Putting on the ounces....

Today was Braylin's 2-week doctor's appointment, and everything was perfect! She was wide awake all morning, and Dr. Haynes couldn't believe how alert she stayed during her full body assessment.

Now sit down for this information.... she weighs 8lb 7oz. Yes, that's correct...she's gained a whole pound since last week's doctor visit. But Dr. Haynes was thrilled. She was glad Braylin is finally back to her birth weight. The poor child was so under-nourished that first week home, so it's good she's putting the ounces (pound) back on. She's a healthy, growing little girl -- whose cheeks continue to enlarge on a daily basis. :)

Her umbilical cord fell off Monday night, so we're now seeing a belly button! Yippy! She continues to swing those arms around with every chance she gets, as well as kicking those adorable feet out as soon as she finds an opening in her swaddle blanket. She's so much fun to watch! Always moving around some way or another. The other night she wiggled out of her swaddle blanket, and when I woke up to her crying she had somehow rotated 90 degrees and moved to the back of the crib. Not at all where she had started the night! That little booger scared me to death when the monitor wasn't showing her anywhere on it because she had moved so much out of the camera's view.

Braylin is such a wonderful baby. I'm sure I'm jinxing myself right now and this will all change by this evening since I'm bragging about her, but she's so wonderful! We get in bed around 11 or so, and once she's sleeping SHE'S SLEEPING! I have to set my alarm to wake her up every 3 hours to eat. Otherwise, I really think she would just sleep until morning. I'm enjoying it so much...since I'm fully aware it could take a turn any night now. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't. :)

2 weeks

1st (and 2nd) doctor's appointment

I need to play catch-up on my postings! So here it goes...

Monday was our first doctor's appointment, and oh how Braylin had already changed in those 5 days! Her birth weight of 8lb 3oz decreased by 11% which put her at 7lb 4oz on Monday. We had a horrible time getting her to breastfeed over the weekend, so she dropped a good bit of weight, but Dr. Haynes wasn't too worried. We discussed the whole breastfeeding option and what to try since this little booger wouldn't latch on long enough to get any nutrients. So, now I'm pumping and feeding her breastmilk thru a bottle. Works for me!

Since her bilirubin was a little elevated (due to decreased nutrition) and her weight had dropped, Dr. Haynes had us bring her back on Wednesday for another bilirubin check. Good news... bilirubin had dropped back to 9.6 and Braylin had gained 2oz in 2 days, which is exactly what we're looking for! So, now our healthy little girl is growing away!

It has been quite humerous trying to manage my time with a newborn. If you could have been a fly on the wall Wed morning while my mom and I were trying to get Braylin ready for the doctor appointment. Monday Jay and I had gone together to her afternoon appointment which seemed to go quite smooth as far as getting her ready, the diaper bag ready, and loading up in the car. But for some reason Wed morning just didn't have enough time in it. We were laughing so hard trying to get everything situated and to the doctor on time. I definitely will be needing practice at time management skills now that we have an added addition to the family. :)

Week 1

At the hospital

Braylin's newborn photos....

I promise to get on here and post some photos and a baby update soon. She had her first doctor's appointment Monday and we went back today -- will post an update hopefully later today. Trying to figure out this time management thing.... taking me some time. :) For now, click here to see a few photos from her first photo shoot.

Happy Birthday Braylin!!!!!

Braylin Paige Langham
born January 28, 2008
8:07 pm
8 lb 3 oz
20 inches long

The day came exactly 1 week earlier than planned! Originally scheduled for a Feb 4th induction, Braylin decided to make an earlier appearance. And thank goodness she did, considering she wasn't exactly a feather weight.

