October 1st, 2013

How far along? 37 Weeks

Look how big he is now! 

Total weight gain/loss: 30 pounds

Baby Size: Baby is the size of a winter melon. He is 18-21 inches long and weighs 6-9 pounds. He is gaining about half and ounce every day

I've never had one of those

Things I learned about Baby:  He is practicing inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking. He is also getting his first sticky poo (meconium) read for his first diaper.

Maternity clothes: 

 Ummm, yes.

Changes I've noticed: I have had more contractions this week and they are now wrapping around to my lower back. I've seen stars at random times which is kinda scary. My hands and ankles are so swollen that most of my shoes don't fit me and my rings definitely don't fit anymore.

Sleep: Sleep is hard but I'm fine. :)

Best Moment this week: My birthday was this week and I had a fun time hanging out with Landon and his family. We played a lot of ping pong and went to dinner at Surin 280. Landon gave me some great gift cards to buy some new clothes and makeup after the baby comes. Dustin gave me the new RUF Auburn CD and his parents gave me some pj's for the hospital. My mom sent me a gift but I'm still waiting for it in the mail. :) I also had my last baby shower with the girls from my Sunday School class at Briarwood. It was really nice to have a time of fellowship with them and get to know many of them better. It was great!

Briarwood Friends Shower 

New Favorite CD 

Miss anything: My ankles, my shoes, my clothes.

Crave anything: no.

Movement: Yes, he is still moving so much!

Anything making you queasy or sick: no

Showing: haha Of course!

Labor Signs: I'm now dilated to 2 cm and 80% effaced! I'm having more contractions and I've lost most of the m plug.

Belly Button: My belly button is completely flat now. I don't think I have the kind of belly button that can become an outy. Which is good! So mine is just stretched to be flat.

Wedding Rings:I've been wearing my rings on a necklace. My fingers got so swollen this past week. I look forward to being able to wear them again soon.

Moods: My mood is good. I'm happy and excited. I'm super tired and sometimes I cry easily.

Baby Preparations: I think we finished the nursery! Except for putting pictures in frames and his initial on the wall (since we haven't picked a name yet.) I hung frames on the walls and Christmas lights under the crib. I got a new tall silver lamp and put blue ribbons on both lamps. I made some cute blue, grey, and white baby bunting banner to hang on the wall. I think it adds some more color to the room. I finished packing my bag and the snack bag. I crocheted some new little items for my little buddy.

Blue Baby Booties for my Little Man :) 

Baby Bunting. I actually hung it a different way after this photo. 

Prayer Requests: Pray that I will recognize the signs of labor when they arrive. Pray for safety for baby during delivery. Pray that he will be healthy. Pray that he will never remember a day when he doesn't know Jesus as his Savior.

Packing the Baby's bag! 

I am looking forward to... getting the new baby swing and high chair in the mail! We decided to get the new MamaRoo. Landon thought it would be safer because it can't tip over. It is a lot smaller then the other swings on the market so it doesn't take up your whole living room. Which we thought was great for our small house! It looks kinda funny...like a little space ship but it plugs into the wall and will save us lots of money on batteries. Also looking forward to my next doctors visit to see if I've progressed anymore.

Lunch date with Landon drinking a coffee on National Coffee day! 

Pregnancy Stories I Won't Want to Forget

Okay, I feel safe enough to post a few stories from my pregnancy on this blog because I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who reads it. It's more for my memories than anything else. :)

Picture this: 36 weeks pregnant. Huge belly. Getting on the airplane to head back to Birmingham after my sister's wedding. The plane is full. Everyone is pushing to get on and get a good seat. I found a seat. I needed to put my bag in the overhead compartment. The lady in the aisle seat was rather large and wasn't simply contained to her seat. She kinda came over into the aisle space. I reached up to put my bag in the overhead compartment and forgetting how big that I actually was bumped her shoulder with my baby bump!!! I didn't bump her hard but she did NOT appreciate it. She gave me the stink eye! You know the look I'm talking about. She refused to acknowledge my apology and I shrunk into my seat almost in tears. Hormones!

