It's a Love/Hate Relationship

At 4 1/2 weeks, Hayes is a little indifferent about his baths! Some days he LOVES them, some days he HATES them! You never know which it will be?! Today happens to be one of those good days. :-)

Just a typical Friday!

My little brother wore this sweet day gown the day he came home from the hospital in May of 1982. 27 years later, his nephew is wearing it again! Thank you, Mom, for taking such good care of our sweet baby clothes!

First Day at Church

April 5th was Hayes' first Sunday at church! At 3 1/2 weeks old, that sweet boy slept right through the whole worship service! He never made a peep!

A Walk Around the Block

We are so thankful to be enjoying the beautiful Spring weather! Today, all 5 of us went for a walk! One of my co-workers happened to drive by to document our first family walk.

P.S. Don't you just love the obnoxiously huge blue bow on our front door? I do! :-)

Bathing Hayes

Bathing Hayes for the first time was hysterical! Justin and I were laughing hysterically, and Hayes was crying hysterically! Since we couldn't get him wet, we used baby soap and wet wash cloths. We decided to bathe him on the changing table in his nursery, but in hindsight, we should have just put him on the sponge in the baby tub in his bathroom.

Quick! Take the picture! (Insert baby screams)

Welcome to the World, Baby Hardy! - Part 1

It was early morning of March 12, 2009. I hadn't slept all night awaiting the scheduled visit to the hospital for an induction. I had gained a total of about 23 pounds, and felt really good, but was so ready to meet our little boy! Our 38 and 39 week doctor appointments had passed, and then my 40 week. Was this little boy EVER going to come!

40 weeks and 3 days pregnant on March 12, 2009. 4:15 in the morning. Ready to meet Baby Hardy!

Our appointment was at 5:00am, and by 5:30, Dr. Christine (the doc on call) had broken my water. I was already dilated 4 centimeters, but completely pain free. I didn't feel the contractions until just before 7:00, and they came on STRONG. By 7:15, I asked Amy, our delivery nurse if she would think I was a wuss if I asked for the epidural already. And at 7:30, in walked both the anesthesiologist AND Dr. Przybysz! Within moments, the labor pains were gone, and in went the catheter. Thank you, God, for allowing humans the ability to come up with drug that works so well!


From this point on, the only reason I knew I was contracting was because of the monitor beside me. After a few periodic progress checks, at 10:30am, the nurse informed me that I was fully dilated, and she called in Dr. P. PUSHING TIME! I vowed to make each push count... and I pushed HARD.

After just 18 minutes of pushing, some encouragement from Justin, and a little help from Dr. P and Amy the delivery nurse, out popped our squirmy, slimy baby boy!

The proud daddy was oh-so-involved in the entire process. He even helped Dr. Przybysz "catch" the baby! We were all amazed at God's miracle of birth.

I remember awkwardly holding him while Justin cut the ambilical cord. He seemed so tiny, but NOT cuddly. He was stiff, and I couldn't hold him well because of the blood pressure cuff on my arm and all the IVs in my wrist. I must admit that I was a little relieved when they swept him away to the warming table to regulate his body temp and to clean him off a bit.
One thing I loved about Dr. Przybysz is that she seemed genuinely happy about the birth of OUR son... it didn't seem like just another day at the office for her. Here she is with our little bundle just before they swaddled him up for mommy. It was in the moments that followed that I fell in love. He was perfect. Before we called our family, we sat down with the baby on one leg and our list of names on the other. We agreed on the name Hayes because we both liked it, and the middle name Scott because it's a family name on both sides. Justin's brother's name is Scott and both my father's and brother's middle name is Scott.

Hayes Scott Hardy

March 12, 2009

10:47 am

8 pounds, 2 ounces

19 1/2 inches

And just like that, there were three! Our little family hasn't been the same since!

WIth great joy, we announce the arrival of...

Birth Announcements by WiddlyTinks.com

He's a mover and a shaker!

At 29 weeks, and with just 75 days left, baby Hardy is REALLY starting to make himself known! I think he gets the most enjoyment out of playing with my bladder. I have these sudden urges of "if-I-don't-get-to-the-restroom-right-this-very-moment-there's-going-to-be-trouble," but when I finally make it, only a dribble comes out. I think he's squeezing it from time to time just to torment me! Maybe this means he will have a sense of humor like his funny daddy! Other than that, the other other discomfort is when I sleep and wake up. In the morning, I can really feel him in my upper back and very briefly in my legs when I get up. I've started sleeping more restlessly, but the good news is that the discomfort quickly leaves once I'm up.

