Wes' first 2 weeks

So I am going to do monthly updates for Wes.. but wanted to go ahead and do one for the first 2 weeks. He has changed so much already and I don't want to forget the beginning.

Wes Patrick,

It is so hard to believe that a little over 2 weeks ago you were still in my tummy. Our world has changed so much and your daddy and I can't imagine life without you.  We came home from the hospital on Monday August 27.  

In your car seat on the way home from the hospital... you slept the whole way!

Once we got home you hung out in your bassinet on your pack n play. It's in mommy and daddy's room and it's where you'll sleep your first few weeks.

You are very alert around 9-10 every morning and 6-7 every evening.

You are a smiler!! Every time I am rocking you, you get the biggest grins as you start to fall asleep. We showed the pediatrician this  picture and she couldn't believe you were smiling so big at 4 days old.

For your one week birthday daddy bought cupcakes. Your daddy is so in love with you! 

Taking your first nap in your crib.  You don't sleep in in that great at the moment because you wiggle around (in your swaddle sack) and wake yourself up.

Nicole came over and took your newborn pictures last Tuesday. You were a pro and we had so much fun taking them!

Your sister Lucy is already protective of you. When you cry in your sleep at night she whines at me to go and pick you up.  She loves to smell you.

You LOVE to take a paci.  This is a wubbanub. It is your favorite Mommy loves it because it helps the paci to stay in your mouth. The soothie pacifiers are the only ones you will take.

Your Daddy went back to work on Monday.  He has come home everyday for lunch and can't wait to hold you when he gets home.  I love watching his face light up when he has you.. there is nothing sweeter.  


I can only imagine how much more you will change in the next 2 weeks.  You are growing SO much already and I am already putting you in size 1 diapers at night.  At your 2 week check up you weighed 8 lbs 2 ozs and were 22 inches long.  You are nursing really well but sometimes are a bit fussy afterwards, I have learned I really have to work hard to get some good burps out of you- you are quite the gassy little boy!  You are a GREAT sleeper and sleep in 3 and 4 hour stretches each night-- sometimes you even give mommy a 5 hour stretch which is just heavenly!  You LOVE your bath and we give it to you around 7 pm each night. After that you have a bit of a "witching hour" as mommy feeds you before bed. You normally don't fall asleep until close to 9:30 but once you are asleep you stay asleep so that is good!  We love you so much Wes and can't imagine our world without you.  

