Bryce & Brennon

Well Bryce, it will be 5 more days until you get to come into this world! Everything is doing great with you and me as of our doctor visit today. I couldn't be healthier and your heartbeat sounded great. Now we're just playing the waiting game until Monday.

This is our last night without you Bryce! It is about time!!!! We've been waiting on this day for 9 months and it is finally here and I can't believe it! We will go in tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM and not come out again until we see your face! HOW EXCITING! I have to admit around Friday I was freaking out quite a bit. But that has kind of gone away and now I'm more anxious and slightly nervous. My head was just spinning because this is my first pregnancy and first delivery and the unknown is always a little bit scary. But it will all be worth it to have you and hold you, to see your smile and even hear your cry. I can't wait! I already know you'll be perfect!!!
I'm anxiously awaiting your birth and can't wait to meet you! I love you.
Mommy

Bryce is here! He was born at 7:25 Monday morning, November 8th. He is 6 lbs 5 oz, and 19 1/2 inches long. He had a pretty quick entrance to the world. His cord had wraped around his neck twice and his heart rate droped. The doctor decided to do a emergency C-section. I will let Brooke tell the story in more detail when she feels like it. Anyway, he is doing great and I could not love him more. Thanks to everyone who came by and called. It really meant alot to us.

I just thought I would put a few more pictures on the blog.

Finally, You were born!!!! It seems like it took forever for the nine months to pass but in a matter of 15 minutes you entered the world. You are the most beautiful and perfect thing I have EVER seen. I know every mom says that about her child but I really mean it! Here's the story:

We checked into the hospital at 6:00 AM Monday, November 8,2004. When we entered the room they gave me a gown and told me to change. Then I got into the bed and they hooked me up to the machines. I was not very nervous at all. I was prepared to get an epidural, turn you around and sit in bed with a patosin (spelling?) drip until late afternoon when you would be born after heavy labor. They were asking me lots of questions and I calmly answered every one with confidence. Your father was sitting in a chair near my side. Then the anastesiologist came in to read to me all of the "legal" things that he had to tell me before giving me any medicine. The things he said scared me a little but when I looked at your daddy with fear he said it was all just legal and none of the scary stuff like death and being paralyzed ever really happened. Your father always has a way of calming me down. I love him for that. Then as the anastesiologist left the room I felt like I was having a contraction and just assumed it was ok. Then the nurse rushed in and told me to turn on my side and started moving around the monitor they had on my stomach. This monitored your heart beat. She said that your heart beat had dropped but it would be ok that you had probably just moved onto the umbilical cord. Then another nurse came in and another. Soon I was surrounded by 3 nurses pushing and poking at my stomach trying to get your heart rate back up. Then another nurse came in and said that Dr. Thompson was on her way and we were going to do an emergency c-section. I was terrified. I had never really thought of losing you. I was just thinking of the pain I would go through with a c-section and I didn't want that but this was the first time that I had thought that I could lose you. Your father could not come into the operating room with me and that did not make me very happy. He kissed me goodbye and told me everything was going to be ok and in a matter of seconds he was out of my sight and I was being wheeled into the O.R. It was now 7:10 AM. As I was sitting in that cold room looking at the ceiling all I could think was "God, please take care of my baby". I told him that I was ready to go if I had to but just make sure that you were alright. All I could think of was that I may never get to see your face. Then a nurse told me to breath into the gas mask they had over my face and I would be asleep in 30 seconds. That's the last thing I remember.

Then you were born at 7:25 AM, November 8. 6 lbs 5 ozs of perfection. You were 19.5 inches long. You have the cutest button nose and rosy red lips. I can't get over how perfect you are. The next day your dad asked Dr. Thompson how serious of a situation it really was. He wanted to hear it from her. She said it was extremely serious and it gives her chills to think about how close we came to losing you. You had the umbilical cord wrapped twice around your neck. If we had turned you like we had planned you would have probably choked to death. If we would have been home at 7:10, you would not have made it. If we had waited until 40 weeks you would have been still born. I can't thank everyone enough for their prayers. Without them you would not be here now and I owe it all to God. I love you more than words can even begin to explain.

Mommy

Well Bryce, you are a week old today. It is amazing how many things change in one week. You are now opening your eyes alot more often and for a longer period of time and you can roll over onto your side with no trouble at all. You sleep the majority of the day and you love your pacifier and your swing. You hold up your own head and you cry very loudly. At first we joked that you sounded like a hawk screeching because you didn't really cry... it was more of a screech. But buddy, now you cry so loud I almost have to hold my ears. But I'm so glad because I know that your lungs are good. You are still so skinny. I want you to gain some weight so I feed you every time I get the chance. But I know you'll grow soon enough.
I'm also doing great. I'm doing almost everything I want to with the exception of driving and vaccuming. A c-section is not all that terrible. Plus, everytime I look at your beautiful face I don't even remember the sting of the cut. I love you so much.

