Thursday, April 14, 2011

Nana comes to Visit

My Mom has come back to visit us and help me around the house and to let me have some sleep time!!..
WHAT A BLESSING it has been!... Bralyn turned 3 weeks old Sunday April 10th!.. She is growing so BIG!.. 

She now is starting to fill out and her newborn sized clothes are not all fitting her anymore. I haven't weighed her yet, but I know she is def. over 8 pounds!

My mom has been here helping us and cleaning the house, cooking some meals and getting up and helping me with her. I feed her, and mom changes her diapers, rocks her and plays with her so I can sleep, eat and shower!!... AMAZING!

** We had our FIRST OUTING with Bralyn too during her visit!.. We took her to TARGET! Yep you gotta get a little girl into the shopping pattern!!... She was so good, she loves the car seat and loves shopping already!!... We bought our sweet friend Truett a baby present and then got her first EASTER basket and goodies!!... **

I am so thankful for my mom and this week and the time she gets to spend with us! We will miss Nana lots when she leaves us this weekend :( .. 

~The Turners~

2 Week Check up for Miss BRALYN

Bralyn had her 2 week Check up on Monday April 4th!.. She was such a big girl at her appointment and did such a great job!.. 
Daddy was back at work, and Mommy was released to DRIVE yay! So this was our first outing together as mommy/daughter!... And I must say we did a GREAT JOB!.. 

She was 7 lbs 14 1/2 oz and 20 3/8 inches long!!... (birth was 7.4 and 20 in).  She is a GROWING GIRL!!... She also went from 13 for head to 14 1/4..   

She is a HEALTHY, HAPPY baby!!...


~The Turners~

 

First Week Home

We had a Wonderful 1st week home!.. Patrick was off work from the Wednesday we came home until Tuesday the next week. He was such a BLESSING and HUGE help!!..
 He did and still does do so many diaper changes, and he would set our timer, and keep track for me the times to feed her (every 3 hrs) , the time for both of medications etc.. 
He would help me get ready and things I need, due to limited mobility after surgery etc.
I AM SO BLESSED with such a WONDERFUL man who is a GREAT DADDY and HUSBAND!!

The first week was also such a Blessing to us both, due to the large amount of help we got with meals!!.. We had meals and food each night for the first week and 1/2 from our FRIENDS and CHURCH FAMILY!...
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE for the meals and company and LOVE you poured on us!!  WE enjoyed so many people visiting and meeting Bralyn.

We know so many of you had children and we haven't had a chance to visit you all yet, but we cannot wait to!

(this first week added so many challenges for me as a first time mommy, and just being careful when it came to germs, protection etc!.. I don't think you ever know how you will be with something until you go through it!..  Our doctors told us how it takes the first 2 months for their little immune systems to build and how this time of year with all the colds etc and be not great for their health!..  So we have kept her inside as much as possible!!  
She hasn't gone to church yet, and only her doctors so far!.. But we will soon be going and be able to let her be around other little ones etc!!... She is so little :) ... 

~The Turners~

Pediatric Appointment (March 25th)..

Because Bralyn was in such good health in the Hospital, her doctor said we didn't have to go in the next day but Friday after we got home! :) 

Bralyn was 6 lb 10 oz when we left the Hospital and we were so excited that just 2 days later she was 7lb 1/2oz :)

She was in great health and was such a good little girl!!... We really like the practice we chose too! 
Fuquay Pediatrics is a great doctors office and so far we are loving them!!


~The Turners~

Saturday, April 9, 2011

WE ARE HOME

SO thankful when we were able to come home!.. After spending 4 days in the Hospital, I was very ready to be home already and let Princess and Bralyn meet and just sleep in my own bed!!..

We were discharged at 11am on Wednesday March 23rd!...

Princess loved her, and mommy was emotional because I missed Princess while we were gone!... We had a beautiful Balloon, Wreath and Flag all showing that a beautiful princess was born into the Turner home!!...

