Harriet Marie Chapman

The Chapmans finally have some big news to share. After about 350 years, the Chapman clan has returned to its roots in Massachussets. On April 26, at 3:55 PM our little Boston baked bean, Harriet Marie Chapman finally decided to join our family.

After our experience Friday night at Emerson Hospital we knew that Harriet was going to be joining us soon. When Michelle subsequently saw the doctor on Tuesday they scheduled an inducement for May 2. However, Harriet had other designs. At 4:30 Tuesday afternoon Michelle called me and said that I needed to get home as she had been contracting regularly for several hours. I rushed home and things continued into the night. She called her doctor's office, but the physician on call was from another practice and did not know Michelle's history. She told Michelle to wait until the morning when her doctor would be on call and they could make a decision.

The contractions eased up for some of the night, but at 3:00 AM they started again. At 7:30 AM Michelle called and spoke with her doctor who told her to come in. We arranged for Grace to go over to our neighbors and off we went to the hospital. Things went slowly until about 3 PM. Harriet was being a stubborn Chapman and was still going to come on her time schedule that day not ours. Michelle was starting to get a little impatient as Grace start to finish once at the hospital was only 6 hours. However, at 3 PM the contractions starting picking up. Hard labor was very short, but intense. Michelle went from a 6 to giving birth in 30 minutes. With only 15 minutes of pushing. Harriet was resisting with her little arm up against her face making things more difficult, but finally she relented.

Harriet Marie Chapman was born at 3:55 PM on April 26 weighing a healthy 7 pounds 9 ounces and coming in at 20 inches in length. Not too bad for a 37 week baby. Mom and baby are doing great as are dad and Grace. Check out Harriet's webpage for some more pictures (click on Harriet Marie Chapman up at the top).

Ask not what your country can do for you...

As if being pregnant and soon to have a breast-feeding newborn isn't enough, Michelle is now being asked to perform her civic duty. I have to admit that I only feel half sorry for her as I had jury duty 2 years ago and ended up being chosen to serve on a jury for a DUI case. Plus I missed my friends dissertation defense. Anyone else feeling sorry for her?

What were you doing at 3:40:10 EDT?

Last night we thought that Harriet would soon be joining us. At around 8:00 PM Michelle starting having contractions every 15 minutes. This lasted for 4 hours until they went to every 8-10 minutes. With Michelle's history, her doctor told her to go to the hospital after an hour at that frequency. So at 1:15 AM we woke up Grace and loaded up the car to go to the hospital in Concord. Long story short, after 3 hours at the hospital and a shot of Michelle's favorite drug, terbutylene (sp?) we ended being sent home at 4:30 AM. Harriet will have to wait for another day, although Michelle is getting to the point that she wishes it was over. At least Grace had a good time being a kangaroo and eating crackers and drinking apple juice. But, will she sleep tonight?

There is light at the end of the tunnel...

There is light at the end of the tunnel...

Literally, for Harriet, this is true! I went to the doctor yesterday for my last ultrasound. This little girl is ready to rock and roll. She's already 7 lbs 12 oz and there are still 4 weeks left to her due date. I didn't think that either David or I had the genes for such a big baby (Grace was 7 lbs 4 oz at birth and has hovered around the 10-25th percentile her whole life.) Harriet's current weight is in the 97th percentile! The only time we've ever seen the 97th percentile was on our grade school SAT scores. Apparently staying home all winter provided me lots of opportunity to eat very well. I'm 2 pounds shy of the weight I was when I delivered Grace, so I told Harriet that neither one of us is allowed to gain more than 2 pounds before she is born. I would prefer that she keep her gain to under a pound!

I think the 9th month of pregnancy was invented so that women would be willing to do anything (namely go through labor, delivery, and having a newborn) in order to stop being pregnant. That is the point I'm to. I can't imagine this belly getting much bigger or me getting much more uncomfortable and unable to do things.

Fortunately, my doctor is not going to make me wait 4 more weeks. If Harriet doesn't show up on her own by May 2nd, she will be forced to come out. So, the next time you see a picture of Harriet on our blog, it will be in full color and she will have clothes on!

On with the nesting...

Yea Gracie!!!

After talking to Jared the other night, I realized I should update everyone and tell Gracie's big news - that she has mastered the potty! After a few days of fighting with her to sit down and try and a very few accidents, she has now gone 10 days without an accident and has stayed dry all night in her pull-up. She still feels more secure when we leave the house if she has a pull-up on, but she always asks to go potty when she needs to or waits until she gets home. She is really awesome and I'm so proud of her.

Her Daddy did come through on his big treat. She wanted a big piece of "equipment" for her train set, namely Cranky the Crane. David ordered it and it was delivered and sat on top of our fridge for about a week while we waited for Grace to quit having accidents and to initiate sitting on the potty herself. She was finally rewarded with him last week and she hasn't put him down since. So, there's my little girl with her industrial toy that she loves as dearly as any other girl loves her dolly.

I do have to mention, though, that yesterday we went to Emerson Hospital so that Grace could have a tour of the maternity ward and learn about being a big sister. She was given some diapers and a warming hat to take home and "practice" on her own baby with. She came straight home and got out the Cabbage Patch baby that she got for Christmas 2 years ago and has never touched. She's been trying to be a good mommy to it and I think she will make a fabulous big sister. In spite of herself, she already really loves Harriet and really does want her to come to our house.

So, our big-girl days are finally here! She's also finally saying that she's a big girl. Up until a few days ago, she still wanted to be the baby, but she has realized that she's not a baby anymore and it's probably more fun that way.