Brinley's Birth Story!

Here's Brinley's birth story! It's long, but so was 36hours of labor. 

On Monday morning on April 23, I was getting ready for class when my cell phone rang. It wasn't a number that I recognized, but I answered it anyway. It was my new OB. She was calling to tell me that my 24hour urine test showed protein and it put me just over the limit for pre-eclampsia. The limit is 300, my proteins were at 303. Instead of waiting and keeping an eye on it, the doctor told me that since I was technically full term already (38w2d), that I was being induced that morning and to get to the hospital as soon as I could get there. She was handing my care over to another OB (Dr. Billings) since her schedule was booked solid. 

Jon and I got to L&D at 10:30am and we got into our delivery room and started filling out paperwork. Since I was only a fingertip dilated and 40% effaced, Dr. Billings decided to start the induction with cytotec pills to soften my cervix. I received the first dose at noon, then again at 4pm. It was sort of working, I effaced to 80% by 8pm. Dr. Billings broke my water at 11pm and started a magnesium drip to control my blood pressure. (one of the symptoms of pre-e) At 1am on the 24th, a pitocen drip was started and labor really began. The contractions came one right after another in waves. It was mostly in my lower back with some intense period-like cramping in my lower abdomen. At 2:30am I told the nurses that I wanted an epidural. It was heaven the minute that I couldn't feel the pain in my lower back anymore. I was so scared about getting an epi, but it honestly wasn't that bad. The anesthesiolgist told me everything that he was doing and that really calmed my nerves and helped me relax.

By noon, I had dilated to 3cm. At 4pm, I finally made it to 4cm! It was at that point that the dreaded c-section word was used. Dr. Billings said that the magnesium and the pitocen were working against each other. The magnesium is used to slow down labor and the pitocen is used to speed it up. He was hoping that the pitocen would overpower the mag and that I would be able to deliver vaginally, so he was cautious about scheduling surgery. Unfortunately, I was still sitting at 4cm and 90% effaced at 6pm. I was scheduled for surgery at 7:45pm.  

My family made a guessing game about what time Brinley would be born with guesses ranging from 8:01 to 8:22. An OR nurse was in my room and she said, "Oh, she'll be here at 8:11" Thought nothing of it. My epidural meds were upped until I couldn't feel the lower half of my body and I was basically a dead weight. I was taken into the emergency OR on the L&D floor, and Jon wasn't able to come into the room with me, he had to stand in the tiny little nursery looking through the window. I don't remember much about the actual surgery, but I didn't feel pain, just tugging, pulling, and some pressure. I heard Brinley's first scream-not cry, scream. Our families out in the hall heard it! Someone announced the time of her birth-8:11pm! The OR nurse won our guessing game! I didn't even get to see Brinley before they took her into the attached nursery. Jon gave me a huge smile and a thumbs up that everything was okay. As I was being stitched up, a nurse brought Brinley in so I could see her. She was absolutely perfect. 

I got to hold Brinley for a little bit before I was taken to recovery, and luckily I only had to stay there for the required hour since everything was okay. After I got back up to my room, the nurses brought Brinley in and I finally was able to look at her. She has my nose and lips, Jon's long fingers and toes, dark blue-gray eyes, and reddish blonde hair! Her hair really threw all of us for a loop; we were expecting dark brown hair, if any. Turns out red is does run in both sides of our families. Jon's dad had reddish brown hair when he was a kid, and my maternal grandmother's siblings all had red hair. It's really cute.

After 36 hours of labor and being sliced and diced, my little red-headed princess is here! Brinley Ida Renee entered the world on Tuesday April 24, 2012 at 8:11pm, weighing 6lbs 5oz and is 19inches long. She's absolutely perfect, and Jon and I are head over heels in love with her.

First family photo! 

Brinley and Daddy

Mommy and Brinley ready to head home from the hospital!

