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). :)

Third trimester, here we come!

We've made it to week 28 and still going strong! Had my appointment this morning, and it was so exciting! Well, drinking the glucose-orange-slice-drink wasn't thrilling but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Passed the glucose test with flying colors, so that was a stress reliever. Next came the scales.... I've gained 14 lbs since the beginning of the pregnancy. I know that's not much but it sure seems like a TON! So far I've been fortunate and haven't gained anywhere except belly -- but it's a heavy belly to carry around all day! :) Still have ten or so weeks to go, so I guess I better get used to adding the weight on.

Everything's right on track so far, and besides being exhausted after busy busy days at work I'm feeling pretty good overall. So thankful for that! Braylin's a busy bee in my belly -- as I'm sitting here typing, I can watch my stomach move around with every move she makes. I love it and can't help but smile or laugh every time she starts her wiggling.

The most exciting part is that I'll start going to the doctor every two weeks now!!! Ahhh!!!! That makes it seem even closer to delivery time. I was so excited when he said that. Time has just flown by!

More good news.... going to have an ultrasound done tomorrow. Can hardly wait to see Braylin! It's been so busy at work lately we haven't gotten a chance to do an ultrasound on the labor unit so I'm looking forward to it!

28 week update from "What to Expect When You're Expecting":
This week your amazing baby has reached 2.5lbs and may be almost 16inches long. Baby's skill of the week: blinking. Yes, along with the other tricks in a growing repertoire that already includes coughing, sucking, hicupping, and taking practice breaths, your baby can now blink those sweet little eyes. Dreaming about your baby? Baby may be dreaming about you, too, courtesy of the REM sleep she has started getting. But this little dreamer isn't ready for birth day just yet. Though her lungs are nearly fully mature by now (making it easier for her - and you - to breathe a little easier if she were born now), your baby still has a lot of growing to do.

Welcome to the world Elyse!

Well, if you already read the below post about Melissa, here's an update..... Elyse Suzanne Simmons is here! She was born at 5:09pm and weighs 6lb 9oz. I'm waiting for a picture, Laura! Hurry up and get there so we can see this little cutie pie! Three and a half weeks early, but Chris' text said that baby and momma are doing well. Yippy! Now they can come to Shreveport for Christmas so we can meet her!

Silent Labor, what?!

Ok, so I hope Melissa doesn't mind me telling this story...I know I'd be bragging if it was me! Though I can hope and wish and pray my labor goes like hers, I think she is just the lucky one-in-a-million.

We have some very good family friends, the Lewis', who we were always traveling with or having crawfish nights with since Laura & I were in elementary school. Oh the memories! Laura's sister Melissa and her husband are expecting their first baby, Elyse -- her due date is early December (I think around Dec 8th or so). So Melissa goes into her regular Ob appointment today and what-do-ya-know.... she's dilated to 5cm. Not 1 or 2 cms like most first timers.... FIVE!!! Yes previous pregnant ladies, it is true. Dilated to 5 cm and had absolutely no discomfort or pain. She had no idea! Now don't we all wish we could get to 5cm, be admitted to the labor unit, have an IV & fluids started, break our water, and still not need an epidural?! It's called silent labor, and I've only seen a few patients on our labor unit with this lucky streak. But being the smart thing she is, Melissa is going ahead and getting her epidural for when those contractions really kick in.

So now we sit and wait for little Elyse to decide to make her appearance into the world! I'm so excited for Melissa and Chris (and Aunt Laura and the grandparents) I can hardly stand it!!!!!! And since they live in Houston, all we little Shreveporters can do is wait on some pictures!!!!

