More Updates

Papa Mark can still make a baby fall asleep fast. (He has always had that special touch)

Baby Claire is now a little over 24 hours old. Tonight she will be able to ring in the new year with everyone.

Claire's First and Only Day of 2008

Today the physicians gave Claire the big thumbs up on her exam. They performed a hearing test which she passed with flying colors. Shannon is sore from her c-section but is all smiles about baby Claire. We will be watching the New Years ball drop from our hospital room! Harry Sr. is sure he heard the word papa out of Claire's mouth, but the likelyhood of a one-day-old baby speaking is pretty slim.

CLAIRE ELIZABETH DURBIN

Claire Elizabeth Durbin

Born: December 30, 2008

Time: 5:33 PM

Length: 21 1/4 inches

Weight: 7 pounds, 9 ounces

IN THE DELIVERY ROOM

Shannon and Harry D. just went into the delivery room. We should see them in about an hour with a new baby!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned...more updates coming soon.

IT'S ALMOST TIME

This is the diaper cake Amanda made for the baby. Isn't it so cute?!?!?!

We are all in the hospital room. Shannon and Harry D. are due to go back for a C-Section any minute now. The nurse told us it would take about an hour for the procedure once they go back. It's been a looooong day, but I think they're ready. Harry D. and Shannon have been here since 5:30 and the rest of us since about 7:30.

Here's a recap of what's gone on:

• Dr. Tsaltas came in broke Shannon's water


• They started the contractions shortly after
  
• Harry D. has taken a couple of naps


• Baby Claire is stuck so the doctor decided to do a C-Section


• Dave and Erica came to visit and brought Baby Claire her first baloon


• We're all waiting
  

Stay tuned...more to come soon.....

Christmas

Harry and I had a great first Christmas together. Believe it or not, Claire had the biggest Christmas celebration! We are looking forward to her real 1st Christmas. (she already has a dress to wear) Thank you to all our friends and family for a wonderful Christmas.
We really enjoyed making Christmas dinner for The Durbin's. We can't wait until the day we have our own house and can make a meal for all of our family.
Tuesday the 30th is still the big day! One of my presents for Christmas was a video camera, so we will hopefully learn how to load videos of Claire onto the blog, but Harry will definitely be posting some pictures once she is born.
I am so excited that our next post will be to announce the arrival of little Claire!

Keep Praying!

Our Last Appointment

We had our final appointment today. The doctor's office was crazy! After waiting 2 hours, we finally saw Dr. Tsaltas. He felt my tummy and said she was really low. We talked about the induction process and are all set to be at the hospital on Tuesday at 5:30 am. Harry and I are SO excited!!
Sophie is at the groomer today so she will look her Christmas best tomorrow. Harry and I are going to the Christmas Eve service at Cokesbury this afternoon. We really miss not seeing all of our family during this holiday season!
The Durbin's will be here tomorrow. Harry and I have a huge Christmas dinner planned. The menu is: Appetizers: Cheese Dip and Sausage Balls. Caesar Salad. Main Course: Pork Tenderloin. Sides: Green Beans, Macaroni and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Deviled Eggs, and Sister Shubert Rolls. Dessert: Fudge Pie
My parents along with The Durbin's will be traveling to Knoxville on Monday. Please pray for safe travels!

Merry Christmas!!

38 week appointment

Today we received an "outstanding report" at our appointment. (Dr. Tsaltas continues to make me laugh at my appointments) Nothing has changed since we last saw him. We go back on Christmas Eve. That will be our last appointment since I will be induced on December 3oth. We can't wait to meet little Miss Claire!
Harry's family will be coming to visit us on Christmas Day and the day after. We are very excited! We hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season and remembering what the celebration is truly about.
Keep Praying! (I am counting down the days until I can post pictures of our sweet little girl on here)

Good News!

