The Final Chapter in this Journey

When I began Big Bellies and Tiny Toes, I did so just for the pregnancy so that those who were not interested in all the bump pictures, etc would not have to see them. Well, this post will be the final post I make to this blog. At least until we have another child.....Just Kidding...Kinda. Anyway....

We PROUDLY welcome MORRIS WESLEY FORD IV to our family!

He was born September 3, 2010 at 10:04 PM at Brookwood Medical Center after 14 hours of labor.

He was born at 7lb 12oz and 20 3/4 inches long.

This is going to be a long post so if you are not interested in the details and just want to see pictures then scroll to the bottom.

Friday (9/3/10) started like any other Friday, I got up on time and we made Taylor something special for breakfast...Cinnamon Rolls. While sitting in the Kitchen relaxing with Morris I had my first contraction of the day, at 5:56 AM. I really didn't think much of it other than that is the first time I have had one before 10 AM. I started messing with the laundry and had my second contraction at 6:06 AM. The contractions progressed to 7 minutes apart by the time we left the house. We left late b/c we decided to go ahead and pack our hospital bags and load the car. By the time we got Taylor to school my contractions were 5 minutes apart. We started thinking that Today could be the day! We got to our doctors appointment at 8:30 and agreed we would not tell him about the contractions unless i was 5+ CM dilated. We went through the appointment as usual and I was only 3 CM dilated but I was 80% effaced. So we left the appointment and went to chick-fil-a for our usual "after doctor" breakfast. We then headed to Morris' office so he could wrap up a few loose ends and I could relax. At this point my contractions are 3 minutes apart. Around noon we left and went to Buy Buy Baby to purchase a few things and walk around. After we went to Sams to loiter. Through out the day I was checking in with Mom to ask her resident OB nurse (Bonnie) about what I was feeling and what I should do. At this point Bonnie suggested I go eat lunch...a spicy burrito to be exact. So I did. About 30 minutes after eating that my contractions got more intense...not painful yet but stronger. Around 2:30 Morris started to get really nervous and was insistent that we go to the hospital. I called the Dr. that was on call and let him know I was coming. We checked in at Brookwood at 3:00 PM. After being examined I was still only 4 CM dilated but 100% effaced. We talked with our Nurse, Shelly, and she suggested that I walk the halls for 30 minutes and be rechecked. We did this 2 times, 30 minutes walking 15 minutes being monitored, for a total of 90 minutes. After this I was 5 CM dilated. At this point we made the decision to have Dr. S (the Dr. on Call, not my usual Dr.) to break my water. After he broke my water it took 3 hours for me to go from 5cm to 7cm and then 1 hour to delivery of Morris. Unfortunately I lost Nurse Shelly an hour before Morris was born (she had worked the max hours she was allowed to work). She was the best nurse I could have ever had and she acted like a true midwife to me. She loved my birth plan and was extremely supportive. Dr. S was also AMAZING! He was truly supportive and adapted to what I needed in order to achieve my goal.

Most of you knew my birth plan. Despite 14 hours of labor, with the support and encouragement of Morris, I was able to deliver our son with no medication as we had planned. Yes, it was hard; Yes, it was exhausting and Yes, it hurt. The 2 most common questions I get are: 1)Was it worth it....ABSOLUTELY and 2) Would I do it this way again if we had another child...MOST DEFINITELY.

Below are some pictures from the Labor and of Morris:

The best nurse ever! Shelly was absolutely amazing!

Finding relief on the birthing ball through CM 5, 6, 7, and 8. Morris is the best Birthing Partner!

He even let Shelly take this picture!

Getting wiped off and checked for just a minute before given back to me

Loving on our sweet baby boy!

Going to our room:

Taylor meets her Baby Brother!

A very proud and exhausted Daddy!!

So that concludes the Pregnancy Journey! To continue to follow Morris and his Sister Taylor go to our Family blog http://morrisandallison.blogspot.com/.

39 weeks!!!