Clumsy at 27 weeks

I seem to have become stupid as this pregnancy flies by. All of a sudden I'm having trouble thinking of words I'm trying to say, or I totally lose my train of thought in the middle of a sentence! What in the world?! For example, I typed the second sentence above and when I read over it I had typed "foods" instead of "words". I'm becoming stupid. Hopefully that'll disappear after pregnancy. :)

I'm so excited to report that I scheduled my maternity pictures!!! Yippy!!! I wasn't going to take any, but the girls at work continued to insist. Plus, I know two people who had them done and they were absolutely beautiful. So I figured I should take a few so I at least have this time saved as a memory. However, the negative side of having maternity pictures made.... I'm now stressing that my belly button is going to pop out and/or I'll have stretch marks by the time it's picture time. We don't take them until early January -- she wanted to wait until I am around 35 weeks. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed my belly continues to behave. And we tentatively scheduled newborn pictures!!!! Oh my gosh, I can hardly wait!!!!

Update from "What to Expect When You're Expecting..."
Your baby graduates onto a new growth chart this week. No longer will she be measured crown to rump, but rather from head to toe. And this week that head-to-toe length is a full 15 inches (more than a foot long!). Your baby's weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over 2 lbs. And here's an interesting fetal factoid: Your baby has more taste buds now than she will have at birth. Which means that not only is your baby able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid when you eat different foods, she might even react to it. For instance, some babies respond to spicy foods by hiccupping. Or by kicking when they get that spicy kick.

Shower Pics

Here's a few pictures from the shower.... starting with me, my mom & the hostesses!

4 years together

Today is our four year wedding anniversary and what a wonderful one to celebrate! I am so thankful to have Jay in my life, and I have loved every day with him. Four years sure did fly by quickly. This anniversary is even better than ones before since now we can celebrate our little miracle together. We are both so excited to have Braylin on the way -- starting a family together is such a blessing. Tonight we're going to Tokyo for dinner (it's one of my favorites but we never go!) and then we can also count next weekend as an anniversary gift. We'll be in Dallas for a quick getaway trip. The King Tut exhibit is in Dallas until May '09, so we are so excited to be getting to go see that! It hasn't been in the U.S. since the '70s, so I'm ecstatic we are able to go.

Shower time!

Baby shower, that is. Six of my mom's closest girl friends hosted a shower this past weekend, and oh what fun it was!!! I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I had. The brunch food was absolutely delicious, and the decorations were so pretty & adorable. The "Braylin Paige" M&Ms in the booties and diapers were so cute. Braylin is a spoiled rotten little girl and she's not even born yet! We had a wonderful turn out and received tons of baby gifts. Thank you so much to everyone!!!!! And special thank yous to Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Austin, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Olive and Heather for throwing such a special shower!!!

Jay was a little overwhelmed, I think, when I came home with a SUV full of gifts, but we are gradually getting it all put away in Braylin's room. Clothes, bibs, burp cloths, hooded towels, diaper genie, toys, diaper bags, peanut shell, and the list goes on and on and on. Of course I spent that afternoon washing everything in Dreft which was so much fun because then I got to look at everything again and organize her little drawers with her little clothes.

I am most definitely planning a photo shoot in the nursery tonight so that I can post pics of the nursery and some goodies we got! It is just all so very cute! For now, just give me a little longer.... I promise to post some pictures!

26 weeks

From "What to Expect...."

Next time you're browsing thru the meat department, pick up a 2-pound chuck roast just so you can get a sense of how big your baby is this week. (I don't really like that analogy -- I can think of a few things that sound better than a chuck roast baby.) Your baby now weighs about 2 lbs and measures in at 9-plus inches long. Another momentous development: your baby's eyes are beginning to open. The eyelids have been fused for the past few months so that the retina could develop. The colored part of the eye (the iris) still doesn't have much pigmentation, so it's too early to start guessing baby's eye color. Still, she is now able to see -- though there's not much to see in the dark confines of her uterine home. But with the heightened sense of sight and hearing that she now possesses, you may notice an increase in activity when your baby sees a bright light or hears a loud noise. In fact, if a loud vibrating noise is brought close to your belly, she will respond by blinking and startling.