One month....

Look who is ONE month old!

Oh how we love our new bundle of joy.  This month has been a month of firsts for both Brayden and Charlie and I.  So, let me try and recap the month and how much in love we are.


SLEEPING:
When we first brought Brayden home from the hospital, we had to get Brayden to start figuring out his days and nights.  We spent the first week in a blur of not much sleeping and trying to figure out ways to make him comfortable.  There were nights where we tried the bassinet near our bed but he didnt like that and he was loud with his coos.  Then, we would try his swing and bouncy seat.  Neither really worked.  All he wanted to do was sleep near us so we put him in the changing table cushion so we made sure we wouldnt roll on him.  He wanted to make sure he was near his.  When he was two weeks old, we transitioned him into his crib and never looked back.  The only bad thing is his pacifer.  We spend about an hour each night putting his pacifier in because he knocks it out and wakes him up. 
We are extremely lucky with his sleeping habits.  Usually I am waking up one time a night (usually around 2-4) and feeding him.  The only problem we are trying to solve is that he wants to party after a feeding so I am spending 45-1hour rocking him trying to get him back to sleep.  Last night he actually slept 9 hours and we were in heaven.  We both felt like a new person.  We are finding that the more he naps during the day, the better he sleeps at night-which seems odd. 
We are still trying to get him to nap in his crib during the day and not in his carrier (on me).  But his doctor said that he just needs to sleep and isnt establishing sleep habits until 3 months, so that makes me feel better.

3 weeks

BATH-
We had our first bath about 10 days after he was home.  We had to wait until the circumcision was healed and his umbilical cord had fallen off.  His cord fell off around day 7 and gave him a bath in the kitchen sink.  He didnt really like it or really hate it.

2 weeks

FIRST DOCTOR APPT:
He is now 8.14 oz. which is the 40% percentile.
He is 21.3/4, which is the 60th percentile.
His head is the 90% percentile.  He is going to be one smart boy.

She said he looked perfect and is very strong.  He rolled over (on accident) and she was impressed.

1 week-unsuccessful

BREASTFEEDING:
We were feeding every 3 hours but Brayden's doctor wanted him to eat every 2.5 hours since he is sleeping so well at night.  She wanted to make sure that he was getting his calories during the day.  He is really an efficient eater and usually takes around 17-24 minutes.

ACTIVITIES:
We have been walking every day.  Usually likes the stroller but sometimes he gets fussy and wants to be put in the carrier.
We have had a couple play dates with friends-which he has slept through.
He has ventured a couple times to Target, Marsh, etc.  We havent been out a ton just because it has been germy season and he hasnt gotten his shots yet. 
He has enjoyed watching the IU games with his dad and uncle.
He has had TONS of visitors and loving meeting everyone.

PERSONALITY:
He is a very chill baby.  He doesn't cry much.  He only gets fussy when he is hungry, tired, or gassy.  It has been so great getting to know his cues.  We are learning quickly what he wants.  He is starting to smile, although we dont know if he is smiling at us or just gassy.  He coos all the time and is a noisey eater and sleeper.  Our favorite times with Brayden is in the morning.  He loves to snuggle with us in the morning.  It has been fun to see how he knows Charlie and I from others.  When we talk to him, he knows it is us.  He loves to be held and looks just like his daddy.  He is very alert and is often hard to take naps.

We love you so much Brayden.

Welcome Brayden Robert Crouse....

He is here.  He made his apperance into this world on February 10th, 2012 at 11:32 am.  We are so in LOVE. 

Let me back up and provide some details about his birth.  I was 3 days past my due date and my doctor induced me on Thursday night.  I was showing no signs of being ready to have this baby so they gave me medicine to ripen my cervix on Thursday night.  We spent the night in the hospital.  On Friday morning at 2am, my labor started.  By 5am, I was begging for an epidural.  The night nurse wanted me to wait until 7am and that was when my doctor was supposed to come.  By 7am, I was struggling.  Charlie was doing his best and was wonderful throughout my whole labor process. 

At 7am, I received my epidural and was in heaven.  I went from no dialation at 5am to 6 centimenters at 7am.  Both our moms came to the hospital in the morning to sit with us while we waited for the doctor.  I was 10 centimenters and the doctor was still not there at 10:30.  He apparently had an emergency surgery and was running late.  Since I have my epidural, I was in no pain but the nurse kept coming in to move me from side to side because Brayden's heartrate was flucuating too much.  Finally, around 10:30 our doctor came in and broke my water and we started pushing.  I pushed only 5 times.  Everytime I pushed, Brayden's heartrate went down into the 60's and they like it to be in the 130's atleast.  It was very scary so they rushed me into the OR for an emergency c-section.  I didnt have time to think or freak out.  I just wanted our baby to be okay. 

