Now to his "birthday"…
The day began early, and to be honest is kind of a blur as I reflect back. Two days following Christmas day, and only a few hours of sleep following our final family Christmas gathering at my grandparent's house the night before. It was kind of busy, to say the least. :) With our first two boys, I didn't go to bed the night before their birth until our house was spotless. I mean big time clean… Dust boards dusted, kitchen cabinets wiped down, refrigerator cleaned out, stainless wiped down, blinds vacuumed, glass doors cleaned of smudges, porch and garage swept, vehicles cleaned, fresh potpourri, wood floors mopped to shine, perfect "vacuum lines" in the carpet… you get the picture. I wanted things perfect. I must admit that the eve of Baby Barnes's birth was not quite the same. I was exhausted, my legs hurt, my feet hurt, my hips and back hurt, and the days leading up to the eve of his birth were just too much. Our Christmas decorations were packed up Christmas afternoon/evening… from the outside of the house to the inside. My sweet husband, along with family, worked their buns off to get things back to normal, and I must say that it felt good at the end of the day. I did leave a few of my snowmen out. Although things were not spotless, and all mentioned above were not done, life went on, and our baby brother joined us just as beautifully as his older brothers. We are grateful for each and every act of "help" as we prepared to welcome him; our family was a tremendous.
His birth was a planned induction, so we arrived at the hospital at 6:30 A.M., they assigned us a room, and the journey began. Russ is a rockin' husband, and the birthing process is no exception. He is phenomenal when it comes to support throughout labor, delivery, and recovery. I know this is the third experience, but he truly was as awesome with the third as he was with the first. I love him. Like a whole lot. :) As the morning progressed, around 7:30, they started the pitocin, broke my water, and we waited. About an hour later I was between 4 and 5 cm, and ready for my epidural. Mr. Morel arrived, and did a great job. My only surprise was that Russ had to leave, and I missed his strong hand that I've squeezed, and the calming words that he's shared with the past two epidurals. I even cried a little, but the kind nurse's hand sufficed, I made it, and I sincerely apologized once it was over. She didn't seem to mind, and I am guessing she's probably been there and done that before. As the epidural began to do its job, severe anxiety set in. Never experienced this before. I was a mess. A panic attack was making its way to my room. :( It was horrible, but I survived thanks to Russ and the head nurse. I really wanted to sit up or roll over on my side. I flailed and attempted with great effort to move myself with no luck. So much effort that my entire upper body was sore for two days from pulling on the railings of the bed. I bluntly told Russ that he had to go get the nurse or I might not make it. I know that sounds extreme, but it was real. I felt like someone attempting to escape jail. It's kind of funny now, but I'm telling you, it was terrible at the moment. And although it felt like hours to me, even to this very moment, Russ assures me it was only about ten minutes of panic. The nurse, along with Russ, calmly rolled me over, and I fell asleep. I awoke feeling renewed and relaxed; ready to go. I sincerely give glory to our God for that sleep and relief as I know He saw me through. Shortly after I awoke, my doctor came in to check on me. I had gone from six to eight centimeters in less than an hour, {same thing happened with Emmitt}, sleep does me a great deal of "good" as I labor. She instructed Russ to quickly get a nurse if I suddenly felt pressure or something different or he may be delivering baby Barnes. That "feeling" occurred about fifteen minutes later, and Russ wasn't about to wait around… he hustled to get our nurse, she checked me, they called Dr. Lund who had already returned to her office across the street, set up shop, and approximately twenty minutes later we were holding our sweet baby. It was fast and easy, and for that we are thankful. I so wish that other women could experience easy delivery. Dr. Lund did a fabulous job, and I have a new love for her. There's something about the doctor who helps bring your baby into the world that touches your heart. And goodness, was he beautiful. Pink, perfect, and crying. I was able to quickly calm him, and he stole our hearts immediately. He was angelic. Truly angelic. Russ was snapping pictures, which I didn't realize, and am so thankful that he captured those first moments of his life in my arms.
{Picture overload begins now}
Brand new...
Being cleaned up, weighed, and they also did his apgar assessment at this time… he passed with a nine. Almost perfect.
Our Sweet Baby Brother…
=Thomas Barnes Bragg=
Born at 1:26 P.M. on December 27, 2014
7 lbs, 11 oz
21 1/2 inches long
Perfect.
Back to mama...
Our first family-of-five picture. Love this so much!
A common sight… he fit so perfectly in his Daddy's arms, and his daddy described him as "angelic". I have to agree. :)
Sweet baby feet. Complete with ten baby toes.
Sweet baby hand. Complete with ten baby fingers.
His fingernails were so long, and his little cheeks are proof. :( He screamed as he scratched his face, and it was heartbreaking. I have cut them three times in the past three weeks, and they will probably need it again soon. His fingers are long, and the mittens we brought would not stay on, the gowns with covered fingers worked the best.
First bath - I don't think he was a fan of bath time. :)
He did love his hair being washed. It is still very calming to him. His daddy is the best baby-bather ever. And oh, my word… his big brothers are a little too involved with the bath. It's kind of funny, but crazy in the moment.
Calm, once again, thanks to the warming lights.
First bottle… The exhaustion was beginning to set in, but my legs were finally awake! :)
My mom, sister, and Luke brought the boys to visit. They were very excited about a gift that was delivered just for them from special friends.
Uncle Luke has a new nephew. :)
Cuddling with Daddy...
Welcome Home, Baby Barnes!
All three boys have entered their new home through the front door.
Are the boys dressed for a special homecoming or what?! Ha! It's so funny to me, and is so "them".
The next few show their interest. They adore him. Too many hugs and kisses to count, and the first thing they ask when they awake is, "Where is Baby Barnes?". Every.single.morning. I honestly thought the new would wear off, but so far, he has their full attention, and they love him.
Curious about the diaper change. He was screaming, and Emmitt was very "nervous".
=Proud Big Brothers=
His homecoming outfit. It's beautiful. Trust me. Crazy enough, we went home the next day after he was born. It still blows my mind, and kind of freaks me out, when I think about bringing a baby, {a human being}, into the world and going home twenty-six hours later. Crazy. The nurses were overly helpful as we packed up, and we didn't get any pictures before leaving the hospital. We appreciated their help, but I wish I would've asked them to slow down rather than worrying about offending them. But just like the not-so-perfectly cleaned house, life goes on.
And I think that's all. Since we've been home it's been a tad busy, or maybe really busy… but fulfilling as we've watched our three boys. :) I must say that it has been easier to add number three than it was to add number two. I don't know why, but it has. Russ and I are so thankful for our three blessings, and our hearts are so full of love.
Thank you, Lord, for this sweet bundle, as well as our other two boys. They are gifts, and we recognize you as their maker. Thank you for your faithfulness and love.
