New Pictures!

His hat finally fits! He's hit 8 lbs this week!

Just over 5 weeks old!

Two of the most precious little feet in the world!

Our little boy! One month old!



Mommy and Henry. I loooove this little child!

Happy Halloween! Our little pumpkin!

The Birth Story- Mimi's Point of View

First of all, I had intended for my mom to be hanging out with me during the afternoon as the contractions were coming on, but not be in the delivery room. I did tell her not to come to the hospital til after lunch though since we were not expected to deliver until later that evening. Luckily she came early. We were hanging out for a bit and then I sent her to McDonalds. Oops! Sorry mom!

Kathy Drew's Point of View:
How do I begin to explain the range of emotion I felt on October 13? I woke up about 9:00 at Teresa's house and immediately called her to see how the night had gone. She informed me she didn't get the cervacil because the nurse said she didn't need it. I thought that was a good sign. Teresa wanted me to go by Target and pick up a mesh laundry bag for baby socks. I don't know why that was so important right then but she said I had plenty of time to do it and I would be bored at the hospital all day. I believed her. I got dressed, went by Target and got to the hospital about 10:30. I relieved Spencer since he had been with her all night. We played guessing games with the monitor as to when she was having contractions and the ones that hurt and the ones that didn't. About 12:00 someone came in and said she was going to get her epidural. She didn't want me in the room for this so I left.I went to McDonald's, stopped by a pay phone bench and worked a crossword puzzle and then went to sit with Kay and Jarrel Shell in the waiting room. We were talking about our jobs and other odd topics when a nurse came out and asked if were the only ones waiting for the Shells. We said "Yes" and she asked us to go to another waiting room. I thought this was odd because it was only about 12:45. I got very scared that Teresa and/or the baby were in some trouble. As we walked down the hall she said that everything had gone well and mom and baby were fine. I told her she must have the wrong mother because my child had just gotten an epidural and I was waiting to go back in the watch TV with her. She said "No" that everything was fine and we could see Teresa soon. I burst into tears and yelled, "Oh my gosh, she had to have a C-section, didn't she?" She said "Yes. Teresa was in recovery and we could see her in about one hour." I told her I wanted to see her immediately and she said only immediate family could go into recovery. I asked her what she thought a mother was if not immediate family. That really hit home! She also said she couldn't give me any details because everything was confidential. I grabbed her by the shoulder and yelled I was her mother and she better tell me something. I told her to send Spencer out and let him tell me details. My imagination was going crazy and I need some details. I gave her my camera and asked her to get pictures of Spencer, Teresa and/or the baby. I was told she kept saying "Henry" but I was too scared to notice it. She brought the camera back in about 5 minutes because I guess she could see I was about to lose it. There were several adorable pictures of Spencer and Henry. This calmed me down quite a bit. In about 15 more minutes Spencer came out. I was never so glad to see anyone in my life. I just wanted details on Teresa and how she was doing. I was sobbing by this time and couldn't stop it.The Shells and I returned to the waiting room and called everyone we knew to give them the good news. THREE hours later Teresa came out of the recovery room and we followed her to her new room. I know I have never been so scared and so happy all in a matter of hours in my life. Henry is wonderful and I just can't get enough of him!

The Birth Story - Spencer's Point of View

"I NEED ANY OB TO ROOM A3 STAT! ANY OB TO ROOM A3!!" - so when I heard those words over the public address system at Northside Hospital and connected them with our nurse shouting excitedly into the phone in our room, I became all too aware of the fact that I wasn't going to get to finish my McDonald's french fries. But I guess I am getting a little ahead of myself....

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" is a pretty good way to sum up October 13, 2009 (it would also make a really good opening to a novel about the French Revolution), because the day Henry was born was both. A day full of panic, stress, fear and exhaustion that ended with our being given one of the greatest gifts that can be offered in life. All through the days Teresa had spent on the High Risk wing at Northside, we had been assured that despite her pre-eclampsyia, we could expect an absolutely normal delivery. Reeeeeeal funny guys, the joke is on us I guess.

The day started normally enough I guess. We awoke in the delivery room where we had spent the night ready to start the hours of labor that we had been promised lay before us. After Teresa was hooked up to an i.v. drug that was guaranteed to produce a baby in 24 hours or so, she jumped right into her exciting day by taking a 2 hour nap. I watched the hosts of the Today show interview some elderly woman who was complaining about being tasered after resisting arrest. She got what she deserved if you ask me but now I guess I am getting off topic.

Things really started to move along when the midwife dropped by to "break" Teresa's water for her. After watching that maneuver, I think if I had known that is all it took to start delivery I could have gotten us out of there a week or so early. The next hour was spent watching stuff come out of places it shouldn't so I won't go into too much more detail. Suffice it to say that when Teresa's mom showed up, they didn't have to ask me twice if I wanted to walk over to the famous Northside Hospital McDonald's to grab lunch.

So here I am, already exhausted from lack of sleep, just trying to eat my burger and fries thinking to myself "Wow, we have hours left, I wish we could speed this up" when in walks the Anesthesiologist to administer the epidural to Teresa. Unfortunately, I wasn't finished eating yet so they made me put down my half eaten french fries as I was expected to actively participate by holding Teresa in a upright position. So, in goes the epidural and Teresa goes back on the fetal monitor...except I immediately notice that the nurse does not like what she sees. Picking up on her body language, I know something isn't right, but I don't want to ask out loud what is wrong as I know Teresa hasn't figured it out yet and I don't want to worry her.

Next thing I know, our nurse is shouting over the p.a. system and I know my fries are history. Kidding aside, this is when I felt the most helpless. Doctor's began pouring into the room from out of nowhere but I couldn't ask what was going on. I didn't want to distract them from more important things. I only knew something was seriously wrong. I couldn't even stand by Teresa where I felt I should be as I knew I would only be in the way. After a very few tense minutes, I heard our doctor say "I'm scrubbing in, lets go, NOW!"

And off we went. Two nurses, an orderly (??? he didn't bother to introduce himself) and a very freaked out expectant father pushing a massive hospital room bed at break neck speed down the halls of Northside to the operating room. I thought our luck couldn't get much worse when we ran the bed into the door that refused to open. I knew I was horribly wrong when the aforementioned bed fell apart. Still not really knowing what to make of all this, I realize all the shouting is the nurses telling me to pick up the medical charts that had hit the floor when the bed came apart. I am not sure why the charts were so important, I thought we already new she was pregnant but I guess there was more info in there.