They told Charlie to change into different clothing and prepped me for surgery.  It felt like there was 15 people in the OR.  Charlie came in and they started the surgery.  I couldnt see anything because they put a sheet between us.  I just felt a lot of pressure.  About two minutes later, I heard the best sound in the world-Brayden crying.  They screamed 'its a BOY."  Charlie and I were so excited.  They rushed Brayden over to the side to weigh him, check him out, perform the Apgar test-which he scored a 9 :)  About 10 minutes later, Charlie and I were able to hold him and love on him.  At this time, Charlie decided he looked more like a Brayden than a Carter (our second choice name). 

They rolled us back to our room and I was able to breastfeed immediately.  It was so nice to just hold him in my arms.  I was over the moon.  Charlie went into the waiting room and told all our family that it was a boy and all the details.  I will upload that video soon.  They came into the room to see Brayden and he was given his bath and he had to sit in the heater for a bit for his temperature to rise a bit.  After about two hours in recovery, they moved us into our permanant room upstairs, where we stayed until Monday afternoon.

Lots of visitors visited us in the hospital and he got to meet all his friends and family.  Everyone says he looks so much like Charlie-which I totally agree.  He has the most beauitful skin and hair.  I am so excited to see his personality.

How am I feeling??!!  I am feeling great.  The first couple days, I was very sore.  I just compare it to the worst ab workout you have ever experienced times 100.  But, I am feeling wonderful now.  No driving, lifting anything heavier than Brayden, and relaxing around the house. 

Charlie is doing wonderful as a dad.  I could cry thinking about how good he has been taking care of us.  Since I havent been able to do much around the house, he has been cleaning, cooking, and taking care of Brayden and I.  I love him so much and it seems like when I cant love him anymore, I do.  He has taken a couple half days and a couple days off and it has been so nice to have our family together. 

We took newborn pictures on Wednesday and Friday and he was so stinkin' cute.  I cant wait to see the pictures.  We, also, had our first doctor appointment on Wednesday.  Everything looks perfect.  We love our peditrician and she was so helpful with all our questions.  We are adjusting to our new sleeping patterns.  Brayden has his nights and days mixed up so we are trying to figure out a schedule that fixes this.  We are doing lots of trial and error.  Some nights he sleeps wonderful and other nights, Charlie and I are taking rounds.  Hopefully, he turns out to be a sleeper like his mom.  :)

Our lives changed this week and in the best way possible.....

38 weeks, 39 weeks and 40 weeks and beyond....

Still no progress.....

38 weeks

Trying to be patient.....

39 weeks

We cannot wait to meet our baby.

40 weeks

I had my 40 week appointment and there is no progress.  Our baby is really comfortable in my belly and not ready to come out.  I am feeling actually much better than I was feeling two weeks ago.  My doctor scheduled me to be induced tomorrow at 5:30pm.  So, we are headed to meet our little one tomorrow night.  I stopped working this week and have just been enjoying relaxing and getting ready to meet our little one.  I am feeling good about everything and just a bit anxious!  Please pray for a healthy baby and healthy delivery.  :)

37 weeks....

Hi,

Good news.....we are full term today :)  WAHOO!

I had my first internal exam today and I was hoping to see some progression (dialation or effacement) and the doctor didnt feel anything except a softer cervix.  Sorry if this is TMI.  I wasnt expecting any progression but I have been having some cramps and was hoping maybe it might be mini contractions.  I still want the baby to stay in and cook a bit more.  :)  I am just getting too excited to meet our baby.  The heartbeat was low 130's today.  Until next week, it is just a waiting game.  Maybe more progression next week. 

Here is 37 week photo:

                                                                   37 weeks

Here is what the baby is doing this week....
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz

I am feeling pretty good.  My lower back is hurting a bit more lately.  I have been walking on the treadmill or monon depending on the weather.  The doctor said that the baby's head is still a bit high and that is what causes dialation.  The pressure on the cervix from the head is what starts labor.  Hopefully the gravity of the baby will start some progression. 

We are still getting organized around the house.  We put together the stroller and swing last night.  Now, it is just a waiting game.  Only 21 more days until my due date.  :)

36 and 37 weeks

Hi all,

It has been a great week.  I am feeling wonderful (or as wonderful as a 9 month pregnant women can feel).  I have heard that the bigger you get, the more uncomfortable you become but I dont feel like my stomach is stretching as much in the prior weeks.  I am starting to see the doctor once a week from here on out. I had my appointment yesterday and it was just like the previous appointments-where they check your blood pressure and listen to the heart beat.  I thought that they would start the internal exam (checking for dilation and effacement) but he said that he will start checking at 37 weeks-since that is when I am considered full term.

