Pics of Piper

Piper Joy

At around 5:30am on Sunday, July 20, my labor started. I woke Travis and informed him of what was happening and jumped out of bed to get ready in excitement and anticipation of Piper's arrival. After a hot shower, some hair straightening and slipping into some comfy clothes, my contractions had gotten much more intense and a little closer together. Since my doctor told me not to come to the hospital until my contractions were 5 minutes apart for 2 hours, we hung out at home and watched Remember the Titans and We are Marshall as I tried to cope with the contractions. About halfway into Edtv, my contractions had been about 5 minutes apart for about an hour and a half and so we headed to the hospital.

When we get there (at about 1:30pm), we get registered and into a room pretty quickly. The nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 5. After signing some forms, getting pricked and poked for IV's and tests, they administered the epidural (they gave me the epidural at about 2:30 or so). However, in the process of them giving me my epidural, I jumped (I think they hit a nerve) which would later cause some problems during recovery. At about 4pm, they checked me again and I was dilated to a 7. Then, they checked me again at about 6pm and I was at a 9 and ready to start pushing. After 2 hours of pushing, Piper finally arrived at 8:46pm! Travis and I were both overcome with joy and thankfulness.

After they cleaned her up and gave her back to us, I was in the middle of feeding her and look up and my sweet, thoughtful husband was holding a pink card and a little black box containing a necklace with a silver heart pendant that had Piper's birthstone (ruby) along one side of it. One day, we will pass it on to her.

All in all, my labor and delivery experience was great. The contractions were somewhat painful, but after they gave me the epidural, everything was great from there on out. The recovery, on the other hand, was not as great of an experience.

I ended up getting a spinal headache in the hospital from when I moved during the initial administration of the epidural which they treated with a blood patch. But, because I didn't rest as I should have when I got home, the blood patch didn't work and I woke up on Thursday with a headache that was literally so painful I was in tears. Travis took me to the ER where they did another blood patch and told me to go home and lay on my back as much as possible for the next couple of days. So far, the headache hasn't returned. The side effect of the blood patches was an intense, dull pressure-like pain in my lower back because of the pressure on my spine from the blood patch. They gave me hydrocodone to deal with the pain, but because of some of the side effects hydrocodone has on me, I haven't been taking them. So, this week has been rough in terms of recovery. But, if I had to do it all over again, I would still opt for the epidural but would just be sure to stay still this time!

Here are some pics of our sweet girl:

The waiting game....

I was *convinced* Piper would come early, but with my due date approaching quickly (July 22), I'm not so sure. Then again, I was also *convinced* we were having a boy. So much for maternal instincts. I went to the doctor last week to have a sonogram because at my 38 week appointment, Piper had an irregular heartbeat...the results for her biophysical profile came back 8 out of 8, so she's healthy and her heartbeat is fine - the doctor thinks the irregularity was a result of too much caffeine intake. So, needless to say, I've abandoned my daily morning coffee, sweet tea and cokes for the time being. The sonographer estimated her weight at 7lbs, 7oz which scares me a little bit considering that was a little less than two weeks away from my due date. But then again, according to the nurse at my doctor's office, those estimations can be way off. We'll see.

Travis predicted (way back when we began taking polls on her arrival date) that she would come today...here's to hoping he's right!

Turn up the sound...

A friend sent this to me via email today...

Cutest thing EVER!

Sono Pics

Today marks 32 weeks. We had a 4D sono last weekend...below are a few pics. We think she'll have Travis' nose and the sonographer said she has very chubby lips and long toes. :)

Here she is sticking her tongue out at us...


Hiding behind her hand...


Profile Shot...

$100 home???

FOX news aired a broadcast about a couple that lives in Los Alamos, NM (between Santa Fe and Taos) who have had difficulty selling their home due to a "bleak" housing market. So, the couple is holding an essay contest and the entry fee is $100. The only stipulation is that the essay be 500 words. If they get 2500 participants, then a panel of judges will read the essays submitted and determine a winner. The winner will win the couple's home and it will be 100% theirs with no obligation to rent or a mortgage. The deadline is June 20th.

As I watched this video, thoughts started churning in my brain. There are likely many people that see this as an opportunity for a family vacation home in the mountains, a smart real estate investment or just a quick way to make some money. After all, the winner virtually pays pennies for the home compared to what it's worth or what it could sell for...even under market value. But....what if...someone who loved the Lord and desired to bring God glory through this opportunity won the contest. Imagine the light this could be if house fell into the hands of a God-fearing person. Imagine how God could use this for His glory!

So, here's my question: what would you do with an (almost) free home in the face of a fallen world if you were to win?

http://winahome.blogspot.com/