Mommy

Today I had to call the pediatrician for the first time! You got some goopy stuff in your right eye and I wiped it out and then it came right back after you napped a while. It didn't look like it felt very good and I knew it wasn't suppose to be there so I called the doctor. She said it is very common for newborns to have a blocked tear duct. So, to my delight she gave us some ointment. I probably worried a little too much, but I didn't want you to hurt. So now we're putting the ointment in your eye twice a day for 5 days and hopefully it will clear up.

I was wondering if any other of the moms had any tips on how to stay awake when you're feeding during the night. I'm having a hard time staying awake and not getting frustrated with myself. Just curious if there is anything you guys have found to cure it!
Brooke

Today we went for your two week checkup. You now weigh 7 lbs. 9.5 oz. I am so proud of you. With breast feeding it is a little hard to tell if you are getting enough nourishment, but obviously you're doing great. The Thursday after you were born you had dropped to 6 lbs. so you have gained 1 lb. 9.5 oz. in a week and 4 days. That is amazing. You also went from being 19 1/2 in. long to being 21 in. long. You are in the 75% in your height but in only 25% in your head and body.
We had a little accident at the doctor's office...you urinated all over the place!! The doctor was looking at a little rash that you have and while your diaper was off you squirted like a water fountain. It went EVERYWHERE! It was hillarious. Then they had to stick your heel to take some blood and you burried your face in my chest and slobbered all over my shirt while screaming. They put a little cotton ball over the spot where they suck you and held it in place with some blue tape stuff. It looked like you had a sprained ankle (picture). You were awake the entire time at the visit. I loved it!

Love you
Mommy

Saturday we went to Abigail's shower and I am just now getting around to putting pictures on here. Abigail will be your first cousin, my sister's child. They had a shower here in Atlanta,TX at the Atlantian. It was wonderful. She got so many gifts it was ridiculous. And on Tuesday night we're going to a shower for your second cousin (to be) Isabella Piazza. Now I know you're going to look at this when you get older and think why?! Why did I drag you to all of these girly events and the reason is because I have to show you off!!! Just joking....really it's because I can't stand to leave you! I debated leaving you with your daddy and just going to the shower alone but I decided to take you as my date. Not that I don't think Josh can take care of you because in all honesty he is even more wonderful with you than I could have ever dreamed. He loves his baby boy.

Love you
Mommy

For the past two nights we have been putting you in your crib and it is so much better. We did have you in a bassinet beside the bed and every little noise you made we would jump to the rescue. Finally, we figured out that you just like to grunt and make little noises while you're sleeping. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. When something is wrong you cry very loudly. It has been great having you in your crib. Of course, it is right across the hall from our bedroom so it really isn't but a couple of steps away. But we have the monitors hooked up and ready at all times. If you cry I get up and feed you and change you and you usually go right back to sleep. Sometimes it takes the assistance of your little mobile but whatever works is great with me! Yes, you sleep good with the exception of your 4:00 AM feeding. After you eat and I change you, you want to play. Your eyes are wide open and you have no intention of going back to sleep. And nothing works, not rocking, not patting, not your mobile....NOTHING! So I sit up with you until around 6:00 AM. Because even though you close your eyes and you start to breath heavy like you're asleep, the minute I put you down you start to scream. I guess you just like to be close to mommy, at least that's what I think :) But all in all, the crib experience has been a good one for both you and us.

Tonight was the first time for just us guys to hang out. Mommy had a baby shower to attend so we did the usual guy thing and had dinner and watched hunting and Sopranos. You were all decked out in your camo. I fed you for the first time from a bottle that your mommy had pumped for you before she left. You sucked it down so fast! I was afraid you would still be hungry and I wouldn't have anything else to feed you, but you were content and fell back asleep. This is the first of many times me and you will spend together. I love you.

I went for my check-up today. After having a c-section there are lots of things that I couldn't do: drive, take baths, vaccum...things like that. It was very hard to just sit around, but I knew I had to in order for my scar to heal correctly. Today Dr. Thompson told me that I can go back to doing everything except picking up anything heavier than you in your carrier. This is GREAT news! I can actually get out of the house and go visit people instead of just sitting on the couch!
While we were in town, I had to change your diaper. You urinated everywhere while your diaper was off even with me having something over you! I always bring you an extra change of clothes when we leave the house, but I never thought that I would need extra clothes. My jeans were soaked!!! I'm glad I have a good sense of humor about these things because you do this ALL THE TIME!

P.S. I took this picture tonight when we put you to bed...I just love you so much I am even amused by pictures of you sleeping! The other at the top is of you in your bath...you love taking a bath!!!