We have a One Year Old!

Oh my gosh where did the time go??? My baby boy is one year old now! Erik stayed home for his birthday to help get ready for his party the next day. I put a candle in his pancake and we sang Happy Birthday to him. He just looked at us like what are y'all doing.

I spent that morning just thinking about this day one year ago when he was born. I haven't written this story so I will now. I was due September 11th but got induced on September 3rd. I didn't want an induction but I got a pregnancy rash called PUPPP rash that 1% of pregnant women get late in pregnancy. The only way to get rid of this rash is to deliver the baby. My feet, lower legs, lower part of my thighs and stomach were covered in small red bumps and ITCHED like I was stung by 1000 mosquitoes. It was miserable on top of all that comes with being 9 months pregnant in Houston in August/September. So Erik & I had to check into Memorial Hermann Memorial City at 5:30am. I got all ready and they started the potocin (sp?) around 7am. Then my doctor came in and broke my water.

Side note: I was asked the day before if I'd be ok with a group from Apple, Inc. to come in and take pictures of Erik & I for a new application they were designing for Ob doctors. We said yes thinking they would be in there for maybe 30 minutes to an hour. Oh no they were in there forever! But they did say if we ever wanted them out or if we were done with them to let them know. This is the website if you want to see our ad. www.apple.com/iphone/business/profiles/memorial-hermann/ then click on watch video.

Ok back to the story. Around 11:30am the contractions really started becoming uncomfortable so I decided it was time for the epidural and I was done with the Apple people. That went fine but after I wasn't feeling so good. Not sick just weird. The doc came back in to check on me and said I hadn't progressed. So the nurse was trying to move me around in the bed to different positions to help the process along. Most of the family had arrived and several of them (including my college friend Leslie Russo) were in the room with me. The doc came back in around 2 or 3pm and still no progress. She said she'd be back around 5pm and if I hadn't progressed then she'd have to do a c-section. Those were the words I most feared and the main reason I didn't want to be induced. But that's where I found myself now. Now I just ignored all the people in the room and they noticed it and respected that I just wasn't up for small talk any more. I spent that time in my own thoughts praying that everything would be ok and that I could deliver Chase the way I wanted to. But in doing that God put a peace in me about having a c-section. So the doctor came back in and my fear was coming to life. They told Erik to hurry up and get the scrubs on and let the family know we were going in for a c-section. Telling the family made everything very real and he started crying. He came back in to me teary eyed and I said what's wrong? He said I'm just so happy. I thought he was just telling me that because he was really scared for me because he knew how much I didn't want the c-section. But no he was just really happy and so overjoyed to finally meet his son. So I was wheeled in and at 5:54pm Chase Duward VanDuivendyk was born. Hearing his cry for the first time was unbelievable! We did our first family picture then they took him away to be cleaned up. And I went into a dark recovery room for a long time while they got my room ready.

Telling & showing Chase to the family. Erik was able to take Chase to meet the family for the first time (while I was in my dark closet). We had not told them what we were naming Chase so he brought him out and said meet Chase Duward. Chase was just a name we both liked. Duward was Erik's PaPaw's name whom Erik loved so much. Erik didn't get the reaction out of his family that he thought. Later on someone asked where we came up with Stuart as a middle name. Then it clicked. So he told the family Chase's name again and this time his family got very emotional. We eventually got a room and they brought Chase to me after all the testing and cleaning up and the rest is history!

Chase, we love you more than you will ever understand. You have been the most perfect son we could have ever asked for. You are so sweet and your personality is so fun and cute. We love watching you grow and learn and are still amazed at how far you've come from that first day we met you. Happy Birthday Baby Boy! We look forward to so many more birthdays to come!

Things he's doing now:
1. WALKING!!!
2. Finally got his 2 bottom teeth
3. Says bye, bye
4. Waves & says bye, bye
5. Waves hi
6. Figuring out his toys more and that you can put lids on open holes & put things in open holes
7. Eats mostly finger foods and so far is not a picky eater at all
8. Great sleeper & napper
9. Says ni-ni for night night
10. Can climb the stairs
11. Opens & shuts doors & cabinets (beware if you leave a door open Chase will shut it even if you're putting away groceries) =)
12. Plays peek-a-boo by himself by putting the blanket over his head and pulling it off when you ask "where's Chase?"
13. Likes to "help" with laundry, dishes & vacuuming
14. Just an all around happy-go-lucky little boy that adapts to where ever he is or is with

Your Mama & Dada love you Chase Duward!!!