Baby Ben, Day One

I still can't believe we had a baby yesterday. Everyone here seems amazed because vaginal breech deliveries are rare. I am glad i didn't know that at the time or i just might have been freaked out. :) Mom, Dad and Wes left in the afternoon and Eric had dinner with the kids and his parents. Kim kept me company at the hospital. The baby slept. After dinner Eric took the kids back to Clanton and Eric's parents and Kim headed home. The baby slept. Eric got back about 9 and we got ready for bed. About 12 we woke the baby and fed him. He eats well when he wants to. He ate again about 2:30 and then not again until 8 this morning. Lets hope he continues to love his sleep. Here are some pictures from Baby Ben's first day.

Benjamin James Fraser Brackin

I would like to introduce the final member of our family, Baby Ben. Stats : 7 pounds 4 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. He was born butt first at 1:53 p.m. today, February 24, 2009. It wasn't until he was headed out that the nurse realized it was is hiney making the grand entrance. They prepped a room for a c-section just in case but opted to let me push. God had his hand on us and we delivered with no compilications (other than the whole breech thing). We are all very excited to have him here. Mom, Dad, Wes, Mr. Mark, and Mrs. Connie were all here in time to see him. Kim got here a little later so it has been a wonderfully exciting day. I feel very blessed to have this special baby. I know i blogged through most of my labor but i didn't have anything else to do while i was waiting. :) More updates and pictures are coming.

Our first family picture

Induction

I apologize for the lack of pictures on this blog but I am in a hospital bed and blogging from my phone. I know, this is a true sign of my blogging addiction. We had an appointment this morning at 9 and we had moved from 2 and a half cm to 4 cm so we just headed over to the Women's center to get it started. They have gotten everything set up. Wes took the kids to lunch and I think everyone is in route. I am getting an epidural to help slow the actual birthing process. Seems strange since I am not in any pain or discomfort. The doctor will be up soon to break my water. If history is any indication it won't be long after that and we will be welcoming baby #4. I will post again soon.

Update: 1:15 p.m. Epidural is in and i am contracting on a really good pattern. They were about 2 minutes apart. Feeling alright. I can feel the contractions across the top of my belly but as you can see it isn't slowing me down.....yet. Dr. broke my water so we should have a baby before long.

Update: 2:37 p.m. Baby boy arrived at 1:53 today. He was breech but delivered fine. God is good and i didn't have to be rushed for a c-section. I am greatful for my big hips now. No pain and i feel great. Eric's parents made it so everyone was here. Will post pics and details in a bit. I must eat! :)

-- Post From My iPhone

Where in the world is....Eric Brackin!

Eric left for Charlotte this past Sunday. He arrived that evening and spent the night in Statesville. He used Monday to look for houses. It is a small place and a lot for rent is out on the lake, massive, and very expensive. After many houses he was able to find one that will work for us while we are there. It looks like a lovely house. It has never been lived in so that was a plus. Monday night he drove to Raleigh. He had to prepare for the packers and handle a few things at the hospital. He woke up early Tuesday only to find he had a flat tire on the rental car. Once he got that changed he realized he was out of gas. To bad the pump didn't have that stop sensor on it because he sprayed himself with gas. Off to the hospital, finally. Needless to say things at the hospital didn't go as smoothly as he would have liked. The movers started at about 8:30 Wednesday morning and Eric headed back to the hospital. So much to do before his flight left Raleigh at 3:45. I finally get a call at 3 saying he was leaving the house but wasn't going to make it to the airport. Apparently, he had to drive 50 because he was still rollin' on the spare. I tell him to go on to the airport and get set up for the next flight but he opts to turn around and head back to the house. He calls Delta and the lady tells him to go up there when he could and there were plenty of seats on the 6:30 flight. Eric gets up to the airport a little before 6 and has to turn in the crippled rental car. He is met by a guy who feels the need to point out he is riding on a doughnut (like Eric didn't know). Per procedure, Eric has to go in and fill out an accident report. Finally up to the Delta desk. "I am sorry sir, this flight is booked and there are no more leaving tonight." Say what?? Eric then learns of all the fees he is going to incur due to his tardiness and is told to take his computer down stairs and see if another airline has a flight out. He calls me... go figure. I assure him that Delta has one more flight out at 7. He goes back. While waiting for the guy to look everything up he learns that his flight at 3:45 had been delayed and he had plenty of time he just went home. Even better, the lady at Delta had put him on the 6:30 flight even though she said she couldn't. WHAT? He missed two flights in one day, finally, success (he was even lucky enough to get out of all the fees). He is on the 7 o'clock flight to LGA and then to BHM. Yes, that is LaGuardia Airport in New York City. With all the weather delays i was worried he would get stuck in NYC. It didn't help that the 7 O'clock flight was delayed an hour. REALLY?? I follow the delta flight tracker closely to see if he is going to make it. His flight lands at 9:38 and his flight to BHM takes off at 9:45. HA! This is not looking good. Wait, now his flight in isn't landing until 9:50. Still no delay on the take off. His plane lands and as he is de-boarding he hears this announcement "will the passenger traveling to Birmingham, Alabama please meet us at the bottom of the stairs." Eric sees a few attendants at the bottom of the stairs. "Mr. Brackin?" "Yes," Eric replies. "They are holding the plane for you. Follow us this way, please." At this point i can see Eric walking a little taller and smiling. He said he felt like the president. I am sure that feeling went away when he took his seat in coach. :) 12:00 a.m. his plane lands in Birmingham. He gets his truck and gets home at 1. He was back up and out to his conference this morning. What an adventure. I had always hoped we would take his first trip to New York together. I guess it will be a second trip for us both. :)