This morning, in the tub (yes, I'm a tub-girl, not a shower-girl), I felt him get the hiccups for the second time. If he's anything like his mom, this will be something of a regular occurance for the rest of his life. I get them more than any adult I know!!! I remember my math teacher in 6th grade made me stand in front of the class in an effort to "frighten" the hiccups away. It worked.


Here's a picture of me that Mom took this week end at my aunt and uncle's home in Chattanooga, TN... a day or so shy of 29 weeks.

See, I told you I hit a growth spurt!

Last year, the Henry/Leach Christmas was at my house. It was quite a production! This year, we went back to Chattanooga to my Aunt Linda and Uncle Jim's home. It is often there because of all of our family in Ringgold, GA not far away. Because so many of my cousins now live in Birmingham, I'm thinking next year it will probably be somewhere around here.


I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I'm so thankful to have a few days off work, and we are looking forward to spending Christmas day with my family, then spending the Saturday afterwards with the Hardy family in Gulf Shores/Mobile.


In November, my sales team received a bonus for meeting our sales goals since the economy has been so unstable. We should get the actual check today and I am planning on buying a nice camera that we can use to document baby Hardy's first years. If we have time tonight after work, I might even go ahead and get it so I can play with it and learn how to use it over the Christmas holiday. If so, I will be able to post pictures of our Christmases. If not, I will have to depend on others' photos to tell my stories. ;-)


Hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

28 weeks! What! Where did the time go?!

Life has been too busy to blog lately! My only blogging hours have fallen post-midnight or pre-dawn... neither a likelihood at this point with my busy work and holiday schedule.

Today we went for our 28 week appointment. Excuse me, 28 weeks?! We have tipped over into the third trimester already and I absolutely can't believe it. Over the past three weeks, my tummy has hit a bit of a growth spurt, but after a pretty good weight gain at my 26 week appointment, I found out today that I actually lost a pound from my last visit! I'm hovering around 13 total weight gain since the beginning, and I'm hoping not to exceed 20. All those experienced mommies, is this reasonable at this point with about 12 weeks left? Today I got my Rogan shot because of my Rh negative blood. It was probably one of the most painful shots I've had because of the sheer volume of medicine going inside. Luckily, it was inserted in my very well-padded bum. Today, we also scheduled a 4-D ultrasound for mid-January. We were back and forth about whether we wanted to have this. I was indifferent, but today Justin mentioned that he thought it would be cool, so we scheduled it for the 14th of Jan. I am excited to see what this little booger looks like now! We will be 32 weeks by that point!

A week or so ago, I ordered the crib set from a lady here in Birmingham who makes baby bedding. I hope it looks good when she completes it! I patterned it from this photo:

The colors are pretty much the same, but I wanted a gathered skirt instead. She is also making the skirt a little longer, and I didn't order a toy bag. The back of the bumber is going to have the letter "H" monogrammed... same with the pillow and blanket!

Why just the letter H? THE BABY HAS NO NAME! Although we have a short list, we haven't nailed down exactly what we're going to call this little guy yet. I'm ready to commit, but Justin is wanting to see what he looks like first. Maybe the 4-D ultrasound will help!

Well, by this point in my pregnancy, the baby should be around 14 inches long and a little over 2 pounds. He can blink, hear, suck his thumb, and do all sorts of other things I never would have thought a baby could do in utero.

In just a few short months, we'll be able to meet our little guy. I can't wait!

Yep, he's growing in there!

22 weeks, 4 days and the belly has just started to cramp my style! ;-) I had my first clothes catastrophe this morning. I probably tried on 7 different shirts before I found one that sufficiently covered my belly. I took off the jacket I wore to work for the below photo, but I had to tug at this shirt all day to keep my belly covered!
Tonight, I went and bought some maternity shirts at GAP. I found some really, really good deals. Some so good that I bought two different sizes of some of the same shirts... the first ones I can wear now and not feel like I'm wearing a tent, the others I can wear when I get REALLY big! Looks like it will be pretty much maternity from here on out. I guess I'm pretty lucky to avoid it for this long!

