A New Video

With this new video I made sure the television was off, but I couldn't do anything about the neighbor's lawnmower. Now, Mimi will be able to hear her precious grandbaby "talk" a little bit.

Playtime with Daddy

When Mr. Morgan gets home from work in the afternoons, he's been so good about letting me "unload" Hamilton on him for a few minutes. Mr. Morgan's commute home is only about 10 minutes; so while he'd prefer another half hour of unwind time before having to talk to anyone at home, he's been walking in the door and helping me immediately with feeding Hamilton or just holding him. Here are some playtime pictures from yesterday.Doesn't he look like a little boxer? And I mean the ultimate-fighting kind, not the canine. Looks like he's already practicing his punches with one eye swollen shut.

My Husband

This past week Mr. Morgan traveled downtown to meet Christopher for lunch, and when he returned to his parked car, he found a parking ticket for an expired meter on his windshield. However, he did not have an expired meter for when the ticket was written.

So home with his parking ticket Mr. Morgan came, and he was fuming: The injustice of having "followed the rules," as he said, yet still being punished was almost more than he could take. If you don't know Mr. Morgan well, then you may not know that he has a deeply rooted sense of justice.

Since he is also methodical, organized, and technical, the next morning he traveled back downtown to fight the $14 ticket. (Yes, he spent more time, money, and energy on fighting the ticket, but he wasn't about to pay it. He said he wouldn't have physically been able to write the check; then he was pretending unsuccessfully to try and tell his hand what to do, which reminded me of this scene in Liar, Liar with Jim Carrey.) I knew he was going to fight the ticket, what I didn't know was the lengthy preparations he had made.

Mr. Morgan went to the parking ticket office with a detailed itinerary, complete with latitude and longitude coordinates of his parking space and the restaurant. He had exact times listed for each activity based on the timestamps from his cell phone calls to and from Christopher. Mr. Morgan also had a hand-written note left by a stranger on his car informing him that he'd been given a parking ticket with time still left on his meter.

With all this evidence in hand, Mr. Morgan fought his ticket at the parking ticket office. He did not have to pay the fine, and the attendant told him they'd received this same complaint from other folks too. If fighting the ticket had proved unsuccessful, Mr. Morgan was going to call his favorite newscaster to report the injustice.

First Real Bath

Last night Mr. Morgan and I decided to give Hamilton a real bath with water. I thought earlier yesterday that he was getting a little smelly, then I realized later that I was smelling myself! I apologized for blaming my B.O. on him; then I promptly took a shower.

I haven't had great luck making Hamilton enjoy the bird baths that I've given him, so I was pretty sure he was not going to like a real bath either. But with Mr. Morgan's expert help, we were able to get him washed and keep him warm enough until almost the end. Of course by the time I got around to taking a picture of him, he was wailing. But he was still cute in his hooded towel.

Abby and Hamilton

Last Sunday was Abby's first glimpse of her beloved "Ses" holding his own child. She made a typical, Abby scowl when she saw Mr. Morgan holding Hamilton, and it took her some time to warm up to both of them. She's interested in babies though, and she enjoys looking at baby Hamilton as long as he's not in her momma's arms. Abby has a bit of a jealous streak.

The other night we met lots of friends downtown for Happy Hour to celebrate Christopher's successful defending of his dissertation. We had the little one in tow, and Abby was there too with Bryce and Tiffany. She was a little more excited this time to see Hamilton.Yesterday Hamilton and I had lunch with Tiffany and Abby. Abby surprised me with her concern over the crying "ba'y Hamilnin."

A Harvard Professor and Our Post-Racial President

The unfortunate incident, of the Harvard professor who was arrested for disobeying a direct order from a police officer after breaking into his own home, was made worse when Obama weighed in during his press conference the other night. Victor Davis Hanson, as usual, makes several good points in this blog post:

When the healer President Obama casually characterizes law enforcement as acting “stupidly” and then blithely says we all know that African-Americans and Latinos are stopped disproportionately — without the corollary that we all know that African-American and Latino males also commit and are convicted of crimes in numbers higher than their general percentages of the population and therefore can naturally also become more likely suspects — then we simply regress on questions of race, though in frustration rather than due to the “cowardice” cited by the attorney general.

A Glimmer of a Smile

I know the far-away grandmothers are eager for another video of Hamilton, so I took one this morning during our playtime. There's also a slight smile from the little one, mixed in with his baby-bird, open-mouth face that he typically demonstrates right now.

Fan of DeMint

I'm glad there's a Washington politician who's bringing the spotlight to South Carolina in a good way, especially since Sanford continues to surprise. I'm a huge fan of Jim DeMint, and he doesn't seem afraid of telling even the President that his policies make no sense. Local Charleston news barely covered DeMint's recent comments about Obama's healthcare plans, only mentioning DeMint's comment about successful opposition of Obama's healthcare bill will "break him."

