Braelyn Samantha's Big Arrival!

Our little angel made her appearance December 20th, 2011 at 5:07am weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and just over 19 inches long.  Here is her birth story:

Sunday we did our traditional routine of Buffalo Wild Wings and the Bears game with our neighbors.  While we were there Danny and our neighbors decided I should try some blazin sauce and then have the jalapeño on the nacho’s.  I obliged while laughing because I really thought this little girl had decided to make a late arrival.  We got home shortly after that game and my nesting instincts went in to overdrive, I scrubbed everything I could get my hands on! 

The next morning, Monday December 19th, I woke up and decided I hadn’t quite done enough and needed to wash our sheets and do some laundry, I stripped the bed, sorted the clothes and headed down to the laundry room around 7am.  I got everything ready and started to throw the sheets in when I felt a gush, followed by another while running to the bathroom.  I called Danny who had to leave early that morning for a work meeting, I said I am pretty sure my water broke.  He said ok I am on my way home, a little freaked out :), I said hold on let me call the midwife and get confirmation on what to do.  The midwife said yep sounds like your water broke, have some breakfast, take a shower and head to the hospital.  I did exactly that, I also shaved my legs, did my hair and put on a little makeup!  Danny got home around 8:45am and was pretty amped up, I have to say I was more relaxed than I really thought I ever would be.  We took my last pregnant pictures, dropped the dogs off at my grandparents, picked up breakfast for Danny and got to the hospital shortly after 9:15am.  They got us checked in and let us walk and walk and walk the hallways, they didn’t want to check me for a little bit to give us some extra time since the contractions weren’t bad at all.

Our last picture as just "us" (with Brae in my tummy)

They did our first check at 2pm and I was ONE AND A HALF centimeters dilated, I was one the week before at our 38 week appointment.  We walked more, I bounced on the ball while the contractions got worse and worse.  At 4pm they checked again and we had gone up to 3 centimeters, I could hardly focus anymore so we got the tub started.   Around 5:30pm I finally got to the point where sitting in the tub wasn’t doing a thing to relax the pain at all, which was my “pain management plan” from the beginning.  Finally they came back to check me at 6:15pm, I was sure things had had progressed, no such luck I was at 4 centimeters.  At this point I was getting nervous that if labor continued so slowly I would not be able to push by the time I was 10 centimeters.  We decided at this point it was time for the epidural, the 30 minute wait for the anesthesiologist was enough to convince me I did the right thing!  The epidural took a couple tries because of my scoliosis but wasn’t horrible, I did still have some “zinging” on my left side with the medication so we knew it may get a little more numb than the right.  Things started feeling better after I got the epidural placed and everything set up but I could absolutely still feel the contractions and wasn’t able to sleep through them.  They did try to flip me from my left to my right side to keep the medicine even but Braelyn’s heart rate dropped down to 60 and we had to flip back on to my right side right away.  I progressed slowly but surely, 5cm at 8pm, 6cm at 10:05pm, 7.5cm and at 12:05am (we had officially gotten to the 20^th of December).  They decided at this point they really wanted to start me on pitocin, which I wasn’t thrilled about since the contractions were still so strong for me but agreed because I was ready to have this little girl!  At 2:25am I was 9cm and finally at 3:15am I was complete, TEN CENTIMETERS, we made it!!  When they said they wanted me to wait a little while to feel more pressure before I pushed I was ready to cry, I thought making it to ten meant we were good to go.  Finally around 3:45am I said I was ready and the pressure was strong, they checked and Brae’s head was at +2-3 station and Megan (our wonderful nurse) wanted me to start practice pushing before our midwife, Noreen, got there.  Noreen got there around 4:15am and we got started with actual pushing, finally!  Because I was on my right side the entire time my back was killing me between my shoulder blades and I wasn’t able to put my chin to my chest and “crunch up” during pushing.  It took a little longer to push like this put around 5am Noreen said she had so much hair and was now beneath my pubic bone, just a few short pushes later the pressure was gone and there was our screaming, crying, kicking baby.  

