December 18, 2010: 6 weeks old

I can't believe Bryn is 6 weeks old and that it's almost Christmas already! At 1 month, Bryn weighed 9 lbs 3 oz. She has completely outgrown her newborn clothes and is in size 3 months now. She's definitely more alert and is tracking really well. She loves to look for our faces, at the lights and of course the ceiling fan, always a baby favorite :) She also has really great neck control!
Liam is such a sweet big brother and is sooo attentive to Bryn. He throws away her dirty diapers, picks up her pacifiers when she drops them, reads and sings to her. When I'm driving and ask him is she's awake or sleeping he will keep me posted. Usually she's sleeping, but when she wakes up he yells "She opened her pretty eyes!" He does not like when she cries and this time of year will tell her "You better stop crying Bryn. You're not going to get any presents!" Obviously he's catching on to how this whole Santa thing works :) Here are some other things that Liam says to Bryn: "Bryn, don't be scared, it's just a toy" (about his T-Rex) and "Are you comsturble Bryn?" (when she's in her bouncer).

Here are Bryn and Liam just being cute...
Our partying continues as we had James and Michael's 2nd birthdays this month (we also have Davey's party tonight)...here are pics from the parties. James' party was at Gymboree and Michael had a petting zoo...


The little sisters, Sophie and Bryn sleeping through all the fun :)

Playgroup families..minus the Smiths who were probably taking Pres to the potty...because she's a big 20 month old potty-trained girl, we are so proud!

Liam fed and petted the goats, pigs, duck, bunnies, chickens...and his favorite, the llama!



Cupcake time! Pres takes this very seriously...


We celebrated an early mini-Christmas with Tippy and Daniel at my parents house last Sunday. This included our Christmas cookie baking party...5 chefs, 2 kitchenaid mixers, and 500ish cookies!


Tippy and Alex got Pres a cute apron and umbrella and Liam a Percy puzzle and Notre Dame shirt. Bryn got a cute hat and Notre Dame onesie too!

Liam also joined in for some Rock Band...

Kiki got Liam a Vandy polo and Tippy got Bryn a Vandy hat and booties, so here they are rocking their parents' school spirit...
Nick and I did get out for a night to go to his office Christmas party...

We also went to visit my and Nick's work to show off the kids. Liam LOVED seeing Nick's site. Right now he's building a huge training center for Deloitte. I should have taken more pictures of the site, but we're going to take Liam back when it's closer to completion and I'll snap some then.


I got a night out with girlfriends to go to dinner at Fireside Pies, yum!
Just some cute pics of Bryn with her Daddy, Liam, and Pres (who is actually saying 'cheese' in that pic)...

We had our first meal out as a family of four! The restaurant (and food) aren't worth mentioning but the fact that Liam ordered his own meal ("Can I have milk and chicken nuggets please?") and Bryn sleeping the whole time are!

We have started some new Christmas traditions this year. Liam and Bryn both donated money to charity (Liam to Make a Wish Foundation and Bryn to St. Jude's). I'm not sure if it should be a tradition, but Liam watches a Christmas cartoon daily. I taped them on TV and his four favorites are How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Merry Madagascar, Prep and Landing, and Mickey Mouse Christmas. He also reads his Christmas books every night before bed. We have been driving around to see the Christmas lights which Liam loves and I even caught Bryn looking at the reflection of the lights in her mirror. Liam also started writing letters to Santa and playing the Elf on the Shelf game...he loves to see where his elf, Wassel, is hiding each morning! One of the first days he realized Wassel was moving each day, he found him and shouted "Hey, wait a minute!" He is so smart and it's fun to see him thinking things through.
Most days I wonder how I will ever get through. It is so hard for me to juggle Liam and Bryn's needs while trying to make sure I don't pass out from starvation or sleep-deprivation...much less get anything done around the house. I know many moms do this, and with more kids, every day. I feel like it's just one of those things you get through and looking back, probably don't remember how. I do try to enjoy the kids even when I'm overwhelmed because I know this time will go fast. I do have some major help though.. Other than my family (who live very close and visit very frequently, thank goodness), I have 3 secret weapons that get me through the day...

the swing!! Despite the pictures above, Bryn does not sleep that well, especially not in the boppy or bouncer. She has finally taken to the swing though which gives my arms a break during the day...
the moby wrap!! Greatest invention and how I'm blogging at this very moment :)
daddy!! haha, Even though I posted a picture of him snoozing, he's been a champ these last few weeks. He comes home from work and dives right in taking over kids, dinner, or whatever. He's up in the middle of the night, is now the go-to bathtime guy, and has some pretty good meals up his sleeve. I like to brag that the only thing he can't do as well as me is breastfeed :) He's such a great dad and partner...makes me think he could handle a few more!

