Time with Chris, Lesley, and Isaiah

We were so excited that Chris, Lesley, and Isaiah came to visit for a few days! Isaiah is about 9 months old, which is such a fun age! He babbles, smiles, and plays a lot. Plus, he's gotten so much bigger!




Here is a picture of the fam with all of the new members! We had a great dinner at Chuck, Deda, and Liz's house that Sunday!

Uncle Chris and Aunt Lesley!

We had lunch with Liz at Bojangles!







One of my favorite pictures!







Isaiah loves the camera! What a ham!





Hallie with Aunt Lesley! (another fav pic of mine!)

Mom and Isaiah!

Mom and Dad with the grandkids!

The cousins with Chris and Lesley!

Mom and I were at their house with Hallie while Chris and Lesley went out for awhile. Frankie hopped up into mom's lap unexpectantly! He needs lots of love too!

So far, things are still going pretty well. Sometimes, Hallie sleeps through the night, sometimes, we have some crying fits. I'm learning to be thankful no matter what type of night we have! I am glad to be able to nap a bit during the day and evening, which has been helpful!

We have taken her out a bit- shopping and to eat lunch with dad at Bo Peeps today and last Thursday! We've had lots of wonderful friends and family give us meals these last weeks, which has been great!

Getting to Know You!

We've made it almost two weeks! All of us have learned so much about one another!

I asked Jason this week what his favorite part was in having Hallie and he said that it was that he has two people to look forward in coming home two instead of one. :)

My favorite is the funny facial expressions and quirks she has!

She loves to stretch, as seen below:

And she makes this little "o" look with her mouth, like below

In the last few days, she's been a lot more alert and moves her eyes alot!

Here are some good photos with family these past weeks!

With Grandmom

With Grandad

At the hospital

With Aunt Deda and Uncle Chuck

With Nana

With cousin Aida

With Paw Paw

With Karen

With Mike and Becca

With Uncle Lee

With Great Grandma!

So far, we've had more good days & nights than bad! Lately, I think she's had more indigestion, so we've had some long hours during the night. I've been sleeping in the nursery with her so that Jason can get a decent night's sleep. She can really wail loudly sometimes! Maybe she'll be a good sport's fan!

I've definitely feeling like the days have blurred together, but here are some highlights that I recall:

The first two nights, we were here by ourselves. She did well, only waking up about twice or so for feedings.

Saturday, mom stayed with us, which worked out well because Hallie had a bad tummy ache that night, so I was able to get some sleep.

Linda stayed with us this past week and was a great help for me!

Thursday we went to Statesville to eat at Ruby Tuesday for Gary's birthday, so it was our first offical eating out in public! She did well, except for a yucky #2. (thanks Linda for taking care of that for me!)

Friday, we showed her off at CFA and to Jason's co-workers! Then, the three of us made a evening run to CVS, which was nice!

Saturday, Hallie and I went over to mom and dad's while mom and Jason painted the hallway. Later that night, Jason and I went shopping at Kohls and Target, leaving Hallie with grandmom. As much as I'm enjoying being around her, it was nice to get away for awhile!

The only "bump" so far was that our doctor heard an extra heart beat at her appointment this week. He felt concerned, so we went Thursday morning back to the hospital for an echo/ultrasound. She kept me up that night, but it worked out because she slept through it!
The results concluded that there is a small valve that hasn't completely closed yet. Linda did research online that it's very common, especially in girls, and should resolve itself in a month. It was a relief that the doctor's were not alarmed at the problem!

Yesterday, mom helped me out and today, dad has come over too! It's been nice to have someone watch her for awhile so I don't have to worry!

Some Pictures of the first few days!

Some Labor/Delivery/Post Delivery Memories

Here are some memories before I forget!

*When we first go to the room, they asked if we would allow a male nursing student to help. I told them it was fine! He was really nice and is the one who asked me a bunch of the general admission questions with the help of the nurse at the moment. The nurse for that day was the woman who taught the Grandparents class that mom/dad and Linda/Gary went to! How ironic!



*When the night shift nurse said I went from 5cm to 9cm, she got Valerie (the midwife). When Val came into the room, I asked if we could delay pushing for alittle while. Jason's mom had left about an hour before that to go home to get a few things. Val looked at me and said she'd go get a cup of coffee and sip on it slowly before coming back! Even during the first bits of pushing, she would sip on her coffee, which I thought was a bit funny! Drinking coffee while delivering! Linda ended up getting there about 15 minutes after I started pushing, so it all worked out!



