First appointment

Well, we took Boston for his 2 week check-up (a few days early) and, naked, he weighed in at 10 lbs 2 ozs! He is getting to be such a big boy! They said they usually expect the baby to be a birth weight at this appointment...Boston is an over-achiever! Everything looks great with him, no problems. He really got upset when she checked his ears...I have never heard him cry like that. He wasn't happy again until we got him home and fed him. :) We have been working on "tummy time" and enjoying every moment with him. He loves taking walks with Tater, having books read to him, and cuddling with his Mama and Daddy (and, of course, his grandparents and friends)! Thank you for all the calls, prayers and love! We are so blessed to have such an awesome support system! Oh, and be sure to check out the new pictures posted on the side link! Love you all!

Our two boys!

Boston at home

We are at home and have been here since Sunday evening. Man, were we ever ready! Casey and I wanted to get here and start getting used to having the little man with us. He has been such a joy to have. Ever moment is a new experience (some possible better than others! :)) We are learning when he likes to eat, what makes him mad, how to quickly change a diaper, etc! He does a really good job sleeping in the night...eating every couple of hours. We took our first adventure out yesterday to the hospital to have a lab for jaundice drawn. We made a quick pit stop in the NICU to see some friends and they wanted to weigh him. With clothes and a diaper, he weighed in at 10lbs 2 oz. Holy cow! He is getting so big! Here are some pictures from the last couple of days. Hope you are enjoying the nice weather and thanks to everyone for the meals, phone calls, and, most of all, the love, prayer, and support! Love you all!

We Have a Name!

We finally decided on a name. We originally thought Henry would be a good boy name, but it just didn't seem to fit him. Once we got to know him, he definitely seemed like a Boston. Boston Isaac Stansifer. He and mom are still doing fine. He eats like a horse and continues to become more and more animated. The goal is to come home sometime Sunday, but it could be Monday. We can't wait to get him home and start our routines and rituals, but we're enjoying our time at the hospital while it's here. It's kind of nice to have a nurse literally at the push of a button if we have any questions. He has had many visitors and has made lots of new friends, but Boston loves his mommy. He just seems to have a different snuggle when Cara's holding him. Don't forget to check out the photos on the link to the left. I'll be updating those pretty frequently. Thanks for the visits, phone calls, and text messages!

It's a Boy!

Cara just gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy. Judging by his many chins, it looks like he is very healthy. He weighed in at a whopping 9lbs 5oz and measured 21.25. Notice I keep saying "he" because his name hasn't quite been finalized yet. We were so positive it was going to be a girl since day one that we didn't settle on a boy name. Hopefully we'll get there tomorrow.

Cara was upset that she wasn't able to deliver naturally, but a healthy mom and baby is what matters. She was having some heavy contractions at 7cm dilated for nearly six hours. Since nothing seemed to move the doc suggested a section would be the best bet. She put up a hell of a fight the entire time, though. It amazes me how incredibly strong one person can be for 16 hours straight.

I was able to watch the section through a glass door (thank God because I'm not sure I would have stayed conscious otherwise). The doctor was awesome, and I was surprised how fast they were able to get him out. Cara's nursing friend Shelly got out of bed in the middle of the night on her day off to be there to get him all cleaned up afterward, so that was a huge relief to both of us. We love Shelly. I was able to hold him while they got Cara all stitched up, but all he wanted to do was eat. I'll have to admit, I got teary-eyed when I saw that he was fat and healthy. After I pulled myself together, I counted 10 fingers and 10 toes (not on one hand, of course) and about lost it again.

The grandparent were ecstatic. In fact, they got in trouble a couple of times for waiting in the hall instead of the family lounge. It was really cool seeing everyone in the same room for the first time. Right now Cara is trying to get some rest. The last couple weeks were rough, and the last two days were unrelenting. We're both just really thankful that our baby boy is here and both he and mom are doing fine. As cliche as it sounds, it truly is a miracle. I can't wait to get home and post some pictures. He's only been in the world a few hours and I already have a TON of pictures. Hopefully I can get those up in a few days.

Thanks to everyone for your constant and continual prayers. We are both grateful to have such a great support of family and friends. We'll talk soon.

-The Stansifer Three

Here's the plan

We had an appointment with Dr. Schwartz this morning. He explained what he thinks needs to go on this week with the baby and everything. He has decided to induce me again Tuesday night with the same cervix thinner medicine and then early Wednesday morning break my water and start the pitocin. Hopefully with all these methods the baby will decide to come out naturally. If things don't go as planned and I don't dilate anymore, they will do a c-section, but that is just in the back of our minds now. Since they will be breaking my water, the baby will be here either Wednesday or Thursday (depending). Thanks to everyone for all the phone calls and prayers! Casey and I had a wonderful weekend together with awesome weather too! Continue praying for us and for a healthy baby. I'm sure Casey will keep everyone updated at the hospital too so keep checking the blog! Love you all!

Operation Induction - on hold

Well, I'm sitting at HOME writing this blog which is exactly what we didn't want to happen (at least without a baby). Dr. Scott came in this morning (partners with Dr. Schwartz) to see how I was doing. They checked my cervix once again and, shockingly, there was still no dilation. He said he really would prefer for me not to have to have a section and there is still a good chance we could have the baby naturally. He decided to send me home for the weekend, just taking it easy around the house, and then have an appointment with Dr. Schwartz first thing Monday morning. He then thought we would probably start this whole thing over again, if I don't go into labor myself this weekend. So right now, we are just sitting, waiting, and praying. We know it's going to be a long weekend, so be thinking about us. We just cannot wait to meet this little one; they said he is going to be a stubborn one...like his dad? Or mom? We'll have to wait a few more days to see! Thank you for all the support everyone has shown us this pregnancy and especially over the last couple of days! You all will never know how much that means to us! Keep praying for a healthy baby and hopefully a natural delivery! Love you all! :)

Hospital Continued

Here's the plan: The pitocin didn't do much. Cara is not any more dilated than she was when she came in last night. They're going to try the cervadil again tonight and the pitocin again tomorrow. Dr. Thomas said being the first child it may take a couple days. If nothing happens tomorrow, which is not something Cara wants to hear at this point, we'll have to establish a new game plan. The fun never ends. On a positive note, we have been able to watch some great cable T.V. today. How did we ever function without John and Kate Plus 8? Talk to you soon.

-the messanger

At the Hospital

Well, we're at the hospital. We arrived last night for phase 1 of Cara's induction. We still have no dilation, so they're going to try one more thing before the pitocin. They'll start the IV drip around 1:00pm. The baby forecast shows partly sunny skies this afternoon with a chance of baby late this evening. Cara seems to be in good spirits considering she is still having contractions about 5 min. apart. She wasn't able to sleep that much last night, but hopefully she'll be able to get a nap in today. I'll keep you all posted as things progress.

Click on the link to the left to check out nursery pictures!