Hospital Stay....

A few of you have asked how everything went with Braden's birth on Thursday. I thought it would just be easier to write a quick recap on the blog. :)

Quick summary...things went very well and I was so blessed in that regard!! :) It was an amazing experience given how worked up I was about labor and delivery beforehand. God took care of me in more ways than I could have imagined during that hospital stay. :)

Here is how it all ended up turning out on Braden's birth day:

5 am-Hospital Admission

6:3o am-IV

7:30 am-Pitocin started

8:30 am-Doc broke my water

9:30 am-Back labor started

10:30 am-Epidural (Hallelujah!!)

2:30 pm-Full dilation and it is GO TIME!!

3:00 pm-Pushed through 10 contractions

3:30 pm-Called in the doctor for the "catch"! :)

4:02 pm-Sweet little Braden was born

We ended up staying in the hospital for 48 hours (although the doc told us we could have gone home after about 24 or so). We chose to stay for some more help, etc. We had lots of fun visitors that came including our families, some pretty decent food and some good smoothies, and some awesome nurses!! They were a HUGE help! :) It was fun to just have time for Chris and I to bond with Braden during that hospital stay...and we are very thankful for that time. :)

Welcome Baby Braden!!!

We are IN LOVE!!! I cannot find any other way to describe it!! WOW!! What joy!!

We welcomed our son, Braden Christopher, into our family at 4:02 pm today. He was 6 lbs, 13 oz and he was 20 inches long. We feel so blessed to be parents to this little bundle of joy...and he has already stolen our hearts! :)

Delivery day was wonderful...and I know that was due to a lot of prayer warriors out there! Thank you so much for praying over our family...we felt it!! :) We feel so fortunate to have had a pretty short labor and an easy delivery. I know now what everyone means by love at first sight when you see your child for the first time. :)

He has been such a wonderful baby....lots of sleeping (which Chris and I love), and eating well at this point. So we are honestly just soaking it all in!

We cannot wait to introduce everyone to him...and we will post more pics soon! The families are in town, and are going to get lots of good time in with him over the next couple of days! :)

I think we are out of the hospital on Saturday..and headed home to life as a family of three!! :) Much love to all and thank you again for all of the amazing encouragement! :)

Bye Bye Family of Two.....

Here we are in the final hours as a family of two!! We made it to our induction date...yay!!! :) That is so good for the planner in me...and so good for all of our families that are on their way into Austin now. Chris's dad just got arrived, and his mom is getting close. And my parents are driving as we speak as well...so much fun! :) The siblings are starting to arrive tomorrow...and it will be a fun family filled weekend...with one new little addition soon!! The first boy grandbaby on both sides of the family!! :) Go Braden!! :)

Chris and I went to our last prenatal appt this afternoon and everything looks good. We are all set for tomorrow!! :) I was still 3 cm dilated and I am 85% effaced now...so I made a little more progression on the effacement front. :) She says things are still set up nicely for success tomorrow! Let's hope she is right! HA! :) We went and had one last dinner after the appt-Pizzeria Corvina (which was good)! :) Gotta have pizza for my last dinner! YEAH! :) My favorite!! :) We even had smores for dessert....love creative options like that for a sweet treat! :) So now it is just time to get the last things done, hang out with our families, and try to get some rest tonight (if that is possible). :)

I found this little forum online tonight...and thought it was kind of cute. One lady had just given birth and was listing all of the names of movies that she thought should be made for pregnancy and birth. Some made me smile. :)

"Money Pit" – whether its money spent on maternity clothes, baby necessities or “that’s so cute” purchases.....it is so much money!
"Mary Pop-ins" – suddenly, it is no longer weird for people to “Pop In” to your house when you are pregnant, or after delivery in order to “help”.
"9 Months: – oh no...I don’t mean the 9 months of pregnancy, I mean the last 4 weeks or so that feel like 9 months.
"Back to the Future"– your pregnancy is a time for other people to go “Back to the Future” to share their stories of pregnancy and labor. Too bad there aren't any Delorians around…
"Boogie Nights" – from fighting for space on the bed to shuffling to the bathroom multiple times, every night is a type of dancing.

So here's to a great labor and delivery, and we will be back in the next day or two to update you on eveything and post some pics!! YAY!! :) Cannot wait to introduce you to Braden Christopher Bugbee! :)

The Final Countdown...

