More Pictures!

Can I just say that I have been trying since Sunday to post this blog entry, but every time I get close my precious son wants to nurse, or has a smelly diaper, or has the hiccups, or just needs to be held? All of which I am blessed with the opportunity to take care of! I never thought I would be so willing to clean up a nasty diaper. Katie - I've come a LONG way since practicing on Kennedy! I no longer think I'm going to cut off circulation to his legs! As a matter of fact, if his legs turn a little blue then I know his diaper won't leak! Kidding... wouldn't do that to the baby!

In response to Annie's comment, here's a picture of how the first babies are doing with Banks! Well, Callie at least... As I suspected, Callie is more protective of the baby (although sometimes I think she just likes the interesting smells that Banks makes) and Cotton just comes by occasionally to lick his toes and then moves on with her life. Cotton is very independent!

I also wanted to say thanks to everyone for your supportive comments as we were under the bili lamp! We are looking lots better now! And thank you to everyone who has called and emailed and been supportive as we struggled to learn to nurse. We are getting quite good at it now I think... every day is a bit better at least!

Liza - these are for you! Below are some pics we took Sunday afternoon. I think the ones of Jonathan with the baby are particularly good!

We've rounded the corner!

Great news! After about 18 hours under the bili lamp, Banks's jaundice level dropped! We no longer need the lamp, but he's still a little yellow. That's ok though - I'm just SO relieved that our little bundle is doing better! This is the best I've felt all week. I had no idea how much energy I had spent just worrying about him, and now that he is eating like a champ and the jaundice is getting better I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders! I think we're about to figure out this nursing thing too - we're getting more efficient at it! Of course, now that I've put that in writing I'm probably in for a long night...

Thanks to everyone for your prayers this week!

One Week Old!

Hey there! I finally managed to compile some of our photos from the last week into a slideshow so you can live through some of our first few days getting to know Banks!

We are really enjoying getting to know our son. He has a very sweet temperament, and he really only cries when he needs something. We have had a few hurdles to get through in this first week though - starting with labor. When we began pushing, we realized that Banks was face up - not the ideal position for giving birth becuase it is harder for the baby to make his way into the world, and it causes mommy to have lots of back labor (which would have been fine had the epidural not run out and the doctor thought I could push better against the pain!). So - entry into the world was pretty difficult and involved 2 hours of pushing and a pair of forceps. I hope that's clean enough for a blog entry - you probably wouldn't be reading this if you didn't want to know how it all went!

After our eventful entry to the world, Banks and I both had lots of trouble learning to nurse. He went a few days without really eating much of anything, and we didn't want to give a bottle because we didn't want him spoiled by how easy it is. By Monday, though, we had lost 1 pound since birth - which of course was terrifying for us becuase it was more than the "normal" weight loss that an infant should have. We also started to develop a case of jaundice which peaked today and we are spending tonight under a bili lamp.

After daily doctors visits and blood tests for bilirubin levels, I'm happy to report that Banks is moving upward in weight and nursing is finally going really well. And hopefully, the bili lamp will have curbed his jaundice by tomorrow.

So - that's the summary of our week! It has been exhausting with the feedings and lack of sleep and daily appointments, but it has also been wonderful with the sweet baby we waited so long to hold! I'm so glad to have our hold-it baby! I could really hold him and cuddle him all day long every day and never ever get tired of it. I think he is perfect - but I imagine every new parent says that!

Sorry for the uncharacteristically long blog post. Everyone has sent emails asking how everything was going, and since I haven't gotten around to returning calls yet I felt like I should update everyone on the blog so you at least know how we are doing!

I'll continue posting more pics soon!

Our New Addition!

Hello there! Sorry to just now be posting - I have loads of stories to tell, but I can already hear Banks stirring and getting ready to eat! We are doing well - but fighting a bit with keeping his weight up and he has been borderline jaundiced since leaving the hospital. Every day we go to the doctor to check his weight and bilirubin levels. He's doing well - we are just watching him close because learning to nurse has been difficult on both of us!

I'll get a slide show up soon and update you all on his first few days of life soon! For now, I just want to share his sweetest picture with you!

