Running in Circles

Hey Brice,

  Remember when you got on one knee and asked me to marry you? That was awesome.

It's so weird to think that was 5 years ago and look at everything that has happened since. We've had two kids, internships, jobs, a new car, we live in a different state, we've taken trips to visit family, we've been to Costa Rica, we've made a lot of friends, and we've grown a lot as a couple. 

Thank you for asking me to be your wife and for loving me despite my many flaws and insecurities.

Happy Valentines Day!

-B

 NOT PICTURED:

1. A Minnie Mouse birthday party

2. Breann in every outfit of "sweats" that I own.

3. Brice looking so grateful for ward members bringing dinner

4. Late night/ early morning nursing sessions

5. Hours of walking--- and desperately hoping for more clothes to fit :/

our boy at six days old

Sunday:

When we were just a few hours from being discharged from the hospital on Saturday afternoon, Henry turned blue and had to be given oxygen. When they hooked him up to monitors in the nursery he had a really low resting heart rate (70-100). I guess a more normal baseline would be 120+. The nurses had him hooked up for hours but he never got dusky again. Our pediatrician immediately ordered a heart echo, EKG, and a chest x-ray. 

Everything came back clear and normal but they decided to observe him in the NICU for 48 hours. His baseline still is lower than normal but he's had no additional spells or issues. They think maybe he choked on some milk since i had fed him just a few minutes before (Reflux). 

Its been an emotional and exhausting 48 hours because I was discharged but stayed at the hospital so I could continue to nurse him exclusively. He is doing great and we should be discharged this morning.

We are looking forward to finally taking him home to meet Hazel, but most importantly we are grateful that he's doing well and all the tests came back clear.

^Finally leaving the hospital^

Wednesday:
We got home Monday afternoon and it was exactly what we needed! Of course I was glad that nurses wanted to take all the precautions necessary, but sitting all day in the NICU and sleeping in the on-call room (after I was discharged) was emotionally and physically taxing!
We're home, nursing is going great, and I'm working on helping Henry figure out his night/days. The first night home he didn't sleep until 5 am. That was terrible! But each night he is sleeping longer and longer stretches and I think its going to get better soon. He has been more and more awake and we are loving his slate blue eyes right now.
Today we walked to the library and Target and it felt so good to be outside. I'm feeling mostly normal and happy to be eating again! Those last few weeks of pregnancy I had hardly any appetite for anything.

Henry Brice Johnson was born January 23rd, 2015 at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.
 7 pounds 12 ounces
 19.75 inches
 He has the longest fingers and toes

I was scheduled to be induced at 6 am, but after spending the day at the zoo on Wednesday I could feel early contractions starting. I was hopeful something would get going and it did! I woke up Friday morning at 3:00 confident that I was having regular contractions. They were 5-6 minutes apart and I had to get out of bed and walk or sway to make them more comfortable. When Brice woke up to the alarm at 5:00 I greeted him saying "Good morning- I think this is the real thing!" We got ourselves to the hospital and I told Brice- I hope I'm at least 3 cm dilated now. They checked me and I was already 5 cm and contractions were 4-5 minutes apart. 

My plan all along was to go through labor without any pain medication. I decided that if I was induced with Pitocin again that I'd just go ahead and get the epidural from the beginning though. Contractions hurt but they were so much more tolerable than Hazel's labor. We started Serial on my phone ( we only listened for about 30 minutes) and a few family members called to wish us good luck but I could tell I was progressing quickly and needed to focus. Within a half hour period I went from just pacing and doing squats inbetween contractions to hurled over the side of the bed with a pillow under my body breathing through contractions. I asked the nurse to check me again and happily I was 7 cm. Immediately after that contractions intensified, still 3-4 minutes apart though but I could tell I was hitting the transition period. Tears started coming to my eyes and i started saying things like "I want to be done" and "He needs to be out within an hour"... I was having a hard time.

Brice rubbed my back, pressed my hips together, told me I was doing great, and really gave me all the words of encouragement that I needed. I really could not have done it without his support!
Contractions got closer together and I started to feel the bearing down sensation. At 9:40 the nurse checked me again and I was 8 cm. I told her I needed to get him out, like soon!
She suggested I get in bed on my left side with this lopsided exercise ball in between my knees. It worked like a charm. I hated being in bed during contractions but it helped me progress and by 10:00 am I was yelling things at her. "Call my Doctor"..."I'm pushing and I'm not going to stop" and finally..." I don't care who delivers this baby, but I'm pushing him out now!
At 10:05 am I felt that famous "ring of fire" and I lost it. All of a sudden I realized I had to push this baby out and it was already hurting so bad. My delivery room looked straight out of a movie!
 Doctor Plank came running in the door, yelled for more nurses and Henry was crowning. I was pushing and screaming and crying and threatening to quit during every contraction. Pushing a baby out is hard- feeling it is both painful and mentally exhausting. After 15 minutes of seriously dramatic moments on my part he was born.
Feeling a baby come out is the coolest feeling in the world. I remember it so distinctly with Hazel. One minute they're in there and the next they're out! And I'm lucky because my stomach gets much flatter instantly and it is just all so real!

Henry had the cord wrapped around his neck pretty tightly and it took a few long seconds of coaxing to get him to breath, cry, and finally pink up. He was actually very purple when he came out. Then he was weighed, cleaned up, evaluated, and Brice was with him during all of that. I on the other hand was traumatized. Those 20 minutes of pain and pushing really shook me up. I didn't want to be touched anymore, I was shaking violently, and still contracting. It took me about an hour to come around and be happy for what just happened, an then I was so so happy how everything had happened.
Henry was here safe and sound. My body had done exactly what I spent months and months hoping and preparing for. Brice was emotional and grateful and it was perfect.

Labor was hard, but pushing was so much harder! Really though, labor really was 7 hours or so and we did it! Recovery has already been so much easier and he is nursing like a champ!  We are so grateful he's a part of our family!

JANUARY

- I completed my last pregnant run yesterday (1/19/15) of 4 miles. I felt fine actually but just decided I'm done!

- The weather has been in the 60's the last few days so Hazel and I have been out walking(2-10 miles) almost everyday, mostly just for fresh air but none of it is putting me into labor so I'm just enjoying the time with my little bug.

-Total miles run in January: 219

- Weeks of Pregnancy: 38-41

-Total weight gained: 24 pounds (the exact same as with Hazel)

- I REALLY REALLY want to run a marathon this year- so well see!