2 week update

Ok... I know I have been extremely slack on updating. I finally made time to go to the library to do internetting while Steve and his brother Michael went to play golf. Stevie and I both had our two week check-ups this past Friday. Stevie now weighs 9 lbs. and 9 oz. The doctor said that it was obvious that the breastfeeding was going well. He checked her over and said that everything looked great. I went back to have the doctor check on my incision. He took off the steri-strips and said that everything looked great. I got on the scales as I was leaving and realized that I now weigh 5 lbs. less than I did when I got pregnant. My body doesn't quite look the same, but I do like the numbers. Steve asked when I could start the ab work-outs. Thankfully, Dr. Venus told him at least 6 more weeks. I brought pictures with me today to put online but the disk wouldn't load. Oh well, I will try again next time. We did go and get her first set of pictures done last week and it went surprisingly simply. We will be sending those out as soon as they get back. She has been an easy baby to have. She ets up every night between 2 and 3 and then again between 6 and 7. Steve stays up with her at night after she has her lat feeding so that I can get some sleep. He is getting remarkably fast at changing diapers. My favorite quote from him however has been when he told his mom when we first came home... "I was born to do this." She and I almost wet our pants laughing. He is being a great daddy. He loves to tell people that she is the spitting image of him...I'll get some pictures on and let everyone decide for themselves.

Baby update

Things are going very well so far. We took back for her weight check yesterday and she is up to 8 pounds and 11 ounces. She loves to sleep! I guess she gets that from her daddy. The kids have loved playing with her. They stop whatever they are doing to come kiss on her hands. I willl be updating new pictures shortly. We are are Millennium checking emails and someone (wonder who????) is getting hungry and is ready to go home. We still have to stop by my school to show her off. Look for new pictures at the beginning of the week....

Day two.....here come the visitors...

Matt, Amanda, Jacob and Stevie

Great Uncle Jim and Stevie

Great-Granddaddy, Nanny and Stevie

Great-Granddaddy, Daddy and Stevie

Stevie Braune

Today was a busy day. It started with the shock of another diabetic/clear liquid tray for breakfast. When the poor CNA walked in with that nasty tray, I very bluntly told her that that was NOT my breakfast, that I had been promised regular food. She said that Dr. Venus had not put in the order and that was all they had. I asked if she could get a regular breakfast after I took a shower. She said that would be possible. I ate the jello off the tray and went to take my shower. Steve helped and then took his own shower. By the time we were all cleaned up, I had a breakfast waiting on me. I really enjoyed my pancake and cheerios!!

We had lots of company today. To start the day, "Missy" Couch and "Missy" Blackburn stopped by. They were the secretaries at schools where both Steve and I had worked in Wilkes County. Steve's Granddaddy and Uncle Jim came up from Seneca, SC. The assistant superintendent of Surry County Schools, Mrs. Widdowson, stopped by to see me. She had actually stopped by to see another teacher from Surry County Schools who had had a baby on Friday when she happened upon me. Susan White, a teacher from my school stopped by too. Coincidentally, it was Susan's daughter that was the other teacher from Surry County Schools who had had a baby on the same day as I did. Steve's mom and my parents were both back again. My daddy arrived carrying two dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. YEAH!!!! Steve's good friend Matt, his wife Amanda and son Jacob came by, followed by an old friend of Steve's from college, Kevin Stainback. The boys all caught up on the recent goings on.

Dr. Venus stopped by this morning and said everything looks great. The nurses are bragging that it seems like I haven't even had a baby. It helps me tremendously that Steve has been so helpful. He is great about getting me the baby and changing diapers so that I don't have to get up. The baby had all her tests today and passed with flying colors. She has a wonderfully normal cholesterol of 61, which had us all breathing a sigh of relief. She had a bilirubin test, a hearing test and a PKU test. Steve changed quite a few yucky diapers today. He caught one in the process of happening and I laughed so hard that I had to lean against the counter. He has really been a trooper and is adjusting to being a daddy wonderfully!! We had our "celebratory" dinner provided by the hospital tonight. Steve's marvelous cooking has spoiled me though. Now nothing tastes as good as the food he cooks. He has promised me his special shrimp next weekend for our anniversary dinner. I can't wait!!!!

She's here!!!!!

