Drew's First Cold

I sure wish that the title of this post was different! He started getting really congested last night and was running a mild fever. I took him to the doctor this morning and he does have a mild cold. It is just in his head and not his ears or his chest right now. We are praying it stays that way! Even though he has been sick, he has been a little trooper. The doctor really felt that he should be better by the weekend and that is what we are praying! I felt so responsible for his cold...thinking that maybe we had him out to much. The doctor made me feel better when he told me that it just happens and we can't keep them in a bubble. :) The picture below was taken this afternoon in one of the few times that he wasn't in my arms!






We have really been blessed by a wonderful church family and BSF family here in Sarasota. They have prayed for us, brought us meals, picked up family at the airport, visited us in the hospital, had our house cleaned, and many other things.



My friend Christy and her two girls, Mary Allison and Mia, have been a huge help since Drew was born!



This is Rachel and her daughter Ashton. Ashton waited 3 long weeks to get to hold Drew! :)


After posting the pics of him in his Razorback outfit, I had to post these as well.

Visit with Grandpa & Grandma

My mom and dad left this morning. We were so glad to have them here. They were a huge help. Hal and I even got to sneak away to a Christmas party and let mom and dad babysit Drew. Sorry my posts seem so short these days. :)

So glad Dad is home from work!

I AM BACK!

Finally...my power cord came in. :) Here is a little bit of what we have been up to over the last week or so. Hal's mom was here last week and my parents flew in on Tuesday. I am going to have to triple check my mom's suitcase to make sure she doesn't take him home!

Hanging out in my bouncy in my Christmas outfit.

Drew's first bath after his umbilical cord fell off. He screamed the whole time!

He calmed down after his dad had him all wrapped up.

I love to take a nap in the chair with my little man.

Maw Maw Nan came to visit last week.

Tummy time on mom and dad's bed.

My dad calls him a little turtle. He loves to raise his head up.

A Little Sneak Peek

Last Tuesday we had a photographer come and take pictures of Drew as well as a family picture. Here is a little preview of those. More to come soon!

First Trip to Church

I am soooo ready to get my power cord. I forget how addicted to the Internet I am until I don't have my normal access to it! I am also ready to get a few more pictures off my camera and on the blog. For now, pics from Hal's blackberry will have to do. :)

Hal's mom, Nan, was here to help us last week. We picked her up on Tuesday and she stayed through Saturday. She was a HUGE help. She helped with laundry, cooked for us, sat with Drew each night from 9-12 so Hal and I could sleep, and watched him each morning so I could take a long shower! Drew has been sleeping pretty well. He wakes up about every 3 hours, but goes back down pretty easily. He is sleeping in a bassinet beside the bed.

Today we took Drew to church for the first time. He did great! He slept through the whole service in his car seat....even the loud music didn't wake him! It was good to be back and fun to get to show him off. We took the picture to the left after we got home. We stopped and got lunch at 5 Guys on the way home and he slept in his car seat while we ate.

We are looking forward to a visit from my parents this week. We pick them up in Tampa Tuesday night.

First Doctor's Appointment

My computer is dead and it is killing me! The power cord is broken....but we have one on the way! :)

Drew and I both had doctor's appointments on Wednesday. I was cleared to drive....woo hoo!! He has gained weight and now weighs in at 8 lbs 12 oz and is 21 3/4 inches long. The doctor said he looked great!

Pics to come soon!

