Day vs. Night

This is what Jack does during the day....

And this is what he does at night....

Jack Allen

This is Jack's grandfather that he is named after.  He is a wonderful man, and we would be very happy if he turned out just like him.

I swear he smiles!!!

I know they say that when they smile at this age that it's just gas, but I swear he looks right at us and smiles ALL the time!

Big Sister

Allie loves her little brother.  She runs in the door after school, washes her hands and is ready to hold him on the sofa while she watches television.  It has been hard for her to be patient sharing him with all of our visitors, but she has enjoyed receiving lots of big sister sussies from everyone.  My dad always laughs and says you would think she was the one that had the baby!

Sometimes Jack and I will wake her up in the morning and they will get a little sleepy snuggle time in.

And then we hide him in all her stuffed animals.  Hey, it's better than dressing him up in her tutus, right?!

Jack's First Photo Shoot

Click on Alisha's link to the left to see all the precious pictures of Jack, 3 days old!  If you want to see the rest, go to her website and click on client proofing... password is babyjack.  They are all SO good.  Alisha, you are the best.

The Story of Jack Allen Sharpe...

It was October 3rd, and this is what our board looked like...

Randi and Steve had come in town to stay with us and Randi was making me try everything we could to get Jack to come while she was here.  We walked, squatted, bounced, and even galloped around the driveway.  I was having lots of Braxton-Hicks in a row throughout the day, but not much more than that.  After exhausting our options, we gave up and dedicated the rest of the day to Lifetime movies.  Pretty non-eventful until I went to turn the faucet on and there was NO WATER.  Considering it was a Sunday and it was going to be an extra $500 to have them come out and fix it, Randi and Steve left and Ryan and I headed to my parents to spend the night.  I went to bed around 11pm, Ryan came in about 11:30pm, then my water broke at midnight!  Without going into a lot of detail, the water breaking was much more dramatic than I thought it would be.  Good thing Mom is scared of bed bugs and had two waterproof mattress covers on the bed.  We ran around in circles a little bit, then called the doctor and our doula, Jacqueline.  I took a shower and we headed home to get some stuff together and wait for the contractions to get closer together.  By 3:30am, the contractions were sporadic... 3 minutes apart, then 9, then 6 then 4, then 4, then 4.... so we decided to go ahead and go. We were settled in our room about 5am and waiting through the contractions for me to get past 2 centimeters.  Around 9am, I was at about 5-6 centimeters, the contractions were extremely intense, and I was getting very tired.  All I could think about was how completely exhausting the pushing was with Allie.  I knew I didn't have the energy to do that again.  So in talking with Ryan, the doctor and Jacqueline, we/I decided to go with the epidural (that I really did not want to get).  But HALLELUJAH that epidural was sent straight from God!  I did have a big blood pressure plummet and some vomiting (figured that would happen) but it did let me rest a little.    It still left me with some feeling in my right side, which was actually good because it helped me feel to push.  I pushed through about 5-6 contractions and then we could see that precious little head!  I was in a good seated position so I could totally see what was going on.  Then the doctor looked at me and said "Go ahead, pull him out" (I had made a joke earlier about it, referring to Courtney Kardashian).  But I did actually grab him right under his little head/neck and pulled him right on my belly at 1:14pm!  He wasn't at all slimy and bloody like I thought he would be.  It was absolutely amazing.  He was completely perfect, and we give all the credit to God.  He was 6 lbs. 4 oz, 20.5 inches... just a tiny little thing!  Ryan, Jacqueline, Dr.Kaplan, Jenny, Jane and Meghan were all so wonderful and supportive... I was so fortunate.  I was able to hold and feed him for about an hour before they took him for his bath.  It was wonderful!

Right when I layed eyes on him I knew he looked exactly like Ryan.  But I'll let you be the judge....

Daddy

Jack

More to come!...

