Happy 1 week birthday!!!!

Today I am one week old and doing fabulous!!! So I decided to sing to myself this morning during mommy time!

NICU Day 6

Today I did a great job eating for my momma this morning ;) at my 5:30 pm feeding I was a little tired but ate my whole bottle for dad. My nurse Brandi took great care of me. I am still having a hard time regulating my body temperature but I will get there! 

Love Braxton, Whitney, and Garrett

NICU Journey

Since Braxton was 34 weeks when I delivered he went straight from being born to the Neonatal Unit for monitoring and testing. Garrett went immediately with him while he was weighed and measured and then he had to come back while they did some other things.

Our families knew he would go straight there and they wouldn't have a window to see him so I think they were lined up down the hall to see him wheeled out. Here is just one picture I found and there will be more to follow.

 

Since Braxton got here he has made great progress every day and we are so blessed. The following is a daily update and then I will try to remember to update you daily or every couple of days with his progress. I love being able to look back even now and see how well he has done!!

 

 

Day 1 (Monday): I took my first bath, they turned off oxygen and eventually took the oxygen off my nose for good.

 

 I was ticked the whole bath!!

 

 

Day 2: My Bili-Ruben numbers were a little high so they put me under the blue light for 24 hours. I took my first bottle and did great. They decided to do every other feeding with a bottle.

 

I just adore this picture!!

 all the cool kids wear shades

First bottle!!

 

Day 3: Momma and Daddy both got to give Braxton bottles today. K-K came to visit and because

I tinkled in my bed she got to hold me for a few minutes.

 

 

 

 

Day 4: I got to start breast feeding today and I did so good!! Since I was getting out at every feeding to breast feed then I am getting to wear clothes now. Preemie clothes are a little tight but newborns are still a little baggy. At the evening feeding, they took out my feeding tube and IV.

 

 My first outfit

 Holding daddy's hand

Love this!!!

 

Day 5: I breast fed all day except for my bottle that dad gave me so I could have some daddy time. I tend to tinkle out my diaper and all over my clothes and bed so I got to wear several different outfits :) I was a little worn out from the day so I didn't eat very good at night so they put my feeding tube back in to help me a little. It was Daddy's day off so he got to spend the whole day with me and mom! We loved it.

 

 These boys melt momma's heart!!

 

I will keep you updated at the NICU Journey continues

Love,

Whitney, Garrett and Braxton

 



Introducing Braxton Gene Gilliam

Name: Braxton Gene Gilliam

Name Significance: Gene is Garrett's middle name and Garrett's dad Teddy's middle name

Born Sunday May 19, 2013 at 5:18p.m.

5 lbs 7 oz and 18 inches long

Baptist St. Anthony's hospital in Amarillo

Doctor that delivered: Dr. Arturo Carillo

Nurse: Denise

 

I pushed 9 times during 3 contractions and Braxton came out squealing!!

 

(The special nurse in the NICU took our camera and got some great pictures of those first special moments for us)

Baby G: 34 Week Surprise

So last Friday, May 17th, started out like any other Friday. I headed to work for a few hours, went home to get packed to head to Quanah and wait for Garrett to get off work. We left Canyon about 4 and headed to Quanah for the weekend to preg-check cows and hang out with the Gilliams before Baby G came...or so we thought!! We got to Quanah about 6:30 and stopped by to see Nanny and Uncle Roddy. While visiting I started to get really uncomfortable and have what a thought were Braxton Hicks quiet regularly...I didn't think anything of it though because I figured it was just the car ride and the heat from the day. By the time we left about 7 I knew something wasn't right...I has started to bleed some and have more contractions. So I called the on call Dr. in Amarillo and unfortunately he wasn't much help and we were at a loss for what to do. Nothing like getting 2 1/2 hrs from your doctor at 34 weeks and start having things not go right in my pretty flawless pregnancy to that point. So we went out to Garrett's parents for a few minutes and by that point I knew in my heart we needed to head back to Amarillo...although I felt horrible because I knew they had so much they needed to get done in Quanah and what if I got back and it was nothing. About 8:45pm we decided to make the drive back to Amarillo. I got the cell phone of the nurse at my Dr. office (what a God send) and we talked about symptons and was glad I was headed back their way. She then called my Dr. to fill him in and assured me that the hospital would update him and that he was in town if they needed him. What a relief...because my Dr. is amazing!!!

 

The 2 1/2 hour trip back seemed to take forever...big thanks to my husband who had been up since 3:30 that morning!! My contractions on the way home proved to be a pretty consistent 15 minutes apart until about Claude then they started being 10 minutes apart. We got to the hospital about 11:30 pm with my mom waiting on us there. Garrett didn't even want me to stop and tie my shoe on the way in he was so ready for me to be inside lol!

