Snip Snip

One baby boy procedure later...

...and we had one sad little boy!

Easter

Yep, I'm just now posting about Easter! But I guess I had a baby the next day so I have a good excuse ha ha.

We went to Tyson's aunt Deeann's house in Rexburg for a lunch and an Easter egg hunt the Saturday before. It was a lot of fun!

Dustin & Erika's little boy Jack

Grandma Hill and me with my water! Little did I know I'd be having a baby in two days!

Time for the hunt!

Dustin & Erika's little girl Lillie with Tyson's mom

Dustin helping Jack find eggs

Visiting

Clark trying to get a good shot of Jack

We love Jack! He's so cute!

Dustin helping Lillie open her eggs

And on another note...

I was at my mom and dad's house the week of Easter when the neighbor called and said there were horses in my parents' yard:

A cop came and some people stopped off the main road to help get them back where they belong.

They live right behind my mom and dad so it wasn't far that they had to go.

They sure were cute walking through their backyard!

Splish Splash

I have officially turned into the world's worst blogger. You'd think that after having a baby I would be posting pictures like crazy. I thought so too. But it hasn't happened and I'm shocked!

Lots has been happening with this little guy. We have just loved having him home! Can't get enough of him.

Grandma O'Connor came over on Thursday to help me get some things done around the house.

In the process, we gave Brycen a bath:

The best part of bath time...

getting snuggled by Grandma, then dressed and warm under a nice cozy blanket!

Brycen's Room

This is our little guy's room! We've loved putting it together.

• We bought Brycen's crib from Target on a really good sale. I love saving money!
• We decided we didn't want to do a 100% classic baby room, but we also didn't want to do something 100% modern. We wanted a mix. So we went with the baby blue and browns then added the mod in the paint and bead board.
• The bedding was purchased on ebay through a bedding company for $70, shipping included. Thanks again for the tip, Erika! It is a 9-piece set that included the sheet, skirt, comforter, bumper, the toy holder tied to the crib, 2 window valances, a pillow, and a diaper holder for a changing table.
• My mom painted the walls for us and did an awesome job. She's quite the painting pro! Aaron and a couple of the guys that work for my dad made the bead board. They also added a glaze to it to add the dark affect.
• The wall art was a JCPenney online clearance purchase. Can't beat clearance purchases!

This is a close-up of the bedding. The comforter is reversable. We took this in when we bought our paint and had the brown dots match the paint color.

My wonderful sisters-in-law and mother-in-law got me this glider for a baby shower gift. I was so excited! I've wanted one for so long. Tyson's grandma made the quilt.

We bought this changing table at Walmart for a good deal. I really wanted one that had three drawers and a door that I could put all the wipes and diapers in. When I saw this one I just had to have it! We love it, but it was such a pain to put together ha ha. That shelf was from my mom and we just spray painted it white. The picture on the wall says "Lead me, guide me, walk beside me."

I had this shelf and the lamp in my own room growing up. It will be fun to share it with my baby! That little sign says "I hope they call me on a mission" and has a little boy standing there. So cute! And that's my awesome diaper bag sitting on the floor. Gotta love Timi & Leslie bags! I just love this diaper bag. I don't even have to carry a purse thanks to this bag.

{Thanks again for the tip, Tonya!}

Brycen's room was so fun to put together. We've just loved it! And it's nice to have a baby to go with his room!

Home Sweet Home - Our 300th Post

Brycen came home yesterday!

It was one of the happiest days of my entire life, right there with my wedding day and Brycen's birth. I can't even describe how happy Tyson and I are to finally have him in our home. And I get to talk about it on our

300th blog post.

I can't believe I've posted 300 posts on our blog.

300 posts of happiness! And it just keeps getting better.

...

Before Brycen could leave the hospital he had to do a few things.

First, he had to have a hearing screen test:

He even got to wear some super cool head phones.

And he passed!

He got a certificate and a sticker for passing. Good day for Brycen!

He was pretty worn out by the end of it.

Next thing on the list, have a bath!

Daddy came over from work and bathed him.

Getting his hair washed

And styled

He sure does love bath time in the NICU!
Talk about a relaxed baby.