November 19, 2008

The day started off as a normal Wednesday. As normal of a day as you can have and be 9 months pregnant anyway! I got up and got ready for BSF. I was feeling a few small, crampy contractions but didn't think much of it because I had been to the doctor the day before and was only dilated to a 1. He had set our inducement for the following Monday and didn't think I would go before then. I made it to BSF and made it through the morning. I remember telling a few of the ladies that I thought I was having Braxton Hicks contractions. I was supposed to have lunch with a friend afterwards but really didn't feel up to it, so I grabbed Subway on my way home. I continued to have the contractions and when I got home I began noticing a few other things that I knew could signal labor, but I didn't think there was any way that was what was happening. I went ahead and called the doctor. They thought I should come into the hospital to get checked out. I was so frustrated....I thought we would go all the way down there and then have to turn around come all the way home. I grabbed my bag and Drew's bag and headed to pick up Hal at the plant. He drove on the way to the hospital and I noticed that the contractions were coming quicker but were still 5-6 minutes apart. When we got to the hospital they checked me into the Labor and Delivery triage area and began to monitor me. The nurse did tell us that we were dilated to a 2 and that my contractions were 5-6 minutes apart. She called my doctor and left a message. I told Hal that we were headed back home. While waiting on Dr. Shroder to call back, the contractions started getting stronger. Hal was surprised to see my grimace for the first time when one came. After a couple of those contractions, I thought I felt my water break. Hal went to get the nurse and indeed it had broken. I was know dilated to a 3 and being admitted to labor and delivery around 2:30. Hal went to call our parents and they got me ready to go upstairs. By the time they got me upstairs and in a room, we were dilated to a 5. The doctor came in shortly after and said we would have this baby before the night was through. They got my IV going and after what seemed like forever my bloodwork came back and they were able to give me my epidural. I felt great for about two hours and then I started to feel a sharp pain on my left side. It didn't come and go with contractions....it was just there constantly. They topped off my epidural and I felt better for about an hour. We had to wait one more hour to receive more medication. We repeated this process again, but with no relief on the left side at all. They tried to give me more medication through my IV as well...but no luck! I was continuing to dilate all along as they were giving me Pitocin. By 10:00, I was dilated to an 8 and couldn't get past there. At one point, they came in and said I was 15 minutes away from pushing. Hal and I were both excited and I was ready to see this little man and of course for the pain to be gone. When they came in for me to push, they weren't quite pleased with where I was. There was still a little bit of my cervix that needed to soften and they weren't sure why I wasn't going past 8cm. They called the doctor around and he cam e in around 10:30. He said I was at 8 cm still and that Drew's head was not chin down and facing straight. His head was turned to the right side and his chin was out. This caused him to be lodged in my pelvis and this was the cause of the pain I was experiencing on my left side. He said we could continue to try to deliver him, but that it would be painful for me and put stress on Drew. He recommended a c-section and Hal and I were trust him completely. They began to prepare for a c-section immediately. They prepped me in my room and then transferred me to the operating room. Hal had to wait until it was almost time to start before he could come in. I was shaking like crazy due to the pain medication and I am sure my nerves were kicking too! It seemed like they had him out so fast after we got started. Hal was right beside my head when Dr. Shroder lifted him over the curtain. Surprisingly, I didn't cry. I just remember feeling relief that he was here! They cleaned him up a bit and then brought him around for me to see him for a few seconds. Hal then went with Drew as they assessed and cleaned him. I joined them about 30 minutes later in the recovery room. I was very happy to see them both! It was a quiet night in delivery so they let us stay in recovery a little longer. It was a precious time. We then went upstairs to the Mother Baby Unit. The next few days seem like a blur! Hal stayed with us the entire time. We headed home around 3:00 on Saturday afternoon. It was so nice to pull into the garage with our little man.

Thank you so much for all of you who have prayed for us through our entire pregnancy and especially on the day of his birth. We have been well taken care of by those who were away and could just lift us up in prayer as well as by our Christan family here who has loved us and done anything they could to take care of us! We are amazed at the genorousity of the people we have meet here and what they have done for us over the last few weeks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great Thanksgiving at home with Drew. Our friends Cristy and Matt made sure we had a Thanksgiving meal...it was much appreciated! We are looking forward to watching football today. Hopefully the Hogs can beat LSU and State can beat Ole Miss.

I found a Baby's First Thanksgiving shirt a Wal-Mart. Hal thought I was crazy, but I thought he was cute!

Here is his 1 Week old picture.

Have a good weekend!

Okay...Okay...

Several of you have said something about how you haven't seen a picture of me. :) Please forgive the lack of makeup!

Dad is working for a little while today. A friend of mine is taking Grandma to the airport around noon. She keeps threatening to put him in her suitcase. Although she doesn't want to leave, she needs to get back home. My brother's football team is playing for the state championship in St. Louis on Friday. Mom and dad are headed up there for the game. It is killing Hal and I that we can't be there. We will be anxiously waiting for updates. Go Cats!!

My brother and his girls...Kennedy, Landry, and Courtney

My brother and my dad after winning the game that is sending them to the state championship!

