Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Chill

The freezer is supposed to be delivered today.  Hopefully it fits in the spot I cleared out the other night and hopefully we don't have any problems getting it in there.  I guess we'll know soon enough.

In the midst of having a baby, NASA completed the space shuttle mission.  One thing I'll always be able to remember about Harrison's birthday is that he was born the day of the final space shuttle launch.  The shuttle program was literally as old as I am.  The first launch was on April 12, 1981.  Twentynine days before I was born.  For as long as I've been alive, the space shuttle has been operating.  I never got to see a launch.  I've watched plenty of them on TV and the internet, but I always wanted to see one in person.  Hopefully, it won't be long and we'll have a new generation of flights lifting off.  Of course, private companies are already getting close to sending unmanned ships to the space station for supply drops.  They expect the first of those flights to happen before the end of the year even.  Maybe when NASA finally gets back into the game, we can take Harrison to the launch and he can have that memory that I never did.

Anyway.  No major plans this weekend.  I've got to get the grass cut at some point.  It's approaching nightmare levels.  All this rain has kicked it into high gear.  I'm glad we're getting rain though.  It's a lot better than being as dry as it was earlier.  It was kind of nice not having to cut the grass though.  Have a good weekend.

--Paul

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Business As Usual

Harrison is slowly becoming integrated into our every day lives.  Now that he's two weeks old, we've been taking him out with us more and more.  He's made a couple of trips to Wal-Mart, went out to eat with us a couple of times this past weekend, and made his first Sunday church service this past weekend.

Saturday, Mom and Sid and Grandmother and Granddaddy came down so that Grandmother and Granddaddy could meet Harrison.  Since they had to come from Tallassee, they decided to not come to the hospital so that they would be able to spend more time with him when they did come.  It was a good visit and we got some good pictures.

Sunday went really well.  I thought it was pretty awesome that Harrison's first Sunday service was Homecoming.  It was an extended service and he slept for a good bit of it.  DeAnne did have to get up and take him out once, but for the most part, he was a little champ.  He also slept through the fellowship lunch after services.  I told him that one day he'll come to really enjoy the great southern tradition that is eating after church and that I thought it set a good precedent that his first Sunday in church was one that had a fellowship meal.

Finally, we've had to break down and buy a freezer.  We really could have stood to have one for about two years now, we've just been putting it off.  We went to Sears yesterday and got one that will fit in our storage room.  The only real problem with buying a freezer and putting it in the storage room is that it meant cleaning out the storage room so that we could get it in there.  I didn't think I would get it done yesterday, but after about four hours of sweating like crazy, I had the corner the freezer is going in completely cleaned out.  The rest of the storage room is kind of packed out now and there's a good bit more stuff in the storage building, but we should be able to get the freezer in place.  Maybe now we'll actually be able to see what's in the freezer in the kitchen.

See you on Thursday.

--Paul

Thursday, July 21, 2011

All About Baby

I'm sure you've probably already expected this, but I would imagine the blog is going to mostly be about Harrison for the foreseeable future.  

The photo session Tuesday afternoon went well.  He did really good up until about the last half hour.  We stopped for a bit so he could eat but after that he was awake and not very cooperative.  He seems to usually get kind of fussy around 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon.  We're not really sure why, but he just always seems to get a little work up around that time.  We figure it's better then than in the middle of the night.

Sleeping is going well.  The past three or four nights, he's only gotten up once.  He usually goes down between 9:00 and 10:00 and then sleeps for four or five hours, wakes up, eats then goes back down for another four or five hours.  It's about as perfect as it could be.  I'm sure there will be nights to come cutting teeth or sick where we think we're going to loose our minds, but as long as he keeps this pattern up, we can't complain.

He had several "firsts" yesterday.  DeAnne's mom came over and was going to take him over to Opp.  First they stopped at David's for lunch then they ran by Wal-Mart to get DeAnne's grandmother an oil change.  After that it was raining so much that they just came back to the house and canceled the trip to Opp.  So first trip to David's (or anywhere out to eat) and first trip to Wal-Mart.  Then last night, DeAnne decided that she felt good enough to go to church, so we took him to church with us.  So that was his first church service.  I was excited that his first time in church was when I was helping lead worship playing guitar.  I can't imagine a better start than to set the precedent of Harrison's dad serving in a church service.  He also got to sit in on his mom's small group session and saw her leading that.  I hope DeAnne and I are always such an example for him to see.  