Harry received an offer for a financial advisor position with Northwestern Mutual today. We are so excited about this opportunity!
We also had a doctor's appointment today. Dr. Tsaltas said we had a "glorious exam". He could feel Claire's head and thinks she weighs 7+ lbs. I asked if he would like to participate in the poll, but his guess was sometime after the 27th. If he is correct, Harry and I will be spending our first Christmas together here in Knoxville, but we will still plan on a trip to Memphis shortly after she is born.
Keep Praying!

It's finished!

After 3 days of painting, the belly cast is finished. Mom and I will be buying ribbon today so that we can hang it in Claire's room.

Tomorrow is our 37 week appointment. I am hoping I have made progress. I will update tomorrow.

Keep Praying!

Belly Casted

Harry casted my belly tonight. It must now dry for a few days before I paint it. For all of those that have said I am not big, I think this picture shows just how big "we" are getting.

The End is In Sight

We are still waiting for little Claire. Everyone always says that you learn so much from a child and I think she is definitely teaching me patience. (something that I have NEVER had) As I was searching the internet, I came across a really cute idea, a belly cast. Basically you plaster your pregnant belly and then you can decorate it. I think this will be a great memory and a creative thing that we can hang in Claire's room. I want to decorate it as a ladybug since her room has a ladybug theme. I will post a picture once it is complete.
My mom is coming in town tomorrow for the week to celebrate my birthday. We are all hoping Claire will come while she is here, but we will just have to wait and see.
We are really hoping to come home for Christmas and see our family. If Claire isn't here by December 30th, I will be induced at 5:30 am.
Harry and I wanted to thank everyone for continuing to check on us. We love hearing from you!
Keep Praying!

36 week appointment

Good news! Tomorrow I will be 36 weeks. We had an appointment this morning and everything is looking great. I am now 80% effaced and 1 cm dilated. Dr. Peeden estimates that little (or maybe I should say big) Claire is 6lbs 6 oz.
Another good thing is that I am able to get out more now. Harry and I are so excited about Claire and I am trying to be patient.
Keep Praying!

Shannon

Thankful!

Harry and I have so much to be thankful for this year. We are thankful for little Claire. Also, we are thankful for our family and friends who have supported us throughout this pregnancy. We have made it past 35 weeks now and I thank God for that as well!

We had a wonderful time in Gatlinburg with Harry's side of the family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We played games, went shopping, and ate tons of delicious food. I was very happy that my brother was able to spend Thanksgiving day with us.

Tonight, Harry and I put up our Christmas tree. Although it is small, it is very special to both of us because our childhood ornaments are hanging on it. I love Christmas and really hope Claire will be here to celebrate with us.

I have had several contractions yesterday and today, but none that have lasted 1 minute and been consistent. Harry has asked both days, "is it time?". I know as time gets closer we are both getting anxious about the birthing process, but know God is in control.

Keep Praying!!

Thursday's Appointment

Today when Dr. Peeden walked into our room, we were greeted with a big smile and a "CONGRATULATIONS". She told us that she was so excited that we have made it this far. I measured 35 weeks (I will be 34 weeks Saturday). She checked my cervix and said it was a good bit softer than at our last appointment. She was very happy with my weight gain. (although I am beginning to wonder if I will ever stop gaining weight)
After our appointment, we stopped by my work to re-enroll for health insurance. It was so nice to see everyone!
Harry and I will be traveling to Gatlinburg on Tuesday to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with the Durbin's. I am SO excited!
Several people have mentioned that they do not have a Babies R Us near by, so I registered on Target's website today and chose several things that should be in the store.
Keep Praying ad Happy early Thanksgiving!

