We welcome into the world...

Disclaimer: Part of this post may contain content that may be hard for queasy stomachs to handle, so be forewarned.

Well, I'm going to interrupt all my posts in my drafts waiting to be published to announce the arrival of Benaiah Seth Morgan born Tuesday November 4th at 10:50 pm (I was told it was when Obama was giving his acceptance speech). He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz, was 20 in long and his head was 14 in.

The Birth Story
He came quite quickly into the world when he finally decided to come. I was just sure he was going to come while Chris was in the field the two weeks before, or on Halloween, but he waited. My sister & bro-in-law even came up on the 1st & 2nd, hoping he would make an appearance, but no such luck.
I woke up on Tuesday, wondering if our baby would make an appearance the day things changed for the nation. At around 10:30 I lost my mucous plug. I knew I couldn't be too excited because labor could still be a few days away. When contractions didn't come and didn't come, I started to resign myself that baby probably wouldn't make it into the world that day. Around 3:30 that afternoon we were heading to run some errands before Bible Study, and I started having contractions 10 minutes apart. After an hour they went away, so I figured I was just having false labor again, and we decided to proceed with Bible Study. Then at 6, I started having contractions every 10 minutes, then every 9, then by the time Chris started teaching at 7:30, they were every 8 minutes, and I would have to leave and go into our room to work through each one. Bible Study ended at 8:45, and by then my contractions were every 6-7 minutes, so I called Jennifer, our midwife. We said goodbye to the last people at 9:15, then mom & Chris scurried into action making sure our house was ready for a birth. Chris was scrubbing the tub, mom was making our bed with plastic backed, "ruinable" sheets, and I was continuing to work through contractions that were getting more intense. They were also calling those who wanted to be here: Sarah (my sis-in-law) from Galveston, Galyn from San Antonio, and Chris's mom from Temple. Galyn had called earlier that evening and I told her that I thought it would be tonight. I told her not to come until after I had called the midwife b/c I expected to take another 4-5 hours, just cuz John took 15 hours of labor before he came out.
Jennifer arrived at 9:45, and at 9:50 I hopped in our tub.
I lost track of time from then on. I know I had a few more contractions, our neighbor Kirsten arrived, the midwife apprentice arrived, and all of a sudden I was ready to push. Before I pushed, Jennifer asked me to check to see if I could feel the baby's head. I felt the bag of water pushing out. The first push the water exploded. It was the strangest sensation I had ever felt.
My water breaking onto Chris's foot! Thus the crazy expression he is wearing.

My water broke with John, and it felt like a water balloon had exploded, but this was different, like a fire hydrant was opened and let loose. This was followed by another contraction. I remember saying something like "I'm not ready. I need a little longer break in between baby." Thankfully on that contraction I didn't feel the urge to push and it subsided quickly. With the next contraction I felt this tremendous urge to push and I felt baby's head come out, and then his shoulders and body. I was expecting to push a few more times before our baby came into the world. Chris announced it was a boy, and it was 10:50 pm.
He's finally here!

Chris's mom walked in right after they laid Benaiah on my belly. We called Sarah and told her to turn around (she was only in N. Houston), and called Galyn. She had already made it to Georgetown, so she continued on her way.
Ben's placenta continued pulsing for half an hour, so we just stayed in the tub cuddling until I pushed the placenta out and it had stopped pulsing enough to cut the cord. Then Ben went to the grandmas and I got out of the tub and to our bed.


I was so excited. I didn't scream in pain this time. I didn't pass out. I even found out I barely tore. I told Chris later that if all my labors were like that, I wouldn't mind having a bunch more kids.
Glad everything went smoothly!

Ben was weighed and measured and checked out, and then he was able to nurse. He had no trouble latching on, something it took John a few weeks to figure out.
Actually getting to really look at him, as he was facing everybody else until I got out of the tub!!

Right before the midwives left at 1:30, I started feeling really tired and apparently started looking white and like I was going to pass out. Galyn and Chris convinced me that I would feel better with an IV. I think I would have been fine, just needed to sleep but I let them (Galyn) start an IV. It took Ben awhile to fall asleep. He nursed 3 times and then decided he was done exploring the new world for the moment and fell asleep at 4:00 giving us a precious four hours of sleep!
And now we begin the joys of parenting two!!

