What do Iraq, seeing fish, and snow have to do with eachother? READ ON!

This last week has been a great one!!! Caleb came home from Iraq, and we all traveled to North Carolina to be there when he got off the bus on base! It was the first time he got to meet PJ and Layci so it was really special!

On our visit there, while Caleb went on base to do some paperwork with Mom and Becky, the rest of us went to the Aquarium. Hunter, Savannah, and Brady had a blast looking at all of the animals and even getting to touch a few. We even watched a snake show, and I, of course, sat WAY in the back! We also saw a show where there were divers who talked about the ship wreck they re-created. They were underwater and had microphones that they talked to us through. People in the audience could even ask questions and they could hear to answer them!!! It was a very neat place to visit.


Hunter / Savannah
Brady

Steph / Me

The rest of our visit there we just celebrated Caleb's safe homecoming and it was great to have us all together as a family!

We left NC on Tuesday and headed to Atlanta to meet our new niece Kairi that was born in January. It was also the first time John and Mae met PJ. It was great to get pictures of the babies together, and for Mae and I to share our experiences as new mothers!
Uncle John and PJ



Uncle James and Kairi

Uncle John with Kairi and Aunt Mae with PJ

The Hartman cousins

We left Atlanta this morning to come home, but first made a stop to Babies R Us since Tallahassee doesn't have one... When we got out of the car, there were tiny pieces of snow falling!!! PJ got to experience his first snow flurries even though it of course melted before it hit the ground.

(You can't see it in these pictures, but there definitely were snow flurries!!!)

What a wonderful week it has been!

It's official...

PJ has his first cold. I took him to the dr. this morning because he was coughing and sneezing. He is on Amoxicillin for the next 10 days and we are getting ready to leave for North Carolina this afternoon to see my brother when he gets home from Iraq. Luckily he isn't acting sick!!! Wish us luck as we begin our travels for the next 5 days!

Back Where I Come From...

Aunt Sissy, Mamaw, Brady and Layci came this past week to visit! We had a fun week together! Here are some random photos from their visit:

Layci, Hannah, and Hailey playing

Steph and I made this roast...and it was AWESOME!

Brady and Uncle James... "CHEESE!!!!!"

We got to know the Wilderness Way because Steph got a flat tire on the way to meet Sheena, Unie and the girls for lunch!!! (PLEASE NOTICE JAMES' FOOTWEAR AS HE PUTS THE SPARE TIRE ON THE TRUCK- picture on the right))

Brady and his "CUSSIN"

Layci and PJ

PJ and Mamaw taking a little snooze!

Yesterday, we traveled down to S. Florida... It is PJ's first visit to the place his mommy and daddy grew up! We are staying down here all week and then James will be coming down for my Dad's Surprise 60th birthday next Saturday... Then we will go back to Tallahassee on Sunday.

I am just very glad to have this time for everyone to be around PJ, and for him to be around them! Having him here just makes me realize how much I want to live back down here again!

Happy Birthday, Kairi Jo!

Kairi Jo Hartman was born today! We can't wait to meet you, baby girl!

HAPPY?!?!?!? New Year

What a crazy week it has been! I hadn't been feeling right physically for a few weeks... On New Year's Eve( My Sissy's birthday), we celebrated with Granddaddy Hartman and Penny. The Noles were playing in the Music City Bowl, and the boys were all dressed up for the occasion...

We rang in the New Year by watching the ball drop at midnight... Made phone calls to family and friends, and then went to bed. Granddaddy Hartman and Penny left on the morning of the 1st, so James, PJ and I just laid on the couch, watching football, etc.

(Warning... NEXT PART IS GRAPHIC)

I got up to go to the bathroom and when I sat down on the toilet, I began pouring blood out of me... I felt all these clots coming out as well. I got up and put a pad on, and within 5 minutes, it was SOAKED in blood. We called Unie immediately who called the Women's Pavilion and told them I was hemorrhaging and that we were on our way. James quickly got the baby ready, and we all got in the car. I remember talking to my brother, sissy, mom, and mamaw... I told them what was happening and they were all freaking out. I think my sister called Sheena and Sheena came to the hospital to watch the baby while I was seen my the doctors...