our board

first family picture (excuse my fabulous "post labor" look)

She was immediately put on my chest and her cord was able to finish pulsing before Danny cut it about 5-10 minutes later.  I didn’t even realize that they delivered my placenta and stitched up my 2^nd degree tear while she was there.  They moved her over to weigh and measure her while they finished cleaning me up.  I heard them say 9 on APGARS and that her measurements were 7 pounds 1 ounce and 19.2 inches, the entire time she screamed and Danny looked on.  They brought her back all wrapped up, we took our first family photo and Braelyn nursed for the first time.   Around 9am we were moved to our recovery suite and spent the day bonding with our little girl and letting the family come meet her.  

39 Weeks

This is really late but I wanted to make sure to get it in here, I will also be adding a few more posts later!

Our 39th week was rather short but we did have a great Sunday and Monday!  Sunday we woke up and had a quick breakfast before heading over to our usual Sunday football spot, Buffalo Wild Wings.  Our neighbors joined us for the Bears game and we had some spicy food :) and watched a not so great game.  After heading home I went on a cleaning spree, I had no idea what got in to me... now I think it was a last minute binge nesting episode!  We went to bed that night and I had a horrible time sleeping but managed to get an ok night's sleep, I woke up in the morning feeling a little off but thought it was maybe because we had gotten up earlier than normal for Danny to get to a work meeting.  I will have to save the rest for the next post :)

Right before we left for the hospital!

 Baby is measuring at the size of a (fatter) Watermelon this week!
"Baby's brain is still developing rapidly, and her skin has taken on a paler shade thanks to a thicker layer of fat around the blood vessels. (Don't worry; she'll change color again soon after birth.) She's now able to flex her limbs, and her nails might extend past his fingertips."

How far along? 39 weeks and 2 days (since that was all I made it to).

Maternity clothes? Still living in sweats and the swelling is starting to get worse so I don't see that changing.

Stretch marks? No new "marks" here.

Sleep? My mind just keep racing about what things will be like when she is here and what is left to do before she comes so with that and the aches sleep isn't coming very frequently now.

Best moment this week? The best moment this week has yet to come...

Food cravings: I think I stuck to drink cravings because it was just hot cocoa and cherry coke icee's.

Movement? Movements have slowed a little bit, she's still stretching after any of the contractions.

What I miss? I am missing being comfortable, the swelling and aches are coming in force.

What I'm looking forward to: I am so looking forward to a life as a family, seeing my husband as a Daddy and starting a very different life from our current!

Milestones: There really aren't a lot more milestones until the due date.

38 Weeks

I really didn't think we would make it here after last Tuesday's developments but here we are!  Another low key week full of dinners in and long walks, Danny and I also had a wonderful date night after our appointment last night.  So to jump right to last night's appointment... before I left for our appointment I did another deep cleaning of our bathroom (nesting has fully set in) and thought I may have some fluid leaking.  When we got to our appointment they said they wanted to do a test on that and would do a full exam too.  She didn't think my water was leaking but the test isn't back yet so we shall see, she also reiterated that Brae's head is SUPER low (she said she could tickle it).  Braelyn wasn't pumped about the exam and retreated as far up as she could kicking and pushing the entire way which everyone, but my belly button, got a kick out of.  So now for the stats... I am 1cm dilated and 80% effaced, I was shocked after our appointment last week.  Jules, our midwife, assured us that being dilated doesn't really matter because you can walk around 4cm's for weeks or you could go from 1 to 10 in a couple hours.  She explained how big of a deal the effacement was because it is much harder to get the uterus to thin, not sure if she was just trying to make me feel better or if these are true statements but I will take it!  I am starting to feel like maybe I was way off on this early business and she will be late like her Mom always is, we shall see.

Baby is measuring at the size of a (fatter) Watermelon this week!
"The last bits of vernix caseosa (the white goo keeping baby's skin moist) and lanugo (downy hair) are slowly shedding into your amniotic fluid. Baby's head is about the same circumference as her abdomen, and her head could be covered in an inch or so of hair."

