Kenleigh Mae Howarth

Born August 29, 2009 @ 6:33 p.m. - 7 lb. 2 oz., 19.5"

Kenleigh Mae has arrived. I think I say in all my posts that I ramble way too much. Once again I’m sorry this is so long, I like details! I’ll attempt to spare you the minute by minute. My last Doctor’s appointment was Tuesday, 08/25 and I left with absolutely nothing to report…nothing – 39 weeks and still no progress. This time I wasn’t down. I knew that Kenleigh was healthy and when she was ready she would come. I finished the week feeling like my normal self. Stefanie’s wedding was set for the 29th and I was in her line. Zach and I went to Clinton Friday night for a BBQ dinner they had to give everyone a chance to get acquainted. It was a ton of fun and lots of just relaxing. We got home around 11:30 p.m. and went straight to bed. As I was going to sleep I felt like saying to Zach, “something feels different”. I pretty much felt different my whole pregnancy so I figured it was nothing. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. and knew I was having contractions. Nothing too strong and not super regular; the hours went by and they got worse and worse. My breathing through them finally woke Zach up. I told him I thought I was in labor and he thought we needed to go right away. I told him that I won’t be that girl that gets sent home and I wanted to do my labor as long as possible at home. He left to work around 7:30; around 10 I couldn’t take it anymore. The labor and delivery nurse said not to come in until my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and a minute long. They were only 3-6 minutes apart and about 45 seconds long. At that point I didn’t care. I called Zach and had him come get me – even if just to take me in for a pain shot to help me relax. We got to the hospital around 11 and by then my contractions were exactly where they wanted them to be. One nurse checked me and I was barely dilated, not even a 1 yet. She thought they would have to send me home but had us walk for an hour to see if there was progress and not false labor. 30 minutes into the hour I was buckled on the floor crying with each contraction (I was a baby having a baby)…sad huh? We got back to the room and no progress with dilating, however, I had softened. She was able to work some things out (um, down there) and get me admitted. YES!!! It was around 2:00 p.m. that they gave me my epidural at about a 2+ and broke my water 30 minutes later – still a 2+. At 3:45 they checked me again, still 2+ so they decided to start me on pitocin. 45 minutes later 2 nurses rushed in because Kenleigh’s heart rate wouldn’t stableize; I was a 5+. They said when a mother labor goes that quick the baby doesn’t generally handle it well. They took me completely off pitocin. They checked me one hour later and I was a 9+…I couldn’t believe how quick that all happened with only 45 minutes of pitocin. I was so excited and so scared I couldn’t stop crying. The doctor got their around 6 and I started pushing around 6:15. After 3 contractions of pushing Kenleigh was born at 6:33 p.m. I have never in my life cried so hard. She is amazing. She is amazing. She is amazing! I thank God every minute for the most precious gift on earth. She is amazing. Zach wanted a boy so bad for our first child. He came to terms quickly that we were having a girl but of course still wanted his boy. Now, he says he can’t even imagine what it would have been like to have a boy. He is so addicted to her. He holds her every chance he gets and hasn’t watched TV in days because he can’t stop staring at her. Oh we are so lucky. Pictures are below.

Zach's first picture with Kenleigh

Kenleigh and me hanging out

More hangout time

Kenleigh in her coming home outfit (love it)

Zach and Kenleigh - He can't put her down

(*the wet spot on the couch is her first poop on Zach and other items - too funny)

Doing what she does second best - Chillin'. First best is sleeping during the day!

Seriously? Could she be any cuter? Um, NO!!!

