Welcome to a New Year, Little One! What an amazing year it has been getting to know you, especially the last several months. It has been absolute joy watching you learn about your world and discover new things that you can do. You have become so mobile in the last several weeks! We have been amazed by the fact that you can walk very well when you are focused on the task and have cheered as you easily took fifteen or so steady steps across the living room to move between us. We chuckle at the fact you can walk but you still don’t have any teeth! But that is ok since we LOVE your toothless grin.
What a joy each day has been with you. I love our daily rhythms and while I will confess I am ready for a short break when we put you to bed1 at the end of the day, within about an hour I can’t wait to see you in the morning and do it all again. Some of my favorite moments throughout the days include the squeals of joy you give when Daddy comes in the room, listening to you babble and talk with animated gusto, watching you interact with other people and children, the time we spend together while I am nursing you, and the sleepy snuggles right before bed time. And the best parts of all of those moments are the amazing smiles you give. You whole face lights up and your eyes just dance. Even when you give those sleepy, contented smiles as you feed just before bed, the light is no less bright.
People love being on the receiving end of your smiles and you don’t mind rewarding their silly behavior with a big one. If we thought it was true in the beginning, there is no doubt in my mind now—you LOVE being around people. You have always enjoyed the crowd on Tuesday nights as we meet with other families from church and you seem to relish the chaos of so many kids going every which way. As you accompany both Daddy and me on any errand, you take in your surroundings with rapt attention and playfully interact with all who stop to comment on how beautiful your hair is or on how happy and content you are. It is so interesting to continue to hear the comment of what a happy baby you are. When I was pregnant with you, I cannot count how many times nurses would comment while checking on how you were doing, “What a happy baby!” I still don’t know what made them say this, but apparently there was something there because it was the same comment over and over from different people in a wide variety of settings. Clearly, God created you with a joyful spirit that radiates to those around you and it expressed itself even before you were born.
As 2009 comes to a close, I am so thankful for the incredible blessing we have received in you. As we enter 2010 and the years to come, I am eager to see how you grow and bloom into the young lady that God created. You are a unique work of art that the God of Creation knit together with your own blend of personality, passion, and talents. I can’t wait to discover more and more aspects of the masterpiece He has created in you. Happy New Year, Little One!
And with that, I just heard your first stirring from your nap. Let the fun today begin!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Carter, Week 26
(Pic taken Thursday, October 1st)Pretty big gains this week in the area of being able to stand up while holding on to something. She's at the point now where she can do it pretty much indefinitely if she isn't trying to grab at something, or lets go with both hands (which she does from time to time). She can stand for short times holding on with one hand now as well, and will often use one hand to reach out for a toy or something while holding on with the other. Also did her first little "walking" while holding on, moving to get closer to a toy.
She has also started the indiscriminate "da-da-da-da-da" sound. So cute. She's really such a joy. We've been blessed with a very happy, enjoyable baby. Still no signs of stranger anxiety, either. To the contrary, she's still greeting strangers with a big ol' pretty grin most of the time. In general, if she's not sleepy, she smiles at pretty much anyone who smiles at her.
She has also started the indiscriminate "da-da-da-da-da" sound. So cute. She's really such a joy. We've been blessed with a very happy, enjoyable baby. Still no signs of stranger anxiety, either. To the contrary, she's still greeting strangers with a big ol' pretty grin most of the time. In general, if she's not sleepy, she smiles at pretty much anyone who smiles at her.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Carter: The first 25 weeks.
I've been meaning to do this for a while for our own reference to remember milestones and development. The intention moving forward is to post one picture per week, and document what she's doing that's new/different.
(Note: If you're reading this via the feed on Facebook, the videos won't show up. You have to go directly to http://www.benandjenlewis.blogspot.com to see those.)
This was taken at 11:05, 22 minutes after the birth. I chose this one for this day because it's representative of how alert and attentive she was that day. She made and kept eye contact with every person who held her, and we were told that she was much more alert than normal.
VIDEOS FROM DAY OF BIRTH
(Note: If you're reading this via the feed on Facebook, the videos won't show up. You have to go directly to http://www.benandjenlewis.blogspot.com to see those.)
