En Camino a Texas!

Friday, September 3, 2010, 7pm: Mom, Dad, Adrienne, Isaac and I all pile into Mom's white, 1992 Grand Marquis -what a beauty- for the first haul of our 14 hour, 2 day trip to Lubbock, Texas. If you must ever make a cross-country trip in a sedan, please take this car. It the most spacious car ever invented; Adrienne and I made it almost 30 hours in the backseat together with only one fist-fight. Fo real.

The trip to Texas was fairly uneventful, and, with two of his favorite women to entertain him, Isaac did remarkably well stuck in his car seat all day Saturday.



We arrived to Lubbock on Saturday evening. It was so good to see Rachel, the last time she'd visited Memphis was in April when Isaac was born. We went to eat at a local pizza joint and Isaac sat in a high chair for the first time. Yay for eating with both hands!



Isaac discovered he had another awesome auntie and loved every minute with her!!





Dad and Isaac, the only two males, spent a lot of time bonding. Isaac loves his pappy!



Mom and Dad stayed in a hotel, so we three girls got to enjoy some long-overdue sister-time for a couple of nights.



Rachel took us to Texas Tech, the second largest college campus in the world... it was pretty massive. We got a tour of the place. It was strange to be driving on a four-lane highway in the middle of a university.

Sunday morning found us at Providence Presbyterian Church where we got to meet several of Rachel's Texan friends.

Our goodbyes on Monday were sad. We won't get to see Rachel again until Christmas. Hopefully the next few months will move along quickly!

Our trip back to Memphis was even longer than the first, as returns trips usually seem to be. There were a few more exciting events though this time around. Lunch on Monday was in Seymour, Texas. We had just passed through Benjamin, TX and wondered if their "Wild Pigs Crossing" signs were legitimate, or a joke on passer-bys like ourselves. Sadly, we did not stop to get a picture. Once we got to Seymour, we found their one-and-only sit-down restaurant and stopped for a bite to eat. We were seated next to a very weather-seasoned looking couple who quickly announced to us that they were celebrating their 29th anniversary. With a little more prompting, we discovered that they were on a wild-pig hunting trip. They made, sold and used long-bows and were very much enjoying pig hunting with them. You just never know who you are gonna eat lunch with on your trip to Texas.

If You Like to Talk to Tomatoes...

So while my life seems to entirely revolve around changing diapers, nursing and keeping a baby - who has twice the energy of any baby I have ever met - happy and diverted, I have recently discovered Veggie Tales on youtube. It keeps both of us very entertained.

This is my small thought for the day.

Favorite picture(s) of the week:

Its a Boy!

No, we are not pregnant again. Heck no!

Following the advice of a friend, I'm rewinding a bit to share what some may consider my rite of passage into mommyhood, (if a rite of passage is a transitional period marked by intense pain and/or forbearance, I will agree) or what I will call my birth story.

Two days past my due-date, (much to the chagrin of my doctor) I was waiting for Isaac to make his arrival. I had been doing everything in my power to induce labor, walking, squatting and more walking. Sunday night around 8pm, after one such walk, my friend Ashley, my husband Josh and my pregnant self were all deliberating on the best place to eat (Mexican, I think was the eventual conclusion), when my water broke.
I shrieked and ran to the bathtub to keep amniotic fluid from going everywhere. Ashley began to run around in circles, in shock I think, to have been a witness to this event, Josh ran to get my bag and I brushed my teeth.




We got in the car and drove, arriving at the hospital at around 9pm. Our immediate family and a few close friends sat in the waiting room while I was assessed. At 3cm dilated and 80% effaced, we were in progress with a ways to go. I was quite impressed with myself, contractions 5 minutes apart and I barely felt them? I was already good at this! Determined to deliver naturally (sans epidural), I was encouraged.
Two hours later and my pain level had only risen slightly. I paced the hospital floor, trying to speed up dilation. My mom told to me to take a chill pill and save my energy after I started doing squats. I eventually sat down when the pain was too much for aerobics, rolling my eyes at her cynicism. After all, what does a mother of four know about labor?



Pacing. Hospital gowns are so flattering!



Adrienne, me and Mom, in between contractions.

By 2am, I'd only dilated to 6cm and was having contractions 1.5-2 mins apart. Josh and Mom were taking turns rubbing my lower back and reminding me to breath.

4am came with little to no progression and my nurse, skeptical of my ability to last without the epidural, kept reminding me that if I didn't start dilating they'd have to give me potosin. I begged for more time. Not too soon after 4, the nurses rushed in, shouting something about the baby not being happy and instructed me to turn onto my side. Within ten minutes everything seemed to smooth out and they offered me Staydol.

That was the best hour of my life.

Once I regained all consciousness, the contractions, (a 15 on my pain scale of 1-10, although I refused to admit it to the nurses) were continuous and I had dilated to 8cm.
By 6am, I was being told he would be here soon and to hang on. I remember being pretty sure I was going to die and not caring about anything but how much it hurt.
Once I felt the need to push, I was hopeful, knowing it was supposed to be over soon, but still in too much pain to think. I had a new nurse come on duty and tell me she'd never delivered naturally, but wanted to help me do this however I wanted. I thought she was an angel. I think I pushed for about 45 minutes, a relief to the pain, but literally the hardest thing I'd ever done physically.

Isaac Morgan Edwards arrived at 8:11am weighing 8lbs 13oz with the largest cone head in the history of the United States. I felt like a warrior home from battle. Triumphant! He was beautiful and I knew I would do it over again.

I Welcome Myself to the World of Blogging...

A bit behind but finally here, I join the blogging world.

A quick synopsis of life in the Edwards home of late: we got married November 29, 2008 and had our first baby, little Isaac April 12, 2010. Josh works for Barnhart Crane & Rigging and is in school full-time, due to graduate this Christmas (Hallelujah we've almost made it!). I am a stay-at-home mom to Isaac, and this is my blog.

The most interesting adventure we've had of late was our family vacation to Heber Springs with Josh's family. We got Isaac out on the boat, enjoyed the sun and really enjoyed all the more-than-willing baby-sitters that surrounded us.



Family photo in the water.



Isaac staring out into the water, curtesy of AunTie KaTie.




:-)



Sweet cousin Maddie pretend-serves lake-water to a thirsty boy!

I close now as I'll be awakened to feed a hungry baby in approximately five hours. More to come!