Wes' Birth Story

On Friday August 24th Drew and I got to the hospital at 5 pm to begin the induction process.  I was REALLY wanting my sweet boy to come on his own and wasn't really looking forward to being induced.. but at 41 weeks I was so ready to meet him and didn't really care too much how it happened.  We packed up the car, told Lucy bye (she tried to jump in the front seat 2 times and I started crying...) and headed to the hospital.  It was rather uneventful and not how I thought we would be going to the hospital, since we were not actually in labor yet.  We got to our room, I changed into my gown, and it all started to seem a bit more real. My doctor had told me that when we got to the hospital they would soften my cervix using Cervidil, and then sometime early Saturday morning (around 5 am or so) we would start the Pitocin. The nurse put the Cervidil in (around 6:00) and my doctor came in to check on me for the evening. She said she expected me to have some cramping over night, but nothing major. If the pain got bad she had prescribed me some pain killers to be given through the IV and also an Ambien to help me get some sleep.  Drew and I watched TV and just hung out and listened to Wes' heartbeat (I had 2 monitors on my belly, one for this heartbeat and one for contractions.)  Around 9 pm I started feeling contractions but tried not to look at the screen or time them since I was sure it was nothing serious. Around 10 pm I asked Drew to turn the screen towards me and as I was having a contraction I saw the line bounce all the way to the top- whew! My mom came up to hang out for a bit and kept commenting on "when I had a big one" Drew reminded her that I knew when it was a big one-- I could feel it, ha!  Before my mom left (around 11 pm) I took the Ambien and went ahead and got the painkillers in my IV, my tailbone was killing me and I was having contractions every 8 minutes.  The painkillers felt great for about 30 minutes but then it seemed to fade away. I drifted in and out of sleep until around 2 am and was really hurting again. The nurse gave me more painkillers (I could have it every 2 hours) but once again it only helped for a short time.  At  4 am the pain was getting very intense and I asked Drew to call my mom to come back up to the hospital.  The nurse came in and was so surprised at how quickly I was progressing and commented that I might not even need the Pitocin. She decided she wanted to take the Cervidil out around 5 am to give my body a rest. After she took it out I was laying in bed, My mom massaging my feet and Drew helping me breathe slowly through each contraction. I kept commenting to my mom that I felt something coming out of me but she wasn't really replying. I said I might need to go the bathroom and when I stood up a gush of liquid came out-- my water had broke! The nurse came in and checked me and I was 3 cm. She said I could have the epidural now and I was ecstatic! ha :) I had to wait for the anesthesiologist for about an hour... the hospital was crazy busy with deliveries! That hour was VERY long and quite painful.  When the anesthesiologist came in he asked if I had any questions .. I quickly replied no and my mom and Drew left the room. My nurse was Cheryl and she was AMAZING. I was leaning on her while he put the epidural in, and during that time I had 4 contractions. It was so hard to hold still and breath through it but I kept reminding myself with each contraction that it could be the last one I feel. Once I finally laid back down and the epidural kicked in I was so relieved.  I closed my eyes and drifted in and out of sleep for awhile, I wanted to rest up so I would have energy when it was time to push.  From around 8 am to noon things went by so fast. Everytime the nurse checked me I had progressed so much more than she thought I would have and she was shocked. I never had to have the pitocin which was great! At 12 pm she said I was 10 cm and called my doctor.  I carried Wes very high and he refused to drop so even though I was fully dilated my doctor wanted to see him engage some more so I would not have to push for hours.  The nurse had everyone leave the room except my mom and Drew and we did some practice pushes before the doctor came in.  I remember them praising me as I was pushing and this made me want to keep up the hard work. I kept picturing forceps and the vaccuum thing in my mind and didn't want them to have to use these--- so I pushed with all my might. Around 12:15 my doctor arrived (she was so busy-- had already delivered SIX babies!) She kept telling me what a great job I was doing and I remember looking down and seeing Wes head. It was so amazing and I was so anxious to see the rest of my sweet boy. At 1 pm I heard those first cries and it was amazing. I couldn't stop crying as they sat him on my chest and I kept telling him how excited we were to finally see him.  It is amazing how much your heart grows in that instant. I nursed him and he did fantastic for about 20 minutes, then they performed his apgar and all the other things they have to do then. They brought him back to me after a few minutes and he got to stay with us for quite a while- about an hour and a half. Drew's mom and my dad came in to see him.  Wes did fantastic during our hospital stay, he is such a happy content baby and is nursing so well.  However-- his mommy was NOT the best patient. I lost a lot of blood during delivery- and was also anemic. When I tired to get out of bed a few hours after giving birth I fainted, and fainted 3 more times the next morning. After all of this excitement my OB decided it would be best to give me a blood transfusion. I am SO thankful she had me get one because after that I felt like a new person! My recovery was still kind of slow and I am just now really starting to feel like myself again- 2 weeks later.  Still having to take it easy and my body lets me know quickly when I have overdone it.

40 weeks.. and 3 days

Wes Patrick,
Your due date was Friday and it was a very uneventful day.  Mommy went to Galveston with Grammy and Kathy. We ate and walked around a lot and hoped maybe since we were traveling away from the hospital (not too far) you might decide to join us.  Mommy is very ready for you to come join us but you seem very content inside. I went to the doctor on Thursday and had made a little bit of progress (thinning, but not dilated).  We go back on Tuesday morning for a non-stress test and will either induce on Tuesday or Thursday, depending on how things look. I am still praying that you will jut come on your own before then... but I know that God knows exactly when you will make your debut so I rest in that!  Your Grammy flew in last Tuesday and has been keeping me busy while Daddy is at work. We go on lots of walks, talk lots about you, and shop!  I am still sleeping pretty well so I am very thankful for that, I know I will need my rest once you arrive.  Some moments I can't believe you are still not here.. and I start to wonder if I will be pregnant for forever.. I know that is not true though. Next week right now I will be holding you in my arms and that is a sweet, sweet feeling.  Today we went to church and I kept thinking "this is for sure my last time to not be here with Wes in my arms." I am rubbing my belly a lot and cherishing you move around (you are still moving like crazy.. despite the tiny amount of space you have in there!) I know I will miss these things and I feel so blessed that I have gotten you all to myself for the last 40 weeks.  I can't wait to see what you look like and to feel those little feet from the outside. Daddy and I can feel them pretty well now when you stick them up and its so crazy to us that you are in there.. so close yet so far away.  We can't wait for you to come and if you want to come tonight.. we are ok with that.  I am glad my next blog post will be about your birth.
Love,
Mommy

Week 38-- The end is near..