~The Turners~










Our Wonderful BLESSING

Our Hospital stay was until Wednesday Morning! Bralyn did great trying to learn to feed and great little sleeper in the hospital too!
Mommy was in pain and trying to recover and learn to move and walk around, but it was ALL WORTH IT!..

Dispite being woken up every 2 hours to check vitals for me and then hear eating every 3 hours, it was a great first few days! 
Patrick and I were very ready to go home and start getting into a schedule with her for sure!


We had WONDERFUL friends that came to visit while we were in the Hospital and sent beautiful flowers and cards!... My  mom stayed at our home while we were there and helped us everyday by coming up and keeping me company and helping with Bralyn! SO THANKFUL FOR HER :)

Bralyn looks just like her daddy, such a PRECIOUS little one!!

~The Turners~





YAY! We Officially Were in Labor!!...

So By now we have had a roller coaster of emotions, all day and all week. Patrick and I arrived at the Hospital for the 2nd time that day, and were just ready to hear some better news!

The Doctor came in to check me and before she did, she tested the things I brought that were wet, and determined instantly by the strip test that it was Fluid and it was my Water... YAY!
She then checked me and I was 2cm, -1 and 80% effaced!!  Great I had progressed good that day! She then took the stick and broke the rest of my water!  She stated that I had a high leak and everytime sweet Bralyn's head would drop it would plug it up, so that is why 2x it had leaked.. She determined my water broke at 2:30am, and started me on Antibodics and started Pitiocin to help strengthen my contractions!

Well once your water breaks, HOLY COW do the contractions start soon!.. I went from 7 minutes to quickly 5 minutes apart by the first piticon drop.  Before I knew it I was 3-4 minutes.
They were hitting the piticon every 15 minutes and it would give 2 doses. So I was at a 6 on the 3rd dose and suddenly went to 1 minute apart contractions.. WOW
they were lasting 30 seconds and giving me um NO TIME TO BREATH!..
I pretty much yelled for the Epidural haha!.. But had to wait 45 minutes to get it.. AHHHH!

Yep he was my best friend when he entered with the drugs! I believe I told him I loved him and he was my best friend!.. The DRUGS were great!! and I must say didn't hurt nearly as bad as the IV hurt.  


Moments however after the Epidural and at 6 on Piticon Bralyn's little heartbeat dropped into the 80's and they quickly started me on oxygen and turned off the piticon. The doctor told me that it was stressing her, and that I needed to have contractions on my own for a little bit and see if I could get myself to dilate more without the medicine. However I couldn't I did need those few drops to help speed things along!
See once your Water breaks you have like 24 hours to deliver and I was already nearly 18 hours since it has broken some at 2:30am.  


So after a little bit, the doctor came in and said we are going to start the medicine again, but this time every 30 minutes and 1 dose at a time not 2.  So we started with 1 and waited!.. I was relaxed and FELT great :) NO PAIN!!...   
Bralyn did great until 1 1/2 hours later when they did the 3rd drop.  We got to 3 and started having stronger contractions, and her little Heartrate dropped into the 70's.  
They rushed in and quickly turned off the meds and got the doctor.  
Her heartbeat would go from 101, 80 72, 99.  Those were numbers I kept seeing while they were turning me and putting oxygen on me again!


The doctor told us that Bralyn's little heartbeat just couldn't take the contractions, because each time I had a one it squeezed her little head and cut off oxygen for her. That a C-section at this point was the best option, because we were also only a few hours left in the 24 hours and my contractions on their own would take a little while longer.  
So we agreed and started the process.. Patrick stepped out to tell the parents that had all stepped into the waiting room.  As Patrick walked back into the room they were unplugging everything and wheeling me quickly out the door to the OR.. Bralyn's little heartbeat dropped to 59, and we went instantly to EMERGENCY mode.