The Poll has begun

Since we are getting closer to the day that Claire will make her grand entrance, Harry and I decided to start a poll for fun. You can email us at harryandshannondurbin@gmail.com if you would like to be added to our official poll.
Nov. 27- Jeff Durbin, Bill, Julie
Nov. 28- Heather
Nov.30- Catherine
Dec. 2- Ferris, Erica
Dec. 3- Grandma Shirlee
Dec. 5- Jason, Justin
Dec. 7- Connie, Dave, Tia
Dec. 8- My Mom
Dec. 9- Darrell, Beth, Megan
Dec. 10- Harry Jr., Ellisa, Aunt Carol
Dec.11- Alicia
Dec. 12- Me, Aunt Jan, Katie C, Connor
Dec.13- Nita
Dec. 14- Harry Sr., Steve, James, Zach
Dec. 15- Mamaw, Emily, Katina
Dec. 16- Becky
Dec.17- Jamie, Matt
Dec. 18- Jen Jenn, Chip, Dr. Peeden
Dec. 19- Brad
Dec.20- Aunt Shirley
Dec. 21- Amanda, Katie M.
Dec. 22- My Dad, Sabrina
Dec. 23- Leah, Chris
Dec. 24- Uncle Larry, Linda, Drew , Shane
Dec. 25- Jeff K., Russell, Alex, Chris, Jon
Dec. 26- Sharon
Dec. 27- Leslie, Sue, Danny, Mayra
Dec. 28- Jim, Lindsey
Dec. 29-Asa, Tyler, Brooke, Jake
Dec.30- Jimmy
Dec. 31- Jay Winnie, Erica, Brandy, Ben, Lacy, Timmy

Update for Mamaw

Harry and I went to the doctor on Wednesday. I was measuring at 33 weeks and Claire's heartbeat was going strong. We go back on Thursday and she will check my cervix before her office closes a week for the Thanksgiving holiday. She did say that we are still allowed to go to Gatlinburg to celebrate Thanksgiving with The Durbins. I can not wait!!

I am going to have Harry get out all of our Christmas decorations, so that we can put them up as soon as we get back from Gatlinburg. I have also downloaded many Christmas songs, several of my childhood favorites like "Thistlehair the Christmas Bear" and Harry's favorite "Darcy the Dragon". We will be adding them to the Ipod and making cds to listen to starting the day after Thanksgiving. I love the holiday season!!

Harry starts his seasonal job at UPS on Monday. We are thankful that he found a job for the holiday season!

Keep Praying!!

Happy Birthday Sophie!

Today is Sophie's, my puppy, 3rd birthday. Harry is cooking her an egg this morning for her "special" breakfast.
Yesterday, we had another doctors appointment. Dr. Peeden did the Fetal Fibronectin test once more. She called this morning and the test came back negative. This is excellent news! (that means there is a less than 1% chance Claire will be born within the next 7 to 14 days) We had discussed that if she came before 34 weeks there was a good chance she would be on a feeding tube, so I am so happy we will make it past that now!! My cervix was softer than when we saw her on Monday, so she wants me to stop working and limit my daily activities.
My dad is coming in town this weekend. Harry and I are excited that he will get to see our apartment. I am not sure how adventurous our weekend will be, but we will definitely enjoy his company.
Keep Praying!!

**Happy early Birthday Amanda! I wish we were home so we could celebrate with you!!

Update

I woke up not feeling well on Monday, so I decided to stay home from work. I rested for a good bit of the day, but then decided to run a few errands with Harry. While we were out, I started having contractions, so we called Dr. Peeden and headed to her office. They hooked me up to the NST monitor. Claire starts kicking like crazy when she hears her heartbeat on the monitor. I had a few contractions while on the monitor, but nothing as strong as I had before. Dr. Peeden did check my cervix and said it felt the same besides that she could feel more pressure from Claire. We talked about medicine for contractions, but because of recent research we are trying to hold off.
I have been taking it easy since then and have still had a few contractions; however, it seems that as long as I am lying down they aren't as bad. I will be 32 weeks on Saturday and am hoping this little girl will wait about 4 more weeks!
Please keep praying for us!

Happy Halloween!

We had another very good appointment today. Claire is measuring at 31 and 1/2 weeks. We are so thankful for another good report. We go back to see Dr. Peeden on Thursday Nov. 13th. Until then, we are to continue our normal routine.
Tonight Harry and I plan on handing out candy to the cute neighborhood kids. This should be a very relaxing weekend!
Happy Halloween to all!