How far along? 38 weeks and 6 days.

Maternity clothes? I am still trying to get out of wearing jeans on every occasion I can but no changes.

Stretch marks? Still have the ones I had before I also noticed a couple cropping up on top... not good!

Sleep? I have been having a really hard time sleeping on my sides even with all the pillows because of the hip pain.

Best moment this week? Knowing that we do have some progress and our little girl will be here soon!

Food cravings: Danny has been making me hot cocoa every night a little bit after dinner and I am loving it... maybe I will only have drink cravings this pregnancy :)

Movement? Still more movements, I can tell when I am having a Braxton Hicks or Contraction because she tightens up and then when my tummy loosens she kicks or stretches out as far as she can.

What I miss? I am missing that feeling of she has to stay in, just keep her in...now I feel like come on out little lady we are ready already!

What I'm looking forward to: Getting to know this little girl, it has been amazing to learn things about her from just appointments and ultrasounds (like her crazy amounts of hair), it's going to be surreal to see her here with us.

Milestones: We made it through full term and are approaching the estimated due date, I can't believe it!

37 Weeks

We have quite a few updates even though it's been a pretty low key week!  Tuesday we had the growth scan/ultrasound and my 37 week appointment.  Because we could only do the ultrasound in the middle of the day Danny wasn't able to make it (although we did try facetime) so my Aunt Cathy and Grammy came with and got to see our little lady.  It was so strange to see her so big on the screen, she used to just be a little dot and now her head takes up the entire thing!  They said no worries on her growth, she looks like she is just a tiny baby and since Danny and I were both small it's not surprising.  Their guestimate on her measurements are 5 pounds, 14 ounces and 18 inches and they reassured us as long as they are over 5 pounds they get to go home!  The tech, Raelynn- how fun is that, also said she is so low and has her head back in position so much that we couldn't even see her little face.  After that we went to lunch close by at Denny's, they have a YUMMMY Christmas cookie shake.  Late that afternoon I lost my MP (and I am speaking in acronyms because the real words are a little yucky ;)) and had a little BS along with some light cramping/contracting.  We decided to make a quick trip to Homegoods to grab somethings for the dogs just in case.  I don't think I slept more than 4 hours Tuesday night just thinking about the things I still "needed" to do and that this could be it.  Wednesday morning everything pretty much dropped off but I have had a few more between then and now.

It sounds like she will be here soon but is soon 2 days or 2 weeks, we shall see!!  This was our "just in case this is the last picture" picture on Tuesday night:

37 Weeks

Baby is measuring at the size of a Watermelon this week!
"Your full-term (yay!) baby is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting her first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. She's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (she's getting strong!)."

How far along? 37 weeks and 5 days.

Maternity clothes? No changes here but I am now hating jeans, I just want to live in sweats - is that too much to ask.

Stretch marks? She did measure at 35 weeks which may explain some of the darker shades of these on my  hips again this week.

Sleep? I am starting to get anxious about what is left to be done, how life will change and all those other questions I spend all night thinking about!  If you can't tell from that, sleep isn't very prevalent right now.

Best moment this week? Getting to see her and watching my Grandma and Aunt get so excited to see her when her cute little tush popped up on that screen!

Food cravings: Same old, same old...

Movement? Still having lots of movement, although it seems to drop off for about a half day and then come back really strong. 

What I miss? I am starting to miss the oblivious feeling, now I get nervous about every little thing.  Danny is worse though, every time I say ouch or have to stop to breathe from a pain he says "are you ok, is this it, are you in labor" - he's too cute!!

What I'm looking forward to: Getting this show on the road.  We got the pack and play set up and the swing is back in the living room, we are all just waiting on little girl!

Milestones: We are full term this week, I can't believe it!!