The embarrassing things that happen when you are pregnant.

Next memory:
I'm about 26 weeks pregnant. I would have to say that I don't think I was very big when I was 26 weeks pregnant. I was definitely showing at this point but I wasn't huge...I don't think. Anyway, all of that to begin my story. 26 weeks pregnant. Landon and I walk around shopping and we purchase a cute little onesie that Landon picked out for the little guy. As the cashier rings up the onesie she tells me that I look very pregnant and ready to pop any day now. I was very thankful she didn't ask me how far along I was because I would have been so embarrassed to tell her I had 3 months left! Landon tried to convince me that she meant my belly was ready to pop out more any day now....but....I'm pretty sure that isn't what she meant. Note to self, just tell pregnant women they look cute or nice.

Recent findings:
Now that I actually am huge I notice people stare at you all the time...wherever you go. I told Landon that I felt like people stare at me and he said I was probably just feeling self-conscious about my new body. I figured he was probably right. We went out to lunch last week and he said, "I thought people have been staring at me all day but I realized they are looking at you. Is it always like this?" SEE!!! I knew it! Pregnant woman are just funny looking, I guess.  I wonder if I'm guilty at staring at pregnant woman?

Discovery:
I realized that when you are carrying a baby you revert back to the ways of a baby. What do I mean? Well, for a pregnant lady a good day can simply mean some good food, a good nap, a good cry (hormones!), and a good trip to the bathroom. (okay, I know that is gross but no one reads this but me!)

These are just a few things I forgot to write about in other posts. Things I didn't want to forget. Being pregnant has been fun but I'm ready for the next step, BABY! Hopefully one day I will be pregnant again and I can look back at all the things I had forgotten about from the first time around.

Week 32

The Date: August 21st-27th, 2013

How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 20 pounds up from starting weight

Baby Size: Baby boy is apparently the size of a squash this week...must be a big squash! He is 15-16 inches long and is 2.5-4.0 pounds! Big Boy!

Things I learned about Baby:  Baby boy is getting a little squished this week inside his mommy! He is in the head down position now (although he may not stay that way). Hair is starting to grow on top of his head and it even has color now! His bones are continuing to harden this week and he is looking more like a newborn infant. His brain is developing more distinct functions and is capable of controlling breathing, digestive functions and body temperature. He can tell the difference between day and night now (so why is he up so much at night...hmmmm). His lungs are almost completely ready for breathing on their own and if he was born this week he would probably need very little medical attention.

Maternity clothes: 

Yes. I'm wearing those maternity clothes this week. I wore a nice black maternity dress to church this week and black high heels...Dress = good idea, Heels = Bad Idea. Make my feet swell like a balloon! Shoes are a lot more difficult than clothing!

Changes I've noticed: Hands have started to swell. I feel like I need to pop my fingers all the time but then they don't really pop. They feel soft and sore. They don't look that huge (my rings still fit) but they hurt. It's just really hot outside and I'm drinking about 100 ounces of water each day so I know I'm retaining some of that. Also, I think my breast have started growing again....I'll never fit into my old clothes again. haha My "round ligament" pain is a lot worse now. If I stand up too quickly or roll over in bed it can feel like I've been stabbed in my lower stomach! OUCH! Also, If I sit on the ground for a while in indian style when I stand up I feel like my hips are still turned out. It takes them a minute or so to get back into shape. I read that the bones are starting to soften and that's why pregnant women waddle. I'm only waddling right after I stand up off the floor and then I walk normally...but I have a feeling they will continue to soften and I'll be waddling soon.

Sleep: I only sleep until I have to get up to go to the bathroom and then I can't fall back asleep. So I'm usually tossing and turning from 3:30-7:30 when I get up. I can't sleep...but I'm so tired. I don't know why I can't just pass out from exhaustion.

