Two Weeks Old!

naptime
Brooks filling his stocking

First family photo

First picture with Santa

Brooks and the Elves

Brooks and Mommy

Brooks loves Memaw and Pops

Worn out after his run!

All decked out for his first run!

Little Wildcat!

Today is Brooks' two week birthday! Hard to believe he is already two weeks already. I feel like we just brought him home yesterday. He is getting so big and becoming more and more alert. Yesterday, he stayed awake from 9am to 5:30pm without a nap! I think he wore himself out though because he has only been awake for a couple hours today and back asleep now.

Since last posting, we have had continuous company. Paul's parents came first and they enjoyed Brooks but I could not wait for my mom and dad to arrive. I needed my mom's help with breastfeeding the first few days but by the time Paul's parents left, Brooks was getting the hang of it and it was no longer stressful. So by the time my parents arrived, we were doing well.

On Brooks' one week birthday, I received a phone call at 6am from Paul. Paul was in the ER and was not working but a patient. He has been on ob/gyn this month and a code was called in Labor and Delivery and he was in ER so he took off running as we all do when a code happens but his run came to an abrupt stop. The floors in the ER had just been cleaned and Paul busted his head open to the bone. He had many sutures and CT scans of head, face, and neck. Thank goodness all was well--he just had a few screws knocked loose. Today, he has healed and no longer has swollen bruised eyes. Brooks and I are just so glad our daddy is ok and that my parents were here to keep Brooks while in ED.

I received an early birthday present from Paul and I love it! I got a Bob running stroller and we have tried it out a few times and Brooks seems to like it as much as I do. Our goal is to run a marathon together in the spring so we have to start training but training with a jogging stroller is going to be a different much slower experience!

We also went to the hospital to meet Santa and got to pull Paul from ED for family photo. Brooks took to Santa quite quickly--he did his normal, sleep through it and never know where he has been:)

Next week, we will be heading to KY to stay with my family 4 nights and go to Lexington and stay one night with Paul's family. Then, my parents will babysit while we go to Music City Bowl to see KY play. Then back to NC. I am so excited to see my family and get to be at home for Christmas!

Hope everyone has heard Becky and her dad's song and remember why we have Christmas and remember to cherish our families at this time. Love you all!

Baby Brooks Arrived!

snug as a bug!
6lb 4 oz and 18 inches

roses and balloons from two favorite men in my life.

I am so in love with our little guy!

So much has happened this week and Paul and I feel so blessed by God. At 37 1/2 weeks, I had an ultrasound because I was measuring a little small and it appeared that Brooks weighed about 5 1/2lbs at most so my induction was planned for 39 weeks, December 1st.

Paul and I prayed for a healthy baby and I ate lots of turkey and stuffing as well as hamburgers and pizzas the week and a half before the induction. I think it must have worked because Brooks arrived 12/1/2009 at 12:18pm and weighed a healthy 6lb 40z and a very short 18 inches--definitely has the Neely genes as far as height.

On 12/1/2009, I started getting a low dose of pitocin at about 8 or 8:30am and was only 2cm at 10am so I asked for pitocin to be slightly turned up and my doctor decided to break my water at noon; however, as soon as she left the room, my water broke on its own and things progressed very quickly. I went from 2 to 10cm in 1-2 hours and Brooks arrived after a very short labor! Thank goodness!

He is so perfect and we love him more than you could think possible.

We brought him home at 8pm last night and he adapted very well to his new home and slept from 3:30am to 8am without waking up. Today, we went to the pediatrician for a weight check and first visit. He is doing well. He has lost some weight as is typical for newborns especially for breastfed babies--yes you all did read correctly. I am trying to breastfeed--reasons for this are mainly because I became paranoid that I did something to make him small (really he had membranous insert of umbilical cord into placenta so he did well knowing that) and felt I needed to do everything to make him healthy and my friends with experience talked me into at least trying. We are doing well and will return to pediatrician tomorrow for weight check and to make sure he is not more jaundiced and in need of light therapy.

Paul's parents are coming in a few hours. Mom and dad are coming Monday after Paul's parents leave on Sunday. I cannot wait to see my parents!

We have already been blessed with the best Christmas gift ever! Love you all!

Well, I need to update the blog a little. Not much has happened since last posting almost 4 weeks ago. I will be 36 weeks on Monday and again continue to grow. We have officially finished putting together all the baby furniture. I just need to hang letters and wall prints--plan for tomorrow.

