Life of the Party!

Dave played in a golf tournament this past weekend that benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It is a big, family oriented event held each year at one of the nicest golf courses in the area. Along with an invitation for Daddy to play golf for 3 days (yes, he asked me if I minded and I said no, I don't mind) came a room at the Marriott along with several "functions" throughout the weekend.

While I was tired and maybe a bit stressed out the entire weekend... I also have family in town from GA and was having a hard time balancing everything.... Dave relished the opportunity to show off his new son to all of his golfing buddies. Watching him carry JD around and seeing how proud he was made it worth all the stress!

Saturday morning we all got up bright and early to have breakfast at the golf course with Daddy before his round. I'll have to admit, the food was phenomenal and the fact that I didn't have to prepare it made it even better! Dave played golf and when he was done he came home, showered and we all got ready for the "gala" that evening! In the middle of getting everybody dressed, Dave somehow talked me in to packing a bag and staying at the hotel that night. So now we're all packed, we're all dressed and we head to the party. We drop our bags off in the room and head downstairs. Dave found a semi-quiet corner with a nice soft couch for us to sit on and then headed to the bar to get me my very first beer since September! I had 9 ounces of expressed breast milk in a cooler and was having a hard day... I've never enjoyed a beer more in my life!

JD and I only stayed downstairs until about 9:00 that night.... I was starting to yawn as I was talking to people and felt like I was being rude so we went to bed! But while we were there, JD was the life of the party! Everyone LOVED him! Several people looked at me like I was nuts when we told them that he was only 2 weeks old (I got several "and you're here??" comments) but he met a lot of Daddy's friends and a lot of people that we didn't even know! Even old men were coming up to us saying how beautiful he is! JD slept through the whole thing in his car seat and was a perfect angel the whole night!


I think the best part of the whole weekend was the bed at the hotel... it felt like we were sleeping on a cloud! I told Dave that I probably would have had a better pregnancy if I had had that bed to sleep on... I'm positive my hips wouldn't have hurt at all it was so soft! Of course, Daddy wanted JD to sleep on a cloud too. This is how I found him after brushing my teeth the next morning:

Dave had him all tucked in a cozy and I just had to get a picture! We had breakfast with Daddy again before his round on Sunday and then JD and I hung out by the hotel pool (in the shade) with Christene and her daughter until about noon. Even Aunt Angie and Uncle Merv came and sat with us by the pool for a while.

By the time we got home on Sunday, around 1:00 in the afternoon, we were all pooped... But JD's first social appearance went very well!

Next on the social calendar: 4th of July Parade in Pawleys and neighborhood cookout at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Aunts and Uncles and Cousins... Oh My!

Yesterday, Uncle Merv(Mommy's brother), Aunt Angie and JD's cousins Brad and Josh arrive from GA to meet the newest Harbaugh. Below are a few pics from the evening!

2 Weeks.... What a day!

Today was our first day at home by ourselves....and what a day it was! JD decided last night that he needed to eat every hour instead of every 2 hours so I got basically no sleep last night. That feeding schedule has carried in to today. When we weren't nursing I was trying to get him to sleep for 30 minutes so I could catch a nap! I don't know if he's going through a growth spurt or what but this kid can eat! It's now 7:20 PM and I've just gotten dressed (only for the purpose of the below picture)....

Anyway, JD is 2 weeks old today! I took a gazillion pictures of him with his bear and this is the only one where he is somewhat looking at the camera.

As promised, here is a 2 week postpartum picture....see? Not pregnant, just pudgy! At least my boobs stick out further than my belly again! I've lost 38 pounds in 2 weeks.... just 20 more to go and I'll be at my pre-pregnancy weight! I'm not cleared to exercise for another 4 weeks, though so those will probably take a while to go away!

Busy days in Babyland!

Actually, yesterday (12 days old) was a BIG day in babyland. Little JD no longer has an umbilical cord... I took off his PJ's yesterday morning and it had fallen off! It's now been replaced by the cutest little belly button I've ever seen! It still has some healing to do, of course, but as soon as it's all healed we get to give him an actual bath... I hope he likes it!