Stephanie Lorraine Braune
"Stevie"
June 5, 2009
7:36 am
9 pounds 1 ounce
21 inches long

Stevie and mommy

Stevie

Stevie and her daddy

After all the waiting, she's finally here!!!! We got to the hopsital at around 5:30 am and checked in. We came up to the OB floor and they had me ready to go to the OR by 6:45 am. Steve and I went down and he waited in the waiting room while they prepped me. They brought him in and the fun began. By 7:36 am she was out and already being assessed. He got the entire thing on video. She definitely has a set of lungs on her. I actually got to watch her being born thanks to a huge monitor they brought around the curtain. It was really cool!! Steve and Stevie were back upstairs to our room by 8:00. The nurse gave her a bath and weighed her before I got back upstairs. I was back by 8:45. Steve's mom, my parents and my friend, Hilda were here most of the day. We spent the rest of the day talking with family and friends and answering emails and texts. Everyone is excited about this latest addition to the family. Her great-granddaddy is actually coming to visit tomorrow from South Carolina. He is ready to meet his first great-grandchild.

My parents went and got Sarryn and David from school this afternoon and brought them to meet their new little sister. They love her. David actually wanted to skip his baseball game tonight to stay and play with her. He is going to be a great helper. My friend Traci came to see Stevie this evening. All of her girls loved looking at the baby. We have discovered that the hospital doesn't have much in the way of a diabetic diet. I can't wait until I can have real food tomorrow!!!! We are expecting several visitors tomorrow. Steve has become a champ at changing diapers and is definitely a master "Burper". Stevie always stops crying when her daddy picks her up. We have had a long day and an even longer night but we are getting through it and look forward to many days ahead with our new little girl.

18 hours to go......

In an effort to better make arrangments for Sarryn and David, I talked to the nurses at the hospital on Tuesday night to get a time table of about when things are going to be happening tomorrow. They said I should arrive around 5:30 am. They will take me down to OR around 6:30 and the baby should have a birth time between 7:20 and 7:40. That means that in about 18 hours, the baby will finally be here. She should be back to my room with her daddy no later than 8:00 and I should be back from the recovery room by 9:00am. We had hoped to at least sleep in a little but it looks like we are going to have to get up even earlier than our normal early schedule. The baby will be here before most people we know even get to work!!! We are hoping that Steve's laptop will work at the hospital so that we can post pictures of her as early as lunch tomorrow.

Steve talked to one of his college friends, Brent Stainback and his wife, Laura who live in Washington State last week. Ironically they have also have a c-section planned for tomorrow. However, they are having TWIN girls. All I can say is better them than us!!! I can't imagine having twins. I am definitely TOO old for that. Our baby girl will share her birthday with her daddy's friends' girls. How cool!!!

Pre-op visits

We went for our last prenatal doctor visit yesterday. I thnk most of the office staff were surprised to see that we had actually made it to June. Everything looked great. My weight is awesome... I have actually lost 4 more pounds for a total weight gain of ony 16 pounds. I guess that means that now the only weight I will really have to lose is the weight I had put on before we got married. Steve pulled a mean trick on me when I got on the scale. He stuck his foot on the scale and the nurse and I thought I had gained 15 pounds since last Thursday. I almost passed out!!! My fundal measurement is still 40 and I am still only dialated to a 2 or 3. Dr. Venus said that he would see us Friday morning at the hospital. The nurses said they won't know what to do without us coming in to provide comic relief every week. I think they are secretly in love with my husband. We went to the hospital for pre-op next and were there for almost 2 hours. Every person we had to deal with was a chatty cathy. As the nurse on the OB floor was filling out papers, she asked me was there any certain food that I didn't like so that she could note it on my menu plan. Steve replied "vegetables"!!! She looked at me oddly and I told her that he was right. The crappy thing is that I will be on a clear diet the first day. No doughnut for me on National Doughnut Day....what a horrible thought!!!!! Everyone needs to go to their local Krispy Kreme on Friday and have a doughnut for me.... they are giving a free one to everyone that comes!!

Everything is in place for a delivery on Friday. Steve and I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 to start the check-in process. His mom is going to meet my parents at the front of the hopsital at 6:30 to hand off the kids to go to school. We should have a baby between 7:20 and 7:40 according to the nurses on the floor. Steve and the baby should be in the room no later than 8:00 and I should be back in between 8:45 and 9:00. They were even talking about us all going home possibly on Sunday. Who knows??? I guess we will all find out this weekend.

Anyone want to make a guess on birthweight?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

We made it to June!!!!

We made it!!!!! We wanted a June baby and it looks like we will get her!!! Steve and I couldn't sleep last night becuase we watched the clock count down to midnight. I actually woke up at 3am and said out loud that it was June 1. We go back to the doctor and the hospital tomorrow (Tuesday) for pre-op visits, but I don't think I will actually see the doctor. I guess spending the last two weekends on the couch worked. We will now look forward to Friday when we have the scheduled C-section (unless she decides to make an earlier appearance).