Hardin Pharr

I'll start with the explanation of his name and the blog name. Going into the ultrasound to find out if the baby was a boy or girl was a big day. I just knew it was a boy; knew it, knew it, knew it. Daddy, on the other hand, just knew it was a girl! I'm not entirely sure Jason will really believe little man is in fact a man until he is born. That said, if it was a boy, we both knew the name decision was going to be a lot easier than if it was a girl.

Pharr has been set in stone long before I even came into the picture. Hardin's dad is Jason Pharr, grandfather is Jerry Pharr, and great grandfather is Marcus Pharr. We are not entirely sure where the name came from, but MiMi (grandmother-Becky), says that in the old Athens cemetery one of the Mac men married a woman with the maiden name Pharr. One of these days we'll make it over there to find her grave marker again.

The story behind Hardin is certainly bittersweet. We lost my dad, Phillip Hardin, two years before the week we found out little man was a boy. I think that was one of the main reasons I just knew he was a boy. B is also named after dad, Phillip Scott. Years ago B told me he was going to use the name Hardin if he ever had a son. I called him the night before the ultrasound and asked him to be honest and tell me if he would mind if we used the name. We just loved it and thought it was fitting as Hardin is dad's first grandchild. Of course, my sweet little brother gave us his blessing to use the name and that's how Hardin Pharr came to be.

The blog name may change, but for now it is very fitting. Hardin's original due date was October 28th, 2010. At 24 weeks I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. One of the most common side effects is abnormally large babies (fun for me). Because of that, my doctor asked if we would be okay inducing labor one week early. He said the chances of having a cesarean or complications during delivery go up tremendously if we let the baby get too big. So began the balancing act... After discussing the details and weighing the pros and cons, we agreed inducing October 21st would be best. The diagnosis also turned my attention to the scale. I started a special diet to keep me and the baby from gaining too much weight. So far I am doing very well, I am about 2 lbs. above my pre-pregnancy weight. Hardin is consistently measuring a little longer than normal but nothing to be alarmed about.

With the change in due dates, Hardin is now going to be a Libra like me. I have never given much thought to zodiac signs, and still don't, but it's fun to have something in common with the little man. The Libra sign is the balancing scale. While I hope he gets some of the better Libra qualities, I hope he is a little more well-balanced than I can be! B assures me there is no need to worry, and in his own words... "I'm supposed to be the most highly organized sign if that tells you anything." That tells me a lot.

Finally, I think the hardest part of this parenting thing is going to be finding the right balance in our lives. Between home and work. Strict and carefree. Marriage and kids. Saving and spending. School and sports. Mom and dad. Safety and fun... even southern and redneck :) The list just goes on and on. I'm sure we will find our own little  family happy medium, but there are sure to be some bumps along the way!

PS... this blog will be as informal as they come. Just writing these first two posts, I have discovered I will not have time to edit anything. You'll just have to love me and my incomplete thoughts, spelling and grammar errors!