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!

Diaper Bag

These are the fabrics that I decided on for one of my diaper bags... cute, huh!

11 weeks and counting...

I am officially in my 3rd trimester... the countdown really begins! These few pics were done at around 23 weeks... I"m just getting them posted a month later. Things are really starting to come together at home. The bonus room looks good and the nursery furniture is all in place. I get so excited when I imagine mon petite Davey sleeping in his crib or rocking with me in the glider! My main focus right now is trying to organize and clean the house (especially my office) before fatigue sets in again.

My PartyLite business has been slower than normal the past 2 months, but we are still paying our bills on time so I can't complain. I imagine it will be very tough once the baby is here, but I can't imagine giving up my time at home to work a regular 40-hour/week in Atlanta and putting the baby in daycare. It would break my heart!

Otherwise, things are really good. My exercise class is kicking my butt and my chiropractor is cracking my back. All of my tests have come back normal and I've gained just the right amount of weight so far (24 pounds). I will be seeing the doc every other week from now on. As we get closer to the due date we will go more often. Thanks for checking in on us! :-D

The nursery

I had the most wonderful baby shower on Feb. 23rd! We got so much stuff that we REALLY needed and I've finally been able to start putting the nursery together a little bit. I am so proud of how it is coming together... some nights I just sit in my rocker and watch tv in the nursery instead of the big 40" hdtv in the living room. Davy loves to rock! My next big venture will be choosing a pattern for my diaper bag.