Fortunately, we got the bed moving again and realized from our previous error that hitting a door is not a good way to stop a hospital bed. Instead, the nurses slammed the bed into a housekeeping cart outside the OR. That stopped it.

Suffice it to say at this point I am absolutely panicked. My unborn son is in a struggle for his life. My wife, already weakened from pre-eclampsyia and hours of labor is about to undergo major surgery. Everything that I care about, everything that is important in my so far perfect life is literally hanging by a thread. This...isn't....good.

Now I am being passed from nurse to nurse as they try to get me dressed in scrubs and things start really blurring at this point. I remember little snippets of reality from this point on. The nurse tying on my face mask. Another instructing me not to touch anything "blue", prompting me to place my hands under my armpits (I'm color blind so I decide I won't touch anything.) The Anesthesiologist telling me they can't do much for Teresa's pain, but hopefully she will only feel a great deal of pressure an not too much pain. I am talking to Teresa from a distance, can't get close because of the doctors. The OB is holding something outstretched in her arms above Teresa. A little bundle in the doctor's arms....not sure what it is...focusing on Teresa's face as she stops moaning. A tap on the shoulder from behind. Turning to face a nurse "Do you want to meet your son?"

The blurring stops at this point, I can focus. My son? I look toward Teresa, isn't he still in there? I finally realize what that strange bundle was as they lead me over to the warming table where I meet my son. A 6lbs 1 oz little miracle. The nurse looks at me and asks if he has a name and the tears start rolling down my face as I say for the first time "Henry. His name is Henry."

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I can honestly say I have never known fear quite like I did when I saw Teresa on the operating table. I have never known a sense of love and relief as strong as when they told me Teresa would be fine. I am certain that I will never know more joy than I did when I saw Henry's face.

Pictures!

Henry Allan Shell and Daddy

Henry is just a minute or so old.

Henry and Mommy, just a few hours old.

(After I came out from the anesthesia)

Henry just a day old with his "Oh Henry" bars.

Henry just 2 days old wearing his first Polo shirt.
Henry at 2 weeks old! He's so precious!

The Birth Story-Teresa's Point of View

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009- One of the scariest and happiest days of my life! In order to get the full picture of the story though, I've asked that my mom and Spencer both blog their versions as well.

My Version of the Birth of Henry Allan Shell:
On Monday, October 12th, 2009 I was taken to a delivery room at Northside Hospital to begin the induction process. My nurse, however, was a bit crazy and decided that I did not need to start the Cervidil after all. And so, Spencer and I spent the night in the delivery room as our last night together as just a couple.

At 5am I was woken up to begin the day. I was allowed to shower and then it was back to bedrest. The nurse began the Pitocin which brought on contractions and Henry's heart rate, as well as my blood pressure, were continuously monitored. At about 8:30am, my OB, Dr. Henke, arrived and decided that the night nurse was incorrect and I should have been started on Cervidil. Too late for that, she decided to break my water. Because it was so early, breaking my water was VERY painful. Even the OB said I did well for being in such pain, but at least I was one step closer to having my baby. On a side note, there is a LOT of amniotic fluid in a uterus. At one point I was able to get up and go to the bathroom, but when I got in to the bathroom I realized I was flooding it. I quickly jumped into the bathtub to continue the flooding and called for Spencer. He opened the door to see me squatting in a tub in a hospital gown looking at the flooded floor. His words were: "Oh Dear God!" hahahha. End of side note.

So around 10:30am the contractions were getting quite a bit uncomfortable. The nurse was able to give me a painkiller that she said would only last for 30mins to an hour, but I took it. Around 12 noon the pain was QUITE uncomfortable so the nurse called for the OB and they decided to do an epidural. I was told what to do for the injection and I was told that it would probably put me to sleep or I could expect a long day of watching daytime television....oh how wrong they were!

So at 12:15 pm the Anesthesiologist arrived to give me the epidural. He was finished in about 5 minutes (12:20pm) and left the room. He said the epidural would take 30 minutes to go into effect, but I figured I could handle 30 more minutes of pain.

The nurse immediately begin searching for Henry's heart rate to make sure there were no side effects of the medicine. She had me lay on my right and she shook my uterus, but couldn't get a good heartbeat. Then she rolled me on my left and checked and then back to my right. I had no idea what was going on, but Spencer could see the monitors. Apparently Henry's heart rate which was typically between 130 and 150 was now in the 40s. I didn't know this though and was very confused as to what was going on.

Between 12:20 and 12:25 the nurse looked for the heart rate and then called another nurse to go find my OB. A few seconds later my nurse pushed the intercom button and did an all call that said "Any OB to Room A-3 stat." I still didn't realize what was going on, but I was definitely still in a bit of pain (remember, the epidural wasn't effective yet). Then I remember a whole bunch of doctors and nurses coming into my room and one of them asked me to get on all fours. I did as I was told, although this confused me even more. My OB arrived at 12:26pm and said to take me immediately to the Operating Room and she was going to go scrub in. The team of nurses unplugged all of my monitors and began racing my bed down the hallways. I remember the bed hitting a door and then going super fast until the bed broke in half. Yes, that's right, the bottom part of this collapsible bed decided to collapse with me on it. At least I'm short. They left the bottom part of the bed in the hallway and continued to race to the OR. Eventually they hit a housekeeper and her cart which stopped the bed. They turned the corner into the OR and I remember seeing about 15 people in the room. I kept thinking, "wow, is this an assembly line? who all is in here?" Apparently I was the only patient in there and all 15 medical personnel were there for me!

The nurses lifted me from my broken bed onto the operating table and hung a sheet in front of my face (just like on TV). Then I heard my OB say the word "scalpal" and I looked up and said "Wait, I need anethesia!" The Anesthesiologist that had given me my epidural was there, but didn't realize I was that same patien from 6 minutes ago! He said "there's no time" to my request and then I felt the first slice into my skin. Apparently it takes your abdominal muscles in order to scream because I couldn't get a scream out. All I could do is moan loudly! I felt a few more cuts and then I felt two hands pull open my skin. The doctor said I would feel a lot of pressure on my stomach as they pushed Henry out. At this point the anesthesiologist had gotten the general anesthesia set up and he put me under. A minute later Henry was born at 12:40pm. Seriously, the one part I'd want to be awake for and they put me under! Oh well. Let me just advise to any other pregnant women that "going natural without drugs" and having a C-Section are two things that should not be combined. And in case you didn't do the math, the epidural didn't take affect until around 12:50pm. Ten minutes too late!!