Daily Picture(s) for Grandpa

So...it is killing my dad that mom is here and he isn't. He doesn't do the email thing but has the blog on his computer at Lewis Ford. So...here are your pics for the day grandpa! Aunt Cindy- these are also for you. :)






In my bouncy seat getting ready to go have lunch w/ Dad today. You can't see it but I wore my Polo shirt for him!



Hanging out with Dad last night....almost time for bed.



In my swing this morning. Sorry the picture is blurry. I love to hold my pacifier.

Daddy and Drew

Just time for a quick post from me.....I will be in trouble with Hal when he sees this and knows I am not sleeping while Drew is sleeping! :) He went to work for a few hours while mom is here with me, and I wanted to share a few Daddy and Drew pictures. He has been amazing with Drew! You would never know that he hasn't been around babies that much. He has changed almost every diaper and gets up to help with feedings.


Sleeping at the hospital w/ Dad. Hal stayed the entire time with me. He didn't leave our side!


Coming home in his MSU outfit and his blanket that his Maw Maw made for him.






You can almost see his eyes...they are blue like Dad's!

Survived!!!

Hey all, this is Hal again. I figured since Lindsay is sleeping right now to take the time to put a few more pictures on here. Also we survived our first night at home and actually got a little bit of sleep here and there. Anyway, since my awesome niece told me that writing was not my thing, I will quit and share the pictures. Hope everyone is doing well and thank you for the continued prayers.

Hal

God's Miracle!

Hey everyone, this is Hal. First I would like to thank Sarah L. for being our communication guru last night. We really appreciate it. Mom and Drew are doing very well. As was said earlier, he came to us at 8lbs and 21 inches long. We are both extremely excited, but I must admit, we are a little tired also. Lindsay will give you the full story later, but here is the "Hal" version of last nights events. Lindsay was being a trooper from 2:30 to 10:30. She had her epidural but for some reason she was having some pretty strong pain on her left side. As the night went on, it would not go away. They topped off the epidural 3 times and gave her some more pain medication through the IV, but with no luck. Come to find out that Drew's head was turned and logged in her pelvis instead of being head down and chin to the chest. Come to find out that this was the reason that her left side was in such pain. Dr. Schroder said that the best thing was to take him by C section, so that is what we did. Again, Lindsay will give you the better details that I have. Again, we can't thank you guys enough for all the prayers over the last 24 hours. They were felt and we know that the Lord was here with us. We can't wait to see how the Lord uses this little one for His Will and Glory in the coming years. Here is the first of many pictures that we will be sharing with you guys!

Hal

Drew is Here!

Andrew Edward Ramsey
November 19, 2008
8 lbs.
21 inches


Both Drew and Lindsay are doing well.

Pictures to come...

Baby News

Hal called about 10:15 to say that Lindsay was headed for a C-section delivery. Please continue to keep mom, baby & dad in your prayers!

He's almost here...

Latest update:

Lindsay is at 9cm and 15 minutes away from pushing!

Baby Drew Newsflash #2

Hello again -
Lindsay is dilated at 5cm and just got her epidural! She's feeling much better now :)

Check back soon...
Sarah L.

Baby Drew Newsflash #1

Hello all,
Lindsay's water broke this morning and she has been admitted to labor & delivery!

More updates to come...
Sarah Lindsay

Monday is Baby Day!

We had another doctor's appointment this morning. I am continuing to progress and Drew keeps getting lower. We are scheduled to be induced on Monday November 24th.....unless he decides to come sooner! This is a week before my due date but there are a couple of reasons we are going to go ahead and be induced. Unlike some practices where you rotate doctors, I have only see one doctor and I really want him to deliver Drew! He has delivered several of my friends babies here and I feel really comfortable with him. He will not be in town Thanksgiving weekend. The doctor is also concerned that the risk for c-section will be greater if we go to my due date or past because of Drew's size.

We are really excited to meet this little guy! We go in at 7:00 on Monday morning. My friend Sarah Lindsay will be updating my blog for me on Monday, so you can check in here to see how things are going and know when he is here. Once he is here, we will let you know room contact info and of course we will have our cell phones.

Thanks in advance for keeping us in your prayers on Monday! :)

Tackling that To Do List

I am feeling pretty efficient today! After going to the doctor last week it hit both us that baby day is rapidly approaching and there are several things that I really need to get done! I have had a to do list for a while...I had just chosen not to do anything on it! :) Today has been a productive day.

