Brynlee is just so cute. So perfect. So lovable. So sweet.
I can't tell you enough how much Richard and I love being parents. People always tell you, 'you just wait!', and I'm like, 'I know, I have nieces and nephews'. But there really is no way to tell or prepare someone how much you will love YOUR child. I usually think, and still think, snot and drool is gross. But there is nothing that grosses me out about Brynlee.
Brynlee is now three months old! I can't believe it! She is getting so big. She began wearing her three month clothes when she was two months old. The first six weeks were hard, for eating at least, because we think she had acid reflux. Our doctor said she showed signs of it, and gave us a prescription for it. We gave it to her for about 2 weeks, and then decided it wasn't worth it anymore. We couldn't tell that much of a difference, and so why give them to her if they aren't working? The doctor said once she gets to be about twelve pounds it would get better. Sure enough, it did.
We love this stage! She is cooing and babbling like crazy. My favorite part of each day is when she wakes up from a nap. She does one of two things: 1.) Cuddles, stretches and yawns 2.) SMILE! I will take either one. She still likes her bath time. She is beginning to make the tub a whirlpool. We take her for walks when weather permits, she loves the jungle gym, and her vibrating bouncer. We read a book to her in the afternoon, and then again in the evening. She also enjoys dancing to music...well, she's more like a puppet and we move her around. :)
Going back to work. I went back to work two weeks ago. I have to say the first week was hard, the second week, not so bad. My first week back I worked dayside, which meant I went in at 9:00 and didn't get home till 6:30, the earliest. I knew that I wouldn't like that schedule, and most likely I probably would not have gone back to work if I had to work that schedule. I didn't enjoy my mornings with her (had to get ready, pack the bag, drop her off), I didn't enjoy my days working, knowing she was with someone else, and I didn't enjoy my evenings (got home late, and she was ready for bed around 7!). YUCK!!!! I barely made it one week on that schedule. I couldn't stand it. On top of not enjoying any part of my day, I became irritable because of it, and didn't enjoy my time with Richard after she went to sleep. However, I knew it was only for a week, so I managed to make it.
SO, now, I'm working mornings. So, SO, SOOO much better! I work from 3 A.M. to noon. Which means, I go to bed around 8 P.M. I am so happy with it. Brynlee sleeps for almost 5 to 6 six hours of my shift. (Wake up at 8, and takes a nap sometime in between.) So, she only spends 2 awake hours away from me, 3 at most. Richard works from home Mondays and Fridays. He watches her till I get home at noon (but most of the time, I take my lunch at eleven, so I get home early.) A lady at my church is watching her Tuesday-Thursday, and I really couldn't do it without her. I knew I wouldn't use daycare, and I wouldn't have trusted just anybody. Shaun-Ta is amazing! She has three kids (two in school). I love that she has a two year old running around in the mornings with Brynlee. It gives Brynlee another little baby girl to look at, talk with, and play with. They have tea time together, play time, song time....so perfect. Going back to work is harder on me, than it is on her. But to be honest, I enjoy knowing I'm continuing my education/work as well...and knowing I'm not taking my time away from Brynlee is awesome. I get to spend all day with her, and we go to bed around the same time. Yay, for morning shift! :)
Everyone at Brynlee's Blessing
The men in her life :)
Family of three!
Mardi Gras Parade!
Friends from college! 10 year reunion in New Orleans! :)
Thinking about her next move
The look I get often when she's in stroller!
Back to work. I need to write a blog about what I do. Most people have the misconception that all you do as a reporter/anchor is read and look pretty. NOT! So not true, the labor that goes into this job, you have no idea. That's for another day. :)
Brynlee playing with Kate....her play date on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Our new couch. Looks big, but we were thinking big so we could keep it for the next 10 years!
Brynlee Sue Campbell is here! She is just perfect! She was born on November 20, 2012 at 5:08 p.m. She weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long. We didn't decide her name until the morning she was born. Her middle name is my middle name, which is my mother's name. The morning after she was born, her pediatrician came in to exam her and said, "It's not that often I can call a newborn baby, 'Perfect,' but I can today!" She is healthy, her coloring was perfect, her size, and he even said the shape of her head is perfect. We are so grateful to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl. However, at one point during delivery we feared the worse....
First off, my due date was November 24th, but I was progessing far on my appointment the 19th, and the doctor suggested inducing her the next morning. Richard and I originally were not for inducing, and said we would hold out until she was ready to come. That's when the doctor gave us more to think about,that changed our mind. We wanted to make the decision based on what was best for Brynlee. We took the decision seriously, prayed about it, and both felt strongly November 20th was her day.
