Welcome Home

This is what the kids and Grandma did for us when we got home. It was a fun surprise and the kids were so excited for me to see it!

Going Home

His reaction after I said, "Braxton, are you ready to go home?" He knows what's in store for him at home.

He soon calmed down once he got snuggled in his blanket.

His going home outfit.

We left Sunday about 12:30. It took time for the pediatrician to come in and do his circumcision. My mom came to the house so Jarel didn't have to bring all the kids to the hospital to wait around. It was very nice. Finally able to bring him home. It was a sunny day, kind of cool but a nice day. We got home, put on a movie and relaxed for a couple of hours!

Siblings

Grandma Boyack, Tyler, Braxton and Kali

Kids watching the nurse take Braxton's temperature

Makena with Braxton

Grandpa Boyack, Braxton and Tyler

Tyler and Braxton. Tyler loved holding him and kept saying "he likes me."

Hailey, Tyler and Braxton

Dad and Braxton

Kali and Braxton

The kids were so excited to come to the hospital and see Braxton. They were with Grandpa Boyack when we called to tell them that Braxton was born. The kids came up after I had moved rooms and they had eaten dinner. They all got to hold him and see the nurse when she was doing her assessment of Braxton. They thought it was pretty cool to watch the nurse take his temperature.

It was a nice evening!!

So fun to see all my kids here and together.

Side note: my epidural was so good, I couldn't walk or use the bathroom until midnight.

Braxton's First Bath

Here are pictures of Braxton's first bath in the hospital. They do the baths in the nursery so I wasn't able to see it, but Jarel was able to go down and help bathe him. Braxton was under the warmer for awhile to warm up and also while the nurses were doing their shift reports. About 6:30, Jarel went to the nursery and helped give him his bath. After Braxton got warmed up after the bath, they dressed him, wrapped him up and brought him back to the room. At this point Grandpa Boyack brought up the kids to see their new brother!

Introducing...

 Braxton Jarel Hathaway

April 27, 2012

3:43 PM

8 lbs. 1.7 oz.

20 1/2 inches
2 weeks early

Here is my birth story with Braxton.

With his pregnancy (as long with every other pregnancy) my doctor monitors my platelet count throughout the 9 months. My platelet count drops when I get pregnant, which always makes me nervous.

At about 24 weeks, the doctor drew my blood and my count was already down to 103. Once my platelet count gets below 100 my chances of an epidural are out the window. My platelet count hadn't been that low so fast in my pregnancy since I was pregnant with Makena (and my platelets with her got to 46). So I was nervous to say the least and just was planning on a "natural" delivery. My doctor kept drawing my blood every month then every week. It varied from 103 to 100 then up to 104 and it just kept rising from there. Prayers were truly answered. On Wednesday the 25th, I went to my regularly scheduled appointment and we talked about when to induce. I was hoping he was going to say the 27th (and yes I am weird but I wanted Braxton to be born in a different month...all of our birthdays are in a different month...and also I thought it would be cool to have him on the 27th because my kids birth dates would then be 9, 10, 11 and 27, 28) but I did not push the doctor at all to induce Friday. As we talked I told him I didn't want my platelets to drop but I would do whatever he felt best. He looked at me and said, lets induce you Friday!!! As in 2 days from when I talked with him. I was so excited, and nervous all at once. It was already here. 

Thursday night was bittersweet for me. As this is our last, I was a little sad to think this was the last time to get excited about going to the hospital to have a baby. But I was ready to meet this little one and see what he looked like.

Friday morning, we dropped the kids off at my dear friend, Kristy's house. It was early and she was so sweet to watch them until my Dad could get off work and come get them. (A huge thanks to my parents as well for watching the kids).

Jarel and I got to the hospital and got checked in. I didn't get started until about 8:00 because they couldn't get an IV started in me. The anesthesiologist had to come in and start my IV. I was at Jordan Valley hospital and it was fun going back to see some friends that I worked with years ago.

I had an awesome labor nurse. She was so sweet and just very pleasant to talk with. She took care of me and my needs.

Labor was slow to start out...I started at 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. It took a couple of hours to get going, but once I started to dilate it went pretty quick, until the end. 

At around 11:30 I was 3cm so not much of a change (I was also able to get an epidural at this time), but come 1:00 I was a 6. My nurse Jen called Dr. Smith to let him know, and he said okay I am going in for surgery and to keep him updated. Of course then I took off. I was a 7, then an 8 then a 9cm. My nurse was getting worried I would deliver him, so at 1:30she turned off my pitocen so I wouldn't deliver while he was in surgery. Dr. Smith got out of surgery at about 2:00 and up to my room. We thought we were ready for delivery. He got gowned up and was ready to deliver Braxton. I was ready to have him out. But when he checked me, I was still a 9 and had some cervix left. So we turned the pitocen back on and waited and waited and waited. My body just stalled there and didn't want to make progress. I was getting frustrated, but oh well, nothing I really could do. So come 3:30 I felt pressure and was telling Jen I think he is right there. She checked me and I was complete but with still a little cervix. She went and got the doctor and he said I would be able to push through the rest of the cervix. He got gowned up and with the next contraction I pushed. I pushed through 3 contractions and out he came!!! 

The put him on my belly and he cried right away. Jarel was able to cut the cord. The nurse took him pretty quick over to the warmer to look at him. He was still crying and then I heard the nurse suction him out. She suctioned and suctioned him. As a nurse, and knowing what they were doing, I was getting pretty nervous. Usually we just suction once and the baby is good. But when you have to suction 3 times, I knew he swallowed quite a bit. The nursery nurse asked, "did she have a bleeding problem?" Which Dr. Smith replied, "yes, she had a partial abruption." (part of my placenta was pulling away before Braxton was out) I was surprised and I was sure glad he told me after the fact I delivered. I would hate to have know I was bleeding while he was still in me. The nurse ended up suctioning 20cc of blood and another 7cc of blood that night. Almost an ounce of blood that Braxton swallowed. It was a rough start for him, he was so spitty and gaggy from all that blood in his belly. But we did finally get it all out and he did much better. I'm grateful Dr. Smith induced me when he did. I don't know if my placenta would have pulled away if I wasn't induced, but I was so glad I was in the hospital and he was almost out when I was bleeding.

So there you have it, the delivery of Braxton!!! I'm so thankful he is here and healthy and with our family. He is a sweet baby, that I want to keep kissing and cuddling with him. We are truly blessed to have our family grow again.