Graham has arrived!!!! 7 lbs, 8 oz/ 20 Inches Tall

Graham has arrived! He was born on December 29, 2008 at 2:39pm. The day started early was pitocin at 6:30 am, but progressed quickly. Dustin and Marcha were both there for the whole delivery and made the process much easier for me. The Green Family is doing great, we are so fortunate to have so many family and friends drop by the hospital to meet our newest family member. Hope and Graham are both feeling great and looking wonderful. Graham is a smaller baby than expected, but there are no complaints there. He weights 7 lbs, 8 ounces and is 20 inches tall. We should be going home on Wednesday morning as long as nothing changes. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers, hope to see you all soon.

The Green Family

38 Weeks

We are writing with very exciting news...we are scheduled to be induced on Monday, 12/29!!! It is hard to believe that we will be holding Graham in our arms in just 2 short days. I have continued having contractions since my last blog entry, but have not dilated anymore. At our appointment last Wednesday, Graham was measuring 2.5 weeks ahead of schedule (meaning he is continuing to grow quickly). They estimated him to weigh 8-8.5 pounds at his point. Of course this is only an estimate, but the fear is that if we wait until our due date he will weigh between 8.5-10.5 pounds. We have already said that there is no need for a 10 pound baby! So this, along with the swelling in my ankles (aka kankles), led the doctor to recommend an induction.

Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers. We will have the computer at the hospital and hope to keep everyone updated through out the day!

A Long Week

Well we are officially 37 weeks along this week. We thought Graham was trying to come into the world early, but he is still not here! I started having contractions 5-10 minutes apart on Sunday night. We went to the doctor/work on Monday. They put me on the monitor and I was contracting every 5-10 minutes and Graham's heart rate looked great. I was dilated 2 cm and 80% effaced. We were told to go walk and come back in an hour. After one hour I still had not dilated any more. We left to walk again and were told to come back at the end of the day to be checked again. I was still having regular contractions at 4:30, but my cervix had not changed. We were put back on the monitor. The doctor was concerned about how long my contractions were lasting and we were sent to the hospital for extended monitoring. After several more hours, we still had no change in dilation. We left the hospital at 8:30pm with Graham still in my stomach.

The rest of the week has been pretty much the same routine. Regular contractions, but more real cervical change. We are all sitting on go waiting for Graham to come! We will keep you all posted.

Washed, Organized, and Ready

We have finally hit the magical 36 weeks, full term, point of the pregnancy. Meaning Graham should be healthy and happy coming into the world from this point forward! Our doctor's appointment went well again this week. But, Graham seems to be plumping up at a fast rate. Last week he was measuring about 34 weeks, according to my belly height, and this week he was measuring about 37 weeks! Dr Lebel is estimating him to be 7 pounds right now. Most babies gain about .5 a pound a week during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy. Yes, that makes Graham have an estimated birth weight of around 9 pounds! YIKES! Of course all of this is a guess, but it makes me nervous none the less. Dr Lebel actually used the word "solid" to describe Graham. It looks like he may take after Dustin after all (who weighed 10 lbs 3 oz and was 23 inches long at birth).

We also have the nursery almost all finished! Jeanne finished the truck pictures (which we still need to hang) and Martha finished sewing the curtains/rocker cushions/crib skirt. All of these look better than I imagined! I included some pictures for everyone to see.

35 Weeks

Is anyone else as ready as we are for Graham to get here?!? We only have 4.5 weeks left until his due date. A lot is going on...Mimi (Dustin's Mom) is busy finishing up making his bed skirt, curtains, and the cushions for our rocking chair; Jeanne is painting the truck pictures to hang above his crib; and the picture man is putting new matting on the picture to go above the changing table. Meanwhile, Dustin has cleaned the house from top to bottom while I have washed, sterilized, and organized all of Graham's stuff. Whew, that run down is enough to make you tired just reading it!