Birthday, Boy, Bedding and Barack

Oh what a busy day yesterday!

First of all, it was Justin's 31st Birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABE! I'm so glad that you're my husband. You are a wonderful partner, and I know you'll make a fantastic father! I got up early to go to the grocery store and make breakfast - hashbrowns, bacon and biscuits. A total gut-buster, but it was yummy. :-) We hurried off after that for our 22 week doctor visit.

I had gained another 4 pounds (7 total), and I attribute it solely to the Halloween candy which was more of a temptation this year than usual, and to my big hearty breakfast. Hopefully, I won't have gained another 4 by my next appointment, even though the e-mails I get say I should be gaining a pound a week. Maybe other expectant mothers are okay with that, but I am not. ;-) This was a quick visit with the doctor, but we spent a long time waiting. She checked Baby Hardy's heartrate - 144 bpm, right on track, and measured my belly. I measured a few weeks behind, but since I'm tall, she said I will more than likely measure small throughout my pregnancy. Good news about this is... well, besides the possiblity that I won't be the size of a walrus during my last month or two... that if I continue to measure small, it may be reason enough for the doctor to order another ultrasound later. This was Dr. P's suggestion, not mine. Insurance does not cover another ultrasound unless there is a medical reason - like measuring small... wink, wink! After the appointment, we asked Dr. P's nurse, Sabrina to give us the flu shot. I've never gotten the flu shot NOR the actual flu, so I'm hoping this shot doesn't make me sick. So far, so good. Just a sore arm.

After the appointment, we went to lunch at Newk's and did a little birthday shopping for Justin. We bought him a new pair of shoes (his first pair of Chaco's), and looked for a watch with GPS that he has been wanting. We later found the watch online - not sold in stores. On our way back, we passed by Bellini, a baby boutique in downtown Homewood that is moving... aka, going out of business. A friend told me she got some incredible deals there, so we thought it would be worth a shot. We ended up purchasing some crib bedding that was on sale for literally hundreds of dollars off the original (overpriced) asking price. We went ahead and bought it thinking if we don't like it for our nursery, Mom and Dad would want it for the bed they're setting up in their home. I'm still not sure if we'll keep it or not because it's just different from what I had in mind, but I do like it. We had fun "dressing up" the bed last night. It's so pretty. :-)

My last topic that I would like to BRIEFLY discuss, is that we did go and vote yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, the candidate Justin and I feel like best deserved to be the next president of the United States did not win. We are considering this an opportunity to exercise faith in God as we spend the next 4-8 years with Barack Obama as our president. I couldn't even really watch the election results come in last night because it created a pit in my chest. But I know that the Lord is more powerful than any man on this earth, and that we will all be okay. :-) Maybe this guy will at least get the economy straightened out! God Bless America!

Golden Opportunity

Yesterday, James went home with his new mom and dad, Scott and Brittany and his new cat-sister, Pixie!

Scott texted me after an e-mail I sent on Thursday to pretty much everyone I know within driving distance. He and Brittany came out yesterday afternoon, and James was on his best behavior... at first!

He was waiting on us at the door when they got here, and came right up to Brittany for some love when we opened the door. After playing with him for a little while, they decided he would be a good friend for their cat, Pixie.

After a brief goodbye, Scott and Brittany left with James, and I stepped out to the deck to empty his food and water (not wasting any time), and to call my partner, Tarayn with the news. As I was talking to Tarayn, I got a call from Scott, and saw Brittany walking toward the deck... without the cat. Just as they were about to get in the car, James escaped from Brittany's arms scratching her chest in the process. He bolted into the woods a little freaked out at why these strangers were about to take him. After trying to coerce him with food and leafy twigs, we came inside hoping the lack of attention would cause him to want attention. It worked. Not two minutes later, James hopped up on the deck. I was finally able to hold him and he started purring in my arms. We wrapped him up in Brittany's jacket, and Scott and Brittany headed to the car, while I gently carried him to their car. Any time he got tense, I stopped, talked to him and stroked his head and ears until he relaxed again. It took me a while to get out to the car, but he was so cozy in the fleece jacket that the handoff was pretty easy. :-)

I was a little sad to see him go and gave him a little kiss on the head before he made his trip to his new home where he will get to have a friend and live inside and have a family to love on him. Last night, Scott texted me that James is fitting right in and making himself at home. He told me James was rolling around in the living room floor playing with a Beanie Baby fox. I'm so glad he's fitting in and that Scott and Brittany like him! It makes me feel good about my little rescue cat! :-)

Thanks for the company over the last month or two, James! I know you'll have fun in your new home, but Tarayn, Kelli and I will miss you!