36 Weeks

We spent a lot of this week getting more prepared for Brae.  Lots of getting last minute supplies, finally taking care of supplemental life insurance and finishing the hospital bags.  We also got the car seat installed yesterday at the hospitals "Babies 1st Ride" program, we learned a lot and our instructor had great things to say about our seat (YAY, Mommy research paid off!). Afterwards we had an awesome lunch and Danny dropped me off for my prenatal massage while he finished a quick Sam's trip.

We started our weekly appointments and on Friday we saw a Dr., long story mix up as to why we didn't see our normal Midwives.  I had the "dreaded" GBS and am awaiting those results, we also asked her to double check the measurements and Braelyn is still measuring at 34 weeks, putting her almost 3 weeks behind in average growth measurements.  The Dr. wasn't worried and said it looks like she is continuing to drop and could keep measuring small for the rest of the pregnancy, but she scheduled a growth scan/ultrasound for this coming week.  Everything else looked great and sister was moving all over the place, her heart rate was even up to 168 because of all the movement (pretty sure she does an acrobatics class in there :)). 

Baby is measuring at the size of a (fatter) Honeydew Melon this week!
"Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, her gums are rigid, her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune system are basically good to go. Her lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day she gets a little closer to breathing on her own."

How far along? 36 weeks and 8 days.

Maternity clothes? Yep, still in 'em!  With her dropping I have been able to wear some of the things that were getting a little tight.

Stretch marks? Still no worse and actually maybe a little better, when she moved down they seemed to go back to normal skin color but they are still there.

Sleep? Getting used of the roll, roll, bathroom, roll, bathroom, roll, roll... routine.  I seem to be sleeping a little deeper now.

Best moment this week? The best moment this week was during one of our morning music sessions when it just hit me that pretty soon she will be here listening to music with me every morning.  I can't wait to have our moments together just like we do now but with her in my arms instead of my tummy!

Food cravings: Still boring, nothing here.

Movement? She's still using her weapons to make an escape but the do seem to have dulled a bit :)  She seems to be getting into some routines, when I wake up in the morning to use the bathroom around 4:45am she moves around a bit, then we come downstairs and listen to music around 7am and she dances around a bit, we have little movements throughout the day and then after dinner while Danny and I are hanging out on the couch she is back at it in full force.  We love to sit and watch my whole tummy press out in the oddest way!

What I miss? I miss my rings, they had to come off after Thanksgiving and haven't gone back on yet, silly swelling.

What I'm looking forward to: This was kind of answered above but really I am just looking forward to her being here, watching her grow outside.

Milestones: After the 36th week the baby is considered FULL TERM, I want her to stay in for as long as she needs to but it's very exciting to be reaching that milestone!

35 Weeks

A little late for this one, but with Danny's Mom, Nancy, coming to town and the big Thanksgiving holiday we were a little all over the place.  We had our Midwife appointment on Wednesday and things are looking pretty good, Braelyn seems to be measuring a little small, which is completely new for her as she has measured right on time or even a little ahead of schedule the entire time.  I am still gaining weight so our Midwife seems to think it's because she dropped and we aren't able to measure her fully.  We will see at this weeks appointment if that stands true.

What a wonderful Holiday, we had a lovely dinner at my parents house and then went to my Grandma's for dessert with the family.  This Holiday seemed really different for me and I just felt so unbelievably blessed.  Danny has been the most supporting, caring husband in the world during this pregnancy.  He always see's the bright side and pushes me to see the very best no matter how horrible I have felt.  He has cooked, cleaned, washed baby clothes and gotten just as excited about every minute as I have... I cannot wait to see the Father he will be to Braelyn!  I am also so thankful for my family, they have gotten so excited for us, been there 110% for every fun moment and more importantly every scary moment.  They have celebrated this little girl with us and lifted our spirits in the scary moments.  I couldn't ask for anything more!!  Our friends should be mentioned, even though they are really part of our extended family, but they have been just as amazing and supportive.  They always want updates on this little girl and on us, they have sent cards, texts and messages galore.  Danny and I also have our health, our beautiful home and our marriage - I really do not think I could ask for a single thing more (well maybe a new job come April ;))!!

