Henry Update!

I am pleased to announce that I am completely in love with a little boy named Henry!! He melts my heart every day and I could not ask for a better baby :) He is doing very well... growing and thriving strong! He is up to about 2 oz. a feeding and eating every 2-4 hours depending on his mood, ha! He is sleeping well at night... waking every couple of hours for his feedings. Henry is become more awake and alert every day... he is keeping both his eyes open longer with each passing day. He is just so darn cute... I love him :) We took him to his well baby check up this past Wednesday... he weighted 8 lbs. 7 oz. so he lost about 8 ounces since his birth... just under 5% of his original birth weight. The doctor gave him a seal of approval... and he goes back this Friday for his 2 week check up and his first round of shots...eek wish us both luck!!

Henry Clay Doggette

A Baby Story

Well he is HERE!! Henry Clay arrived into the world on Friday, February 12th at 8:08 in the evening... words could not express how blessed I feel to have such a beautiful and healthy little boy... he melted my heart from the minute I saw him. The experience was magnified even greater by having Brandon here after all. YAY!! I will have to start at the beginning... I got a call on Tuesday evening from Brandon saying that he was being sent home on Emergency Leave and was starting his journey home the next morning. I was completely surprised and in such awe... and on Thursday evening he was home :) We were so happy to have him home if only for a short time!! Now at this point I was seriously ready for baby to be born... everyone was here and I wanted Brandon to have as much time with his son as possible. On Thursday night, I started having contractions and they only increased overnight. I still wasn't sure if I was in labor labor.. but I decided to head to the doctor the next morning to see if I've been progressing any... and sure enough my contractions were every 3-5 minutes and I was at 4 cm dilated... time to be admitted to the hospital. I was so relieved! I was in my room at about 930 am and by 4 that afternoon I had no progressed much further so my doctor decided it was time for some patocin and to break my water... needless to say it was then time for an epidural :) And about 3 hours later, I started feeling the contractions again... and the doctor checked me out and I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing!! It happened a lot faster than I imagined and way faster than my labor with Peighton. With my first practice push, his head was crowning and the nurse told me to wait for the doctor... then 30 minutes later of pushing... Henry was out. It was an emotional experience... and I was so happy to have him in my arms and more thrilled that this labor was so smooth compared to last time :) He weighted in a whopping 8 pounds and 15 ounces and 22 inches in length... Henry topped his sister... I guess I just grow them big, ha! His apgar scores were 8 then 9... we couldn't ask for more healthy of a baby. My own recovery went very smoothly with no complications and I was feeling good the very next day. Henry was thriving just as well... and we were released from the hospital on Sunday by lunch time. It never felt so good to be home :) And I'm still in awe and feel overwhelmingly blessed that Brandon was here to experience it all...

Doctor Day

Well this day has been crazy... and its not just because its snowing again... i thought we lived in the south... and yet snow again for the second week in a row... i am ready for spring time :) I had my OB appointment this morning... I am 38 weeks and 2 days... and could not be more ready for his arrival. At my last doctor's appointment on the 25th of January, I had no progress so I was quite surprised and happy when she checked me today and I was already 3 centimeters and 50% effaced with his head in position 0... she told me that she'd be surprised if I made it through the weekend. Woohoo!! I've been experiencing some contractions but nothing too intense or regular... mostly I have a lot of lower back pain. So needless to say I called my mom and told her she might want to head up earlier than planned... hopefully I'm not jinxing myself and he still isn't born for another week or so, ha! I am a mix of emotions though... part excited and part anxious... and part sad that Brandon won't be here. Now its just a waiting game :)

Peighton also had a doctor's appointment today for her 3 year old check up. It never ceases to amaze me how crowded a doctor's office can be especially a PEDS... but yet again I was aggravated that our appointment was at 3:45... we got there around 3:30 and didn't leave the office until 5... at least we don't have to go back till her 4 year old check up unless she gets sick in the meantime. It was a good visit though... she is growing and developing just perfectly :) Peighton weighs 33 pounds and is 37 inches tall... around 70% for her weight and 55% for her height. Luckily for both us, she is all up to date on her shots and didn't need to endure that heartbreak. She did have to get her finger pricked for her blood to be checked for her iron levels. I am happy to say that they were up... so she is no longer anemia... her daily multivitamin is helping keep her levels under control. She cried more for having a band aid on her finger than the actual procedure! So all in all, Peighton is right on track!