Best Moment this week: This week had many highs and lows. Saturday was a great day! Landon and I had breakfast together at home-homemade egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches. Then I went to the pool with Hester and Monie. Landon came a little later and we swam around for a while. Then we got subway for lunch and played ping pong at his parents house all afternoon. Then we had a nice relaxing night at home. Saturday was so much fun! Monday was a harder day. We found out that Landon needs surgery very soon. He needs for his ACL to be repaired and also his meniscus. He will have surgery on September 6th. He won't be walking for a while so he won't be able to drive us down for Whitney and Brannan's wedding. I thought I was going to have to miss too since I can't drive myself. But my mom bought me a plane ticket so I will get to go! Sad part, Landon has to miss and he has to stay at home. I won't be here to take care of him so it's kinda a messy situation. We are just doing our best to get everything done.

Ping Pong time! 

Miss anything: Being able to move with ease! Everything is so hard now.

Crave anything: No.

Movement: So much movement! I need to record it!

Anything making you queasy or sick: I felt sick this week in church but it was from being hot and not getting much sleep.

Showing: Very very big! But my doctor said I'm measuring a week or so behind the norm. I don't know how that is possible because I feel huge! haha

Labor Signs: None.

Belly Button: Still in! So thankful for that!

Wedding Rings: My hands have started to swell but my rings still fit! It hurts to sleep in them though so I never do.

Moods: Not feeling so hormonal this week. That only lasted for a few days last week.

Baby Preparations: I painted the changing table today. I found an old dresser in the garage that we weren't using. I painted it white (it took 4 coats of paint!). I painted the drawers light grey and changed the gold nobs to white nobs. I think it turned out pretty cute. I also painted a wooden elephant white to go in the baby room. The elephant belonged to Landon's grandfather so we thought it would be fun to add it to the room. I also bought some sheets and a bedskirt for the crib. Still not finished but it is getting there. :)

Before! 

After! 

Finished Changing Table! 

Chevron Option

Elephant option! 

Cute little Elephants! 

Prayer Requests: Pray for Landon's knee surgery coming up. Pray that the baby will not be born while I'm in Boca for the wedding. Pray that little baby will continue to be healthy. This week as he is learning to breath on his own, pray that all of his life he will use that breath to praise the Lord.

Found this little cute outfit on sale! 

Check out the Booty! So cute! 

I am looking forward to...Whitney's wedding, finishing the nursery, and helping Landon get better after his surgery.

Found this cute picture of Landon! I hope my little boy looks like him! :) 

Landon as a newborn! Look at that little face! :) 

Week 31

The Date: August 14th-20th, 2013

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 18 pounds above starting weight

Baby Size: Baby is the size of a pineapple! He is 15-16 inches long and he is 2.5-4 pounds in weight! He is getting so big!

Things I learned about Baby: Baby is going through major brain, nerve and eye development. More hair is growing on his head this week and can even have color now!   

Maternity clothes: Definitely wearing maternity clothes now. I'm wearing maternity clothes 40-50% of the time now. But all my previous clothes that fit were to big for me before pregnancy.

Changes I've noticed: Getting bigger (obviously). Baby is moving so much and you can see his little body move and you can feel the different body parts. I actually knew it was his little foot sticking out! fun and cute!

Sleep: Yeah....sleep stinks these days.

Best Moment this week: Well, this week has been a little hormonal to say the least. School started this week and I didn't go back to work. While it has always been my dream to stay home right now there is no baby to take up my time so I've been lonely. But, I am getting a lot done in the baby room. :)

Miss anything: Missing work right now. But I know that won't last long. It's just a transition phase.

Crave anything: Nope.

Movement: So much movement. I need to try and record it because it is so cool to see.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.

Labor Signs: Not yet! Hang in there Little Buddy! Stay in for a few more weeks.

Belly Button: Still in! yay!

Wedding Rings: As long as I don't wear them when I sleep I'm good. :)

Moods: I think real pregnancy hormones have hit this week! haha So happy that I can't stop laughing and then crying for no reason. haha.

Baby Preparations: Working hard on the baby room! Pictures will come soon!

We set up the crib and bought a crib mattress! 

I made some art with left over fabric

Put together the bookshelf for the nursery 

Made this ring rattle I found on pinterest

Prayer Requests: Keep praying for Landon and his knee. We will find out soon if/when he needs surgery. Pray that the baby stays healthy and doesn't come until after Whitney's wedding.

