Griffin Thomas Fitzhugh

As most of you know by now, little Griffin has finally arrived! Our little man was born on March 31st at 4:56 p.m. weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs. 1 oz and measuring 20.25 inches. He was certainly bigger than any of us imagined...including the doctor!

I have to say, the whole labor and birth experience went better than I could have imagined. I don't think I was really worried about the delivery, but I have certainly heard my share of war stories from other moms, so my expectations weren't too high to begin with. Of course, I have to admit, I think I had the easiest delivery you could ask for. For those who are interested, here is a brief recap of our birth story:

First of all, labor had apparently started a few weeks before delivery without my knowledge. I was already dilated to 4 cm and 80% effaced before I ever felt a contraction. Our official due date was April 3rd (Easter weekend) and my sister Amy had booked a flight home from Colorado for that weekend, so we were really hoping Griffin would make an appearance by the time she got home. I was never too uncomfortable during the pregnancy, so I was originally willing to wait for labor to begin naturally. But considering how quickly I was progressing and our limited timeline with Aunt Amy's visit, when I went in for my weekly checkup on Tuesday March 30th, I went ahead and asked my doctor if we could be induced that Friday, April 2nd. However, he had several other deliveries scheduled for that day, so we were left with the options of Wednesday March 31st or Monday April 5th (the last day of Amy's visit)....I guess April 1st was also an option, but we weren't too keen on saddling our kid with an April Fool's Day birthday :)

So, we settled on the 31st and the next morning, we were headed to the hospital. We checked in at 8 am and got the ball rolling. Since I was so far along already, I was able to get the epidural right after the doctor came to break my water. And I had this handy little button I could use to increase the medication as needed. Awesome invention! Although I respect other people's opinions on the subject, I really don't know why anyone would actually choose natural childbirth when we have the wonderful option of an epidural. To each his own, I guess. From that point on, things progressed pretty easily. We slowed things down for a while when my doctor had to deliver another patient, but before long we were ready to push.

This is where our little bit of drama cropped up. I was feeling great and pushing strong for about an hour and a half when my doctor decided that we just weren't going to be able to get our little guy here the old fashioned way. Apparently the shape of my pelvic bones is not ideal for the speedy exit of a newborn, so we decided on a C-section. After letting our families know what was going on (they had all been anxiously waiting down the hall for some news), we were wheeled into the operating room, and Griff arrived a few minutes later. Considering how big he ended up being, I'm actually thankful that we went the C-section route after all. Not what I was planning on, but definitely the best decision for me and my little man.

Finally...I can stretch out!!

First family photos

Ryan was an ideal husband through everything. He was helpful and patient and never let on if he was shocked (or totally grossed out) by the process. He even took some great pictures DURING the C-section (I'm not sure I could have stomached the sight of all that).

This is Ryan in position to "catch" the baby just in case the doctor wasn't around :)

My recovery was quick, but we did have one trip back to the hospital the day after we were discharged. Griffin's jaundice levels were escalating and he wasn't eating well, so he needed another night in the hospital under the special billy lights. He seemed to really enjoy the warm incubator, and before long we were able to go back home.

Now we're home and doing our best to get the hang of being parents....and trying to enjoy all the precious moments with our son! I can't believe how easily Griffin has fit into our lives. It feels like he was always meant to be here and it's hard to imagine life without him now.

Words can't describe how much I love BOTH the men in my life!

Baby Fitz

Here's a little update on Griffin....we're officially at 39 weeks and 1 day, so we're expecting his arrival any day now! At my last doctor's visit (last Tuesday), I was already 3.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I'm hoping that means labor will go fairly quickly if this little guy ever decides to come out....we'll see :)

Here are a couple of belly pics from this week:

This is the first baby for both our families, so I feel like everyone's on pins and needles, just waiting for his arrival. Come on Griff....we're ready to meet you :)

Baby Showers

Last month we were showered and showered and showered with blessings, gifts, encouragement and love for our little boy. Here are a few highlights from our amazing baby showers.

Shower #1: The first one was a blessings shower hosted by our sweet friends from church, the Safrans and the Smiths. This was a very special shower, with only the immediate family and our hosting friends. Everyone had the opportunity to offer their blessing, Scripture, prayer, or encouraging word for us and Baby Griffin. It was truly an unforgettable experience.....I'm amazed at how God has blessed us with such loving friends and family members.

Ryan's sister wrote a touching letter to her first nephew....not many dry eyes in the place after that :)

My dad gave Griffin the same children's Bible that his parents gave him many years ago.

Yummy food....complete with blue punch and Chick-Fil-A nuggets!

The Fitzhugh clan

Most of the Parkers (minus Amy, who's in Colorado this semester)

The mommas

Ryan and his sister Blair...talking smack about their upcoming 10k race.

Our amazing hosts - Jason & Jamie Smith and Jason & Lindsay Safran - we LOVE these guys!

Shower #2: A few weeks later I had a great lunch shower hosted by some friends and coworkers at the law firm. I'm sure going to miss these ladies since I've decided to stay home with little Griffin for a while....they have been sources of such encouragement and love.

My very good friend Mary

My assistant Staci made this beautiful diaper cake - isn't it adorable?!!

Shower #3: Then we had a beautiful shower hosted by sweet friends and family in Longview, where Ryan grew up and his parents still live. These ladies went above and beyond in decorating, preparing yummy food, and just being generous, thoughtful hostesses. Nothing they didn't think of....

Cute little personalized jelly bean favors

Adorable (and yummy) cupcakes

Sweet Griffin napkins

Isn't this a beautiful wreath?? Ryan's uncle carved the little "g" himself!

No doubt who's being showered by all this love and attention!

A close up of the blanket I knitted for Griffin's nursery....matching the shower's color scheme :)

Most of my sweet hostesses...these are truly talented ladies!

Our delicious beverage selections

So many gifts!!

Ryan came at the end of the shower....he's chatting with Lindy, a dear family friend, in this pic.

Lindy has always been Ryan's baseball buddy....she got this adorable baseball outfit for Griffin.

Beautiful photo album from the hostesses

A close up of the belly....about 34 weeks here!

Shower #4: The very next day, my sisters and close friends threw another shower in Dallas. They did such a wonderful job and made it such a special day for me (and baby Griffin)....he's one loved and spoiled little boy already!

Hostess with the mostest....my awesome sister Heather

Isn't that the cutest onesie you've ever seen??

My sweet friend, and former roomie, Katie made this adorable diaper cake!

My sweet grandmother...who gave us this awesome high chair!

The Parker/Jackson girls...Amy even flew in from Colorado to celebrate with us!

All my old Baylor roomies were able to make it...Paige (who flew in all the way from Florida), Mandy (who is due just 2 weeks after me drove in from San Antonio), and Katie K (one of the amazing hostesses)....love these girls!!!

Shower #5: Then some of our sweet friends from Baylor, Chris and Meredith Yount, hosted a Green & Gold themed shower for us. We had a great time celebrating with some of Ryan's old Chamber buddies....and we can't wait to add our little bear cub to the mix!

The Chamber lives on.....

Our hosts...the Younts

Shower #6: Finally, Ryan's office threw us a diaper shower....wow! What an outpouring of generosity.....I'm thinking we're set for diapers/wipes for quite a while.

Whew......needless to say, February was a whirlwind month for us. I'm so thankful that Griffin is already loved and supported by so many. I'd say we definitely have the whole village helping us raise this little guy :)