James dropped me off at the front of the Women's Pavilion so I could go up to triage, and he could park the car. I got in the elevator and hadn't even realized I was trailing blood behind me. People had a look of horror when they saw the blood on me, and I now realize they must have thought I was losing a baby...

They immediately brought me back to triage and began IV's, checking me etc. One of the nurses gave me a new pad, and when she came in less than 5 minutes later, had asked me why I hadn't changed out of the old one... I told her that it WAS the new one she had just given me... Then Dr. Rosenburg rushed in, check me, and got the ultrasound machine. She saw what they thought was a retained placental fragment and told me that they needed to do a D&C to clean everything out. She also told me that I had lost a lot of blood and that I might possibly need a transfusion. The worst part was when she said I might have to have a hysterectomy if they couldn't get the bleeding to stop. Sheena came in so I could give PJ a kiss before I went into surgery.. All I kept thinking is, "God has a plan for me. I have a beautiful baby boy already.. if I lose my uterus, at least I have him..." When the anesthesiologist came in, he asked me what I had eaten recently. I told him I had a small piece of cake that morning. He then gave me some more bad news... I could not have anesthesia for fear of me aspirating... so instead I got a spinal block and was awake the whole time.

When they wheeled me into the room, my whole body was shaking... It was freezing, and they started to try to strap my arms down... For fear of having a panic attack, the nurse held my arms instead and made sure I was so comfortable. I heard the roaring of the machines, felt people rushing around all sides of me... Felt them doing something to my legs, and heard Dr. Rosenburg giving orders on ways to stop my bleeding... I finally heard the words, "That's better...." A feeling of relief swept over me, because I knew that meant I had stopped bleeding, and that I still had a uterus. They had to send what they got out off to pathology, but I heard the anesthesiologist say, "Should we give that piece of placenta apgar scores?" I will never forget that...

The nurse that brought me to recovery was awesome! She cleaned me up, and made sure I was comfortable. I wanted to see PJ so badly! I remember feeling like I couldn't breathe, so she put me on some oxygen to help me out... Once my breathing got under control, I was taken to the L&D room. Sheena and PJ came in and I was so happy to see him and hold him!!! James went home to get our things, since we would be staying a few more nights and Sheena and the baby stayed with me. It was such a blessing that she was there and helped out so much, given the fact that she had 2 of her own at home!

For the next few days I was constantly being poked and prodded, and given SO MANY antibiotics for the horrible infection I had in my uterus. By the time I left, I couldn't move my hands and they were covered in bruises! That was definitely an experience I was happy to put behind me.

I am just so blessed with a wonderful husband, and friends and family that love me and would do anything for me... I could never have gotten through this experience without them!

All in all, I would still do it all over again, the exact same way, just to have my little man!!!

SPLISH! SPLASH!

This morning when PJ woke up I noticed something different about him... I COULD SEE HIS BELLY BUTTON!!! The last remaining piece that attached him to me had fallen off!

That meant that tonight was also his FIRST REAL BATH!!!

As you can see, he wasn't too happy about it....

Mimi left today, and Daddy Hartman came to meet PJ for the 1st time. It was so cool to see his other grandfather holding him, and to also see how much they look alike!

2 week check-up

Today was PJ's 2 week checkup. James, my mom and I all took bets on his weight and length...



Here were the guesses:

Mommy- 7 pounds, 10 ounces; 20 inches long

Daddy- 8 pounds, 1 ounce; 20 3/4 inches long

Mimi- 8 pounds even; 20 1/4 inches



AND THE WINNER IS... (Drum Roll please......)



MOMMY!!!!!!! He is 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 20 inches long. I was only 1 ounce off!!!

Baby's 1st Christmas

December 25, 2007

Going home...