And here we are...HELLO PLEASE!! The final final countdown!! :) We are about 37 hours out from heading into the hospital for our induction, and I honestly cannot even believe it. How the heck is it almost Wed, which is almost Thurs, which is induction day? HA! :) We have one last prenatal appt tomorrow afternoon..and then it is go time! :) HOLY COW!

Chris and I think things are as ready as they can be...not sure what else we can do at this point to prepare but pray! :) HA! :) So we will be doing a lot of that over the next 37 hours. :)

We have been on an eating and movie expedition for the past few weeks. We have literally seen every movie that has come out (that we are remotely interested in)! HA! And we have been on an eating out frenzy. One of those "let's try every single restaurant in Austin that we have NOT eaten at yet." And I am not going to lie...we have knocked out a lot of them!! LOL! :) Some of our favorites have been: Old Pecan Street Cafe, Fogo de Chao, Hillberts Hamburgers, China Grill, Sampaio, and Roaring Fork. The list goes on...but those were the first ones that came to mind. YUM! :) I figure that after the baby is born then it is time to focus on eating right again to lose the baby weight!! HA!! So just another day or two of grubbing it up, and then it is time to get serious! :)

That is about all from us for now...but more to come for sure over the next 2 days. Hopefully we will have enough energy to post some fun pics and write a little about our experience. :) We thank you all SOOOO very much for all of your wonderful emails, calls, texts, visits, etc that you have graced us with over the past few days. We love that you all are walking this road with us..and we thank you so much for your overwhelming support. Braden has no idea how much he is already loved before he makes his grand entrance! :) We covet your prayers on Thursday as well.....you are the best!! Big hugs to all! :)

Say No To Sinus Infections!

Hi there! :) Just a quick blog entry about saying no to sinus infections RIGHT before labor and delivery! :)

On Friday night I had another fun "non sleeping" night (grrrrrrrrrrrrrr). And not only did I not really sleep at all, I also felt like a freight train had run me over (another grrrrrrrrrrrrr). I had lots of sinus pressure and lots of misery in general. I kept thinking "I have to get better before my induction on Thursday b.c I cannot go into labor like this". Every pregnant women hates to get sick in any form or fashion b.c there is really not much at all that you can do/take to feel better. Usually you have to just ride it out. Boo. :(

So Sat morning Chris and I headed over to my general practicioner's office (LOVE that they have Sat office hours)....and we told them that I needed to get well before Thursday. :) They were very helpful, and thought it was sinuses, and maybe a little bacteria that could be cleared up quickly (Praise the Lord!). So I got a 10 day Amoxicillin perscription, and I was happy as a lark to take that and start getting better soon. I rushed to Walgreens to get my day off to the right start! :)

As of today (a day and a 1/2 on the medication), I am feeling better..so that is a bonus. I still sound like I feel awful but I really am getting better. :) I hope to be in the clear by Thursday morning when I head in. The best news about getting on the medicine is that I sleep like a baby at night!! I LOVE IT!! :) I passed out on Sat and Sunday nights...and it was wonderful sleep. So I am a happy gal! :)

Chris and I did a funny photo shoot yesterday...just so we could have some random pics to show Braden one day. Here is one of our favorite ones....ha! :) It is one of Braden saying hi from the womb just one more time before he makes his arrival! LOL! :) He is super excited to meet everyone! :)

Week 38 Baby!!

We have made it.....and we are almost there! YAY! :) I am at 38 weeks.... soon to be 39, and time is ticking away until Thurs morning when we head the to the hospital for the induction. Holy cow! :)

We took a couple of pics before we headed to church this morning.....just to capture the 38 week belly!!

Chris captured me smiling about one of his remarks.. :)
It got bigger!! :)
And one last close up shot.. :)

Remembering Life As A Twosome...

Well this looks to be Chris and I's last weekend as a twosome...so we are trying to take advantage of that in any way that we can. :) After dinner and a movie on Friday night, we spent some time remembering the past 27 months of life as a "family of two". We laughed about being friends since 1997, starting to date in 2005, enagement in 2006, marriage in 2007, and then everything about married life since then.