Today we went in for our 39 week appointment. Let me start by saying I did not sleep well due to discomfort and I kept waking from dreams about my water breaking. I was up for the day by 5:45 and Morris and Taylor had made muffins. Yum! At 5:56AM I had my first contraction. The Second at 6:06 AM. We then started to get ready and decided to go ahead and pack everything up as if we were not coming home. I continued to have contractions but was not taking the time to measure them. Our appointment was 8:45 so we dropped Taylor at school and headed to the hospital. My weight was good but my Blood Pressure was high...131/84. Morris' heart rate was hard to find but sounded good when we found it. He has his back on my left side of my belly and is head down.  *Pause for contraction* Then the doctor came in to check me. He said immediately that I was sitting on go at a solid 3cm dilated and 80% effaced. He asked if I was having contractions and I said yes. I did however fail to mention that they were 5 minutes apart starting at 7:30. We left the hospital and ran to Chick-fil-a for breakfast. My contractions have progressed some. They are more intense and are now closer to 3min apart. I would like to stay away from the hospital as long as I can, but I think I am making Morris very nervous. I just want to make sure this is true labor and not just a false alarm. 

We did hang the planes in the nursery last night and I love the way they turned out. When I get home I will take a picture and post it. Also, I will take my picture then as well, unless we go to the hospital to stay.

Please be praying for us and Morris. Pray that this is a safe delivery and that Morris is strong and Healthy! We know that he will come whenever God is ready for us to meet him.  For Now...

Dropping like flies!!

We had 14 people give their guess on when they thought Morris would arrive. One person gave 2 guesses...LOL. Currently 6 people have been wrong...including myself and Morris. Those guesses were Cavin-8/12/10; Me-8/23/10; Brandy-8/30/10; Cristen-8/30/10; Ceci-9/1/10; and Morris-9/1/10.

My Friend Cristen from work gave 2 guesses from the beginning. She wanted 8/30/10 as well as 9/6/10. She chose 9/6/10 b/c it was LABOR day. She thought it would be funny if I went into labor on Labor Day. She is crazy!

The next prediction is tomorrow 9/2 by my Aunt Cindy. Then we have a 2 day gap in which we will go to the doctor again and see how I have progressed. It is not too late to send me a guess or leave it in a comment on the blog. I will add you to the list.

Thanks to all who participated!

38 Week Dr Appt Details

I just realized that I didn't post the details from my Dr. Appt other than the Shocker post! I guess I was in such shock I forgot! Anyway....Morris' heart rate was 131 and my blood pressure was 103/78. I did find that pound that I had lost last week but over all I have gained less with this pregnancy and my Bump is measuring right on schedule.

After my exam, Dr. R did tell us it could happen any day now and that he would be surprised if I had not delivered by Friday (9/3/10). It is 4 days later and still nothing so I am thinking this was his way to get me anxious. He did try to go ahead and plan an induction for 9/7/10 but I refused. He gave me that look...but said "ok we can wait". I need to be at least 40 weeks before I will consider an induction and really there would need to be a medical reason for doing so. Morris and I are extremely anxious now so it has been harder these past few days b/c with every Practice contraction we wonder if this is it. I just keep telling myself that "Good Things Come To Those Who Wait".

Weekend Update

Friday we left Birmingham at 10 headed to Valdosta, GA. We got in there around 4:30, dressed and headed to the rehearsal at 5:30. I had quite a few contractions in the car but they were really spaced out and no big deal. Saturday we slept in and were lazy most of the day. We were at the church by 3:00 and I stayed put in a seat for most of the activities. We left the reception around 10:30 and headed back to the hotel to rest. I only had 2 or 3 contractions on that day. Sunday we got up early and headed home. We were both eager to get back to Birmingham and see Taylor. At 12:00 I had my first contraction, then again at 1:00, 1:30, and 1:45. We were back to our house by 1:30. The contractions continued to be 15 to 30 minutes apart until about 8:30 and then they stopped. I was able to get a really good nights rest and got up and headed to work. Every ones prayers were answered and we did not have a GA baby! Now he can come whenever he is good and ready! Thank you to all who thought about us and prayed for us this weekend! We truly could feel your love while we were gone!

38 Week Doctor Appt...total Shocker!

Morris and I knew going into this appointment that I was going to be high and tight with no worries. We knew we would be going full term. Boy were we WRONG!!! Dr. R said that I was 2cm dilated and it could be any day now. He said he would be surprised if I didn't deliver by Friday (9/3)!!! This was not what we were expecting. We both went into panic mode but after saying a prayer I think we have calmed down a bit and are proceeding with the weekend!

Everyone please pray that we make it back to Birmingham before having this baby!

Thanks!

Week 38...You did what??