I finally....
1) Mailed two packages that I have been intending to mail for a few days
2) Got my Florida drivers license- this has been quite a task. The problem was that I hadn't ever trekked to the Social Security office to change my name w/ them. In Texas, it wasn't a problem, I just showed our marriage license and wala...I had a license. Not the case in Florida. I had to go to the SS office, change my name, and then wait for my new card to arrive. Then of course it came, but I put off getting my license off until today. Puffy face and all....but I have a new license.
3) Got the Florida car tags for my car- our Texas tags expire this month. I decided I better get our tags. There have been hiccups with this, but I won't bore you with the details again. At least I have the FL tag now....moving to a new state and learning their rules is smelly.
4) I took lunch to Hal as I do most Fridays and we did our annual insurance enrollment.
5) Pack my hospital bag- I also started packing my hospital bag!! Drew's is ready, but I needed to get my stuff together.
6) Schedule a time to get car serviced- I scheduled this for early next week just in case. :)

I love being able to cross things off my To Do List. I feel so accomplished. Thanks for reading my boring post.

There was just one more interesting event for the day. My oh so nice husband told me I could call a cleaning lady to do a good deep clean before little man arrives. Although I have been able to stay on top of keeping the house clean, my floors and bathrooms could use a little extra attention. I called a lady I had used to help me clean when we first moved in. She came yesterday. I was so excited to have her help me out! Last night we noticed we had a little trouble getting the toilets to flush. We didn't think much of it and Hal thought he had fixed the problem. This morning I had the same problem....and I knew something was up. I called the cleaning lady to ask if she might have flushed anything???? She said, "well I did flush the toilet bowl cleaning discs." Ah!!!! I use the Clorox toilet bowl wand to clean with. It has a disposable cleaning pad w/ a plastic disc in the center that you are supposed to throw away. The box clearly says DO NOT FLUSH. She had flushed one down EACH toilet. So.....thankfully our home warranty company was able to get a plumber here pretty quickly this morning to retrieve the plastic discs....problem solved. Geez....it is not good for a prego lady to have limited access to the bathroom.

Okay. Enough of my day! I think I am going to take a nap now. :) Have a good weekend.

37 Weeks

We had our 37 Week appointment yesterday....and everything is looking great! I am starting to dilate and Drew has dropped. We will see when he is ready to make his appearance! I am retaining fluid, so I am trying to drink LOTS of water and keep my feet up.

Wonderful Weekend

We thoroughly enjoyed our Hal-Lindsay weekend! :) It was probably a little different than what some people would plan, but it was perfect for us! People kept suggesting for us to go away somewhere, but we have been SO busy this fall we really just wanted to be at home.

Friday night we had dinner here at home and then went to a new market that opened last week. It was fun to browse around at all the different foods...we are nerds and like that. Then my buddy got me a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yum! :)

Saturday we slept late and then went to downtown Sarasota for the Farmer's Market. We have been wanting to go since we moved but just never actually went. It was so fun! They have it all year long. There were a lot of people and a lot of booths. They have produce, baked goods, plants, jewelry and all sorts of things. We had a great time walking around and browsing. It is funny to see people's faces when they see my belly from the side. I get a kick out of it. When you look at me straight on of course I look pregnant but not that big, but when I turn to the side, as one man put it "it looks like you stole a pumpkin." After the farmer's market, we went to an old drive in we had been wanting to try....Hob Nob Drive In. It has been in the same spot in Sarasota for many years. It made me feel like we were stepping back in time. The burger was yummy but the chocolate shake was REALLY yummy. We then had a few more stops and headed home so I could rest. We caught up on the football we had missed and watched the Alabama/LSU game. We had dinner reservations at 8 at Hyde Park Grill in downtown Sarasota. Dinner was wonderful! We both had steak and shared sides of creamed spinach and hashbrown potatoes with caramelized onions. We also had yummy chocolate dessert....are you noticing a trend???

Sunday we headed to church and then to lunch at our favorite place....The Broken Egg. We rested yesterday afternoon and then Hal put the carseat in the car. We are ready just in case. We really had a great weekend and are looking forward to getting to spend tomorrow together as well! We have a doctor's appointment in the morning.