My little kitten...

Well, I am officially smitten with a kitten. THIS kitten.

This is James, and I am half-heartedly looking for a new home for this little guy who has recently taken up residence at the model home where I work. Obviously, I can’t keep him because Rez and Adler would have him for an afternoon snack, so I am looking for a loving family for my new little buddy. He wandered up to our model home in James Hill a little over a month ago. He was very skittish at first, and would run off as soon as he heard anyone or made eye contact, but over time he has become very friendly with me and my partners at work.

Since we have been feeding him, he has grown SO MUCH! Every morning when I get to work, I go outside and call his name, and he walks out from the crawl space with bed hair and sleepy eyes, stretches his arms out in front of him, and jumps up to the deck to say hey. His purrs have gotten so loud and he loves to be loved.

We will certainly miss seeing him around our model home, which is why I’m only halfheartedly trying to find him a new home, BUT I know he needs a family who will love on him… especially now that the weather is getting colder. I know he’s wearing a fur coat, but I can’t help but think he’s getting cold out there! :-) We have named him James because of the community in Ross Bridge where he “lives”, and he pretty much will answer to his name… or maybe he just answers to the sound of the cat food bag. :-) Either way, he's sweet.

If you, or someone you know is able to provide a LOVING home for our little friend, please let me know!

P.S. I am not a cat person, as many of you know. So, for me to fall for this kitten is a bit out of character! He's just so darn cute!

Hump Day

No, today is not Wednesday. Actually, it's Monday - but today marks the beginning of our 20th week. We are halfway there if Baby Hardy comes on time!

Today, I bought some sample paint for the nursery and washed my first load of baby clothes. ;-)

He's got moves!

Yesterday, I was sitting in the porch swing waiting on Justin to follow me outside to leave for lunch, and I sneezed. It was such a loud sneeze that I could hear it echoing back from the homes across from me. Immediately afterwards, I felt baby boy Hardy kick for the first time!!!

Realizing he was probably jolted awake by my voilent sneeze, I shouted out loud hoping to startle him again. It worked! I felt another tiny little thump from the inside. He only performed for me twice, but it was exciting to feel him moving inside. I can't wait to feel him again!

Just for my records, I was 19 weeks and 2 days when I felt him for the first time.

Oh, and I can officially tell I'm pregnant now (in my tummy, that is), although when I went to my sales meeting this morning, my co-workers asked me if I was actually pregnant, so maybe it's just me. I should take a picture to share with you. Maybe next post! :-)

Oh BOY!

Well, folks! Baby Hardy is indeed a boy!

We went for our appointment yesterday at 9:45 at 18 weeks. Before my appointment, I drank an entire can of Mountain Dew hoping the caffine would make Baby Hardy more cooperative. As they rubbed the sensor over my belly, we were SHOCKED to see our little one sleeping like a log! The caffine didn't affect him at all! After measuring him and taking a look at all his organs, they made the confirmation that he is a BOY! Fortunately he was sleeping with his legs wide open, so we got a good shot!

Over the past few days, I've really been getting the boy vibe, but Justin was completely convinced that our baby was a girl. He was so sure that he asked the ultrasound tech several times just to make sure. Each time she would mover over to look between the legs. Yep, still a boy! He later said he would have bet someone $1000 that we were having a girl. Good thing he didn't! :-)

This is sweet Baby BOY Hardy's profile shot. You also get a glimpse of his round belly and one of his hands. Can you see it?

This is our undeniable evidence that he is a boy. I mean, is there any doubt??? This shot is from underneath him with his legs spread. The third thing in the middle is, well, you guessed it, his "man parts." Justin is extremely proud. I think he has Justin's legs!

After an emotional moment of the reality that we will be bringing a baby boy into the world, we started getting excited. We went to Jack and Jill in Homewood and bought him a precious baby blue gown. I'll try to take a photo and add it tomorrow.