So as I meantioned last week we were able to borrow a 12 foot ladder to finish the big work on the nursery. Here is what we have done: Saturday we installed the fan and starged hanging the clouds. Sunday we were able to finish the clouds, Clean up the mess, put the furniture back in there, and hang the mirror. Needless to say we did not get a Sunday nap. Monday night I was able to complete one of the curtain panels! Then Wednesday night I finished the other Curtain Panel and we hung them! I am so pleased with how they turned out! Here are a few pictures of some of the things we have done in the room:

And that brings us to Friday...

The rule of thumb is that you should not travel far from your doctor in the last month of pregnancy. Well, what exactly does far mean??? Well, when  your first labor/delivery was only 3 hours and 5 minutes, far would probably be an hour. So basically I am confined to Birmingham until this baby is born. OOPS! I have broken that rule...but don't worry, I am extremely prepared. This weekend is the wedding of Morris' good friend John Mark and Morris is in the wedding. We are so excited about the wedding and of course would not miss it for the world. The rehearsal dinner is Friday night and wedding on Saturday.

Now is a good time to sit down.

The wedding is in VALDOSTA GA! Yes...6 hours away from Brookwood Hospital and Dr. R. I didn't exactly ask permission to go on this trip b/c I don't really care. Morris is in the wedding and I am not having this baby without him. If our son is going to be born this weekend then he will be born in Valdosta GA at South Georgia Medical Center and both his Mommy and Daddy will be present. Lord willing he will NOT be born this weekend. We are hoping to make it at least another week if not longer, but we are on God's time. When he comes, he comes. So with that said, I have my hospital bag with me, the carseat installed and directions to the hospital from every venue that we might possibly visit. I have already been asked, so I will just go ahead and answer a common question, Yes, John Mark is worth it. He and Morris have been friends for a long time and we adore Jamie! We are so pumped for them and can't wait to see them start their life together!

My 38 Week Bump:

Info on Friday's Dr. Appt Coming soon...

Just 3 more weeks!

Saturday of this week started with a trip to Athens so that Bop could show Morris how to use the new tractor. Of course the day was extremely hot and I felt sorry for the men as I watched them from the air conditioned house. I also felt sorry for Morris when he got stung by a wasp! Fortunately I had Mela-gel on me and it gave him instant relief. That night when we got home we did a tiny amount of work on the nursery and then crashed. We were all exhausted. Sunday was my 3rd and final baby shower, given by the sisters at Crossbridge. I will do a seperate post for this event. Sunday night I came down with some kind of stomach virus and did not sleep so I had to call in on Monday to try to catch up. I did get started on cleaning bottles. I forgot how many I have to clean!! Wednesday night we were able to pick up the Toy Box from Morris' parents house. We took it home and got it put together! It looks awesome! Friday we had our 12th Dr. Appt! Morris' heart rate was low, 127, but I think it is b/c of the way he was turned and she couldn't get a very good read on him. My blood pressure is looking good at 105/78 and I actually lost a pound this week!

This coming weekend is going to be the last chance we have to work on the nursery. We have a ladder lined up to borrow so that we can finish the fan, clouds and curtains. Then we should be able to arrange the furniture, hang the mirror and do other decor type things. I am really excited about it.

How is Morris?

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

My 37 week bump:

Crossbridge Shower

Sunday 8/15 was my last baby shower given by the ladies at my church. It was at the home of Lorette and it was breath taking. She is extremely creative and unbelievably generous! All of the hostesses were wonderful and did an incredible job matching everything to our nursery colors...which was completely unexpected. (My nursery colors are unique and would have never expected them to use it as the color scheme.) 

I don't even know where to start on telling about the gifts! We got amazing stuff! So many essentials, sheets, food containers, changing pad covers, tummy time mat, blankets and much more! We also got some precious clothes and even decorations for the nursery!! Lorette did the entire centerpiece as a gift to us! WOW! I am still over whelmed by it all. I enjoyed the shower so much and loved spending time with my church sisters! Thank you all so much!
Here are a few pictures...they do not do the decor justice...it was Amazing!

Productive Week 36!!

According to the Bump.com it is normal for me to major swings between total exhaustion and high energy burst....I just didn't realize they would happen all in the same day! CRAZY! Anyway...