15 minutes later little Bralyn was out and born at 12:39am on March 20th..  WHAT A WONDERFUL MOMENT!... Daddy was great and so supportive, he took great pictures and loved on her instantly.. Mommy couldn't hold her for about 1 1/2 hours after surgery and after her and I both got out of recovery.. That was a LONG 1 1/2.. :( 


I was in recovery and Daddy kept going back and forth to the Nursery to take her picture and come and show me! He is such a WONDERFUL FATHER!.. The moment they brought her to the room and Patrick and I got to hold and love her, were the most precious moments!! ;)  
God blessed us with a BEAUTIFUL baby girl and the gift of all 4 grandparents to be there with us!!!... 


SO BLESSED!


Bralyn Nicole was 7 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long!  A PERFECT GIFT!


~The Turners~







WE ARE IN LABOR #2 (still Saturday March 19th)

After my contractions stopped around 11:30am, I decided to eat some lunch and bounce on my ball.
My family arrived, and then Patrick's parents got there about 1pm.

By this time, I was frustrated and the contractions had started coming back, but were like 10-15 minutes apart!... So we all decided to take a LONG WALK :) .

I had been wearing a pad liner cause I would still leak a little.  I got on my shoes and headed out the door with the mom's and Patrick to walk.. All the Sudden it felt as though I just peed all over myself.. I stepped into our kitchen bathroom and as I got to the toliet, it was on the floor etc.  I noticed this time it was very cloudy/clear and so I called my mom into the room to see if that is really what it was??!!
Neither her nor my Mother n law had their water break so they weren' t sure.
I didn't want to be sent home again, so I changed pants and underwear and went for the walk... As we were walking I had 3 more contractions about 7 minutes apart and WOW did they HURT!...

We got inside and I went back to the bouncy ball. It was about 3:30pm and they were still 7-9 minutes apart. I called dear friend and asked her if she thought that was my water the broke before the walk about 2pm?? She said Jess I would call the doctor and tell them, you can always take your underwear and pad to the hospital and have it checked.
SO I called the doctor about 4pm, she called back about 4;15 and said she thought it sounded like it and just as it did at 2:30am that morning, so to come to the Hospital and she would check me herself!! YAY!!

So Patrick and I left for the Hospital, and really thought No way we will be coming back. So we told our parents to all stay! :)

Little did we know it was the REAL DEAL!!!

Saturday March 19th, WE ARE IN LABOR #1

I went to bed Friday night around 10pm.  I was tossing and turning and just kinda anxious, and wasn't sure why! I finally passed out about 12:00am and fell into a GREAT SLEEP!...

I woke up at 2:30ish to go to the bathroom, but as I got up and headed there, I felt as though I possibly was leaking or starting to pee on myself.. (I thought JESS get it together..haha).. But as I got to the toliet I realized wait, that is clear and cloudy and def. not pee!.. As I went back to bed, I started to leak again, and thought could this be my water breaking??!!
So I laid there for a few minutes and felt some more leaks, and thought ok well lets see if contractions or anything start... and DID THEY EVER??!!!

about 30 minutes later the contractions began... this time they HURT.. :).. I was feeling most of the pressure and pain my lower back at the time, but they were lasting about 45 seconds and coming 5-6 minutes apart!.  Walking around felt so much better then sitting for sure. So at 3:15am or so I went downstairs and told Patrick, I think my water broke and I am having contractions... (he was in such a deep sleep, he said ok go back to bed.. haha)..
Knowing I needed to time them longer and make sure they didn't stop. I decided to go take a shower.  I got out of the shower and they were a little closer, about 4-5 minutes apart and it was hard to catch my breath in the middle of them!..
So I called the doctor about 4am.
The Doctor on call said it could possibly be my water, I was still leaking drops here and there, and that I should come into the Hospital to be checked out!


So I woke Patrick up about 4:15 and said THIS IS IT!... He got a shower really fast, and we loaded the car and headed to the Hospital. In the car they were every 4 minutes and we called both sets of Parents!.. Mine only on a few hours of sleep, got up and in the car and headed this way, since they were 7 hours away!..
Patrick's parents were waiting to see what the doctors said etc.