Week 32

I'm still working on the nursery this week. It's about halfway done and I still have a bunch of stuff to organize and pack away. We bought a new dresser instead of using my old one (thanks Mom!) and my parents brought that down yesterday. It's an almost exact match to the crib! The crib has a glossy finish so that's the only difference. Once I get the table cleared off in the nursery, I can move the dresser to it's final place, so then all I have to finish is doing a little re-arranging in our bedroom so I can move my computer desk in there for the moment and everything will be finished! Yay!

I bought some very cute letters at Hobby Lobby earlier this week to spell out Brinley's name. I'm painting them purple and blue and they will hang above the changing table. I'm also going to get the new Precious Moment's Disney alphabet figurines to spell out her name and put them on a shelf. Way to cute!

My diaper bag came in this week and I LOVE it! Super cute and it looks like it'll hold a ton of stuff! I also made a very exciting purchase yesterday-the first pack of diapers and wipes! Yay. I've decided that I'm going to use all natural and/or organic products for Brinley, including diapers, wipes, shampoo/body wash, laundry detergent, breastfeeding (or if I can't, organic formula like Earth's Best Organic.) I'm also going to make my own baby food, none of that crappy jarred stuff. I want my baby to have the best, healthiest start possible.

Week 32 from www.babygaga.com
In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature! Which means you're likely to get a swift kick if you put a hot pad or a bag of ice on your ginormous belly.

For the Elton John lovers out there-baby's got blue eyes. Actually, even if you're too young to know who Elton John is, all babies have blue eyes at this point.  This could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is.

Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a strengthening immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week survive! So- go ahead and throw a mini-party right now because it's pretty much a done deal-you've got a human bean that's going to make it!

That's not to say you actually want your wee womb-squatter to pack their bags and move out now, because they'd still end up in the NICU for a good while, rather than in your arms at home.

Babies are best when fully baked!

Week 32 from www.babycenter.com
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (like a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

30 weeks!

I'm 30 weeks today! So crazy! Jon and I were talking last night and it finally dawned on him that Brinley could be here in 2 months!! I still have a lot to do to get ready for her arrival. My parents need to bring down the dresser (it was mine all through my childhood), put together the stroller and carseat, she needs more clothes, decorate, and choose a pediatrician! Never thought that would be so hard. I keep getting different recommendations from everyone, and my OB didn't even give me a suggestion when I asked her a couple weeks ago. I'll ask again closer to my due date.

I'm going to get wooden letters to spell Brinley's name at Hobby Lobby, paint them, and hang them somewhere in the nursery, probably above the changing table. I'm sure it'll be tough to choose the right shades of purple and pink (or teal) The bedding is purple and teal, but the picture that I'm hanging above her crib is a purple and pink gerbera daisy. Haven't decided what color to use yet on the letters.

I registered for our childbirth and breastfeeding classes yesterday. The childbirth class is only one day, from 9-4. We're doing that April 7, and breastfeeding basics is on April 18 from 7-8:30.

Oh, I talked to my best friend today for a little bit. Her parents bought a house in Arizona to winter at and she's there visiting right now. Anyway, she told me that I need to come down in June and hang out with her because I'll need a break from the baby and that Jon can watch her! REALLY?! I'm not leaving a newborn at home so I can "take a break." Honestly, her suggestion doesn't even surprise me because that's just how she is. She's never wanted kids and doesn't realize how much they need their mommy. It just made me LOL.


Here's our work in progress nursery! I know the crib and changing table don't match, but I got the changing table for $30 from a friend that was moving. Especially since we'll probably only use it for about a year, I'm not worried about it not matching.

30 weeks  from www.babycenter.com
Your baby is now about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 lbs (like a head of cabbage.) A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision-which means that she'll only be able to make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

30 weeks from www.babygaga.com

Whoo hoo! You can now finally see the finish line now that you're in the final quarter of the race!

Whether you felt like your pregnancy's been flying by or slower than a snail scaling Everest, you've arrived in your thirtieth week and your baby's cooking beautifully!

