A Year Ago Today

A year ago today, December 10th 2008, we brought home our son. After spending 8 long days and nights up in Portland at Legacy Emanuel Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), we were given the OK to bring Teagan home. I remember feeling overwhelmed, as do most parents I'm sure when they bring home their baby for the first time. We at leased we somewhat lucky in a way because Teagan was already on a schedule, eating every 3 hours. It was a little nerve racking to then have to get into our car and drive 2 hours home from Portland and have it timed just right. Mind you we had left our home in a hurry since my water had suddenly broke 6 weeks early. I couldn't think of what the house was going to be like when we arrived. As we pulled into our driveway, there was my dad, he had been up at the house and had turned the lights and the heat on for us. Thanks Dad! Here are some photos from a year ago today....

Here is James with Teagan in his car seat, inside this wooden shopping cart lookin' thing, that the stroll the babies out of the NICU with. Strange huh.

We stopped by this beautiful Christmas tree for a quick photo.

Getting put into the car for the first time.

Goodbye Hospital!

First car ride home!

Look how tiny Teagan was!

This was the first time in his bedroom bassinet, next to our bed.

We are having so much fun being parents. It is one of the hardest, yet rewarding jobs there are. We are in love with this little boy of ours and enjoy watching him grown, learn and smile every day.

We love you Teagan!

Teagan's 1st Birthday Party

Saturday was Teagan's 1st Birthday party. We had a nice time with a few friends and mostly family. I had planned for a 2 o'clock party so that he could take a good nap before the chaos. My friend Jen helped me set up, and she was a huge help. Thanks Jen! I made Teagan his own cake that he could enjoy and destroy. In all we had a nice time. Thank you to all that came! See you next year!

James and I with our big 1 year old!

Me and Teagan, I just can't believe he is 1!

The beginning of the present opening.

He likes the tissue paper!

He got his own stuffed-soft play panda from Grandma Tapir!

Figuring out a new toy.

I think I might have mentioned that he loves tissue paper! Forget the actual gift that was inside, just give him the paper!

Ohhh, ribbon..........

In a sea of paper...

...and in a mountain of paper!

Cake time!

James and I blew out the candle. Teagan wanted to grab at the candle so badly.

Oh Daddy, I touched the cake!

Yum!

Some help from Mom.

Going to town!

Happy Boy!

Yeah! Alright, the sugar high has kicked on!

This was what was left of him.....just kidding.

James stripped him down of the chocolate mess to let him play.

Teagan's 1st Birthday

Today was the big day for us and Teagan, he turned 1! I just can't believe that it has been 1 year since he came into our world. We just love this little boy so much and look forward to the years to come to watch him grown and learn many new things. Since it was a week day, James went to work and I went to school. When we got home we had some time to play and hang out with him and then went out to dinner to the Supper Club in Astoria. I went out earlier and bought him 2 birthday outfits, one for today and one for his party on Saturday. Our friends, Nathan and Jessica, brought by a gift that Teagan just loves, a dump truck. Today he learned that he can dance, it is very funny,and we caught it on video.

My dad was in town and came by to visit us this afternoon.

James and Teagan at dinner.

My baby boy!

Teagan, giving me a funny grin!

Here is the video of Teagan "dancing" for the first time to the music on his new truck.

Thoughts of Today, December 1st

I have many feelings from today. Not only from today, but from a year ago today, December 1st, 2008. On this day last year, at 9:30pm, is when my water broke unexpectedly, 6 weeks early. It all started at home, thank God, around 9:25pm when I had this shaking feeling inside by belly. It startled me so that I grabbed a hold of James' leg and said, Geez, it felt like the baby just had a seizure inside me!" Then a a few moments later, a gush of warm water. I turned to James and said, " My water just broke!" He asked me if I was serious, of which I answered in a much more "colorful" way, "I'm not (blank) joking!" I got up and held my legs together and went into the bathroom. I sat there on the toilet as fluid continued to come out. I told James, " Hear that? I am NOT peeing right now!" I remember calling my mom, who lives in Portland, 2hrs from Astoria, my Dad,who had just driven to Bend from Astoria (5hrs) and Sheryl, who then came right up. I also called my Aunt Jane and a few friends all from the bathroom, while James ran upstairs to pack a bag. I called to hospital and informed them that I was 34 weeks and that my water broke. They told me to come into the Emergency room immediately. James grabbed me a big bath towel and I held it in between my legs and got into the car and off to the Hospital. Below are some pictures from the moments following on this day, last year.

Here I am at Columbia Memorial Hospital, in disbelief. Thinking to myself,"I can't believe this is happening right now, I have finals next week, then this can be happening!"

Here I am calling a few friends to let them know that my water has broken.

The waiting game, while the nurse is imputing data and the IV tech getting ready to put in an IV.

Trying to find a vein. See the needle? They poked me 7 times there!

Oh this was lovely, here they are not only poking me again, but also telling me that I have to be transported to Portland, by ambulance! The hospital here was not equipped to deal with premature babies.

This was the Paramedic, Beth, who took me to Legacy Emanuel Hospital.

All loaded up on the gurney with James by my side.

This moment I remember vividly! Every time the baby (Teagan) would move, more water would come out. So as they where wheeling me out to the ambulance he moved and...swoosh! I freaked out and said,"Take me back in, tons of water just came out!" Beth, the paramedic checked me, and said it was OK, and we continued. So I sat in my own water the whole trip!

All loaded up and off we went to Portland. The whole way there I tried to relax, but I just kept on thinking, "I can't believe this is happening, I have finals next week!"

This was the start of my whole new adventure of being a mom, for us being parents to a wonderful little boy. I am still in disbelief today that I am a mom for one, and that for two, that it has been a whole year since the most important boy decided he wanted to see us 6 weeks early! Tomorrow marks our 1 year of making it as parents and what a great gift it is!

Teagan's 1 Year Photos

Today we went to Babies R Us to have our pictures taken. We got shots of just Teagan for his 1 year photos and then we got some family shots. It is strange to me that it has almost been a year since I had him. He is the best thing in our life. Even though Teagan was not in the best of moods this morning, we were not sure why, we were able to get some photos that worked.

Our sweet boy.

He kept on wanting to bring his arm up, so why not.


Teagan thought it was neat to push the logs around, and to pat on them as if they were drums.

Teagan with the (really big) good 'ol fashion wooden block.


I loved this little white bench.

Our family picture

Me and T

James with "Buds"

Splish Splash!

Teagan loves his baths! We have such a routine now that it works out great right before bed. He is able to play and release any built up energy he has before he gets tired and is ready for bed. Every bath he has I sing to him, "Splish Splash I was taking a bath, duh duh duh duh, all on a... (whatever night it is) night! Rub a dub dub, just me and the tub, doing what I wanna a do...duh duh duh duh!" I snapped these pictures last night and captured him acting funny on camera, at the bottom of this blog post there is a video. Enjoy!

(Caution...contains nudity!)

Teagan knows it's bath time!

"I see my tub!"

He is still too small to be in the regular bath tub, so he is in his own.

Playing with his bucket. He tries to drink out of it.

Hey!

I love this picture, he was having such a good time!

Clapping his hands!

Here comes the water!

Looking at Mom!

Getting dried off (minus the drool).

This is a towel that has a hood with a lion on it.

Teagan wears Huggies Night-time diapers that are extra absorbent, which he needs!

Oh, the remote!

Below is the video:

Walking Baby!

I took this video on October, 20th, of Teagan walking with his "walker". He is becoming such a big boy now, I wonder why it is going by so fast! I hope you enjoy the video, I think it is very cute!