There were so many memories and so many stories..and so much fun!! :) How did I ever get so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man like this? I never knew that life could be so fruitful and be filled with so many amazing times, until Chris and I got together. And what an amazing addition he has been to my world! :)

I know that we will think the same thing about Braden when he arrives. Folks say that you cannot imagine life without the kids once you have them. That seems so crazy to me right now but I know it must be true. :)

When I think about some of the very best times Chris and I have had....I think about all of the fun travels that we have experienced together. I would not trade those trips for anything!! We have seen so many parts of the world together from the pyramids in Eygpt to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. And from the small towns in the Greek Isles to the islands of the Caribbean. And I think about the awesome times we have shared in big cities like Chicago, New York, Orlando, DC, Denver, and LA...to the smaller US cities like Savannah, Jackson Hole, Milwaukee, Nashville, Hershey PA, and the gorgeous Eastern Shore of Maryland. :) Thank you for all the wonderful memories Chris...and thank you for being a FABULOUS travel companion!! I cannot wait for all of the fun places we will visit with Braden! :)

Thought I would post some pics for old times sake... :)

Santa Monica, CA and a wonderful time in LA! :)
Life is good in Tortola, BVI....
One of the most gorgeous places in the world-Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park!! So much fun in Jackson Hole, WY.....

On segways around the city in Chicago.....
Sorrento, Italy.....
Sea Wall in San Juan, Puerto Rico.......

Chris at Hollywood Studios-Walt Disney World....
Chilling at Harley Davidson in Milwaukee, WI.....Pompeii, Italy.....
Chris hanging out in Whistler, Canada....
Rome, Italy....
Chris and I in Alexandria, VA....at the Christmas Tree Lighting :)

South Beach, Miami.... Positano, Italy........can it be anymore gorgeous?
Loving it up in St Michael's, MD....
Montalcino, Italy.........
Sphinx in Cairo, Egypt.....
All of the men with their camels out by the Pyramids-Cairo, Egypt....
On the beach in St John, USVI....

Driving through the Tuscan Hill Country-Italy...

Vancouver, British Columbia.....
Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas......

Pisa, Italy.....
Corfu, Greece.......
Beautiful DC with the cherry blossoms.....Florence, Italy.....Savannah, GA.....
Istanbul, Turkey.......the bridge between Asia and Europe....
Hanging out on the boat in Lake Gaston, NC......
Ephesus, Turkey.........
Fun times in Hershey, PA.....
Mykonos, Greece......
All smiles are on in Antigua.... :)Crete, Greece.......

The Waiting Game....

Of course it is 4:45 am again, and I am awake. Grrr..... :( That is what most pregnant women do at 38 weeks, right? :( So another sleepless night...and another headache later, here we are. But hey, on the positive side......at least it is Friday! :)

I think the worst hours of the day BY FAR are from midnight to about 6 am..when NOTHING in life happens, and I am sitting up staring at the walls. I mean honestly..what are you supposed to do during that time? It is not like there is anything on TV to watch, I am too annoyed to read a book or magazine, and don't really feel like nesting when I have not slept. :) So after going back and forth from the bed, bathroom, and couch all night.......I just sit and wait for the clock to turn to a decent hour. At that point I can get up and eat some breakfast, or take a shower like a normal human being (that is not nocturnal)! :)

Now don't get me wrong, this does not happen EVERY night.....but it does happen enough to annoy the fire out of me, and make me super grumpy the next day. :( It really is a vicious cycle b.c you don't sleep more than a couple of hours for a night or two...and then you try and make it through the next day. When you realize that you really can't, then you take a nap (BAD IDEA!!). I did that yesterday from 4:30-6 pm, and you see where that got me! HA! :) But I can rest in the fact that when I am NOT sleeping in another week or two...that I will at least be hanging out with my son while he eats in the middle of the night. :)

But enough on the sleep deprivation madness, as I know that many of you have told me that you have gone through this. Thanks for letting me know that I am not alone. :) On another note-I think I might have finally felt some Braxton Hicks type contractions yesterday. Then again, maybe not.....but something did feel weird. :) I was grocery shopping and kept having my lower abdomen get really tight. Not to the point of really hurting but to the point of "what the heck is that?" One of my biggest uncertainties has been "will I REALLY know what a contraction is and when to call someone or to count them?" I don't know the answer to that at this point but I sure hope so. :) Everyone reassures me that I will....so I guess only time will tell. :) I'll keep you posted-ha! :)