Patience

I have never been the most patient person in the world... to say the least.  Based on the fact that Allie came early and I have been dilated 2 centimeters for a few weeks now, I feel like Jack will make his entrance a little ahead of schedule.  But this might be a time that God teaches me a little lesson about who is in control and that patience is a virtue!  So for now I will really try to not wish time away. I will try to relax, SLEEP and enjoy the end of pregnancy.  As uncomfortable as it can be (nausea still present), it really is such a miraculous thing to watch your body transform and grow a human life inside!  I am also trying to spend a lot of quality time with Allie and make her feel really special.  She really is sooooo excited about being a big sister, but I still worry about how much her little life is going to change.  I want to be with her all the time, I even want her to sleep with me!  Fortunately though, Ryan puts his foot down and carries her to her room when he comes to bed (now is not the time to start bad sleeping habits!).  As far as the nursery goes, we have two more pictures to hang and then it will be completed.  I will also need to get the valances monogrammed when we decide on a middle name (after he is born, I'm guessing).  I tried to take a few pictures to post, but they didn't come out very well.  It is hard to take pictures of a little room!  Cue, Lish.  Our to-do list for things around the house keeps growing.  Ryan really is about to kill me.  It frustrates him that we can never actually get through the list because I keep adding things to the bottom.  Isn't that how Home Owning is though?  Isn't there always a list of things that can/need to be done?  We are having an electrician come tomorrow to install a few new exterior light fixtures, and a chimney sweep is coming to check and clean our fireplace.  It will be so nice when the cooler weather gets here so we can build fires again (and wear jeans and boots and sip  drink red wine!).  I have this nice little vision of us sitting around the fireplace snuggling with that little baby.  Can you tell that fall is my favorite time of year?  :)  But for now it  is still 92 degrees outside, we're still running our AC, still wearing shorts & flip flops, and I am STILL pregnant!

Ryan's Punishment

The husbands were instructed by our Child Birth Class Educator to give their wives 6 massages in two weeks.  Ryan gave me 2.  Total.  So of course I ratted him out in class and behold his punishment........

As I am sure you can imagine, it was VERY funny.  He decided that he is not a fan of the side-laying position, but that having two people hold your feet while you push definitely gives you the best "traction".  I guess he is a pushing expert now.  Hopefully it at least gave him an inkling of an idea of what childbirth is going to be like (i.e. Hell).

Big Daddy

(That is what Ryan refers to himself as, and of course it has stuck)

So Big Daddy texted me this morning and asked if I wanted to go to the 311 concert on October 29th.  Seriously?  He obviously has no clue....

Home Stretch

Well, it looks like Baby Jack will be here before our milk even expires!

We have entered the 9th month and now the countdown gets serious!  Only about 5 weeks left (assuming he is not late).  I really can't complain too much about this pregnancy.  The constant nausea, heartburn and rib pain has NOT been fun... but other than that I have felt pretty good.  I haven't been too tired, haven't had a lot of headaches, minimal swelling and my skin has stayed pretty clear.  Despite his cramped environment, Jack has remained very active.  He literally moves ALL of the time.  I can totally feel where his head, back and feet are.  He really hasn't changed positions very much... just lots of kicks and jabs, and HICCUPS.  Poor thing gets them almost everyday!  I had an appointment with the doctor today and she said his head has lowered, and I am 2 centimeters dilated.  I was dilated 2 centimeters with Allie for 2 weeks, and she came 10 days early ... so we'll see what Jack decides to do!

Allie is as excited as can be.  She loves to put her hands and her head on my belly and feel him kick her.  She also loves going in his room and getting his little stuffed animals to play with.  She has confiscated a few, claiming that he really doesn't need 4 of them, and since she is going to share with him, he can share with her too.  The chalkboard countdown helps with the constant "How many more days til he gets here?", but she is still dying to know exactly what day he is going to arrive.  Will she be in school?  Will it be in the middle of the night?  What if he tries to come while we are at church?  Or at the grocery store?  In the meantime, she is planning out exactly how she is going to "train" him.  She knows she wants him to like Pirates, but hasn't decided about the rest :) 

We started our childbirth classes at the hospital, which I have to say has been pretty entertaining.  Ryan actually looked at me during the first class and in all seriousness said, "Do I really need to be in there during the delivery for the whole time?".  He also added "Flask" to the group list of things you need to bring to the hospital.  Needless to say, I will have to clear up that if I cannot be drinking any alcohol, neither can he.  Here he is wearing the belly suit, which of course he said was exaggerated, and that's really not what it feels like to be pregnant.  Like he has any idea.

There are still some things to tie up in the nursery. We are waiting on the glider to come in, Papa to finish the pictures and I need to get the closet organized and the window valances monogrammed.  Promise to post pictures when it is completed.

A very BIG thank you to Alisha for such beautiful maternity pictures.  She never ceases to amaze me with her talents.  I only have about 2 pictures of when I was pregnant with Allie, so I wanted to make sure that we captured the belly at some point.  You can check out her blog (link to the left) to see more.

