Barrett's First Fourth of July

Last weekend, Grant & I packed up ourselves, two dogs, and one baby for our first trip up I-35 since before Barrett was born. At just shy of 4 weeks old, we decided to take the little man on his first roadtrip to Sug and G-Dad's house (my parents) in DFW. I felt pretty overwhelmed with the amount of STUFF that accompanied our little nine-pounder so I started packing four days before we even left. By the time we hit the road, Grant was driving and had Tex as his co-pilot. I was in the backseat with Maggie and Barrett. In the bed, we had a stroller and a huge tupperware carton full of baby necessities, dog goodies, and bags for Mom & Dad. G-Dad laughed when he saw our haul...I'm sure we looked like we were coming to visit for the month instead of the weekend.

Barrett did amazingly well as our newest little traveler. He loves to look around when he's in the truck, but can't fight off sleep for long. He slept almost the entire way to DFW. We stopped long enough to change a poopy diaper and found that the truck's middle console serves as the perfect on-the-road changing table.

We spent most of the weekend passing Barrett from one proud family member to the next and showed him off to some of Grant's buddies who were beating down the door to see Tiny Q. Anthony, one of Grant's best friends, walked in the house and straight over to Barrett. Immediately upon holding him, I heard Tony whisper, "I love you!" and then I watched him sink very slowly into a rocking chair as he made goo-goo eyes at the first baby in their group of friends. That goes down as one of the sweetest early-Barrett moments.

Grant and I did, at one point, decide to venture out with Barrett to a restaurant in Fort Worth. His aunt and uncle were celebrating their 20th anniversary and we wanted to be part of such a big celebration. Barrett did not. We were there no more than 5 minutes and I was already whisking a screaming Barrett away to feed him (note that I'd fed him right before going in). After coming back to the table with a baby who was in a bad mood from having milk come out of his nose, Grant took him outside to try to calm him down. While I tried to visit with Grant's family, I slugged a much-needed coffee and noticed that Grant had been in the middle of slugging some much-needed wine. Our night was not going the way we envisioned. After trying to bring a still-unhappy Barrett back into the restaurant, taking him back out to the truck to change his diaper, and trying once more to visit at the table while Bear screamed his protest, his defeated parents loaded up and headed home. If I had a picture of the inside of that truck as we left the restaurant, it would show two zombie-like, sweaty parents (it was hot inside and outside of the restaurant and scrambling around with an angry baby left us both soaked) and a howling Barrett stuffed in his car-seat, much to his dismay. Lesson learned. We'll keep the kid home until he's 10.

Here are some happier Barrett moments from the trip...

1 month!

Happy 1-month to my baby boy! Even with endless diaper changes and some sleepless nights, the time has flown by with our new addition. Barrett seems to be changing every day from that first night in the hospital. He is a very vocal baby and loves to growl and baaa like a sheep. He does it when he eats and sleeps the most. Half the time, you can't tell if he's actually awake or asleep just based on his noises because he's SO loud!

Barrett loves to pick up his head and have a look around when he's being burped or propped up on our shoulder. But forget about it during tummy-time. That kid will go face-down and cry until we rescue him.

He now follows toys and will turn his head side to side to get a good look at whatever we have. He also likes to roll to his side when we lay him down. He would prefer to be a side-sleeper if we didn't swaddle him.

My favorite is that every day Barrett is now holding eye-contact longer and giving us BIG SMILES! (Of course none for the camera yet.) He smiles for me if I'm not taking too long to feed him (he's not too patient when it comes to meal-time), he smiles for his dad, and he's smiled for his Sug, G-Dad, and Aunt Cookie (my family). He is the most smiley after he's eaten and when he's laying on his play-mat. Call me biased, but he has the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I could look at it all day!

And here's the opposite of Smiley Barrett!


















And a look back at our boy 1 month ago. Happy 1-month, Barrett Ryan! You are loved beyond words!

Snapshots of June 6th

The Birth of Barrett-Part 2

I was told later in the afternoon that I would begin to experience some pressure. As my mom says, if a doctor or nurse tells you that you "might experience some" of anything, prepare yourself for much worse. I began to feel major pressure with each contraction. The nurse, Rachel, told me that there is a fine line between pressure and pain...and I was right on that line. The pressure was so great that all I could focus on was not pushing. Rachel put me on oxygen and I decided at that point that the show was over. I had Grant send our family out into the waiting room. I asked Rachel to check me and I was at 8.5. After maxing out my hourly epidural doses, I was given additional pain meds to help relieve some of the pressure. It worked only enough to relax me a bit, but I still found myself fighting not to push.

Maybe an hour later, the urge to push was so intense that I begged Rachel to check me again. She told me that my process was "textbook" and that it would be a few more hours before I was fully dilated. I must have seemed a bit distraught because Grant insisted that Rachel check me. Sure enough, I was at a 10 and ready to go! We began one round of pushing. My blood pressure immediately dropped and Barrett's heart rate decreased significantly. Rachel rolled me to my side so that both of us could recover.