3 weeks ago, I had dermatology conference in Charleston. Paul's parents tagged along but Paul and I did get to go to dinner late one night by ourselves. I guess that was our last weekend away together before our family grows. Paul does not really have any weekends off from now on except for next weekend but we must stay close to home in case our little guy decides to join our family.

On Halloween, we went to some friend's house for a dress up party. Paul was Lieutenant Dangle from Reno 911 and I was just a convict of his--not much you can be when belly is exploding! We had lots of fun!

My work threw me a surprise shower on Wednesday and that was very fun. We all painted onsies for Brooks. I must say some of them are very good especially my boss' onsies. Mine on the other hand were not so great; however Paul liked mine the best (on the front Party in my Pants and on the butt Code Brown). Of course, he would like the gross one--that is until he gets to change one of those Code Browns!

Also, friends from intern year here at ECU are giving me a brunch shower on Sunday and I am so excited and so glad that I get to make it. I have truly been blessed with great friends!

Well about Brooks arrival: I went to the doctor today and Brooks is VERY LOW and I am completely effaced and slightly dilated. She thinks he will be here around 37 weeks. I am going to continue to work with the drive but she is not crazy about it but thinks it will be ok till my next visit on Wednesday. On Wednesday, she will reassess and determine if she wants me to work less or stay at home till his arrival. I will not miss that drive!

Pictures below are from Charleston, Halloween, belly updates, and room photos.

showers with friends and family

I have lots to share today. Two weekends ago, Paul and I flew to KY for two baby showers. While I was at the showers, Paul attended the UK vs. Florida football game with a med school friend. The first shower was in Franklin and I was so excited to see all of my church and family friends and especially my high school girlfriends whom I have not seen in quite sometime. It is crazy to think how much we have each grown up!

That night, my mom, sister, niece and I traveled to Nashville to Cristie's house for a shower with college girlfriends. We had so much fun. I had not seen some of the girls in three years but we all just picked right up like we had been together since college. It was so good to see Lola, Ansley and Abigail in person. Makes me even more excited for Brooks to arrive--that and the fact that I am getting so big I am uncomfortable and I still have about 7 weeks to go (plan to be induced about a week ahead of time so I won't go into labor at Duke and have to try to get back to Greenville).

That weekend, Paul and I spent the weekend at my sister's house--not that we were there much with all of our activities. We had such a good time! Pizza and brownies on Friday with Jennie's family and mom and dad. Cracker Barrell with mom, dad, Jennie and kids, and Jada and Andy on Sunday before heading back to Greenville. It was too short of a weekend but it was so good to be with friends and family all weekend! I am ready to come back to KY/TN! I miss everyone so much. I am so blessed to have a great family including my two best friends, my mom and sister as well as to have best friends from childhood and college and most everyone is in KY/TN so Paul and I must come back! God has blessed me so much.

Now, I am 32 weeks and growing bigger each day. Each day I think I can't get any bigger and then it happens! I am convinced I have a nine pound baby! And hopefully, that means I can get the c-section that I so desire--plus, right now he is definitely breech. I coach Brooks each night to keep his head up at least for 3 more weeks so that I can get scheduled in the OR!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! We are off to get pumpkins and Halloween decorations after some football. I love fall!

I do not know how to use this thing and so all my new pictures are after the first post--oops!

Well, I finally took the time to create a blog and join my friends. For those who need an update, Paul and I are both in residency. Paul is in emergency medicine and I am in dermatology. This year I am doing a year of research at Duke before beginning my dermatology residency at East Carolina University where Paul is and where I did intern year.

This year has been full of exciting events: Paul and I both completed intern year and survived, we bought a house, we bought a new car for me out of necessity, and most exciting we are pregnant. I am currently 28 weeks pregnant with a little boy!

Currently, I am commuting to Duke daily for a total of 240 miles per day. The drive is getting more tiresome the further along I get. I am planning on finishing the year at Duke until June 30 in time to start dermatology residency July 1st. For those of you who already have children, you know how attached you are before the baby gets here. Paul and I are already so attached and already feel like we have a third member of our family so I know I am going to have a big adjustment going back to work after maternity leave. I currently leave at 6am and get home between 7p-8p which leaves little time to love on my little guy and my big guy, too, of course.

Well, enough about me. Our little fellow is currently Brooks Allen. His nursery has not been started on yet but I did order furniture this week. Also, my parents came and brought a cradle and other baby gear as well as clothes, of course. He may not have a proper nursery when he arrives but he will be well dressed!

Time to get off here and relax with Paul while watching football. Brooks has no choice but to be a typical guy watching football each weekend during football season. I guess this will give me some "me time" while Paul and Brooks have "guy time."