We are hoping to be able to make it through this weekend baby free, and then proceed as planned with the induction on Thurs the 27th. If I went into labor on my own around Wed though...that would not be a bad thing either. HA!! What a crazy planner I am! LOL! :) I am not sure when I am going to realize that this baby does not really care about my scheduling. :) But in the meantime...we wait. And we wait, and we wait. I don't venture too too far from home, or stay out too long at any one period of time (due to my fear of my water breaking in public or something ridiculous like that). We have our bags all packed and waiting in the downstairs bedroom...just in case Braden decides that he wants to join our family before Thursday. And then in the meantime we have just been tinkering with last minute projects and date nights out. I love the latter the most. :)

So here's to waiting.....and to prayers for a smooth, uneventful, and healthy delivery!! :) Now let me see if there is a small chance that I can close my eyes, and stare at the backs of my eyeballs for just a little cat nap. :)

Some Things To Look Forward To.....

So I have about 15 friends that are going through pregnancy with me....and I think that is soooo cool!! I love that we can share in all the different aspects as we go along, and help one another out when we don't understand what the heck some things are. HA! :) So it has been a huge blessing to have those other ladies to lean on during this time. :) The Lord always provides, right? :) He knew when Chris and I needed to have Braden b.c he knew that I needed girlfriends to go through this with-ha! :)

I feel so fortunate to have had such a smooth and easy pregnancy. It really has been so much better than I had anticpated..and much less scary as well! HA! :) So I am very grateful for that!! But even though it really has been a good ride, there are also very exciting parts to NOT being pregnant anymore too! :) My friends and I have been having these conversations quite recently, as some of them have just started having their kids. I was thinking last night about all of the things that I am really looking forward to enjoying again post delivery. :)

Here is what I am most excited about:
1) Of course the biggest one is getting to finally meet Braden and watch him in action! I know he will provide plenty of comic relief, tears, laughs, and many other emotions to Chris and I in the first few months.
2) Definitely cannot wait to be able to sleep on my back again!! WOW!! Sleeping on your side for about 24+ weeks is really for the birds!! Seriously!! I am over that big time already! :)
3) Being able to have a margarita or a glass of wine. :) Nothing over the top due to nursing but ready for that! :)
4) Being able to not have to get up 3-4 times per night for a bathroom break. I know that will be replaced with feedings but at this point that just sounds better! HA! :)
5) Being able to eat all of the foods that I have missed like sushi, certain fish, various cheeses, deli meat, and the list goes on! :)
6) Being able to resume normal workouts again at some point-those fun classes that I love to do other than just walking, eliptical, and swimming. Those started to get old! :)
7) Having the belly slowly fade away (hopefully that happens-ha!)...and getting back into my old clothes again. I do love the elastic band on the maternity clothes...but after awhile those are not too flattering anymore! :)
8) And last but not least...I look forward to my pregnancy induced carpal tunnel going away. Talk about annoying!! I really hope that clears up within the first few weeks so my hands can be normal again!! :) That would be a huge win since I will be doing a lot of newborn handling! :)

I think those are on the top of the list of things that I am immediately looking forward to in the coming weeks. :) I know there will be lots of craziness and uncertainty...but we will make it through. Everyone does, right? :)

Week 37 Update

Hello there!! :) Well we just got back from our Week 37 doc appt...and we are not quite sure if Braden is going to last until our induction date....which is next Thurs, the 27th. He seems to be a little eager to get out into the free world and meet his new family and friends. :)

The doctor said I am 3 cm dilated at this point and about 75% effaced. The effacement part is what really freaked me out! So she said things are still progressing really well, and he could come before next Thursday. AHHHHH!!! Stay in there buddy...just a few more days!! Your mom and dad have a few last minute things they want to do before they take the plunge from a family of two to three. :) HA!!!

