Wow...I haven't blogged in 10 days!  Sorry :(

Being a mother is a FULL TIME job in itself.  Fixing bottles, feeding her, washing bottles, changing diapers, tummy time, rocking time, giving her all the love in the world takes up your day.  I was just telling a good friend of mine who is also a mommy that the hours in the day go by SO fast now.  Everytime I look at the clock, it's another hour passed.  Crazy!

Brayleigh is now 3 weeks old and she has changed SO much in 3 weeks.  At her 2 week check up, she weighed 8lbs 7oz so she gained a pound!  Yay!  Everything else looked great with her too, so I was def. pleased.  We've found out that she absolutely HATES sleeping on her back and will not tolerate it one bit.  She loves her swing, bumzee pillow, and mommy/daddy's chest!  She loves sleeping on her tummy even though she's not suppose to. 

Next week, we have to find a daycare/babysitter and Im so upset about it.  I wish I had the luxury of staying home and being with her every waking moment.  Leaving her is going to be so tough, I just hope and pray I can handle it.

Will post more later!

Tummy time!  She's picking her head up great and almost rolling over too! :)

Today's been a good day because Mommy got some rest last night.  When Mommy get's sleep, everyone has a good day.  I didn't really understand the concept of "no sleep" with a newborn, but now I do.  Being a mom is the HARDEST job I've ever had to take on, but it's so rewarding.  When my little girl looks at me straight in my eyes and makes the cutest faces at me, my heart melts to peices. 

Today Aunt Brittany and sweet Paisley came over to visit!  Always love seeing my sweet Paisley girl.  She's growing up so quick and getting SO big.  Brittany took pictures of Brayleigh while she was here.  They turned out so cute!  Photography is one of Brittany's many talents and she does such a great job.  I'm so blessed to have friends who take pictures :) 

This basket is actually an Easter basket my mom gave me so I am passing it on to my baby girl!  I can't wait until she's older and can go on Easter egg hunts with her cousins and friends :)  The picture with the police hat is for her Daddy.  She is already a Daddy's girl and looks identical to him!  He is a police officer for the City of Kinston so ofcourse I had to correlate the hat with her newborn pictures!

Adjusting to my new life

Life as I knew, has CHANGED.

It's no longer about me or Brandon, it's ALL about Brayleigh Layne.  Which Im okay with, because she's my everything.  My friends who are moms already use to tell me that you'll never love something as much as you love your child and I completely agree.  It's been 10 days since she's been born and it feels like a lifetime already.  The days fly by so fast now.  Between feedings, diaper changes, baths, cleaning bottles, pumping, and everyday house chores...there is NO time for anything else.  I couldn't imagine having another child and having a newborn.  To you moms out there that do, I look up to ya! 

Here's some updated pictures of our Princess :)

The birth of my baby girl!

My last blog to everyone was Thursday a week ago and I was updating you from my doctor appointment and explaining how miserable I was and ready to have this baby.  Well........SHE'S FINALLY HERE!

About 1am on Friday morning, I woke up in pain in my lower abdomen like I was about to start my period.  I had been feeling this pain for a while so I didn't expect it to be anything other than gas or Braxton Hicks contractions.  I got up and drank some water and walk around and I noticed that the pain started coming and going and I could actually time the contractions out.  At 1:15 they were getting a little stronger so I waited to call the Dr.  I finally called at 1:30 with contractions coming 6 minutes apart.  They weren't extremely painful but I knew that this was it.  I woke Brandon up and told him to get ready, I called my mama and his parents and we all headed to the hospital.  I remember telling Brandon to speed up because they started coming every 4 minutes crossing the King St. bridge and we still had a long ways to drive.  He drove about 85mph down Hwy 11 and had to stop for gas too, but we finally made it to the hospital.  I checked in, and went straight to a room and when I was hooked up to the monitors, they were indeed real contractions and I was 4cm dilated and completely effaced.  4cm dilated is a long ways away from 10cm so in my mind I knew this would take a while.  I breathed through contractions for the next 4 hours and about 7:00, Dr Taft walks in and checks me.  I was 5 cm dilated and he then broke my water.  He explained to me about the medications I could get and told me to think hard because these contractions would get more intense the further we got into labor.  I kept saying I didn't want the epidural, because I didnt like to feel numb and my anxiety would take over.  The nurse and my mom were trying to talk me into it because they knew how intense things were about to become.  Around 8:00, I kept feeling like I had to push because there was so much pressure down there and I told the nurse that.  She said "no, don't push, it's probably just a little pressure."  I kept trying to tell her "NO, I have to push, somethings down there."  At this time, she had just given me a dose of Nubane and Phenagrin (sp?) and I was OUT OF IT.  My mom said I wasn't too loopy but I don't even remember the last part of labor and delivery.  The nurse finally checked me and she was like amazed, I was 8cm at 8:30.  I dilated 3 cm in one hour.  She called the midwife in and they said it wouldn't be long from them.  I was so doped up, Brandon said they had to delay me pushing an hour because of the medicine.  Finally, it was time to push and that sweet baby came out in 30 mins of me pushing.  I remember one thing about delivery, the midwife looked at me when her shoulders came out and asked me if I wanted to pull her out.  I was a little confused but I remembered an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Kourtney Kardashian pulled her baby out during delivery.  I reached down there and grabbed her by her arms and pulled her out and put her on my chest.  It was amazing to say the least.  I always said I didn't want to touch the "after birth" but at that time, I didn't care at all.  She was out of me, breathing and kicking and squirming.  Life as I knew it, had then changed!  She's my life and I have never experience love this strong.  It's absolutely crazy to me how one little 7lb baby can steal your heart like she did mine.  I am so thankful for her and Im blessed to have a baby that's healthy as well. 

Brayleigh Layne Turner

7lbs 15oz 19inches

March 25, 2011