October 26, 2013

We were told this would be the day we would meet our son. This was going to be his birthday! Our son was breech and we had known this for some time. We knew he had time to move when we saw him breech at 32 weeks, but when we met with my doctor at 37 weeks he was still breech. We knew a cesarian section was most likely the way our son would enter the world. We had become okay with this reality and that far along in the pregnancy, I was ready to do it and meet him! At 38 weeks our c-section was scheduled. We called our parents and they made plans immediately.

We couldn't believe we knew when we were going to meet him. At that point we were 1 week out from that day. We spent the week cleaning, finishing up the nursery, packing and of course doing some more cleaning. Isn't that what nesting is all about? Over cleaning? I'm pretty sure this is the cleanest our 60 year old house has been. We spent the week talking about all of our "lasts" before we have a baby and more importantly talking about how excited we were to finally meet our son. 9 months is a long time to anticipate something so miraculous! We thought we were as prepared as we could ever be! Once he got here, we quickly realized we were far from prepared! Babies love to surprise you and make you guess!

Friday, October 25, we spent the day with our families who flew in / drove to meet their grandson. What a joy that they were able to plan this, seeing that we live in different states! We went to some of our favorite places in town to eat and talked about how we all couldn't believe our son was going to arrive the next day. Not only  was everyone excited to meet him but to also find out his name. Not one person other than Browning and I knew what it was. We were so excited to finally reveal his name! 

 Browning and me with our parents! 

Our last Steel City Pop without a baby in tow!

Speaking of lasts.... This in fact was the last night of our lives without children! What a bizarre reality that one day you don't have a child to care for and the next you do. You spend 9 months growing a baby and preparing for them.  Then in the blink of an eye, you hear them take their first breath. Pregnancy is such a clear picture of God's majesty! To my surprise I slept great! Of course our 5:00 am alarm came too soon, but I wasn't sure how well I would sleep knowing what was to come in the morning. 

Saturday, October 26, we woke up in sheer excitement! I of course had a bit of nerves mixed in with all the joy as I anticipated my c-section... The first thing I wanted to do when I woke up was to chug some water and eat some food. But of course I wasn't able to, so I decided to pace the house and make sure we had everything ready to go! We loaded the car, said a prayer and headed to the hospital. We arrived at 7:00 and I couldn't believe this was happening. I felt fine (relatively since I was nearly 9 months pregnant), I had no signs of labor and could hardly believe my abdomen was going to be cut open in a matter of hours. Having a scheduled c-section has got to be a completely different experience from those mamas who experience contractions and all that labor entails! We checked in, I got my IV for fluids and some labs drawn, and we waited. We were greeted by several nurses and doctors who were all going to be assisting in my c-section. Side note, I have got to say we had THE BEST staff throughout our entire hospitalization.

Waiting to go back into the OR!

About to make the walk back!

8:45...8:50...9:00 approached and it was time to head to the OR. Unfortunately, Browning was not allowed to enter the OR until I had my spinal block and my abdomen was prepared for the cut. THIS moment was what I was dreading the most. Being separated from him. Thankfully, I had an incredible nurse and a handful of physicians who walked me though the whole procedure, supported me and distracted me! Who knew being a child life specialist that I would need one for myself!?! I was so grateful. The Lord answered prayers as he calmed my heart and gave me so much peace. The spinal block was a piece of cake. I couldn't even believe how quickly the drugs started to work. Within seconds I couldn't feel a thing from the waist down. It was such a bizarre feeling! I could not even lay myself down but fortunately the staff got me settled and waited for the block to make its way up to my chest. After several checks to see where the numbness was, we were ready. The staff did their last 'time out' to ensure that I was indeed Taylor Wayman before they cut open my abdomen....and then it was time. I laid there numb, shaking because of the drugs, anxious, excited and a bit scared, and then they brought Browning back. I am pretty sure I shed some tears of joy to see him! Browning was incredible! He sat right by me, stroking my hair, encouraging me and giving me kisses. It was exactly what I needed. All of a sudden, within minutes we heard our son. 9:17 am, Boone Bryant Wayman entered the world. He was a sturdy 8lbs 0.6oz and 19.25in long! He was perfect!

Boone pre bath!

Boone post bath!

First family pic! Clearly Boone missed the memo to smile...

He was really excited about taking this picture...

We waited until Boone was born to announce his name. I could not wait to share with everyone.  The name Boone has been on my list since high school. When Browning and I found out we were pregnant with a boy, we knew with confidence his name would be Boone. The word boon means blessing and we knew what a blessing from God our son was going to be to us.  What a boon he has been to our lives already.