It was Thanksgiving week, thankfully, because we had plenty of distraction that night to help us with anxiety, excitement, and fear. My whole family drove down here that night (the 19th) to have a replacement Thanksgiving Dinner: Pizza! The next morning Richard and I checked into the hospital at 5:00 in the morning. They gave me Pitocin at 8:00. Contractions were strong, but nothing I couldn't deal with. I really wanted to go as long as possible without having an epidural. I knew I didn't want any IV medicines (narcotics) that could impact the baby.
The turning point came around 11:30 when the doctor came in to break my water. That's when we found out the water had meconium in it. Fortunately, my doctor didn't seem to concerned about it, and said that just means he will have to suction out her mouth and nose real well before she takes her first breath. I trust my doctor so much, I knew he would handle it just fine! The downfall: I had to have a cathetar put in the uterus to keep a heart rate monitor on the baby...which means no birthing ball, no walking, squatting, or sitting. :(
After he broke my water, the contractions came on strong, hard, and fast! They got up to about a 90 on the machine, and the doctor said at that point, they really won't get much harder than that. At that point, I was just talking to him regularly, and trying to stay calm and tough. He said that I should have no problem doing it natural if that was the way I was handling it. (But that was just the first one.) The first hour was pretty hard, but I just continued to breath. To be honest, it was kind of fun, (heavy on the kind of)...I think it was just exciting to finally be in labor and could now understand what a "contraction" felt like! :) I waited my whole life, and especially the last 9 months. The next hour was a lot harder, and by the third hour (now at 7 cm), I was so worn out! I couldn't walk around, or move, and it was getting harder and harder just laying there. At 2:30 I got an epidural.
Around 4:00 p.m, the nurses told me that the baby's heart rate was dropping lower than they would like, and they had to move my position. That went on for about 45 minutes! They either had a hard time finding it, or it would drop a little low during a contraction. The nurses gave us the idea that it could be the umbilical cord was wrapped around her, or maybe she was squeezing it. Either way, we were fearful, and asked what now?! The nurses told us hesitantly that it could mean C-Section. I started to cry. I did not want a C-Section. Once you have one, you always have one (typically), and I really wanted to avoid them if possible. The doctor came in around 5:00 p.m, and corrected the nurses. He told me the baby seemed to be just fine, and said the numbers weren't accurate. He wanted to check the cathedar to see if it was a positioning issue. That's when he just looked at me and said one word: PUSH.
That fast! He said the heart rate was dropping because she was in the birth canal! PUSH! It was such a rush. Richard and I just looked at each other in shock. I started shaking, we both got tears in our eyes, we were laughing, crying, everything. From going to the baby isn't doing well, C-Section, the unknown, to YOUR HAVING THE BABY NOW was such an endrinalyn rush. After about 10 minutes of pushing, little Brynlee joined the world.
Richard and I are truly blessed to have Brynlee. We would just stare at her instead of sleep for the first week! We loved our hospital. They have something called "Family First Hour." Before the baby is washed, weighed, and measured, they put the baby on my chest for one hour. It's time for Richard and I to be with her, for her to feel comfort, listen to my heartbeat, and rest from the labor. What a great bonding experience. They also never took her to a nursery, which meant she was by our side the whole time! Rich got to give her a bath right there next to me. She is just precious!
Richard and I are definitely first time parents. :) We are becoming more relaxed as we get to know Brynlee, but to hear her cry the first time at a cold wipe, or being tired, or gassy, has been so hard! I couldn't have asked for a better husband though. Richard is up with me every time! He helps change her diaper, clean up, and while I'm feeding her he will bring me some water. He is so sweet, and is the best husband and dad ever! He truly tries to do anything he can to help all of us transition into a new lifestyle.
At Brynlee's one week appointment she was back to her birth weight. At her two week appointment she weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces. She put on 12 ounces in a week. The doctor was extremely happy to see that, and said that she is a terrific eater. Haha! No doubt about that, you can hear her gulp from across the room. The only downfall to that is she also gulps a little too much air...causing painful gas. :( Brynlee has kept us up a few nights, as her little body figures out how to digest properly. I have had a few crying episodes myself, hearing her cry in pain. But the doctor reassured me that a baby that puts on 12 ounces in a week, can not have something majorly wrong with her. He said it probably hurts me more than it hurts her. Knowing this, and using Mylicon, has made this week much easier!