Our doctor's appointment went well this week. Graham's heartbeat still makes me tear up to hear. I am not sure if we will do another ultrasound. Six is probably enough! Graham has dropped some this week, allowing me to breath easier. I can actually get through patient education without have to stop to catch my breath! We will now start with weekly doctor appointments.

We had our final baby shower last weekend and truly only have a few little things left to buy. Thank you to all of our family and friends for all you have done and given!

Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving day. We are 34 weeks and Graham is still doing great. He should weigh about 5 pounds and be about 18 inches long at this time. If you could see my stomach you would believe both these stats! He continues to have the hiccups 2-3 days a day. He still moves around a lot, but is not kicking as much because his space is running out. It looks like a wave is moving across my stomach when he moves. Very strange, but exciting none the less!

Over the past week we went to a wedding in Atlanta and were able to catch up with college friends, went to a baby shower for Lisa Williams (due 10 days before us), and celebrated my Dad's birthday.

I am officially in full nesting mode! We bought the fabric for the crib skirt and Dustin's mom is going to start making it this week. I am still trying to decide which rocking chair we are going to use. Don't worry, I have a coordinating fabric already picked out for Martha to make the cushion! Our friend, Jeanne, is going to paint pictures of trucks to hang above the crib. I have also bought detergent to start washing all of Graham's clothes and bedding. Only 6 more weeks until our due date!!!

33 Weeks

Another week closer to Graham getting here! We had our doctor's appointment this week and everything looks good. My blood pressure and weight are good (at least appropriate). Graham's heart rate is right where it should be and my tummy is measuring correct for his gestational age. It is hard to get an accurate measure of my stomach because Graham still likes to reside completely the left side of my stomach. Dr LeBel said she is guessing he is going to be a medium size baby. YEAH, no 10 pounder like his Daddy! Our next appointment will be in 2 weeks and then we go to weekly visits starting at 36 weeks.

We have had a busy week. I had two more baby showers this week. We are truly blessed to have so many generous family members and friends. The nursery is looking ready to have a baby live in it! We are making the final decisions...rockers, fabric for crib skirt and curtains, changing mattings on pictures, painting pictures, etc. I say "we" but Dustin is not helping too much with all of this. Afterall, he has no time with all the housework he is doing!

Still no news on selling the house. We had a showing this past Sunday, but have not heard anything. It was a couple re-locating from Florida. Our house was the first one they looked at. We did not expect to hear anything right away even if they loved it.

32 Weeks

It absolutely blows my mind that we are 32 weeks along. Graham will be considered full term in 4 short weeks. Graham should be about 17 inches long and weigh about 4 pounds. He is still moving and kicking all day long, but as he continues to grow and run out of room his movement will decrease. He has the hiccups at least once a day now! Dustin is still able to feel the hiccups.

I am still loving every minute of being pregnant (at least most minutes!). The back pain I was having last week is much better. I am short of breath when climbing stairs and it is becoming harder to bend over now. I can no longer talk on my phone when walking up my three flights of stairs to work in the morning. Graham and I need all the oxygen! Just another indication that he is growing and taking up more space.

Dustin turned 29 this week. We went to dinner with the families on Wednesday night. This marks Dustin's last birthday in his 20's and his last birthday before becoming a Dad! The picture of Dustin and his Mom was taken at his party.

31 Weeks

Another week closer to Graham joining us! Everyone is still doing well. We got a crib mattress and carseat this week. We now have all the basics...crib, mattress, stroller, and car seat. My work also hired the temporary nurse to replace me during my maternity leave. She is scheduled to start training with me on Monday. We are all set for Graham to come...but he needs to stay put for several more weeks!

I am starting to feel, and look, very pregnant. Dustin has been incredible through the whole pregnancy. He has basically done all the housework during my tired times and has not complained once. I told him he makes an excellent house wife!

We haven't had much interest in anyone buying our house, but we are not discouraged yet. You all need to spread the word!