I worked Mon and Tues, so I ran by Dr. Gayle's office Tues afternoon for my 38 week appointment. I was dilated 1cm, Braylin had come down a good bit more, and my cervix was 90% effaced. I was so excited! Then came Wednesday morning around 2:30am.... I woke up with horrible cramping in my lower back. It was bearable, so I figured I would lay there and wait for them to go away. The cramping was only happening with a contraction, but my contractions were irregular. I assumed I would go by the office in the morning and get some pain meds to hold over the cramping. From what I could tell, I was only in early labor (which can last days) so I wasn't too concerned.

Then at 3:30 when I was having contractions about every 7 minutes or so, I decided to call the labor unit to get another opinion. Angela agreed that a warm bath, two Tylenol, laying back down on my side for a little while, and kick counts would be a good start. Long story short... I was still having cramping at 8:00 so I called the doctor's office and they said to come on in. After the monitor read contractions every 1-2 minutes and my cervix had changed to 2cm, Dr. Gayle said "today's the day!" So across the hall we walked to the Labor Unit!

It felt so weird being the patient! But I have to say that it was so much fun having "my girls" take care of me!!! At 11:00, Dr. Gayle broke my water and they started the Pitocin. By 11:30 I had my epidural and was ready for an exciting day. At 3:00, I was 10cm! I couldn't believe how fast everything had happened! But then the story changes a little.... :)

Dr. Gayle wanted me to labor for another hour or so to see if Braylin would open up my pelvis a little more. He gave the go-ahead to start pushing around 4:30.... I was in stirrups and pushing at 5:00... took a break at 6:45 because the little squirt wouldn't make her way under my pelvic bone..... Dr. Gayle started the fist-in-my-stomach fundal pressure at 7:30 (still feeling that).... and at 8:07pm Braylin was born! There were several times throughout the event I just knew Dr. Gayle was going to call a c-section, but he stuck with it and sure enough she eventually made her appearance. Needless to say, I was EXHAUSTED but it was all so worth it.

I promise more photos to come...... but here's 2 for now! Jen took over 300 photos in 2 days, so I have a lot to sort thru! :)

Counting down the days

I had my 37w 6d appointment today, and I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by! No dialation yet, thinned out some more, and Braylin's continued to move down a good bit. So, looks like everything's moving along well. Though I was initially hoping I'd start dialating around this time, Dr. Gayle is out of town this weekend, so I'm relieved I don't have to worry about going into labor. :)

Work has been pretty busy on the labor unit, so after two straight 12hour days of chaos I'm starting to have a hard time walking the next morning. Round ligament pain... the joys of pregnancy. :) I'm so lucky though that it didn't start until now! I feel for those women who start having it a lot earlier. Now I'll have a little more compassion for the 25 weekers who come in complaining of it.... it's not fun! Everything has gone wonderful in this pregnancy, and I can't believe how fortunate we have been. I can honestly say I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've had a wonderful pregnancy with no complications or complaints. All we can do is pray that Braylin will be a happy healthy baby!

Only 12 more days until Braylin's (scheduled) birthday! Ahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can HARDLY wait!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Gavin!

Gavin Christopher Lauzon was born Wed, Jan 21 at 12:08pm! Rebecca made labor look easy -- she started the morning worried she wasn't going to dialate at all, then next thing I knew Gavin's heartrate was having variables and she was complaining of pain, so I checked her cervix and sure enough she was dialated to 10cm and ready to push! However, there was no pushing to it! She was so funny, popping that baby out like it was nothing.

Thanks, Rebecca and Bryan, for asking me to be your nurse -- I had so much fun being a part of your special day!!! Unfortunately, I was busy with the delivery and baby that I didn't have my camera, so I'll have to wait until they send me a picture to post. Keep Rebecca in your prayers for a speedy recovery -- though labor was easy, she had some complications afterwards so she'll be spending some extra days in the hospital. Hopefully they'll be home by Monday. As for little Gavin....ADORABLE!!!!!!

Belly photos

I've never really thought pregnant bellies were that pretty; however, I look at them totally different now, thinking about what a joy it is to carry such a precious gift inside.

