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).

Possibly the last dr visit????

We went back yesterday afternoon for what was our last real visit to the office. Dana did the ultrasound and the amniotic fluid is still around 26, which is fine. She did all of her measurements and the baby now weighs 10 pounds exactly. We'll see how close that is to real life measurements when she gets here. I got to get on the scales yesterday and found out that I have lost another 2 pounds. It is really looking like I won't see the dreaded number this pregnancy... yeah!!!! I have now only gained 20 pounds for the whole pregnancy. The NST was a little bumpy. The baby's heart rate was fine. Holly, the nurse, said we were just going to call my uterus irritable. After Dr. Venus saw the strip, he said he didn't want to see and sent me home to put my feet up. I did just that. We still have our fingers crossed for Monday at the earliest. I will have my feet up for the entire weekend if that is what is takes to hold this baby off. Steve's mom got here just in time for dinner last night and we are just trying to wait patiently and make it through the weekend. It will be just our luck that with all the preparations that we have made that the baby will be stubborn and not come until June 5. However, that is NATIONAL doughnut day and I think it would be great for her to be born that day too.

Getting closer....

We went back to the doctor on Tuesday for our NST and saw Dr. Venus. The NST went great. We went in to see Dr. Venus. My fundal measurement was back done to 40. Dr. Venus said this was probably due to how she was laying last week. I am actually very close to where I should be measuring, between 35 and 39. Not bad!! Dr. Venus got ready to check and see how much I had dialated and casually mentioned to Steve that if I was at a 4 that we would be having a baby that day. Steve's face got all white and he broke out in a sweat. He was a little surprised. Thankfully we are still at a 2. We go back today for another NST, fluid check and doctor visit. I am really hoping that we can get through the doctor check without being a 4. I would love for this baby to come sometime after Sunday. Steve and I have already planned that if I go into labor on Sunday night that we will sit in the parking lot until we can be assured that she will come at 12:01 or after. She just has to listen to our plans.... yeah right!! Steve's mom is coming down today, which makes us feel better...no middle of the night commutes from Virginia. We feel like with all the preparations we have made for the baby coming early that she will probably wait until June to make her appearance.... we hope!!!

37 Week Update

We went back to the doctor on Friday for our regular NST, ultrasound and doctor visit. The NST was pretty normal. The ultrasound was actually very good. My fluid numbers are down from 30 to 26 which is a good thing. Dana measured and calculated the weight at 9 pounds and 11 ounces, which is only a 10 ounce gain from last Friday, another good thing. As I went in to the examining room, they weighed me and I am actually down 1 1/2 pounds, another good thing. I may not see that most hated number on the scale!!! My fundal measurement (over my belly) is up to 42. I was 2 cm dilated on Friday and Dr. Venus is only giving us a 1 in 5 chance of making it to June 1. I was supposed to have an appointment for today (Monday) but realized the office would be closed and I rescheduled for Tuesday. I asked Dr. Venus if he wanted me to reschedule the Thursday appointment to Friday because they normally do a Mon-Thurs and Tues-Fri rotation. He said it really didn't matter becuase he didn't think I would make to to Thursday. We just left the next appointment for Thursday afternoon. I spent the weekend on the couch with my feet propped trying to keep this baby from coming early. We need everyone to think good thoughts about delaying this baby until June. I have to give End of Grade tests this week. We REALLY need her to be patient and wait until June 1. Cross your fingers!!!!