I am on day 5 of week 38 and so ready to meet my sweet boy.  I go through moments where my patience is gone and I am SOOO ready, and other moments where I know he will come on his time and I am trying to enjoy every last movement I feel from him.  It is hard to believe that its almost been 40 weeks, in ways it feels like I have been pregnant so much longer, and in other ways it seems so much shorter....                                                                           

The night we found out we were pregnant...

So excited and shocked!  

The first weekly bump picture.  I think the tiny bump we see is from all my holiday eating and not so much from a baby, haha :) 

and here we are now.. week 38! Almost there :)

I am not really feeling like writing out the weekly information. Not too much has changed.  I am going to the doctor weekly now, I will go again on Thursday.  As of last Thursday we had no progress...nada...nothing!! I kind of felt like this would happen and am just soaking up the sleep I can get right now and the time I get to spend with Drew.  My mom flies in next Tuesday so I am really excited for the next week to go by and her to be here!  Obviously if something happens before then she will drive down.  Some days I have quite a few BH contractions and other days nothing is going on.  Wes will come when he is ready.. although if he is really content in there we will talk about inducing after 40 weeks.  I feel like by then he has had plenty of time and can go ahead and come out and meet us.  Wes Patrick-- hurry up! You have SO many people ready to see you and hold you... Especially your mommy :)

Week 36 bump update

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 36 Weeks, tomorrow (7/27) starts week 37
Size of baby: 18.75 inches, 5.75 pounds crenshaw melon (whatever that is!)
Maternity Clothes: all the time
Gender: sweet baby boy- and he has a name! Wes Patrick Pennywell
Movement: not feeling as many kicks to my ribs (thank you Wes!) but lots of sliding motions as Wes is running out of room.. I keep getting worried he is gonna turn around (he is currently head down) with how much he moves sometimes, but my doctor reassured me he doesn't have enough room to want to turn around.. just moving a lot to try to get comfortable in his cramped space.  I keep reminding him that when he comes out he will have all the space he needs- so hurry it up :) 
What I miss: getting out of bed is getting pretty difficult--and I am doing it more now that he is dropping! Oh well, only a few more weeks left :) Now that he is dropping I feel like I am doing more of a waddle-- I am normally always such a fast walker but this has changed for sure!
Cravings: tuscan cantaloupes (I eat at least one a week.. sometimes two...) , cold milk.. chick fil a --I  had not had chick fil a in quite a while and Drew and I went last Friday.. about half way through my sandwich and fries I could not eat anymore and was super sad!.. don't worry I took it home for a snack later :) 
Symptoms: he is dropping and I feel lots of pressure in my abdomen, my back hurts a lot at night and I have some BH contractions, normally nothing that keeps me up though.  I had my weekly apt today and my doctor said he is still not fully engaged, and I am not dilated at all. My doctor is happy about this because she has a broken leg and can't deliver babies until Aug. 10, so she is hoping I make it until then. (I am sure I will!) Also, my mom is flying in August 14, so I am thinking August 15 would be a great day to come Wes Patrick, k? Thanks :)
Best Moment this week: I just got home from our last shower- at Drew's work. It was very sweet of them to do that and we are all ready for Wes! Car seat installed.. bag semi-packed..woohoo!  I don't feel like he is going to come early and am pretty certain I will see week 40.. but you never know. We are very excited and it is all kind of surreal.    
and here I am... last day of week 36 and I seriously don't know how this tummy has any more space for that sweet boy to grow, it is insane! 

Wes' Room

Well Wes' room is just about complete! I have been working on it since about March because I am a planner and was anxious to get started as soon as we knew he was a boy! We started by hiring painters to paint the green stripes and the other 3 walls. I could have never made those stripes perfectly straight and they did a great job! Totally worth the cost of painters over my sanity :)

This is the view from the doorway. Our house has a split floor plan and the other 2 guest bedrooms are on the opposite side of the house. Wes' room is a small room right next to our master bedroom- it is perfect for a nursery. 