I had so much fun taking maternity photos last week. I'm so glad I changed my mind about having them taken -- I know it'll be a wonderful keepsake to have from this pregnancy. I can hardly wait to see all of the images! She posted a few on her BLOG just to give me a sneak peak... I'm so impatient though, I'm ready to see them all. And to take our newborn photos once Braylin's here!

Only 3 more weeks!

Had my 36w4d appointment today, and so far everything is continuing to go well! I totally freaked out when I stepped on the scale and had gained 4 lbs since last Friday!!!! Yes, that's correct. Four pounds in five days. But Dr. Gayle assured me it's mainly fluid and not to worry. I'm up to 19 lbs now total. Better slow down on the chocolate craving I have on a 24-hour basis. :) I really don't want an enormous baby!!!

Though I'm not dilated any at this time, my cervix has thinned out and Braylin has dropped a good bit. The doctor said we've made progress, so I guess we'll wait and get the next update at next week's appointment (next Friday). I can't believe only 3 weeks and she'll be here!!! I can hardly wait -- but 3 weeks seems forever away.

Also went to a breastfeeding prenatal course tonight and got so much info! I didn't plan on attending any prenatal courses considering most of it I know from working on the labor unit (tour of the labor unit, labor & childbirth, etc), but I didn't want to miss out on the prenatal-course-experience that most first mom's go thru -- so I decided I could learn some things from the breastfeeding course. And sure enough, I did! Though I know most of it will be "learn as I go", it was fun getting a bunch of pamphlets and info on feeding a newborn. Hopefully breastfeeding will be a success. Time will tell....

It's a date!!!

I went for my 35w6d appointment yesterday, and we scheduled the induction date! Yippy! Unless Braylin decides she wants to pick her own birthday a little earlier, we are on the schedule to be induced on Wednesday, February 4th. It was such an exciting appointment! I was keeping my fingers crossed he would want to go ahead and pick an induction date. Next week the doctor will start checking my cervix, so that should be even more exciting. For now, we're just thrilled to know that whether I go into labor on my own or we end up inducing, Braylin will be here by Feb 4th. Counting down the days....

Nursery photos

I finally got around to taking some pictures of Braylin's room now that it's complete! All we're waiting on now is a baby.....

It's 2009!!!

Can you believe it's already 2009?! It doesn't seem that long ago when we were anxiously awaiting the clock to turn 2000 on New Year's... time flies when you're having fun.

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's. I was honestly surprised I could actually stay up until midnight. Haven't done that in a long time! Our good friends Lisa & LJ came over with their 20-month-old, and I think they were shocked to still be awake at midnight too! :)

So here we go, into a new year... lots of excitement!
1. Braylin's birthday
2. My brother-in-law Ray will be starting his final year of dental school
3. Laura is getting married!!!!!!! Ahhh!!!!!!!!! Congrats Laura & Jack!!!!!! Looking forward to finding out when and where the wedding is going to be!
4. Mom & Dad go skiing without the kiddos... ok, that's not exciting for us. But they'll have a lot of fun with their friends.
5. Jay's cousin is getting married which means a Langham family reunion
6. There's plenty more, but I can't think of them right now.... we'll have to see what 2009 brings......

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I cannot believe it's already come and gone. I was off of work all week and this weekend, except for Christmas Day. I worked 7a-3p which is a short shift and I was looking forward to spending those Christmas Day hours with two other girls I really love working with on the labor unit. We pictured a calm Christmas on the labor unit with time to read and chit-chat.... but we were so wrong. I was excited to be assigned to the laboring patient that morning; however, that delivery turned into an emergency c-section. And with only three nurses, a c-section that needed to happen within three minutes of the Dr. calling it, seven scheduled NSTs, and four walk-ins with bleeding and pain, the labor unit quickly became mass chaos. Needless to say, 3 o'clock quickly arrived, none of us had eaten lunch, and not a single patient had been charted on. We were so happy to see the next shift arrive, and our group was out of there by about 4 o'clock. So there ya go... my Christmas Day! :)

