Randomness- warning, this is a long one!

Henry Update:

Yes, as of Monday our little man has been with us for six whole weeks. He seems to be getting enough to eat (notice second chin below) and was up to over 9 pounds at his last visit to the doctor.  He still wants to eat about every 3 hours on average, though I have, twice, gotten five hours out of him at night. Usually it's 2.5-4 though.  He's really starting to stay awake more and be more interactive. Last week I started getting really big smiles. At first I wasn't sure if they were intentional or not, but they are pretty consistent now, so I'm convinced. He's also starting to hold his head up more on his own. I've been reading my devotions to him in the morning and I'm sure he is becoming quite fond of Beth Moore!  I'll spare you any pictures of his bum, but just know that it is still a problem! Grrr!

Look at those cheeks!!

Henry's first trip to the river. He loved it, of course, and had a great time visiting with family. 

At the river with Aunt Su and cousin Addy. Addy and Essie just adore him! They are such good little mommies. 

This is the Bill Conrad Cooking Show.. the production of him making his "famous" paiella. Always delicious. 

Happy Grandparents!! Meme and Papa with their three sweet grandkids!

We're looking forward to a visit from Chad's folks this weekend and in a few weeks we'll make our first road trip to Pensacola to meet some more cousins! 

Henry had is first photo shoot courtesy of of my friend Christy, she's awesome!

Workshop update:

Well, in case anyone is wondering what happened to that ol' workshop that used to consume all of our time and blog posts prior to us having an adorable baby to take pictures of.. 

Chad is loving it and has filled it right up with all his stuff. He really seems to enjoy the space and tinkering with all of his machines.  We can't thank dad enough- he even came in under budget!

Here he is, living the dream. (designing and making things from acrylic)

He's holding some sort of box that he made and hopes to use at work (feel free to ask him about it if that is not a satisfactory explanation for you)

This (namely that black rectangle on the right) is his "laser" that you hear him talking about. 

Nursery Update:

I ordered some blocks from etsy that finally arrived a few weeks ago; I really like the way they turned out. There is still more decorating to be done, but so far the room has been working out well.  I think I heard Henry say "alligator" today. ;)

Finally something to put on that shelf, and I love the drawers from Chad's childhood room that he and his dad refinished for Henry's room.  

The changing table mom and dad nabbed for us from craigslist, finally with some decorations. 

See that big pile in the middle.. those would be all of the diaper rash creams that haven't work on Henry's booty.  I think we've added at least three more since that picture! 

Chad put up shelves in the closet for me. 

    Another shot of the decor mom made that I love!

Feeding Time

Things I've discovered I can do while nursing Henry (might as well make use of those 8 hours of the day, right?):

    -pray

    -read a book

    -file my nails

    -file Henry's nails

    -play with my phone (email, facebook, etc.)

    -stretch the sore muscle in my leg

    -talk to friends on the phone

    -watch TV

    

Things I usually actually do while nursing Henry:

    -stare at him

    -fall asleep

    

 Oh Well, maybe I'll be more productive tomorrow!! 

Fastest Month Ever

I can't believe little Henry has already been with us for over a month! He has truly been such a blessing to our lives. To keep you up to date on all the amazing things that he is doing.. brace yourselves-- sometimes he stays awake for 15-20 minutes at a time, he squeaks and sighs and makes cute little noises when he sleeps, he sometimes seems to look right at our faces and will track some with his eyes (when you catch them open). He does some "smiles" and I quote, because they are the random, accidental ones.. However, a few days ago I got a big full faced smile while he was looking at me and I was convinced he did it on purpose, but I can't get him to repeat it, so maybe not. Either way it was very cute. I know, it doesn't sound like much, but who would have guessed those few little things would be enough to keep his mommy and daddy so entertained!
My main obstacle right now has been a nasty diaper rash that I can't seem to get rid of. And, in spite of what everything says online, I really have been changing his diapers OFTEN. Since non of the creams and ointments seem to be working (desitin, triple paste, butt paste, lotrimin, neosporin, maalox, calmoseptine, to name a few!) I've finally decided to not worry about the mess and just let him air out as much as possible. Actually, it's hasn't been that messy, I probably should have started this much sooner.  Thankfully, he is quite the little trooper because although I can hardly stand to look at his raw little butt cheeks, he doesn't seem too bothered by it.
I'll spare you any more details about the status of poor Henry's bum. How about some photos? (not of the bum)

Daddy sacrificing his scalp to give Henry some shade! 

Hey, that's almost a smile! Does anyone else think his hair is starting to look orange??

Aww.. 

Henry with his buddy, Oliver, at a picnic at the park after church. Not sure what they are looking at, but they are very cute. And, yes, Henry's pants are a little big. 

Weeks Two and Three.. My how time flies!

