Impromptu photo op

I thought Cameron looked especially adorable today and decided on a whim to shoot some quick pics of our little two-month-old in the backyard.  It was a gorgeous afternoon and he was really happy!  I love that this was unplanned because I am sure there will be many times in the future when Dave and I go out of our way to plan something special or fun and inevitably it will not turn out as we had hoped.  

Love the turkey butt! 

TWO MONTHS TOO LATE

Finally, after TWO months of mommyhood, I'm finally finding the time to sit down and share the story of my labor and delivery experience...for my own sake and for your reading pleasure!  Despite my best intentions, blogging has taken a back seat as I've been devoting nearly all my time to loving, feeding, caring for, and obsessing over this amazing little boy, Cameron!  In between doing that, I've managed to get a few hours of sleep, a handful of showers, and even made a dinner or two for my patient and helpful hubby!  We were joking with some friends this past weekend that if I didn't update the blog soon, people were going to start thinking some crazy things...like that I was still pregnant ;) So, I am beyond thrilled to report that not only am I no longer pregnant, but I LOVE being this little boy's mommy and am eager to share some of the excitement and challenges that the first couple months have brought.  But FIRST, I'll let some of the many pictures of us & this sweet boy do the talking...

Waiting, waiting, waiting

Proud Daddy

Relieved (and proud!) Momma

Cameron David

Born September 17

at 10:03 a.m.

20.5 inches

Dave's mom & Darrell were among the first to hold him...

...along with Dave's dad and many of our closest friends...

Gerry & Shaina

Marie

Brad & Jen

Jennifer and...

John

Cristin

Brian

Seth

Cameron was also warmly welcomed by my parents who were able to help us for about a week and a half after his birth 

"Nana" (in case you didn't notice the pin on her shirt!)

"Pop-E"

And now...for any and all who care...the long awaited story of how this little guy made his way into the world...

Contractions began at 4:45 a.m. on Friday the 16th when I suddenly awoke thinking my water broke.  I very matter-of-factly informed Dave, called my OB's office, and then we both quickly got ourselves ready and waited to hear back from the on-call midwife.  She FINALLY called an hour later and, because I was GBS positive, we were told to head to the hospital.  We jumped in the car and checked in around 6 a.m., filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness at the thought that it was the day were we going to meet our son!  At this point contractions had been on and off, but I was not leaking any more fluid and when the nurse checked me, she wasn't able to verify whether or not my water had broken...so, she sent us walking around the hospital for an hour to see if I would continue losing fluid, which I did not.  I was surprised, confused, and disappointed after I showed no progress and we were discharged at 10 a.m.  In the ten minutes before we left the hospital, I had 3 "strong" contractions (I really had no idea how much stronger they were going to get!) in a row and wondered aloud to Dave "Why are we LEAVING when my contractions are getting STRONGER??!"  In hindsight, I am so glad that we were sent home so I could labor in the comfort of familiar surroundings without being hooked up and constantly monitored. 

On the way home, Dave and I stopped at Bruegger's to get our favorite breakfast bagel sandwiches (another reason I was glad not to be in the hospital--I could EAT!).  My contractions were becoming more regular and we began to keep track of them diligently on my phone.  I still have the list of just about every single contraction I had over the course of that day and have seriously wondered how I could memorialize it...that was a lot of hard work!!  I bore through the discomfort and pain for several hours by walking around until 3:30 in the afternoon before we decided it would be worthwhile to see the OB again.  I was sure that I had progressed after so many hours of contractions being 5-10 mins apart and I wanted to know where we were at before facing the night (or weekend) ahead.  The midwife told us I was 4cm dilated (HOORAYYYY!) and was sure that the baby would be coming soon-ish, but of course, no one could tell us exactly when that would be, sooooooo we were again told to go home and wait it out until contractions were 5-1-1 (Five minutes apart, lasting one minute, for at least one hour) before we could go to the hospital.  

I was encouraged by the progress I had made over the course of the day but didn't feel prepared for what the night ahead would hold.  I figured I wouldn't be getting much sleep (if any), so my plan was to relax as much as possible and take it one contraction at a time.  I did just that by alternating spending time on the birthing ball and briskly pacing around the house while sniffing dryer sheets (strange, I know, but the fresh scent helped me take slower, deeper breaths since my natural response was to want to hold my breath)...Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I looked like a crazy person and I didn't care one bit!  I was beginning to get "in the zone" I guess.  The rest of the world was kind of fading away and all I could concentrate on was getting through the pain and trying to focus on the fact that I was making progress (the power of positive thinking!)  I tried to distract myself and pass the time by doing some normal activities like watching TV, talking on the phone (which didn't last long once I realized I couldn't talk through the contractions), and eating small bits of bland food, until at last I realized the only thing I wanted to do was be by myself in the bathtub making as much progress as I could, as quickly as possible.  Dave was so kind and encouraging and calm throughout the whole day and drew me a bath two or three times that night until finally sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. I reached 5-1-1!!!  If you're still with me at this point, I had been awake and laboring since 4:45 a.m. so it was already a looong day and I was hoping that we would get to the hospital and get this little guy out by 2 or 3 a.m. which was "overly optimistic" to Dave and just laughable to the nurses and probably every other rational person who wasn't feeling the pain and weariness I was.  