Speaking of jobs, I officially turned down the NY and Chicago positions and am awaiting management to give me the next steps.  Turning the positions down wasn't half as hard as I thought it may be, knowing that this will give way to a brighter future for our family makes me excited, albeit a little nervous still!

Baby is measuring at the size of a (fatter) Honeydew Melon this week!
From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though she won't get much longer, she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (She's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) Her hearing is totally developed, tip: baby responds best to higher pitches.

35 Weeks

Cheering on our Bears!

Danny wanted to get super close!

How far along? 35 weeks and 9 days.

Maternity clothes? Yep, still in 'em!

Stretch marks? Still no more but my tummy is tighter daily so I wouldn't be surprised if they start popping out of the woodwork.

Sleep? The holiday was good for sleep but when we have guests I don't really like to sleep in :)

Best moment this week? The best moment this week was having our family around and sharing the last moments of this pregnancy with them.

Food cravings: All I wanted was my leftover turkey sandwich and it did NOT disappoint, YUMMY!!

Movement? More pain this week, both in my ribs and pelvis.  I seem to be having lots of pressure radiating down my thighs - just another sign she is dropping!

What I miss? I am missing the ability to not be absolutely exhausted after folding a load of laundry, cooking a bagel, etc!

What I'm looking forward to: I am looking forward to this final month, I am not sure how in the world it got here so quickly but it's here and I am going to enjoy it!

Milestones: So after this week they will no longer stop labor, if little girl decides to come then she will be here!

34 Weeks

"And I lost my faith, in my darkest days,
But she makes me want to believe." - Parachute, She is Love


So this quote has summed up the past couple days for me and because this will be a part of Braelyn and our little families story I will blog about it.  I finalized all of my dates for maternity leave with HR this week only to be told yesterday by my boss and HR team that after my maternity leave I will not have a job unless we decide to pack this little family up and move back across the U.S. to Chicago or New York.  Talk about having the wind knocked right out of your sails...  The last thing I wanted to do was bring a newborn into the world feeling anything other than completely stable but what's a gal to do!  I will continue to update the situation as we go but as of now we are just processing and trying to stay calm so little girl will stay right where she is for another 5 (give or take) weeks!


We haven't done much else this week but we did take our baby class last weekend and are feeling lots more prepared for delivery.  We practiced not hyperventilating, lots of labor positions and found out all the wonderful risks/rewards for the medications I can be given.  If nothing else we are more informed than before, especially Danny who kept saying, "did you know that before" :)  


Baby is measuring at the size of a (fatter) Honeydew Melon this week!
"Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Less cute news: She now urinates about one pint per day. Get the diapers ready"

How far along? 34 weeks and 5 days.

Maternity clothes? Yep, still in 'em!

Stretch marks? Still no worse, lots of cocoa butter lotion.  I know it doesn't really help but I smell yummy!

Sleep? This week hasn't been so great, but I used some PTO and have everyday next week but Monday off so I am going to try to sleep in and get some more sleep!

Best moment this week? Ha, wellllll ;)  The best moment of this week has been feeling the support from my husband and family.  Knowing that you have amazing people that care about, love you and are there to give you the support you need has made this week so much better!

Food cravings: I am boring in this category, still none.  Danny thinks apple juice may be, but I think I just like apple juice.

Movement? This is starting to get a little painful, we are having lots more twisting, turning and I am pretty sure she has some sharp weapons in there that she is using to try to escape!

What I miss? Well this week the only thing that even comes to mind is missing that security I had for little miss about 48 hours ago.

What I'm looking forward to: I am really trying to look at this in a positive light, so for this I will answer with that side.  I am really looking forward to the maternity leave and getting to know my little girl, I am also very excited to get a change to release the familiar and look inside at where it is I really want and need to be.  I am also looking forward to THANKSGIVING with our family!

Milestones: After this week they won't stop labor if that should happen, but I am crossing my legs and my fingers that she will stay in till her due date :)