Keep Praying!

Giving

Today was my day off and Harry and I went to visit my former boss Robert. I finally met his little boy Parker. He is SO cute! Robert gave us lots of baby stuff. We now have a stroller, boopy, bumbo, pack n play, activity set, and more clothes! Harry and I are so grateful for such great friends.
This weekend we will be attending the UT vs Bama tailgate. My work will be hosting the annual CH Robinson tailgate, so we will stop by there as well.
Thanks for all your prayers and keep praying!

Another Good Report!

Today we had an appointment with Dr. Peeden. After working part time this week, I am proud to say that nothing has changed!! I think Claire and I are really surprising Dr. Peeden with our progress. She said she thought for sure I would have called her Monday or Tuesday, but we are tough girls! I am allowed to continue working part time and go back to see the doctor on Halloween.
I am also happy to share that I am nesting! Last night our friend Katina helped Harry set up the crib and cradle. The cradle is completely ready for little Claire. (It is already sitting right next to Mommy's side of the bed) I bought a cute crib set that is baby pink and green with ladybugs. We also have the car seat in my car and will be getting it checked by the Knoxville Police the 2nd weekend in November.
My mom is coming in town this weekend for the UT vs. Mississippi State game and to celebrate her birthday. I can't wait to see her!
Keep Praying!! (we want to continue to surprise the doctor with our progress)

**The top picture is of the crib, the middle is the changing table, and the bottom is the cradle.

Back to Work!

At our visit today with Dr. Peeden, we did another Non Stress Test. Everything looked great! Also, she gave me clearance to return to work. She is letting me go back part time. (4 days/wk, 5 hour days) I am really looking forward to going back on Monday. We have an appointment set for next Friday to make sure things have not changed.
Tomorrow Harry and I are hopefully going to Babies R Us to finish the registry. On Saturday we will be going out to Steve's for a relaxing Pontoon Boat ride, to play cards, and to watch the UT Game. It is so nice to be able to get out of the house!!

Keep Praying!

Perinatal Visit

Today Harry and I met with Dr. Stephens at the Perinatal Center. After we discussed with him what has been going on for the last week and a half, he decided to do another ultrasound and a Fetal Fibronectin Test(FFN). A negative FFN test result means that there is a 1% chance that I would deliver in the next 7-14 days. Dr. Stephens was happy with the ultrasound and I just heard back that the FFN test was negative. We meet with Dr. Peeden again on Thursday and will discuss the possibility of returning to work. For the next few days, she wants me to try and do a little more each day to see if my contractions start back. Thank you so much for all of your prayers!

Keep Praying!

Friday's Appointment

Today's appointment went really well. I measured at 27 1/2 weeks and we had another Non Stress Test. Claire's heart is maturing more and I was not having contractions. I am SO happy that we have had a great week. Bed rest sometimes makes me feel like I am losing my mind, but reports like today make it all worth it. We will be seeing the high risk ob on Monday and have another appointment with Dr. Peeden on Thursday.

Keep Praying!

Updated News from Yesterday

Dr. Peeden just called and I PASSED the Gestational Diabetes Test. They wanted to see levels under 135 and mine were at 94. She did say my White Blood Cell Count was a little increased. A normal WBC count is 13.5 and mine was 17. She thinks this is because of the 2 Steroid shots I received at the hospital to help Claire's lungs in case she came early.
She made me an appointment with a high risk doctor for Monday at 10am to get another opinion about what is going on. We will still see Dr. Peeden on Friday and she will tell us more about what to expect for Monday's appointment.
Thanks for all of your prayers! We have made it another week!!

Keep Praying!