38 Week Update...Long

I think this might be the first time I’ve given an update on my doctors’ appointments. Hmm, I should have started this sooner. So Monday Zach and I went for my appointment and boy did it leave me feeling sad and scared. I’ve been measuring a touch small on the outside from probably the first appointment that I got measured at; usually around 2 weeks. My doctor said it could just be my “good abs” (ha ha ha) and as long as I measure within two weeks or less there will be no cause for concern. He reminded me at each appointment that I was still 2 weeks small and again no big deal until 3. I went in for my 37 week appointment last week. You guessed it – still measured 2 weeks small. No big deal. However, no progression….most of you know what I’m referring to. As well, sweet Kenleigh hasn’t even dropped yet and until she does – no progression. My doctor had said that because she was so little he had a sneaking feeling I’ll likely go past my due date. Yay. I left as a Debbie Downer. I really did and I’m not apologizing for it either! So I go in on Monday for my 38 week appointment. I told Zach I just knew that I’d have no progression and I won’t be sad about it. I decided ahead of time to come to terms with it. *This next part is a secret*…please do not tell Zach. The REAL story is that I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt (I’ll blog about this SHADOW OF A DOUBT stuff later – who says stuff like this and what the H does it mean?) that I was going to show some progression. Mom’s instinct I guess. Am I a mom yet? Better yet has the instinct kicked in? I get my blood pressure taken and it’s gone up a touch. Not sure why (probably because of this secret I have been keeping). Then the doctor listens to Kenleigh’s heart beat. Oh it was so cute. I actually think she said “love you mommy” too since she knew all ears were on her. Then he measured me….What?? I was only measuring at 34 weeks. It really freaked me out. Last week I measured 35 weeks, how did I shrink? Now I'm 4 weeks small - a freaking month. He said she probably dropped in to position. This excited me…remember the secret I just told…I knew she had! He checked the internals and nope, no ma’am she had in fact not gone anywhere. Still up in the ribs! On top of that, no further progression. You have got to be kidding me. I left that appointment feeling really down and out. I tend to talk a lot…by a lot I mean Zach has learned the courtesy response like y’all would not believe. The drive home was quiet. I didn’t want to call family, I didn’t feel I had anything to report. He finally asked what was wrong I just cried. My poor baby, why is she so little? Thank God I have a sister-in-law who is not only amazing and always says the right things but she’s a Labor & Delivery nurse as well. She made me feel so much better…at least for a minute. I was extra scared because my darling cousin gave birth to her little Luke in June early because of IUGR. I just couldn’t shake the idea that I would go through the same thing (my heart breaks that she had to). She’s a saint – saints can handle trials. I’m not sure I could. Long story short…is it too late at this point to be considered short? I went in for an ultrasound on Tuesday so they could measure Kenleigh as well as my fluid levels. Everything measured out perfectly. Now I intend to live out the remainder of my pregnancy with gratitude and I’m leaving Debbie Downer home. Most of her anyway. I’m not at all bitter or upset or sad or mad or angry or frustrated or irritated or mad or bitter or mad or annoyed or upset that according to my doctor I will likely go past my due date. He said if I get to a week late he’ll induce me. This doesn’t make me mad. It doesn’t. Seriously. It really doesn’t. Mostly it doesn’t. I am just grateful that in no less than 2 ½ weeks I get to meet my little girlie.

Almost Forgot...

I couldn't help but add the blury picture of Kenleigh's dresser (hamper to the right) and I also added another one of her name, the letters sit right above her dresser!

**original post started below.

It's About Time!!!

My Mama is going to be so proud. I’m finally putting up pictures of Kenleigh’s nursery. Now I know it looks like I got a little too detailed (hi, I’m posting pictures of inside her dresser) but I wanted to make sure to show my parents EVERYTHING since they don’t get to be here right away. All the pictures are below. Now for a little update…well, I’ve got nothing. I’m 37 weeks pregnant yesterday. I went to the doctor on Friday and I wasn’t dilating or effacing at all. She hasn’t even begun to drop yet. He said until that happens I will have no progress. So now we wait. At first I was a little sad but now I’m just ready to be patient and wait it out. The nursery is done, her laundry is done. I cleaned the entire house yesterday and today from top to bottom. Washed every piece of bedding, rugs, and decorative towels. I literally can’t think of anything else to do. Best part is that after all of that I feel great! We are getting so excited to meet Kenleigh. The hardest part is just waiting to see what she looks like. My doctor said since it’s my first baby I’ll have to make it to one week past my due date before he’ll consider an induction. So I potentially have four weeks left. At least I know that’s at most! Anyway, wish I had more to write but I don’t. Enjoy the pictures!