Grant and I must have looked alarmed because Rachel felt the need to give us a pep-talk. "You guys look scared to death. But you are going to be parents tonight. You are going to do this!" Whether Grant believed her or not, he seemed to jump into rally-mode. Barrett and I were both stabilized and I began pushing again. I didn't feel I was making much progress, but I knew I didn't want to push for two or three hours like I'd been warned might be the case. Grant was my constant cheerleader. One of my favorite memories of Coach Grant was hearing him chant "Dig deep! Come on, Ash, dig deep!" Ever the sports fanatic, his commitment to helping me focus and "dig deep" made me laugh...at least inwardly at the time.

I was told several times that I would, most likely, push for two to three hours since this was my first pregnancy. After pushing for half an hour, I decided I'd be getting this baby out sooner than later. Truth be told, I knew the hospital stopped serving dinner at 7:00pm and I wanted in on some food! Apparently my mom knew I wouldn't prolong this labor either. My mother-in-law later told me that while in the waiting room, my mom said to her, "Ashley's strong. She'll push that baby out in an hour". And that's what I did! The doctor came in a few minutes before Barrett crowned and got me ready to meet my son. Grant watched the entire delivery and was in total awe as his boy came into the world at 6:16pm. (I don't mess around when it comes to dinner.)

Barrett Ryan Qualley weighed in at 8 pounds, 13 ounces and was 20 inches long. Barrett's head was both massive and quite cone-like in form. Grant and I both cried as Barrett was placed on my chest and I remember repeating "You're so cute!" as I stared at his chubby little cheeks. I barely noticed the doctor still working on me as I quickly fell in love with baby Barrett. I later asked what kind of damage I'd suffered at the hands of my little chunk. No episiotomy needed! I required one stitch in what is called a "Grade 1 skid mark". It's a little embarrassing to admit this, but it's part of the story so I'll divulge. I took that term to mean I had some kind of rectal tear. Not true, as I found out later upon self-inspection. But wouldn't you think the same thing from the term "skid mark"?

Only a few minutes after Barrett was born, Grant hurried into the waiting room to announce the arrival of his son. A parade of proud (and crying) family members came in to meet Barrett. While Sug (my mom's hand-picked grandma name), Aunt Cookie (my sister's self-declared aunt name), Uncle Dustin, and Grammy snuggled the cutest baby ever, I attacked a carrot-cake muffin so fiercely that my nurse warned me to slow down or I could throw up. Nope...I kept that muffin down and some Chinese food that Uncle Dustin was nice enough to go out and get for this hungry mama.

I've heard women say that if they could, they'd do their delivery day all over again. That always shocked me because it seemed like so much work...and pain! I pictured women walking around and randomly screaming from the memories of contractions and hard labor. Now I get it. The best things in life sure aren't free and come from serious work. I would repeat June 6th a thousand times over to welcome Barrett into this world. While it was the most difficult thing I've ever done, it was also the most rewarding. I got the most beautiful gift and I thank God for a safe delivery, memorable day, and healthy baby boy. Grant and I feel greatly blessed and are jumping into parenthood with both feet. Let's see where this road takes us... (More birthday photos to come!)

The Birth of Barrett-Part 1

Baby Barrett is here and his parents could not be more thrilled! It felt like nine months both flew by and crawled. The moment I saw Barrett, I knew he was worth the wait. It's amazing how you can love someone so intensely who you've just met. I can now attest to the saying, "Becoming a parent is choosing to have your heart walk around outside of your body". My heart is so completely wrapped up in our little boy and I feel beyond blessed to embark on this journey of parenthood.

Barrett was induced on June 6th, 2011-his dad's 29th birthday. I went in at 6am and was 4 cm dilated and 70% effaced. Pitocin was administered at 8am. I could have received an epidural immediately but wanted to experience some of the "joys" of labor. I had Grant, my mom, sister, and Grant's mom in the delivery room with me. Around 9 or 10am, my doctor came in and broke my water. Everyone besides my mom was out grabbing breakfast and Grant said he was bummed he'd missed such a "big event". In my opinion, it was pretty uneventful besides my mom getting to help by holding the tools for the doctor. You could tell she felt pretty important as honorary nurse.