We got there and signed in and all that stuff and got t our room about 5:35am.  The nurse came in a few minutes before 6am, and looked at the monitor, they were def. 4 minutes apart and pretty STRONG!...
I had just gone to the bathroom and she ran the strip to test for fluid, I was dry so she said she didn't think it was my water that had broken. She checked me and I was 1-2 cm, 50% effaced and -3 still. She said they would be sending me home to Labor and Progress all day on my own, and to come back when I was 2-3 minutes apart on contractions and if my water did break.

We were BUMMED and disappointed!.. It was after 7:20am when we were discharged, and we stopped and got breakfast and went home.. My parents continued this way, and we called Patrick's parents to head this way at lunch time as well.

This time I was gonna walk and walk and time them like crazy.
I laid down around 10am to take a nap and when I woke up about 11:30am, no more Contractions :(....
AHHH~~`

My What 24 Hours Can Do??!!!

So Friday I walked and walked and bounced on the ball etc!... :)  I also got a nap in, which was rare and cleaned a little!..

My family arrived safely that evening in Florida and Patrick and I enjoyed a night at home together!.

But little did we know what would take place just hours after we went to bed!!..

I won't give to much details do to posting our birthing story in the next post, but I will say that my parents after driving all day, were up from 11pm-2:00am with our dearest family friend Randy Lamb as he prepared for surgery of a Kidney (or maybe Liver) transplant!... It was a GOD thing for sure that my Dad and Mom could be there with them at that time!

But we called them at 4:30am, as we headed to the Hospital on Saturday morning, and they got up , back in the car and headed to NC!...
LOVE THEM for that!!

~SO as I stated, 24 hours changes everything!... And GOODNESS did Saturday the 19th go down as a memorable day for SURE!...

40 Week Appointment (Family Has to Leave )

So My 40 Week Appointment had come!.. March 17th was here, and I was very discouraged that she had not arrived yet. Also, that my family was due to leave the same day and head back to GA and FL. :( ..  Patrick went back to work and I headed to the my appointment!

I was 1cm still, 40% and -3 still.. So nothing had changed from Tuesday the 15th. He was surprised I didn't go into Labor he said, and told me to be patient she would arrive!... He wanted me to go as long as possible to have a natural delievery, so he scheduled the induction to be March 31st, and told me to come to the last appointment on the 23rd!.. Due to original Estimated Due Date the 20th, I was still scheduled for one more appointment!

Her Head was VERY LOW and so now we just had to WAIT some more!...

Due to no good news, or news that she was coming right now, I headed over to the HOTEL to see my family off :( .. It was sad.. My sister and I went to the mall and got lunch and then she and my brother and Jadyn headed to GA!..

My Parents decided to stay one more night in NC, and come to our house, so we headed back to Fuquay!... I did love that they stayed Thursday night alot!

They left early morning on Friday morning the 18th, as Patrick headed to work as well!.. It was emotional for me to say the least... I feared they would not be here when she arrived and I hated that thought!...

`The Turners~

FALSE LABOR (or PreLabor as the Doctor Called it)

I woke up Tuesday morning the 15th, with what I thought at first were Braxton Hicks contractions, until they were coming and lasting longer and getting timable.
I felt the first one around 5am, and then it happened again about 5:20 or so. I didn't think too much of it, until I had 2 more before 6am. So Patrick woke up at 6:05am and I thought to myself I will begin timing these and see what they are!.
They were not hurting me, my stomach would get as hard as a rock, and I felt pressure and cramp feelings like PMS symptoms, and it would last about 30 seconds or so.