Wow, time really does seem to by flying by, and our little boy is growing so fast! I can see his cheeks getting fuller by the day!
Henry's done really well these past couple of weeks. There have been a few nights with a few hours of constant fussiness, which must be related to something I've eaten; right now we're thinking it was extra glasses of milk after dinner.. we'll see. Most of the time he sleeps anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time, with a couple of grunts and groans (or "squeaks" as we have now nicknamed him) in between. Last week we gave him his first bottle and he took it like a champ, and I learned the lesson that even if Chad feeds him, I still have to pump if I don't want to drown the poor child with milk at the next feed!  He's already been to two baby showers, church, Lowe's and Target. I'm starting to figure out how to navigate errands with a little one, though I learned the hard way how not to shop with him as I had all my items piled on top of him and in my arms on the first trip to Target. Next time I'll get a buggy and leave the stroller in the car!
As I have mentioned before, Chad and I were both pretty nervous about how this whole "parenting" thing was going to go for us. Even though everyone said it would be wonderful, that it's "different when it's your own child" etc, it was just so hard to imagine what it would be like. I think I expected that I would feel "put out" all the time, or bothered that I couldn't do something I used to do because now we have a baby. I guess I just knew how selfish I really was! It's amazing to report, however, that everyone was right (imagine that!). God does, in fact, know what He is doing. We have been praying continually for months that He would prepare us for this journey, and He has. WAIT, I know- we're only 3 weeks in to a lifelong journey that will come with countless challenges that we can't even imagine right now.. I know it's not going to be easy, I'm just saying that I realize now that I'm not going to be sitting around mourning the loss of life "the way it was", as it's just getting better by the day.
Ok, enough of that seriousness.. on to some pictures!

Daddy giving Henry his first bottle

As of last night, the second belly has been replaced with a baby! Congrats Amy on the arrival of Oliver! 

Mommyhood.. Week One

Wow! I'm not sure where to begin as it seems like there is so much to say!
First of all, what a blessing to be able to report that things are going so much better than expected. As I've mentioned to those who have asked, I guess Chad and I had our expectations set pretty "low" as far as how we would adjust to parenthood! We were pretty happy with our life as we knew it, so it was hard to imagine how adding something that would change everything would end up being positive.  BUT, thank the LORD, He knew what He was doing by trusting us with this precious child and Henry has been such a blessing! Not that it's easy, or that I don't just randomly cry sometimes for no reason whatsoever, but overall, we are doing really well.  For those who care, I'm trying to stick with the principals taught in BabyWise, as they seem to make sense and have worked for many happy babies (and parents) that I know. It's going pretty well, he seems to be eating and sleeping like he's supposed to, aside from 2-3 fussy nights that may be explained by my food choices. He's been a good nurser from the beginning, which I am very thankful for, and his blood sugars (which are sometimes low for babies with diabetic mom's) were great, what a relief. Oh, and I must thank my mom for helping keep things under control around here! She's been so helpful with food, cleaning, laundry, etc. Priceless!  Well, there is still so much more to say, but that'll have to do for now! Here are some photos:

Here I am the night before Henry's arrival.. 37 weeks

About to be parents!! (Is my face really that puffy? oh well!) Notice my pump clipped to my collar.. worked out well- another answered prayer!

Yay, he's here!!

My all star NICU team- thanks Angie and Melanie!

Two sets of proud grandparents

Cousins!

I'm not paying much attention; but this is us, about to take our baby home!

Settling in to the nursery

Hanging out in the office with dad 

Stefanie's baby shower/Henry's first party! This needs to be posted next to one of the pictures of us all pregnant, which I don't seem to have. 

Getting some Tummy Time

More Photos

Well, we've enjoyed a nice weekend together, and I think are both sort of in shock about the fact that Henry will be here tomorrow!! It is exciting, but definitely scary, too. I'm just so thankful we serve a mighty God who got us to this point and who I know will guide us through the next adventure. Thanks so much for all of your prayers!
Here's a few more photos of the nursery, it's still not finished (that is not what is going on the that shelf), but at least it's not an office anymore!

Thanks so Chad and his dad for refinishing this dresser from Chad's childhood room!

Waaay Behind!

Boy, do I have some catching up to do! Since I'm going back to Thanksgiving.. I'll try to make it quick!
We spent Thanksgiving with family in Pensacola. Chad's sweet church family blessed us with a baby shower for Henry and we had great time visiting with the Overmans.
Then, back to work on the workshop.
My friends at work threw us another shower.. Henry is so loved!
Time seemed to fly by and it was suddenly Christmas! We had a great time with both of our families, celebrating the birth of Christ and watching our nieces and nephew enjoy the season.
Then, back to work on the workshop.
With the new year it seemed that we were starting to make a lot of progress on things around the house, and suddenly the transformation started to take place! The workshop and new office came together, we moved Chad's office out back, most everything from the garage moved out to the workshop, the weight set from the utility room moved to the garage, my sewing nook then got to move from the guest room to the utility room (BONUS for me, I was very excited!). Then the remainder of stuff from Chad's office got moved to the extra space in the guest room. SO... (drum roll please) that left us with an empty room ready to take shape into a nursery!  Yay!  It's not completely finished yet, but we at least have the essentials in place.

