Let's start at the very beginning...

As you may know by now, we welcomed our son, Harold Aden Wertz V, or Quint as we are calling him, into the world on Tuesday, May 8th at 11:03 PM after being induced that morning.  He was 7 lb. 14 oz. and 20.5 inches long.  The whole process began at 7:15 AM and our lives changed in a wonderful, amazing way in such a short period of time.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:15 AM and Aden and I enjoyed some quiet time of relaxation, conversation and merriment... at least until mid-afternoon when things got painful.  We played cribbage, talked, and I introduced him to my pregnancy indulgence - "What Not to Wear" on TLC.  I texted my mom & sister and said it was like vacation, only I was wearing a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV.  :)  The rest of the afternoon and evening wasn't so vacation-like, but in the end we had a beautiful new son and in that time and over the course of the next week, I gained a much deeper appreciation for my husband.  He was the most amazing coach ever and took care of me so sweetly, gently and selflessly. 

I am amazed at how much love I have for our little guy.  I love watching Aden with him as well - I think it is safe to say that we are both smitten and the lack of sleep, etc. pales in comparison to how awesome it is to finally snuggle with him.  Since having Quint I have come to appreciate my husband, my bed, sleeping on my back, pain medications, my supportive family, my Creator, and far more in much greater dimension!  There are so many little joys as well as great discoveries and truths that we have only begun to understand.  Who knew you could sit and look at the same little person for so much time and be filled with so much joy!  ...And who knew you could change so many poopy diapers in one day...

First full day home from the hospital

Meeting Auntie Meg

Oma and Quint having quality snuggle time

Buddy meets Baby (the beginning of a beautiful friendship)

"He's a lumberjack and he's ok..."

Family time on Mother's Day

Auntie LoLo came up for an afternoon

"Just because I'm wearing a ducky outfit doesn't mean I'm not a tough guy!"

Sing our song to Quint..."Sweet Pea, apple of my eye..."

Quint wore this on Aden's first day back to work in honor of his daddy.

Meeting some of the cousins

Grandpa singing a song to Quint

First outing - weight check at the doctor

First bath - He's really excited!

Tummy time!

More cousins and family!  Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Tara, Madeline & Caitlin

Grampy and Quint

Having a heart to heart

He found his thumb!  But he hasn't found it since. :)

Holding his head up all by himself!

Mommy & Quint time

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Sometimes (often), things don't work out as I planned. As of today I am one week over my due date.  Do I really have anything to complain about?  No.  Was my plan and schedule different than what has transpired?  Yes.  Is it the end of the world?  No.  Has it been a frustrating week?  I'd be lying if I said no. 

41 weeks and baby is content in the belly...

I am reminded of our house hunting/moving process last summer, when we had to move our belongings into storage and live with a friend for two months as we found the right house and went through the rigorous process of getting a closing date set.  It is in times like these that I find I have to make a choice about how I will respond.  How will I handle the unknown or better yet, Who will I allow to handle the unknown.  Is it up to me alone?... or am I able to relinquish control over the situation, realizing that an attitude of surrender to One who is greater is a far better choice!  Ahhh waiting...it always builds character, but it's not always easy.

It is easy to let fear, anxiety, discouragement, frustration, annoyance, etc. hold mastery over us.  But I am reminded of James's words in James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  Now this week hasn't been full of huge trials, but it has surely tested my patience.  I have learned that everyone has an opinion and everyone means well, but at the same time it's not always helpful or encouraging...a great opportunity to practice patience and grace.  I am not typically one to be fearful, but when you're thinking about the well-being of your baby and your well thought out plans that aren't turning out the way you'd hoped, is easy to let the voices of fear and anxiety speak loud and clear. 

So, tomorrow morning we are going in for an induction.  And maybe we will have a baby tomorrow, and maybe we won't, but he will come when he is ready.  As I was reminded last summer during our moving process, it is always better when I have surrendered to the timing and terms of my Creator and Heavenly Father because ultimately He sees the big picture and His perspective is eternal while mine is limited, finite.  It is in the surrender that I find peace and comfort.

"Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10

39 weeks and getting sassy!

Love having pregnant friends. Bethany at 28 weeks and me at 39. 
Sabra wanted to get in on the fun too!

Baby Boy has been the token male at many bridal showers this spring.

41 weeks and still going strong.

Long overdue (this blog post that is...)

No...this isn't our baby - it's our niece, but I just think it's so darn sweet and a great preview of what is to come!

34 weeks

36 weeks

38 weeks today!

So while I'm not long overdue as far as the baby is concerned, I'm getting awfully close to my due date, April 30th!  As of today I am 38 weeks along.  As of last Sunday I was considered full-term so little baby boy could come to visit at any time and be just fine.  I would like  to finish my semester at Lycoming, get my grades in, clean my house, etc. before he comes, but you just can't plan these things and that is ok!  It is a great way to learn to be flexible and open to whatever God has in store. 

Creative treats with a monkey theme

We are excited and ready!  I had several wonderful showers provided by supportive friends and family and it was so wonderful to catch up with old friends, colleagues, students, etc. and to know that our baby boy is going to be magnificently loved by many.

Two great girls - with Amy and Lauren

A very creative shower game in Williamsport... "Everybody poops!"
Or guess what candy bar was melted to look like baby poop.

With Mom & Meg

The nursery is just about ready and much of the clothing, sheets, blankets, etc. are washed and ready to be used & worn.  Today Aden installed the car seat into my car and yesterday he installed the diaper sprayer.  For those who are not in the cloth diapering world, this is a little gadget connected to your toilet, very similar to the sprayer on your kitchen sink.  It is used for spraying off cloth diapers.  I hear it makes cleaning poopy diapers waaaayyyyy easier!