Introducing....Carter Banks Smith

Carter Banks Smith was born today at 3:17 PM. He weighed 8 lbs 2 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long! Mommy, Daddy and baby Banks are doing great. Sarah is a bit tired after a long labor, but seems to be in good spirits! He is beautiful! Thank you Lord for such wonderful blessings!

I couldn't choose between a lot of pictures so I am posting lots of them! ~Katie

The new Smith Family!

Precious Banks..

He has long fingers and toes!!

Sweet moments with Mommy

J is already working hard at being a daddy!

I LOVE this one! He has such long toes and the pinky one is a little crooked from being all mushed. Just precious!

38 Weeks!

38 weeks! He's going to be here soon! I thought I would share another picture so we could really track my progress now that he will be here soon!

As I sit at home, large and uncomfortable, I feel compelled to make a list of the things I have to be truly grateful for with the pregnancy. It helps me feel better when I focus on the positives rather than dwelling on how my belly is so large that pretty soon I won't even have room on my lap for the laptop! So here goes...

Things I'm grateful for...

1. According to all ultrasounds, we appear to be having a healthy baby who will be a healthy weight when he is born.

2. We aren't sitting home with our baby already - because that would mean he might have come too early to be healthy.

3. At 38 weeks pregnant, I'm still wearing my wedding rings.

4. Modern science has created medicine strong enough to curb horrific heartburn (even if it hasn't disappeared altogether).

5. Moderate weight gain... and while I think it will still be months and months before fitting again in pre-pregnancy clothes, I am hopeful that I will be able to get back into them eventually!

6. Very little swelling during the pregnancy.

7. Lots of kicks and punches to constantly reaffirm that Banks is doing well, even at the expense of a good night's sleep!

8. An overall easy pregnancy with very few complications and no restrictions on my activity - today we were still able to go on a very long walk!

9. Supportive friends and family who have been praying for Banks and his development, and who are still praying for his delivery!

10. A precious, supportive husband who, even though he doesn't understand exactly what I'm going through, manages to help me keep the house clean, rub my back, fix me dinner (french toast tonight!) and let me whine when I'm feeling particularly large.

Update on the upcoming birth of Banks!

I'm happy to say that I now enjoy the counter at the top of the page telling me that Banks will be here soon! It gives me acceptable numbers now - and the greatest part is that if I'm lucky, the counter is overstating the time left until his birth!

I've been meaning to update everyone on my last appt with the Dr, but my extreme fatigue has made it difficult for me to even want to pick up my laptop - let alone write anything clever. So - you get an update today - but I still have nothing clever to say.

Thankfully, my body had made "progress" when we visited the Dr on Tuesday (I'll leave it at that so as to not get graphic on my blog!). I'm also have contractions now - though they aren't regular they are painful at times. The good news is that, if I'm lucky, these contractions are helping me continue to make "progress" and I will be a good candidate for induction next week, Friday the 18th! So Banks might be here a week early! YAY! Of course - I could get REALLY lucky and he could come on his own sooner... but let's not get carried away here! For now - we will stay hopeful that we can be induced next week! The plan is that Tuesday will now be my last day at work - which seems so crazy to me!

It's wild to know our son could be here in 8 days - we are really excited! Keep us and Banks in your prayers! We are praying for an uneventful delivery, and a healthy baby boy!

I'll post another belly pic over the weekend, and I'll be sure to post updates as the date gets closer!

37 weeks

I thought I should go ahead and post another belly picture now that I am FULL TERM! Yay! I'm 37 weeks - so ideally Banks will be here sometime in the next 3 weeks. We'll see! If he decided he wanted to be born today - he should have healthy lungs - so I'm ready when he is! You might ask - are you nervous? Anxious? Answer is - NO! I'm uncomfortable and not sleeping at night - so seriously, I'm ready when he is! I guess I'm a little nervous about how one day in the next 3 weeks my life will change forever.... but it's a little hard to focus on that when it seems so impossible to get comfortable or even move easily. I guess that is God's way of making us ready to have the baby!

Happy Day!

Oh my goodness - I got the happiest phone call today around 6 PM! Jessi is getting married! Yay!! My precious sister in law is getting married! I'm so excited for them! No date set yet... I think it is still just sinking in with everyone right now. Jonathan is pretty pumped too, although he is having a hard time accepting his baby sister getting married.

WOOHOO! A wedding to plan for 2 very special people!!! I can't wait! Just had to share the news!