3D/4D Ultrasound

Dustin and I had our 3D/4D ultrasound done today. My job has such wonderful perks! We were planning on having the ultrasound in the next 2 weeks (around 32 weeks), but the ultrasound techs were slow today so we had it done this afternoon. Graham was not in the best position, so we were told, but I think we got some incredible pictures. He would not move his hands from in front of his face, nor would he move up out of my pelvis to get the best face shots. They were able to get the entire ultrasound session on DVD! Everyone is welcome to come watch.

It is amazing how much he has grown since his 20 week ultrasound. It is also amazing what you can see with the 3D/4D ultrasounds! Graham is head down and measuring on the small size of normal. Both sound wonderful to me! He is measuring appropriately for his gestational age. They estimate his weight to be about 2.25 pounds. Of course, this estimate comes with the disclaimer that it could be off a pound either direction. So he weighs some where in between 1.5-3.5 pounds. His heartbeat is in the 140's. Apparently, the round hard area we have been feeling on the left side of my stomach is his bottom! We were also able to see him sucking. It is truly unbelievable that all of this is going on inside me right now. He has both his hands and feet up to his mouth, but we could not tell what he was sucking.

I also found out I passed my glucola test. Which is a good thing because we all know I am not giving up my sweets! Our next office visit should be in 2 more weeks.

29 Weeks

All of the Green's are still doing well. I have had no more cramping or contractions. My back is starting to hurt by the end of the day, but I have a feeling that is the way it is going to be for the next 11 weeks! My belly is still growing daily (and my belly button is almost completely flat). Graham is still moving and kicking like a wild man at night time. There is nothing better than feeling him kick and knowing he is safe and happy.

The nursery is coming along wonderfully. The rug arrived this week! It looks great in the room and Maggie loves it. Graham's room is starting to fill up with all of the goodies we have received from our showers.

The college girls hosted a dessert shower on Sunday. It was so fun to catch up with everyone. I was supposed to do my Glucola test on Monday, but decided to post pone it until Tuesday. Maybe if I had paced myself, and not had a WHOLE plate of chocolate goodies, I would have been better off. Oh well!

Dustin and I have decided to put our house on the market. I know it may be a crazy idea with Graham's due date only 11 weeks away, but it is also exciting. Dustin and I have found a house that we like in the Carilion. The neighborhood is in between Furman and Green Valley Country Club. The house is new and ready to be moved into. The neighborhood has a pool and lots of "green space" for playing. We are going to see what kind of interest we get on our house. If it sells, then we can move in (quickly) to the new house. If if doesn't, then we will stay put. Luckily, all the nursery stuff will look great in the new house!

We will continue to keep everyone updated!

28 Weeks- Third Trimester!

We are officially in the third trimester! Graham should weigh around 2.5 pounds and be 15 inches long. He still favors my left side, but he will be forced to fill out all areas as he continues to grow!

We had a little scare this week, but we are back on track now. I started having some cramping at work on Tuesday. I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions, but no true cramping up until this point. Work put me on the monitor to make sure Graham was ok to check for contractions. Graham was happy as could be. He was moving, and kicking, and his heart rate was in the 130's-140's. I had one true contraction in 30 minutes, which is fine, but I was also having irritability (not true contractions but some tightening of the uterus). Work sent me home to rest and prop my feet up for the day. As you all know, I am never one to pass up a nap! I took it easy for the rest of the day and was ready to go back to work today. No more cramping! I think I am going to have to slow down some, but I guess I am lucky to have kept my regular pace up until this point.

We also had our first baby shower last night. One of Dustin's co-workers and his wife hosted the party. It was all Bank of America friends. They were all very generous and we came home with some great gifts! Maggie snouted through each one of them when we got home!

