Coming Home

We brought Mason home from Vanderbilt on Friday evening, June 19th. Gramma, Granny, and Grandpa were all there to welcome him after his LONG 4 days in the hospital. The next weekend Mason got to meet the last of his grandparents, Mamaw and Papaw Baker.

Mason's First Road Trip

After all our friends and family left on Tuesday night, Mason's nurse came in to tell us that Mason had a heart murmur. Hearing that something is wrong with your baby is devastating, but I knew enough about heart murmurs to realize that it was a minor problem, so we weren't too upset. Our first night with Mason went pretty smoothly, despite the fact that Chris' nervousness returned with a vengeance when his new baby was suddenly in his arms. Instincts kicked in, though, and he has been an amazing dad from the beginning. Mason and I are really lucky to have him.
The next morning they took Mason to have an echocardiogram to look at his murmur, and he was gone for so long that Chris and I got really concerned. I know they were sick of our calling the nursery to find out when our baby was coming back! He was eventually returned and spent the day meeting all kinds of new people.

The real trial came later that evening after they took Mason again to do more tests. Chris and I were visiting with Miriam and Jen, and Mom had run out to grab some dinner. Dr. Seawell called, and I answered. I don't remember much of what she said. I heard her say that they had found another, much more serious problem, and I just broke down. I handed the phone to Chris so she could tell him because I couldn't repeat anything. Miriam and Jen met Mom outside and filled her in, and Chris and I spent a few minutes alone together while we waited on the neonatalogist who was coming in to talk with us. A few minutes after all that happened, all the patients were evacuated from their rooms because of a tornado warning. As the mothers were all wheeled out into the hallway, nurses brought their babies to them from the nursery; I couldn't stop crying. My baby couldn't leave the NICU. And so had begun the hardest 48 hours of my life. Mason's pediatrician came back by then and took us back into the NICU so she could talk more to us and let us be with Mason.

Soon after that Chris' mom and stepdad came back to the hospital, and the neonatalogist explained Mason's defect, tetralogy of fallot, and what would happen next, as Mason was being transported to the NICU at Vanderbilt that night. Around 11:00 o'clock that night, the transport team came to get him, and although they were wonderful, it was unbelievably painful to see my day-old son strapped down in the huge transport isolette. I started crying again when I saw him, and Mason looked over at me and put one finger up to his mouth as if to shush me. I'll never forget that. We couldn't go with him in the Angel Ambulance, so Debbie and Dave drove us to Vanderbilt, where they rushed me into his room so that I could feed him. I still can't think about seeing him hooked up to all those monitors without getting choked up.

Mason stayed in the NICU there until mid-afternoon on Friday, and much of that time is a blur to me. The hospital had provided us with a family room so that Chris and I had a bed and a shower, but we didn't sleep much. I didn't want Mason to be alone at any time. I do remember, however, how excited we were when the cardiologist and neonatalogist cleared us to take him home! After everything that happened, Chris and I realized that Mason was in the best possible place, and we were so thankful for all the prayers and support we received...and for the excellent care they took of Mason at both Vanderbilt and Gateway.

Mason Arrives

Obviously, I'm REALLY slow at updating the blog, as most of you are aware that Mason is a month old today as I write about his birth. Well, it was a crazy month...and it's extremely difficult to get your teeth brushed every day let alone play on the computer when you have a newborn. Back to the subject...

I was sooo uncomfortable and having random contractions for about two weeks before, so Dr. Hamre scheduled me for an induction on June 16th. Chris and I arrived at Gateway Medical Center at 5 in the morning on the 16th, and the process got underway quickly. I was already having contractions every 4 minutes by the time they hooked me up to the monitor, but I really wasn't feeling anything, so they gave me half a dose of something that would thin my cervix. I was just a centimeter dilated at that point and 50% effaced, but my contractions got faster and stronger very quickly. By the time my water broke on its own just before 9, I was having contractions every 2 minutes. Dr. Hamre came to check me and laughed that Mason had decided he was coming on the 16th anyway, regardless of the induction, so it was a stroke of good luck that we had inadvertently planned the induction for the day the baby was actually planning on showing up so that all our family could be there.