What to do on a rainy day?!

So these last few days have been rainy. Sometimes a light drizzle, sometimes a downpour, but enough to keep us from getting out and going for a walk, or playing in the backyard, so here is what we decided to do.

You could either play in the rain:


(had to put this one in. He was pointing at the rain telling it to go away!)


He came in sopping wet, so he spent the remainder of the evening (Tues) in his diaper before he went to bed. He also decided to take 8 steps Tues evening. If we can shorten the video, I'll try to upload it.


or organize your books:



or bake a cake:





or spend time coloring:


Most of the crayons ended up on the floor, but he did put some color on the page! I need to invest in another coloring book, but this was left by our niece, so we used it.

Sorry it took 5 days to post this. I couldn't get the video to upload, and then all of a sudden this morning it uploaded!! So these pics happened Oct 14-15 when it was actually raining!

We are easily amused!

The day after Chris's soldier committed suicide, Chris came home from PT, and called me outside. There was a baby squirrel looking at him sitting in our tree and "talking" to him. It was such a sweet reminder that even in the midst of pain, God sends us sweet joys to take delight in. So, since then these squirrels have become our "friends." Chris has developed a special affinity to them. He has brought out carrots and lettuce to them, and after they ate that, decided he needed a squirrel feeder, so he want to Lowes and bought one. He says he does it so that he can show John, but we all know!!! It really is sweet watching a grown man get all giddy over squirrels! I can't tell you how many times we have spent an entire week of afternoons (after Chris gets home, when I'm supposed to be making dinner!) outside looking at what the squirrels are doing. It really is cute, and now John looks at the tree for them everytime. He still doesn't know how to say squirrel, but he'll point!




I love how God made squirrels with the ability to blend into their environment! You can barely see this little guy





So another way that we are easily amused is watching daddy cut the grass. John is fascinated by the mower & the weedeater, and I have always loved watching lawns get mowed. There is something about watching progress take place. I love watching the amount of tall grass decrease with every circle of the lawnmower. I know I'm wierd!





John is just fascinated with being outdoors!








And in case you needed to see an updated belly pic here is:
I think I'm 33 weeks in this pic.

"I've gotta get outta the house"

So, the remainder of August, basically the last 3 weeks, John came down with a nasty head cold, which kept his nose running and head congested the whole time, causing horrible nights of sleep, and not very good naps, primarily because his "security blanket" is his pacifier. I thought for a while we were going to be giving it up, b/c he couldn't breathe when he was sucking on it, so he had to learn how to soothe himself to sleep. It caused more work on us, but I was hoping it would culminate in the loss of need for a pacifier. Well, no such luck. Once he started being able to breathe, he promptly picked up the habit with a vengeance. He is still only limited to using it at naps and bedtime though, but that's beside the point, and that's not what this post is about.
So, b/c I hadn't gotten out of the house most of August, b/c his sleep cycle/schedule was all outta whack, I was going stir crazy. Chris ended up having a 4 day weekend, the first weekend in September (Labor Day), so on a whim we decided to pack up and go to San Antonio. We only planned a few get togethers, as we wanted to hang low and rest and let John recover, but also we (I) needed other people time!!
One of the get togethers was with the staff at Chris's ROTC unit. The last time we stopped by was a year before, almost to the day. Col Moore, had told Chris that we needed to do lunch/dinner, the next time we were in town, so we met him in San Marcos on the way down. It was fun catching up with him and his wife, and Mrs. Adams. She just loves John, and has people we don't even know praying for us and asking about us, particularly since we went through the miscarriage.

Col Moore feeding his son
John & Mrs. Adams

We then drove to Dave & Sarah's, and spent the rest of the evening with them. They had some friends over who were moving back to the area. Mike had been one of Dave's groomsmen, and he's in the Air Force, so it was fun to talk military talk with his wife. I don't know what we did that evening, other than watch a rather ridiculous movie about Thumbville, or something. Basically it's this talking thumb playing Batman. I think I fell asleep. I actually did go to bed around 10, but Chris ended up getting "kicked out" and sleeping on the couch, b/c I required too many pillows, and he "just couldn't fit on that full size bed!" It was rather wierd sleeping without him, but I managed!!