Also yesterday, JD tried out his swing for the very first time and loved it! He sat there for over an hour looking at the mobile overhead until he drifted off to sleep... Mommy thinks this thing is going to be a lifesaver one day!

Nana left last night to go back to PA. We're going to miss her a lot but we'll see her in a few weeks when we make the drive up for Uncle Mike's wedding!

Today, Grandma is coming up and we're driving to Mommy's office to meet all the girls that talked to JD while he was in Mommy's belly. Then Grandpa will come up for dinner. They haven't see JD in a week... I wonder if they'll say he's grown??

Tomorrow JD will be 2 weeks old (already!?!?!?)... which calls for a photo shoot with his bear in the recliner!

So we pretty much have the rest of the week planned out (I'm sure we'll find something to do on Friday!)....who knew a 2 week old could have such a full schedule?

Mommy news: I lost another 3.5 pounds this morning for a total so far of 38.5 pounds. My belly is getting smaller so I don't really look pregnant anymore, just kind of pudgy... I'll post "before and after" pics tomorrow to mark the 2 week postpartum milestone.

Happy Due Date to Me!

Well, today would have been JD's due date. All I can say is thank GOD I'm not still pregnant! I was so miserable a couple of weeks ago... I think if I were still pregnant all I would be doing is laying in bed crying! Second... JD was 8 pounds 8 ounces when delivered a week and a half early. He certainly would have been over 9 pounds by now. I'm positive I would have needed a C-Section had he been any bigger at delivery!

So, instead of being a large, miserable pregnant woman today... I am a happy, blessed, getting-back-to-her-normal-self mommy! That makes me very happy!

Days 9 and 10

JD has been a very busy boy this week! Poppy (Dave's dad) decided to make the trip down (originally it was just going to be Dave's mom) and arrived on Friday. Yesterday we got some pics of 3 generations of Harbaughs!

Today, since it was somewhat cool this morning, JD went to Wild Wing for his first round of golf with Daddy (OK, so it was only 4 holes... it still counts!)

The Harbaugh family is a golfing family....every member enjoys the game (except me... I have no coordination so I drive the cart!). JD already has his first putter and first pair of spikes. Here he is with Daddy, Poppy and Nana.

And this picture is included just because he's so darn cute.... I think he's going to be a thumb sucker.....

New JD Pics...and Mommy News

As promised (a little late but better late than never, right) - Here are the pics that my friend Christene took of JD last week. He's just 6 days old and too cute for words! There are over 60 pictures and the slideshow is over 4 minutes long so get comfy before hitting the Play button!

In Mommy news: I woke up this morning and I HAVE ANKLE BONES! I haven't seen my ankle bones since February because of how swollen they've been. I can't tell you how excited I am to have normal ankles again.... I also lost 2 more pounds! Let's just pray it keeps coming off!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One Week Old

It's hard to believe our little man is already a week old! The past week has been a blur of nursing, diapers, visitors and snuggles and it just gets better every day! Yesterday our friend Christene came over for our second "photo shoot" and it went much better! He slept the entire time and she got about 90 photos. Now I have to choose just one for our birth announcements.... that is going to be rough! I'll try to find the time tomorrow to put the best pics into a slideshow and post it.

Also yesterday our son made his TV debut. Dave is friends with the meteorologist of the local TV news station. He was out playing golf where Dave works and Dave was showing him pics of JD. He said to watch the 6:00 news and he would say congrats to us. Dave took the initiative to email a pic of JD to him and they not only said congrats but also put his picture up! We were all so excited. Dave video taped it with the VCR but was dying to email it around so he ended up playing back the video and using our digital camera to video that... this is what he came up with. If we're ever able to get a better quality version I'll be sure to post that....




Today JD's Nana (Dave's Mom) arrived. She was so excited to meet her new grandson and spoiled him all day long... he loved it! Here is a pic of the two grandmothers with little, one-week-old JD

In Mommy news (I know, not as exciting as hearing about the little guy).... I've officially lost over half of my baby weight! In one week I lost 30 pounds.... That's kind of crazy to think about! Hopefully the rest will come off just as easily... but somehow I doubt it.

Just 4 days old!

I don't really have anything to write about but waned to post some pictures. I thought I would make it fun by putting them in a slide show while the little guy was sleeping!