In baby news, Henry has continued to stay pretty healthy. He moves around like crazy, which I think is the coolest part of pregnancy for sure. My blood sugars have been ok, still the best they've ever been by far, but certainly not perfect. At one point Henry's weight estimate jumped up to the 85th percentile, but most recently, at 35 weeks, he was 5 pounds, 13 ounces and in the 54th percentile. My OB seemed to think I would need to deliver by 37 weeks due to possible damage to the placenta from life long diabetes, and it turns out that I have a partial placenta previa anyway, so he's recommending a c-section at 37 weeks, which will be THIS Monday, January 31st. I won't say Chad and I aren't a bit freaked out about the idea of starting this parenting thing, but we're praying and trusting that God will prepare us for the road ahead! I'm sure it will be a interesting and exciting adventure!

Here's a few photos:

 Chad's new "grown up" office furniture!

 The weight bench being moved to the newly cleaned garage! Very exciting!

The plan is coming together.. Henry officially has a room in the house!

Thank you to Craig's List for outfitting our nursery, and to mom for the valance and bedskirt! 

Henry and I with Mom, Barbara and Doreen and Beverly (the hostesses) at the shower. 

More workshop photos to come, it has definitely filled up! Chad is really enjoying his space.. thanks Dad!!

More Progress..

Wow, the past few weeks sure have been busy! We've been working pretty continuously on the workshop and are getting closer and closer to being done. Here's some of the latest photos:

 Dad and Chad working on the wiring

 Chad's preparing the floor for epoxy... now it's blue and soon will have orange "flecks" ;)

Muddin'! (sanding drywall in the office)

- always loads of fun!

The Gators had a pretty unfortunate football season this year, but we still had a good time cheering them on. Mom, Dad and Marcus got to join us for the last couple of games. 

Catching Up!

Wow, I guess it's a good thing I'm not a professional blogger, because it sure is hard to keep this thing up to date! I'm sure you've all been anxiously awaiting news of the latest happenings with the Overmans. Hmm.. maybe not!
On the pregnancy front- those of you who may have been worried that I was going to get in trouble for an assault on my less than friendly OB, you can relax.. I have a new doctor!! It could end up being a long story, but the bottom line is that God is SO GOOD and truly cares about every detail of our lives, so He worked it out for an easy switch to another high risk doctor in the same practice who is pretty much the nicest doctor I've ever met. Chad won't hesitate to say that we (I) needed the wake up call in the beginning to get my blood sugars under much tighter control, but I'm very thankful for the way it's worked out. Speaking of my blood sugars.. they have gotten a little trickier to control as of late, but I think we're doing ok.
Next.. the Gators. Since moving to Gainesville in 2005 we've won 4 national titles (in the sports I watch anyway), and, of course, have enjoyed cheering for Tebow, and overall just doing pretty well.  So, I must say it was pretty sad to walk out of the swamp after losing, again, to an unranked team, on HOMECOMING a few weeks ago! As I was in complete shock, Chad simply said "welcome to the 80s".  I guess you can't be in the top 10 every year, oh well! However, it is still GREAT to be a Florida Gator and we are still going to enjoy cheering them on for the rest of the season. It was nice to see a few changes-and a win- last week, so who knows what the rest of the season holds!

Henry's first Football Season!!

Chad sometimes gets annoyed that I make him pose for a picture at every game.. he seems to think they all look alike. Crazy, right? I'm clearly wearing a headband in one of these!

And, finally- The Workshop! Dad and his crew (ok, one guy named AC) were busy and it was pretty much done and ready for inspection within a few weeks! I was amazed at the progress.  Now Dad, Chad, and Uncle George are left to wire it for electricity, then we floor and drywall the office... THEN we will be ready to set up the nursery in Chad's old office. We're getting close! We've enjoyed the help of many Overman's on the weekends as we worked on a few small projects dad left for us, (painting, walls, etc.) Thanks everyone!

Thanks, Pop!

Brothers..  

This is a view from the open workshop area, that doorway opens to Chad's new office.  

Henry's getting in on the action

Nice work, Dad, it looks great!!!!

Good News!

We had our "big" ultrasound last week and were so thankful to find out that our little growing baby is HEALTHY!!   Praise God!  This was such a relief and huge answer to prayer.  I can't stop being amazed by the fact that there is a tiny little person in my belly- growing and moving and with a little beating heart. God truly is amazing; what a miracle!

                                                                                                                                                                     

Henry's profile. 

Yes, I said Henry. We have a name:

Charles "Henry" Overman

Henry is both Chad's dad's and my dad's middle name, so it's special to us. Also, Chad comes from a long line of "Charles Henry"'s, so we are proud for our little one to share in that heritage (ours is technically number 6!). 

Speaking of Chad's heritage.. we know where he gets his Gator Spirit! His 94 (? I think) year old grandmother made the trip from Pensacola for the last home game, and had a blast! Grandma O. and her late husband have had seats in "box 1" since they were placed in the stadium and I'm pretty sure she's been at every game she was physically able to attend since then! 

 Hiking in..

Go Gators!

Catching up with her longtime Gainesville friend, Mrs. Carr. I think they would have talked all day if we would have let them. I thought they were cute in their orange and blue.