This is right when you walk in

This picture is above the chair, casts of her first hand and footprints go here.

Her crib and some wall decorations

Her valance and diaper hanger

close up of her crib

her bedding

close up of decorations

her lamp

clothes (in order of her age)

onesies, pajamas, hats, socks

receiving blankets and burp cloths

diapers and such

swing

stroller

car seat and base

high chair

pack n' play/bassinet with changing top

bouncer

me at 37 weeks pregnant

I just noticed I never took a picture of her dresser as a whole, it's a set with the crib so they match. I also didn't get her cute pink hamper so picture a cute pink hamper!!!

My Atlanta Trip...Finally!

I’m finally writing about my trip to Georgia to see my family. It’s been all too long and I fear this post could be just that, all too long. Pull up a chair, kick your feet up (unless you’re me and you have no flexibility left) and relax!

I got to Atlanta late afternoon on Friday the 15th. Right when I walked out of the airport mama was there pulling up. It’s like our minds were synced perfectly for timing. Shocker! We didn’t waste a second. We started getting caught up right away on what’s new…there wasn’t much. We talk all the time. However, apparently we couldn’t shut our yaps. We were so preoccupied with talking that we almost died. I know, I’m generally a dramatic person so you may not believe me. I’m not even kidding though. See the pictures for proof. Or at least imagine these pictures are proof. We were at a red light right behind a train track. The light turned green and we were going to turn left. There was a truck or van that had to go through the light first though so we could yield to them. They WOULDN’T go….Mama was getting so annoyed. He just kept pointing at something our way. Um okay dude, we can’t read your mind – go or we’ll cut you off and go ourselves. Pregnant girl on board must get to a bathroom. We went, he flashed us and honked (I believe, that could be my dramatic nature making things up, but I really think he did something). RIGHT after we drove over the train tracks and turned left we heard the train. We narrowly escaped the wrath. We looked back and the warning bars were already down with the flashers going full speed. We have no idea how we got through the tracks without getting hit by the bars coming down. The kind man in the vehicle, what – he is kind now, that wouldn’t allow us to yield to him was pointing at the train!!! Oh we laughed.laughed.laughed. Mama asked me not to mention anything to dad, why bother with a lecture? We know where we went wrong! It lasted a day, we couldn’t keep it from him!

This is the light that we had to turn left at, apparently he didn't want to get hit by a train!

These are the tracks that dad narrowly escaped having to add our memorials to.

This might sound like I’m being judgmental but I assure you I am not. I’m simply stating the obvious. Atlanta is a country all on their own. Ask Teiha. Though, I love it out there the culture just isn’t the same. We went to Dairy Queen the night I got there – or another night, who cares – we literally couldn’t understand the sweet woman. She was so nice she even told us to “hab a goob bay.” I think that’s what she said. It was a nice change from the Dairy Queen in Asheville where my bully worked. Ugh, my parents sent ME every time to get our after dinner ice cream because they loved watching me get threatened, my bully really wanted to beat me up. Rude…way rude.

On Sunday Jarod and Lindsay invited us over for a BBQ. First we were going to an event that Lindsay had put together for the new company she is starting. Mama bought me a pedicure – heaven, and Jarod and Lindsay bought mama a manicure for Mother’s Day. It was a good time relaxing and eating a bagel…and by “a bagel” I mean several bagels. Well, me anyway! Before we went into Atlanta though we stopped at Babies R Us because my sweet parents wanted to buy my pack n’ play for Kenleigh. It’s soooo cute, I can’t wait to show pictures. Unfortunately for pops it took a while in the store…and luckily for him they had a million gliders that he could sleep in. Right as we were getting ready to leave father decided that he wanted to share with the rest of us what he concluded after many minutes of lying in the glider. His exact words to the rest of us, “I bet a lot of pregnant women shop here.” Could we start calling him captain obvious – or is that too obvious?

