Week 1

Yes, I am behind, I know. Everyone has been bugging me for pictures so here is a post with pictures.
So, I don't really like my video I started, scratch that big idea. I will just do a post for the week.
I wanted to give a little recap of the highlights of our first few weeks. Ryan has banned me from writing in the baby book. For some reason he says I have bad handwriting. What??? So I will just have to record our events on the blog.

We came home from the hospital on Friday, July 2nd. Love those chipmunk cheeks!!!!The first day home was full of family visits. I think Sandra held you for 2 plus hours and then you were just passed around all afternoon. I was prepared for a long night ahead, but you were perfect!!! You woke up about every 2 & 1/2 to 3 hours, ate, and then went right back to sleep. You never stayed up crying. You just ate, changed diaper, and then went back to sleep. It was wonderful!!!

Saturday was a very eventful day. Ryan was outside doing yard work with Maggie. Apparently he was spraying a yellow jacket nest, walked away and then Maggie walked over toward it and got stung by a bunch of yellow jackets. Ryan also got stung a bunch while trying to get her away from it. We kept her inside and I immediately noticed her acting a weird. She would not leave my side and always had to be touching my leg. I guess the hormones kicked in and I got very upset and worried about my firstborn child and called the vet. The vet said it would probably be best for them to treat her. I started putting my shoes on and grabbing the keys to take her when Ryan reminded me that I can't drive. What?? I honestly think that whole no driving for 2 weeks is ridiculous. If I can walk, I can push my foot on a peddle. Ryan took her and she was treated and left for observation at the vet. She recovered and was fine, but I felt so sorry for her.

Harper also smiled a big open mouth smile on Saturday. Loved it!!!

Here are my favorite quotes from the week:

Ryan: "She only needs 5 outfits"

Ha, she goes through 5 outfits in one day!

Coming from Harper's bed room, Ryan: "You've got to be kidding me"

Harper peed while he was changing her, just as he put the new diaper underneath her. This continued to happen multiple times a day all week. Who knew that girls do this. I thought only boys pee while changing them.

First Bath

Sunday we celebrated the 4th of July. Nanny and PawPaw Bill were in town to help us celebrate. We ate some yummy barbecue and relaxed with family. I was determined to watch the Vulcan fireworks show. It just isn't a 4th without fireworks. We didn't get to shoot any, but we saw a great show at Vulcan. Harper slept through the entire fireworks show, but I guess there will be plenty more in her future.

Harper and Nanny

3 Generations

Mimi and Harper

Watching fireworks with Nonni in the bed of the truck

Monday we had to go to the Pediatrician's office to get your jaundice level checked.

Being our first trip to the pediatrician, we didn't really know what to expect. We were told to strip you down to be weighed. Well as soon as we got that diaper off you decided to mark your territory across the entire room. Lovely. Thank goodness Ryan had gotten over his phobia of poop, because we were both frantically trying to clean things up before anyone walked in.

We took this picture to get a perspective of just how powerful it was. She was on the exam table and managed to mark her spot on the floor, wall, counter, and even those magazines. Looking back we probably should of told someone or at least thrown the magazines away. Her Jaundice level was good and she was gaining weight, which was a relief to me.
The Neely family came over for a visit on Monday. Noah just loves Harper. Jennifer says he is always asking about her and wanting to go see her. Harper also watched The Bachelorette with Mimi, Nanny, and PawPaw Bill.

Here are the 1 week old pictures. Ryan wanted to get one with his boot. I have absolutly no idea why he wanted to, but it is when he does things like this that just make me smile.

Nonni enjoyed spending some time with you. She stayed until Thursday then went to spend some time with Will & Hoke. She was a huge help to Ryan and I!!!

Maggie has been wonderful! She always manages to be in the same room with Harper and she will frequently go give her a sniff as to let Harper know she is here. Maggie has turned into the best baby monitor money could buy. She will always come and find one of us whenever Harper is crying. The second night we were home Nonni was on Harper patrol and sleeping on the couch. Harper started crying in the night and Maggie went and woke Nonni up. She is so smart!!!!

The first week at home was wonderful! Harper has been such a blessing and we just can't believe she is actually ours.

How it all began...

Yes, I know Harper has been born and I haven't posted any pics. I promise the birth post is coming. I have been sorting through the 500+ pictures and hours of video we have taken the past 2 weeks. I am also trying to force myself to learn how to use imovie to make a movie. Hopefully I will figure it out soon and I promise I will post it.

In the meantime I thought I'd share the story of how it all began...

We finally decided that it was time to start a family in summer of 2008. Months and months went by of negative pregnancy tests. There is no telling how many I went through. It just got easier to take the test, find out it was negative, and move on with life.

Fast forward to summer of 2009. Months and months have passed by. Many baby showers, kid birthday parties, and get-togethers of being the only couple without kids. Needless to say it was not the easiest thing that Ryan and I have gone through, but I am so thankful for all God taught us.

Summer of 2009 I decided it was time to visit the doctor to discuss the issue. We explained to her that we wanted to take things slow and not be too medically aggressive. We spent the next few months going through a series of tests and still praying that maybe this would be the month.

October's "test of the month" was what I like to call the "removal of debris" procedure. This so happened to be the month that I decided that I was done with the so called "trying." It was becoming very frustrating and hard. So, the end of the month rolls around and time to take the monthly test. I took a test Wednesday night and saw a very very very faint line, figured it meant negative, thought nothing of it, and went to bed.

Thursday on the way home I decided well maybe that faint line did mean something. Why don't I stop by and get a digital test just to be sure. I had never invested in one those fancy kinds, but figured heck why not try something different, at least it would be a definite yes or no and no second guessing.

I wish I could explain all the emotions I felt when I saw "pregnant." I immediatly fell to my knees with tears of gratitude and praise. I could not believe it!!! My heart was just racing!! Over a year of negatives and now the words PREGNANT were staring me in the face. I then realized that crap Ryan would be home any minute. We had to be at small group in 30 minutes and we still hadn't eaten dinner. After months of trying you would think I would of come up with some cute creative plan of how I would tell him. Oh no, it was too late, he was already pulling up the driveway. So I greeted him a the door with this...

Then off to small group we went with our little secret!!!