My good friend Christene has an awesome camera and knows how to use it! She generously volunteered her time to come take some newborn pics of JD. She came over 2 days ago but he was pretty fussy so she's coming over again today... JD is just 4 days old in these pictures. As Helen, a lady that Dave works with, says....he's "fresh from heaven"!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

First (& Second) Doctor's Appointment

JD had his first doctor's appointment on Monday. We got there and they weighed and measured him. At birth he weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces. When we were discharged from the hospital he weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces. When we got to the doctor he weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. It is normal for babies to lose weight at first and then gain it back. The doctor also said it probably has something to do with the fact that my milk hadn't come in yet.

Before heading to the doctor, I noticed that the whites of JD's eyes seemed dark. I had a feeling they would tell me he was jaundiced and I was right! At discharge from the hospital his bilirubin level (google it) was 7.5. At the doctor's office it was over 18! The doctor sent us home with instructions to feed him as much as possible and try to let him get a little bit of sunshine while only in his diaper and told us to come back on Tuesday at 8:00 AM. He said that if the levels went up, JD would have to sit under the phototherapy lights.

We went from the doctor's office to Wild Wing. Dave was just dying to show off his boy and I was STARVING! After eating and visiting we took our boy home. We stripped him down to his diaper and sat in the back yard for about 5 minutes. We did this a couple of times... other than that we fed, and fed and fed. Thank goodness my milk came in later that night! The only problem was that the poor little guy had gas and would fight nursing because his belly hurt. Dave decided that JD would be able to pass gas more easily if his legs were elevated... We just couldn't resist taking a pic...


This morning we got up very early and headed to the doctor. He gained 2 ounces overnight! AND, his bilirubin level had dropped to 14.5. He still had jaundice but the doctor said to just keep feeding him as much as possible and it will take care of itself. We don't have to go back for a recheck until July 1....

Father's Day

Our first full day at home was Sunday, June 17, 2008 - Father's Day. John David made his arrival just in time... He was only 3 days old!

My parents came over and we grilled bratwurst for lunch. JD wore his special "Daddy's Day" onesie and I think that Dave thoroughly enjoyed his very first Father's Day!

With Daddy on his very first Father's Day

Just so you can see what his onesie says... and because he's so darn CUTE!

With Grandpa on Father's Day

With Grandma and Grandpa

John David's Birthday

Wow! I have so much to post that I think I'll have to post several times today (hopefully I'll get to them all today).... First we'll start with the day of little JD's birth:

I woke up at 4:00 AM on Thursday, June 12, 2008 and called the labor and delivery ward per my doctor’s instructions. They told me to be there at 5:00 AM to get checked in and induce labor. We arrived at the hospital at 5:00 AM and checked in. We were sent up to the L&D floor where I was put in a birthing room. Two very nice nurses descended upon me and got me going. One was on the left inserting my IV, the other was on my right hooking up the fetal monitors and my blood pressure cuff and explaining forms and paperwork to me.

At 6:00 AM they started the pitocin. I felt the effects right away…mild contractions that just felt like cramps. At 8:00 the doctor came in and determined that I had already progressed to 4 cm and 80% effaced so she broke my water. I wanted an epidural and, after my water was broken, the contractions were pretty painful so I was glad I had asked for it early. The anesthesiologist arrived in my room at 8:30. Dave was sent out of the room and the nurse helped me sit on the side of the bed. They instructed me to relax my shoulders and curl up into a ball… easier said than done when you have a humongous pregnant belly! The nurse stood in front of me and held me steady while the anesthesiologist injected Novocain and tried to get the needle where it needed to be, which was not a pleasant feeling. While all of this is happening, the contractions keep on coming. The anesthesiologist made a comment that I had pitting edema in my back and he was having a hard time feeling the bones to be able to guide the needed where it needed to be. He tried 4 more times, all without success… I felt a trickle of spinal fluid run down my back and, at this point I was in so much pain from both the contractions and the needles in my back that I thought I was going to pass out. I asked to lie down for a minute and seriously thought about foregoing the epidural altogether! I sat up and gave him one more try and he finally got it. All this time poor Dave is standing outside the door (which was open) hearing me yell “ow!” every time this guy stuck a needle in my back.