 My sofa glider.. I searched long and hard for the perfect chair and finally found it! It is a Little Castle Glider and I ordered it from Buy Buy Baby. My parents brought it here from Ft. Worth last week so we are happy to finally have it! It fits perfectly and is very comfortable.  The frame above it is inspired from Pinterest, just a piece of plywood painted and a frame put on, obviously no picture in the frame yet.. that will have to wait about 5 more weeks :)

 The changing table was my Gram's Buffet. I sanded it, Drew spray painted it, and then I added an antique glaze. We love the way it turned out and my mom couldn't believe it was the same piece of furniture when she saw it. The canvas above the changing table was made by my best friend, Kailey. It looks perfectly in his nursery and I could have NEVER made those words look so neat and straight. The perks of having a perfectionist for a best friend :)

 Beside the door are another pinterest inspired project, book shelves for his board books! My wonderful hubby made these and they turned out perfect!

 I found Wes' crib at Storkland in Wichita Falls. I was home for Easter weekend registering and saw it and loved it! I came back to Houston and found a store here that could order it, we had to wait around 8 weeks to get it and were so excited when it finally arrived at the warehouse!  You can't see in the picture but the sides are solid wood panels and so it doesn't look like a baby jail.. for some reason when I was crib shopping they all reminded me of baby jails and I couldn't find one I liked. The drawer on the bottom pulls out for storage. It also converts into a toddler bed and then a full size bed.  Next to his crib is a precious frog rocker that some family friends gave us. It sings songs and says "Wes Patrick" on the bottom rail. On the left of his crib is his MamaRoo, an amazing swing that our shower hostess gave us this past weekend! It will probably be moved into our room for the beginning of his life, but for now we put it here. The little shelf to the left of the crib has some block letters that say his name, a big wooden "W" and a small piggy bank, also there is a small bronze rocking horse that was in Drew's nursery.

So that is Wes' room! Drew and I are so happy with the way it turned out and can't wait for our sweet boy to be here. Lucy enjoys her brothers room too,  and has taken many naps on the floor while I have been working in there.

Bump Date- Week 30

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 30 Weeks, as of last Friday (6/8)
Size of baby: 15.7 inches, 2.75 lbs (a cabbage)
Maternity Clothes: yes, thankful that school is out and I am living in shorts and tank tops
Gender: sweet baby boy- and he has a name! Wes Patrick Pennywell
Movement: ohh yes. He has turned head down and is kicking me in the ribs. I am glad he is being a good boy and turned around :) in the evenings he is crazy and when I wake up at night it takes me awhile to fall back asleep because he is so active all night long!
What I miss: easily getting up off the floor.. I am VERY thankful that I have not had bad heartburn at all in pregnancy, however the past few days I notice after I eat if I bend over my food feels as if its coming back up, so I guess that is indigestion? Nothing too bad though! It is getting HOT in Houston.. really the word I need to use is HUMID. I am going to be sweating a lot in the next 9 weeks..
Cravings: Cafe Express turkey club & sweet potato fries=heavenly.
Symptoms: in the evenings my back hurt and Drew and I walked about 2 miles tonight and my feet are in paiiiiin. My doctor put me on iron pills because I am close to being anemic, apparently like every other pregnant woman in the world. I failed my 1st glucose test because I forgot about it (preggo brain) and ate an apple before... so I got to do the awesome 3 hour test---- yes I am being sarcastic. It wasn't that bad really, and I passed. and I celebrated by eating ice cream. not really :) ok, I might of had ice cream that day-- I really don't remember..
Best Moment this week: School is out (praise Jesus!) and I am enjoying baking, cooking, and doing pinterest projects! Wes' nursery is almost complete and I love how everything has come together!  I am loving that I have about 9 weeks of pregnancy left. I know at times that is going to seem like a LONG time but I am so thankful I have had an easy pregnancy and am SO excited to meet my sweet little boy!  Everytime I think about it I get giddy and start tearing up. I am treasuring the last moments of just Drew and I (and Lucy) but also super excited to see my sweet hubby as a daddy and my lucy goose as a sister.