And the most exciting thing Brycen had to do:

Get his feeding tube out!

The nurse took off the tape and Brycen pulled the tube out himself. He pulled it out twice when he was in the NICU. But this time it was for good!

He sure was a tired boy after such a busy day.

Dad changed him into one of his own jammies to go home.

Remember this ultrasound photo with Brycen's leg straight up in the air?

He still puts his little leg up all the time!

I think he's showing off the cute giraffe on his foot.

These jammies are from Grandma O'Connor!

And finally, it's time to go home!

Such a tiny guy in that big car seat.

In the car ready to go home.

(Hard to see him but I promise he's there!)

And the first thing Brycen did when he got home:

Ate lunch!

We couldn't be happier to have him home!

And I think he's pretty happy about it too!

So long, NICU! Thanks for taking care of our little boy!

The One Where Brycen was Born

Our lives changed forever last Monday!

Brycen Timothy was born at EIRMC on April 5th at 10:48 am.

It was one of the craziest yet most amazing experiences of my life.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED...

As I've mentioned before, I was having a lot of contractions every day and was so irritated. I felt like I was calling labor and delivery at the hospital every night, not sure if I should go in or not. I didn't sleep at all it seems the entire week because I was too busy timing contractions. Saturday night they got pretty bad at times, but they weren't consistent.

..

I was excited for General Conference on Sunday. I felt like I needed some spiritual upliftment after everything going on. And of course, Conference was wonderful. The talks were so nice and comforting. I could feel the spirit very strongly. My biggest desire had been to simply know when to go to the hospital. I really felt comforted and knew that I would know when to head to the hospital.

..

After conference we went to my parents' house for dinner. Not even halfway through my meal an overwhelming feeling came over me. All of a sudden I just knew that I would be going to the hospital and having the baby soon. It was very peaceful. The contractions had been going on and I started timing them. Eventually they were 4 1/2 minutes apart and very consistent. At about 7:30 I told the family that I needed to go to the hospital. I was surprised at how calm I felt.

..

Tyson and I went right home and grabbed the bags. We had been living out of suitcases for a week since I went into preterm labor the week before. That worked out pretty conveniently when all we had to do was run in and grab the bags! We got to the hospital and I got changed into a gown. As soon as I got hooked up to the machines the pain of the contractions increased. When the nurse checked me I was at 4 cm and 95% efaced. She called Dr. Leavitt and he came right in. When he checked me himself he told there was no turning back and I'd have a baby by 6 am. It was overwhelming, yet I felt very at peace with it. I was worried about the baby being born at 35 weeks, but I knew everything would be ok. We called our families and let them know. Mom, Amber, and Amy came to the hospital and stayed in the waiting room. They're troopers!

..

The nurse told us to try and get some sleep as things progressed. I received an epidural at about 9:00 (wonderful thing, that epidural) so I was somewhat relaxed. Dustin and Erika came by right after I got the epidural. Needless to say we didn't get any sleep. Dr. Leavitt came back and checked me at 6:00. But I had only progressed to a 5. So they broke my water and gave me pitocin. That got the ball rolling a little faster. In the mean time we sent my mom and sisters to our house (being only 5 minutes away) to try and get some sleep.

..

By 10 am the nurse checked me and I was ready to go. I was a little freaked out, got to say! And it didn't help that I had been lying on the one side for a while and the epidural had almost worn off on one side. We had to have the baby in an operating room because the NICU is attached. They wanted to get Brycen right in there. At 10:48 am our little guy was born. Labor was intense. I had a hard time pushing. But Tyson was very supportive and did a great job. Did I mention that Tyson delivered the baby? With the help of Dr. Leavitt, of course. He was so calm and helped me out so much. He kept telling me how good of a job I was doing.

..

It was a very spiritual experience when Brycen was born. When Tyson set him on my stomach I just cried. I couldn't believe he was here! And I still can't. It's all just been surreal. But the greatest experience of my life. I already can't imagine how I was living my life without this sweet little baby.

..

