Baby Update
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Parker is coming... actually... Parker is HERE!!!
---- Updated PICTURES: June 11th, near 3:30pm ----
As you all know by now... we are expecting our 3rd son,
Parker Drew Mathews
I will do my best to keep you updated, as well as post any class schedule changes.
May 23rd - Fri: Check-up time... nurse says we are ready "any day now". We have all the bags packed and car has plenty of gas.
May 24th - Sat: Planning on spending the day walking at the mall close to the hospital. Spending some time at the park with the boys, walking, walking and more walking.
May 25th - Sun: After church, guess what we did... more walking. Kimmie has more energy, so we might walk a bit more.
May 26th - Mon: Memorial Day... More time to play with the boys, and you might not have guessed, but we walked around yet another mall.
May 27th - Tue: Kimmie is feeling up to going into work, so off to the Dentist she goes. We have classes scheduled at regular times, with the understanding that I might have to leave quickly.
May 28th - Wed: Kimmie is heading to work again... regular class schedule.
May 29th - Thur: Seems that God has let Parker know that he may come out when he is good and ready. Classes are on regular schedule.
May 30th - Fri: Today, we are headed in for another check-up. The check-up that the nurse felt that we would NOT be needing, because we would most likely have delivered by now. The check-up that we wouldn't have, because all of the walking and playing, and jumping, and riding on the bumpy roads, would have assisted in getting Parker to feel a little less shy. Well, again GOD proves that he is in charge, and we as His children, are in need of patience.
May 31st - Sat: No baby yet, so classes are on for this morning.
May 31st - Sat: hmmm... contractions... currently it's 9:30pm. Somewhere near dinner time, Kimmie started having "tolerable" contractions. We have been having a few frequent "light" ones, as well as some "not so light". Again, we are guessing here, but things seem to be pointing to a late evening or early morning trip to the hospital.
Jun 1st - Sun: False alarm... Parker, it seems, has been trying to see if we are prepared. It's all good. We are going to see what today brings.
Jun 2nd - Mon: Still no change... we wait. Kimmie feels fine, so classes are on for this evening. SCRATCH that about classes tonight... with all the running and jazz, Mr Mathews forgot to pay the electric bill. There are times when I wonder about myself. Classes are NOT on for this evening, for no other reason than my inability to remember a simple note to myself. Sorry guys, should be fine for Tuesday.
Jun 3rd - Tue: Kimmie feels fine again today, although she did say that she had a few more contractions late last night. Classes are on for this evening.
Jun 4th - Wed: We had a quick check-up... and the nurse has sent us on our way to the hospital. Parker should be here tonight. We are closing classes today, and will be closed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well. There will be regular classes for next week, so please be ready to have me as a daddy of three.
Jun 4th - Wed: In the hospital...
7:30pm... Nurses have checked and things are going well. We are expecting things to get busy very shortly.
8:30pm... As expected, things are moving along quite well. Nurses are in every 5-7 minutes. Parker seems ready to make his debut.
10:00pm... Parker Drew Mathews has arrived. Headed off to do the "follow the nurse that has my baby". What a whirl-wind of things tonight. 8lbs 1oz and 21inches long.
Jun 5th - Thu: We should be here for a day or two... remember, no classes this weekend.
Jun 6th - Fri: We leave the hospital tonight, somewhere near 9pm... or so they say.
Jun 7th - Sat: Well, a rough night might not cover all that has gone on. Parker has not been sleeping well, not that much different than our other two boys when they were little. Still, a bit of concern. We will wait for the afternoon time, to see how we are doing then.
Jun 7th - Sat: Wow, afternoon hits, and here we are at the hospital again. Seems Mr Parker has a little bit of a high temp running. Kimmie and I are concerned, so we call the doctor, and off we run. We will do our best to keep the updates. Possible need to cancel Monday classes as well. I hope everyone understands.
Jun 7th - Sat: Alright, doctors have been running a few more tests. They have ruled out some really ugly things, yet are uncertain on some others. As a rule, any child under the 1 month or so range, needs to be kept over a two day period. We are again, camping at the hospital. The high temp must have been something that was being kept under control while we were in the first few days (after delivery), due to some antibiotics and tylenol he had been given. Rather than send us home with some additional antibiotics, they said everything was fine. Live and learn, then trust in GOD. Parker has been a real "Super-dude" with all the things they have put him through. Like I have told him, while I was kneeling there holding his little hand, GOD has blessed me with these moments to be there for him. I am going to go ahead and say that we are MOST likely NOT having classes on Monday. I have a feeling that I will still be here with Kimmie and Parker. Thank you for understanding. I look forward to times like this, where I can share a part of our life with you, after so many of you have allowed me to be a part of your life.
8th Jun - Sun: We have been just sitting and waiting... watching the nurses and techs take vitals and draw blood. Things seem a little better, he really likes his nap time, between all the poking and such.
9th Jun - Mon: At the time of this update, it is near 4am. One of those nights where things are good, then swinging toward not so fun. Parker has had a wonderful time getting more blood drawn, as well as a constant monitor check. Antibiotics have been given, thinking that the initial trouble he was having was something like a virus. Like I have told the staff here several times, this is the gift GOD has blessed them with, we have to trust that. I will try to update a little later. Again... we will most likely need to close classes for today.
9th Jun - Mon: So we have made it near 10:30am, and still no word on discharge. We are waiting for our doctor to make her rounds... a really nice lady, quite the "southern bell". The nurses have been dealing with us and our concern of a monitor that Parker is hooked up to, showing a low heart-rate from time to time. With the monitor alarms going off, and the nurses having to come in and reset them, of course the question comes up if it is a concern or not. You all know me, I am a patient man, although I have run close to the end of that rope. I am sad to say, a young nurse just got a little bit of that frustration that I have been feeling. She seemed to take it well, most likely chalking it up to an overly concerned parent.
9th Jun - Mon: We have reached 3pm or so... here is a fast run down of what all has been happening in the past few hours. We were discharged somewhere near 12pm. With all of the papers and conference stuff there, we left close to 1pm, I think. We then made our way to pick up Parker's big bubbas. After that, we left and went straight to Dairy Queen... Kimmie was needing something other than the hospital food, plus, we all needed a little treat to celebrate Parker coming home (for the second time). We are going to cancel classes for today, but we will have classes on Tuesday. I have been blessed in more ways than you may know. We have had a couple of emails from our family, as well as from our Christian brothers and sisters... Thank you. Oh, I did apologise to the nurse for my quick temper, she said it was no biggie, more or less.
CLASSES RESUME
TUESDAY (Jun 10th)