DAY OF BIRTH (4/4/2009)
This was taken at 11:05, 22 minutes after the birth. I chose this one for this day because it's representative of how alert and attentive she was that day. She made and kept eye contact with every person who held her, and we were told that she was much more alert than normal.VIDEOS FROM DAY OF BIRTH
WEEK ONE--FIRST PART
(Pic taken 4/7)
WEEK ONE--SECOND PART
(Pic Taken 4/10)
(Picture Taken Thursday, July 23rd)
VIDEO
WEEK 17
(Picture Taken Friday, July 31st)
WEEK 18
(Picture Taken Tuesday, August 4th)
(4-month birthday this week)
WEEK 19
(Picture Taken Friday, August 15th)
VIDEO (of the dedication..too large to embed)
http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/carter/dedication.wmv
WEEK 20
(Picture Taken Thursday, August 20th)
WEEK 21
(Picture Taken Saturday, August 22nd)
WEEK 22
(Picture Taken Wednesday, September 2nd)
(5-month birthday this week)
WEEK 23
(Picture Taken Monday, September 7th)
VIDEO
WEEK 24
(Picture Taken Thursday, September 17th)
WEEK 25
(Picture Taken Saturday, September 19th)
VIDEO
(Pic taken 4/7)
This was taken the morning of her first full day home from the hospital: Tuesday, April 7th. (We came home on the afternoon of the 6th.) She kept up the same uber-attentive behavior all week. Not much else of interest besides eating, sleeping, and pooping. :)
Jen's parents and brother were there for the birth. My mother and my brother's family came down Wednesday-Friday. (4/8-4/10)
Jen's parents and brother were there for the birth. My mother and my brother's family came down Wednesday-Friday. (4/8-4/10)
WEEK ONE--SECOND PART
(Pic Taken 4/10)
This was after her first at-home sponge bath and hair washing, I believe. As you can see, she was *really* focused in on Mommy. (And she appeared to *LOVE* getting her hair washed.)
WEEK TWO
(Pic Taken Thursday, 4/16)
VIDEO WAKING UP (AND GRUNTING) WEEK TWO
(Pic Taken Thursday, 4/16)
We started in on tummy time this week, and discovered that she could lift her little head already. The "very curious about her environment" part of her personality was starting to come out.
This week was also the beginning of her "grunting" stage. She grunted often and loudly while sleeping, every few minutes, from week two until around week 6.
This week was also the beginning of her "grunting" stage. She grunted often and loudly while sleeping, every few minutes, from week two until around week 6.
VIDEO WAKING UP (AND GRUNTING) WEEK TWO
WEEK THREE
(Pic taken Friday, April 24th)
(Pic taken Friday, April 24th)
WEEK FOUR
(Pic Taken Friday, May 1st)
(Pic Taken Friday, May 1st)
WEEK FIVE
(Pic taken Saturday, May 2nd)
(1-month b-day this week)
VIDEOS:
(Pic taken Saturday, May 2nd)
(1-month b-day this week)
Appearing to enjoy tummy time a lot, and becoming more interactive not just with us, but with strangers as well. First true smiles started happening this week. She also really ramped up her interest in a few of her toys this week, and started getting her motor skills together to try to bat at them. (See first video below.)
VIDEOS:
WEEK SIX
(Picture Taken Sunday, May 10th)
(Picture Taken Sunday, May 10th)
Jen's first Mother's Day! In the latter part of this week, we took our first trip with her, to the mountains of North Carolina. She also had her first sitters, Jen's parents, as Jen and I went out to dinner on Friday, May 16th, our 11th wedding anniversary. She was wonderful for her grandparents, and I was so proud of Jen for not calling her parents to check in on her even once during our date night. :-)
Smiling a little more this week, especially at wake-up time.
WEEK SEVEN
(Picture Taken Thursday, May 21st)
(Picture Taken Thursday, May 21st)
We spent most of this week in the mountains with Jen's parents. (I worked from the condo's clubhouse, Jen was still on maternity leave.) She started smiling at pretty much every wake-up, and more during the day as well, especially when on the changing table. In fact, when she was only a week or two old, we thought she was learning that when we put her on the table, we were about to change her diaper, and that's why she'd stop fussing. Around this time it dawned on us that it was probably more because she likes being on her own more than being held, but with you interacting with her, and the raised changing table is the best place for that. To the time of this writing (9/27, when she's nearly six months old), she still seems to have a definite preference of *not* being held.
WEEK EIGHT
(Picture Taken Sunday, May 24th)
VIDEO
(Picture Taken Sunday, May 24th)
Back home to the Lowcountry for Memorial Day Weekend. We hosted a fairly large neighborhood cookout on Memorial Day (roughly 30 people).
Carter added cute baby coos and "talking" to go with her smiles this week. Very cute. The video is from right after the bath being shown in the pic, telling Mommy how much she enjoyed her bath.