The closet...between gifts and hand-me-downs, this little boy is going to be stylin'

I will leave you with my husband's quote of the day (and it's only 7:45 AM!).  As he began to paint my toenails this morning I assured him it was ok if it wasn't perfect.  He responded, "I have painted many model cars, which is a lot like this."  And I must say, this might be the nicest toe nail painting job I've ever had!

In the single digits!

31 weeks

As of yesterday I am 32 weeks along and now we are counting backwards: 8 weeks to go!  This past weekend was my first baby shower of several, thrown for me in my home area (Lancaster, PA) by one of my close friends, my mom, and my sister.  It was such a wonderful time to catch up with important ladies in my life, some of whom who have been in my life since we moved to PA 18 years ago.

There were the church ladies (and my mum!)...

Unfortunately I didn't get all of them in the picture!

Two dear high school friends...

2 great college friends (and two of my many friends named Amy/Aimee)...

And 2 special girls from grad school who made the long trip to spend some time with me...

This might just be the official 32 week belly picture

And my sister!  She was the giver of the crown I was wearing that said, "Future-mom-to-be!"

If you've not read the book, "The Five Love Languages," it essentially addresses the different ways in which people love and feel most loved.  Those of you who have read it may remember that one of them is quality time.  One of the ways I feel most loved and show love is by spending or trying to spend quality time with my husband, family, and friends.  This weekend spoke to that desire and need in me in a great way as I had friends traveling distances large and small to spend this special time with me and celebrate the new life that is very actively growing and preparing to join us out in the world!  Thanks to those of you who were able to come and a very special thanks to my mom, sister, and great friend Angie for putting on such a great event!

In other news, Sunday morning we received a phone call at 7 AM to tell us that our new niece had been born to Tara & Jason at 5 AM on Saturday.  So after church we hopped in the car and made our way down to Baltimore to meet Madeline Eleanor Diel!

Practice makes perfect!

And on the home front, the nursery is mostly finished.  We will continue to add some final finishing touches, but for now, here are some pics of the progress.  Aden did a wonderful job with the walls, covering over the unusable windows, painting, and applying the decal.

He also put up new blinds.  I re-covered the chair with my amateur sewing skills and with the addition of some furniture from generous friends and family, we are just about ready for this little baby boy! 

Why don't they make pregnant super heroes?

My husband is full of hilarious comments and questions.  For instance, today as I was half dressed and acting ridiculous (Who? ME?!),

We're having a baby!

flexing my muscles and showing off my expanding midriff, he exclaimed, "You look like a superhero!  Why don't they make pregnant super heroes?"  So...calling all pregnant women - come up with your super hero identity because we may be called into action at any moment!  I'm leaning towards The Mighty Mothering Munchkin, a spinoff of a nickname from college (The Mighty Munchkin).  There have been many other funny comments, but the only other one I can remember came around Christmas time, shortly after we found out we were having a boy.  "So..." He paused in quiet reflection.  "If you are a girl and there is a boy in your belly...what does that make you now?"

More to come...

It has been a month since I last blogged and much has changed. 

26 weeks

 I have officially entered my third trimester and I am feeling and seeing many differences.  This baby is active and of course, he is most active when I'm lying in bed trying to sleep or when I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.  As of yesterday I am now seeing the midwives every two weeks and things are looking great.  I'm right on track as far as the size of the baby is concerned and we are both healthy!  We attended a day-long childbirth class last Saturday and a nursing class this past Tuesday and we feel that much more prepared.  Aden was a great sport at both and he will be a wonderful coach throughout this process.

29 weeks - 11 to go!  Hello Trimester #3!

I have realized how thankful I am for being surrounded by ladies who have gone through the same things and I am sure that I will appreciate them even more as I navigate the Mommy Realm.  About a month ago, as I began to register for baby things, I became increasingly overwhelmed realizing how little I knew.   It was a little different (and when I say a little I mean A LOT) than registering for a wedding where all you have to decide are things like what dishes you like; flannel sheets or jersey sheets?;  is the salad spinner really worth it?! 

But now I had entered the world of swaddlers, sleep sacks and onesies...once I learned what they were, I then realized I had no idea how many I really needed!   But as the much sought after advice poured in from wonderfully helpful friends near and far regarding what I did and didn't need, I started to understand.   With their guidance and our own research and reading, I do believe we have a pretty good handle on what is a necessity, what is a unnecessary but wonderful to have, and what will only prove to be clutter.  Everyone has a slightly different opinion and very different experiences, but all have proven to be useful.   So now, we have officially registered at Target and Amazon.com and I do believe we will be well prepared when the baby arrives!  Then we will be on to the next set of questions...

A work in progress...

We have also been working on preparing the nursery.  And when I say we, I mean Aden!  We have a very small yet useful room attached to our bedroom which will be the nursery.  It is the size of some people's walk-in closets and thus we have great incentive not to accumulate more than we actually need.  On either end of the room are windows which were covered over with siding on the outside and then painted over on the inside by a previous owner...yeah, thanks for that. 

The walls will be a light brown and these curtains (covering the real windows) will be replaced by espresso brown cellular shades.

Aden has been working hard to cover over the covered-over windows so we have useful wall space and as of earlier today, he put a fresh coat of paint on the walls.  We have a cute monkey decal to put on the wall and will have a bit of a monkey/jungle animal theme, though nothing too crazy since the room is small.

More changes and exciting things to come...