What happened in the hospital is more of a blur to me...what I do remember is that the contractions came stronger, lasted longer, and despite making good progress, there was no end in sight when 2 and 3 a.m. rolled around as I had hoped.  After 8 hours had passed and I had received the necessary 2 doses of antibiotics (needed for the strep to not pose a threat to Cameron), we were able to have them break my water to make things speed up a little more.  And they did.  The pain was intense at this point and I considered an epidural MANY times throughout the process, but with encouragement from Dave and his mom, I opted to continue on naturally as best as I could.  The most relief came when I was soaking in the tub with the jets giving my back a chance to relax, even for a minute or two.  I felt like the Lord was giving me just enough relief and was amazed at the power of my own adrenaline, endorphins, and whatever other natural pain blockers my body was producing.  It was an amazing, almost indescribable experience to go through labor this way and I discovered strength in myself that I didn't know I had.  

I kept thinking positively ("This HAS to be over soon!!") and honestly felt strength in knowing how many people were praying for me.  Scripture was coming to mind at the moments when I needed it most, with this one being especially comforting (and how timely that it was on the day I went into labor!):

My main request at this point was "Lord, let it end!!!" but at 7 a.m. when the nurses changed shifts, my plea became more desperate AND more specific--we found out that the reason I was enduring such excruciating lingering pain after each contraction was because little Cameron's head was putting pressure on my back.  The nurse determined that his face was sideways and he needed to turn it 90 degrees so that he would be in a more favorable position for delivering.  When I found this out is when I really wanted to give up.  It seemed too late for an epidural and I had already made it that far without one, and the nurse was confident that if he turned, things would get easier and I'd be ready to push soon after.  HALLELUJAH!  I surrendered total control and actually said aloud "God, it's up to you to turn this baby...I've done all I can!"  The nurse had me move into a few different positions and after some time (minutes seemed like hours) I eventually felt relief and knew that he had turned.  YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!  When they checked me and found that I was fully dilated, I got an enormous burst of energy, sat up straight, opened my eyes wide, and gave every last ounce of energy for the next hour to bring the most precious little boy into my arms...

So, there you have it.  I wish it hadn't taken me so long to type it out and I wish I had the time & energy to share many more stories and pictures from the past two months, but they will come--eventually!  For now, I'll leave you with a few more shots of our sweet son...

Meeting sister Chewy

Super cute sad pouty face

Even more super cute happy face...LOVE that smile

Forgive me...

I've been a bad, bad blogger.  It is definitely time for an update.  Let it be known that I have started, stopped, re-started and edited this post at least 3 or 4 times since the last post...so I've been thinking about you and about how much I want to be better at keeping track of life's events for my own sake!  Oh, and I'll go ahead and make a note to the readers who are looking for a picture-filled post: THIS ONE IS LACKING.  Ok, I guess the least I could do is upload the most recent belly shots I've got :D

Can't remember exactly how many weeks I was in the first two shots, but this last one was taken at 37 weeks...full term baby!

The rest of July and the beginning of August were filled with ordinary everyday tasks and, of course, more preparations for baby Cameron, due in about TWO WEEKS!  We will be 38 weeks along on Thursday and he is looking and sounding good.  He's still very active and I love imagining what he looks like rolling and kicking and hiccuping around in there :)  Cam is definitely running out of room though, being now about the length of a leek (19+ inches) and almost 7 lbs!  My OB hasn't estimated the weight yet based on any measurements and I am quite alright with that.  I don't want to know if they think I might be pushing out something crazy like a 9-pounder!  This week, however, will be the first time they check to see if I am at all dilated which I'm curious to know.  

I started feeling noticeably more tired about a month ago and Dave can attest to the fact that I officially have the pregnancy waddle.  (He did an exaggerated version of what I look like walking with his belly stuck way far out and his posture awkwardly straight and feet all bow-legged, which is SO not what I look like!) Until the past few days, I really didn't have any complaints which I am thankful for.  Now I feel a constant nagging tiredness and achy-ness all over.  Sleeping is what you would imagine it to be if you had a 30 pound bowling ball attached to your midsection all night...  Turning from side to side sometimes feels like an olympic feat (slight exaggeration) and I've learned how to maneuverer my way to the bathroom in the pitch dark so as to try and get back to sleep as easily as possible.  Some people say this is God's way of preparing me for the sleepless nights ahead, though that doesn't bring me any real encouragement so I will continue to just nod and smile to such comments :)  I'll end this semi-debbie-downer paragraph with a positive though:  I bought a body pillow on sale at Target which has become my new best friend/cuddle buddy at night.  I'm thankful that it's that time of year for college kids to be buying that kind of stuff.  (College kids...ha, do you like how I just used that term as if I've been out of college for twenty years?)