After weighing him, checking his APGARs and cleaning him off a bit, they brought him to me. It was a moment I will never forget. There lay Boone on my chest and Browning to my left. We were suddenly a family of three. We could not stop starring at him. He was perfect. I couldn't help but see God's glory in that moment. We fell in love immediately. He was snuggly, had a head full of hair, bright blue eyes, his daddy's dimples, his mama's lips and facial expressions. He was ours! We feel so blessed that God has entrusted us to be his parents. Not just that, but He desires for us to bring him up knowing Him. My prayer is that Boone would see exactly who God is, see his desperate need for Him, and submit his life to Him at an early age.

One of my favorite moments!

From the moment he was born, I had completely forgotten my abdomen was cut open, he was pulled out of it, and that my OBGYN was sewing me back up. The surgery could not have gone any smoother. I know with confidence the Lord's presence was in the OR! Praise Him! After skin-to-skin, and my abdomen was closed, the nursing crew took Boone to give him his first bath and I was wheeled to recovery. Reality set in here a bit. I was able to sit up a little and watch Boone get his bath and Browning take a zillion pictures of him. That was our son. He looked at Browning and I knew at that moment Boone was going to look up to his daddy for the rest of his life. I couldn't be more thrilled to watch Browning be a dad. I knew he was going to be the best and he already is. In recovery, our family was able to come and meet their grandson. Browning left recovery (after several staff members came to tell us our families are anxious to hear about how everything went) to reveal Boone's name and stats! Then in walked Browning with our moms. They cried tears of joy as they stood there around Boone. It was a special moment to watch. They had a photo shoot with Boone and then it was the dad's turns. They walked in with Browning and stared at Boone with sheer happiness. Finally after I was able to move my legs a bit it was time to head upstairs to our room.

My two boys!

Things settled down and I began to sit back and soak in everything that had happened the past few hours. I struggled to stay awake because of the drugs, but I wanted to absorb the precious moments with my new family. I was bedridden for a few days which was hard because I was helpless, but thankfully my husband is my rock and waited on me hand and foot. It felt great after the first day being able to get up and walk around... but mostly take a shower!!! Our family stayed in town for the entire time we were at the hospital so they were there to get some Boone snuggles, take a zillion pictures, share in laughs, bring us yummy food, and help us get settled back in our house after we were discharged.

Boone Bryant Wayman

Lolli & Pop Pop on the day Boone was born

JeJe & G-Dub on the day Boone was born

Aunt Hayley with Boone

The sign we used to tell our parents Boone's name

Resting Boone

Pop Pop, Lolli, me & Aunt Hayley

Boone with his Aunt Hayley, Lolli & mama

Aunt Hayley & Browning with Boone

We are sure proud parents

Wayman clan

Boone's second day of life

Lolli & JeJe with Boone

Proud Lolli & Pop Pop

I love my little man

Boone's third day of life

Our pregnancy and delivery experience was incredible. After it was all said and done, I was ready to do it again... I loved pregnancy! Yes, morning sickness is the pits, but it ends. Yes, being  8 months pregnant makes it hard to sleep, but that also ends. Pregnancy is hard, but when you take a step back, it is incredible! Feeling Boone's kicks, punches, movements, hiccups, etc. is a testament to God's power! It is unbelievable to me. We have never felt God's presence more than we did during pregnancy and the first 2 months of having Boone. Our c-section went flawlessly. My spinal block went smoothly, the surgeon performed the c-section effortlessly and Boone entered the world like a champ. We felt blessed and continue to do so. The staff in postpartum was top class. The lactation consultant was a huge help and my OB and Boone's pediatrician were above and beyond excellent. Our hospitalization was so great but we were ready to go home on day 4!

Preparing to leave the hospital

First family picture at home

Here are some pictures of Boone in the early weeks:

Boone's first walk

Lolli was a huge blessing to have in town after we got home

Sweet time with Lolli

Lolli with Boone after his first sponge bath at home

 Us with Boone after his bath

Boone loves his daddy so much

Little snuggler

Back to the time he was in newborn clothes and had all his hair still...

Boone loves his Baylor bears

Mama made him pose naked for some photos

Boone's first Thanksgiving

Fun with JeJe on Thanksgiving

The first few weeks but especially the first 10 days when my hormones were totally out of whack, life was tough. I was so incredibly thankful my mom stayed in town for a week and Browning was off of work for an entire month!  I needed them! I cried at the drop of a hat even when Browning said something sweet to me. I thought hormones were crazy during pregnancy... they were insane after pregnancy. I thought I was crazy, but thank goodness for friends who warned me. I am forever grateful for them. Everything was so different. I had a handsome, happy, and healthy baby in my arms, yet I stressed over how much Boone was eating, if I needed to have him on this perfect schedule, and if I was doing things right... blah blah blah... God had given me a so much grace and confidence through the first few months of parenting. I started this blog post just a few weeks after Boone was born and now I sit here 2 months later. If that doesn't show you how long it takes me to get things done, I don't know what will. I wouldn't change it for the world! Every laugh, giggle, coo, smile and snuggle is worth every tear I shed in the first few weeks (and the sparse tears I still shed). I still find myself stressed. I think that is part of parenthood. No one has it all figured out, but I am thankful God has his Word to guide us through this journey. Time and time again I have to remind myself of that.