I find local news severely lacking, but since I've been breastfeeding I've watched more television. With no cable, many times local news is the only thing on that's fit to watch. This morning I did some searching for DeMint's whole comment and argument against Obama's healthcare plans. Here's the source from where I started, and here's a Fox News blog item. The three previous links shed light on the healthcare debate and make me proud and thankful that Jim DeMint is our senator.

Two Weeks Old

Boy has week two been different from week one! Hamilton's eyes are open lots more which is fun, and he's crying lots more which is not so fun obviously. At church today I learned some great tips for helping gassy babies, which have worked like a charm on little Hamilton. I'm much appreciative of the wonderful women and mothers we have at Redeemer.

The little one did not appreciate that I was taking his two-week-birthday picture, so he is howling. He quickly calmed back down, however, once I returned him to the "football hold," which helps alleviate his pain from gas.

The Nursery

I finally got around to taking pictures of the nursery. Dale and Deb came down back in January, and we spent all weekend working on painting the bonus room, making it into a nursery. I wanted to show off Deb's handiwork with all the linens and things. She made the curtains, all the bedding for the crib, and the pillows and dustruffle for the twin bed. This little nursery turned out so sweet, I thought, which is a good thing since I'm spending many late nights in it.

Thursday Matinee

Mr. Morgan took me to see the new Harry Potter this afternoon, which we managed in between Hamilton's feedings. I'm still digesting the movie, and I'll probably need to see it again before I form an opinion. This book was my favorite, but I'm not yet sure if this movie will be.

We left a contented babe with Grandma Judy and Papa Joe, hoping he'd go to sleep soon and not be fussy for them. Both Mr. Morgan and I were concerned that the little fella would start crying and not stop, especially when feeding time rolled around and we would still be in the movie. But thankfully he went to sleep soon after we left and was still asleep when we returned. Here's a quick video of my rousing him after he started the telltale hunger signs, which can quickly turn into full-scale wailing.

Visitors from Paris

Mr. Morgan's parents arrived yesterday aflternoon from Paris, Tenn. Grandma Judy had been beside herself with anticipation to see little Hamilton; Papa Joe and cousin Spencer also seemed excited, though nothing compared to a grandmother's joy.
Spencer was a little put out with me since I had pictures of his brother and sister on my fridge but none of him. I assured him that a picture with little Hamilton was a surefire way to make it on the fridge door.

Hamilton and Mr. Waddles

Yesterday I dressed Hamilton in one of his cutest outfits, and while he was awake I took lots of pictures of him. The flash didn't seem to bother him too much today.
He and Mr. Waddles are becoming fast friends.

Claire's July 4th

As I mentioned last week, Claire was in Mountville with Mimi and Pops for July 4th. She was so excited to again be part of the fun community festivities. Every year she decorates her bike to ride in the parade, and tons of other kids do the same thing. It's really a cute production, and Claire loves it!

Harry Potter

To say I'm a big fan of all things Harry Potter is an understatement. I've read all the books twice, and I've looked forward with eager anticipation to the latest movie.

Last fall I was working at the church, and Mr. Morgan sent me a text message telling me the bad news: Harry Potter release date moved to July 2009. I involuntarily let out such a gasp of shock and disappointment that Danny Clark, who was working in my office, quickly said with grave concern, "What happened?"

I was little embarrassed then that I had reacted so strongly to a change in a movie's release date and that I didn't have any truly tragic news to explain such a reaction from me. When I told him, he replied seriously and with sympathy, "My wife will have the same reaction." I figure if my reaction is like Aspa's, then I'm in good company.

And, best of all, the movie is beginning tomorrow at midnight! Mr. Morgan and I will be seeing it later this weekend, and we'll have babysitting covered since Grandma Judy and Papa Joe will be here soon!

Dozing Babe

It's hard to resist taking tons of pictures of the little one, especially when I want to capture an angelic expression or a pouty face. However, the digital camera has such bright flashes and red-eye-reducing lights that Hamilton reacts to the bright lights way before the camera can get the shot I intended. Eventually I'll take some photos outside and not need a flash, but last night I decided to video him dozing in his daddy's arms.

One Week Old

Hamilton is one week old today. We dressed him in his Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes and took him to church. We missed seeing everyone after not being at church last week, and we were especially excited for everyone to meet little Hamilton. He did really well in church, though as soon as we got there it was close enough to feeding time that he wouldn't settle back down for me to enjoy the music portion of the service. But I used the "cry room" to feed him, and I was able to hear the service from in there. We got done feeding in time for the last song before the sermon.

Here's his one-week photo. Uncle Travis gave Hamilton the cute stuffed penguin who Mr. Morgan promptly named Mr. Waddles. Travis came to visit us on Thursday last week.

I'll Fly Away

Mr. Morgan has been working hard to learn I'll Fly Away on the banjo for the past few weeks. He's much improved, and it's nice to hear him practice that song now. While my parents were here this week, they jammed together with Deb on the piano and Seth on his banjo. They sounded pretty good, so I recorded their playing. I thought it sounded pretty good, but Mr. Morgan insisted that I not post the video on the blog--perhaps eventually. But I did get a still shot.

