Introducing...
Braxton Mitchell Beam
Born August 28, 2011
10:58 am
8 lb 3 oz
20 in
We are tired and adjusting... but we are pretty dang crazy about him.
Here are some highlights of his birth:
7 hours of total labor from 1st contraction to delivery
I was 6 cm dilated by the time we got to the hospital (1 hr after contractions started) and 10 cm within 2 hours.
{the view out our window right after my epidural}
Thank God for epidurals.
I would have paid a million dollars for that thing if that's what they cost. To go from the most horrible pain I've ever felt to feeling nothing... incredible. I have no idea how women do this thing all natural- more power to them!
He was born 2 weeks early
(good thing...b/c he could have easily been over 9 lbs)
The first night at the hospital, the nurse noticed that he has a cleft palette.
That kind of news is a little devastating at 4 am when you've just popped out a baby. We were pretty shook up at first but felt a lot better about it after talking to the doctor.
We have talked to the Cleft Team at Children's Hospital in Denver and have an appointment for them to check him out in a few weeks. His appears to just be the soft tissue at the back of his throat/roof of his mouth- the most minor of the clefts. Since there is a 'gap' back there, he cannot create a suction and therefore can't breastfeed successfully. I have just been pumping and we bottle feed him with a special nipple that helps 'push' the milk in his mouth. They will do surgery somewhere between 6 and 12 months old to close up the gap and then he should be good as new! Since they do the surgery early, he shouldn't have any issues with speech or feeding.
I think that covers the big points... here are some more pics of our little nugget!
My good friend, mentor, and favorite photographer, Jenna Walker, took some maternity photos at 36 weeks for us... here is a slideshow of those:
We also wanted her to come take pictures of the birth at the hospital. They blocked off 3 weeks around his due date where they were on call 24/7. When I told them I was already dilated at 37 weeks and he would probably come early- they blocked off another 2 weeks of coverage for me. There was only 1 day, SUNDAY August 28th, from midnight until 2 pm, where they could not be there. He was born at 10:58 am on THAT day. (Of course)
Since they couldn't be there... Jenna was gracious enough to come up to the hospital the next day to snap a few pics of Braxton for us. Here is the slideshow of those:
They are also coming this week for more newborn photos so I'll be posting those too when we get them!
2 comments:
he is perfect. congrats! & welcome to parenthood {officially!}
Kristin, you have been on my mind this weekend and I just knew you were having him. It has been so great looking at your blog all this time and seeing your family blossom. I love his name, he is perfect, and I am so happy for you. I absolutely LOVED your maternity photos and the pictures of you all at the hospital, I pretty much shed a couple tears. So proud of you, your family is absolutely perfect. Congrats Amigotcha.;)
Post a Comment