So, he has no name yet, and we're having a tough time coming to an agreement, but we have already started mentally preparing his nursery. That's what I'm doing tonight. Fun!

I am just so glad to KNOW! We both feel like it's so much more REAL now. Especially since I'm not really showing. I have gained 3 pounds, and Baby Boy Hardy weighs about half a pound. Dr. Przybysz says he looks great! We can't wait to meet him!

New(er) Baby Poll

The response was overwhelming! It looks like we are going to find out Baby Hardy's gender on October 8th! Yay!

There's a new poll to the right. Will baby Hardy be a girl or a boy??? Hurry and vote! The doctor's appointment is only one week away!

Rh Factor

There are few things I've been meaning to write about recently, but I just haven't made the time. I will soon post about my birthday and my fun trip to the beach to see my college friend, Hannah, but first, I wanted to post about one thing we discovered at our last appoitment at the doctor.

In a nutshell, my blood type is O-, meaning my Rh factor is negative. My blood does not contain a certain protein on my red blood cells indicated by the + or - behind the blood type. About 85% of people HAVE this protien. Justin is O+. When a woman who is Rh negative has a child with a blood type that is Rh positive (about 50% chance if the father is positive), then there is a chance that the mothers body could treat the baby as a poison, and produce toxins to fight it off.

Dr. Przybysz told me it usually doesn't have a negative impact on a first pregnancy because it's so rare that the baby's blood and the mother's blood will mix prior to delivery. However, the mother's body remembers and recognizes the protien in subsequent pregnancies and will make it's best effort to fight it off.

Fortunately, medical advances are such that this is no longer a big deal. There are two shots that I will have to get in order to prevent any potential negative reaction to a Rh+ baby. One will be at 28 weeks and one will be within 72 hours of delivery. I will have to have the shots with any other future pregnancies.

If you would like to read more info on this, click here.

So, that's what I've been wanting to talk about! Anyone else have experience with this?

New Baby Poll

Thanks to Katherine Kruger's suggestion, I have added a poll to the righthand column.

Should we find out Baby's Hardy's gender? It's your turn to participate by voting today! :-)

14 weeks and counting...

We are happy to report that we had a clean bill of health at our 14 week appointment on Monday. It was a very short visit. No drawing blood or anything, just weight check (still under pre-pregnancy weight), blood pressure check (she said it was perfect), and then a short visit with Dr. Przybysz. We heard the heartbeat for the first time using the doppler. Up until this visit, we had an ultrasound each time, but we knew our next one would be at 18 weeks. I must admit that hearing it on the doppler was NOT quite as exciting as hearing it AND seeing it move on the monitor, but we were so relieved to know that Baby Hardy is still kickin' in there! At 10 weeks, the baby's heartbeat was a quick 165 beats per minnute. According to the old wives tale about heartbeats, this could indicate a girl. However, this time, the heartrate was 155 bpm. Dr. Przybysz even made a comment about how this was on the slower side for 14 weeks, and could indicate a boy! So, now my mom has completely switched gears with the wind and is totally thinking boy. Haha. I'm trying not to get too committed to one gender or the other until we know. Another thing Dr. P mentioned was that Baby Hardy is very active. We could hear it swishing around inside, but I can't feel a thing. They say that I'll be able to feel it in a few weeks.

According to babycenter.com, Baby Hardy is about the size of a lemon from head to bottom (somewhere around 3.5 inches), and weighs only about an ounce and a half. The baby can suck its thumb, make facial expressions, and can even pee! We are excited to finally be out of the first trimester - a third of the way there!

Our 18 week appointment is on October 8th. This will be the big one where they do all the baby's measurements and are able to tell if it is a boy or a girl. Justin and I still haven't come to an agreement about finding out. I'm going to try being civil for a while, but if it doesn't work, I may have to pull the "I'm the one carrying our child and bearing all of this throwing up" card. :-)

Speaking of that, week 14 has NOT been a good week for me in the feeling-good-department. Today is Wednesday, and the 4th morning in a row that I've thrown up. Monday I felt completely lousy, but I seem to be back to my usual self now. Just can't kick the morning sickness! They say that Baby Hardy doesn't feel a thing, but I am ready to lose that not-so-loving feeling that I get every single morning.

Keep the baby and me in your prayers! I'll keep you all posted on the progress!