Many changes. . .

Well it's been a while since I've posted on this and of course there's been many changes. . .First, Scott is still a SAH-Dad. He's currently taking the courses to become a Real Estate Agent and is finishing that up within the next day or two. It's typically a 3 month class but because he opted to do it via corrospondence he's done it in about 3 weeks. He's very motivated!!! Once he's taken the class's final exam he then he has to take the state test to become licensed in the state of Texas. So keep your fingers crossed thathe passes with flying colors!! So far on all his course exams he's made at least a 95 or better!!!!!!!!! He's really excited about this new journey and is eager to get started.

I'm still working full-time in the NICU but will be, in a few weeks, working only Saturday and Sundays. I will be a "SAH-Mom" M-F so I'm excited about that as well as the fact that we will also be saving an astronomical amount in day care fees (almost $850/mo). So we'll see how that goes. . .

Austin of course has changed so much!! He'll be 5 months in a few days - I can't believe it. It has flown by!!
- On June 12th he rolled over (back to tummy) and now everytime you put him down on his back he flips to his belly. He even sleeps on his belly at night now. Lately he's been doing the "swimming" motion and we figure he'll be on all fours soon enough. . .

- Austin's also been trying to master the art of sitting up by himself. He's doing a pretty good job at it. He can sit up unsupported for about 5 min before he topples to the side :-)

- For about 1 month now, Austin's found his feet very intriguing! They are constantly in his hands or in his mouth where he'll suck on them! (Very limber!)

- He hasn't begun teething yet but he's always chompin' on his hands, his toys, mommy's arm, mommy's fingers, etc. . . and drooling a LOT!!

- - He's a talker!!! It's amazing to hear his voice and to watch his face light up while he's telling us stories. When he's not talking he's flashing his "kil-a-watt" smile at us that just melts our hearts!!!

- He's still a swing "addict" during the day for his naps but he's finally learning to sleep in his crib without waking up every 5 hrs. Usually he'll sleep for 6-7 hrs but every once in a while he'll go 8-9 hrs without waking! Sleeping baby = happy mommy!

- Austin is still strickly breastfed and I am very proud of that. Scott and I had to purchase a deep freezer for the garage because my milk was "runneth over" I have about 300+ oz in the freezer and am currently looking into the National Milk Bank to donate. In about 1 month we will begin the exciting step of baby food!!! Our pediatrician said we could begin baby cereal at his 4 month appointment. However, Scott and I opted not to do that since it has no nutritional value, it's just for educational reasons (ie: to learn "how" to eat with a spoon)

Earlier this month we all went to the Dallas Arboretum and had a great time looking at the gardens. It was SO hot!!! Austin loved looking around but he's just like his daddy --->he get hot easily! We've also taken Austin to the nearby neighborhood park recently and he thoroughly enjoyed himself on the swings!!

Austin's 3 Months Old!

Hi everyone!!I can't believe it's been 3 months, THREE WHOLE MONTHS, since Austin was born. It feels like a lifetime ago yet it feels like it was yesterday! So many emotions. . . He's getting to be SOOO big and we are enjoying every moment!!!!!He's doing great! He's CONSTANTLY cooing, babbling, or smiling like crazy (he's def. a ladies man just like his daddy). He's either smiling or has this look on his face like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders - super serious!


He's been an exclusively breastfed baby and I'm so proud of that for the both of us! He's eating about every 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hrs during the day and at night every 4-6 1/2 hrs. God has blessed his Mommy with the superpower of milk production and we have about a whole months worth of milk in the freezer already! It prides me every time I see it. I know that I have sustained a life for over 1 year now! :-) Now if we could just keep this up so he can be breastfeed till he's a year.

He's sleeping about 5-6 hrs at a time at night, then up to nurse then back down for 4-5 more hrs. It's nice but I'm eager to have him sleep a good solid 8 so I can catch up on my ZZZ's. He does sleep 8+ hours every once in a while and then throws him mommy for a loop once she gets used to it!! He's def. a morning person - smiling and telling us about the dreams he had of nernie (that's code for boobie) and where he's been while mommy and daddy were asleep. He's slept in his crib since day 1 although it's been in a papasan chair. We are trying every night to get him to lay flat - some nights he does great laying flat and staying asleep and other nights it's back in the papasan. So far so good!! As long as he's swaddled he's good to go!

Daddy does his nightly baths which they both L-O-V-E. It's precious seeing the look on Austin's face while he watches his Daddy bathe him XOXOX Mommy then gets things ready for night and for nernie time. He's never spent one day in daycare (yea!) and we have been blessed to have either Nonna or Grammie watch Austin while Mommy's working, but Daddy is doing all that now. He's a Stay-At-Home-Dad and they have been working on tummy time, trying to roll over, and all the other developmental tasks. They both are doing great!! He's able to hold his head up, grab things, follow objects/sounds and although daddy doesn't like it, Austin prefers "mommy" books (Romance Novels) instead of his children's books! This is a picture of Austin listening to his mommy read him one of her books --check out his expression!!!