*I had asked if they could do a mirror so I could see what was going on during pushing. It did help a bit when I could see the head and tell myself that all the pushing wasn't in vain!

*Jason was great at supporting me during labor, he never left the room and helped me when the contractions got bad, and got me ice chips between pushing segments and



*Dad and Gary sat and talked in the hallway outside the room the whole time during pushing. I could occasionally hear them.


*Jason said "she just kept coming out" once she delivered. When I first saw her, I couldn't believe how big and long she was!

*I thought I would cry when she FINALLY came out because I do get a bit teary eyed when I've watched birthing shows. But, I think I was so exhausted, I had no energy left! Jason did cry a bit though!

*She got a 9 out of 10 on the Apgar test!

*We got to announce the name with all sets of grandparents there. (Linda/Gary (or Nana and Papa), Dean/Karen (or Paw-Paw and Karen) and Carl/Ginger (or Grandmom and Grandad)


*In the morning, Jason and Hallie were both sleeping and they slept the same way! Both their mouths curve down a bit.

*The day nurse on Wednesday came in and told me "Maybe the next one will look like you." She said that Hallie definitely looked like her daddy! Later, mom said Hallie does not look like my baby photos. Linda brought Jason's baby book and we had the proof of how much she does look like him! But sometimes, I do see some Starnes in her!


*We did let her sleep in the nursery that night.

*Vistors at the hospital: All grandparents, Grandma & Grandpa, Uncle Lee, Emily, TK & Maverick, Chuck, Deda, & Liz, Abigail & little Lincoln, Kelly & little Mitchell, Tony & Angela, Lori, Karen's sister Chris, her husband, and their granddaughter Danielle

It's Offically a Holcomb GIRL!

Well, we didn't expect her to come this early, but once again, it's proof we are no longer in control of the Holcomb house! Here's us today!

Hallie Virginia Holcomb, born at 4:55 a.m. September 1st, 2010. She weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and is 22 inches long. I really can't believe she fit in me!





We named her Hallie because it means "Praise the Lord" (like Hallelujah). At the end of February for the ultrasound in Charlotte, the doctor had said he thought it was a girl. Jason started looking for names on babynames.com. I don't remember how we actually found it, but we looked up the name and really thought the meaning symbolized our journey in the pregnancy.


Here's us right after delivery! I definitely praised the Lord after 2 1/2 hours of pushing!














Here's her under the heat light after doing some of the newborn tests! She is very healthy!











Already a daddy's girl!














Here's the background to the story!





Last Friday, my appointment had revealed slightly high blood pressure and protein in the urine, which are signs of the pre eclampsia. My swelling wasn't getting any better either. I went back Monday after having to rest easy and do a 24 hour urine collection on Saturday/Sunday.





My blood pressure was slightly higher and still protein in the urine, so the midwife said she should have results of the lab by that evening. I did not get a call, so I thought things might be okay.





Tuesday, I got a call around 10:00ish and I though the midwife said I had a level of 188. The safe level is nothing above 300. Then, she told me "how would you like to have a baby today or tomorrow?"

I was alittle confused because I thought my levels were okay; she said no, level was 688!

Total shock hit me and I asked if I could call her back after processing this! I hung up the phone and started crying because I still had things I wanted to get done at work before I left. After a few minutes, I called the midwife back and the hospital could admit me at 12:30. I called Jason, who was very calm and fixing the air conditioner in my mom's school room, so I told her to go ahead and tell her what was going on, but that there was no game plan yet.

They started the induction that afternoon and the midwife broke my water around 7:00. I labored until about 1:00 when I got an epidural. She had told me since I showed pre eclampsia signs, that the epidural would be benefical because it helps bring blood pressure down. So, I didn't totally chicken out, the midwife made me do the epidural! But, by midnight, I had very strong contractions and with getting tired, couldn't take it much longer.

After the epidural, the nurse evaluated me and said that I had gone from 5cm to 9cm! Suprising it itself! So, I started pushing around 2:15. It wasn't bad until about the last hour because I could feel so much pressure, but she wouldn't come! I was getting so tired too!

I had great support with the nurse and midwife along with my mom and mother in law, and of course Jason!