Maybe I'm starting this blog a little late, because at this point in our lives we've been married for almost two years, I've gone through nine grueling months of pregnancy, given birth to a beautiful baby boy, and Griffin is four weeks old today! To bring everyone up to speed, I'll back track a little and post pictures as the story unfolds.
We found out we were expecting our first baby on October 21, 2010. I hadn't felt exactly "normal" for a few days, so I decided to take a pregnancy test. Needless to say, when I saw the blue + sign on the test...I panicked! Not wanting to spoil the surprise for Josh, I quickly called my good friend and expert mommy, Krystal, for some reassurance. Once the shock wore off, I tried to come up with a cute way to share the news with Josh. His reaction was priceless, and we spent the rest of the night on cloud nine...and so excited to begin our journey as a family!
My belly quickly began to grow, and so did my appetite! It didn't help that I had all the big holiday meals coming my way, either! And although I had several more months of pregnancy left, I couldn't wait to start shopping for clothes and nursery decor. On January 13, 2011, we found out we were having a boy! Let the shopping begin! Now if we could only come up with a name...
It seemed like we went through a million baby names before deciding on Griffin. Why are little boy's names so hard? Over the next few months, my cravings changed from green olives and cottage cheese to chocolate cake with chocolate icing. My belly grew even larger, and I could no longer see my feet! Griffin began to move and kick, and reality hit home that the little guy growing inside my belly would be here before we knew it!
Longing to see my little guy, we scheduled a 4D ultrasound to get a sneak peak a few weeks before my due date. It was amazing to see his tiny features and watch him move around. The ultrasound tech said she could see hair which made me SO excited! Please let it be brown!!!
With summer just around the corner, the temperatures started soaring, and I became miserable carrying around the extra weight of a baby. Griffin seemed to keep growing and growing...so much that my Doctor scheduled an ultrasound just to check his size. Because I wanted to deliver vaginally, we decided that it was in mine and the baby's best interest to induce my labor at 39 weeks. It was official...Griffin's birthday would be June 23, 2011 (if he didn't come before then!). With each week, I grew even more uncomfortable and anxious. I started to swell so badly that I no longer had ankle bones, and everything on my body was puffy. I had always wondered what it would be like when I went into labor. Would my water break and gush everywhere? Would I know when I started having contractions? Then one day, while sitting at my desk at work, I felt a sensation that I'd never felt before. It went away, but came back a few minutes later. It started to get really uncomfortable, and I had a feeling that this could be it. I went to the doctor and in fact, I was in early labor, and my doctor said she wouldn't be surprised if she saw me in the hospital over the weekend! Well, the weekend came and went, along with another full week. My labor would start and stop, start and stop, and I wasn't making enough progress to be admitted to the hospital. Finally, at my last doctor's appointment before my scheduled induction, I was given instructions for the hospital and things started to hit me. I was going to have this baby....SOON!
We checked in to the Labor and Delivery unit of Central Baptist on Wednesday night. I was a nervous wreck, and although he'd never admit it, I think Josh was too. They put us in a room where we would sleep that night, and I would deliver Griffin the next day. I have to say that the IV they gave me that night was by far the worst part of the entire process. Josh said he thought my arm was being cut off! I made it through (after two attempts), and they started my medicine and gave me something to make me sleep. The night flew by, and when I woke up on Thursday morning, my good friend Erin was in my room bright and early to take care of me! She came in to work just for me, and she was the best nurse ever! My doctor came in around 9 and broke my water, and the contractions picked up almost instantly. Although the thought of an epidural scared me to death, I didn't think twice about asking for it when I felt that pain! Once the epidural kicked in, it was smooth sailing. Erin came in periodically to check my progress, and she predicted that baby Griffin would make his debut by early afternoon. A few hours passed and visitors came and left. Suddenly, I felt some pressure and had an urge to push. Josh called for Erin to come check me, and sure enough it was show time! Erin prepared everything for the delivery and helped me get ready to push. Erin, Josh, and my mom were there coaching me through each contraction. After pushing through five contractions, baby Griffin was born at 3:20 pm, June 23, 2011. He weighed 7 lb 7 oz and measured 19 3/4 in long. When they laid him on my belly, it was the most incredible feeling in the world. Life as we knew it, was forever changed.
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