Henry is Here!

Henry Philip Alton Minter is here!! We're thrilled to have our new addition at home. He was born Saturday, October 6 at 9:30 a.m, and we were released to go home Tuesday around noon. These past two days have been an adjustment, but we're all doing just fine. I'll post more on our little bundle later. Just wanted to share some pictures. Emilia loves being an older sister!

Due Date

October 2, 2012 is the date I've had circled on my calendar since late January. In the back of my mind, I knew this date didn't have a large meaning - just the one we place on it to determine when a baby should arrive to add one more place holder in our family. But in the front of my mind, I really wanted to see some progress by week 40. Something. Please! However, that is not the case today. Today is just another day. Not a significant birthday in the Minter family, that's for sure. Little Henry is content where he is, and apparently plans to be for some time (he's been in the same place for the past three weeks). The doctor will let me go to 41 weeks before we decide anything big...unless Henry makes the decision for us.

I have lost 2 pounds in a week (I've only gained 31-32 lbs overall - 10 were in the first two months). Henry is now up to around 8 lbs, the doctor estimates (and his "little" head didn't look so little in the ultrasound picture today - ack!). Everything looks fine. We'll keep a close eye on him - two appointments a week now to make sure he stays that way.

Baby Shower from my Collegues!

I work with wonderful people! They have blessed me in many ways and now I get to add one more: a baby shower! These ladies were so sweet to come to a house after a long day's work to celebrate Little Henry with me. We had good snacks, cute gifts, and fun laughs. Someone even made me a diaper cake, which was super cute and had the very needed diapers along with a beautifully knitted hat and booties. Not to mention, they really surprised me with a glider for the nursery! I never had one with Emilia, and am so anxious to use it with Henry! I've already enjoyed swaying back and forth with my feet up in order to relax from a hard day.

 

His Name!

At 38 weeks, 20 weeks after we found out we were having a baby brother, we finally decided on a name: Henry Alton Minter! We like names that one may not hear very often, but are strong and not too different. As a teacher, it is a little difficult to find names I haven't taught. We nix all of those right off the bat. Then, we have to come up with names that both of us agree upon. Philip and I agreed upon two, but we couldn't decide on anything permanent until very recently. 

Henry means "ruler of the home" in German. I've been praying continuously that this little guy be a strong leader in the home, at school, and in church. "Ruler of the home" seems quite fitting. Alton is the middle name of Philip's great-grandfather, Samuel Alton Headley, a man who had a great influence in Philip's life.

Little Henry has been Baby Brother for so long, that when asked, Emilia says "His name is Baby Brother Minter. He can be Henry tomorrow!" Poor guy...I have no doubt she'll be calling him "Baby Brother" until his 5th birthday. (Although, I will say that I was "Sister" until fifth grade - when I emphatically told my brother he could no longer call me that.)

Check-up: 37 weeks

I was debating on whether I should do an update just a week later from my previous one, but yes, I decided I will fill you in. Overall, everything looks great. Little (no name) guy looks/sounds great. His heart rate is continuing to slow as he gets bigger and is in more restful states - 133 bpm. His head is down, but he decided to float back up to an "undropped" state. Apparently, he likes it where he is (and maybe he realizes we're not quite ready for him to come yet). So, we're still on track for October 2. No news of an early delivery. I did gain one pound (I've been eating more cookies), but I hadn't gained in 5 weeks, so I guess I was due for some weight increase (this makes it 30 lbs since January).

Good news: I believe we're closer to a name. Not so good: I still have much to do in regards to cleaning. This working full time/pregnancy/homemaker bit is quite overwhelming. I know it will be a lot of work to have two children at home, but I'm looking forward to concentrating on one aspect of my life - even for just a few months.

Family and Friends Diaper Shower

God blessed me with the dearest of friends! Saturday morning we gathered for a baby brunch with presents, games, and conversation. Tracey H. did a fantastic job putting it all together. The decorations of blue were so cute (and quite different than the usual pink I'm used to); I received the much needed diapers and wipes! One can never have enough of those when dealing with a baby who may or may not explode from both ends! I loved having my family to celebrate with us, too, and it was a great blessing to have my mom here, even for a short weekend.

Tracey organized a few fun games to play, and we all nearly fell on the floor laughing from the relay. Imagine: two grown women battling out who can diaper, dress, and swaddle a baby better! One team was the fastest, but I'm not sure the baby would've survived! ha! Pictures to come soon.

 My dear friend, Tracey. She put on a great shower!!

 

 Incredible diaper cake with lots of goodies inside!

 

 Baby Relay!

My family: cousin Amanda, Grand T, Mimi, and Mamaw!