After that, the next thing I remember is waking up in a small makeshift room surrounded by curtains. This room was apparently the Recovery Room, but I was pretty loopy at this point. I couldn't feel my arms or legs or any pain actually. I stayed there for awhile though and eventually they wheeled me into a real room and I got to see my family, Spencer, and Henry. Although Henry was in the Recovery Room with me, I can't remember him. Spencer's version of this story will have more details of this time.

And that room is where we stayed until Friday, October 16th when we got discharged. Apparently I was supposed to stay until Saturday, but come on...I'd spent enough time at the hospital by this point.

Now it has been about 2 weeks since Henry's birth and we are learning a new routine at home. Motherhood is hard...very hard... and I just hope every day that I'm doing it right. I guess only time will tell, but I sure do love my little Henry and Spencer, the greatest husband in the world!

Week 36- Still Week 36

Less than 72 hours from now Baby Shell will be joining us! Hooray! Spencer and I are enjoying these last few days (as best we can in a hospital room) as just a 2 person family. It is really sinking in what life change is about to happen...and we are thrilled! Baby Shell has been doing great for the last few days with 2 exceptions. On two different nights (both with the same night nurse that we don't care for), Baby Shell's heartrate has dropped for longer than is typical. Our nurse has had to call the OB late at night and we've had to do a longer NonStress Test both times, but eventually his heartbeat has returned to normal. Possibly, he was laying on the cord, but I think he just has a sense of humor and acts up for attention.

So today is my last day (unless any labs change drastically) that I will be living in Club 127 in the Women's Center at Northside Hospital. Tomorrow between lunch and dinner time, I will be taken to a delivery room and begin the whole induction processs. Tomorrow night I will get Cervidil to start the dilation. In a perfect world, that will be all it takes and baby will come overnight. More than likely though, Tuesday morning I will be given Pitocin and the labor fun will begin. Hopefully the Pitocin combined with my Preeclampsia will cause the delivery to occur sometime on Tuesday. If not, I may be put back on Cervidil and then try again with Pitocin or eventually given the option of a C-Section. I've met with my doctors and we agree that whatever is best for the baby is what we'll do. I told them not to worry about my health too much. I figure I can bounce back a bit more easily than a 5lbs 4 oz newborn which was his estimated weight a week ago. I'm guessing he'll be around 6lbs on Tuesday, but what do I know??

The last 13 days have not been my idea of how I'd like to spend my last days of pregnancy, but I've been so incredibly blessed with friends and family that I've had very little time to be bored. In fact, many of my friends have visited multiple times and I'm beginning to wonder if they have nothing better to do with their time! :) Just kidding. I have enjoyed every minute of their visits and couldn't ask for better friends or family.

It has been very interesting to be "surprised" with this illness and the subsequent hospital bedrest. Spencer teases that I like to plan my life in 15 min increments and these last two weeks have thrown me off! I guess this is God's way of telling me I'm going to need to learn to be more flexible.

During these last weeks, my mom has been spending each day at the hospital with me and we have been having such a good time together. It's been years since we spent this much time together and I had almost forgotten how much I really like her! I mean, she's my mom so of course I love her, but I really like her as a person too- not just because she's my mom. At night, Spencer comes to stay with me and my mom goes back to our home to play "housewife." She's been cleaning and doing chores and taking care of the dogs. She's been great and worked so hard to make this easier on us. I don't think I could have done all of this time without her and I'm pretty sure Spencer appreciates all of her help too. Spencer did spend the night at home last night and my mom spent the night at the hospital. When I asked Spencer why he didn't want to stay he replied, "Sweetie, I just want to sleep in my own bed!" I think after seeing the look on my face he started to backtrack and said, "oh, I'm sorry. I guess you do too." Well yes, I've missed my bed quite a bit, thanks! :) However I'm glad Spencer can keep some sort of normalcy right now- he needs it!

And so now we are on the downside of the waiting game. I'm anxious to see what the next few days hold for us, but I'm sure Baby Shell will be worth it. Thank you to everyone for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. It's almost time!!

Week 36-What a week!

So last Wednesday I went in to my OB for an appointment after 2 days of mandatory bedrest at home. The OB took my blood pressure and told Spencer and I "go to the hospital, do not pass go, do not stop for lunch." This was not exactly the news I was hoping for. So on Wednesday, September 30th, I was officially admitted to Northside Hospital as a High Risk Pregnancy (HRP) patient. I'm hanging out in Room 127 of the Women's Center for the remainder of this pregnancy.

Fortunately, I am officially 36 weeks along as of yesterday and if I have not delivered by next Monday, the OB will schedule an induction for Tuesday early morning. This means we will have baby boy sometime between now and next Tuesday, October 13 (which happens to be my great- grandfather's birthday).

I have been having contractions each day since I arrived and yesterday I had them for a bit over an hour. They are not putting me into labor yet though.

The swelling had gotten so bad that I now have to wear wraps around my calves 24 hours a day which are connected to an air compressor at the foot of my bed. The air compressor switches between each leg putting pressure on the legs and then releasing. My swelling has gone down- not completely, but enough so that I've lost 8 lbs since I've been here. (Hooray, less weight to lose when I get home, even if it's just water weight.) Apparently my sweet mother and father had talked about me last weekend and decided I looked like the Michelin Man. They didn't mention this to me until I was hospitalized and the swelling in my face went down. It's still not polite for my mom to mention every morning that my feet look huge, but I guess politeness isn't my family's strong suit.

I've had blood tests run just about every day I've been here. My platelet count is the issue they are testing for as well as liver enzymes. My platelets had gotten pretty low and the OB was concerned that I wouldn't be able to clot during delivery and if they got too much lower they would not be able to give me an epidural. I informed them that if they let them get that low, I would be using Tequila as my epidural regardless of platelet count.

My blood pressures have been very volatile. Sometimes I have as low as 102/63 and sometimes I have as high as 177/90. These are my blood pressures laying down on my side after complete rest so they are not actually accurate blood pressures to compare to a normal person in their normal life. My blood pressure goes way up when I sit up or stand up.