37 Weeks

The countdown continues. Mom, Wes, the kids and I all headed to Alabaster to my doctor's appointment this morning. It was scheduled for tomorrow but since Mom and Wes were there to help i switched days. Belly is still growing and baby's heart sounded good. I am "a good 2 and a half cm dialated". He wants me to come back next week (Tuesday at 9) and he thinks we will discuss an induction for next week. Hopefully everything will hold off until then. We grabbed some lunch and then headed to Target for some shopping. Ella picked out girl onesies and a fun blanket and Jack picked out boy onesies and a fun blanket to put in the hospital suitcase. I should probably get that packed. :) Note: Yes, we did have an ultrasound and she did think that it was a boy. HOWEVER, ultrasounds are not 100% (thank goodness or i would be a boy). I understand that they are pretty accurate but they were wrong before so i am leaving it in God's hands and we will be prepared. Eric flew out yesterday to Charlotte. He is looking for houses today and then over for Raleigh tonight. They are packing the house tomorrow and moving Wednesday. Eric should fly into Birmingham around 6:30 Wednesday night. He has a work conference in Birmingham on Thursday and Friday. He will be exhausted for sure. I hope he will get some rest over the weekend because next week might be a busy week. :)

Happy Valentine's Day

The front of my card from Eric. :)

Valentine's day has lost it's luster for Eric and me. I guess i should say that it is overshadowed by the celebration of Ella's birthday. I like to think that everyday is a day i can do something special for Eric and it doesn't have to be this day, every year, with a red card covered with hearts and mushy text. But, in honor of this day i will share a few things i love about Eric. These are not the generic he is so sweet, he takes care of me, blah, blah, blah, things that get written in cards. I assume everyone knows that Eric has wonderful qualities that i love. These are only a few of his quirks that i notice that make him special to me. I love his hands. He has some of the longest fingers and toes i have ever seen. I love the way he holds them out straight when he is cooking. Don't know why he does it but some of my favorite images, in my head, of him are standing in front of a grill or stove, stirring or flipping food with one hand out. He can cross his toes. It totally grosses me out that he can move the second toe and put it on top of his big toe but it is something he does daily. It might be hard to believe but he keeps me laughing. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not and occasionally he is inappropriate but he can always make me smile. He sticks his tongue out when he laughs at something really funny. Not a lot, it just peaks out a little. That is how i know he really thought it was funny. He likes to smell things. Don't know why but he likes to smell everything. Good and bad. Finally, he often sneaks a peak at himself when he thinks no one is watching. Sometimes i let it slide, sometimes i call him on it but i always smile when he does it. I am usually looking at him too. :) Those are all i will share. The rest i will keep to myself like a good secret. Even though i am grossed out by some of these they make me love him more. On a final note, Eric and i had to refinance my car in order to put my name on the title. Sounds like a hassle. We sat there for hours waiting on paperwork. However, in that time and random talk with the loan officer we were able to recount the last 8 years we have been together. It was so nice to hear Eric talk and to be able to share with her how lucky i felt to be married to him and to have his children. As we left she told us how she admired us for being so young with such responsibilities and to move like we do. It was then that Eric and i credited each other for things working out at our house. The truth is we make a really good team. Our lives have been blessed by God and we live to take care of each other and our family. It was nice to share all of that with this lady and i wanted to share all of this with you. I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day and now i am headed to hang out with my husband. 

