Two weeks

Happy Two-week birthday to our little Easton! This week you have become even more handsome and aware of your world. I love watching you stare around the room with those big round eyes. Sometimes you look so serious and intense and your little brow scrunches up. I think you'll have wrinkles by the time you're five. Other times you look at me with the cheesiest grin and I fall completely in love you. I don't care if it is just gassy smiles...you're adorable. I think you and I could stare at each other for hours and still be fascinated by what we see. I can't help but wonder who you'll be to the world. You've learned to coo and talk to me and the best part of my day is when you will tell me a little story. You know how to burp loud enough to shake the walls and I'm actually proud of that! You can only get away with that for so long, so eat it up! Daddy and I are still trying to figure out how to take the very best care of you. We'll get there- we promise. I want you to know that you are my dream come true and the love of my life (right up there next to daddy.) As long as I can remember, I've wanted a little boy. A rowdy, dirty, break-my-things-and-drive-me-nuts little boy. You're even better than I imagined you would be. You're such a good boy. Thank you for being such a good eater and for only waking me up once each night. Thank you for the times you fall asleep on my chest and make cute snoring sounds. Thank you for being patient with me when I kiss you a million times. Thank you for letting me be your mommy. I love you, baby.

The Bili, the belly, and the bath

Well, little Easton is a week and half old now. Time is passing so quickly! So far Kade and I have been amazed at what a good baby we have. He hardly fusses, sleeps great at night, and eats like a little piggy. And he's in excellent health! We had to have his Bilirubin level checked 4 times to keep a close eye on jaundice, but I just found out today that he's okay and doesn't need any more tests done! Hooray! I hated watching them poke his little heel. He was a real trooper though. His cord fell off last night and I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a belly button...except when I finally saw mine again after he was born. Since the cord fell off, we got to give him his first bath. I think he was a little nervous about it and he fussed a little. But I realized that he liked the sound of water running so we were a bit wasteful and let it run while we bathed him. He seemed much happier then. He looked adorable in his little hooded towel! We're getting along just famously! Today we are little lonely though. Kade went back to work today and we are both missing daddy. Kade is an incredible dad. He feeds him, changes him, and cuddles him to death. I have fallen in love all over again with him watching him be a dad. I think Easton and I would both be lost without him. We can't wait for the weekend to have him home again, and we're impatiently watching the clock today for him to come home.

Easton Maddux Gardner

Finally! Our little man has arrived. He was born Monday the 12th at 4:54 pm. He weighed in at a tiny six pounds ten ounces and measured up at nineteen and a half inches. Just a little guy, considering he was five days overdue. The last few days of my pregnancy were especially long and hard. I had false labor a few times and was so very frustrated each time the contractions would go away. I was so overwhelmed and exhausted by it. I had a bit of a mental breakdown Sunday night. My poor dear husband. He must really love me. The next morning I woke up around 4:30 am from contractions. I assumed it was false labor again, so I got up to take a bath and make them go away. When I stood up, there was a small gush of fluid, and I thought maybe my water had broke. So, reluctantly, we went up to the hospital. I was sure that they would send us home, but knew my mind wouldn't rest until I knew for sure that my water hadn't really broken. So we checked in and waited around. They checked my dilation and said I was at a 1-2 centimeters. I was SO mad! My last appointment I was at a 3 and I thought for sure that all the contractions would have made me progress. Well, an hour later, they checked me again and I had progressed to a 4+. So, hooray! I really was in labor and we got to stay at the hospital. I managed the pain really well and had no help until I got to a 6. Then they broke my water and I made the decision to get the epidural then. The first epidural they gave me only numbed my right side and I was really uncomfortable and sick feeling. But once they redid it, I was just peachy! In the next hour I progressed all the way to a 9! Then just a half hour later, I knew I HAD to push. NOW! So we got all set up and I pushed for a short 28 minutes. Then Easton made his entrance, and he is BEAUTIFUL!!! He had already had a bowel movement in the womb, so they took him immediately to clean up and make sure he didn't breathe in the bacteria. The whole experience was great and not nearly what I had imagined. It was just about 12 hours long and a lot easier than I thought it would be. Kade was a fantastic labor coach and he is so proud of this new little boy. He can't get enough, and neither can I. He's nursing really well and he's not a terrible sleeper. We love him! Thanks to all of you who have called, visited, sent flowers, etc. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. We'll be sure to keep you posted on all his milestones, big and small!

Stripped...again

So here we are. OVERDUE. Ugh. I know that your due date is only an estimate, but it still sucks to watch it pass you by. So I went back to the doctor today for the last time. I am now 3 cm, 90% effaced, and scheduled to be induced Tuesday if Easton doesn't join us before that. She also stripped my membranes again. It didn't hurt nearly as badly this time, but still unpleasant. I think that labor is just around the corner and I really doubt that I'll be induced. I hope that he's here by the weekend so that my dear sister Tiffany can still come to visit. Maybe if Easton knew how many people were anxiously awaiting his arrival, he'd hurry up. Perhaps he's going for the "fashionably late" approach. I am just going to try to stay a bit more active today that I have for the last few days and hope that it helps. PLEASE let him come. Oh please....

Stripped

Today we had another dr. appt. It went pretty well. I have progressed to 2+ centimeters, 80% effaced, and the baby is sitting at zero station. Yay! They also were able to strip my membranes today. All I know is that it had better work, because it HURT!!!! My goodness, I thought I was going to kick the nurse in the face. Atleast it was over quickly. Hopefully it was worth it. The nurse said that if it worked, we would know within 24 hours. In the event that it doesn't work and I go...(GULP)...OVERDUE, then I go back to the doctor Thursday to talk about my options then. Ugh. Anyone else sick of talking about me giving birth and me not actually DOING it? I sure am. Anyway...due tomorrow. PLEASE let it be soon.
I want to take a quick second and tell my husband happy anniversary of our first date. :) Agreeing to go on that first date was the best thing I ever did, and I don't have any idea where I'd be without you. You are the perfect match for me and the last three years have been the best I've ever had. I love you more than you'll ever know. You're going to be the best dad Easton could ask for, because you're already the best husband I could ever ask for. Happy Anniversary, love. Here's to eternity!

Crippled

AH!! I'm crippled! This little boy is totally crushing my pelvis and it has become VERY difficult for me to get around. I try to limp and not put as much weight on the side that hurts, but it's no bueno. I'm pretty sure the only thing that will give me relief from the pain is birth....ironic? I'm still working this week, and I feel that each night is an accomplishment. I hope that you all had a happy New Year. I'm feeling very excited for what is to come this year. I can't wait to watch my little boy grow up and learn how to be a good mommy to him. We're in for a year full of firsts. I'm not setting any resolutions this year, because I feel like I've got enough work cut out for me for a while. But I will try to be a more patient and loving wife for Kade. Hopefully the lack of a bajillion hormones will make that easier for me....but maybe not. I'm due in just five days now, but there is no sign of Easton joining us anytime soon. I'm just hoping at this point that he doesn't go a week over and I end up being induced anyway. I don't know that I can stand this pain in my hip and the discomfort from carrying this huge baby for 12 more days. But I'm trying to hang in there and keep a positive mind. TRYING is the key word there. I'm sorta hoping he'll come on the sixth now. That's the 3 year anniversary of our first date, and how wonderful would that be? Keep your fingers crossed for us! Thanks for all the support you've all given lately as we wait and anticipate! We love you.