Here are some of the weekly/monthly pictures we took of Boone so you can see his how big and strong he has grown!

Boone at four days old

Boone at one week

Boone at two weeks (phone pic...)

Boone at three weeks

Boone at one month

Boone at two months

No one talks about the hard stuff or the yucky stuff of parenting. I wonder why? Are moms embarrassed? Do we think no one else has or will experience what you did? I am so grateful for the friends who did warm me of some things that would have totally freaked me out if I had not already known about them. Yet still, I wonder why the first few weeks of parenting is not discussed among moms and soon-to-be moms. They say once the baby is born you forget all you went through in pregnancy and delivery. I think that's because of sleep deprivation : ) In all seriousness, I will from this day forward share the difficult things with moms-to-be because I think it's only fair and worthwhile. But NOW I get it. Being two months separated from the first few weeks, I have already forgotten about those difficult moments. Those experiences have been replaced with Boone's milestones and new struggles. I now know why women forget to share the difficulties of the first few weeks, but I will never forget them. I grew from them. So much has changed since then (yes, so much can happen in two months when there is a baby around!)

Thankful for our amazing friends who will stand out 

in the cold to take some pictures for us

Our family

Can't get enough of holding him

Boone and his daddy

Love naked baby pics

Snuggles make this mama happy

Boone has grown so much physically and developmentally! He is currently in the 95th percentile in height and 90th in weight. He is 10.5 weeks old, 12lbs, wearing size 3 clothes but can also fit into some 3-6mo outfits and is in size 2 diapers!! He is cooing, smiling at faces and toys, reaching/punching/kicking objects, giggling (on the verge of a belly laugh), sleeping through the night and starting to take naps in his bed. He enjoys his play mat (time on his back and a short amount of tummy time), having books read to him, playing with his favorite toys (O'ball and sensory monkey), walks, his swing, snuggles (like his mama), and of course showing us the pouty lip here and there! He has been such a joy! Parenthood is hard but incredibly challenging, joyous, rewarding, and fun! We love it! We love our Boone!

Here are our most recent pics:

Boone loves the tree lights

It is so hard to capture his smiles... pretty close here

This picture makes my heart so happy

Christmas Eve at our friends' house

Christmas morning play time

Christmas morning with daddy

Christmas morning with mama

We have not completely neglected Lady. 

She definitely misses being an only child but LOVES Boone

Christmas outfit #2

Proof of how much Lady loves her brother.

He loves watching her too

Another picture to make this mama's heart smile

Currently my favorite picture of Boone

G-Dub and JeJe came to visit on New Years Day

Boone learning all about Baylor

Uncle Larson and Aunt Emily gave Boone lots attention, snuggles, and smiles

Love this pic of them

A few years back a good friend told Browning and I that parenting is a sanctifying process. I brushed that aside seeing that we were not even trying to start a family. Now that we have a son, I am finally seeing this come to life. As I consider what sanctification means, this has become my prayer every day. I have seen more than ever how selfish I am. I am not just needing but wanting to put Boone before myself. He needs us to meet his every need. This is hard but a joy to do. Sanctification is the process by which God transforms our lives into the image of Christ. We are to strive to be more like Him. Christ is the only man to ever live a fully perfect, selfless, humble, and loving life. These are the perfect characteristics of being a successful parent. We have Christ as our example. We need His perfect example to guide us to humble ourselves and love Boone the way Christ loves us.

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant

brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

equip you with everything good for doing his will, 

and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, 

to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Hebrews 13:25

Also, special shout out to our friends who have served us by bringing us meals, coming to meet Boone, checking on us and simply loving on us. We have felt the body of Christ in a whole new way! We are so grateful for your friendships!

We are sending you off with some of Boone's crazy/sweet/ridiculous faces:

I have thousands of pictures I could post but only so little space and time. And lets be honest, you don't want to scroll through thousands of pictures... unless you are Boone's family, then I take it you wouldn't mind! Maybe I will find time during successful naps to post some more, but for now, I will spare you!

Blessings,

The Waymans

Browning, Taylor, Boone & Lady