We love her so much, and we are so glad to have her here with us right before the Holidays! Merry Christmas to us!
Oh, and my news station featured Brynlee on TV the morning after she was born. Go Brynlee! :) You can watch it here:
I am 28 weeks! Wow, time flies! No, we don't have a name, no carseat, no stroller, no toys or play pins...BUT we just got her crib and a few dressers. I'm so happy! One thing at a time. We got a great deal from Lone Star Baby in Frisco. The set was on sale, in the back of the store...we are so lucky to have found it. The salesman was trying to sell us the expensive "new models" in the front, and we asked for cheaper, and he was like, "well, there is a set in the back, but I don't think you will like it..". WHATEVER! Haha. My parents bought us the crib as a present, so we are one step closer to having a baby room.
I've been feeling pretty good. I'm just tired a lot. My low blood pressure might have something to do with it. It's been low my whole pregnancy. Last appointment it was 93 over 50! I have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome), so that keeps me up at night. But the doctor said it's common, and should go away after I have the baby. I still suffer a lot with Charlie Horses too, but now I'm so used to it, that I have learned to just let them pass. On a typical night, I have about 2 to 3. Sometimes I just tap Richard (more like a shove, haha), and he pushes my ankle back, to try to stretch them out.
I have taken on probably one too many sewing projects. !! I just get so excited, and keep finding new patterns that I want to make. I think I'm in over my head, so I'm done picking up new projects. So far, in chronological order of priority: Crib bedding, blessing dress, diaper changer/purse, quilt. But as my sister says in Oregon, do the projects now, because once you start your family and have kids running around it won't be so easy.
I'm trying to stay active, but as we all know, sleep is priority! :) I am still working full-time, so I typically get off work at 6, and then go to the gym. Rich is at mutual (Calling is in Young Men's) on Wednesday nights, so those nights I try to do a little more exercise, since he doesn't get home till 9. Richard is an awesome youth leader. He really enjoys working and teaching the young men...and of coarse, playing basketball and football with them every Wed. night. Which reminds me, I'm still the seminary teacher for Lindale students. I only have 5 students, and 2 of them can't come early morning because of Cross Country. So we are doing Home Study the first semester, and early morning Winter semester. I teach in our home, so they will all get to know Baby Campbell pretty well I'm sure...hopefully we will have her on a schedule to sleep that hour. :)
We are probably staying in Lindale for at least one more year! Which would be awesome, because we truly love our house, ward, town, activities, job, everything!!! But our post-pregnancy plans will have to wait a few more months for us to discuss, considering nothing is set in stone. !!!
Here are some pics of the last few months.
15 weeks
20 weeks
25 weeks
Baby Clothes and diapers!!! Once we found out it was a girl, we went straight to the clearence section at Babies R' Us, and Ross. It's the safest and most affordable thing to buy up to this point, since we haven't decided on all the seats/strollers and such.
My sis made me a boppy!
Our crib set/changing table/dresser (pic taken in store)
First rag quilt that I made her.
Crib bedding fabric.
Shopping at market with my Mom!
Bumpers!!! I only have one side done, and have three to go. The white satin was such a pain to gather. Never again!!!
I finished the matching blanket for the crib. Still have the skirt/sheet/diaper stacker/organizer to finish.
I have a lot to catch up on, but I think I will start out with FAMILY! We had an amazing time on a family reunion trip to Beavers Bend, OK. I got to see my Eric's family, with 4 daughters, Heather's family with 3 sons, Holly's family with 5 kids, Valerie and Todd, and ofcoarse, my parents. (24 people!)
The cousins loved getting together and hanging out. From early in the morning, till late at night there always seemed to be an activity going on of some kind. I think the highlight of the trip was the boating. Watching all the kids go tubing was so fun! I think the best part though was watching the grandkids watch GRANDPA go tubing. Haha. What a memory!!! Go dad!!
We also did a lot of swimming, kayaking, horseback riding, smores, hot tubbing, playing games, and our nightly dinners that each family prepared. I love my family so much!!! We can't wait for another reunion, maybe in 2 years! Maybe we will do a skiing trip in Colorado or Utah. YES!!! We will then be able to bring our little addition. :)
Jeffrey, Tess, and Susie about to go boating
Eric's family!
At the dock!
Pregnant woman about to kayak!
Rich with the awesome view from campsite.
