Harper :)

It is with great joy that I get to share that Harper is here! She was born on January 8th at 2:40 pm. She weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20 inches long.



A long awaited kiss!



We prayed for her and she is healthy!

Getting ready to meet her brothers and extended family!

Proud daddy!

Harper and her godmother Carmen!

Getting ready to go home!

     I have so much catching up to do but will start with the day before her birth.  That Monday I ended up running into work for two hours to wrap up a couple of things and get one more adjustment from the chiropractor. Then it was off to lunch with Carmen at one of my favorite restaurants! We ordered flatbread pizzas that were amazing! I ordered a shrimp with smoked Gouda and spinach pizza and Carm ordered a portebello balsamic mushroom pizza. We ended up trying each others and had plenty of left overs but they hit the spot! After lunch we made one last Target run before Harper arrived and then met up with my dad and his wife at their hotel around 2:00. My dad's wife had a few gifts for Harper so we opened them and then headed to pick up the boys from school. They took turns showing my dad and Patty their classrooms, lockers, and introducing them to their teachers. It was was precious. After that we headed home and I made my sub sandwiches before we all packed up and headed to Ky's basketball practice. Afterwards my dad and Patty left and I finished packing and we made a batch of chex mix and my brownies to take with us to the hospital the next morning. I'm not sure how but I was finally able to fall asleep and got a few good hours of sleep before waking up before my alarm at 3:30am.

     I woke up at 3:30 took a shower and got ready. Carm and Chad followed shortly after I did and we were out the door by 4:30.  I asked Chad to pick up a 5lb bag of ice cubes to take with us to the hospital because I knew that was all I could have during the day and don't like the ice cubes the hospital has. Call me crazy but they are AWFUL and I figured since that was all I could have I better buy some that I know will taste ok. So we had two mini coolers with gallon bags full of ice cubes in tow with us. Chad shook his head laughing the whole way but hey if I want ice cubes I'm getting ice cubes while in labor.. :) We checked in to the hospital at 5:01 and headed up to Labor and Delivery. The nurse started my IV and by 6:30 the potecin was running. My OB was running behind but got to the hospital and broke my water at 7:56am. I was at a 2 and had been for the past few weeks.  And as the day progressed I stayed at a two. I told the nurses at the very beginning that when I tell you I'm ready to push I mean I'm ready to push and we don't have time to wait. By 9:30 I asked for Staydol and fell asleep....only after providing a lot of comedy for Chad, Carm, and the two nurses...I've asked Chad and Carm to type up all of the things I said so I can put it in Harper's baby book to remember. I asked for the epidural at 11:30 and fell asleep again. I was still at a two which frustrated me....but when they checked me at 2:19 I had progressed to an 8/9 and was almost ready to go...the nurses were getting ready to leave and at 2:22 I told them to call my OB and that I was ready to push NOW. Poor Chad tried to console me and told me to breathe and just don't push...which of course I had a few things to day in reply..lol.  At 2:28 my OB came flying in and asked if she had time to change into scrubs...I assured her she did not....Four contractions later Harper was born at 2:40.

     It was a joyous moment and I couldn't stop touching her little fingers and kissing her and just making sure she was breathing. My heart melted and our prayers of her arriving safely and healthy were answered.  We did skin on skin for two hours after they did her vitals and checked everything and then at 4:30 they took her back for her bath and a few other things. Chad and Carm went with and took a ton of pictures. I moved over to post pardum and waited for Chad, Carm and Harper to be brought back to our room. I was so happy to take a shower and my sister and her husband brought us awesome salads from a local restaurant that totally hit the spot. Both of our families came that night around 7:00 but before any family came Chad brought the boys in to meet her and we had family time together. All in all it was an amazing day...one I won't forget.  I have so much more to post about the past three weeks! (Yes she was three weeks this Tuesday) but will wrap this post up as I've been working on it for a couple of days in between nursing and loving on Harper. Thank you all for your prayers! You have no idea how much they mean.