I started experiencing some contractions shortly after my water broke. My sister-in-law asked what it felt like and the best description I have is that it felt like bad menstrual cramps, especially in my lower back. I was actually managing surprisingly well, but my nurse, Rachel, encouraged me to get the epidural sooner than later since it was part of my plan. Apparently there were nine other women on the floor in labor the same day and the "epidural man" was a hot item. (From time to time you could hear a nurse in another room counting down as a mom pushed until finally the cry of a baby would cause the mommy to cheer and cry.) Rachel suggested I not wait until I was in too much pain and way down the list to get drugs. Around 11 or 12pm, I got my epidural from the most thorough man I've ever met. He was no-nonsense and didn't even break a smile when I referred to him as "new best friend". I think his business-like demeanor is what helped me through the procedure. I had been most nervous about getting the epidural and I know Grant was nervous about seeing it. We were walked through EVERYTHING that was going to happen and not having any surprises really made the whole process much less scary. After getting pain meds, I enjoyed a few hours of on-and-off sleep, a giant popsicle, and a catheter.

As this is the turning point in the story, it seems a good place to pause and tend to the littlest Qualley. Stay tuned for the second half of "The Birth of Barrett"!

The Final Countdown

I'm not sure where the time has gone since we first found out I was pregnant back in September. But here we are at the end of May...just about a week away from my due-date!

A few things I'll miss about being pregnant:
-Spontaneous naps...in the truck...in the staff room at work...on the couch. You name the place, I've probably crashed there.
-Not only being allowed to enjoy a little extra dinner or dessert, but being encouraged to do so! I might regret it on my waistline after Barrett's here, but I enjoyed the good life with bonus doughnuts and hot dogs.
-Funny questions or statements by kiddos at work. One girl wanted me to name my baby "Marshmellow Qualley". Another suggested "Michael Jackson". One little boy asked if my baby was getting wet while I was in the pool.
-Sharing the excitement with moms at work. Unless you took a look at Barrett's room and closet, you wouldn't be able to grasp how spoiled this kid already is. Working at Emler Swim School was like having a hundred family members who all wanted to shower Little Qualley with gifts and know everything as my pregnancy progressed.
-"Ash Wednesday". Grant deemed every Wednesday as my day where he suggested I just do nothing and let him take care of dinner and anything else on my to-do list. I hope this trend continues.
-Thumps and bumps from my belly. I love having such an intimate connection with my baby.
-Maternity shorts and dresses. I could do without maternity jeans and their saggy butts. But give me a pair of cute maternity shorts or a little sundress and I'm in pregger-heaven.
-Surprisingly enough, my OB visits. I was referred to THE best OBGYN. You can tell he loves his job and treats you like you're the only person on this earth having a baby. And his staff is no different. Doctor visits have been like going to visit friends over the past nine months.
-Grant's fascination with my belly. He refers to it as "the Barrett" and would routinely comment on how my Barrett looked bigger and would patiently wait to feel a kick or jab.

Things I won't miss about being pregnant:
-The tossing and turning at night as I struggle to find a comfortable position with my giant belly.
-Getting stuck as I sink into my couch and have to roll my way out.
-The question, "Are you ready?". How do you answer that? "Nope!"

I like that what I'll miss about being pregnant far outweighs the things I won't miss. This pregnancy has been incredibly easy and FUN. I've been blessed with good memories as I've carried Barrett. I know I'll miss the glowing-feeling of growing a tiny human, but I'm ready for the next chapter!

The 5th & Final Shower...BBQ at the Jacks

Our good friends, Joe & Danielle, threw us a BBQ & beer-type shower at their home in Georgetown a couple of weeks ago. One of our favorite things to do with the Jacks is cook dinner once or twice a month. We usually head out to their home on the outskirts of town, grill sausages and let the boys enjoy some beer while the girls talk about kids and being Stay at Home Moms together. We fondly refer to our nights as "Sausage Sundays" so I guess you could say this shower was one big version of our favorite way to spend an evening with friends.

Joe & Danielle made the party very laid-back with BBQ, beer, yard games, and an icecream bar (my personal favorite). The crowd consisted of friends and family our age, some with kids and some without. The Jacks were such gracious hosts and everyone raved about what a great job they did opening their home to the Qualley's loved ones.

Here are pictures of some of the people we love at the party.

My sister Erin & good friend from DFW, Anne.

Some of the boys playing washers outside. Ben, Don, my brother Ryan, Grant, and Anthony.
Jamie and Kacie playing washers.

Our lovely hostess Danielle on the left, Hanna Joe, and Sara...all from work.

My small group ladies-Lacey, Katie, and Kristin!

Mike and Veronica drove in from San Antonio! They were camping with us the week we found out we were pregnant with Barrett. :)

Danielle, Micah, and I.

Lots of boys! Joe, Ben, Don, Anthony, Grant, Russ, and Ryan.

The grilling buddies-Joe and Grant.

And a quick picture with my brother and sister before they headed back up to DFW (with Russ photo-bombing us in the background.)

The next time we see people from our five different showers, we will be official parents of Barrett Ryan Qualley! Thank you all for being so encouraging as we begin this new chapter of life. You've spoiled our growing family with not just baby gifts, but with love and support! Barrett has no idea what a great network of friends and family he is being born into.

Now let's get this show on the road!