Because of the blood pressure issues, I am still on mandatory bedrest at the hospital. This involves me laying down on my side for about 23 hours and 25 minutes a day. I am allowed a 5 minute shower break and a 30 minute wheelchair privilege. Luckily, my mom is in charge of the wheelchair privilege and she is not good with telling time. We wheel around the hospital pretending our nurses are after us and I'm pretty sure there is one nurse who has put out an APB on us before. This hospital will be on lockdown until I am recovered, removed, and replaced in my bed. I've heard prisoners get more privileges and times out of their cells. Plus, with my leg compressors on, I am litterally tied to my bed.

I have chosen to lighten the mood by wearing my own pajamas. My mom has run from Targets to Old Navy's buying up any pajamas that are not flannel. This resulted in 3 pair. Spencer refers to my room as "The Icebox" and is planning to bring an electric blanket to sleep with. Luckily, we don't pay the electric bill here.

The other issue with my body is that I have protein in my urine. I really have no idea why this is bad, but the OB was concerned. With all of these issues, I am officially Pre-Eclampic which happens to about 8% of all pregnant women. If you look at it this way, I'm in the top 92% of pregnant women. I'm basically an overachiever.

While today is my 8th day in the hospital, I'd like to mention a few of the exciting things that have occurred during this stay. On Saturday, I had a baby shower in Roswell, Ga. My college girlfriends all lived in the same apartment at one time or another and it was apartment number 107. Since college, we've had an annual Mother-Daughter Reunion for the 107 Girls. It's about 9 of us and we have such a blast catching up. Well this year, they also celebrated my upcoming blessing and my friend Catherine's upcoming wedding! It was a double shower and I was scared I wouldn't be able to attend. Fortunately, with the power of technology and the abilities of my friends, I was able to use the webcam to be in the same room. I got to see everyone and everything going on and had a BLAST! My mom even opened the gifts for me. It was so much fun even if I never left Club 127 (the nickname of my hospital room).

Afterwards, many of the mothers and daugthers came to Club 127 to visit me. My nurses are getting concerned that I'm breaking fire codes because I've had so many wonderful visitors!! I knew that Spencer and I were blessed with great friends and family, but it has really been unbelievable! My friends have gone above and beyond with their visits, calls, emails, texts, and gifts to keep me entertained. I really think I have a least one or two friends stop by every night and this past weekend it was more like 4 to 8 visitors! It's a revolving door here at Club 127 and with all of these blessings, I certainly can't complain too much! God has been so good to me, Baby Shell, and Spencer!

We have started a routine to keep up until the baby arrives. During the days, my mom stays at the hospital and causes trouble with me. At night after work, Spencer comes and spends the evenings relaxing, watching TV and then sleeps here all night. They are very dedicated caregivers. Spencer also calls 8,000 times a day to check in with me. He cares so much he just doesn't want to miss a thing. I told him I'd call him after the baby's here, but he did not find that funny AT ALL.

Here are a few pictures:

Club 127 Dinner Club with Catherine, Suz, and Kamber

ULC 107 Girls:Cristina, Eleanor, Kamber, Catherine, Amy, Suz, and Darragh. Casey and I were unable to attend in person.

The ULC 107 Moms: Jean, Banh Le, Virginia, Maura, Kathy, Elaine, Krissy, and Neva

So here's to the next 6 days or less! Baby Shell, we are anxiously awaiting your arrival and can't wait to bring you home- healthy! Love, your mom

Week 35~Oh what a week!

Well today is technically what online Mommy-to-be blogs refer to as my "35/35" day which means I am 35 weeks pregnant and have 35 days to go. However, after the last few days, I doubt I will last for 35 more days. To fill everyone in on all of the recent excitement, I will start from the beginning.

A week ago, Atlanta experienced some terrible rains and storms and many homes were flooded or had some water damage. Our sweet Schnoodle, Sam, was scared by the thunder and managed to push down the carpet in our master bedroom underneath the baseboards and soil the carpet pad. Now that is one place you just cannot reach to clean. Sunday morning I woke up with Spencer trying to cuddle and the room smelling of doggie pee. Spencer does not have a sense of smell so he did not find this to be near as big of a problem as I did! Needless to say, we had new hardwood floors put in on Thursday and Friday. Well, this did require some moving of heavy furniture and against Spencer's recommendation, I chose to help move the furniture- some by myself since Spencer was away on business.

On Saturday, my family all attended the Georgia Tech football game which was so exciting, but a lot of walking for me. Between the game and the moving of furniture, I apparently exerted myself a bit more than my doctor liked. Saturday around 3:30pm I realized that my feet, legs, hands, and now arms were swollen quite a bit. As my doctor had instructed, Spencer and I went to a CVS and checked my blood pressure. It was somewhere around 163/90 whereas the Monday before is had been 120/70. We called the doctor and she asked that I rest, retest, and call. Still, I was testing at 154/83 so she had me report to Labor and Delivery at Northside Hospital for testing.

What I didn't realize is that "report for testing" doesn't just mean stop on in and give some blood. I was admitted, changed into a gown, and given a room in the high risk area. After about 2 hours my test results came back about perfect, but by then I was having contractions about every 3-5 minutes. They immediately started me on fluids and for about 5 minutes my contractions occurred every 60 seconds. That's when I got the shot of Terbutaline to stop the contractions. A little while later my contractions stopped, but one side effect of the medicine is that it makes your heart race like crazy! WOW! But at least I got released that night.

Well Sunday I took it easy, but on Monday I began having very painful contractions so I went to see my doctor again. My blood pressure was high again and I was having contractions, but I was not dilated at all. In order to keep the baby inside until I'm 36 weeks, the doctor gave me more Terbutaline (as a pill this time) and put me on bed rest. BED REST! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS INVOLVES? NOTHING! THAT'S WHAT I'M ALLOWED TO DO NOW! NOTHING!

So today is Day 2 of Bed rest and I seriously have checked out of reality now. I lay down on my back or side for 24 hours a day minus the multiple bathroom breaks (and a quick shower). I do nothing. Even typing on my computer right now I have to sit up which is not allowed, but come on...I need a break.

Because Spencer has some delusion that I am stubborn and hard headed, he has not left me alone since we left the doctor's office. Spencer has been working from home for 2 days now and brings me food and water and cares for the dogs and house since I am unable to do so. I know it has to be hard on him, but he's been such an amazing caregiver! I can't complain that God's giving me too much to handle because I know He's giving Spencer so much more. It's unbelievable how strong Spencer is!