November 2010: Meet Baby Bryn!!

Bryn Elizabeth Barker came (crashing!) into our world on November 6, 2010 at 10:48 am. I was so anxious to meet her and so excited when I went into labor on Friday night, a week before she was due. The whole family rallied and the grandparents came to the hospital with us, while Alex, Tippy, and Meha had Liam. Here we are at the hospital, we arrived about 8pm... The next morning I was still in labor and progressing quickly so Liam was brought to the waiting room!

And that's where that story ends...because by 10am I was fully dilated and had been pushing for about 2 hours (with no epidural!! my super-duper epidural was so strong that they had to turn it off at the very end because I couldn't feel anything...how convenient, just when I needed it the most!). Bryn was engaged, in the birth canal, but stuck because she was occiput posterior (sunny-side up). Liam was in this position too and they were able to vacuum assist him out...but alas, it didn't work with Bryn... Yup, that is me during my emergency c-section. I remember hearing her cry and turning to see her being placed on the warmer. After that is when I grabbed onto the anesthesiologist (photographed above by Nick) and started screaming about my pain...next thing I remember is them wheeling me back to my room an hour later. I hate that they knocked me out and I missed that first hour with Bryn...but Nick took lots of pictures of her and even did the first hour skin-to-skin with her since I couldn't :) He also gave me a wonderful recap of the c-section and how my "guts were all over the operating table" :) This recovery has been ROUGH...but as you'll see...she was worth it!

Bryn weighed 6 lbs 7 oz and was 19 inches long...such a peanut yet she still managed to get stuck! Because of her being stuck against my pelvic bone and the trauma of the vacuum, she did come out with a two huge bruises on her head and chest and two hematomas on her scalp as well. She looked kinda beat up, but she bounced back very fast (def faster than mommy!)

The nurses wouldn't let anyone meet her till I did...I'm not posting those pics of me because I am so drugged I'm surprised they let me hold her...but here is the rest of the family meeting Bryn (except for Dal who missed meeting her by just a few hours to catch his plane to Germany)...including the proudest big brother ever!
Later that day (probably while I was still sleeping off the anesthesia) we moved up into the postpartum room and Bryn got her first bath.

By the next morning, I felt better (and could hold my eyes open for longer than 10 minutes) and was so excited to snuggle both my babies!
As you might start to notice, Bryn turned a little yellow by day 2. She was jaundiced due to the trauma and bruising during delivery. Luckily she was a great eater and with a little extra tanning time with Mal she pinked up after about a week.

More visitors...

Liam enjoyed "celebrating" Bryn with lots of attention and gifts :)

After 3 days, it was time to go home. I still wasn't feeling great, but knew we'd be well taken care of at home ;)

Bryn had to go the pediatrician a couple times that first week to monitor her bilirubin levels. Even though her level was pretty high, she was gaining weight so well and we knew it was just a matter of time before it started decreasing. She weighed 6 lbs 4 oz on day 3, 6 lbs 9 oz (over her birth weight!) by day 5, and at her 2 week check she was 7 lbs 13 oz!! That's my girl, gaining a pound and a half in the first 2 weeks! Here is daddy changing her first true blow-out diaper...which of course happened at the doctor's office. We actually ran out of wipes...how embarrassing for second-time parents :)

Pops and Nana came to visit...with a special T-Rex for Liam as well!
Murph stopped by to meet her...

First bath at home...done by Mallie because mommy wasn't quite up for it. She didn't like it, but loved her snuggles afterwards...you will often find her sleeping with her Mal or in her bouncer.

Bryn at 1 week old...just hanging out at home (playing dress up!), going to the doctor's, and meeting Dallie!

Bryn at 2 weeks old...bonding with family, first baba from daddy, playdate with her future bff Sophie and big brother James, and first photoshoot with Erin! Bryn at 3 weeks old...Grandma, Grandpa and Linds come for Thanksgiving! Mallie and Dallie came over too and I was most thankful for the fact that I had Thanksgiving dinner prepared for me in our house ;)Kate stopped by to meet Bryn...Decorating for our first Christmas in our house! I'll post more pictures later of the inside and outside because Nick went Clark Griswald on our house and really did it up :) Liam has his own tree full of his daddy's baseball ornaments...We ended November with a party at Mal and Dal's to celebrate Alex and Tippy's engagement and Mal's birthday!!I think Mallie got everything she wanted for her birthday...

This month has gone by so fast, especially with the holidays. I'm finally feeling like myself again and hoping to just enjoy this next month off with my babies!