Carter added cute baby coos and "talking" to go with her smiles this week. Very cute. The video is from right after the bath being shown in the pic, telling Mommy how much she enjoyed her bath.
VIDEO
WEEK NINE
(Picture Taken Monday, June 1st)
(2-month b-day this week)
(Picture Taken Monday, June 1st)
(2-month b-day this week)
Visit from Jen and Kyle Salter over the weekend to begin this week. Smiling like crazy now.
WEEK TEN
(Picture Taken Thursday, June 11th)
VIDEO
(Picture Taken Thursday, June 11th)
Cooing/talking much more. Holding head up very well, able to remain sitting up when propped up with pillows.
VIDEO
WEEK ELEVEN
(Picture Taken Friday, June 19th)
(Picture Taken Friday, June 19th)
WEEK 12
(Picture Taken Wednesday, June 24th)
(Picture Taken Wednesday, June 24th)
Learned to grab a toy and put it to her mouth this week. Also generally started to discover/examine her hands.
WEEK 13
(Picture Taken Tuesday, June 30th)
(3-month birthday this week)
(Picture Taken Tuesday, June 30th)
(3-month birthday this week)
WEEK 14
(Picture Taken Thursday, July 9th)
VIDEO
(Picture Taken Thursday, July 9th)
July 4th cookout in NC early in the week. Home on the 5th. Mommy's maternity leave ended, and she went back to work this week. Carter started small little laughs and giggles this week to go along with talking.
VIDEO
WEEK 15
(Picture Taken Friday, July 17th)
WEEK 16(Picture Taken Friday, July 17th)
Sitting up with pillow support for extended periods of time (as you can see in pic). First time in the Exersaucer. Feet couldn't reach the floor and she didn't have much interest in the little toys that go along with it, but she seemed to enjoy being more "on her own."
(Picture Taken Thursday, July 23rd)
Able to sit with just back support (no pillows) . Full control over arms to easily reach out with one hand, grab a toy, and put it in her mouth. Started really playing on her own this week. (Examining and turning the little wheel on the Exersaucer.) Mommy took her first out of town trip since going back to work, and Daddy kept her. Carter decided to have an extended Daddy-Daughter conversation. Video below:
VIDEO
WEEK 17
(Picture Taken Friday, July 31st)
Nothing terribly "new" this week, but getting better at the things she's doing, such as sitting up. Started to sit with no support other than her own arms "tripoding."
WEEK 18
(Picture Taken Tuesday, August 4th)
(4-month birthday this week)
Starting to really laugh. Trying to roll over back to front.
WEEK 19
(Picture Taken Friday, August 15th)
First time rolling over was first day of this week (Saturday, August 8th.) She rolled from her back to her tummy. Her Granny got to see it, due to being in town for her dedication at church, which was on Sunday the 9th.
VIDEO (of the dedication..too large to embed)
http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/cart
WEEK 20
(Picture Taken Thursday, August 20th)
Mama Sooz came to visit 8/16-8/21. Started to take *great* interest in the various toys in the Exersaucer. Moved to being extremely smiley much of the time.
WEEK 21
(Picture Taken Saturday, August 22nd)
First trip to the beach Saturday evening. Starting to use her arms and legs to get to standing position all the way from her back: first pulls up from supine to sitting up, using her arms, then pushes up from sitting to standing using her legs, all the while holding on to our hands/fingers only. Supporting all of her weight on her legs.
WEEK 22
(Picture Taken Wednesday, September 2nd)
(5-month birthday this week)
Daddy noticed that in her pulling up to standing, she's supporting her entire weight on her legs easily, and only holding onto my fingers for balance. Decided to see, two days shy of her being five months old, if she was able to stand on her own by holding on. She could, for quite some time, and seemed very proud of herself.
Also really started getting her toes in her mouth this week. SOOOO cute. Finally, either this week or last week, she discovered blowing raspberries.
Also really started getting her toes in her mouth this week. SOOOO cute. Finally, either this week or last week, she discovered blowing raspberries.
WEEK 23
(Picture Taken Monday, September 7th)
Her first college football weekend. Daddy teaches her where her loyalties need to be. She enjoys the teaching very much. (Video below)
Also, she figured out how to bounce in her Jumperoo this week as well. See second video below.
Finally, she started being able to remain in sitting up position for short periods without tripoding with her hands, us holding her up, or any additional back/side support.
*WARNING* Watching the two videos from this week has been known to cause cute overload. The Cute Police may come and arrest you.
Also, she figured out how to bounce in her Jumperoo this week as well. See second video below.