This week (8/7 to 8/13/10) has been awesome! It started off with my dad coming over Saturday and helping Morris paint the ceiling in the nursery. We were all concerned how this would go b/c it is a 14ft vaulted ceiling and there is no molding anywhere up there (which makes cutting in harder). Once they actually got started it only took them about 2 hours to finish. We had taped certain seams with froggy tape and chose to give extra time to make sure the paint dried. So Sunday night we pulled the tape. We all held our breath....and it was perfect! We are SOOO pleased with how it turned out. We had also begun to install a ceiling fan. We got the same fan as Taylor's room and bought a down rod. Well, turns out the down rod doesn't fit! The fan box does not say anything about needing a special sized rod, but we do. So we have to return the downrod we have and I have already special ordered the new one. The Clouds for the ceiling came in on Monday and the new downrod for the fan arrived Thursday. On Wednesday, Morris mounted the brackets to the curtain rod and started the cutting process on the "Way too long" curtain rod I bought. We got it for so cheap that we thought it would be easier to just cut it down to size.
Monday Night (8/9/10) we had a special event planned for Taylor. We took her to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Hospital Tour at Brookwood. There were 12 big brothers and sisters and Taylor was the youngest by 2 years. We wanted to do this tour to prepare her for the hospital environment and to keep it from being scary. WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT! She is by no means scared of the Hospital and acted like she owned the place. Here are a few pictures from the night.

We had our first weekly doctors appt today. My blood pressure was 111/70 and Morris heartbeat was 159. He was very active again so the nurse and his daddy could watch him tumble. Doc says everything looks good and I measuring right on schedule. At this point they will not try to stop me from going into labor. I guess it could be any day now, but I think I still have a ways to go.
My 36 week Bump:

35 Down and 5 to go!!!

5 weeks left and a TON of stuff to do! We got a few things done this week, nothing major but essential. I finally found a mirror for the nursery, ordered and got the curtains, bought a curtain rod, and ordered the clouds for the ceiling.  I also washed and wiped down the baby swing and the carseat! We picked up a 12 ft ladder at home depot so that we can paint the ceiling this weekend.

Thursday we had the last of our 2 week dr. appointments. My blood pressure was back down to 123/75, which is good, and Morris' heart beat was 156! I love hearing my little man! At first we could barely hear him...but that didn't stop him from showing us he was there. He was beating and kicking the whole time...guess he was showing off to the nurse. The Dr. went ahead and did an exam. I had told him that I was experiencing some pretty major pressure and wanted to make sure all was secure. He confirmed and reassured me that everything was good and that the baby was not coming any time soon. YEAH! He needs to stay in there a few more weeks!

Unfortuantly my 35 week bump picture got over looked and was never taken. I will have a longer post with lots of pictures next week! Be sure to check back!

Only 6 weeks to go!

Week 34 went by fast! Saturday we had 2 little girl birthdays to go to and then Sunday was my Baby Shower at Ceci's house! (I will post about that next--still uploading pictures) Work was busy and I was able to get a lot done...thank goodness! Morris went camping with John Mark and friends Friday night, so it was Girl night at our house. We didn't get much done on the nursery this week b/c we were so busy but we have made a list of things that need to be done. We will start working on them this weekend (of week 35).  I am not sure I have ever put this on the blog but my weeks go from Saturday to Friday. So normally when I talk about a week I talk about the weekend and then the week days. When I reference the next weekend I am referring to my next week of gestation. (yes, I know it is all confusing)

How is Morris doing?

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

My 34 week bump:

As with Taylor, Morris and I are starting a friendly wager about the birth of Morris. Anyone can participate and the only prize is Bragging rights. :) But if you want to guess just email me or leave a comment with the Date and Weight that you think he will be born. Also, feel free to leave other info that you have a hunch about. Several have given me exact length, eye color, hair/no hair, induced or rushed to hospital...I am taking note of these things too. This is a lot of fun for me b/c it keeps my mind off of the stresses of preparation. I would really like to hear from all of you. Information you might want to know in order to help you guess:

I am due 9/10/10. My blood pressure is on the high side of normal. :)

Taylor (our first child) was born 11/29/07, she was due 12/3/07 (I was induced due to high blood pressure)

She weighed 6lb 6oz, I was born at 6lb 13oz and Morris was 9lb 12oz.

I was born Late and so was Morris….we were both second pregnancies.

Happy guessing!

Second Shower!

Sunday, the 25th, my dear friend Ceci threw a shower for me at her house. Ceci also threw a pampered chef party for me when Morris and I got married and a baby tea when I was pregnant with Taylor. She is absolutely precious to me!

We had a wonderful turn out and everything was just beautiful! I had fun seeing so many family and friends!