Well the ultimate goal now is to keep my swelling and blood pressure down and to stop the contractions. The doctor said that as of next Tuesday though whatever happens they will let happen. So this means Baby Shell could arrive as early as next Tuesday. If I have any mother's intuition already I'd say he's going to wait for awhile though. I think the constant uncomfortableness that I'm in might be God's way of teaching me some much needed patience that I will use for the next 18 years of Baby Shell's life. Ugh- that doesn't make it any easier though!

Tonight Spencer suggested that we start packing our hospital bag just in case our doctor's appointment tomorrow has any surprises. I seriously doubt anything has changed, but I'm hoping that I've done such a good job of bed resting for the last 48 hours that the doctor will decide to let me go back to work and life. Oh the optimism!

And that is the crazy last week we've had. If you can, please keep us in your prayers. We just want our little baby boy to come out safely (but keeping my sanity would be a great bonus!)

I'll update tomorrow if there's any change! Love, Teresa

Week 33-Sleeping- what a joke!

Over the past 33 weeks I have learned quite a bit about being pregnant. I won't say I'm an expert, but I can give quite a few tips after all of my reading, research, and personal experience. Well, from all of this reading I have come to one unpleasant realization (actually I've had a lot of these, who are we kiddin?). This big realization is that between God's decisions and doctors' recommendations, the possibility of sleeping in the last few weeks of a pregnancy is a complete joke. Let me explain and as I go through these "helpful tips" for sleeping please build your own mental image (preferably not of me) of what this will look like.
Here we go:
1. For the best blood flow to the uterus, pregnant women should sleep on their left side. (not too big of a deal, right?)
2. Recommended for comfort, pregnant women then need to place one pillow under their head and shoulders, one under their chest and belly, and one between the knees. The one between the knees is to help with hip alignment (you heard me, just like a 90 year old woman).
3. Now that I've got the pillows aligned, you'd think I'd be good. But noooo....to alleviate swelling in the hands and feet (which is very common), a pregnant woman should use additional pillows to prop up her feet and hands. (Still creating that mental image?)
4. Now, for back pain I should also be sleeping in a maternity back belt- something I have refused to do simply because my ego can not take any more hits at this point.
5. Pregnant women often have a tender chest and therefore it is also recommended to sleep in a sleeping bra. (Ah, how relaxing, a back brace and bra! Why didn't I do this before pregnancy!)
6. Now all pillowed up and with elevated limbs, pregnant women still suffer from sinus issues. This is because the tissue in your nose is just like the tissue inside your woman parts....and all of it is swollen. To alleviate the sinus congestion, doctors recommend using additional pillows to prop up the pregnant woman's head. (Spencer believes our pillows must be very fertile because over the past few weeks they've multipled over and over, now creating a soft, fluffy Wall of China between us in bed.)
(So far does this mental picture look even remotely comfortable?)
7. So let's say I get in bed at 9pm and am able to implement all of the above 6 steps of pregnant sleeping. Let's say I've finished by about 9:15pm. I am now out of breath (more on that complaint later) so I try moving the kid off of my lungs. Let's say by 9:30 the kid is positioned off of my lungs, however now that he is off of my lungs he is now on my bladder. After 30 minutes of preparing for the sleeping position I now have to go to the bathroom. Great. Just Great. I think you can foresee the issue here and the pattern of me not getting to sleep at night. At least we have a king size bed so Spencer can sleep through most of this. He will pay for it unfortunately when I am crabby the next day. He may even be silly enough to ask, "Did you not get enough sleep?" HA!

So that is the "Recommended Sleeping Position" for pregnant women in the last few weeks. What a crock!

Fortunately, I love my husband very much and for some odd reason, he still loves me! And I know I love this little blessing inside of me- our perfect little gift from God!

For nursery pictures see here: http://www.babyshell.shutterfly.com/

Come on you guys, HUNKER DOWN!

There are a couple very important things going on in Teresa and my lives these days. One, college football season is finally here again! Two, we have less than two months to go before Baby Shell arrives. Unfortunately, the discomfort for Teresa is only growing and I have to take on the roll of Chief Motivator. It is a difficult job given all the things Teresa is going through with the changes in her body and the constant aches and pains. I really don't know how she does it. But in an effort to "raise my game", one motivational tactic I have taken on is approaching these last few weeks as I feel the legendary "Voice of the Dawgs" Larry Munson would do. Here is an example of how this motivational tactic plays out, enjoy!

Teresa: Wow, I can't believe we still have 8 weeks.

Me: 8 weeks! 8 long weeks till glory! Here we are with our backs to the end zone, those other guys are trying to KNOCK US OUT OF EVERYTHING! We have been up and down the field all night and are ahead of these guys by 5 points. Come on Teresa, lets do this. HUNKER DOWN!

Teresa: Ow, he just kicked me pretty hard.

Me: Hand off to Bo Jackson...he's got a block...he takes it for five yards right down our throat! We had him in the backfield and he just KEPT GOING! I think the clock is moving backwards now. Auburn, trying to BREAK OUR HEARTS! I know I am asking a lot Teresa, but HUNKER DOWN!

Teresa: Hey there kid, watch it. He is way up here by my lungs and it is a little hard to catch my breath.

Me: Auburn, on our 21 now. Our defense is GASSED, hands on hips, DEFEAT is trying to climb over the Hedges in Sanford Stadium and get to our guys. They pitch it to that big back again and we missed him! Two big plays and he was down to our 12 yard line before we caught him. TIME OUT AUBURN! Three weeks left to EVERYTHING! I promise I won't ask you again Teresa, but HUNKER DOWN ONE MORE TIME!

Teresa: I can't believe this kid can kick so much and so hard. He is just pummeling me. Cut it out kid.

Me: There's the snap...he rolls out...pressure coming....ball is in the air....A MAN OPEN IN THE END ZONE....ITS ANYBODYS BALL....

Teresa: Spencer, are you listening to those old Larry Munson replays again?

Me: THEY BROKE IT UP! THEY BROKE IT UP! THEY BROKE IT UP! Auburn had a man WIDE OPEN and WE BROKE IT UP! Baby Shell came in and got a hand on it and knocked it down!

Teresa: Ok, one too many beers for you tonight sweetie.