Finally, she started being able to remain in sitting up position for short periods without tripoding with her hands, us holding her up, or any additional back/side support.
*WARNING* Watching the two videos from this week has been known to cause cute overload. The Cute Police may come and arrest you.
VIDEO
WEEK 24
(Picture Taken Thursday, September 17th)
WEEK 25
(Picture Taken Saturday, September 19th)
Now sitting up on her own for long periods of time. Rolled over from front to back for the first time. Started sleeping on her tummy this week. Still putting her down on her back, but she flips over to her tummy pretty quickly most of the time.
VIDEO
Whew! Done. This would be a lot easier if I'd just take like 5 minutes per week. ;-)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Two month shots
Carter turned turned two months this past Thursday and that meant her first round of immunizations. I will confess...I wasn't looking forward to those shots. I guess it is one of those emotional Mommy-things that trumps the logical side of your brain that says "it is for their own good." Overall, it was a great doctor visit as Carter is healthy and now weighing in at 11 pounds 1 ounce, which is right on target. It was just the last part of the visit that was tough--shot time. I know that in the big scheme of things in Carter's world these shots are a momentary nuisance and she'll be back to her smiling self in a matter of moments. But holding her little hands while her sudden cry pierced the happy play up until that moment, well, it undid me a little bit. And then when that cry registered one level higher after the second shot...that's when my tears started. Carter's cry was different than anything I had heard up until that point in her life and it was one of pain. I wanted to be able to at least explain to her what was happening and why Mommy was holding her hands and gazing into her eyes while she experienced this pain. I wanted to be able to let her know that I would never willingly stand there and let something "bad" happen to her even though it might have felt that way to her. Both Carter and I were fine by the time we left the office. However, while I assume she has no memory of the event, I still tear up thinking about the look in her eyes and the surprise, pain, and distress on her face!
As Ben and I rode home from the appointment with a quiet and content child in the back of the car, Ben sweetly checked in on me to make sure I was doing alright. Assuring him that I would survive, I had one of those "this must be a small glimpse of what God must feel" moments. As I look back over my life's journey, there have been times of piercing pain. How many times did God hold my hands, gaze deeply into my soul, and experience the fullness of that pain with me while His heart broke with compassion for me? How many times did He long to be able to whisper into my ear explanations of how this pain fits into a greater plan for healing, protection, or wholeness? How much did He long for me to know without doubt that He loves me fiercely and desires to protect me in the truest sense even when I don't fully understand what protection really even looks like? During those times of soul-piercing pain, how much does God want to reassure me that His love is greater than I know and that His intentions are ALWAYS for my good?
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,
'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'
Jeremiah 29:11
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3
'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'
Jeremiah 29:11
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
Revelation 21:3-6
Revelation 21:3-6
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Settling into the new normal
Our little Carter is 8 weeks old today! And it has been a GREAT day. We have good friends visiting this weekend and they are enjoying meeting Carter for the first time. Today started with Carter's fun morning antics of grunting and stretching with smiles and coos now added to the mix followed by a wonderful breakfast complete with Ben's famous Charleston grits. The weather here in Charleston is as perfect as it gets in these parts and I encouraged our guests to get out to the Charleston Farmers Market and then to the beach. The Lewis clan decided to hang back and both Ben and Carter are taking good afternoon naps even now as I write. Carter is napping in her bouncy seat next to me while I am enjoying my second pot of coffee (decaf, or course)while sitting out on the back porch. Let me tell you...life is good.
We returned last Saturday from a week long trip to the NC mountains where we spent time at my parent's condo. Ben was able to work from there and I enjoyed having Mom's company during the quiet weekdays. This was a really fun week for several reasons. First, it is always wonderful to have eager extra hands to help with the diaper changes. But even more fun, Carter began smiling in earnest this week! While there had been smiles here and there coming into this trip where we would ask, "Do you think that was an intentional smile?", the smiles this particular week left no doubt. Her favorite spot to crack a toothless grin was on the changing table and in her crib in the morning after she really wakes up.
Since this time, the smiles have brightened and become more frequent. The changing table and the crib in the morning are still prime smile-time, but now she is as likely to smile in the evening as she is in the morning and during various activities that strike her fancy. You can definitely get a sense of what she enjoys and this new insight into her personality is so much fun. And let me tell you, nothing melts your heart faster or more completely than when it is clear that her absolute favorite thing is looking at and listening to her Mom and Dad.