Peighton's 3rd Birthday

Cannot believe my little girl is 3 today... that this morning at 1148 three years ago she finally made her appearance... it was a difficult labor but I wouldn't trade her for the world :) I am amazed how much of a person she has become in just three years... she is definitely her own unique, individual self... with great spunk and enthusiasm. And I am also pleased to say that she is potty trained, woohoo! We passed that benchmark and I was so worried she'd be leaving for school still wearing diapers, ha! Peighton has known all week long that her birthday was coming soon... she received a few birthday cards earlier in the week as well as a singing teddy bear from Brandon (which i have heard over and over and over, but i know she loves it so because it came from daddy). We also took mini cupcakes to her class yesterday in honor of her birthday... she was very excited to share them with her friends. But I loved how she came down the stairs this morning and into my room with no idea that the day had finally arrived... today was her birthday and when i told her she acted surprised... but then she saw her presents sitting on the table and the excitement grew. So of course, we could not wait any longer the presents must be opened! I've learned that a birthday after Christmas has its downside... she gets so much for Christmas it becomes hard to find the right things for her birthday only a month later. Plus, she is getting older and is becoming more particular in what she plays with... and she keeps her toys longer- they are growing with her. She received a Princess Ariel crown to go with her dress, a numbers matching game, four princess books, a DVD, a grandma and brother doll to go with her dollhouse (she was very excited about this becomes she has her own "Mimi" now)... plus some stickers and dry erase markers to go with her most wanted present thus far- an art easel. She insists on doing art daily and she especially loves to "color" on dry erase boards... so now she has her own space to do it all! We also received several phone calls from her favorite people... she loves when she can talk on the phone :) She has said for several weeks now that she wanted a pink cake... so this afternoon she helped me make her pink birthday cake with sprinkles of course. It was very tasty too... she loves to bake! All in all, I think Miss Peighton had a fabulous birthday well suited for a wonderful three year old :)

Baby Update

Well I am almost to the finish line... 36 1/2 weeks today... about 3 weeks left to go!! Hopefully, he wont make me wait till then but now its just a waiting game... I'm getting very anxious to meet the little guy... cannot wait to see what he looks like... ahh! I'm going to be so in love :) I can't wait to see Peighton's reaction to him... I know she is going to be a great big sister!! I am hoping these next three weeks go by fast... I am over being pregnant and ready to feel "normal" as soon as possible. I had my doctor's appointment today... and not too much to report... he has dropped and his head is in a good position... and there is some softening but I have not dilated any... his heartbeat is good and I measured at 36 cm. I was a bit annoyed to discover that I don't have another doctor's appointment till February 8th even though I should be seen every week from now on; but there were no available appointments and since I am not a high risk patient I just have to wait till then to be seen again. I guess it doesn't bother me that much considering I know if I have any problems or concerns they would see me if need be; however I'll just be in the dark about how I am progressing for another two weeks... and in two weeks a lot can change! Maybe I'll get luck and I wont have to go on the 8th because he will already have arrived :) The doctor did say to expect him early due to the fact that Peighton was over a week early and subsequent babies tend to follow the same pattern... let's just hope he isn't as BIG as his sister was! I think that's why I want him to come early so he can't pack on the pounds :)

Revision

Just wanted to let y'all know that I have his address and have posted it on the blog! I'm sure Brandon will love whatever is sent to him... little reminders of home :)