Bev, Me and Ceci...they did an amazing job!!

Me and Cristen!

Me with my length of tape showing how big around I am.

Blanket from Morris and Patty....Love it! Can't wait to wrap my little guy in it!

The gifts...We got so many amazing things, to include, clothes, blankets, pictures, hamper, baskets, diaper bag, toys, books, diaper pail, diapers, wipes, gift cards, scrap booking materials, feeding essentials, and a TOY CHEST (thank you Ford family)!

Cristen got this picture after everyone left and right before the cleaning started.

I would like to note that this is my Aunt Cindy. She drove from Tampa Florida for the shower and brought me this amazing train picture. She cross-stitched it for us! Isn't she Talented! We are so excited to hang it in the nursery! We are going with a Vintage theme based on Family. What a perfect way to add family to the room! Thank you Aunt Cindy! I loved spending time with you during your visit! Love you!

Morris and I have spent so much time thanking the Lord for our friends and family! Everyone has been so loving and generous, we have moments of just being overwhelmed with Love! Sometimes I look at it all and cry...Tears of joy. Thank you everyone, We love you!

Bedding

At 33 weeks most people have the nursery complete, much less have the bedding bought/complete. Well, I can say that I at least have that much done! Woo Hoo! This is a huge stress off!

This:

Has become This:

I finished the bed skirt tonight and we put it all on the crib. The bumpers are double sided and we decided to alternate them so that all the fabrics could be seen from the inside and out.

I will need to make the blanket but I have plenty of time to get that done. We need to finish the other parts of the room first. The Blanket is going to be large and mainly for when he is older.

I am so glad to have this project done, but I would chose do to it again. :)

33 down 7 to go!!!

I had mentioned posting a picture of the closet and forgot to do it last time. Here is the mostly finished product. We still have to decide about the shelves above the drawers...mainly I need to pick out baskets for there...then we can decide. We have the size dividers in there and hung up some of the stuff. Most of the onsies and sleep n'plays are in the dresser. The blue drawer thing to the left is full of 3-6, 6, 9, and 12 month stuff. We actually have plenty of 0-3 and 3-6 month stuff. The size we have the least of is 9 month stuff. My friend Julie has been passing down Owen's clothes so I am not worried about clothes at all. We started collecting boxes of diapers from SAMs. We have plenty of size 1s but only one box of size 2s. We need to go get some more now that we aren't having to buy them for Taylor! (HIP HIP HURRAY!)

We had a Doc appt this week. He said everything looks great. Morris' heart rate was 141bpm. My blood pressure was a up a good bit from the last 2 times but the doctor didn't seem concerned. Also, Morris and I are working to get things done so I can stop stressing. :)

My 33 week bump!

32 Weeks

So this week started off with a bang! Saturday Morris, Taylor and I headed to Cristen's house with my parents to help her move. Considering we got her completely moved it was by far the easiest move ever. After Taylor took a nap and I put the last bumper together, we went swimming and to dinner. Morris and I then watched a movie and slip stitched all 6 Bumpers closed. Now we are moving on to the crib skirt!

Sunday was interesting. Morris has been icing his bad knee every night b/c of swelling, well I have joined him...except I am icing my ankle! On the way into Arby's at lunch, I was turned talking to Morris and did not see the big hole in the parking lot. I stepped in it and went to my hands and knees as if I had been sniped (Morris made me say that)! My left knee was black and bloody...but my jeans were fine! Yeah! At the time I didn't realize I had hurt my ankle. By the time we got home my ankle had swollen and was hurting pretty bad. Luckily after a few days the swelling went down and it stopped hurting. My knee is taking longer to heal. Tuesday was my work baby shower, which was a lot of fun (see separate post). Friday morning Morris was able to finish putting the closet together! We put as much stuff in the closet as we could and got started on the room. We finally got the dresser moved from Taylor's room to Morris' and filled it up! We got all items that didn't belong, accept for a few pictures, out of the room. Our foyer is a mess now but it will force me to do something with it....Hopefully!

How is Morris doing?

He measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. He fills almost all the space available now. A layer of fat is forming underneath the thin, wrinkly skin. Morris is practicing opening his eyes and breathing. Most internal systems are well developed, but the lungs may still be immature. He has the hiccups 2-3 times a day now!

My 32 week Bump:

I am including this picture so you can see the progress on the nursery! Finally we are getting somewhere!

Hopefully week 33 will be just as productive as 32!! Until next week!