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!