In 2009 I ...

Kicked off the new year in the Bahamas

Went ice skating (really just held onto Greg and skidded around the edge of the rink once)

Misread a pregnancy test

Went miniature golfing in the dark

Slept in 7 states

Ate the "Hungry Man" breakfast at Perkins

Threw up the "Hungry Man" breakfast in the Perkins parking lot

Lost 15 pounds

Gained 15 pounds

Named someone

Got the worst grades I've ever gotten (two C+'s)

Wrote footnotes

Won country music concert tickets on the radio

Moved twice (once from Newark to my parents', once from my parents' to our little house)

Passed the MPRE

Dressed like a kangaroo

Had surgery for the first time

Felt like sleeping for 6 hours was refreshing

Got a new camera (and actually used it)

Decided to stay home for the year after graduation

Did most of my Christmas shopping before Halloween

Breastfed

Found a new church

Finished a comment for my journal

Feels like cabin fever

We're all snowed in here, so I finally have the chance to sit down and put up some cute pictures of Henry. Greg's mom and sister were visiting, and were supposed to leave yesterday and today, respectively, but are instead stranded here at least until tomorrow. Greg is really sick with a cold or something, so I'm escaping to our room to read blogs!

The Perfect Excuse

I recommend that every one get a C-section at least once a year. It's the closest thing to a perfect excuse you can get, except maybe, "I died". Which you can't really use as an excuse. That falls more into the reason category. What better answer can you give when someone asks why you didn't do what you were supposed to do?

"Did you get my important email?"

"No, sorry, I was in the hospital."

"Did you listen to those lectures online?"

"Oh, I didn't get a chance, sorry, I was paralyzed from the armpits down."

"You're all caught up on the reading, right?"

"Actually, I couldn't even go to the bathroom by myself, but I'll get right on it now."

It's the perfect excuse, or so I thought. But unfortunately, I go to lawschool. So when I pulled out my perfect excuse, all I got was:

"You mean they don't have wireless at the hospital?"

Sheesh.

Hot Daddy

This past week has, as you can imagine, changed my perspective in a lot of ways. But there is one new feeling I didn't expect.

When I first got to know my husband in college, I thought he was adorable. I was also attracted to the things about him that might have been less obvious to the world. His nerdy sense of humor, his good-natured social skills, and his very open and willing heart for the Lord. Through the glasses, math major, awkwardly going out on a limb to connect attitude, and ready understanding of Star Wars jokes, I saw a man that I knew I could live with. As time went on, he became the man I couldn't live without.

That said, I never knew how truly, incredibly, hot my husband was until this week. An emergency C-section left me unable to do as much for the baby as I had anticipated, and Greg stepped right up and took over diaper changing, swaddling, washing and soothing Henry when I couldn't. He also helped me get into the shower, got me food when I was hungry, and managed to entertain the hoards of visitors so that I could rest.

Then just last night I heard the baby cry in his crib. I rushed in because it wasn't the usual time for him to be up, and something didn't seem right. I found my little guy with spit-up coming from his mouth and nose. He was struggling to cry and choking. Greg was right behind me and grabbed him and told me where to find the sucky syringe thingy. I ran as fast as my post-op body would allow and frantically searched. I finally found one and raced back to the nursery. When I got to the door, I saw what at first seemed like Greg giving Henry little kisses on his face. Then I realized, he was sucking the vomit out of his airways and spitting it out into a baby wipe.

Now I'm pretty sure most women would not put vomit-sucking at the top of the list for turn-ons. Maybe it's just because I'm so crazy about this baby, or maybe it's because Greg seems like such a rare bird in a society that seems full of dead-beats.

But all I know is, there is nothing sexier than a good daddy.

Henry Thomas Byrd

born 7:59 A.M. on Nov. 9th, 2009.

6 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 inches long

A Rose....

Why can't I settle on a name? I guess it doesn't matter really in the end, but I don't have much else to think about at this point...

My biggest fear is that I'll have to have a C-section or will just have such a bad delivery that I'll be really out of it and Greg will end up filling out the birth certificate while I'm in a drugged-up stupor. It wouldn't be so scary if his top name wasn't Rex...

I'm pretty much torn between Henry and James. Very boring by most people's standards but you know. If Henry then Hank, which I like, if James then... Jimmy? Jimbo? Bo? That I like. Nicknames that suggest we live in a trailer park.

I knew it.

How did I know that this one wouldn't come until after his due date?

I don't know, I guess I just had a feeling...

This last month has been crazy busy. I stopped doing research for the professor I was working for, which freed up a little time to do everything else. We had our 4th and final baby shower, at which we were given absolutely everything a baby could need or want.

We also had a Halloween party, which was a lot of fun. Greg dressed as Crocodile Dundee and I made a kangaroo costume complete with baby kangaroo head coming out of my pouch. No need for a body, of course.

I've been frantically cleaning, doing homework, washing baby stuff, etc. And now, waiting. I've read all the books cover to cover, organized the closet, done my reading for class for the next couple of weeks, narrowed down the names to just a couple. All I need now is the baby!