On Friday, December 14th at around 8PM we were finally released to go home! The past 3 days had been exceptionally tiring and we were just ready to get our little man home and sleep in our own beds! We had lots of visitors while we were in the hospital... Ryan, Stephanie, Brady and Layci all drove up the day after he was born and surprised us! They drove all that way only to leave the next morning to take the kids to a Very Merry Christmas at Disney. It meant so much to us that they came to meet PJ!

Here is the proud daddy holding PJ just before leaving the hospital

Strapped into his carseat and ready to go home!
After getting home we gave PJ a sponge bath- he wasn't to happy about it!
My little froggy

DECEMBER 12, 2007- The best day of my life

I woke up at 7AM when my nurse Karen came back for shift change. I had a different nurse during the night, but Karen requested me back to be her patient that day. (which I was super happy about). She took the Cervadil out and told me I could take a shower before they started me on pitocin. I had a totally relaxing shower, and took my time getting ready. I knew it was the last time, for a long time, that I would have a worry-free- take as long as I want-wash my hair 6 times if I feel like it- shave my legs- kind of shower. I even blowdryed my hair and put a little makeup on. It was, after all, the day I would meet my son face to face after dreaming of it for so long!!!

After I was all cleaned up, Karen hooked me up to the monitors, started my IV, and at 9am the pitocin drip began...
Marie, James and I played cards while every 30 minutes Karen would come in and turn up the drip. I sat on a birthing ball and was out of bed as much as possible because I knew once I asked for an epidural, I would be bed-bound. As the contractions began to get stronger, James would sit behind me and rub my back as I tried my best to remember all the breathing techniques I'd learned from the childbirth class we had taken the week before. (Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?) Around 12:30 Dr. McKinnie came in to check my cervix. (We were really fortunate that she was the on-call dr. that day and would be able to deliver PJ) Those birthing balls really do work.... I was dialated 4 cm and completely thinned out. Up to this point I needed no pain medication and I was so proud of myself for dealing with it all. Since I had made such good progress she decided to break my water... WOW! I went from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds. As soon as I felt that warm fluid, I also felt the most intense pains I have ever felt in my life. Karen told me to tell her when I was ready for an epidural.... James helped me get through that contraction, and I told him he better get the nurse cause I was not going through one of those again... When Karen walked in, my words to her, verbatim, were, "Hell to the naw. I need an epidural!" Off she ran to get the anesthesiologist. She came back with him in under 2 minutes! I signed the consent and next thing I know, the bed is being raised super high and he is getting everything ready. I had another contraction during this time, and James was so great at helping me get through it. I rounded my back, and held on to James as the anesthesiologist told me everything he was doing. Lots of pressure... but no pain... He told me that he was going to send a test dose through the catheter to make sure it was in right, and that I was probably going to feel really itchy starting at my toes, and slowly moving upward. He assured me that this was NOT an allergic reaction... BAM! Medicine goes through and instantly my body relaxed and I was pain free. Epidurals are heaven sent, and now I definitely see why they are so worth it!!!! I laid down in the bed and felt so relaxed I shut my eyes for a few brief moments... My mom and dad got there shortly after I got my epidural. I bet they were happy they didn't have to deal with all the contractions/epidural stuff!

(Epidural in and feeling no pain... my last photo with PJ in my belly!)

When you get an epidural you have to flip around to different sides so that the epidural numbs everywhere, and not just in one spot. I laid on my back for a bit, flipped to the right, flipped to the left and WOAH! What the heck was that! I told my nurse that my body felt like it was starting to push... She decided she would check me, and oh my goodness, I was 7 cm. I dialated 3 more cm in about an hour! A short while later, the urge to push got even stronger... She checked me again and I was 9 cm! She began to prep everything for PJ's arrival. I couldn't believe it was happening so fast. At around 3:30 she checked me again and I was 10cm... ready to push!!! HERE WE GO!!!!!
I felt like I was pushing for an eternity... everyone was so great though! After about an hour an a half of hard pushing- with James, mom, dad, Marie, and Sheena by my side, and my sissy on the phone- at 5:08 pm on December 12, 2007 Patrick James Hartman was born.

