Isaiah Perry Starnes

A New Father's First Post.....

Our little man decided to come on his own terms, earlier than mom, dad and our doctor expected. Isaiah was born today, on Christmas day 2009 at 1:55 pm. He weighed in at 7lb 9oz and at a length of 20 1/2 inches. We are grateful for a healthy baby and healthy mom. God has been good to us today and we praise Him.

Here are some pics of the little man...

36 weeks and a bumpy road

I never intended to let 3 weeks pass between posts, but it seems the last few weeks have just flown by and I lost track of time. I was 36 weeks along yesterday. Below is a 36 week belly shot:

Things have gotten a bit more difficult with the pregnancy in the last couple of weeks. Besides the typical discomforts and frequent bathroom trips, my blood pressure has been running a little high and my uric acid level (an indicator of pre-eclampsia) was elevated last week. As a result, my doctors have been watching me more closely. While I haven't yet met the criteria to diagnose pre-eclampsia, they're concerned that I may be heading that direction, so they put me on bedrest. Today I went back for a check-up, and they did a biophysical profile (BPP--an ultrasound looking for certain markers of health in the baby). Everything with Isaiah was fine, so it was really nice to have that reassurance. In fact, he's measuring at the 75% at around 7lb 2oz! I'm going back next Wednesday for my 37 week check and they're going to do another BPP. While the jury is still out on definitive plans for delivery route, induction, etc, my doctor has introduced the possibility of a primary c-section and it's very likely that they'll induce/do a c-section by 39 weeks if Isaiah hasn't come on his own already. I'm certainly fine with him coming sooner than later, though I wasn't bargaining for a recovery from a c-section. We know it's in God's hands, and we'd definitely appreciate your prayers in all of this.

Since I last posted, we've traveled to both Oklahoma City and Charleston for residency interviews. I liked both programs and the interviews went smoothly, but we're pretty worn out from the traveling. We shouldn't have to make any more big trips until a few weeks after Isaiah is born. We're not making final decisions about Christmas traveling until we see how things are going at my appointment next week (last minute decision), but the farthest we'll be traveling is Middle Tennessee.

Baby Showers

I was recently blessed by two baby showers that I've been meaning to blog about...

The first was November 29th in Hickory, NC hosted by Melissa, Ginger, Deda, and Elizabeth at Melissa's house. Ladies from both of Chris' sides of the family and many family friends from Chris' childhood church attended. Cousins Corinna and Olivia were great helpers in opening gifts. I had a great time visiting with everyone and we were blessed with lots of great things to prepare for Isaiah. Below are some pictures from the NC shower:

(Me, Elizabeth, and Melissa)

(Ginger, Me, Melissa)

(Corinna, Me, Deda, and Anita--notice how Anita matched this personalized diaper stacker to the fabric I used for the curtains in the nursery--I was so impressed!)

On December 6th, wonderful friends at our church hosted another baby shower for me. Mom and Lindsay were both able to come in town to attend the shower with me, which made the experience even better. One fun activity they had at the shower was to have the ladies write a funny message (like "code brown" or "this one's for daddy") in marker on the outside of a diaper so I'll be entertained when changing diapers at 3am. I know I'll appreciate a little humor in my sleep deprived state. We're very thankful to have the support of our church family as we begin this new phase of life.

(Me and Mom)

(Lindsay, Carie, Me, and Mom)

(diaper cake with diaper messages)

Thank you all so much for your kindness! We can't wait to put all of this great stuff to use when Isaiah gets here.

33 weeks, Thanksgiving, travels

I'm posting this a bit late, but these pictures are from 33 weeks (this past Tuesday). I decided it was time for a new backdrop, so you can see some of Isaiah's nursery in the background. It's been in near completed state for several weeks--I'll post pictures of the entire room soon when we get the last piece of furniture in.

We've been visiting in North Carolina since Wednesday. We've had a wonderful time and enjoyed seeing many of Chris' family members in Charlotte for Thanksgiving that we hadn't seen for several years. We've also enjoyed a little Wii action with the family, and Frankie is more spoiled than ever with so many willing hands to pet him. Chris' mom (Ginger), sister (Melissa), aunt (Deda), and cousin (Elizabeth) are hosting a baby shower for me tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to seeing more friends and family as they help us prepare for Isaiah's birth.

We had our first childbirth class last week and that went well. I don't think I really learned anything I didn't already know from reading on my own (and med school helps some too :), but I think it's good for me and Chris to go through this as a team. There were around 10 other couples there, and most are expecting boys...it's funny how these babies seem to come in gender groups. We also took a tour of the hospital I'll be delivering at last Sunday. It was nice to see the actual labor and delivery department we'll be spending time in, and we had the opportunity to ask one of the nurses questions about standard procedures, etc.

Last but certainly not least, I feel it's appropriate to consider the many things I have to be thankful for in this Thanksgiving season. First and foremost, I'm forever thankful for a gracious God who loved me before I knew what love was and saved me when I deserved His wrath and death. I'm thankful for a godly and supportive husband, a healthy baby on the way, and a pregnancy free from sickness. I'm thankful for a family committed to God and each other, through and despite many 'trials and tribulations'. I'm thankful for a 'little' brother dedicated to serving our country and defending our freedom. I'm thankful for a future playmate and first cousin on the way for Isaiah and for the opportunity to finally be an auntie. I'm thankful for a church family that loves and encourages us when our own families are far away. I'm thankful for friends near and far who love and support us though I'm terrible at keeping in touch and doing the same. I'm thankful for God's provision through medical school (and for it nearly being at a close!). I'm thankful for so much more than I can adequately express here, and without a doubt, God deserves the glory for all of these things. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

32 weeks

32 weeks...the countdown continues. Amazing that little Isaiah is due in just 8 short weeks. I have an OB check-up tomorrow. My check-ups will increase in frequency to every two weeks for the next four weeks, and then I'll have one a week until Isaiah is born. We also start childbirth classes on Thursday night. ...All signs that parenthood is drawing nearer.
This is my first week off, though it has quickly filled up with appointments and activities. I had my first interview today with one of the dermatology faculty members at UT. They actually will be interviewing all of the other students on one day in January, but the date is so close to my due date that they graciously set up other times for me to meet with them. I have three more interviews this week with other faculty members at UT to complete the circuit. You can see my maternity business suit in my belly shot above that I wore for the first time today. It's not the most flattering or comfortable thing in the world, but I'm just hoping I can still button it for a few more weeks.

We're excited that my sister, Lindsay, and her husband, Chase, are moving back to Tennessee this week. They've had a whirlwind of a year between LA, Nashville, Orlando, and back to Nashville. I don't know anyone who enjoys the process of packing and moving, so I'm sure they're exhausted and ready to stay put for a while. We're just happy to have them within driving distance again, especially with Isaiah coming soon.

There's not too much else to report right now. Stay tuned...

Visit to Mobile

Over Halloween weekend, we headed down south to Mobile to visit Jordan and Meagan. Mom and Austin joined us there as well, and we had a great time. On Saturday, we enjoyed some good seafood at the Oyster House, and then we toured the USS Alabama. Below are some pictures from our trip.

Don't forget the dogs! Frankie and Sadie (in her cow costume for Halloween) after wearing each other out. Aren't they cute!

31 Weeks

Well, as hard as it is for me to believe, I'm 31 weeks along today. And boy, does my baby bump look every bit that big. I can't believe when comparing this week's picture to my 28 week picture how much more I'm protruding. I'm definitely feeling it everywhere else too. My doctor warned me that things were going to get more difficult in the third trimester, but I sort of just brushed it off. Well, I certainly have no room to complain as I've been blessed with a healthy and easier-than-the-norm pregnancy, but he was right. I'm now wearing an inexpensive silver band in place of my wedding rings as my fingers are swollen (sounds better than saying 'fat'), and my feet/ankles are noticeably swollen at the end of the day (and sometimes at the beginning). Isaiah's movements are a source of major discomfort at times, and I seem to get short of breath quite easily these days. I think this is God's way of getting me ready for Isaiah's entry into the world--if I weren't a bit uncomfortable, I might never feel quite ready for his arrival.

This is my last week of work before being off for 4+ months. I've sort of run out of projects for the nursery as I was a bit over-zealous and completed most of them a few weeks back. I'm sure I'll come up with more things to do, and I'm looking forward to reading baby books in preparation for Isaiah's arrival. I also hope that my December schedule will fill up more with residency interviews. Right now, I only know about my interview at MUSC, which will be Dec 11-12th. It's nice to have at least one on the calendar.

We're looking forward to traveling to North Carolina for Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks. This will be the first Thanksgiving we've spent with Chris' family since we were engaged due to various conflicts. Chris' mom and sister (Ginger and Melissa) have also been sweet enough to plan a baby shower for me while we're there. I'm really looking forward to that, and it will be such a huge blessing in getting things ready for Isaiah.

I'll try to do better about posting more regularly for the rest of the pregnancy. Just think, 9 weeks until the due date!! Before you know it, I'll be blogging about my new baby boy :)