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Learning Curve
Carter is four weeks old tomorrow and we are quickly coming up on her first month. For someone like myself who has spent very little time around babies, this has been a major learning curve. However, I have been pleased to report that I have figured things out well enough to ensure her survival to the four week mark. And not to mention, she gained a pound from discharge to the two week doctor visit. So, I must be doing something right!
On a related front, Ben has an extensive collection of books that he brought into the marriage. Included in those are several Dave Barry books. Ben dug one of them out this past week. I can't imagine what would have inspired him to pull "Babies & Other Hazards of Sex" off the shelf? Can you?
So, we have had fun reading it the last few nights and can relate to it a little too much. I love the following section because it captures almost the exact conversation we have had almost on a daily basis. The passage reads as follows:
"This is the Basic Baby Mood Cycle, which all babies settle into once they get over being born: MOOD ONE: Just about to cry. MOOD TWO: Crying. MOOD THREE: Just finished crying. Your major job is to keep your baby in Mood Three as much as possible. Here is the traditional way to do this. When the baby starts to cry, the two of you should pass it back and forth repeatedly and recite these words in unison: "Do you suppose he's hungry? He can't be hungry. He just ate. Maybe he needs to be burped. No, that's not it. Maybe his diaper needs to be changed. No, it's dry. What could be wrong? Do you think maybe he's hungry?" And so on, until the baby can't stand it any more and decides to go to sleep."
I just love this section because it is so true! One of my cousins commented in a email to me that parenthood ushers in a life of perpetual confusion. She said that when you finally start to get a handle on one stage, the child grows and moves into the next stage where the confusion begins again. And then you have another child and everything you learned with the first has absolutely no bearing on the second child. I guess it is good that I am getting more and more comfortable with the "not knowing". Ben, Carter, and I will have to figure it out as we go! Ah, the joy is in the journey.
On a related front, Ben has an extensive collection of books that he brought into the marriage. Included in those are several Dave Barry books. Ben dug one of them out this past week. I can't imagine what would have inspired him to pull "Babies & Other Hazards of Sex" off the shelf? Can you?
So, we have had fun reading it the last few nights and can relate to it a little too much. I love the following section because it captures almost the exact conversation we have had almost on a daily basis. The passage reads as follows:
"This is the Basic Baby Mood Cycle, which all babies settle into once they get over being born: MOOD ONE: Just about to cry. MOOD TWO: Crying. MOOD THREE: Just finished crying. Your major job is to keep your baby in Mood Three as much as possible. Here is the traditional way to do this. When the baby starts to cry, the two of you should pass it back and forth repeatedly and recite these words in unison: "Do you suppose he's hungry? He can't be hungry. He just ate. Maybe he needs to be burped. No, that's not it. Maybe his diaper needs to be changed. No, it's dry. What could be wrong? Do you think maybe he's hungry?" And so on, until the baby can't stand it any more and decides to go to sleep."
I just love this section because it is so true! One of my cousins commented in a email to me that parenthood ushers in a life of perpetual confusion. She said that when you finally start to get a handle on one stage, the child grows and moves into the next stage where the confusion begins again. And then you have another child and everything you learned with the first has absolutely no bearing on the second child. I guess it is good that I am getting more and more comfortable with the "not knowing". Ben, Carter, and I will have to figure it out as we go! Ah, the joy is in the journey.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
The Chronicle Of Carter (birth story)
(We wanted to get the labor/delivery story written down. Some times are exact due to cell phone records and computer timestamps. Others are estimated. TImes without the tilde (~) mark are exact.)
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009
1:00pm: scheduled prenatal visit. Jen is at 2 cm.
~3:30pm: Jen starts noticing "an odd feeling" in her abdomen that lasts for 30-45 seconds, and keeps repeating on a fairly regular basis.
~4:30pm: Jen calls me at work. "Honey, I think I might be having some sort of pre-contractions or something." I tell her that I'm coming home right away. She says I don't need to do that; it's probably nothing. I immediately pack up everything I might need to work from home for the next week, and jump in the car.
~4:45pm: In the car, I call Jen:
~5:10pm: I arrive at home, fully in "about-to-be-a-father" mode. I take over the timing of the "funny feelings." They're ranging from 6 to 10 minutes apart at this point.
~6:00pm: With the "funny feelings" down to 5 to 8 minutes apart, Jen decides to at least let her mom know that maybe something is going on.