Me: Now here comes a doctor running across the field! And the students are counting it down...3....2....1....LOOK AT THE PAMPERS FALLING FROM THE SKY! LOOK AT THE PAMPERS FALLING FROM THE SKY!

I love football...oh, and of course my wonderful Teresa who won the game for us!!! Uh, I mean who is carrying our child!

Week 31~Oh I am so ready!

One more doctor's appointment down! This week we learned that our precious baby boy still has a small calcium deposit in his heart. The doctor said not to worry because the rest of the signs of Downs Syndrome were negative. She said our baby looks healthy. He has some hair and little, chubby cheeks! It was great to see him again. Speaking of seeing him, Spencer and I can now see him roll throughout my stomach. It's a bit uncomfortable for me, but it is kinda neat to see my stomach roll in awkward positions. It's like a little alien inside of me trying to come out!

Otherwise this week wasn't too bad. The heartburn has increased so much that I might be taking Pepcid daily now to prevent it. I'm also exhausted all of the time again.

This weekend Spencer and I made great headway in the nursery again. Spencer is making fun of me because everything that I want to buy, I try to make first. Sometimes I can make exactly what I want (like a mirror or a growth chart or a toy chest) and sometimes I can't (like the mobile that looked ridiculous). Spencer asked me today how I was planning on making the breast pump! HA! We also talked our way through the day of the delivery as best we can, basically just reminding ourselves that as much as we try to plan, this kid is going to come and do whatever he pleases!

On another note, here are a few of my favorite things that I have had said to me recently. Apparently people believe that pregnant women do not have feelings! Boy are they wrong!

1. Man to me: "Wow, so can I assume you are having twins or is it triplets?"
Me to him: "haha, no just one in here."
Me to me: "Did he really just say that? My doctor said my weight gain is perfect! Am I really that big? What am I going to look like at 40 weeks then??? Well there goes my self-esteem for today...."

2. Man to me: "So how much longer do you have?"
Me to man: "About 8 more weeks."
Man to me: "Really? That long? I have three kids and you look like you're going to pop any minute now."
Me to man: "Thanks." and I rolled my eyes.
Me to me: "I bet he's divorced. No woman would put up with that crap and I'm not as big as a lot of women."

3. Checkout cashier to me: "So how much weight have you gained so far?"
Me to cashier: "Oh, only around 25 lbs."
Cashier to me: "Hmm...I guess that's okay then. You're just big."
Me to me: "When did graduating from medical school become a requirement to work at a checkout line??"

4. Random woman to me: "So how much longer do you have?"
Me to random woman: "About 8 weeks."
Random woman to me: "Oh wow, you still have a long time to go. You're going to be HUGE by then!"
Me to random woman: "ummm..that makes me feel so much better. Thanks."

5. Me to man: "Sorry, I'm a bit tired today."
Man to me: "You shouldn't be. I'm sure you're milking this pregnancy thing. I bet you don't do anything at home anymore."
Me to man: "Actually, I still do a lot of the regular cleaning and laundry. I just don't help with the lawn anymore."
Man to me: "Oh my wife is pregnant so I don't really believe that!"
Me to me: "Maybe your wife would help more if you weren't a jerk!"

So those are my top 5 recent comments I've been fortunate enough to put up with. Spencer is just pleased I have not been arrested for assaulting any of the above men and women. Honestly, I think I've been so stunned by the comments that I haven't reacted as I would have liked to. Oh well, only 8 more weeks to go and possibly even less! (Definitely not more than 8 weeks as I'm sure this kid doesn't want Mommy to be angry when he finally arrives!)

Week 30 (+1 because I forgot about last week)

So this is technically the beginning of our 32 week, but with the weird pregnancy counting I am technically 31 weeks along. Then, since I forgot last week, we need to pretend this is Week 30 (although only for blog purposes...in actuality, I'm ready for week 40 already!).

Anyway, we have had great success with the nursery this week and it seems as though things are finally coming together. I'll post pictures after just a bit more work. It is turning into my favorite room in the house though!

This past Saturday we had a wonderful baby shower for Baby Shell. It was so thoughtful of my friends to organize, plan, and throw such a terrific celebration. I can't thank Catherine C., Cristina, Tara, and Lindsey enough for their time and energy. I felt so honored and blessed to have such amazing friends- about 15 women attended- who mean so much to me. Unfortunately a few of my friends have recently moved away from Atlanta and onto other things so I did miss Casey, Eleanor, Darragh, Kamber, and Suz. They've been great friends since 2001 as well.

The family-Mom, Cat, me, Melissa, and Mrs. Kay

Amy and Cristina

Mary Beth, Jessica, Lane, and Neighborhood BFF Heather

Tara and her mom, Patty, and Lindsey preparing for the Pictionary Game!

Unflattering photo of me with a great hostess and photographer, Catherine!

If I was to add additional photos to represent this week they would include photos of saltine crackers, TUMS, and me waddling through the office with my hand on my lower back. I've become the stereotypical pregnant woman- backpain and fake contractions and all!

Last, but not least, here is the standard "look at Teresa gain weight" photograph!

30 weeks, 4 days pregnant

Week 29_Please Keep Hands and Legs Inside the Ride

This week, Teresa and I toured Atlanta's monument to fertility Northside Hospital, also known as the "Baby Factory". This hospital churns out kids like cars rolling off an asembly line. They have the whole process down to a science. Pregnant mom goes in one door with frantic father and out the other door comes un-pregnant mom with kid and frantic father trying to figure out how to put the car seat in for the first time.

Since we don't want to throw off their whole system, we were encouraged to take one of the 8 daily tours of the Baby Factory to find out how the whole process works. The tour begins with.......parking. Yes, they start by telling you where frantic father parks the car on the big day. Right by the front door with flashers on to drop off mom. This doesn't seem that important to many, but to me it could be marriage saving. I am an absolutely horrible parker. To cap it off, the one thing in the world Teresa has the least patience for is bad parking. Lets just say it has been a source of friction in the past. So, I studied every detail of the parking situation, took photos and measurements and paced off the distance to the door. I HAVE to get this right the first time. One wheel up on the curb or having to circle the parking lot twice would get the whole labor thing off to a bad start.