Check-up: 36 Weeks

It's that time... the last month, the end of the pregnancy, the count down to the end of days. We have less than a month to wait for our little mister. We've narrowed down the names to two, and Philip says we're going to wait until after he's born when we pick one (he has even said there may be a third name thrown in the pot). Hopefully, baby brother will have a name for his birth certificate before then.

The doctor's appointment went well. 140 bpm. No weight gain or loss since the last check-up two weeks ago. And it is official: baby brother has dropped! I've been breathing easier for about 1 1/2 weeks now, and the doctor verified what I already knew. We're getting closer...

Our little guy will just be working at packing on the pounds, developing an immune system, and wrinkling a brain. Pretty much everything else is a "go." I do want him to stay put for as long as God deems necessary, so he can be the healthiest he can be (plus, I still need to complete all the fun stuff in the nursery).

We're all getting really excited over here for our new arrival, and Emilia continues to tell me how cute baby brother is!

7-8 Months

He's a growing boy...

 July

 

August (after a long day at work ;))

32 Week Check-up

Baby brother looks good! He's heart rate is slowing (133 bpm) to accommodate his size, and he's moving around quite a bit (at least I can feel his jabs more now). If you're around me, and watch really closely, you'll see him move every once and awhile. I think watching my stomach roll around is pretty cool. If you ask what I'm doing in my spare time, that's probably it!

An unusual situation for me, I lost 2 pounds from three weeks ago. Perhaps this is due to the move or starting work, or both. I've been more active and have less time to eat. Let's just say that the nurses don't want to see a repeat, so I have to keep snacks at my desk during down times.

We're still working on a name... only about 8-9 weeks to go, so we better get crackin', right?? Don't worry - I can't be one who waits until the hospital. I'm too much of a planner for that...

As an aside: I still have people telling me that they didn't know I was pregnant. Please people! I have gained 29 pounds since January. Something MUST look a little different! ;) Hopefully, I'm not just looking a little plumper...

29 Week Check Up

I realize I haven't been as diligent about posting about doctor's check-ups as I did with Emilia. Well... so far so good. Our little guy's (still no name) heartbeat is strong and he is becoming more active (at least I can feel him more now). I'm gaining about a pound a week - not so fun - right on track. The doctor did mention that I need to be drinking more. Guess the heat has done it's toll on staying hydrated. Very soon I start my two week appointments! Like people say, the second pregnancy flies by!

Not sure I'm ready yet though. We're in the middle of moving to a new residence (our first house!) - excited about expanded space and a backyard in which Emilia and our boy can run around. Hopefully, he'll have a place to sleep within the next few weeks.

Our Little Guy's Personality?

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed how different our prince is from our princess. I remember feeling Emilia move at a very early stage (16-17 weeks for the first time); however, this guy doesn't seem quite as active. When doing "kick counts," I could count nearly one kick a minute for Emilia, and it was very easy to get to 10 or 20 in far fewer than 30 minutes. If you know Emilia, it's pretty obvious to see why that was the case. This girl never stops! ha! However, our newcomer may give me 8-10 "kicks" in 30 minutes on a pretty normal basis (during his more active times of the day, it's in 15-20 minutes). He even has a pretty predictable sleep cycle already!

Philip finally got to feel him move. All his daddy has to do is talk to him, and our sweet boy moves around like crazy! In fact, he popped Philip's head right off my belly! What a great way for their "first hello." He also moves (though not as dramatically) when Emilia wants to talk to him.

I say all this in pondering his personality. I would love to think he'll be a laid back baby, on a schedule within weeks, getting along well with his sister. It can happen, right? I hear that babies in the womb reflect who they'll be as people in our world. I'm anxious to see if this is true with him.

Okay, Okay

I'm not a fan of belly pics, but I figured I might share one or two with you anyway so you can see our boy's progress. It hasn't been until recently that people can actually assume I'm pregnant and haven't just gained 20 pounds.

This one is of me at nearly 20 weeks:

And here's one of me at nearly 25 weeks:

Mini-Kicks from the Newest Minter

I sit at the computer after a not so long day - reflecting on the weekend and relishing the fact that I have the summer to spend time with my little girl wonder and catch up on all the housework that does not get completed during the school year, and I feel our little Prince making his presence known. Our little guy took a little longer than Emilia to become active. He's moving and "kicking" and it feels fantastic!

The kicks really are my favorite part of being pregnant. I absolutely love to feel God's creation growing and moving inside me, Sometimes I can't believe He picked me as a vessel to hold his little, precious creations until they're ready to be welcomed to His world. I know pregnancy isn't technically a miracle, but it does feel pretty miraculous to have God's handiwork so close. I think as we get older and experienced in the ups and downs of life, we forget that He formed us in our mother's womb - He knew us personally before we can remember. Psalm 139:13-14 reminds me how personally God is involved in our lives - no wonder He sent His Son for us.

I pray that our son grows to be a spiritual, Godly man who leads his family in love to Christ.