In other notable news, we spent some quality time with my dad's side of the family at the first ever Ritter family reunion around Lake Cumberland for a few days in August.  It was a special event just being together at a time other than Christmas.  I realized how gracious God has been to each and every member of the family and I am excited to see how He works as we all continue to grow and change.  I am sorry to say that I only took like three pictures while we were there, one of which is of the perfect cinnamon rolls that my dad made for breakfast one morning.  I mean, who takes pictures of food when there was a gorgeous cabin, breathtaking mountains, and a sparkly lake all around?  Well, I did.  I'll be sure to share if I am able to snatch any from other family members.  

Surprise!  I did get ONE shot of the cabin, though this hardly does it justice.  It was a spacious, yet cozy, four level house with a beautiful balcony out back overlooking the mountains.  

In addition to having a fabulous time with the Ritter fam that week, I was honored to spend some time with great friends at a shower in Louisville hosted by lifelong friends/neighbors Mrs. Tami and Tara.  I can't fully express how loved and spoiled I felt that day!  Cameron got a TON of terrific gifts which we squeezed in our car for the ride back home.  (More pics of this on FB, hence, the reason I won't spend any time pretending I have shots that you have maybe already seen :))  

The week we came back went by quickly and then the following weekend we were showered with love and gifts AGAIN by the wonderful hostess Jennifer and many of our Raleigh area friends!  I am very grateful and relieved to have some more of the essentials for when Cam makes his big appearance.  Since I don't have any pictures from that shower yet, I'll just show you the lovely gal who worked so hard to throw this par-tay for me.  (Sorry for creeping through your pics, Jennifer!)  

Last week my employers took a vacation which gave me ample time to cross off many of the things that were on my mounding to-do list at a pregnant-lady pace (aka slowly but surely).  I feel relieved that I can now count down the days until baby Cameron is due knowing that I've done all the essential things I had hoped to (his laundry, many trips back and forth to Babies R Us, Target, and so on).  Despite my feeling so wiped out the past few days, I still find myself wanting the house to be in the condition that I would want it to be when he comes home for the first time.  I don't want my son thinking he's living in a pig sty!  One thing that hasn't taken top priority is bathroom cleaning...can I please hire someone to do that for me, permanently?  Ugh.  I feel somewhat justified in not cleaning the bathtub since that would require bending over and using energy that could be saved for a million other little nesting chores.  (When was the last time you cleaned your trash can?!)  

In closing, I'll share the exciting happenings of our Labor Day weekend.

My cousin/Pilgrim/MOH came for a visit from Winston Salem.  She was kind enough to join me in running a few of my baby errands and help me fold C's laundry.  We took the afternoon on Saturday to relax at the pool before it closes for the year (sad day) and we ended the night watching AntiTRUST, a surprisingly good flick if you ask me.  Thanks again for the visit, Ash!  We're looking forward to having you back in a few weeks to meet the little guy :)

Why, yes we did consume all of these :)

On Monday, Dave and I were able to have some maternity pictures taken by Dave's longtime friend, Carl.  We had a good time memorializing this special time in our lives, anticipating Cameron's coming more and more every day.  Looking forward to checking out the rest of his pics, but for now here's a preview:

Thanks for sticking with me again if you made it to the end.  Hope to report to you again SOONER rather than later!  

Just pictures

Forgot I had some pictures I could have added to the last post + wanted to share the latest belly shots.  

25 weeks

26

27 and growing...

In L-ville, Dave & Hannah playing

 

At the conference

The AWESOME surprise that we came home to.  Flowers planted by my hardworking and thoughtful mother-in-law and her hubby.

Forgot to mention we celebrated a nice Father's Day with Joe 

by going to Carolina Ale House, a semi-regular of ours. 

Siiiiiissssteeeeerrrrsss 

We purposefully took this pic sitting on the terrific new ottoman with a 

great amount of storage that was an unexpected find.  Thank you Marshalls!  

P.S. 28 weeks

 Brothers-in-law :)  

Dave worked hard yesterday to put together the changing table and crib.  Chewy was supervising to make sure he didn't leave any important parts out.  The table to the very left was the coffee table downstairs, replaced by the fabulous ottoman with soft edges and more function.  For sale if you're interested.

All done and enjoying a break in the comfy chair that is also for sale.  

I'm a little sad to part with it because of all the great memories 

from the Roadhouse, but I still have the matching couch :)  

I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO GET THAT SWEET BOY 

IN MY ARMS AND EVENTUALLY IN THIS CRIB!