Today is his two-week check-up and tomorrow he'll actually be two weeks old.  DeAnne's excited just for the fact that tomorrow she'll be able to drive again.  I don't think there's going to be much stopping her once tomorrow comes.  The poor boy will probably not remember what it's like to not be in his car seat (I'm kidding, DeAnne).  We're planning on taking him to church Sunday.  I think it's pretty awesome that Sunday also happens to be Homecoming at church.  My mom is brining Grandmother and Granddaddy down Saturday to meet Harrison.  They've not had a chance to come down yet, so it'll be good to see them and let Harrison meet his Great-Grandmother and Great-Granddaddy.  Have a good weekend.

--Paul

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Back In Action

As I'm pretty sure most everyone who reads this blog is aware by now, Harrison was born July 8, 2011.  It feels good to get back to the blog this morning.  So here's what's been happening.

The Wednesday after my last post, DeAnne had her weekly visit with the doctor.  When they checked her blood pressure, it was through the roof.  She was also slightly dilated, so Dr. Browing went ahead and sent her to the hospital.  He was afraid that she was developing preeclampsia.  So DeAnne was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday.  I left work and spent Wednesday and Thursday with her waiting for test results to come back to see if she had preeclampsia or not.  Thursday evening, Dr. Wells came by, said the tests were negative but her blood pressure was still high.  He felt like she was dilated enough and contracting enough already that he could induce her and that would cure the hypertension.

At 10:00 Thursday night, they gave her an induction pill.  That was all it took.  The plan was to give her another pill at 2:00 and then start a drip at 6:00.  She was contracting enough at 2:00 that the nurse didn't give her the second pill.  At 3:00 her water broke.  At 6:00 she had already had the epidural for over an hour and at 9:00 she was pushing.  She progressed like clockwork and everything looked great until the pushing started.

Unfortunately, Harrison takes after his dad in one very important way.  He got stuck trying to come out.  He was face up and sideways and just couldn't make it out.  After three hours, Dr. Wells told us that DeAnne and the baby were fine and she could keep pushing if she wanted to, but if she was ready, he would do a section and get him out.  DeAnne was exhausted, so she agreed to the section and at 12:37, Harrison entered the world screaming like a rock star.  After he got the baby out, Dr. Wells said that all the pushing in the world wouldn't have gotten him out and that it was good we went ahead with the section.  DeAnne and I were both a little disappointed to have to go that route, but like I told her that afternoon; 30 years ago they would have broken her tail bone.

Harrison's doing great and so is DeAnne.  She's recovered very well from the surgery.  It's been a great week and a half and I can't imagine having things any other way.  He's probably the greatest earthly gift that God has ever given me and DeAnne and I are both so very thankful for him.  Harrison really is a miracle and a revelation.

We're supposed to be taking pictures this afternoon.  Then Thursday is Harrison's two week checkup.  I've got plenty more to tell, but it's great to get started.

--Paul

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Too Short Long Weekend

The long weekend was far too short for my tastes.  We had a good one though.

Saturday was actually pretty productive.  I got the grass taken care of but little did I know that while I was out in the yard, DeAnne had gone full nesting mode inside the house.  She was cleaning like a crazy person and had plenty for me to do after I got back inside.  She did give me a chance to take a shower, rest and eat lunch first, but after that, we were back at it, putting up laundry, sweeping and vacuuming, and hanging up a list of items that I've never managed to get on the walls.  Saturday night we spent some time with MeMaw and when we finally hit the sack, I slept about as hard as I ever have.

Church was good on Sunday.  I always love seeing baptisms.  They're one of those things that are guaranteed to make you smile.  The church picnic Sunday afternoon was good too.  We didn't make it to the fireworks show, but we enjoyed talking with everyone, watching kids (and some adults) on the slip-n-slide and of course, the dessert table.

And then the day off.  The 4th.  We lounged, we went to Wal-mart, we lounged some more and then we went to Opp and ate dinner with DeAnne's family.  Simple, easy, nice and relaxing.

Harrison watch is at 17 days and counting.  Still hoping for DeAnne's sake it's less than that.  Her feet have gotten worse the last couple of days.  Sunday night they looked awful when we left church.  I've been talking to him trying to coax him out, but he seems pretty determined to stay right where he is for as long as possible.  I think it means he's stubborn like his momma, but don't tell her I said that.

--Paul