Now that I have my epidural I can’t feel the contractions at all and the next 11 hours go by pretty quickly. My parents came and visited… Dave and I both took naps…. It was not a bad experience at all! Every now and then I would feel the cramps of the contractions again (usually when they upped the pitocin, making the contractions stronger and closer together) and I would push my little button to get more of the epidural medication… then they would go away and I would be happy again.

Around 7:30 PM the doctor checked me, determined that I was fully dilated and effaced and declared that it was time to push. My parents were sent down the hall to the waiting room and Dave, the nurse and I started pushing. Not being able to feel the contractions, it was harder than I thought it would be. Every push made a little progress and I was very excited about meeting my little man in the very near future. When the nurse started commenting that she could see the head and feel his hair the doctor walked in and observed a little and then went on her way to other patients. After an hour and a half of pushing with no baby the doctor asked if I wanted to use the vacuum. I told her no, that I wanted to keep pushing, even though I was exhausted! After about 3 more sets of pushes, the pain and the urge to push was so intense that I told them I wanted my epidural back! They told me they didn’t take it away, delivery was just that painful! It was then that I decided to use the vacuum…I just didn’t have the energy anymore! They told the doctor and she came back in. The vacuum wasn’t an immediate fix. I still had to push several more times while the doctor pulled with the vacuum. Finally, his head was out, I was told to keep pushing and his shoulders finally came out and our boy was born at 9:33 PM. They laid him on my chest for a minute then took him away to clean him up and weigh him. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and was 21 inches long. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!

While the nurses were cleaning John David, the doctor got to work delivering Ashlyn. All I had to do was lay there but I knew exactly what she was doing and I couldn’t help but sob on the table as my stillborn daughter was delivered. After the doctor delivered her I asked to see her, as it was the only way I knew how to gain closure to the situation. As I had been told over the past 4 months, she didn’t really resemble a baby. She was tiny (weighing only 2.9 ounces at delivery...she weighed 9 ounces before she passed away) and pretty much flat. She had a definite head and body but no facial features. She did have arms, legs, hands and feet but they were a bit distorted. One hand was about the size of the fingernail on my pinky. I said thank you and the doctor put her on the table and said that if I wanted to look at her any more just to let her know.

When our son was handed back to me all clean and beautiful, Dave and I got a little bit of family bonding time. They then took him to the nursery.

As I was taken to my postpartum room I was asked what I wanted to do about Ashlyn. They said that since she was more than 20 weeks when she passed away (she was 21 weeks) she is considered stillborn. They said that since she weighed more than a certain amount, a birth and death certificate would be issued and the funeral home down the street from the hospital performed cremations for stillborns, as a courtesy. Dave and I decided to have her cremated. It was a tough night, being happy about the birth of a perfectly healthy son while signing paperwork for our stillborn daughter. The next day the funeral home called my cell phone and said we would need to stop by on Saturday, the day of our discharge, and sign the cremation orders for Ashlyn.

So we stayed in the hospital for 2 nights while I recovered from delivery (much easier said than done…..I pretty much hurt EVERYWHERE) and, on Saturday, as we drove home from the hospital with our perfect son, we pulled in to the funeral home. Dave ran in and brought the paperwork out to the car for me to sign. When we got home he told me that the funeral home will also provide a little urn for her ashes, which is very nice.

We plan to spread the ashes in the creek behind my grandparents house, which flows out into the ocean. I played there as a child and JD will do the same…. It just seems fitting.

Recap

Tomorrow is the BIG day - We finally get to meet our little miracle. This isn't exactly how I imagined pregnancy would be. The past 9 months has been so full of ups and downs I'm not exactly sure if I can even remember it all! Let's try:

October 11, 2007 - I woke Dave up with a positive pregnancy test at 7:00 AM

October 23, 2007 - My first doctor's appointment and biggest surprise of my life. I was told we were having twins!

January 17, 2008 - Was told that I had abnormal test results for blood work indicating a possible neural tube defect

January 18, 2008 - Felt Baby A (later to be known as JD) move for the first time!