 

 

I was met in Labor and Delivery with a sweet nurse named Alicia and by the time she checked me I was dilated to a 3 cm! In my mind I am thinking holy crap....I have had the best pregnancy, free of anything unusual and now at 33 weeks and 5 days I am dilated to a 3! After talking with Dr. Carillo they got me admitted and started me on Magnesium to try and stop the labor. They also gave me my first steroid shot to help Baby G's lungs.

 

All through the night, I had pretty good contractions getting down to 2-3 minutes apart. Lets just say it was a very long night even for my two side-kicks (Garrett and Mom) who tried to get a little sleep on the cot and rocking chair. At this point, as fast at the contractions were coming and as painful as they had gotten I was thinking there is no way they are going to stop him from coming but our goal was to as least get to the second steroid shot and that had to be given 24 hours after the first one.

 

At noon on Saturday, Dr. Carillo came in and checked me again. I was still at a 3 but my contractions had slowed down at all. So he upped my dosage on magnesium. Up until this point, the magnesium hadn't really affected me too bad but I had heard it was not fun to be on....once they upped the dosage I really felt it. My body became super relaxed and lethargic feeling and most of the time I couldn't even keep both eyes open. I am so thankful that it finally slowed down labor and I would do anything to make it to that next shot for Baby G but I hope I don't every have to experience feeling that way again. By this point, we had a waiting room full of amazing and supportive family with lots and lots of prayers going up from so many loved ones....we are so blessed!!

 

While I was out of it that afternoon, my two amazing sisters, my cousin Britt and my Aunt Shelley headed to Canyon to finish organizing my nursery and cleaned our whole house!! Thanks is not even sufficient for what they did!!

 

Garrett and I were able to get a little rest Saturday afternoon and throughout Saturday night. Denise took care of me Saturday morning and Jessica took care of me Saturday evening. Although, I had many great nurses Denise was our favorite and God sent her back to us on Sunday morning because he knew we would need her that day! Denise saw how much the Magnesium had affected me and requested that is be turned back down. When Dr. Carillo came in at noon and checked me and I had progressed to a 5. (side note: since Friday night I had been 100% effaced) At this point, I had had my second steriod shot and so they decided to take me completely off magnesium and let my body have this baby because apparently nothing was going to stop Baby G from making his debut. About 2pm they started a little pitocin and my body went to work. By 3:30 my epidural was in and I was dilated to a 6. By this point, our nurse has predicted that Baby G would be here by 5:15 pm that night....:) The charge nurse checked me again at 4:41 after my water broke and I was at a 9-9.5 and so Dr. Carillo was called back in. About 5 o'clock he strolls back in with his coffee calm as a cucumber...lol! He checked me again and I was at a 10 and Baby G was right there ready to go.  By this point I am slightly a nervous wreck but Garrett and Denise rocked and helped keep me calm.

 

Right before Carillo got there for delivery

 

 

About 5:10 the rooms fills with Dr. Carillo, Denise, Angela (charge nurse), the nurse for Dr. Carillo and 4 amazing people from NICU to take care of Baby G....3 contractions, 9 pushes and lots of encouragement later Braxton Gene Gilliam came into this world at 5:18 pm squealing his lungs out...what a blessed sound.....

 First family picture!!

 

 

More details and pictures soon.....

Love,
Whitney

(sorry if you didn't want to know all the details....this is also to help me remember later)



Baby G: 33 Week Picture

Since I failed to get you a 32 week picture, I promised you a 33 week picture and here it is :) 

Baby G: 32 Weeks

Ok so I had a blog fail..I didn't get a picture for 32 weeks so you might end up getting one for 33 instead eventually but wanted to go ahead and get this posted.

How far along? 32 Weeks

Size of Baby G? About the size of a squash...approximately 3 lbs and 16 inches.

Total weight gain/loss? +16

Maternity clothes? Yes!! I have moments that even my maternity jeans don't feel great because he is super low.

Sleep? Sleep has actually been pretty good lately.  

Movement? Lots of movement...He is head down so he usually is trying to stick a knee or foot out my side or belly button

Food cravings/aversions? Nope not really. Just enjoy food :)

Gender? BOY!!!!

What others are saying: They can't believe I only have 8 weeks left and also they comment a lot on how hot it is about to get....thanks guys...it is summer and I do realize that :)

What I miss: Not much!! Loving being pregnant. I have been so blessed with such a wonderful pregnancy.

Wedding rings on or off? on

What I am looking forward to: Having the nursery finished and organized :) Still have a few things to do.

We went to birthing class on Saturday and it was so good. We had a great instructor and I felt like we learned a lot. Makes me more excited for him to be here.


Feeling great and loving being pregnant! Everyone have a great week!
Love,
Whitney and Baby Boy G