Baby B's First Christmas

Brinley's First Christmas was a success! We had a great time everywhere we went! Grandma and Papa Bowen's House, Mims and Poppy's House and Gma J and Papa Omer's House! Thanks to everyone who made her first Christmas so special and also for all the great gifts, we love you all!

B is 3 Months! Happy Holidays!

I love to:
~Tell stories
~Put everything in my mouth
~Pick up toys that make noise
~Splash in the tub

I am:
~Eating 5-6 oz. at a time
~Sleeping through the night
~Holding up my own head
~Trying to sit up every chance I get

2 Month Shots

She was much braver than I! Only cried for a moment while it was happening then when she got into my arms she was just fine. I cried pretty much the entire appointment, the anticipation was killing me for at least 2 days before hand. I officially hate shots!

Daddy and Brinley at home before we left, getting extra cuddles!

Getting some love after the shots! So brave!

B is 2 Months!

Oh boy she is growing! She is changing right before our eyes and we are soaking in every little moment.

Here at 2 months I weigh, 11 pounds 12 ounces and am 22 inches tall!

I love to:
~Cuddle, especially with mommy and daddy in their bed in the morning
~Go for car rides
~Look at myself in the mirror
~Hear mommy sing to me, sometimes I try to sing along
~Take a bath!

I am:
~Eating 4-5 oz. at a time
~Sleeping in my own crib, in my own room
~Only waking once at night to eat
~Interacting with everyone I meet!

Can't wait to see how much she will change next month!

All Smiles Today

I got B's first smiles on camera today! I feel like super Mom!

 

The Breast Isn't Always Best

When B was born I had decided to breast feed exclusively. This was a decision I made based on what was best for her and the family as a whole. It was the best nutrition I could give her and it would save us a ton of money! The first day in the hospital went very well, putting aside the pain my breasts themselves were in.  She was getting the colostrum she needed and things were flowing. I thought our baby girl was the definition of health as far as a newborn was concerned, and I hadn’t been told otherwise.
The morning after she was born the pediatrician, Dr. Sindelar, came in to assess her health.  He informed us that she was jaundice, which seems to be fairly common among full term newborns, and also had a heart murmur. He explained to us some of the reasons why and how a newborn would have a murmur, and referred us to Children’s Hospital for an echocardiogram right away. So at noon on Tuesday we were discharged early and made the trip to Children’s Hospital. During the echo, the nurse didn’t say a word to us, and it upset both of us pretty bad. It had already been a long 24 hours as new parents.
When we finally got her home she was sleeping a lot and was pretty yellow in color.  Our first night home was pretty rough and when she was awake she was crying and I couldn’t seem to help anything, not with feeding , swaddling, or anything in-between. We were to see Dr. Sindelar the next day to discuss the results of the echo and check her bilirubin levels as well.
When we went in, they checked her weight. She was only just over 48 hours old and she had lost just less than a pound. Now, with newborns they do tend to lose about 10 percent of their weight, but it’s usually over the first week, not the first couple days. Her bilirubin levels had also increased to the point that we were fairly certain she would need to be under the glow light for a while. We came to the conclusion that I had stopped producing colostrum/milk and she had not eaten for approximately 24 hours.The stress of her heart murmur, being discharged a day early, and being a new mom with no direction stopped my milk production and I had no idea.
That night we went home and fed her some formula and she was the happiest I had seen her since I brought her into this world and it warmed my heart. He recommended I start pumping to help encourage my milk supply to come in.I was pretty discouraged I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed, so I called the lactation consultant that we were supposed to meet with in the hospital before we were discharged. I walked in to her office and she asked me to undress Brinley and I and we would weigh her before and after feeding. I mentioned to her that I wasn’t producing anything and literally at that moment my breasts became engorged and by the grace of God, there was my milk! It was a wonderful feeling to know I was producing and could feed my baby.The next week went great, I was feeling better and so was Brinley.
Unfortunately at the end of the week I got mastitis. I wasn’t able to bring her to the boob and was pumping exclusively. My hormones were altered yet again and I stopped producing once more. With not having my full milk supply in, I needed the action of her on the boob to keep the hormones flowing. So yet again I was introducing formula back into her diet. And yet again the stress of figuring this out was not helping my milk production at all.I had finally broke down and called my lactation consultant. She told me to keep putting her on the boob and then formula feeding after to top her off. I was then pumping for 2 one hour sessions during the day through the weekend. I did and it seemed to stay about the same, I would pump and only get about a half an ounce at a time and was still giving her about a 3 oz. bottle. On Tuesday I decided the stress of it all wasn’t good for her or me. They say “happy momma, happy baby”, and it was true. I have had some guilt about her not getting more than 1 months worth of my milk. That feeling has subsided a little, but I did a lot of it my way, and it wasn’t working. I am determined to breastfeed our second, and I’m sure that knowing what I now know will help me with the process.
Through it all my husband was so supportive. He encouraged me all the way and never gave up even when I wanted to the most. Clint and I have grown so much throughout the past year. Through loss and life, he is my best friend.

B is 1 MONTH!

Our little princess is 1 month old! I just can't believe it!

I weigh 8 pounds 8 ounces

I eat 4 ounces at a time

When Mommy and Daddy talk to me I smile 

I love riding in the car

I love being wrapped in a big blanket

B's first bath!

She loves her baths! Mostly because she loves to be warm, and she hates when she has to get out and be cold!

Brinley's Arrival

The plan for the week was to lay low and see if Brinley would come on her own. On Tuesday night we would go in to prepare for a Wednesday morning induction. On Saturday we got  a call from our doctor saying that our hospital was getting pretty full for Wednesday and we would possibly have to deliver at another hospital, unless we wanted to come in sooner. So! We decided we would go in Sunday night to prepare for a Monday morning induction.

When I arrived the nurse went over the plan. I was to take a pill at 10:00 p.m. that would soften my cervix to be sure it was ready for induction in the morning along with an Ambien to help me sleep. At approximately 7:00 a.m. they would begin induction and Brinley would arrive sometime in the Monday afternoon hours.

Of course, the plan changed drastically after taking the 10:00 p.m. pill and ambien. The pill I took is an antacid that has a side effect of "ripening" or softening the cervix to prepare for labor and delivery. It can occasionally begin labor in a small percentage of women, and well, I was in that tiny percentile. At 10:00 p.m. I took the pill, at 11:00 p.m. I ordered an ambien to help me sleep. At midnight my water broke and I was having noticeable contractions that I was having to breathe through.

The contractions became stronger and at approximately 2:00 a.m. they called in the anesthesiologist to deliver my epidural. Once they began the epidural I passed out, exhausted from 2 hours of hard contractions.

Once my water broke Clint woke up and the nurse told him to be prepared to have a baby sooner rather than later. He drank 2 cups of coffee and had a little snack and he was wired! So after I fell asleep once my epidural was in place he layed there watching the monitor. I was having major contractions during my sleep and snoring away!

At 5:00 a.m. they came to wake me and told me we were going to start pushing. From then on it was 3 pushes with every contraction. Dr. Gina showed up just before Brinley was born. I gave her one last push once she got there and out she came in one swoop! A beautiful baby girl weighing in at 7# 7oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. Best day of our lives! We love her so much and I can't believe all we have been through in just the small amount of time she's been a part of our lives.