January 18, 2008 - repeated blood work and still had abnormal results. Was told that I would
have to go to MUSC in Charleston for a more in-depth ultrasound

January 24, 2008 - Felt Baby B (later to be known as Ashlyn) move for the first time!

January 28, 2008 - Went to MUSC for our ultrasound. JD weighed 10 ounces and Ashlyn weighed 9 ounces and we were told everyone was doing well - in hindsight, Ashlyn was curled into a little ball and refused to move... we should have known then that she was not well.....

February 2, 2008 - Dave and I hopped on a plane to St. Thomas for one last get away alone before the babies arrived

February 7, 2008 - I had a routine doctor's appointment and listened to both heartbeats. My ankles were really swollen from the plane so I was told to come back in a week as a follow up

February 14, 2008 - I went to the doctor for my follow up appointment and could only find one heartbeat. Ultrasound confirmed that we lost Ashlyn

February 18, 2008 - We went back to MUSC for another ultrasound to make sure Ashlyn's passing would not negatively affect JD. JD now weighs 1 pound, 1 ounce.

March15, 2008 - My very first baby shower (South end shower)

March 21, 2008 - I went to the lab for the glucose test (which I passed!) and planted a butterfly bush in Ashlyn's memory in our back yard

March 29, 2008 - North end shower

March 31, 2008 - went to the hospital for contractions...was not in pre-term labor and was sent home

April 1, 2008 - cut my hours to part time at the office

April 5, 2008 - Dave and I attended our prepared childbirth class at the hospital

April 6, 2008 - Went to hospital for contractions. Was given a shot to stop the contractions and sent home

May 1, 2008 - Another ultrasound. JD now weighs 4 pounds, 15 ounces. I was told that he is a big boy and that I have a lot of amniotic fluid

May 28, 2008 - Last day of work!!

June 3, 2008 - Another ultrasound. JD now weighs 7 pounds, 11 ounces and I'm told that I now have too much amniotic fluid, which poses the risk that JD could get tangled up in his cord. I have to go in for non-stress tests every few days to monitor his heart rate.

June 6, 2008 - Non-stress test went well and the doctor decides that we need to induce labor in the next week.... induction scheduled for Thursday, June 12, 2008.

That is quite a timeline! As much as I would like to say that I enjoyed being pregnant, it was such an emotional roller coaster I just can't. I can deal with morning sickness and all the other physical side effects of pregnancy all day long but when it comes to a second trimester loss there are just no words to describe the emotions. Ashlyn will always be a part of our family. JD will know from a very young age that he had a twin sister that didn't make it.

That being said, Dave and I are deliriously excited that our son has grown and thrived and we will soon have him home and safe.

Only 3 more days!!!

I had my last doctor's appointment today. It went well. JD is looking good. I am now 2 cm dilated, 80% effaced and JD is at a -2 station. Last week he was -3 so he's moving down a bit, which is great!

Dave and I have to be at the hospital at 5:00 AM Thursday morning to start the whole induction process. I'm glad that we're getting started early..... Getting up that early won't be any big deal for me (I don't sleep much anymore anyway) but getting Dave up may be a different story!

Induction Scheduled!

I went this morning for another non-stress test and doctor's appointment. JD passed the test, I am still only 1 cm dilated and I've gained 5 pounds in the past 3 days due to swelling. The doctor scheduled me to be at the hospital on Thursday, June 12, 2008 for an induction if JD doesn't decide to appear on his own before then.

There is an end in sight!

37 weeks, 1 day

I just spent the entire afternoon at the doctor's office. First I had an ultrasound and JD now weighs 7 pounds, 11 ounces. That puts him in the 86th percentile... he's still a big boy! The ultrasound also showed that there is still a lot of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. When I met with Nora she was a little concerned about that, saying that when there is too much fluid there is a possibility that the baby could get tangled up in the cord. She consulted with the doctor who asked that I come back on Friday for another non-stress test. After that I'll meet with Dr. Kirkpatrick to discuss an induction.

I also had a non-stress test and JD was kicking around like crazy. Nora and the nurses said his heart rate looks really good. Lastly, my belly is measuring 40 weeks and I am still 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced but she did say that he is lower so at least he's moving in the right direction!

I'll post again after my appointment on Friday....