I had so much fun while I was there. I missed Zach and got a touch home sick for him but I’m glad I went. Thanks mama for helping me FINALLY complete my registry. I didn’t even come home and delete it either this time. I love you guys so much!!

My Apologies to Crazy - Not So Crazy - Cori "Cheney"

A while ago we had a girl’s night. We ate yummy food, played bonco, laughed, laughed, ate, laughed and made fun of Cori. I’m not sure how the subject came up but someone asked Cori if she suffered from a slight case of OCD. I guess being the over dramatic, older, dominating sister I couldn’t even let her answer her own question. Yet I found that I myself couldn’t answer it either. Not unless the snorting laughter coming straight from my lungs stopped first. At that point I found it very necessary to touch on a “small” part of Cori’s childhood. I decided it was important to tell all the girls just how really OCD Cori was. I’m not sure how many of you already know this, but I’ll tell my story anyway. When we were kids Cori always complained that the left side of her body was a lot bigger than the right side. We always dismissed her complaints because most, if not all, people suffered from this. Usually the difference is so minor that not many, or any, complain! Not Cori…she would ALWAYS stuff a wad of toilet paper in her right shoe because she thought it made her shoes feel the same size on her smaller foot. She would tie and re-tie her shoes over and over until the tightness was equal. Big deal? Ok not so much. The best part comes when my mom would be doing laundry and she would yell upstairs to Cori to get her butt downstairs. Hold on, I’ll be right back. I have to laugh so more….
Ok I’m back. She would say to Cori, “if you keep one more hair tie on your panties before you put them in the laundry you’re going to get grounded.” Some of you wonder what she meant by this. Cori’s complaint of her body being two different sizes really went to extremes. She would rip the left side of her underwear to make it a little looser on the leg (the leg that was SO much bigger). You’d think this was enough. Nope – she also tied the right side to be tighter with a hair tie so they felt the same. Seriously, was it that necessary? Were her legs really that different in size? I think not…I thought not.
The other night when we were all together we were laughing at this story so hard at poor Cori’s expense. She kept trying to defend herself but we couldn’t let her speak because we were laughing so hard. As I look back I realize Cori never let out any laughter. This was a serious subject. To her at least! After we all stopped laughing one of our friends gave Cori a chance to come to her own defense. She asked Cori if she still suffered this problem or if her right side had caught up to her. Cori said she still has the problem and it still drives her nuts but that she has learned to deal with it. I still couldn’t imagine that she wasn’t following in my dramatic fashion. I made her prove it. She backed up bare feet against a wall with a neutral person at her side to judge. It’s true; we concluded that night that Cori’s left half is in fact unnaturally bigger than her right. Her foot is literally an inch longer! I had been humbled. Cori wasn’t being dramatic. Her thigh is bigger and I’m pretty sure her arm was too. My bad Cori, my humble apologies to you!

Almost 20 weeks!

Yay, i'm almost 20 weeks pregnant. Some days I think time is flying, others not so much. I'm posting a picture for my lovely parents who wish I would move closer, but i've not yet been enticed enough. Ok fine, whatever...I'd love nothing more! Not a lot of update really. My 20 week ultrasound is Monday. I'm soooo excited. I can't wait to see her again. She moves like crazy. Definately active at night...similar to both of her parents. I still haven't registered; I feel too overwhelmed just walking in a baby store. It's starting to sink in more and more that we are about to be parents...1/2 way there! I can't believe how lucky I am to get to feel her all the time and know that I'm the one that's preparing her for this life. Oh crazy. I wish Zach could feel her but she's not kicking hard enough yet. I only get sick about twice a week, so that's a positive! I'm still down 3 pounds from when I started so i'm not complaining about that! I think i'm over my food aversions...yay! That's about all I have for now. Enjoy my only picture!!!