In animal news: the fine lanugo hair that covers their little monkey-like body will start falling off this week in preparation for the big day.  Still, don't be too shocked if your baby ape is hairier than you'd anticipated. Some babies keep their lanugo after birth-which is totally normal, and it will fall off eventually.  

Checking in on the fat factory: your little porker is getting even cuter with increasingly pudgy arms and legs, thanks to their ever-growing layers of subcutaneous brown fat.

In terms of numbers, your big ol' baby should be weighing in at around 3 pounds 12 ounces (or more!) and be nearly 16 inches long!

Keep up the good work you too!

Week 29

Week 29
www.babycenter.com

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of vitamin C, protein, folic acid and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk or find another source of it-cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Week 29

www.babygaga.com

TMI time! Did you know that my baby girl drinks and breathes her own pee?! EWWW! Yes, she whizes in her amniotic sac and then turns right around and inhales that amniotic pee-filled fluid! Fortunately, her urine is STERILE. That's part of the reason that I need to drink LOADS of water-to give my baby girl a purer, less urine-based drinking/breathing fluid. Loads of water, fresh fruit and veggies=less nasty drinking water for my sweet lil' lady.

Week 28-Third Trimester!

Lots of things have been happening since I last updated! Brinley has been moving around A LOT and she's getting stronger, so I'm feeling her kicks and punches more. On January 13, she flipped over and I that was the first time I actually SAW my belly move! Such a wonderful feeling :) I also bought her her first storybook-"Where The Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein. It was one of mine and Jon's favorite books when we were kids and knew that Brinley needed it. We'll be getting the whole series at some point. She also thinks that my bladder is a trampoline made just for her amusement :) It may be fun for her, but certainly not for me.

January 26 was my last day in triple digits for my pregnancy! 100 days left was such a shock to me. It seems like just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant, and now I only have a few shorts months left! To celebrate, Brinley decided that she was going to mess with Daddy's head. She was kicking and squirming around as I was getting ready for bed. Jon hadn't felt her move yet, so we were hoping that she would finally cooperate with us. He put his hand on my belly and instantly she stopped moving. We sat in bed and talked for a good 20 minutes while we waited for her to move again. She didn't. Jon took his hand away, and within 30 seconds she kicked me REALLY HARD! She didn't like someone else trying to feel her move. I am proud to say that she has let Daddy feel her several times since that night, though. She will be a daddy's girl once she gets here, and Daddy will be wrapped around her finger right from the start. She's going to be one spoiled little princess :D

Me on January 26 at 25 weeks and 5 days pregnant. 100 days until my due date!










Brinley is the most active at night, so she's going to be a night owl just like her momma. :) Fine by me, I'd rather be up late(ish) and sleep in in the morning with a little one any way! I also ordered her bedding from Amazon a couple weeks ago. I first saw it on the Babies R Us website, but for the last month or so it's been out of stock online, and it's not even available for store pickup. I think it's being clearanced out. I found it on Amazon for the same price so it's all good. Plum Dandy crib set.

My most recent OB appointment was on Feb 8, at 27w4d. I did the one hour glucose test and received the rhogam shot since I'm O-. Baby was measuring perfect at 28 weeks and had a great heartbeat at 150bmp. My bp is doing very well, considering that I was boderline pre-hypertensive. It was perfect at 120/60. The doctor said that if my glucose result came back abnormal, she would call me. It's been a week and I haven't heard from her, so I'm going to assume that I passed! YAY!  Since I'm now in the third trimester, I'm starting my bi-monthly OB appointments. Next one is Feb 22.

Week 28 2.11.12 Third trimester! I can definitely see a difference between the 2.5 weeks. My belly has rounded out on top and is sticking out a little further. I'm excited to see how I progress over the next 12-ish weeks.



Week 28  www.babycenter.com
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in from your womb. She's also developed billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life outside the womb.

Week 28: Only 12 weeks to go!  from www.babygaga.com   
I've become a human lard factory! It's true: I have a baby that's in the business of fat-collection, which I'll have to tolerate since it's critical to keep my little porker warm and healthy after she's born. Also, her eyes can now blink in response to light and dark, and her bone marrow is busy making red blood cells.