~6:15pm: Jen describes the "funny feelings" as being somewhat like cramps and not the real deal. Given the repetitive nature, I'm convinced that we're going to have a baby in the next 12-18 hours. She is not. We decide to go next door to talk to our next-door neighbors, Matt and Trista. Trista has had two, the most recent one coming 6 months ago. We knock on the door. They invite us in. Jen and Trista start small-talking. This small talk is going on for a good 60-90 seconds before I just interrupt and say, "Uh, Jen, this ain't a social call. Trista, we're here for a reason. What do contractions feel like?" TRISTA: "WHAT?????!!!!" (big grin) She tells her that the early ones feel somewhat like cramps. DING DING DING!!! We're at their house long enough for 2 or 3 more of those "funny feelings" to come on, then we go back, probably around 6:45pm.
~6:45pm: Jen calls her mom to report back in. Still she tells her that it's probably nothing. I take the phone from her: "Susan, Jen is downplaying this. I think this is it. If you wait until tomorrow morning, I think you're going to miss the birth. Come tonight if you still want to see your first grandchild born."
~6:55pm: I call Columbus to let my mother know that I think her 7th grandchild is coming soon.
~7:30pm: Nearly all the "funny feelings" have been 6-7 minutes apart for the last 90 minutes. Jen tells me about a web site where contractions can be timed by just hitting "Begin" and "end" buttons when they start and finish. Starting at 7:32pm, we have a complete record of her contractions until 12:16am.
7:41pm Facebook Update: "Ben Lewis and Jen are not in agreement on what is a contraction, but she's having some sort of pain like clockwork every 7 minutes."
7:43pm Facebook Update: "Ben Lewis needs to clarify: he thinks they are. She is downplaying. We'll see who's right, I guess. ;-)"
~7:45pm: Trista and two other moms of young ones on our street knock on the front door. Jen hangs out with them for 10 minutes or so on the porch. All four are giggling, telling labor stories, trying to figure out if these are really contractions, etc. (Of course while she's out there she tells me when the "funny feelings" are beginning and ending.)
~8:15pm: I ask Jen if she's had a "funny feeling" lately. She says that she hasn't. I say "well, I expect you'll be having one in the next very short while." About 10 seconds later, there comes one.
8:17pm Facebook Update: "She is now fairly convinced that they are contractions. Last one was 58 seconds long. They're 6 minutes apart now. "
8:22pm: The first of a series of contractions five minutes apart or less begins. I *think* this is the first one where she started feeling noticeable pain and not just "kinda like a cramp."
~8:45pm: Bag is packed. Jen has eaten dinner. Contractiosn have been five minutes or less for half an hour. First call to doctor is made. Doctor wants her 4 to 4 1/2 minutes apart for an hour before coming in, but gives us option to come in then if we want. Jen declines. :)
~9:00pm: Jen's parents in High Point are frantically running around and packing the cars. I believe they departed at around 10:00pm.
~9:25pm: Jen realizes that she has no really good "pregnant pictures," so we get up, get dressed, and go next door to ask Matt and Trista to come take some pictures of us. Pic was taken at 9:34pm.
11:12pm Facebook Update: "Ben Lewis and Jennifer are sitting in the den on our laptops timing the contractions. 5 minutes and counting. Methinks we're going to get to meet Carter soon. " So we basically sat in the den. Jen contracting and breathing, me doing the timing, for the next 45 minutes..until....
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009
12:16am: We record the last at-home contraction. It's 48 seconds long, and is only 2 minutes and 35 seconds after the most recent one.
~12:30am: After calling the doctor once again and letting her know that Jen had been at or around 4 minutes for nearly an hour, she gives us the go-ahead, and we depart for East Cooper Regional Hospital. In the car on the way there, we call a few people to let them know that this is it.
~1:15am: We get checked into a room.
~1:25am: Jen's water breaks. She is at 8cm.
~1:30am: Nurse struggles to get I.V. in, which is needed for epidural. (As of this writing, over two weeks later, Jen still has a nasty-looking bruise on her arm from this...)
~1:45am: Second nurse finally gets I.V. in.
~2:10am: Epidural begins. (Turns out this was only a partial, and needed to be redone later.) Jen is at 9cm.
~2:30am: Jen's parents arrive at the hospital.
~3:45am: Jen is at 9cm. Doctors ascertain that epidural is not working as needed. New epidural is ordered.
~3:50am: Things improve dramatically for Jen as new epidural kicks in.
~4:45am: Jen's brother Sam arrives at the hospital, having also driven all night from High Point.
~5:00am: Doctor ascertains that Jen is at 10cm, but baby needs to drop down a little further. Jen is pretty comfortable at this point, so they sit her upright for a while and let gravity help out.