Austin's 6 weeks old

Well I can’t believe it’s been six weeks since Austin arrived - the time has just FLOW by!! :-( Soon i’ll be returning to work and now have a new appreciatioon for SAHM’s. Kind of makes me want to be one . . . I never would have said that before :-)

Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone in one the news: My son is a porker. At birth he weighted 7 lbs 11 oz and at his 3 week pedi checkup he weighed 9 lbs 10 oz. Well today (SIX WEEKS) I weighed him while I was visiting at work, he weighs. . . ready. . . 11 lbs 9.7 oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, Daddy got to feed him his first bottle today! Both loved the experience (although mommy didn’t - missed that bond) But eventually I’ll learn to share I guess hehehe

Austin Ealy's Birth Story

Well as some of you may know Austin's Estimated Due date was February 23, 2008. He didn't want to come on that day or earlier despite contractions on and off since about 3-4 weeks prior to his "due date". Well my doctor said that if I didn't deliver Austin by Feb 28th (40+5) we would schedule an induction and on the 27th I would go to my final dr. appt for an assessment of how he was doing in utero (fluid level, his breathing status, etc. . .) via ultrasound. Well I went in to that appointment and I was dilated to a 1 (yeah! finally) and about 80% effaced (thinned) and he was pretty far down in the birth canal. Well when she went to do my ultrasound to check everything my Doctor noticed that my amniotic fluid was low - low enough to warrant going into L&D that day instead of the next, which was the day of our induction. Well I went into L&D on Feb 27th to begin the induction process. I rec'd pitocin (to begin and/or increase contractions) around 10:45 and then I also rec'd cervadil (to thin my cervix even more) around 11:15. Well the pitocin reacted Strongly b/c shortly therafter I began having Strong labor pains that were every 2-3 min apart and then around 2 pm after SEVERE pain and my contractions begin one on top of the other without letup I begged the RN for meds - she came in checked me and said I was dilated to little more than a 3 and that I could get my epidural. When she told me that I almost cried (Scott says I actually did) b/c I was so excited. Some of you may know that I can't handle pain very well so this was def. a blessing!! I rec'd my epidural from an AMAZING anestesiologist (sp?) and didn't feel a thing except one tiny pinch for the numbing shot. When she was done I was like WHAT?! your done already - I have seen the needle and let me tell you I was worried about the pain I was going to experience withit but it was great. Instantly after the epi I was pain free - GOD LOVE THE EPI Maker!! Well my RN then went up on the pitocin again (throughout the course of the day we were going up on the pitocin) and within 20 min of that Austin started having heart rate drops after my contractions. So they came in and stopped my pitocin to see if my body would naturally contract strong enough to dilate me even futher (at this point I was dilated to a 4). Well after some time and after his heart rate going back to normal they started me on pitocin, low dose. Well within 10 min his heart rate again would drop after contractions so they again came in a stopped it. My Dr. then came in and told us that he obviously isn't responding very well to the pitocin and that we would see how he would do for a while without it and see what my body would do - dialte me further. Well after a while she checked me and I onnly was dilated to a 4.5 and his heart rate began staying high now constantly. So the Dr. again came in and said that they were going to break my water to see if they could move things along. Well when she did that I had VERY LOW clear fluid and his heart rate still was high. So after about 10 min the Dr. came in and decided that in his best interest we would be doing a C/ Section (this was at 5:30pm). That his heart rate was consistently high and that we should take him out now before it became an emergancy situation. As a NICU RN I was terrified of the complications that he was going through and as a person fearful of the C Section in general. From then on out I couldn't stop crying!! So at 6:10pm they wheeled me into the L&D OR and got me prepped. (I was still crying). Scott came in once I was 'settled' and the NICU team also came in. (they came in for many reasons. 1: low fluid 2: it was a C Section 3: "failure to progress" & 4: heart rate drops alt with high heart rate) So that somewhat (not by much) relieved me b/c I trusted these ladies to help my son if needed. At 6:26pm he was born screaming :-) After a while they wheeled me in to recovery where I attempted (haha) to breastfeed and obviously begin the recovery process. I then went to postpartum at 9:30pm while the newborn nursery had him for their initial assessment. By about 1 am I got to spend time with my son and breastfeed him - he went to town right off!!! :-) Scott and I spent till Sat at the hospital and came home Sat afternoon. It's been a whirlwind since with emotions going (and I'm NOT a crier, but apparently I am now esp when it comes to breastfeeding issues) and me & Scott lacking in sleep. Austin's daddy has been SUPER DADDY!! He helps me out of bed (due to the C section I can't move very well), changes pretty much 99% of his diapers and bring him to me to feed Austin. I have been truly blessed with a great husband and daddy to Austin!!!!! So that's our story, still going. . .
Austin Ealy Bradshaw
Birthday: February 27, 2008 @ 6:26pm
7 lbs 11 oz 20 1/4 inches long