Nolen William Wagner

One thing that I have always regretted about when Bennett was born was that we didn't have newborn pictures taken.  My talented sister, Katie, took these beautiful photos for us when Nolen was just a few days old.  One of my very favorite pictures is the one with him in the wooden bowl.  That bowl belonged to my great grandmother and now graces our living room coffee table.

We heard a message during our first year living in Atlanta that was instantly planted in our hearts.  It was based on the verse Micah 6:8.  As we were considering names, Nolen and William were the top two names…both family names.  Six years later, when we looked up the name Nolen, the verse that went with his name was Micah 6:8.

We pray his name will ultimately lead him to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

 “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Nolen's Birth Story

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

12:00 pm

Mommy had a doctor’s appointment that day, so big brother Bennett went to Grammy and Grampy’s to play with cousins Savannah and Nathan.  Dr. Hubbard wanted to check to make sure you were growing and healthy, so Mommy had an ultrasound first.  You were perfect and the ultrasound tech thought that you would be over 7 pounds.  Mommy started having some contractions while waiting to see Dr. Hubbard.  The doctor said she thought you would be born in the next couple of days.  She was right!

2:00 pm

            Mommy went back to Grammy’s house to play with Bennett and the cousins.  Her contractions kept getting closer together all day long: 6, 5, and 4 minutes apart.  Nonnie stopped by for a visit and to check on Mommy.  Soon, it was dinner time, so Nonnie went to get an Arby’s roast beef sandwich and curly fries for Mommy.  Bennett and Mommy hung out at Grammy and Grampy’s house waiting for Daddy to finish teaching his transportation class at OU Tulsa.  Mommy tried to call Daddy to let him know that you would be born soon, but his phone was turned off!  Mommy decided that Bennett should spend the night there in case she needed to go to the hospital during the night. 

9:30 pm

Finally, when Daddy got home from class and Mommy drove home.  She finished packing her bag for the hospital and got all of the things that you would need there too. 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

12:00 am

Mommy and Daddy decided to go to bed.  Mommy kept timing her contractions.  All of the sudden, they were 3 minutes apart!  Daddy called Dr. Hubbard and we headed to the hospital. 

3:30 am

            We arrived at St. John’s Medical Center and went to the Labor and Delivery floor.  They checked Mommy to see if you were ready to come and you were!   Mommy was dilated to a 7 and 80% effaced.

4:30 am

            We were admitted and given a room.  Nonnie and Aunt Katie came to the hospital to help and take pictures.  The nurses took blood work to make sure it was okay for Mommy to have an epidural.  It took a long time, for the hospital to process the blood work, and your birth was getting closer!  Mommy was an 8 and 90%!  When the blood work finally came back from the lab, the anesthesiologist had been called into an emergency surgery, so he was not available to give Mommy her epidural.  The nurse called the on call anesthesiologist, but he was 20 minutes away.  Mommy was a little nervous he wouldn’t make it in time!

5:00 am

            The doctor arrived and gave Mommy the medicine.  Right after the epidural, Mommy’s water broke.  You were almost ready to arrive! 

5:15 am

            Mommy’s blood pressure was very low and your heart rate was low as well, so they gave Mommy some oxygen and some extra blood pressure medicine.  Mommy had to keep moving from side to side to find a position that you liked!  After about an hour, everything was back to normal and it was time to push.  You were ready!!!!

6:20 am

            After two pushes, you were born.  We all were so excited to meet you and so surprised to see that you had so much blond hair!  You weighed 6 pounds and 6 ounces and were 19 ¼ inches long.

A Party for Baby No Name

My sister and a few of my dear friends hosted a shower for baby number two.  We were still undecided on a name, but they graciously worked around that little detail.  It was a wonderful party, complete with scrumptious food and darling touches.  Since we were having another boy around the same season, we didn't need much, but there's just something about celebrating new life and acknowledging the uniqueness and blessing of each little one. 

 

Better Late Than Never

Well, I'm over a year and one half behind on this blog, but I figure better late than never!  Let's pick back up in 2012 where we left off.  We had a fun last Christmas as a family of three.  I bought an advent calendar when Bennett was a baby with plans to do Christ-centered advent activities when Bennett got a little older.  It was really fun and we enjoyed the special family time over the advent season.