So on to the Labor and Delivery Room (or LDR). Let me tell you, these rooms are bigger than my first apartment and come complete with flat screen TV, full bath, and a bench-like bed for me (which I am told I will use at my own risk during delivery). The LDR rooms look like upscale hotel rooms with ornate wood furniture and soothing pastel colors. I could kinda get used to this. True to the factory's reputation, they don't have just a few of these rooms, but 40 segregated into 5 "pods".

Finally, on to "Family Care". This is where you go after delivery to spend the first couple days with the newborn. First up? A photo op with the roaming family photographer. The rooms in Family Care aren't nearly as nice. Why? Well their job is over, they just want you out now. Just like McDonalds furniture is intentionally uncomfortable to get you to eat and run, the Family Care rooms have just a little touch of "just let us know if you need help getting your things out to the car".

All in all, quite a top notch operation. Oh, don't want to forget. Teresa had her first Braxton-Hicks contractions this weekend. Basically false contractions intended to get her some practice before the real thing. Of course, she had no clue what was going on because somebody didn't pay attention in Baby Birthing Class (nor had she apparently ever seen an episode of ER). Thankfully, I paid attention and told her what was going on. She is now a real pro at the contraction thing after going through two rounds over the weekend. She is doing great and continues to amaze me at how well she is handling this.

And for the curious, yes we have officially picked out the kid's name and no we aren't telling you!

Week 28_I'd like to spend the rest of my pregnancy on vacation, please!

Just a quick update and photos from our Babymoon:

Spencer and I are having so much fun on our vacation. It has been very relaxing and although I still feel sick some days, at least I don't have to look alert and deal with clients and coworkers. Now when I feel sick, I can just go to bed or lay down and elevate my feet. It is such a nicer way to spend your pregnancy and makes me want to ask my OB for bed rest!


28 weeks and 1 day pregnant...83 days to go!

This is a picture of my wonderful husband relaxing on vacation...completely covered from the sun under an umbrella on the beach, but stocked with his beer and blackberry. Isn't he adorable? Oh I love him so much!

Week 28_Our baby has a new pair a shoes!

Okay, so this is going to be a completely superficial post. Forgive me, but I'm still excited about buying teeny-tiny baby clothes.

So this week Spencer, Sally, Sam, Baby Shell, and I are vacationing in St.Simon's Island. Well, my mother-in-law pointed out that there is a Bailey Boys outlet here so of course, Spencer begged me to go...or maybe it was the other way around. Regardless, we ended up there bright and early yesteday (while celebrating Spencer's 35th birthday) and had sooo much fun!

How can you not LOOVE the smoocked sailboats!


And this cute bubble outfit with a tugboat on it?

And the family has to like the John Deer bubble!!

And this is the peacoat and hat that Spencer picked out for next winter. It's navy blue and will keep Baby Shell warm for a long time!

And finally, I know that Baby Shell will want to be just like his Daddy and wear flip flops all summer so we picked up these fish flip flops for him. Not sure how much walking he'll be doing next summer, but they were on sale so how could I say no?

Also, below are two pictures of Spencer and I at Fort Frederica. Of course we are dorky enough to make sure we find a historic site on vacation to visit. It was so fun, but so hot!!

Spencer next to a cannon looking handsome in his madras shorts.

Me on the marsh edge looking sweaty and large!

Week 27_Are you there kid?

So this week has been very hectic which explains why we are so late on the blogging. Work has been killing both Spencer and myself as we prepare to go on our Babymoon....which starts tomorrow! Hooray! St. Simon's Island here we come!

This week's update though is that we had a tiny scare with Baby Shell. On Wednesday I started to get very nauseous again and was having trouble keeping food in my stomach. I hadn't felt this bad in awhile. Then on Thursday the nausea continued and I realized that it had been about 2 days since I felt Baby Shell kick. I wasn't sleeping because I was feeling so ill so I went home early from work on Thursday and spoke with our doctor. Turns out that Baby Shell had rotated with his head at the top of my uterus and his feet towards my back. His head was pushing hard against my uterus and pushing against my stomach...which pushed against any food in there. Her solution was to drink a sugary, caffeinated beverage (which was music to my ears) in order to turn him around! It's been so long since I've had a real Coke! Well, before I could drink my Coke, my darling husband came home and began speaking to my tummy. Our son now knows his voice so as Spencer talked to him he began to rotate towards his voice and began kicking again. It was was amazing to see him kick through my tummy for the first time in a few days! At this point I assumed he had completely rotated back forward and I was fine again, but since my doctor had approved that sugary, caffeinated Coke I was certainly still going to take advantage of it! And turns out, I still love Coke. Since the baby is still growing, I am having to get used to feeling a bit nauseous again. Oh well, I guess he's worth it!

Tonight we celebrated Spencer's 35th birthday and his last birthday before he becomes a daddy. He got a video camera to take videos of Baby Shell (and probably lots of random things as he learns to use it) and he got a TV to put in the nursery (so that he will be more likely to get up in the middle of the night to help out!). He's gotten presents last week from me, this afternoon from my parents, tonight from his family, and will get more on Monday (his actual birthday) from me and another one next weekend from my parents again! What a spoiled, but very loved guy! I don't care how old he gets, Spencer loooves opening wrapped presents! It's very cute to watch. I just hope he doesn't get too used to this; Baby Shell is going to take over soon!

Hopefully our next posts will include more pictures of the amazing nursery and Baby Shell's first trip to St. Simon's (well, kinda). Maybe I'll even ask Spencer to write it so that it will be more entertaining and less informative. Oh I can't wait to hear what our son thinks of this blog when he's old enough to read it!

Week 26_I LOOOOVE MY BEDDING!!

Hooray! The crib bedding has arrived. Spencer got home first and I made him text message me when it came. I rushed home and immediately put it all together. It is the most perfect bedding for me (and hopefully our son) because it combines the classiness of the Ralph Lauren fabric and frugalness of the WalMart fabric. It was custom made and designed by two wonderful women in Texas who I found on etsy.com. If you've never used etsy.com I highly recommend it. You can get great prices and customized everything! I think my Aunt Patricia should open a store on etsy because she can do the same great things many of these women can do. That's how awesome this website it!

And now, without further ado...

...drumroll please....

I got the bumper, the bedskirt, the toss pillow, and the crib sized quilt. This has really made my day so much brighter! It looks even better in person since the lighting isn't great in the bedroom yet. Everyone is invited to come see it!

98 days to go...but who's counting...Hooray!

