Whatta Cutie!

Sitting in BUMPO









10 weeks









Sleepy-Heads












9 weeks

Well, Baby Davey is doing pretty good... He's been up at 2-3 a.m. the past couple of mornings and doesn't want to go back to sleep though. It's frustrating! But, when I see those beautiful smiles I can't help but love him anyway. Man, am I tired though!

Today
8 weeks
7 weeks
6 weeks

2 months

5 weeks
4 weeks
3 weeks
2 weeks

So, I am a bad blogger... he's 2 months old today and has changed so much already as you can see by the pictures!

Motherhood definitely suits me. I enjoy him so much- even when he's screaming. :-D It's taken a while for us to get used to each other but I think I am finally clear on a few of his expectations:
1. Do not let daddy near me when I'm sleeping or his picking on me WILL wake me up.
2. If I'm crying, I expect to be fed, changed, or picked up immediately.
3. When all of the above fail, put me in the bathtub.
4. Do not even think about clipping my nails when I'm awake!
5. I will usually poop right after you've changed my diaper- get used to it.
6. Talk to me in silly voices and make lots of funny faces at me in the morning to start the day off right.
7. Love me with all of your heart and I will reward you with lots of smiles and coos.

Cloth diapering is going well. I figure we've already saved almost $40 in the last 3 weeks! He looks so cute in his little gDiapers! He still wears disposable at night because they are a little more absorbent.

Speaking of night.... last night he finally slept from 11pm-4am. Normally, he wakes at around 1:30am to nurse. I'm hoping this is a new habit and maybe he'll drop that 4am feeding soon too! I can't wait to get more than 2 or 3 hours of consecutive sleep again!!

Mark is a good daddy and loves to play and nap with Davey. The baby looks just like Mark, especially when he holds him. They have so much fun together already. I bet Mark can't wait until he's a little older and can rough house a little... Davey will be tough as nails by then! Overall he's a real sweet baby and just as handsome as could be- wouldn't you agree?

He's here!!

Welcome to the world David Crawford Brooks! After 28 hours of labor, Davey was born happy, healthy, and drug free at 2:07 a.m. on June 10th, 2008. He weighed 7 lbs. 9.2 oz. and was 20 inches long. Labor was the hardest thing I've ever done and I'm so proud that I was able to make it though with no medical interventions. Don't get me wrong, I was crying for the epidural after 22 hours and only 6 cm dilation, but with the support and encouragement from Mark, mama, our doula, Kristin, and our wonderful midwife, Eileen, I was able to make it all the way through.

The nurses and midwife joked that housekeeping at the hospital was going to wonder what the hell happed on the 2nd floor after I had been in almost every room and shower and used every wash cloth and pillow in the hospital during labor. They nicknamed the event "Hurricane Davey". Everyone was super supportive and I couldn't have done it without all of them! Mark was especially encouraging even though he was exhausted and frustrated too. The midwife even let him deliver the baby! What an experience for everyone!

We're home and still trying to get adjusted to the little fella, but we're doing really well so far. Davey sleeps a lot but is a good baby even when he's awake and looking around. He loves to lay on Mark's chest! Breastfeeding is going okay, just a couple of obstacles to overcome. (I was going to call the obstacles speed bumps, but it just sounded a little funny.) We are currently still in disposable diapers until he can fit into the cloth ones we bought so I will let you know how that goes soon.

For now, enjoy the pictures! More to follow...

Lots of NEW....

So, less than a month (hopefully) before Davey's arrival we are experiencing some great new things...

First of all, we had our maternity portraits done at Precious Memories Portraits (see website and PMP blog under my links). They turned out so great! You can view the proofs, which are uncropped and unretouched (as you will notice by my not so pretty belly button and Harry Potter stretch mark) but they are still amazing if I do say so myself! www.preciousmemoriesportraits.com/sam I am happy to report that the only thing bony on my body these days are my feet and knees. Everything else is appropriately ROUND. :-) And Mark was a real trouper! We've narrowed over 100 pictures down to our favorite 20 or so and are planning to get an album and a bigger one to hang in the nursery. YAY!!