The thought processes of a 13 month old checking out his uncle's set of remotes 1.) Hmmmm, I've found a treasure trove 2.)Is anyone watching? Is this ok? 3.)Hmm, what does this one do? 4.)Ok, that was fun, onto more exploration!


To Penny:"I see you under there"
Playing with Penny



Just a really cool picture Chris took. Notice John has discovered climbing!
And of course, we have to beg from Uncle Dave, cuz he's got food!


The next morning, Chris finally got some guy time, the first he's had in a long time (since we moved to Killeen) when he went out biking with Dave & James. Sarah, John, & I stayed back, and then once the boys returned (around lunch) we ate and then headed out to a park in Schertz, to meet Jenny Jackson and the triplets she was watching & James & Galyn and their brood to play. We had a lot of fun, although it was ridiculously hot. John also was able to put another notch on his belt in this journey toward boyhood. He got his first busted lip. He was crawling towards Chris, and even though he had checked out the step previously, got all excited and fell down it, busting his lip. He screamed for a couple of minutes, but once mommy started feeding him ice, he was a happy camper. Too bad my ice was mostly melted and he couldn't get very much, but it didn't seem to phase him, as he promptly went to playing with Noah & Bryant. Crazy kid! Such a boy we have!

I love the transformation of facial expressions 1.) "Is this thing safe?" 2.) "Uh guys, this is kinda wierd." 3.)"Wow, this is fun!"


John, a wee bit terrified after going down the twisty slide with his daddy!


I look humongous, and exhausted!! Well, the exhausted part is true, and I'll have you know, my belly has been that size for 3 going on 4 months. Apparently I gained all the weight I'm going to gain during my 2nd trimester, b/c I'm now 4 1/2 weeks out, and I'm the same weight (and same belly size) I was at 25 weeks.

This is the step of doom that John eventually fell off of. You'd think that the orange cone woulda tipped him off, "Warning, step here," but alas no.


Bryant & his daddy


John & Noah discussing their findings


This is the walk, or crawl rather, of doom. Notice Noah tentatively watching in the background. I think he knows what's coming at the other end.


The first busted lip. Unfortunately we took the picture after it was "cleaned up" so you missed all the blood, and it doesn't look all that horrible
Eating mommy's ice

Playing in woodchips with your friends is always a great remedy for alleviating pain.


That evening, we enjoyed a lovely dinner with the Addingtons. Laura kept trying to get John to play with her, and just couldn't understand that he wasn't completely comprehending all the things she was saying to him. She kept trying to get him to climb up on the bed, or play tea party with her. It was rather cute! I enjoyed catching up with Jo & Jana, some much needed girl time, and some good encouragement on being a mom. We stayed entirely too late there, but thankfully John transferred well.

Laura dressed John in this hula necklace. John thought it was great!
1st, the sweet pic
Then the silly one!


Sunday was different. Sarah & Dave go to the 11 o'clock service, which is right during John's naptime. We've been going to the 9:00 service back home, and then coming home to put John down. I'm still not sure what we are going to do when we have both elementary school age kids needing to go to Sunday School and babies needing naps. Hmmm, I guess we'll cross that bridge when it happens. So, Chris decided to stay back with John while he napped, and I went to church with Sarah & Dave, only they had to go early to practice as they are on the praise team. That was a little awkward, walking in to the practice (late) and watching everyone practice, while attempting to sit inconspicuosly out of the way.
John helping Aunt Sarah practice before she went to church

John ended up sleeping really well, and so Chris missed all of the service, but made it in time to meet up with some people. We had a great time at lunch, at a new place we'd never tried Freddy's Frozen Custard. Their burgers were alright, but their custard was yummy!!!
All in all, it was a great weekend, and much needed! We realized it will probably be the last weekend to San Antonio until after Baby arrives, and then it will get interesting traveling down there!! Wow!


Oh, and I realized as I was looking through my pictures, that I didn't post a picture of the gorgeous flowers Chris gave me for our anniversary so here they are: