The BEST 6 days of my life...

I can't even describe how WONDERFUL the last few days have been for me...I go from pain on the 24th of June to pure joy the 25th! Turner has been the most precious baby...he eats, poops, sleeps, poops, eats, well, you get the picture...I would not trade this life for anything! I sometimes think I am just dreaming because I have always wanted a child of my own. I love kids, especially my two nephews and niece...I am thankful that I have a sister who let me take care and treat them like they are my own! It is amazing how much things change when they are your own...I have cried about little things that only a mother would cry about...I can't believe all the stuff that you worry about now...and probably will for the rest of my life...but when I look at him and he looks at me I could absolutely melt!

On to Billy...I could not have asked, wished, dreamed, etc. for a better husband and father to my child...I did not change a diaper until Turner was 4 days old!! He did all the diapers!! He said after watching what he watched it was the least he could do... He has been so wonderful and he did great in the deli every room. He has been a great support and I don't know how I could do it without him...he feels bad about the fact that I am the only one who can feed him, but even then he makes me wake him up so he can change him or he will go get me water and a snack at 2:00 AM.

I feel that God has blessed me with so much more than I deserve and I am so thankful for this family that I have! God is so AMAZING and I can't wait to see what He has in store for us.

I am also lucky to have my wonderful family...I have called my sister so many times and every time I talk to her I feel so much better...it is so nice that she has just had the same experience just 6 short months ago! I look at Julia Hope and think that how fast she is growing up knowing that my sweet Turner will be there in a blink of an eye. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her in my life...she keeps me sane! :) My parents have also been wonderful...thanks to my dad, my yard has NEVER looked so great! And my mother...oh my mother, she has made sure that I have asked every question to the doctors about him and she has taken care of ME! I know that sounds selfish, but it has been nice to have someone who cares so much about you...she would come to the hospital just to help with my showers so Billy could just focus on the baby...now that is dedication if I say so myself. She has even cooked dinner for us...and those of you who know my mother, know she doesn't cook! Once again, I am so blessed!

Thank you to all of my friends who have prayed, called, e-mailed, or texted in the last few days...we truly feel all the love and support from you!!

It is amazing how fast the last few days have flown by...and I truly hope it slows down because I don't want to miss a minute of this wonderful journey we are on...

Welcome Turner Bennett ...

I can't even begin to explain the love I have in my heart for my family right now. For years I considered the reality that I would live alone and a wife much less children would be out of my reach. God has truly blessed me. Julie is so strong ... I am simply amazed at what she went through last night. Twenty hours of induced labor, an hour of pushing and a few stitches, none of which will be the memory she takes of the moment. The first time I saw the hair on his little head as he made his way into the world I felt my heart complete melt. My son had me wrapped around his finger before he even saw my face.

Julie and the baby are both doing well. Everyone is resting and we are so excited about what God has in store for our family in the future.

Almost time...

It's Julie...I know...crazy that I am on the computer, but it really helps take my mind off stuff...hard to believe in a matter of hours we will finally get to meet this little man!!! I am not scared about the whole birthing process because I know it is going to hurt...hurt like none other, but I am going to have a great reward at the end...completely worth it...plus, Billy has already dangled some bait in front of me...PANDORA...my push present...:) So I have to work really hard to get it! Well, I guess that is all for now...the contractions are starting to get intense :)

Is this the day?

It's 6:30 a.m. and I've been up now for an hour. Julie slept well through the night, with the occasional need to switch sides or visit from the nightshift nurse. I tucked in to the banquet bed with some lovely one-inch pillows ... but given the long day I expect for Thursday, slept pretty good.

This morning, the nurse had to start a third IV port ... with number two blowing out. She collected the blood samples for our via-cord kit (look it up, pretty cool). They were a little worried about the baby going through an extended sleep pattern while Julie was on the cervidil. That's been removed and Julie is now on a little oxygen and an IV. Turner's heartrate is stable after a little stage of being low overnight. It looks like they will start the pitocin this morning and our doctor has just arrived for his shift. As I was blogging, they've added the pitocin and penicillin (for strep B) to the IV. Doctor Robbins joked that Julie has Pupps because I'm a Georgia Bulldog ... he roots for Tech.



Is today going to be the day I get to hold my son? I wonder what my father was thinking the day I was born. And his father. What is a father supposed to think about? I'm thinking that Julie is super strong. I'm knowing that God has been better to me than I deserve. This wonderful wife and a son on the way anytime. I'm thinking that Turner had better be really sweet to his mommy after these last couple of days. I'm thinking about the smell of babies and how sweet it is to hold them while they sleep. I'm thinking that today could very well be the day that my life changes forever. I'm thinking and praying and enjoying this moment.

We're at the hospital

It has been quite the last few days for Julie. Friday she completed her capstone presentation for her masters degree. Over the weekend she developed pupp rash. Monday the doctor saw her and gave her some cream to help ... it didn't. Wednesday morning around 3 a.m. she woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. The rash, she says has a horrible itch. She went on to the doctor's office ... and saw a lady in the practice she'd never seen. The doctor sent her on her way with a regimen of Zyrtec and benadryl. About 2:45 p.m. she called me at work to say we'd be coming on into the hospital Wednesday night and Dr. Robbins, our regular that we really like, would induce on Thursday. So here we are. It's about 12:30 a.m. on Thursday and Julie is down for the night. I'm bedding down myself. Not sure how much blogging I can get done during this process, but I will try my best to keep up the written description of this wonderfully different event for both of us. Here are a couple photos from tonight (Julie waiting for her room in admissions and then talking to Jodi on the phone). It's amazing that in a very close period of time I will get to see my son. God is really good to us.

A few pictures...

We (really Julie) LOVE pictures so I thought it would be fun to add a few pictures from the wedding until the time we found out we were expecting...believe me...this is not even close to telling the story...but it was just some fun shots...

Finished with Masters!!!!

As of about two hours again I (Julie) just finished "delivering" my capstone for my master's...the rubric already came back with EXCEEDS!!! Needless to say, my partner, Kelli Cook and I were/are SUPER excited!!! I kept having dreams and visions of my water breaking during this...but it DIDN'T although about 5 minutes before "show time" Turner was moving and kicking up a storm!! He must have been getting excited for his mommy too!! We joke that he has already earned his master's since he was with me through this whole process and he did his job of staying put!!

On another note, we are 10 days from the due date!! Even though Turner will probably not make his appearance until after this...it is still fun for me to count down :)

And as Billy wrote about yesterday...we have our anniversary coming up...as you can tell from his writing...I am a VERY lucky girl!! He is a wonderful husband and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with him...

Three years down ...

Every moment we get closer to welcoming our little man, I realize just how much more I am in love with my wife. I've seen enough to know that women are so much stronger than men. Over the last nine months, Julie's stomach has stretched, her feet have swelled, she snores a little, she has had to constantly check her sugar, she has had this wonderful baby kick every part of her insides and yet she is the most beautiful woman I know.

I have had the wonderful opportunity over the last three years to get to know this amazing person, someone I consider to be my best friend and soul mate. It is so hard to imagine that in 2007 we met, in 2008 we married and in 2010 we're having our first child. God has been so good to me. This next Monday, June 21st, marks the three year anniversary of our first date. I picked her up that night and I've been lost staring into her beautiful eyes ever since. I hope Turner has those same beautiful eyes.

It is so rare in life to be able to find yourself in the right place at the right time. I met Julie's cousin Justin at college through TKE. He set me up with Julie and it's been the best blind date ever. When you finally give in to the fact that God has a plan for you and you let Him lead you blindly into His will, he gives you the most amazing gifts and experiences. He gave me Julie, He is giving me Turner. I can't wait to see how He will use our family in the future. Turner should be here in the next couple of weeks. That in itself is a miracle. I'm going to take the opportunity, however, to enjoy a few more days of having this beautifully amazing woman all to myself. I love you Julie. Thank you for going on a date with me three years ago.

Over the last few months...

I really can't believe that for sure in less than 22 days we will be parents!! This is a whole new chapter in our lives that I think we are both really looking forward to!

It is amazing how much you think you love someone and then grow even more in love with them. I was definitely in love with Billy from about our 3rd or 4th date (even though I didn't let him know this for a little while). People would say you just "know"...and after meeting Billy, I completely see what they were meaning! It seemed as if everyday I would fall more and more in love with him...I don't think I could have loved anybody anymore than on our wedding day...I was so excited...not in the least bit stressed on that day because I knew that no matter what happened at the end of the day I would be married to MY Prince Charming! We have had so many great moments, days, weeks, months, and years together...and I do fall even more in love with him...it is amazing! I know the moment when I see him hold his son for the first time will be another moment where he will melt my heart and I will fall even deeper in love with him...

Here is a little background story that I am okay to share now...

On Friday, October 16, 2009, we were getting ready to head out for the GA at Vandy game, but I had to go to the Breast Specialist to get some results of a biopsy that I had done the previous Friday. I was scared and so was Billy, but neither one of us let on about what the results could possibly be...after that appointment and they told me I didn't have cancer and it was just a cyst (I don't know how to spell what kind it was, but it is just something they will always watch...not really dangerous) I told Billy I had a dream to which he responded he had a dream too. I said my dream was a little scary...and he said his was too...I said, "I dreamed they told me I had breast cancer and that we were pregnant!" He said, "I dreamed the very same thing!" So, I told Billy we needed to stop by the store and buy a test before we went back home to get our bags...so we did. When we got home around 10 am I ran upstairs to take the test and Billy started loading the car. After 2 minutes and the digital test said, "Pregnant" I screamed for Billy...well, he came running...we just looked at each other and smiled!! We were THRILLED beyond belief and a VERY surprised!! We didn't know it could happen so quickly! And that my friends is how it all started...

Here is a little photo show starting at 18 weeks...I will have to add to it later...but thought you might enjoy a walk down memory lane...please know that these pictures were taken at 6:30 AM every Monday before I would go to work...so if I look a little tired that explains it :)

In the teens...

Today marks 19 days until the due date...although we have a feeling this little guy is happy right where he is and probably won't be here until around July 4th...it is still exciting to think that we have made it this far!! I have to admit I am READY for him to be here!! But I know that it is better for him where he is right now and he needs to grow a little more...I just look forward to the day where I will be able to give him sweet kisses and hug him any time I want and the many days where he is going to wake up from his naps just smiling at me!

I was able to spend some time at my sister's house on Monday and I decided to take a nap at her house. Julia Hope was asleep too, but then I could hear her moving around...I woke up and walked in to find her happy as can be just smiling at me...I just decided to lay beside her and just talk and play with her...it was WONDERFUL and I must admit the whole time I was thinking about how much I LOVE my niece and nephews and I think to myself how I would do ANYTHING for them...I just can't imagine what it will be like when he gets here...I already LOVE this baby to pieces and I haven't even seen him...so I just try to think about what it will be like when he REALLY gets here!!

Three of a kind ...

When Julie and I got married, I was surprised with a gift when I got to Grand Oaks. I had been working all day getting the flowers done for the wedding and had about an hour to relax before the ceremony. There was a beautiful box waiting for me. Inside was a special treat. Julie had gone to the mall and made me a Build-a-Bear, complete with a UGA outfit. She had left me a special message inside the bear that simply said she loved me and couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with me.

Fast-forward to our one-year anniversary. I was searching for a little extra gift to make the occasion even more special. I decided a Build-a-Bear would be perfect. So I picked out the softest one, rubbed the little heart in my hands, made a wish and boxed it up. I had also recorded a message, reminding her of one of our favorite children's books, simply saying I'd love her to the moon and back. It was special for her.

So when we decided that we wanted to come up with a special gift for Turner, Julie suggested a Build-a-Bear. It's not like he doesn't have everything he could possibly need or want. Our friends, family and colleagues have given us fantastic showers and gifts, but we both felt the need to have something special from us. So I took a long lunch today and we went to the mall. We picked out the softest bear and recorded a message ... a blend of the messages we had already recorded for each other in our earlier gifts. We stuffed him and he looked perfect. We each added a heart, a symbol that this child is made from a piece of each of our hearts and perfected in one body. We picked out a cute baby boy outfit. Today we made our little man his first Teddy Bear. His bear and our bears make three of a kind ... a beary perfect family :)

Hard to believe...

It is so hard to believe that in less than one month we will be holding a baby in our arms...we are both soooooo excited and I know I can speak for both of us because Billy has been cleaning like a mad-man and helping out so much! We will sit on the couch and just talk about what he will look like and what our plans are for him...we love this kid so much and just can't wait to see him for the first time!

We had our last baby shower last night...it was a couples shower with a GA tailgating theme...it was so fun!! We got so much cute stuff...see the picture...we are truly blessed with wonderful friends!! I can't wait for Turner to meet all of them!

I was looking through some pictures that I had taken when we first found out we were pregnant all the way until the shower last night. It is amazing what God can do!! I tell Billy and my friends all the time that I don't see how you can have a baby and not believe in God...it is such a miracle! He thought of everything when He created woman. We are so blessed!

25 days...maybe...more?

We went to the doctor this past Tuesday and much to my dismay I had gained 5 pounds!!! Last MONTH I only gained ONE pound the ENTIRE month...but in one week I gained 5 POUNDS!! I am blaming it on Billy and my sister because they are really good cooks and we had a little get together on Memorial Day! So really it is all their fault! hahahaha...totally worth it though...I will walk a little extra in the next few weeks so that hopefully there won't be any more major weight gain like this...so that brings my total weight gain thus far to 34 pounds. Anyways, the doctor checked me and said the only thing I had going for me was that he was head down...I just knew I would be dilated or something, but no...NOTHING! The doctor that I see is the doctor I want to deliver Turner into this world and he told me that I WOULD have a baby by July 4th...he said that he works that holiday weekend so he wouldn't make me go past that...I feel better knowing I won't have to be two weeks late like my sister with her first and so many others that have shared stories of going late! As much as I want Turner here right now...it is starting to really hit me that in less than 32 days he REALLY will be here!! It is so hard for me to believe that I am going to be a MOMMY in less than 32 days...this is something I have always dreamed about since I was a little girl...I LOVE babies and kids and for me to have my very own is going to be amazing!



Last night Billy and I went to one of our good friends house to make some "Turner" jewelry...we had so much fun and now I can proudly wear my boy's name around my neck!! Billy was a great sport and I am so happy he went with me...I realize how lucky I am that he is willing to go and do stuff like this with me!

June 1st - sleepless nights

I can't believe it is June 1st already!! Where does the time go? We only have 27 more days until the due date and I am SOOOO excited! Although I really wish I knew when this little guy was really going to make his appearance...I have people tell me...there is NO way you will make it that long to... oh you will be two weeks late! I go to the doctor later today...as you can see it is 3:55AM and I have been up since 3:15 AM...I try to just lay in the bed and go back to sleep, but I just have all this energy that I can't waste :) so I get up and try and get stuff done. I usually just end up on here on Facebook...but my intentions are good :) I am currently working on my first blanket for Turner...I made one for my niece, Julie Hope so it is only fair I make him one too. We are blessed to have some "blanket makers" in Billy's family so he has one from his great-great Nanny Bearden (Billy's Grandmother - where the name Bennett comes from) and Billy's mother who is going to be called MawMaw by Turner (I think that is the plan anyway :)) He may come up with his own names...and that will be oh so cute and fun by me. :) I think about what he is going to look like and act like all the time...I wonder what toys that we have that will become his "favorite"...I wonder if he is going to like to sleep a lot or wake up in the middle of the night...I wonder what it is going to be like to hold him for the first time...I wonder what it will be like when I see Billy hold him for the first time...I wonder if ...I wonder about him all the time!! Well, I am going to go grab a snack and try and go back to sleep...I have to go to work in about 2 1/2 hours and I am super excited about that because today is my work shower!! I remember when my friend Kelli, who is heading up the shower, was talking to me about dates and June 1st seemed SOOO far away...and here it is!! I can't say it enough, but I am so blessed! I have a WONDERFUL husband, GREAT family, and SUPER friends!!