(VERY TMI).. I had lost my Mucus Plug on Saturday after the Doctors appointment and scraping and I knew from that it could be days or a week before she came! I was praying for DAYS :)

So anyway, they were about 6 minutes apart and stayed that way until almost 7am. Then they started 4-5 minutes. Patrick left for work, and I told him I would keep timing them and call my doctor closer to office hours. Well about 7:45, I had to call because they were about 3-4 minutes apart. The oncall Doctor, was Doctor Anthony, and he stated that I needed them to be that for a solid hour of timing them and then call back.  He assured me again, that sometimes first time mommies can be labor for a long time, so the walk and do things around the house etc!

So I took a shower, called Patrick and told him I was watching them for an hour and then cleaned the kitchen a little. Patrick arrived home about 8:50, and we decided that we would still take Princess to her Vet appointment at 10:30am, and see what was going on after that. 
Well the contractions continued, but not PAINFUL at all really, just crampy and were about 3-4 minutes apart consistantly.
We got out of the Vet appointment and called the Doctor, said they had been that way since before 8am, and it was now noon!
She said ok come into the office and lets monitor you and check your progress and see if you need to go to the Hospital~

YAY!!.. We thought wow this could be it!...
We got to the office,and the Doctor checked me. I was still 1 cm, 40% effaced and -3. BOO!... But they set me up on the monitor to time the contractions and monitor the baby and make sure she wasn't in stress.
I stayed on the monitor for about 45 minutes, and they were consistantly 3-4 minutes apart and a good rate too! Bralyn was fine, and they said ok well go home, rest and walk. This is preLabor and we believe you will be in FULL Labor within 12-24 hours!!

YAY!!>.. BEYOND excited~... So we called Patrick's parents and told them and had them alerted in case we called that night etc. And then we headed over to see my family and tell them!... It was great news we thought and now we just WAIT :)...

Patrick and I headed back home about 5:30pm, and my mom was coming over to bring us dinner!... TO OUR SURPRISE, she arrived with dinner and my SISTER AND JADYN!!>.
They came to surprise us and meet Bralyn, WE WERE SO EXCITED!!..

Patrick took off work for Wednesday and we went to bed Tuesday night thinking any time :).. BUt then around 11pm the contractions STOPPED :(... So I got some rest, and hoped for the best!..

Needless to say, NOTHING HAPPENED on WEDNESDAY!.. I went shopping with my sister and had lunch with my bro and sister, and still NOTHING!>..
I did enjoy the company but wanted our baby girl to meet us already!...

So we still WAITED>....

Our DUE DATE (came and went....)

Our Due Date, March 14, 2011 came and went... and No Bralyn :(...
So many people had told me, as a first time mommy you need to go ahead and know you will probably go late!. But I had about 3 friends I knew and several on my baby message board that were due after me and first time mommies and had thier little ones before me, so I was not sold she would be late, until our day actually came and went ;(.

March 14th, is also my Parents Wedding Anniversary, but I guess Bralyn wanted them to still have their day to themselves!...

My parents and brother came to our house in Fuquay for the day, and we sat around and enjoyed each others company!  My mom and brother even stayed while dad went and preached that night, and still no Bralyn!..

(I was very desperate and should insert here, I had tried all the WIVES TALES, even Castrol Oil and NOTHING happened!... She just wasn't ready yet haha).

So we WAITED....

Family Arrives in NC (Our Weekend)

Saturday March 12th, My family arrived in NC for their week stay in Cary!.. My Dad, Mom and Brother came into town and Patrick and I went over to Cary to go out to dinner and spend some time together!

We decided to eat at South of the Border, to try and make me eat a HUGE meal and one with lots of SPICES!...
Needless to say, Bralyn loved the meal, and loved the cozy the place she was in too!!..

So on Sunday the 13th, we attended First Baptist Cary and got to hear my Daddy preach and enough a wonderful Sunday/ Sunday lunch with my family!...  :) 
I am thankful she didn't arrive that day, I do love to hear my dad and ever hardly get to!.  Bralyn kicked, and kicked while he was preaching, I think she loves to hear her Granddaddy preach too!!

~The Turners~