Where Brycen was born at 35 weeks he went straight to the NICU. Everything was great with him, but he had a hard time eating. Whenever we fed him a bottle he had to have the whole thing gone in 30 minutes. Otherwise he would have to have a feeding tube put in. On Wednesday, at 2 days old and the day I was being discharged, Brycen had a feeding tube put in. When I saw him I just cried. Not only was it hard to see him with a feeding tube, but the thought of going home without him about killed me. He was also on a bili blanket for jaundice. I was a sad mama. All I wanted to do was hold my little boy close and snuggle him forever.

..

Mom came up to help us get everything to the car at about 3:30. We finally left at 5:00 after the nurse checked me out one last time and we went over discharge papers. I got in my wheelchair one last time and the nurse wheeled me out the door. All I could think about was how wrong this was. I should be holding my baby, not a hospital mug full of water with a balloon tied to it. You can imagine how emotional I was. When Tyson and I got in the car to go home we both just cried. It was the worst feeling in the world to be leaving our baby at the hospital, not sure when he was coming home.

..

Brycen has been in the NICU for 8 days. Since we left, he was moved up to the 2nd floor NICU because he was improving. We were so excited to hear that! We've been visiting him at least three times a day since last Thursday and it's been so wonderful to be close to him. If we can't have him home with us, the NICU five minutes away was the best place for him.

..

Brycen was taken off the bili blanket this week. Woo hoo! We have high hopes for our little guy! We sure have missed having him home, but we know he's being taken care of. And we're excited about his improvements! Go Brycen!

THE BIG DAY

April 5, 2010

The only reason I posted this picture was to show how swollen I was ha ha. I had so many different fluids going through me!

Right after delivery

Brycen's first diaper

Our new baby!

The first time I got to hold him

Brycen's little NICU bed

Proud mama

Visitors on his big day:

Aunt Amy

Aunt Amber

Great Grandma Murri

Grandma Miller

Aunt Erika
We were also visited by my aunts Karin and Lee, my cousin Tyrel and his wife Vandy, Aaron and Britney, Tyson's sister Angie and her son Cooper, my mom dad, and Che'.

ONE DAY OLD

Our first family photo

Stork dinner

I just love him! Can't get enough.

What a sweetheart.

He sports the one-eye look quite often.

Thank heaven for little boys.

Visitors that day:

Grandma O'Connor

Grandma Miller

TWO DAYS OLD

Holding Brycen right after seeing his feeding tube and bili blanket. And right before being discharged.

The red face I have shows how distraught I was!

He sure makes a feeding tube look cute!

Dad changing Brycen's diaper

Feeding Brycen

We have to put his food through a feeding tube when he doesn't finish his bottle.

Our room

Tyson slept in that chair thankfully pulled out into a cot.

Propping up my feet before we had to leave

A couple of very sad but very happy parents!

Our little man all hooked up

Visitors for that day:

Grandpa Miller

THREE DAYS OLD

Life in the NICU

Our little glow worm

This picture is to show Brycen's sun-kissed skin tone against my pasty white skin tone ha ha. I'm so glad he got his dad's coloring!

Visitors that day:

Grandma O'Connor

FOUR DAYS OLD

Having lunch

I just love him in blue! And I love these little gowns babies wear. So cute! Check out those long fingers! And the one-eyed look again. ;)

We just love him!!


Visitors that day:

Aunt Amy

FIVE DAYS OLD

Bath time!

He was just loving being under the warm lights.

Relaxing in a clean pair of jammies after a warm bath

Having some dinner

Visitors that day:

Grandpa O'Connor

SIX DAYS OLD

Sunday morning we went to visit Brycen then went to sacrament meeting.

Ebony and ivory

A little grin

Visitors that day:

Aunt Amber

Uncle Che'

Grandpa Miller (Grandma Miller was there too.)

Uncle Dustin

Aunt Erika

Aunt Britney

Uncle Aaron
My uncles Lance and Blake and their wives and kids also came up to visit! It was a great day with lots of family!

ONE WEEK OLD

I came in for Brycen's 9:00 feeding and found Brycen bundled up in a little ball at the bottom of his crib. I just want to snuggle him!