We did Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve, and it was a lot of fun. Opened Braylin's gifts (she's so spoiled -- Santa came before she's even born!), our gifts, and then went home for a little while to get ready for dinner. Then had dinner at my parents with my grandparents and Uncle Dan & Tasha. We were so glad to have my dad's parents in town this year -- it was their year to go see my cousins in New Orleans, but we got to keep them here. This year was Jen & Ray's year to spend Christmas with the Jarvis', so they drove to Houston for the holidays. Sounds like they had a lot of fun too. We are looking forward to having them next year for Braylin's first Christmas!

I also put a picture on here of my dad's new addition to his flight equipment. Kobi is modeling them for you to see. Now Kobi, Izzy, or Buster can fly in the plane -- they have doggie ear-muffs to protect their ears. I know, it's crazy... but doesn't Kobi look so cute modeling?

After work, I ran out to my parents to pick up Kobi and give them another Christmas Day hug & kiss (they had already surprised me at the hospital that morning at 6:30am to tell me Merry Christmas and bring me a hot chocolate. It made my day and was a wonderful way to start Christmas.)

Then Jay & I went to his parents (they had breakfast and Christmas with his parents & brothers that morning) for me to open my gifts from them and eat some yummy chili his dad made. They gave Braylin an adorable onesie that says "My Grandpa drives a Harley" -- will have to post a picture of it. Too cute!

Today has been dark, gloomy and windy day, so I decided to spend the day cleaning house and trying to get most of the Christmas decorations put up. However, after several hours of house-work, my 34-week pregnant belly caught up with me and I was exhausted. Today was the first time it's really hit me like that -- short of breath, ankles feeling swollen, ready to crash on the couch and watch a good movie. So that's exactly what I did. :) Just enjoying the weekend.....

Yes, I have continued to crave sweets. One of my favorites is my mom's sugar cookies. Jen & I decorated them when they were home for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun -- brought back some wonderful memories!

Glider, glider, where are you?

Well, I finished the canvas for her room and hospital door after several weeks of trying to decide how I wanted it to look. It turned out really cute and looks so adorable hanging in her room. Also, I finished the drawings above the crib a few weeks back, and after having them framed at Michaels, they are finally hanging! They just really help complete the nursery, and I can't quit walking in there to look around. I can't hold back the smile I get every time I peek into Braylin's room. Now all we need is the glider (shipped this week, so hopefully it'll get here soon) and the nursery's complete!


Little miss Braylin is moving all around in this super tight basketball I'm carrying around. Sometimes I'll just sit perfectly still so I can feel her move. That has got to be my favorite part of pregnancy! Babies are such a miracle and an amazing gift from God. Another exciting addition to the pregnancy.... contractions!

The "fake" braxton hicks contractions, of course. I'm sure I'll feel differently when the "real" ones start on her birthday. But for now, my occasional contraction reminds me that my body is starting to get ready for delivery. It's so exciting! I've already confirmed with Dr. Gayle that he doesn't have any family vacations planned the end of January or beginning of February. :) I'm shooting for week 38 or 39. Though I love the February birthstone, I'd much rather induce earlier. :) Guess we'll have to wait and see which month Braylin decides she's ready to join us!

As for now, Christmas is here and I'm LOVING every minute of it!!!! It's been so dark, cold, and drizzily the past few days -- if I could just sit at home in front of the Christmas tree and drink my hot chocolate every day from now til Christmas, I think I would. I just can't get enough of this season!!!

Hiccups at 32 weeks

I've had a number of people ask me if Braylin has had the hiccups yet, and unfortunately I've had no idea what the hiccups even feel like. Until last night! Jay was feeling her move all around, and all of sudden she was in a steady jumping-like pattern for a little while. I'm assuming it was the hiccups -- or at least it was exactly what people have been explaining it's like! It was so neat! I don't know what gets into this little booger at night, but she almost always decides to dance around my belly in the evenings. I absolutely love it!!!!! It's the best part of being pregnant!!!!

