Harper's Birth Story

A ton has happened since the last post . . . and so we begin with Harper's birth.

About 2:00 p.m. on October 2nd, Whit began having contractions. We went through the day timing the them hoping this was the real thing. We returned from Enid hoping to have to return! She walked, she ironed, she mowed the lawn . . . you get the idea. Around midnight her contractions were around 6 minutes apart or less, so we decided to make our way to the hospital to get things checked out. It didn't seem at first that they would keep us in, we worried they would send us home. The doctor had us walk the halls to help labor progress. About 7:00 a.m. (October 3rd) they decided to keep us and put us in a room.

Both of our families came up in the middle of the night to be with us. Around 2:00 p.m. the nurse came in and said it was time to push! Whit pushed for an hour and at 3:03 p.m. Harper Grace Laramore entered the world!

She weighed 8.07 lbs and was 20 & 1/4 inches long.

Announcing . . . no, no just read below . . .

EDITORS NOTE: Instead of beginning this blog with the typical, "Wow, it's been a long time since the last post," we'll just continue it as if we blogged last night. ;)

If you haven't been keeping up with us on Facebook, we've got an announcement . . . we're pregnant! . . . by the way, we're due in a week and a half! That's right, hopefully in less than a week and a half we'll be holding in our arms Harper Grace Here are some highlights from the past 8 1/2 months:

January - We found out we were going to be parents.

February - We did very well at hiding pregnancy and morning . . . ALL DAY sickness!

March - We got to see sweet pea for the first time!

April - Whit celebrated her first birthday as a pregnant chica!

May - We found out we were having Harper Grace as opposed to Harry Grover (errr wait, what?) Also felt Harper kick for the first time!

June - Bryan celebrated his first birthday as dad-2-be, we celebrated our anniversary as uber-excited parents to be, and Bryan felt Harper kick for the first time . . . funny story on that last one, but we'll save it for later . . .

July - Whit experienced a very hot Falls Creek Summer Camp as a 7-month-pregnant momma

. . . aka, a "hot" momma (obviously Bryan is typing at the moment)

August - We had a 4-D ultrasound to determine that cysts on the brain had dissolved. We had two WONDERFUL showers as well as put together her nursery.

September has come and we are playing the "Waiting Game."

Just today, we went to an all day Prepared Childbirth Class from 10 to 4 . . . which made us all the more ready for Harpie to join us this side of the womb!

More to come, we promise! (but hopefully not 9 months from now!)

B&W&H...

Who Says "Dress Up" is Just for Kids?

Sometimes I do crazy things, this is a well known fact. But in case you didn't know this already, or just weren't quite convinced, I present to you two pieces of evidence:

#1 - A few weeks before the depressing conclusion of the Cowboys' season, they nearly derailed the then undefeated New Orleans Saints' incredible season (unfortunately they recovered and will be showcased in the 2010 Super Bowl . . . drats!). Nevertheless, filled with excitement, I decided to display a little pride in my team. Sporting a Dallas Cowboy #24 (Marion Barber) Jersey pulled over a white button-up and Dallas Cowboy tie, I marched out the door to parade the defeat over the Saints! Here's how it went:

#2 - Again, in an attempt to display confidence in my team, I accepted a wager with one of our students, "Mark Sanchez" (not the students' real name; his identity will remain anonymous!) Here was the situation: The Cowboys and the Jets were both in for a post-season run. I receive a text message that begins a bit of a conversation. Here's how it goes,

"Mark Sanchez": "Oh hey, u wanna make a wager?"

Me: "Bring it son!"

"Mark Sanchez": "I bet my nfl team goes farther than urs!"

Me: "You're on!"

"Mark Sanchez": "Ok! Wat u wanna bet?"

Me: "Lemme think on it and I'll text you tomorrow."

(the next day)

Me: "If the Boys advance farther than whoever you waste time rooting for [:)], then you have to clean the Summit House (our youth/multipurpose building), top to bottom."

The other end of the bargain was not so glamorous for an OSU fan who doesn't like OU . . . if the Cowboys did not go farther than the Jets in the playoffs . . . um . . . yeah . . . then I'd have to PREACH IN OU GARB!!!!!! Garbage that is! Here's the unfortunate evidence of this endeavor:

Looks like I've gained a lot of weight (it's just the shirt) . . . and a lot more humility . . . lesson learned!!! (by the way, in the background is the Summit House that still sits dirty as a result of the loss of this wager)