Tuesday's Events

Harry had his lunch interview today with 21st Mortgage and should hear back from them with in the next week.
My brother drove me to my doctor's appointment today and Harry did end up making it to the appointment a few minutes after I went back. They drew blood today for the Gestational Diabetes Test. We also had another Non Stress Test which monitors little Claire's heartbeat and my contractions. Besides Harry having to keep up with an active little girl who was hyper from the GD drink, everything looked great. My cervix hasn't changed which makes me so happy. Dr. Peeden did tell us that my urine culture came back negative from last Wednesday. Previously, the doctors thought I had a UTI which could have caused contractions and would have been the reason I had blood in my urine; however, since I do not have a UTI, we must now try to determine why I had blood in my urine. I am to continue the bed rest and we go back to the doctor on Friday. Keep Praying!!

The Weekend

Harry and I had a very nice relaxing weekend. Since we normally tailgate on Saturdays for the UT game, we invited my brother over and the boys ventured off to the grocery store. Of course I sent them with a list! The trip was successful. We spent the rest of the afternoon eating sausage balls and smokey melts while watching football. I only had bad contractions twice on Saturday, so I am hoping the bed rest is helping!
We were pretty lazy on Sunday. I had a few more painful contractions and back pain. Luckily, the heating pad helped with the back pain and the bad contractions stopped.
As Dr. Peeden warned, bed rest is not easy. I am so blessed to have an amazing husband who takes care of me. It is hard for me to watch him cook, clean, and do everything else around the house, but I know this is what is best for me and Baby Claire.
We will have company this weekend, Harry's parents. I am so excited! It will be so nice to visit with them. One day I do hope we live closer to our families!!
I will update tomorrow about our appointment. Keep Praying!

Friday's Visit

Harry and I just got back from the doctor. There was no change in my cervix since yesterday, but I am still having 2 to 3 contractions every 15 minutes. She has put me on strict bed rest...no getting out of the house except to see her and I can get up to go to the restroom and shower. We will be seeing her 2 times a week for a while and will be seeing a high risk specialist in the next 2 weeks. We go back to see her on Tuesday and I will have my 1 hour blood sugar test.

I am so thankful to have such a wonderful doctor. She spent at least an hour answering questions we had and talking about all the necessary steps we will be taking to keep little Claire inside.
Keep praying!!

Little One

Harry and I are expecting a little girl, Claire Elizabeth Durbin. She is due 1/3/09. We will be using this blog to tell you about the journey along the way and once she is here.

Wednesday doctor and Hospital

Wednesday morning all started with a little cramping and just not feeling right. Since Harry insisted, at lunch I called Dr. Peeden and she asked me to come in. She found blood in my urine and performed a non stress test. Baby Claire was very active and her heart was beating between 140 to 150. The Non Stress test was not picking up contractions at that time and we believe this was only due to the monitor being placed high on my tummy. Dr. Peeden also did a cervix check and that is when she became worried and sent us to St Mary's.
At St. Mary's we had the luxury of being placed in Triage. Luckily we only had 1 other room mate for the first 2 hours or so. In Triage, I was hooked up to the same monitor as I had been on at Dr. Peeden's office. Dr. Tatum was my doctor on call and when he finally was able to come visit, he was able to feel my contractions with his hand and decided to put me on Indomethacin as well as give me shots of Betamethasone to help Claire's lungs in case she came early. He did an ultrasound and once again we were able to watch our little girl be super active. Dr. Tatum decided he wanted me to stay the night and continue monitoring the contractions. He also ordered for an ultrasound to measure my cervix on Thursday morning in their office.
Around 9:15 pm I was finally placed in my own room and was much more comfortable. The Indomethacin knocked out the contractions for the time being. At 2:30 am my nurse came in the room because I was having contractions. She gave me more Indomethacin as well as Ambien to sleep.
Thursday's on call doctor was Dr. Tsaltas. He woke me up at 6:30 am very chipper and asking all sorts of questions that are difficult to answer when you are half asleep. He released me from the hospital and had me head to his office after getting breakfast. He had to deliver 4 babies before he saw me, so Harry and I waited quite a while. We had a long list of questions for him and he spent a good 30 minutes explaining everything. They did measure my cervix and he has decided to put me on bed rest until the baby comes. I will also have weekly visits now.
Please pray for our family.
I will try to keep everyone updated!