Decorating the Tree

James and I had fun telling Bennett about all the ornaments, especially the ones we have purchased on our travels.

 Christmas Morning

 Favorite Gifts

The drum broke that night.  Don't worry, we took it back and got a more sturdy one!

 One of Bennett's most loved gifts was a frog that probably cost a dollar. (Note to self for next year!)

 Decorating edible Christmas trees with cousin Savannah.

Three Year Old Thoughts

In the Wagner house, age 2.5 to 3.5 has been an intense, in the trenches, parenting experience.  We have endured a lot of tantrums and underwear washing (... if you know what I mean ... I'll spare you the details!).  There have been days when I wasn't sure I could take another feet kicking, teradactyl-like screeching fit.  Surely a child this cute could not do such a thing, you say.  I can assure you it is entirely possible!  But, amidst all of the screaming and flailing, were some funny, precious, and shinning moments that I just have to share.

Bennett told Aunt Erin and Uncle Brian that he might be a nurse someday when he grows up, like Brian.  Then he said, “Or maybe a tiger.  I already have the outfit for that.”  (He was a tiger for Halloween.)

When I was pregnant with Nolen, Bennett was convinced that he had a baby in his tummy too.  He could not be persuaded otherwise, so I just went with it.  It turned out to be a good tactic to get him to eat.  He would say, "Yum!  The baby really likes _____."  One day he told me, "My baby is kicking it's feet and talking to your baby.  He's saying, 'I want to get out of here!'"

Nolen was crying in his car seat and I overheard Bennett say, “Don’t worry, Nolen—I’m here with you.  God is with you too, so don’t worry!”

One day Bennett said to me, "I've got the hiccups.  Who passed them to me?"  Then he looked straight at me and said, "I remember you had them."

 

One day when I was putting Bennett down for a nap,  I said, "Would you like me to turn down your bed?"  Then he asked, "Do you have a remote?"

 

My mom told Bennett that his cousin Weston was waking up a lot at night because he would lose his monkey paci.  Sometimes he had thrown it out of his crib.  He got a very serious look on his face and said, “I’d better go down there and rescue him!”

 

My parents had some Canadian geese that were hanging around the pond.  Bennett knew they didn’t want them in the yard b/c they were messy and mean.  Every time they would come into the yard, Bennett would call for my dad —“Come get them, Poppa!  They’re back.”  On one of his trips into the house he turned to my mom and Nana and said, “I’m the goose officer!” with a very serious look on his face.
 

My mom had seen a segment on the news that it was important that very small children know their parents’ real names in case of emergency, rather than “mommy” or “daddy.”  She asked Bennett, “What’s your mommy’s real name?”  He answered, “Samanta.”  She said "That’s right, Samantha Wagner.”  “What’s your daddy’s real name?”  “Honey!”  “Well, that’s probably what you hear mommy call him, but what’s his real name?”  “Honey.”  “No, it’s James.  James Wagner.”  Bennett responded, “I need to tell Mommy about that!”  He did know that Nolen’s name was Nolen William and that his name was Bennett Owen Wagner. 

 

After he sneezes, he says, "I bless you'd!"

 

One day Bennett randomly told me, "I know how to go to sleep when you're scared. (Counting off on his fingers.) "Think about the good things, God is with you. The first thing is: don't be scared.  The next thing is: your mommy and daddy are here."  He remembered all of James' coaching from when he's scared at night.

 

Aunt Erin had given us a small watermelon.  One day, at lunch, I asked Bennett if he wanted me to cut it up for him.  "Yes."  Then in an very excited voice he said, "I have an idea in my big mind ... We can eat it on the front porch! Is that a good idea?"

 

He loves to make plans and gets excited about them.  After he tells me about them he usually says, "Is that a good idea?" or "Will that be fun?" in a very enthusiastic voice.

 

Bennett really is a sweet, loving, imaginative little boy.  I'm so glad that I'm his mommy.  AND, I'm grateful that we are leaving the tantrum stage, even if we are just moving onto the wining phase and even more teachable moments.