Happy Birthday Ella

Last night i kissed my 4 year old baby girl good night and woke up to find my baby girl is now 5. It will never matter how old she is she will always be my first baby. She is so special in so many ways. I feel so lucky that God gave her to me. I only had a brief moment to think about all that we have done in the last 5 years and how she had grown before we were off to open presents and celebrate. She started with her favorite breakfast that she requested Grandpa cook. He was more than happy to prepare her pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. She was in heaven. Grandma and Grandpa headed off to Mississippi. For peace and quiet i am sure. :) It wasn't long before Uncle Wes and Aunt Kim arrived. After playing with her streamer and dress up clothes we were off to the birthday lunch at McDonalds. The girls split and headed to the nail salon for a little time without the boys. Kim, Ella and I all got manicures and Ella and I even indulged in a pedicure. She was excited about picking out her polish. I, however, wasn't keen on the HOT pink on the nails but she loves it. She put purple on her toes. :) I went a little more conservative, okay, a lot more. We came home to find her Hello Kitty cake waiting. We all enjoyed a piece of cake, played with Ella's new Barbie scooter, and then formed our own rock band. Eric rocked the guitar and Wes, Ella and Jack all took turns on the drums. Kim and Wes did the singing. It was so fun to watch. Kim and Wes headed home and the kids settled into bed to get some much needed rest. As i reflect on the day i think we didn't do that much but somehow i feel like i have been at Disney World all day. My first baby is growing up and i couldn't be prouder. Now i am headed to rest. 

We're moving!

I am sure you all knew that we were moving but now it is official. We are moving to.....drum roll please.......Statesville, NC. Where is that? It is about 45 minutes north of Charlotte. Only about a 2 hour drive from Raleigh. That makes me very happy. I can still sneak over for a girls night every now and then. :) We will be about 12 miles north of Mooresville and my dad thinks we may even run into a few NASCAR drivers since they all live in that area. I might just have to drive by Dale Jr's house to take a look. :) Eric is not as excited as me but it will all work out. He will be working with a guy named Paul. We worked with him in Naples and Eric thinks a lot of him. He taught Ella how to shoot the paper off of her straw and he also helped me convince Eric to buy a silky terrier. He has one himself. Eric always looks forward to working with different guys. He feels it gives him more experience and he can see how different people work. Hopefully this job will be easier than the last. We are still looking at houses. Eric is leaving on Monday to go back to Raleigh. They are packing and moving on Tuesday and Wednesday. Storage for a few weeks and then to our new house. We are thinking the baby will be here in the next week and a half or so. We find this all very exciting.

36 weeks

The countdown has begun. Contractions have started and they are a mix of Braxton-Hicks and the real deal. I don't notice most of them. They are starting to wrap around my belly so it is a sign we are moving in the right direction. Monday's doctors appointment confirmed that. I am 2cm dilated and will go back for another check on Tuesday morning at 9. The baby's heartbeat sounded strong and belly size was right on track. Eric was able to go and meet Dr. Head and was also very pleased with him. Dr. Head has talked about an induction if i continue to dilate in order to avoid the 40 minute drive if i go into labor. I think we are both afraid I would have the baby on the interstate. :) I will post another baby update next week. 