27 Weeks

We are almost to the third trimester! I know I say it every week, but my stomach is continuing to grow at a fast rate. I am scheduled to do my glucola blood test next week, to check for gestational diabetes, but we are not going for our doctor's appointment until 29 weeks. Everyone is still doing well. I have started to have leg cramps during the night, but that is what happens when you are 27 weeks pregnant and standing on your feet all day long.

Dustin and I are having our deck painted and Maggie is having a hard time not sniffing and sticking her head through the railings. When I got home today Maggie had grey paint on her ears, whiskers, toenails, and other random spots on her body! I think she created a lot of extra work for the painter!

26 Weeks

26 weeks and growing! No real exciting new news to report for this week. Graham is becoming more active and filling up new areas of my stomach, although the left side seems to be his favorite spot. I was able to feel either a knee or an elbow (some joint) this week. He should weigh about 2 pounds and be around 14 inches long now.

Our next doctor's appointment will be at 28 weeks. We will do the usual measuring of my stomach and listening of the heartbeat, as well as the Glucose Tolerance Test. I will drink some sugar water and then have my blood drawn after one hour. This test is an indicator for gestational diabetes. We will have our next ultrasound around 32 weeks. This ultrasound will be the 3D/4D kind. I cannot wait to see how much Graham has changed since his 20 week ultrasound!

25 Weeks

Another week down! Graham now weighs around 1.5 pounds and is 13.5 inches from head to heel. He is also now considered viable, meaning if he was to be born now he would have a good chance of surviving. But he needs to stay put! He is still kicking and moving all the time. He has either found new space in my stomach or has learned how to stretch out because I can feel him in all areas of my stomach.

Maggie has figured out that something is changing around the house. When she is let in the house she goes up to the nursery and sits. She is very interested in the crib. We will see how she does when Graham is in there! She also likes to be near me, much to Dustin's dismay.

Everyone around us has been sick or not feeling 100% this week. Dustin has had sinus problems, Martha hurt her foot, and Dad has been in the hospital battling kidney stones. Who would have ever thought that I would be the healthy one!?!

As you can see from the pictures, I decided it was time to keep the shirt down for the belly pictures. I will verbally keep everyone updated on how flat my bellybutton is!

The Nursery

The nursery is coming together. Dustin and Martha got it painted last night and the furniture was delivered today! The walls are tan and the ceiling is a light blue. I love it! Getting to nursery ready makes this pregnancy feel very real.

We also had a doctor's appointment yesterday. Graham is perfect. His heartbeat is in the 140's and he is measuring at exactly 24 weeks. Yeah! My blood pressure and weight are also still doing well. The only complaint that Dustin has is that I now sleep with two pillows and his half of the bed is growing smaller.

The Greens are heading to Clemson for the football game tomorrow and looking foward to the cooler weather.

24 Weeks

Week 24 is here and it has been another good week. Graham had hiccups for the first time last night! Dustin was able to feel them as well! I am told these hiccups are not quite as cute when he has them at 4am when I am 38 weeks along! I will update with pictures tomorrow after our doctor's appointment.

23 Weeks

Graham turned 23 weeks today and I turned 29 years old! I have had a wonderful day and Graham has been kicking and moving like crazy (most likely from all the cake I have had)! Dustin planned a dinner at Smoke on the Water and had a cookie cake waiting for me when I go home from work. We have dinner scheduled with the families tomorrow night.

Graham has become much more active and we could actually see my stomach moving at church on Sunday. According to the book, Graham weighs 1 pound and is 11.5 inches from head to heel. He also has eyes that open and close, ears that hear, and a thumb well worth sucking. He is developing so nicely! Our next OB visit is scheduled for 9/19. We will be able to hear the heart beat and they will measure my stomach to make sure he is growing appropriately. As long as everything continues as expected, we will not have another ultrasound until 32 weeks. But, that one will be a 3D/4D so get ready for some cool pictures!