He was 7 pounds, 2 ounces- 19.5 inches with a head full of black hair. He was absolutely perfect! Dr. McKinnie plopped him right up on my belly and he felt so warm. I will never forget that feeling... I was so proud of James because he cut the cord! That was the one thing he swore he wouldn't do, but when it came down to it, he stepped up! :-)
I got to hold PJ for about an hour before they took him to weigh him and bathe him. During that time I probably counted his fingers and toes a hundred times. I tried to nurse him, but from all the excitement he wasn't hungry just yet.

PJ getting all checked out by the nurses and just before getting his bath.

Our wonderful nurse Karen holding PJ after his bath

We stayed in the Labor and Delivery room for probably close to 3 more hours while the epidural wore off. We finally got moved to our Mother/Baby room around 8PM. The night was kind of rough because it was a little difficult to get up and move around. You don't realize how sore your muscles are from twisting your body in ways you didn't know were possible while in labor, especially when you have an epidural and you don't feel your leg nearly wrapping around your head...But oh boy, it hits you later on. It was like that first soreness you get when you start working out again- the one that takes you 3 or 4 days to get over- only this soreness was 20 times worse. I also had a lot of bleeding, so all night long nurses were coming in to push on my belly and make sure there were no clots... None of those things mattered though... I was so happy!
I don't think I ever slept that night because I was in complete awe of the little miracle I had just given birth too...

The beginning of my birth story...

December 11, 2007 started off just like any other day. I woke up, took a shower, got dressed, and dragged myself to work. I got through most of the day and at about 1:00 I began to feel really dizzy. I sat down for the rest of the afternoon because I knew that I was going for my weekly OB checkup at 3:00. When I finally got to the doctor it seemed like an eternity before they called me back. The nurse weighed me like normal and then I sat down for her to take my blood pressure. When she finished, her eyes got really big, and she told me what it was... 165/100. Oh.my.gosh.... Immediately I began to shake because I knew that was really dangerous. We went into the exam room and waited patiently for Dr. McKinnie. She came in and sort of gave me this look... All I remember her saying was, "Well Stephanie... Your pressure is really high. You are 38 weeks pregnant and there is no reason for us to keep you pregnant any longer. Do you have your bags with you? I am sending you to the hospital to have your baby." WHAT? WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY? I left my students just an hour before telling them I would see them tomorrow... and now I couldn't even go home, get my things together and let it set in that I was gonna have the baby!!! The room seemed to move in slow motion and I could feel my face getting super hot. I had whined and complained for the previous 2 weeks about how I just wished he would come already, not really expecting to get my wish and have it happen so soon.

Within minutes, Dr. McKinnie had some paperwork for us and we were on our way to Labor & Delivery. Walking into the building was surreal... I knew that the next time I walked out of there, and the next time I got into my car, PJ was going to be with me. We got upstairs and gave the lady at the desk our paperwork. I had been there so many other times that there was nothing for us to fill out... nothing for us to do except sit and wait for a room.

What seemed like 3 days (but was probably only 30 minutes) passed and a sweet nurse by the name of Karen called us back. She brought us to our room, and gave me the hospital issued stylish nightwear (AKA hospital gown), hooked me up to the monitors, and then started the induction at about 7pm. She inserted Cervadil behind my cervix and said I had to keep it in for 12 hours to thin out my cervix to get it ready for the next day. James, Marie and I chatted for a while and watched tv. I finally asked for something to help me sleep since I knew the next day would be a long one... I drifted off to sleep, and before I knew it... it was morning!

Calm & Bright....

A little bit of Jess' CALM & BRIGHT... Hard to do all those things when you have a baby due on December 23rd... BUT, here it goes...

HOUSE DECORATED..... CHECK!Christmas gifts.... purchased and wrapped... CHECK!

Full term baby in my belly.... CHECK! Now if only he could just hurry up and get here... I have a feeling it will be happening sooner rather than later... STAY TUNED!