Charlie and I were watching the news the other night and they did a countdown to Superbowl.  Since I am due the day after Superbowl, Feb. 6th- it seems crazy that we are like 25 days out from being parents.  Seeing that number really put things into perspective.  Yikes, we are so ready to meet baby Crouse but 25 days is right around the corner.  

We are putting together with our family and friends, a pool for Baby Crouse.  It has been fun to see what all our family and friends think the baby will be:  girl/boy, when the baby will make its appearance, how big, etc.  So far, most people are thinking boy.  14 votes for boys and 10 girls :)

Work is back in full swing.  I feel refreshed after our two week break.  I only have four more weeks of work so I can take the kids :)

                                                                            36 weeks

Here is what the baby is doing this week:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position.

35 weeks and Happy New Year...

35 weeks



Happy New Year.....to the best one yet.  We just know 2012 will be even better than 2011 for our family. 

Here is how our baby is growing this week.....

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

This week was nice due to the fact of having no school for the next two weeks.  I spent a lot of time just relaxing, getting a prenatal massage, pampering myself, etc.   Everyone says to do it now because in five weeks, I wont be able to do it as much. 

I haven't been sleeping as well lately.  It seems like every other night I am up tossing and turning. 
The dogs have been noticing alot of the changes around the house.  Charlie has been working so hard on getting the basement done-painitng, floors, etc.  The dogs have been so needy lately.  Last night Grace actually put her head on my belly.  Here is a picture from last night....

I felt baby Crouse's hiccups for the first time last night.  Last night we celebrated NYE.  We ended up going to Kona Jack's with Kelli and Matt (who are also pregnant too) and had a nice dinner.  Charlie and Matt were so excited about the IU game so we rushed home to watch the Hoosiers win.  It was quite different NYE than the past.  It isnt quite as fun as being able to partake in the festivities. 

                                                                    Happy  New Years!

Next week, we start every week appointments and I am excited to see how we are progressing.  We packed for the hospital this past weekend and I went and got some hospital gear.  I cant believe it is so close. 

34 weeks...and Christmas!

Hi Everyone,

Lots has been going on over here, as I am sure with everyone else.  We have been looking forward to the holidays this year because it is a very special one.  Even though our bundle of joy isnt here with us, it has been fun to think about how next year will be different with a nearly 10 month old.  :)

We celebrated Charlie's 30th birthday with a surprise with his friends.  A limo with his closest friends and a bar crawl-needless to say, it was a bit different being pregnant.

Then, we celebrated the Crouse christmas this past week.  It was great to see family.

Our little Santas have loved celebrating the holidays too!

                                                               33 weeks!

This is what the baby is doing at 33 weeks:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

34 Weeks

This is how the baby has been growing this past week:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow morning and that will be my last one before 36 weeks and I will be going every week.  I am a bit nervous because those are the appointments where they start checking dialation, etc.  I am excited to see the progress. 

How I am feeling-I definitely have good and bad days.  I am definitely on edge more and my patience is tested alot quicker than it used to.  I am sure Charlie can attest to this.  :)  I am getting a bit more uncomfortable and rolling over at night is not as easy as it used to.  I am so happy that I have a two week break now so I can just relax.  Then, four more weeks of teaching!  I can do this :)  The baby is SO active and often his/her kicks hurt.  I am caught off guard and sometimes the kicks surprise me.  Charlie can look at my belly and see an arm or leg go across my stomach.  It is pretty surreal.

Some of the first trimester yucky's are coming back.  The past week or so I have been nauseous and throwing up.  I am wanting to go to bed around 8pm-so I am super tired.  I am still sleeping well-getting a lot of sleep because I know it wont be like that for a while.  

I am planning on organizing the nursery in the next two weeks so we can have everything ready.  I think we are going to start packing our hospital bags in the next couple weeks too, just in case Baby Crouse decides to make an early appearance. 

Christmas was so fun this year.  We spent Christmas Eve night with my family.  Christmas morning, Charlie and I woke up and exchanged gifts together.  And, then headed over to my parents to watch my nieces open presents from Santa.  Then, headed over to Charlie's parents for Christmas day.  It was a great time.  We got the last of all the baby stuff we needed.  So now we are just waiting....

I will keep you posted on my doctors appointment tomorrow morning.  Plus, we are going to the hospital to pre-register and sign a lot of the documents. YIKES!  It is getting close :)