Weird that all of this is going on with my body....and I don't even think I have felt one contraction yet. I am sure I am in for a treat when those start kickin in! :) This pregnancy thing is such a miracle. :)

The doc thinks he is about 7ish pounds right now...so she thinks he will be an average size baby. It does not look like he is going to be super huge or anything which makes me even happier. :) Go 7-8 pounders! :) I can do that! HA! :)

He was showing us a really healthy heartbeat again today...and everything still seemed to be going really well with him. :) Hopefully he is already planning to cooperate with me on delivery day! :) My doc thinks I might be able to have him by early afternoon on induction day. :)

So that is our update from today, and hopefully we will make it to our final prenatal appt next Wed afternoon the 26th...right before the induction. :) I think I will just lay around as much as I can over the next week...and not over exert myself (to try and keep him all cozy in there). :) Everyone has jokingly told me to just keep my legs crossed. How I wish it worked that way! :)

We will keep you all posted over this next week if there is any big news..either by phone, text, email, blog, Facebook, or something! LOL!! What did people do when they had babies before all of this technology? HA!! :)

We start Week 38 on Friday....hello please!!! :) We look forward to introducing you all to our little bundle of joy! :)

Putting On The Finishing Touches.....

Lots of people have been asking us what we have been doing with our last 2 weeks as a family of two....before the big arrival. :) I tend to answer with "putting on the finishing touches". :) We have been doing all of that fun stuff like packing our hospital bags, washing our little ones clothes, putting the car seat together, putting the pack n play together, hanging curtains and black out blinds, finalizing the cord blood banking and maternity leave info, etc. You know...all the fun stuff. :) The things that you save until the very last minute! HA! :)

But when we got that induction date, it lit a fire under both of us.....and it was ON! :) Chris has been amazing at getting so many things taken care of....since I am a lot slower these days. :) And if I am on my feet too long then they swell...which is never fun. So he has done a ton of things..and I love that my hubby is so handy!! :) He can put anything together and fix everything..I LOVE IT! :)

We have also tried to squeeze in those last dates together.....seeing lots of movies, eating out at fun restaraunts that we have not tried yet, looking at things we want to pick up before Braden gets here like a video camera, etc. It has been lots of fun to play as much as we can, in addition to getting those finishing touches put on. :)

My cute hubby getting the car seat all set up. He is going to be the BEST dad!! :) I cannot wait to see him in action! :)

Officially installed....yay!! :)

Great job on the pack n play honey! :) Now Braden has a place to sleep at the beginning!! :)

Chris hung the curtains and black out shades in our room...so it will be really nice and dark for all of us when we sleep (the little we will get). HA! :)

27 Months Of Fun....

Well we waited an extra week before celebrating our anniversary date this month. Things got a little crazy around the 5th so we just pushed it out a week. :)

I know that some folks might think we are a little dorky for doing those monthly anniversary dates EVERY month (hee hee)...but it is just so much fun. :) We love it and it gives us a chance to get out and celebrate, and have some fun that is just about US, (since life always seems to be so crazy busy). :) I think these will be even more special when we are a family of three, and our time alone as a couple is so precious. :)

So we celebrated last night with a super yummy dinner at The Paggi House. We had never been there before and absolutely loved it!! I love the charm and decor of the place..and the food was spectacular!! Honestly not sure why I had not dawned those doors before last night. So after enjoying a scrumptous dinner of yumminess, we headed over to Hey Cupcake to get a little sweet treat. I do love that place too! :)

**Sidenote-I think it is hilarious that all of these food trailers have popped up all over Austin. They give it that cool "Keep Austin Weird" vibe though..and I really like that! :)

After some heaven from the Hey Cupcake trailer on Congress, we headed off to see "Wicked"!! We LOVED it!! I had heard forever that it was amazing but I was not exactly sure what that meant!! WOW! Great, great show that I would highly recommend seeing anywhere that you can get tickets. :) We really enojoyed topping off our night when that little bit of entertainment.

So there you have it...Month 27th date night. :) That was actually our last official date night before Braden comes into our lives. We realized that on the way home......and it was pretty crazy to both of us. Not sure how much energy we will have to do much of anything for the Sept 5th date night! HA! LOL! :) By then we will already have about a week or two of sleepless nights under our belt! :)

I love you Chris! Thank you for 27 amazing months of marriage! :)

Cute little Paggi House....mmmmmmmmmmm


So many good choices.....mmmm again!

We love the goodness that is Hey Cupcake!

All smiles for the yummy treats!! :) Sorry this pic is so close up babe!! I had no idea I was zooming in that much! HA!