Also, we have decided to switch doctors and go with a group in Newnan that is more supportive of natural childbirth. Some people may think that it's a little in the game to be changing providers, but I feel much more confident about the care and support that I will receive from this group and I am thrilled that they've accepted me as a patient! Wish us luck and keep us in your prayers!

Natural Childbirth

There are a few things in life that I feel very strongly about and one of them is my decision to have a natural childbirth. I don't have a problem with those who choose to have an epidural or cesarian section, because ultimately, whatever a person chooses is right for them as long as it is an educated choice. What I am frustrated with is the lack of emotional support that I and others in my position often experience from friends, family, doctors, and hospital staff. Everyone says the same thing: "Well, Samantha, you just need to know that it may not happen that way (the natural way)." Sometimes I fell like saying "oh, really?" in my most sarcastic tone. If someone has planned for a natural birth, USUALLY it's because they have done a ton of research on their own, and thus know the potential hazards of childbirth and should have a pretty good idea of what their own body can or cannot handle.

I watched a documentary yesterday that has me all fired up. :-D It's a long one, so get cozy if you plan to take a look! http://quicksilverscreen.com/watch?video=45525 Now, these women are actually planning to have home births, which I am not. With this being my first child I thought we'd better do the hospital thing just in case, but I do plan to spend a majority of my labor at home, not in a hospital bed. As the time draws near (5 weeks or so to go) I am already started to get the feeling from my doctors and the hospital staff that they do not prefer people who have natural childbirth. My friend, Carolyn, who is due next week is feeling similarly. As a matter of fact, one of the labor and delivery nurses said to me "If you want to be in pain for 3 hours or more trying to push that baby out- go for it!" I chose to look at this optimistically, deciding this meant that they would definitely be supportive, but I have my doubts.

Well, that is enough for now. I hope some of you will watch that video and get a better understanding of natural childbirth. Many of you may just think I'm a big hippie... that's okay too. :-) If there is one thing I'd want you to take away from it- that would be to really be encouraging to women that you know who desire this experience for their family. Now that I've put this out there to the world, I will probably end up with a c-section and you can all get a good laugh at me. :-D Honestly, as long as Davey is happy and healthy, who could ask for anything more?

Baby Dimensions

What an experience! I can't begin to describe what an amazing time we had at Baby Dimensions last night. Davey was not very active during the ultrasound (although he became quite active at 11pm), but we still got some really good shots of his cute little face. He is all balled up inside me and LOVES to have his hands and feet in his mouth, which made it a little difficult for Stacey, the US tech, to get good face shots. She was so patient and gentle. We had several friends and family attend. It was so nice to be able to share the experience with everyone! I am even more excited now to see him in 8 weeks or so!

Speaking of... I thought I'd take a minute to give you all a little update on how things are going. I can't believe we are only 8 weeks (10 weeks at the most) away from having a baby! The nursery is really looking great- just a few final touches needed. We've decided to do cloth diapers (for the majority of the time) and I'm really nervous about it. I know it will be a great way to save some money (and the earth too).

Davey moves around A LOT. Mark's mom (Nannie) said that Mark was hyper in the womb as well. Of course, she admits to drinking a lot of Coca-Cola when she was pregnant with him. That must be why he likes it so much! Now that he's getting bigger (an estimated 15 inches and 3-4 pounds), he's running out of space to float around and his little jabs and kicks are starting to hurt! I'm hoping that his constant motion will tire him out a bit by the time he's born and he'll be ready to rest. :-)

We've all gone through so many changes since October. Obviously, my whole body has changed, but we've also been trying to lead a better lifestyle. No smoking for me and MUCH less for Mark, eating natural (non-processed) foods and some organic fruits and veggies, whole food supplements (Juice Plus+) instead of vitamins, buying cloth diapers and BPA-free (or glass) bottles for Davey just to name a few. Mark is so patient about all of the changes and has not been as resistant as I had originally anticipated. We've also been attending church more regularly and trying really hard to "better" ourselves in many ways. Mark has really concentrated on his patience with me and his language... he loves that F-bomb! I'm really working on my organizational habits and cleaning so that I will be a better and more put-together mom (and wife). I think we've really come a long way in the past 7 months and I'm proud of us both! Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and helpful along the way!