Week 25_Still too long to go...

Well this week sure has been topsy-turvy! I haven't been able to keep food down very much or it just upsets my stomach. I feel true exhaustion where my entire body aches. I even had a good cry and I'm not sure why other than pure exhaustion. Plus I had tons to do this week!

25 Weeks and 3 days pregnant!

Last weekend we went to Beaufort Waterfestival and saw tons of people we haven't seen in awhile. Spencer loved the bands and beer and I loved the bands and friends. Our unborn child loved all of the patting and tummy rubs. And for the record, if I know you or you know my family or my best friend's cousin once removed then I certainly don't mind if you'd like to feel my rock hard abs (or rock hard uterus). I still think it's cool too. However, if I don't know you, please don't invade my personal space. I don't go around rubbing your belly so why do you feel like it's okay to rub mine. Even with a child inside, it is still my belly. Plus, I've been extremely irritable recently so there's a good chance I will reach out and rub your stomach right back!

On other updates, I am still completely exhausted and could sleep for 24 hours a day. So much for that second trimester energy boost! The doctor said my weight is just fine though and the baby is growing steadily. Sadly, she said for the last three months of pregnancy I should try to cut out all candy and sugar and limit my carbs because I'm too small to have a 10lb baby. These instructions really make me question whether or not she's ever worked with pregnant women because asking a pregnant woman to give up all sugar and candy is like asking my husband to give up beer. It's laughable! But I'm giving it a go...for the love of this little boy...and he'd better be worth it!

And today my amazing in-laws came into town to help us with the nursery. Before they arrived our nursery looked like a plain bedroom with too much furniture. Now though, it is my new favorite room in the house! It still has a ways to go, but it really is beginning to feel cozy and nursery-like. The men painted the room "bleached denim blue" and Mrs. Kay and I shopped and planned. As an analytical engineering type, my creative design bone is pretty small. Mrs. Kay and Mr. Jerrel have the best ideas and now we will have a perfect nursery to welcome our son home! Below are the basic pictures, but it's going to look even better when it's finished! These pictures really don't do it justice. It's warm and cozy (and not just because Spencer refuses to turn the air on upstairs!).

Also, the custom crib bedding that we ordered will be here this week. I'll post pictures asap because I'm so excited for the "yacht club" plaid!

And so, this week has really been a very blessed week with such wonderful family around, both in Beaufort last weekend and in Smyrna this weekend. We thank God at night for these gifts and the gift of our baby boy. (I just wish I could stay awake to enjoy them more!)

Don't kick your Father in the head smart guy!

So, I have to admit there haven't been too many real milestones in this pregnancy so far for me personally. True, the first ultrasound was a amazing and finding out we are having a boy was a big moment, but it isn't like I am going through a lot of physical changes (or pains) like Teresa. She has to wake up with this guy camped out in her stomach every morning. Me? Just a few tacos and some beer in there. However, this weekend I passed a big milestone, the one every guy waits for.

We were relaxing on the couch talking about how I still haven't felt the baby kick. As if on cue, Teresa felt him rearranging the furniture or something in his man cave. So, I put my ear to her stomach and suddenly IT HAPPENED.....Teresa smacked her stomach making me think I felt something. Real funny. So, like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football I put my ear back to the grindstone so to speak. After listening to the kid slosh around for a few minutes IT HAPPENED....Sally jumped on the couch completely ruining my concentration. So, one more shot at this. Ear back to belly I had a long talk with the kid about how it was going to be my way or the highway for the next 18 years and he needed to give me a sign that he understood and then IT HAPPENED...for real this time. A full fledged kick! Ok, so now my kid has officially kicked me in the head. Probably, not the last time that will happen but a great moment for me. Teresa tells me she gets kicked a lot and that getting kicked looses its charm after the 133rd time but she is just a spoil sport.

In other news, we had baby birthing class on Saturday. Teresa says that apparently a lot of people have done it wrong so now they make us go to class. We didn't learn much, other than ugly people like to reproduce (based on the other people in class, I think one couple were brother and sister.) I also found it quite strange that one couple there is having their second child. Seriously, did they forget how it works? Maybe they screwed it up really badly the first time? I don't plan to screw this up myself. I have completely mastered my breathing excercises and am already packing my "hospital kit"....clothes, camera, Xbox.......

Week 21_Almost Week 22

Hooray for a wonderful, yet tiresome weekend! This weekend Spencer, Baby, and I went to our first Pickering Family Reunion as a family. It was wonderful to see everyone and to catch up before our lives get a bit more hectic. My cousin, Megan, even gave us our first wall decoration for the nursery! It's a blue ceramic cross that says "Sweet Baby." We've temporarily picked out a spot above the changing table/dresser, although I might put it closer to the crib.

After coming back from Collins, Mississippi, Spencer and I decided to make a quick trip to Babies R Us to pick up our stroller and car seat combo. It was a significant purchase for us, but we're pretty sure it's a necessary thing to have with a baby.

This is Spencer putting the stroller together. We did learn it is best to read the directions.

This is Spencer trying out the stroller. It works! Doesn't he make a good almost daddy?

So far, I have not felt any real kicks and neither can Spencer. I have felt him head butting me and putting pressure on me (the baby, not Spencer), but that's about it. I've also been getting terrible leg cramps- especially in the middle of the night. I don't mean to but I do wake Spencer up when I scream in pain. Once he even had to massage the cramp out because it just wouldn't go away. This is an unexpected result of pregnancy! Also, my appetite has come back! It's nice to finally eat again, but I know I'm going to be gaining weight more quickly now. Ugh...more I'll have to lose later. Luckily my friend Catherine is getting married next April and I've got her bridesmaid's dress to fit into! That's great motivation and I'm sure she's getting married just for my benefit! :)

Spencer continues to talk to our son and rub my belly. That's probably one of the best moments of these nine (actually ten) months. When Spencer and I first talked about trying to get pregnant, I knew I had to take the parenting thing very seriously and consider what life changes would occur adding a child to our lives. What I did not consider was the nine (ten) months leading up to the addition of a baby. I'm sure it's God's way of practing for life changing, but it's not really fun to have to carry an extra 10-40lbs around with you at all times. Gracious! It's exhausting! I feel like I'm carrying Sally dog attached to my waist every day.

Anyway, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby boy and we are grateful to God everyday for blessing us with such a special gift. Thank you for your prayers.