My nieces and nephews floating on the lake
My sisters and mom!! :)
Group picture by our cabin.
What Zoey looked like when we got home....no worries, he's alive! He just likes to sleep in awkward positions. Haha.
So, I decided to edit together a little video for keepsake memory. It shows our cruise from last year with our friends, the Ivies. It was so fun! Pretty much you are in the sun the WHOLE time, everyday. We just ended up staying in our swimsuits all day. :) This year, it will be a little different considering I'm pregnant, and will need to stay in shade more often. :) Don't mind some of the inside jokes in the video, it was made for the four of us, but some family wanted to see the final product, and I decided to share it. Enjoy!
I like to put together videos for weddings/events/vacation, etc. So if you have something coming up, let me know! Or, if you have a ton of video from an event, and just need it to be edited together to make sense, I can do that too!
Yes, it is true!! We are expecting our first little baby. We could not be happier. We just went to my 19 week appointment this week, and found out we are having a girl. **LOVE** We both thought for sure we were having a boy! Partially, because I did a story not too long ago on "The Intelligender Test", and I thought I would try it out. It said I was having a boy!! Haha...it said it's 85% accurate, but we both knew going in, it was a scam. (Especially since I interviewed a doctor in my story, saying so). Nonetheless, we are extremely thrilled to have a little girl. Right after we found out, we went straight to Babies R' Us to buy girl outfits. So expensive!!! So we stayed in the sale section, which is all Spring clothes, which isn't bad, because she is due November 25th. Yay!!! Happy Thanksgiving to us!
So, since this is a blog, and the public eye doesn't read it,(right?), then I thought I would share our experience of how we choose to get pregnant. Around October last year, I was driving home from work and I had a distinct thought come to my mind/heart. It said, "Mom..I'm ready, come on". Wow, it still give me goosebumps just writing it. I, of coarse, said.."um, are you sure?"! Haha. I tried to ignore it, but the thought lingered on for a few days. I just thought, well..it must have just been my imagination. (I know, it's a sign of pride!! Not giving credit to the Spirit, but instead rationalizing that it was my own thought.) Anyhow, as the Spirit has always done with me (Thank you!), it didn't give up. I had the same thought about a month later. !!! I could not deny it! I told Richard, and even shared it with my Momma and my sisters. We all knew it was probably time, especially since we have had a good few years to enjoy just one another.
Then one day, we decided, if it's meant to be, it will happen. :) Sure enough, I found out two long weeks later, we were pregnant. Yay! So yes, the baby was planned, but it was sure a surprise when we found out! :)
We had our first appointment at 7 weeks, when she was just a little bean...but we were just so excited to SEE the great news. Then we just have patiently (ya, right) waited for this week. I went out to lunch with a local constable last week, and he tried to explain to me why it's important and more special to wait on finding out the sex of the baby. Any thoughts? We just decided it was just as special finding out now!
Pregnancy Symptoms: Ugh! People say they loose weight in the first trimester, that's when I gained 5 pounds! I HAD to eat bread, crackers, and more bread, in order to feel better. My doctor gave my nauseous medicine, because otherwise, I would feel so sick to go to work. I couldn't afford to call in sick. The meds helped a ton, as long as I took them diligently. Cravings? Hmm...blueberries, raspberries, and well...ANY kind of fruit. Interesting enough, I couldn't eat anything sweet until about week 18. It made me feel yucky, and chocolate sounded just awful!! I know, crazy right?! But, unfortunately, sweets (especially ice cream) sound good again. My doctor says exercise is great for the baby and I, so I've continued on with my running. Well, after week 14 that is. I only do about 3 or 4 miles a day, and go super slow just to be safe and comfortable. I have a sprint triatholon in September, and the doctor says if I go slow and relax, I should be fine. I had to cancel a marathon in October with my friends in D.C, but that's ok..we're having a baby!!!!!! CRAZY!
We are clearing out Richard's office/my craft room (which was a DISASTER), and getting ready for a nursery. So much to do! As far as babies names...umm...NO IDEA. Ok, well, we have one idea, but just trying to decide still. We will keep you posted!! If I can actually find time to blog again! :)
My sister Holly is having her fifth baby tomorrow! She has three boys, and will now have two girls! Love you Holly! I'm the luckiest aunt in the world, to be blessed with such adorable neices and nephews. 4 from Eric, 3 from Heather, 1 from Valerie, and now 5 from Holly. (and that's just MY side!) :)