I am looking forward to... Finishing the nursery!

Week 30

The Date: August 7-13, 2013

How far along? 30 Weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: 17 pounds

Baby Size: Baby is the size of a cucumber...well, at least the length of a cucumber. :) Little boy is 15-16 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds.

Things I learned about Baby:  Baby boys brain is now fully developed! It contains speech and language centers in the process of development. Complex neurological connections and learning will continue long after birth.

Maternity clothes: 

 Bleh! Hate them! haha Wore two maternity tops this week...they actually fit me. I'm still wearing lots of none maternity clothes that fit me too.

Changes I've noticed: My nose gets stuffed up only when I lay down to sleep, which makes for some occasional pregnancy snoring. Sorry Landon! Also, I started eating less this week. I look at food and feel like I want to eat more but then I can't fit it into my stomach. Baby is taking up all the room! :) Also, I'm starting to sweat very easily. I got hot just sitting in Sunday school the other day! Landon said he didn't think it felt hot in the room...just pregnant me!

Sleep: Sleep pretty much stinks! But I don't walk around tired all the time. I'm getting less sleep than when I was teaching and I feel totally fine. Maybe I won't need as much sleep anymore??? Or maybe It's just a weird pregnancy thing and I'll go back to needed/wanting 9 hours a night. We shall see!

Best Moment this week: Spending time with Landon. Going out on date night Friday night. We went to a little Italian place and ordered a huge stuffed pizza. We sat and talked for an hour after we finished eating and just enjoyed our time out together. I also enjoyed my time at the pool with school friends catching up with them. I don't see them much anymore since I'm staying home this year so it's nice to hear about everything going on at ECCS.

Miss anything: Diet Coke. I was limiting myself to an occasional caffein free diet coke here and there, but I noticed that I was getting braxton hicks on days that I would drink it and not getting them on days that I only drank milk and water. So, I think I'm going to go cold turkey and nix the Diet Coke...for a while. Positives: no braxton hicks! Saving money! Maybe I should never pick up the habit again...

Crave anything: No pregnancy cravings...just want a Diet Coke.

Movement: YES!!!! He moves like crazy! I was getting worried that he was moving so much because he was uncomfortable or I was hurting him the way I was sitting or laying. I asked my nurse if there was such a thing as "too much movement" and she laughed and said no. I learned that the reason he moves more when I lay down is that he has more room to stretch out and move. So he is actually enjoying it. And here I was all worried that the crazy amounts of kicking meant he was in distress or something! I'm sure this won't be the first time I'm nervous about something that is really nothing. I'm glad I asked the nurse! :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Just when I get too hot!

Showing: Oh boy! yes!

Labor Signs: Well, is it a sign of labor that baby boy is head down now? He is getting ready to come see me!

Belly Button: I'm glad that the belly button is still in! I don't want to spend the next two months embarrassed that it is sticking out! haha I'm hoping it won't ever stick out or it won't stick out for long.

Wedding Rings: I only take them off to sleep in. If I wear them to bed my hands seem to swell up. During the day they seem to be fine.

Moods: I think my mood this week has been pretty even. No crying or uncontrollable laughing. I've felt normal this week.

Baby Preparations: Just lots of praying, crocheting, painting, and planning. We still don't have a name for our little guy yet! I wan't to know it! We have three first names picked out, and we are still looking for middle names that go well with them. I know, I know! We only need one name but we like them all and can't decide!

Little Bear hat I made for Baby Boy this week

I made this one for a friend! Looks like a little mouse! 

Little photo prop for Baby boy 

Can you Tell these are little elephants? I might add these to the baby hats! 

Prayer Requests: This week I've been praying a lot for Landon. He tore his ACL and will need surgery soon. He wants to get it before the baby comes so he can be ready to be Dad right away. We aren't sure about the timing so we are just praying for wisdom and continued healing. Also, praying for baby boys continued growth and development. Praying specifically this week that baby boy won't have food allergies like me. Praying that I will continue to stay healthy and feel good.

I am looking forward to...Setting up the crib next week. Organizing baby's clothes and things!