Heartburn

While the morning sickness has been much better this pregnancy (as in, I do not actually throw-up 5 times a day),  the heartburn has been horrible!  I now sympathize for people who battle heartburn on a daily basis.  It is funny how many people have told me that if you have it persistently during pregnancy it means your baby will have a full head of hair.  A baby with hair would be welcomed by me since Allie did not have any until she was about 2 years old!  Here are some other Old Wives Tales for you to enjoy:

-  If you raise your arms above your head while pregnant, the cord will wrap around the babies neck.
-  If the weather is stormy or the moon is full, you're more likely to go into labor.
-  Drink lots of water when you’re pregnant or your baby will come out dirty.
-  If a baby is born with light-brown birthmarks, it is said that the mom drank too much coffee.
-  If your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy, you are having a boy.
-  If the hair on your legs is growing faster during pregnancy, it's a boy.  My neighbor's brother is a Pediatrician and he told me that they used to say this before the days of ultrasound.  Hasn't proven true for me...
-  If you refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread, you are having a girl.
-  If you are craving sweets, it means that it is a girl. 
-  If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl. If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy.
-  Apparently if you put a wooden spoon and a pair of scissors under your bed and a pink bow under your pillow, you’ll have yourself a little baby girl.
-  The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%. It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived. If the sum is an even number it's a boy.  True for me!

Something else that is funny...

Ryan, Allie and I stayed in town this weekend (which is rare for us).  As Ryan watched me go about my daily things of laundry, cleaning & organizing the house, and running back and forth to Lowe's and the grocery store, he comments "Wow, you're really nesting, aren't you?".  Does he not realize that this is completely normal for me?!   Just wait until the nesting really kicks in...

7 (& a half) Month Update

 

10 weeks left in the countdown!  We cannot wait to meet little Jack (TBD) Sharpe.  We are still debating the middle name.  We know we want to use a family name, the problem is we have so many we love!  It's going to be a hard choice.  I am really trying not to rush it just to so I can go ahead and get the window valances monogrammed (which is very difficult for me).  I have one that I am leaning towards and Ryan has one he is leaning towards, then there is one in the middle that we both like- but don't love.  Ryan is getting sick of talking about it though and finally said I could just pick.  You'd think a control-freak like me would be happy about that, but for some reason it made me kinda mad.  I want him to be a part of the decision making and really love the name (as long as it's the same one that I love). :)  

His nursery is almost ready.  The bedding is finished...all furniture is in place (with the exception of the Glider that is to be delivered)... we are waiting to hang the window treatments and for Papa to finish the artwork.  I'm dying to wash and hang all of his precious little clothes, but I figure I better wait a little bit for that so they are nice and fresh.  Meanwhile, we are making a list of a few things around the house that need to be done before his arrival.  Pretty much the usual... hang a few things... make a few trips to Good Will... organize a few drawers and closets... etc.  Ryan is thrilled, let me tell you.  I am not so excited about it either, but hopefully my nesting instinct will kick in sometime soon.

7.5 Month Belly...He should be approximately 15" long and 3 lbs.  At one point, the doctor told us that he was on the small side (20th percentile) but now they say he is about average.  His head is down and he is in position. I was thinking that he had turned over because I can feel his little feet under my ribs!  He is SO active.  I swear it feels like he is trying to make his way out of there.  His heartbeat is still strong and fast.  We are so thankful to have a healthy baby.  More updates to follow...

Just Jack?

Time is flying.  Tomorrow I will be 6 months pregnant!  I had a great Doctor appointment yesterday.  I'm measuring a few days ahead, but not enough to change the due date.  So as of right now, we are still expecting him around October 8th (or a little earlier would be fine with me). 10/10/10 would be pretty neat too though.  He is still suspected to be on the small side, but totally healthy.  Praise God!  The doctor said his heart rate was strong and fast.  His organs have all formed and for the most part they are all functioning.  His brain is growing quickly, he can hear, and the nerve endings in his fingers are developing so he is starting to be able to feel.  He is about a foot long and weighs around a pound.  They say my uterus is about the size of a soccer ball!  He is a very active little baby so far... he moves ALL the time!  We joke and say he is practicing his golf swing. :)  I have to admit it makes me a little nervous that he is going to be a wiggle-worm... we shall see.  When I lay on my left side, he kicks the bed... if I roll over, he'll kick that side... if I have my hands or a book propped on my belly, he'll kick that... and the best is when Ryan or Allie will lay their head on my belly and he'll go crazy kicking them!!!