To make a long story short(er), Mason arrived at 5:51 pm, weighing 7 pounds and 5 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. He came out with his eyes open and a thoroughly disillusioned look on his face. Mom and Chris also say he had a serious conehead, but I never noticed. I have to say that childbirth was not as bad as I had expected (thanks to an epidural). And, yes, he WAS the most beautiful baby ever born.

Going to Murfreesboro

Jordan is racing tonight at the state meet in Murfreesboro, so I'm driving up after school. I'm so excited to see my parents and sisters! I feel really far away from them sometimes...especially now, since I can't travel anymore (I'm surprised Chris is letting me go an hour away by myself!).

Kristin sent me this video earlier this week. So cute!

Proof That Married People Are NOT Dull

So I was listening to a comedy routine on XM yesterday, and the guy was making fun of married people and how boring they are. He went on about how married people have game nights and how pathetic that is, so I thought I defend us and post pictures to prove that our game nights are a blast...even by married people standards.

1) Not sure what was disgusting to me...probably Miriam. Wow! I got a lot bigger from month 7 to month 8. Oops.

2) Jen LOVES when people make the sophomore face. Chris needs practice.

3) Haha! What else needs to be said about this rock band? I think Tommy is frightened by Jen's inner rock chick.

4) Most of us are terrible, which makes Rock Band Night even funnier...especially when Tommy has to tell Jen THREE TIMES to bring him a drink. Geez, Jen!

5) Even Joe from Alaska (that's right, Alaska) thought we were the coolest married people.

Clarksville Shower

Last Saturday Debbie, Jen, Miriam, and Teresa threw a shower for me in Clarksville. Mom drove up from Maryville to come with me, and we had a great weekend together (it isn't often that anyone gets to spend one-on-one time with Mom, as her life is crazy). C was out of town the whole time.

The shower was really cute, and they tortured me with shower games (which I despise), but we had fun. Debbie made an adorable diaper cake (which took me over two hours to take apart!), and Jen made the baby a personalized onesie that says "Chevy," in honor of his Office-themed name while in utero. Chris did not find it as funny as I did!

After we left the shower, Jen and Miriam picked up pizza and joined me and Teresa at the house to play Partini. We were so hysterical that when Chris called, he thought we were drunk...yes, (insert sarcasm here) I avoided alcohol for 8 months only to chance my child's brain damage in week 32. If more people laughed until they cried and couldn't speak, we would not have communication gaps like this. Sigh.

Baby Showers...and (FINALLY) a Name

Last weekend Chris and I went home to Maryville for the first of our baby showers. Debbie and Dave came down also, and Debbie's family from South Carolina drove over as a surprise. It was so fun to see them! We also finally committed to a name (Mason Ward Baker...mainly I gave in because I wanted burp cloths monogrammed at Dandylions while we were in town). Ward was Debbie's maiden name, and Grandaddy Johnston was a Mason, so we like the historical significance of the name. I've already told Chris, though, that if we have another boy someday, his name WILL be Anderson.

The first shower was for family and friends and was hosted by my sisters and sister-in-law. They did such a great job, and we had a huge turnout (Chris took all the guys bowling while the ladies were busy!). People gave us WAY more than we ever expected...you'd never have known it was a recession! Mary, Megan, and Kristin bought our travel system, and Mom bought our extra car seat, so we were really excited. And my nephew Jordan won his race at the UT meet, so we all stopped during the shower and cheered when we heard the news. He set a new school record!

After the shower Chris and I met his family and Jeff, Kristin, and Gracie for dinner. They all get along really well...which is a smidge frightening.

On Sunday we had a second shower hosted by my home church, Broadway Baptist. We are so appreciative of all the people who worked hard to pull the showers together for us. You should have seen us trying to load up the car and Dave's truck with all the gifts! It was crazy! As soon as we got home we organized everything and started putting together the travel system and the other big gifts. Chris even put the high chair at the kitchen table, even though I told him it would be 5 months before we use it! Haha! He just grinned and said, "I'm such a good daddy." Oh, if only all his old college buddies could see him now.