Here is Dad installing Drew's car seat. :)

Fun Things

I wanted to share a few of the fun things we have received for Drew over the last few weeks as well as a few things Hal and I have found for him! I have almost everything washed and ready to go for the little guy.

Elizabeth sent us this diaper bag! It was so exciting to open it up and see his name on it! I have always loved these bags. :)

Amanda and Kenny sent us these PRECIOUS burp cloths! Of course we love the Hog! All the Gator fans around here will have to get use to seeing some Razorback stuff.

My sister in law spoils me...or I guess I should say she is already spoiling Drew. :) You should have seen the box of goodies she sent. This piggy bank goes perfect in his room.

He will be a Polo boy like his daddy. We have found several cute little Polo outfits. I have kept a watch on the clearance racks at Dillards and Macy's!

We found this bulldog at Ikea and had to have it. For now, he is hanging out beside his Hog blanket.

We are looking forward to the weekend! This weekend has been designated as Hal-Lindsay weekend. I actually marked it on my calendar! Between classes at the hospital, traveling, and Hal working, we have had a crazy Fall. We don't have any big plans. We are just going to do a few things that we have been wanting to do since we moved down here and he is taking me out for a fun dinner on Saturday night. I have been wanting steak for awhile...I am pretty sure that is what we will be doing on Saturday night! I am also excited because the plant is closed on Tuesday for Veteran's Day, so I get a free day with Hal in the middle of the week!

Have a good weekend!

36 Week Appointment

We had an early morning appointment today. Hal was able to go with me which was a nice treat. He hasn't been since our ultrasound in July. I hated to ask him to go when I see the doctor for a total of 2 minutes! Everything is still looking great. My weight and blood pressure are good and Drew's heartbeat and growth both looked great as well. We are down to our weekly appointments and he let me know that he will check me next week to see if I have started to dilate yet.

Short of getting the car seat installed....I think we have about everything in place! We still have a few things we need to pick up and I need to pack a bag for me, but other than that we are ready for this little guy. I am looking forward to being able to rest over the next few weeks!

After our appointment we went and voted. The line looked very LONG when we pulled up, but it moved pretty fast. We were back in our car 45 minutes or so after arriving. After we had stood in line about 30 minutes and were almost to the front of the line they told me I could move to the front, but at that point I decided I would just tough it out. :) The wait wasn't near as bad as we had anticipated!

A Prayer

14 "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

2 Chronicles 7:14

Almost 35 Weeks and Jehovah Kadesh

I am not quite sure what is up with the face in this picture....Hal must have said something funny. :) I had been pretty good about taking pictures before church on Sunday, but this is the first one in a few weeks.

We had a great weekend! It was nice to get to resume our normal Saturday routine and watch football all day. We did get out and go to Target and Best Buy so I could do a little bit of walking. We are trying to debate on whether to buy a new camera or a new video camera. And of course Hal needs no excuse to go to Best Buy anyway.

Hal and I were blessed with a wonderful experience on Sunday. I had met an Asian woman who had come to our Sunday School class a couple of times. Our pastor has been doing a series on the names of God. Yesterday was Jehovah Kadesh- God is Holy. He used Isaiah 6:1-8 to talk about God's holiness and the reaction we should have in the presence of His holiness. We see the seraphs covering their faces and their feet in the presence of God's holiness. He also talked about how we are too sinful to approach God on our own and this was the reason for Jesus' sacrifice. When we acknowledge our need, His blood covers our sin and makes us acceptable in God's eyes. During the invitation at the end of the service, I noticed this woman I had met come to the front and get on her knees in front of the altar. She stayed there with her head bowed and the pastor went to her and called his wife over to be with them as well. As he ended the service, he let us know that she had accepted Christ as her Savior. She had come to church after reading about a music event and had kept coming. I was so struck by her reaction. She came face to face with the holiness of God, realized her need for a Savior and her inadequacy, and her response was to humble herself and get on her knees and bury her face in her hands. It was amazing to see the scripture of Isaiah 6:1-8 lived out in someone's life. Altar calls and invitations are so commonplace in our churches today....I often find myself going through the motions each Sunday. This woman's response challenged and humbled me. Yes, I have accepted Jesus as my savior, but I need to have that same humility and reverence every day!

Isaiah 6:1-8

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"