The nursery is coming along.  I won't bore you with the revised To-Do List (and it's a little overwhelming because there are still many things to be crossed off).  For the most part, the furniture is in place.  My dad offered to do the blinds, which consisted of purchasing and installing.  Yay Papa!  We have hung the panels and the rod for the valance.  The new door is hung and ready to be painted.  Mom is sewing the valance, crib bumpers, crib skirt, and a few pillows for us.  She has been working very hard to make sure it is perfect (hmmm... wonder why she feels the need to do that?!).  The bumpers are almost done and look FABULOUS.  The sewing has been especially difficult as a result of the geometric print fabric I picked out.  Matching up the seams has been a nightmare.  Poor Nana.  She is exempt from many babysitting hours!

Ryan painting the hutch/armoire.  Nana and Papa hanging the blinds (as big sister plays with her yo-yo).

6 Month Belly

No negative name comments allowed- we are not open to suggestions!  We almost didn't reveal the name until after he was born, but have you met my husband?  I knew we could never keep it a secret.  And yes, it is just "Jack" (Mom insists she is going to call him Jackson anyway).  Middle name to be determined.

Baby Update

The countdown has begun!  20 weeks sounds like a long time from now, but I am sure it will fly by!

There he is at our 19 week ultrasound... measurements and heartbeat all looked good... and still a BOY!  They said he is in the 20th percentile for weight, so he's a little small.  As long as he is healthy, I certainly don't mind if he is tiny (especially if his head is small!).

Belly at 5 Months

Sike

Guess I jinxed myself in my last post.  Threw up 3 times this morning!  But the bright side is it doesn't happen everyday, and I can feel that sweet little thing fluttering around in there!

Boring Blog

My blog doesn't show it, but we have been very busy lately!  Furniture Market absolutely wore me out this year... it usually doesn't, but I guess it's different now with baby on board.  It is worth the money though, and really is a good reminder of how fortunate I am to not have to work full time.  I really do not know how you working moms out there do it.  How do you manage to keep your house clean, go to the grocery store, cook dinner, do homework/bathtime/bedtime with your children, be attentive to your husband, do the laundry, pay your bills, and have to shower/hair/make up every morning to look presentable at your job all day?  Wears me out just thinking about it.

Anyway, in the midst of furniture market, we are also still getting furniture back in place from having our floors re-done, and cleaning out the "Junk Room" that has been accumulating stuff since we moved in 6 months ago.  The exciting side of all of our Spring Cleaning has been getting the nursery ready.  We haven't gotten to the fun stuff yet because we are still converting the sunroom into a dining room and the dining room into an office/study, to empty out the soon-to-be nursery.  Here is what the to-do list for the nursery currently looks like:

1.  Empty out room.
2.  Empty out closet.
3.  Paint walls.
4.  Paint base coat on floors. 
5.  Replace door.
6.  Stripe floors.
7.  White-wash hutch/armoire.
8.  Glaze crib.
9.  Buy fabric.
10.  Mom to sew crib bumpers and dust ruffle.
11.  Decide on blinds/window treatments.
12.  Move in twin bed.
13.  Decide on bedding for twin bed.
14.  Find "the" rug.
15.  Ryan to do wall painting.
16.  Dad to build fabulous shelf.
17.  Decide on glider (or try to talk Alisha out of hers).

Sounds like lots of painting and decisions, huh?  And yes of course I have a big folder full of all my ideas & inspirations, fabric samples & paint samples.  It's actually reminding me of when I was planning our wedding.  The scary part is I only had 3 months to plan our wedding, and I have 9 to plan a nursery... that could be trouble.  I am working hard to keep it all on a tight budget so Ryan doesn't totally have a nervous breakdown.  So as you can see from the above list, there are lots of DIYs.  Oh and of course Allie will need some new things for her room to make her feel special when so much is going on in the room next door.  She will be getting a new bed and window treatments from her Nana for her birthday in July.  So lots of decorating posts to come! 

Is my world going to be filled with not only pink.... but now blue?!...........

In just four weeks, look how are little pea has grown...

And look closely at what the arrow is pointing to... Hmmm.......

Another Hidden Word

If you scroll down and look at the picture of our recent Scrabble game, you will see another word that was spelled out that night.  It's bottom right... starts with a "N" and ends with a blank tile that is an "A".  It was actually one of Ryan's words that he made before I put down my secret message.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Scrabble

During a game of scrabble this week, I spelled out a secret message to Ryan.  Can you find it?  Okay, so it may not actually be a word, but it was the best I could do with the letters that I had on my tray.