First Bird Bath

After some good sleep last night--and by "good," I mean almost three hours of uninterrupted sleep two different times, I was feeling almost refreshed this morning. I was determined to do several things: post to the blog, check my email, give Hamilton a bath, and take a nap. (Of course, these things are in addition to feeding and changing him, which take up more time than I would have thought before having a baby of my own.) I was able to get all the things on my list accomplished, and I've felt great all day--not the zombie fog I was in the last two days.

This afternoon I gave the little one his first bird bath. Mimi captured it in pictures.

Welcome Home

We were SO ready to be at home after our extended hospital stay, and finally on Tuesday afternoon about 4 pm we were released. Little did we know that our sweet friends Tiffany and Abby had come over to our house earlier that day to make us a welcome-home sign. Claire and Abby had fun helping Tiffany decorate the cute sign that brought tears to both my eyes and Seth's. We felt so overwhelmed, but we were so excited to finally be home with our precious boy. His going-home outfit was a bit big for him, but he was still 100% cute to us.

Dear Friends

We've been at home now for several days. It's such a blessing to have my mom here while I adjust to life with Hamilton. Not only did she take care of Claire and the puppies while we were at the hospital, but she's also been cooking delicious meals for us and keeping the house clean all week.

I wanted to post some more pictures of our dear friends who've been pouring out love onto us since Hamilton's arrival. Seth's employer Atlas Technologies, Inc. has been wonderful to us: Pictures and well-wishes were posted on their intranet site, and yesterday they had this beautiful flower arrangement delivered to us.
In the hospital we had many visitors over the three days we were there, which really helped to keep our spirits up and break the monotony of the hospital stint. Linnea and the Hardee-Whites came to visit us Sunday afternoon. Linnea brought us a delicious coffee cake, and the Hardee-Whites brought some cookies that Ellen made. Alex's mom Ellen makes great desserts, so we were appreciative they were willing to share the bounty.
The newest, proud daddy and the soon-to-be daddy: We're hoping--as I know Hardee is--that she'll have her little boy soon too. Hamilton can't wait to meet little Grady.The Swearingens came to visit later that night, and Emilie got to hold little Hamilton. Joseph, their two-year-old, was more impressed with Ellen's cookies than the baby.

On Monday afternoon the Rays came to visit us. It was fun to see Jayna who's now five months old, since we hadn't seen her since the week after she was born. It's hard to imagine that little Hamilton will be that big in just a few short months. The Lamberts came for dinner later, and they were so sweet to bring Seth some dinner. Matt is always good for entertaining Claire, as they discussed their affinity and appreciation for children's candy--like the Poo Poo Panda.

Still at the Hospital

Hamilton's been in the world now for over 48 hours, but we're still at the hospital. Both Mr. Morgan and I are getting antsy and restless, ready to go home with the little one and show him his new digs. I'm hopeful they'll release us soon, though I'm sure it'll be nearly dinnertime before we actually get to leave. I refuse to eat more hospital food, and Deb's at my house cooking what I'm sure will be a delicious dinner.

The pediatrician just walked in to say that we can go home today--all of us!! Yay! Praise be! We'll have to take him tomorrow to the pediatrician's office for a follow-up appointment, but I don't mind because we're all going home soon!

First Photos of Little Hamilton

Here's our little sweet pea, who entered the world on Sunday, 5 July at 5:10 am. He weighed 8 lbs, and he's 21 inches long.
We arrived at the hospital at midnight on July 4th after I'd been having contractions since 2 pm earlier that day. (I'll post pictures of my labor project later, which kept us busy all day on the 4th.) While we were serenaded with firecrackers in our neighborhood, little Hamilton was prepping for his arrival.

I was so thankful for a quick labor and delivery, and we were most thankful for a healthy baby who's so sweet and precious. We called Mimi and Pops in the morning to tell them the good news about the birth and to tell them to head to Charleston to see the little one.
Big sister Claire had been staying with Mimi and Pops for the July 4th weekend. She was so excited that little Hamilton delayed his entry until after Mountville's July 4th parade. (I'll also post pictures of that fun event later.) However, she's been beside herself with glee since she came to the hospital to see him.
Hamilton was quiet and sedate his first day of life, though he's been much more vocal today. We've seen his pretty blue eyes only a few times, as they've barely opened since he was born. He's got a full head of dark hair, but we haven't determined who he looks like quite yet.

Still Waiting

I've gotten tons of text messages, Facebook messages, and emails with a similiar theme: Any baby news yet? Well, I go to the doctor this morning, so I'll update the post with my progress once I return. I'm still feeling good, though the walk Mr. Morgan and I took last night was much tougher than our walks two weeks ago. We finished hanging the last picture in the nursery, so I told little Hamilton last night that we were ready for him. Hopefully, he won't linger too much longer.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, I'm still only 1 cm dilated. I'm a bit disappointed with having made no progress over the last week, especially since I've been having contractions (easy ones) every day. Little Hamilton will make his appearance when he's ready, and I'm hoping it will be before next Thursday when I'm scheduled to be induced. Now begins some serious actions toward encouraging this kid to come out!