Friday, August 27, 2010

the first few days

i want to remember every single detail. every emotion, every thought, the way he looked when our eyes locked for the first time and i fell in love.

our little boy came into the world fast and furious on saturday august 21 at 4:40pm. it was a fierce experience but one i will always treasure and be grateful for how it happened. i prepared for a natural child birth, people sometimes shook their heads as to why i would want to experience pain when there was an option to not feel the intensity of contractions and birth. i never could really answer except to say i just felt like it was something i needed to do. my labor was intense from the start and within two hours brandon was begging me to get in the car, i'm glad i listened. when we arrived at the hospital i thought i was in for several hours of hard labor and decided maybe natural childbirth wasn't a good idea, but i progressed so quickly they didn't have time to do any of the regular procedures much less think about pain medicine and our little boy was born 25 minutes after arriving at the hospital.

we named him grisham wells. grisham is a family name on my side. my grandfather passed away this winter and i had just found out i was pregnant. his mothers maiden name was grisham. at the funeral i sat by my grandfathers cousin and best friend, a good man and someone i've always loved, junior grisham. this sweet precious man that loved my grandfather broke my heart because he was so sincere during our conversation. i decided that would be a great name for a boy. brandon and i talked through names for months never quite agreeing, but on saturday morning before all this began he looked at me and said, i think grisham would be a great name. wells was decided after grisham arrived.

because we didn't know we were having a boy we wanted deacon to be able to be the very first to meet him, and share the news with our families. he came in and was instantly thrilled to have a little brother and even more excited to be a big brother. he shared the news in the waiting room and then came back for a cuddle with me. i couldn't believe how much love i had for this new little person and how i felt so whole holding my boys.

my life looks different now, i'm remembering what it feels like to not sleep for an entire night, how to do things one handed, and how to have a conversation with a three year old over the cries of an infant. these first few days have blown by, sort of like the last three and a half years that i've been deacons mother. but they have been good days. i've had so much support and love from friends, neighbors, and family. my sister came and helped me over the hump of coming home and figuring out how to do it. she let me sit and hold grisham while she did laundry, organized baby clothes, took deacon on dates, and pushed him on the swing for countless turns. she never asked, "what can i do" but humbly looked around for ways to be helpful, i miss her. brandon is learning what it's like to be a daddy to two boys, and i think he is a little more than proud. and i'm just here, feeling really grateful.









































Friday, August 6, 2010

counting down

when someone asks the best time to do maternity photos i always say around 7 months. usually you feel pretty good, but you definitely look pregnant and not just poochy. never do i recommend waiting until you are 9 months pregnant....... do as i say right.

so my sweet sweet friends helped me shoot my maternity photos because they were all worried about it not happening. we were quite a team; mandy held the reflector, natalie posed while i set up the shot and made sure the focus and settings were just how i wanted them, then i slipped into the shot and becky photographed. they were all great at giving feedback on when i looked absolutely ridiculous- this is why i love them.

i've got 3 weeks to go, and i can't wait to meet this new little person! so for fun, i thought i'd post a couple shots. i love these photos because of the memories behind them, i love that i look like me- because i was comfortable. i love that my very best friends helped me do them, and that they made me feel so beyond special. it's such a good lesson to be in front of the camera every so often to realize how uncomfortable it really can be, and how incredible.

things i want to remember
the way this baby constantly moves
how deacon talks to the baby and tells them how sweet they are
brandon's excitement
the day i found out- Christmas eve
picking out fabric for girl or boy and leaving the envelope with the person making the bedding
prenatal yoga with brandon
constant conversations with mandy about nutrition and childbirth
lee voi and feeling like a person not just another pregnant lady
praying for this and friends babies
my sprinkle
people loving this baby before they know anything about it
friends and family doing a million projects because they want to help get ready

things i'd like to forget, or remember so i don't do it to others
being sick
back pain
unsolicited advice
random lady at the airport groping me and telling me all about why i would be having a girl or boy
random people at the grocery store adamant of the baby's gender
heart burn
feeling like a beached whale
people making me feel bad for not wanting to find out the sex- personal choice