5:58am: At this point, it's just a waiting game. Jen's parents are pretty tired from driving and being up all night.
7:13am: Still waiting. Loving the epidural.
8:57am Facebook Update: "Dr just said she will have Jen start pushing in 30ish min."
~9:45am: Pushing actually commences, a little later than the doc had said.
10:44am: Carter Ravenel Lewis is born!!!
10:51am: On the scale
11:02am: Mommy, Daddy, and Carter
11:04am: (20 minutes old and alert...she was this way pretty much from birth)
11:05am: (21 minutes...Jen looking none the worse for wear!)
~11:30am: Due to minor breathing/transition issues, Carter is taken to the nursery for observation. Her blood oxygen count was at around 82%. We were told that they're looking for 90 or better.
~11:35am: An oxygen mask is put on her.
~11:36am: She pulls the oxygen mask off.
~11:37am: The mask is put back on.
~11:38am: She pulls it off again.
~11:38am: The doctor notices that the count has risen to the 97-99 range, and decides to leave the mask off and see how she does.
12:01pm: In the nursery, no mask
~1:00pm: Carter is allowed to return to our room after a little over an hour of all vital signs looking perfect.
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009
1:00pm: scheduled prenatal visit. Jen is at 2 cm.
~3:30pm: Jen starts noticing "an odd feeling" in her abdomen that lasts for 30-45 seconds, and keeps repeating on a fairly regular basis.
~4:30pm: Jen calls me at work. "Honey, I think I might be having some sort of pre-contractions or something." I tell her that I'm coming home right away. She says I don't need to do that; it's probably nothing. I immediately pack up everything I might need to work from home for the next week, and jump in the car.
~4:45pm: In the car, I call Jen:
JEN: "It's probably nothing, just those Braxton-Hicks things or something."4:59pm: I call my mother to let her know that her 7th grandchild might be on the way.
BEN: "How long has this been going on?"
JEN: "A little over an hour."
BEN: "How far apart are they?"
JEN: "About every 8-10 minutes or so."
BEN: "Uh, Jen. That sounds like the real deal."
JEN: "No...no....this doesn't really even hurt."
BEN: "Well, just in case, I think you should at least finish packing your bag, and let your mom know." (Her mom was planning on being there for the birth. As for the bag, given everything that we'd been told about first-time moms, she'd planned on finishing that on Saturday--a week before the due date.)
JEN: "OK...ok....I guess I can pack the bag. But I don't think I should get mom worried. I don't want her get her excited and she drives all the way down here for nothing because I end up not having the baby for another week."
~5:10pm: I arrive at home, fully in "about-to-be-a-father" mode. I take over the timing of the "funny feelings." They're ranging from 6 to 10 minutes apart at this point.
~6:00pm: With the "funny feelings" down to 5 to 8 minutes apart, Jen decides to at least let her mom know that maybe something is going on.
~6:15pm: Jen describes the "funny feelings" as being somewhat like cramps and not the real deal. Given the repetitive nature, I'm convinced that we're going to have a baby in the next 12-18 hours. She is not. We decide to go next door to talk to our next-door neighbors, Matt and Trista. Trista has had two, the most recent one coming 6 months ago. We knock on the door. They invite us in. Jen and Trista start small-talking. This small talk is going on for a good 60-90 seconds before I just interrupt and say, "Uh, Jen, this ain't a social call. Trista, we're here for a reason. What do contractions feel like?" TRISTA: "WHAT?????!!!!" (big grin) She tells her that the early ones feel somewhat like cramps. DING DING DING!!! We're at their house long enough for 2 or 3 more of those "funny feelings" to come on, then we go back, probably around 6:45pm.
~6:45pm: Jen calls her mom to report back in. Still she tells her that it's probably nothing. I take the phone from her: "Susan, Jen is downplaying this. I think this is it. If you wait until tomorrow morning, I think you're going to miss the birth. Come tonight if you still want to see your first grandchild born."
~6:55pm: I call Columbus to let my mother know that I think her 7th grandchild is coming soon.
~7:30pm: Nearly all the "funny feelings" have been 6-7 minutes apart for the last 90 minutes. Jen tells me about a web site where contractions can be timed by just hitting "Begin" and "end" buttons when they start and finish. Starting at 7:32pm, we have a complete record of her contractions until 12:16am.
7:41pm Facebook Update: "Ben Lewis and Jen are not in agreement on what is a contraction, but she's having some sort of pain like clockwork every 7 minutes."