Week 23

Week 23: January 7-January 14

I ordered our crib last week! I was looking at 3 different styles and read all the reviews, and finally decided on the perfect one. I was going to order it from Amazon, but when I was going to order it last week, it was out of stock and wouldn't ship for 1-2 months. So I ordered it from WalMart for the same price and it arrived at the store 2 days later. I'll be picking it up on Tuesday!

My favorite part is that it's a 4-in-1 conversion crib, which means that it converts from a crib, to a toddler bed, to a daybed, and to a full size bed. That means that I'll never have to buy another bed for this baby again! Pretty awesome deal for $200! :)

I've starting working on the nursery decor as well. I've chosen the bedding-Plum Dandy, and it'll also have bits and pieces of the Lion King, like this Lion King lamp, Lion King wall art, and Lion King mobile. I also ordered a couple vinyl wall clings with Disney quotes- "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes-Cinderella" and "All You Need is Faith, Trust, and a Little Bit of Pixie Dust". And this is the color inspiration for the nursery when we get our new house <3 Yarn strands I love the purple and pale pink shades.

Weekly Update
from www.babygaga.com

Your little womb hi-jacker is starting to kick their break dance party up a notch now that her ears are registering sounds from the outside world! The sound of a phone ringing (or that catchy ringtone), a thunderclap, or a car honking will actually jar their ears enough to elicit a kick or jab. More importantly, this means that her ears are picking up the sound of your voice and others around you. So, if you've been yelling a lot lately (and who doesn't get cranky when pregnant?), it's time to reign that in and practice a little self restraint now for the sake of your little eavesdropper, who is becoming exquisitely more sensitive to all of your behaviors every day.

The equation is simple: happy healthy mama=happy healthy baby.

Stress during pregnancy is quite literally BAD for your baby's developing brain.  It's time to clean out the toxic relationships in your life for your sake and your child's sake. Take the time to center and be quiet-to reflect on the growing life inside of you and the future you will share together.  Read up on infant development and attachment to start preparing yourself for the first time you will meet your little one.

from www.babycenter.com

Turn on the radio and sway to the music.  With her sense of movement well developed, your baby can feel you dance.  And now that she's well over 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about the size of a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes.

Blood vessels in the lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud sounds that become familiar now-such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner-probably won't faze her when she hears them outside of the womb.

What baby looks like this week:

It's a GIRL!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!

Baby was doing all sorts of acrobatics, kicking and moving and was being really active. The tech was having a hard time getting good pictures of the lower body because baby's feet were always kicking-which was super cool to see-but she's 95% sure that it's a girl even though she didn't get a good look, but she didn't see anything that would indicate a boy. Jon was a bit disappointed because he really wanted a boy. He just didn't want to admit to himself that a daughter will have him wrapped around her finger the moment she's born, and will be his little princess.  We're going to name our daughter Brinley Ida Renee.

Her face, she's looking at the screen.

Another view of her face.

Her profile.

Little baby foot!

Right arm

We did the gender reveal on my 25th birthday-December 16. My parents were going crazy, having to wait 2 days to find out! I got a dozen sugar cookies and had them write "Girl" on them, and hot pink and light pink balloons and spread them throughout the kitchen and living room. It was a surprise when everyone came over. My mom was the most surprised because she just "knew" it was a boy. Everyone is very excited and happy. 

Weekly Update-Twenty Weeks
from www.babygaga.com
Whoohoo! I'm FINALLY halfway through my pregnancy! This week I'm carrying 10.5 inches and 10oz of growing baby-goodness! My perfect little baby now has tiny eyelashes, tiny eyebrows and her tiny teeth buds are sprouting beneath the gum line.


from www.babycenter.com

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces She's also about 6 1/2 inches from head to rump and about 10 1/2 inches from head to heel-about the length of a banana. She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a sticky black by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first soiled diaper.