C-L-E-M-S-O-N

Graham got to experience his first Clemson win and his first game in Death Valley. Lucky for him he got to have some climate control! We all had a great time and enjoyed the win. The best part of the day was the new misting fan that Uncle Barker bought for the tailgate. I am also appreciative of the new Clemson maternity clothes Aunt Heather gave me as an early birthday present. Graham and I are outfitted and ready for a cool(er) football season!

22 Weeks!

Tomorrow, 9/3, marks week 22 in the pregnancy. All the Greens are still doing well. Graham is kicking and moving all day long now. Dustin was even able to feel him kick this past Saturday! We sold the bedroom suit from one of the guest bedrooms to make room for the nursery. The "nursery" is now empty and ready to be painted. We have not tackled that task yet, maybe I will be able to report the completion of this project in the week 23 blog! Dustin got his Play Station 3 over the weekend. This excitement helped to soften the blow of Clemson's horrific loss on Saturday night. I have included a picture of Dustin in the green chair playing his new game. I have also included belly pictures and a picture of Maggie awaiting the kickoff to the Clemson game.

21 Weeks

I am 21 weeks today. According to the text book, Graham weighs about 12 ounces and is 10.5 inches from head to heel. My belly is continuing to grow. I am now having strangers asking me when I am due and feeling my stomach. I can feel Graham kick and move daily. Dustin has not been able to feel him on the outside of my stomach, but hopefully he will in the next 3 weeks. Still no complaints or problems with the pregnancy. I am tired when I get home from work, but I have always enjoyed a good nap! My bellybutton is also starting to become more flat.

Welcome to the world baby girl!

Meg had her baby on Tuesday, 8/26. Brooke is absolutely adorable. She weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces. Dustin and I went to see baby and mommy at the hospital today. Both are doing well. Look how good Dustin looks with a newborn in his hands! Congratulations Grant and Meg.

Making Progress

Dustin and I have been very productive this weekend! We have decided on a daycare, picked out bedding and furniture, and finished registering. Whew! We toured Sonshine Learning Center, www.slcgreenville.com, and were both very impressed. It is associated with First Church of Nazarene, Greenville. They have a 1:5 teacher to infant ratio, sterilize the toys daily, each infant is assigned to a specific crib, shoes must be taken off before entering the room to cut down on outside germs, and bottles are warmed with a crockpot instead of a microwave. They have an opening starting in March, which works out perfect for when Graham will need to start. Graham's crib and dresser/changing table are made by Stanley. They are part of the young American baby collection, my haven is the name. Both pieces will be a dark brown color, coffee is the official name. Thank you Mimi (Dustin's mom) for all of your help with the furniture! The nursery is going to be painted tan and the colors are going to be more primary than pastel. As for the bedding, the bumper is going to be a sage green and the sheets will contain the colors green, brown, blue, orange, red, or yellow. Thank you to my Mom for helping me make a final decision! Dustin and I started the registering process, at Babies R Us, last weekend. We finally finished our registry yesterday, or at least I think we are done! I will upload pictures as soon as I have some to show everyone all of Graham's fun stuff.

Half Way There

Today is the magical half way point in the pregnancy. We had an ultrasound done today and Graham is looking perfect! As if we had any doubts! We were able to see all the important things: he is definitely a boy, there are 3 vessels to his cord, his heart has all 4 chambers with good blood flow, his bladder and kidneys are functioning well (he went to the bathroom during the ultrasound!), his stomach/brain/spine all appear to be appropriate for his age. He is still measuring big. I am growing more worried each ultrasound that he is going to take after Dustin who was 10 pounds 3 ounces at birth! Dustin is happy with these large measurements because Graham is more likely to come in 2008, and therefore bring a tax deduction! I have included pictures from the ultrasound. The first one is a profile picture with him waving. The second is a profile shot, arm still in the air. The ultrasound tech said he was blowing a kiss...Dustin said he was picking his nose! The third picture is of his foot. And the last picture is a bottom shot that proves he is still a boy. No belly pics this week. Stay tuned in days to come.