32 week update from "What to Expect..."
This week your baby is tipping the scales at almost 4lbs and topping out at just about 19inches. And growing isn't the only thing on the agenda these days. While you're busy getting everything ready for baby's arrival, baby's busy prepping for that big debut, too. In the last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice, as she hones the skills needed to survive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Ok, maybe it's not a survival skill, but it sure is cute! Another change this week: your baby's skin is no longer see-through. As more and more fat accumulates under the skin, it's finally opaque (just like yours!).

Sarah's Book List

Since starting work on the Labor Unit, I quickly found that I was being pulled back into reading again. On weekends where things are fairly slow on the unit, the girls usually pull out a good book, relax, and read. It's a great break from a wild work week since it seems to be baby season right now. Though I've always enjoyed reading while traveling or relaxing on the beach, I've never really been a big reader. Well, besides trashy romance books. But I must say... I am LOVING it now!

It started with Water for Elephants. Not usually my type of reading, but I must admit I thought the book was great. Very entertaining.

Then I moved onto The Shack. My mom had read it and said it was wonderful, and a few girls at work said they read the whole book in one day because they couldn't seem to put it down. So I joined in, and I must agree...... wonderful book!!!! I highly recommend it -- it'll really make you stop and think....

Next, I decided to read up on baby suggestions. I tried reading Baby Wise, but I must be too stupid for that book. It seemed way over my head, and I just wasn't enjoying reading it. So...I read another book that a friend had recommended (Thank you Tracy J! I totally agree with you...it's so much better than Baby Wise!). It's called The Happiest Baby on the Block, and I absolutely loved it! I recommend it to any new (or about to me new) mom. I had to mark some of the pages though in case I forget a few tips before Braylin comes. :)

Out of Africa is next on my list. Well, actually it's the book that the book club group from work is reading, so I thought I'd try it out. I'm trying my best to get into it. I might just have to give up and watch the movie. But I'll try to give it time...

And lastly, I'm starting Twilight tonight. Honestly, when the book came out like four years ago I had no interest in it. It was written more for teenagers, and vampires haven't ever really done-it for me. But now with everyone talking about how good the movie is, I started thinking... And then Julie at work could hardly sit still talking about how much she loved the book... So I figure I'll give it a try. I know, Jennifer..... you're disappointed that I'm giving in. But no worries... if it's a good one, I think I can bring you over to the Twilight side too. :)

Guess I better get this love for reading on a roll -- once Braylin gets here I highly doubt I'll have much time for the books!

Playing catch-up....

Oh my goodness time has flown by, and I am totally slacking on my posting! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was great...well, I spent mine on the Labor Unit (working -- not due to my pregnancy) but we had a good day. No babies born but several outpatients. Since none of us wanted to eat the lovely cafeteria turkey & dressing, we had Copelands for Thanksgiving. :) And thanks to Jen & Ray for running by and seeing me, we enjoyed my mom's pumpkin cake squares for dessert. Got to spend lots of time with family over the weekend. We had a great time with Jen & Ray in town, and they finally got to feel Braylin move! Yippy!

My other excitement for the week: Jay & I decorated for Christmas!!! I just couldn't wait. Wednesday before Thanksgiving was dark, cold and rainy, so we took advantage of being off of work and decided to go ahead and decorate. This is my favorite time of year.... if only this cold weather would stick around! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will.

So we are now in our 30th week of this pregnancy. I cannot believe it! I could go on and on about how thankful I am for Braylin and for such a wonderful experience this pregnancy has been so far. I have loved every minute of it (well, my feet hurt at night after a long day at work....but I turn that into a positive by getting Jay to rub them). :)