7:43pm Facebook Update: "Ben Lewis needs to clarify: he thinks they are. She is downplaying. We'll see who's right, I guess. ;-)"
~7:45pm: Trista and two other moms of young ones on our street knock on the front door. Jen hangs out with them for 10 minutes or so on the porch. All four are giggling, telling labor stories, trying to figure out if these are really contractions, etc. (Of course while she's out there she tells me when the "funny feelings" are beginning and ending.)
~8:15pm: I ask Jen if she's had a "funny feeling" lately. She says that she hasn't. I say "well, I expect you'll be having one in the next very short while." About 10 seconds later, there comes one.
8:17pm Facebook Update: "She is now fairly convinced that they are contractions. Last one was 58 seconds long. They're 6 minutes apart now. "
8:22pm: The first of a series of contractions five minutes apart or less begins. I *think* this is the first one where she started feeling noticeable pain and not just "kinda like a cramp."
~8:45pm: Bag is packed. Jen has eaten dinner. Contractiosn have been five minutes or less for half an hour. First call to doctor is made. Doctor wants her 4 to 4 1/2 minutes apart for an hour before coming in, but gives us option to come in then if we want. Jen declines. :)
~9:00pm: Jen's parents in High Point are frantically running around and packing the cars. I believe they departed at around 10:00pm.
~9:25pm: Jen realizes that she has no really good "pregnant pictures," so we get up, get dressed, and go next door to ask Matt and Trista to come take some pictures of us. Pic was taken at 9:34pm.
11:12pm Facebook Update: "Ben Lewis and Jennifer are sitting in the den on our laptops timing the contractions. 5 minutes and counting. Methinks we're going to get to meet Carter soon. " So we basically sat in the den. Jen contracting and breathing, me doing the timing, for the next 45 minutes..until....
11:58pm Facebook Update: Ben Lewis is wondering if it is normal behavior for a woman who is having contractions 4 1/2 minutes apart to get up and start vacuuming the house, refusing to let her husband do it.
Yes, when I informed her that she'd hit the 4 1/2 minute mark, she got UP and started vacuuming, and would not let me do it.SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009
12:16am: We record the last at-home contraction. It's 48 seconds long, and is only 2 minutes and 35 seconds after the most recent one.
~12:30am: After calling the doctor once again and letting her know that Jen had been at or around 4 minutes for nearly an hour, she gives us the go-ahead, and we depart for East Cooper Regional Hospital. In the car on the way there, we call a few people to let them know that this is it.
~1:15am: We get checked into a room.
~1:25am: Jen's water breaks. She is at 8cm.
~1:30am: Nurse struggles to get I.V. in, which is needed for epidural. (As of this writing, over two weeks later, Jen still has a nasty-looking bruise on her arm from this...)
~1:45am: Second nurse finally gets I.V. in.
~2:10am: Epidural begins. (Turns out this was only a partial, and needed to be redone later.) Jen is at 9cm.
~2:30am: Jen's parents arrive at the hospital.
~3:45am: Jen is at 9cm. Doctors ascertain that epidural is not working as needed. New epidural is ordered.
~3:50am: Things improve dramatically for Jen as new epidural kicks in.
~4:45am: Jen's brother Sam arrives at the hospital, having also driven all night from High Point.
~5:00am: Doctor ascertains that Jen is at 10cm, but baby needs to drop down a little further. Jen is pretty comfortable at this point, so they sit her upright for a while and let gravity help out.
5:58am: At this point, it's just a waiting game. Jen's parents are pretty tired from driving and being up all night.
7:13am: Still waiting. Loving the epidural.
8:57am Facebook Update: "Dr just said she will have Jen start pushing in 30ish min."
~9:45am: Pushing actually commences, a little later than the doc had said.
10:44am: Carter Ravenel Lewis is born!!!
10:51am: On the scale
11:02am: Mommy, Daddy, and Carter
11:04am: (20 minutes old and alert...she was this way pretty much from birth)
11:05am: (21 minutes...Jen looking none the worse for wear!)
~11:30am: Due to minor breathing/transition issues, Carter is taken to the nursery for observation. Her blood oxygen count was at around 82%. We were told that they're looking for 90 or better.
~11:35am: An oxygen mask is put on her.
~11:36am: She pulls the oxygen mask off.
~11:37am: The mask is put back on.
~11:38am: She pulls it off again.
~11:38am: The doctor notices that the count has risen to the 97-99 range, and decides to leave the mask off and see how she does.
12:01pm: In the nursery, no mask
~1:00pm: Carter is allowed to return to our room after a little over an hour of all vital signs looking perfect.
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