Our Weekend

Eric got in Wednesday night and we were off to Dothan for Eric's "yearly" visit. That is about how frequently he gets to visit anywhere these days. He attempted to get his license and the tags for our trucks. He was only successful in getting the tag for his truck. Eric's parents kept the kids so Eric an i got to enjoy time together. Quiet time. :) Eric and i were able to enjoy a nice dinner together Friday night while the kids partied it up with Nana and Papa. Saturday, the kids played at the park and then we had dinner at Eric's grandmother's. We got to visit with most of his family that evening. It was a wonderful meal and the kids had blast. Sunday, we attended the church that Eric grew up in and had lunch then back home to pack up. It was a busy weekend but i have to say Eric's parents watched the kids most of the time so i got lots of rest and time with Eric. A trip to the beach would have been really good since the weather was beautiful but I had to be in Alabaster for a doctor appointment Monday morning.  Just my luck. Overall, we got to see everyone and Eric and i got lots of rest so it was a very enjoyable weekend.

Happy Birthday Eric

Today Eric turns 29. I love that i can tease him about being almost 30. I look forward to next year. He started the day in Raleigh fixing locks and then ran some errands before heading to Alabama. One of his best birthday gifts is knowing that this baby will definitely be our last. :) He brought all the baby stuff since i forgot to pack any and left about 12 central time. The kids and i got him a cake and decorated for his arrival. He got in at 8:30ish and ate his steak dinner. The kids were not to happy he chose to eat his real food. It only delayed them from being able to dig into the cake. Jack is talking Eric's ear off at the table as he eats. It is late but i am so glad that Eric is finally here. We are leaving in the morning to go to Dothan and then i have a doctors appointment on Monday morning. I will post everything as soon as i get a chance.

35 Weeks

I had my 35 week doctor appointment today. I was able to get into a highly recommended doctors office and he delivers at the hospital closest to Mom and Dad's. If everything works out we will be delivering at Shelby Baptist in Alabaster. This is the same hospital that told me there was no baby back in July so it is only fitting that i have the miracle baby there. :) I am also afraid i wouldn't make it to any other hospital. The kids and i had to drive to Calera but it wasn't bad. Mom's morning tours were cancelled because of the rain so she was able to come. Dr. Head was wonderful. I am very pleased that he will be there. Everything was good so i will go back to Alabaster next Monday morning for my next check-up. We should have a better idea about progress then. He used the term "rapid labor" when speaking so i am a little nervous about Eric or i  getting too far away. Eric is supposed to be here late tonight. The kids look forward to seeing him. I will keep you posted.

Correction: Eric will not be leaving Raleigh until Wednesday.

New haircuts for the circus

Okay, so the haircuts weren't really for the circus. It was time for a real haircut for all the kids and myself. Mom had an appointment on Friday so she call to see if we could get squeezed in. At the moment she said we had a block of appointments from 3:15 until 4:15 i realized haircuts would be something i would continue to do at home. Regardless of how jacked up they look. An hours worth of appointments just to get our haircut....still amazes me. Anyway, the kids loved it. This was John's first official haircut. He did really well. The clippers tickled him. It was too cute. Now that we all have fresh haircuts where can we show them off? No better place than the circus. Saturday morning we were off. Everyone was super excited. Wes, Cile and Emma Kate met us there. We had to sit in the upper deck but once we got up there the kids settled in for the show. Ella says her favorite part was the magic tricks and Jack's favorite part was the elephants. I feel pretty lucky that we got out of there with no souvenirs. The kids had a bag of cotton candy and two lollipops courtesy of Uncle Wes. The prices were outrageous so i was glad the kids never asked for anything. We picked up Uncle Wes's clothes and he came home with us for the night. He also brought his Wii Rock Band set up. The kids put on their own show that night. All in all it was a wonderful day. Sunday morning we were off to church. The kids had a wonderful time in children's church. After naps we headed to the park for some well deserved play time. Ella and Jack loved the swings. I was slightly concerned that Grandpa was pushing them so high on their first solo swing with no straps. No one fell out. :) John is a climber so anything he could climb on was good with him.  The kids have settled in nicely. They are really enjoying the bunk beds. The last two nights Ella and Jack have slept up top and John sleeps on the bottom. We have all our clothes put away so it really feels settled for the kids. We are still unclear about the move. Eric is leaving our stuff in Raleigh for another few weeks and will go back after his vacation and get it moved. Hopefully he will find out something soon.  Here are some pics from the weekend.