My Sweet Brooks

5-31-11

Dear Brooks,

I can't believe you are 7 weeks old today. It seems that April 11th was just yesterday. It was on April 11th when daddy and I went to the doctor's office to have a sonogram. The test showed you weighing 9lbs and 6oz. I knew you were going to be a big boy. The doctors were therefore predicting you to be that weight or a pound more or less. I knew you were not a 10 pound baby. We sat down with Doctor Virtue to discuss our options. I think everyone thought at that point I would choose the c-section, but even if you were 10 pounds women have birthed 11 pound babies. I wanted to go through labor and have you the way God planned for women to birth a baby. We decided to induce the following day, April 12th. April 12th was your due date and this is also GiGi and Papa G's anniversary. I thought it was the perfect day to bring someone precious into our lives. Well, we arrived to the hospital early that morning and the inducing began. I was already 2cm dilated and 75% effaced. I had been that for three weeks, so everyone was expecting a long day. By 1 o'clock we were 6cm dilated. Everyone was shocked. As doctor Browning was counting the dilation, mouths were dropping as she passed 4. My room had been filled with family and friends all morning. I guess they were surprised I was not in pain. Contractions did not really bother me. I have been through things much more painful. At this point the doctor and I talked about an epidural. She once again brought up the fact that you might be a 10 pound baby. Well, even though I didn't think you were, I agreed that pushing a baby out that large would be much easier if I didn't feel anything. I knew the contractions would also be getting much stronger. The epidural did not hurt like I mentally prepared myself for. The only fear I had of the epidural was not even true. I was so afraid of not being able to feel my feet and legs. Well, the only area I could not feel was from my belly button down to my upper thigh. It was wonderful. I could still lift my legs.

Well, things slowed down a bit, but by 5 o'clock I was ready to push. Did I mention how much I loved my nurse. She was absolutely wonderful. I will definitely not forget how easy she made peeing in a bed pan and how fun she was to talk with. Mommy pushed for an hour and a half. They could see the top of your head and a little bit of hair, but your beautiful large head was not dropping. This is when the 10 pound baby was brought up again. The doctor and I had a conversation about how your size might be hindering you from continuing down the birth canal. This also led to conversations about protecting your shoulders from getting nerve damage. I definitely did not want to harm your cute little body in any way. So we decided to go with a c-section. To be honest with you in the back of my mind I thought all day long it was probably going to end that way. I still would not change any decisions your daddy and I made.

This was the first time I cried all day. I really did not want the c-section. I think mentally I did not prepare myself for it and I did not do much research about it. Up until April 11th I never once thought I would have to have a c-section. Well, I have had many procedures before so the surgery was not my concern. I was more nervous about the pain afterwards.

At 6:40 you arrived. You were 8 pounds and 6 ounces, 21 inches long. Mommy was right. Mommies are always right. You were a round, beautiful baby. I loved you so much already. Everything was perfect and 30 something relatives in the waiting room were so excited to finally meet you. Since that day I have fallen more in love with your personality and charm. Here begins a list of things I don't want to forget about you as an infant and a list of things I think you will enjoy reading about when you are much older.

In the beginning I struggled to change your diaper. I never babysat boys growing up. I had no idea they would pee so often while changing their diaper. The first 3 weeks we were averaging 3 outfits a day with you. At 7 weeks you have already done much better. I'm sure mommy and daddy have improved too.

In the hospital they are looking for so many poopy diapers each day. Well, Son you were an over achiever. You excelled in the pooping category just like your daddy.

Your aunt Tereza noticed one of the first days how much you dreamed. You made so many different facial expressions. Some of my favorites were big smiles and when you would pucker out your bottom lip. We all wondered what you possibly could be dreaming about. I explained to Tereza the sad face was a dream about your circumcision you had within 24 hours of being born. The big smiles were dreams about mommy feeding you. You loved to eat and still do.

Well, your first poop up the back was definitely in the hospital. You have had 2 others since then. One was so bad we had to take a full bath afterwards. It was everywhere. Not one of my favorite moments, but I still will cherish it.

The ride home from the hospital was wonderful. You loved your car seat. To this day you still love sleeping in your car seat. I hope this continues.

Once we got home I continued giving you mommy milk but through bottles. This worked out for us in so many ways. Daddy loved feeding you and so did Gigi and Meia. This is where you earned the nickname Piglet. Once we would take the bottle away to burp you not only would you get really upset, but you would snort. It always made me laugh. I then decided piglet worked as a nickname.

Oh how you love your Abby. Anytime Abby thought you and I were having playtime she too decided it was time to play. She would bring her green, squeaky bone and drop it in your lap. She didn't realize you could not play catch yet. You loved watching her though.

I soon realized if I could manage to get through a shower with you happy, I could continue to keep you happy with the blow dryer. You love it! Your eyes even follow the blow dryer as I move it from one hand to the next. I think you get this from Mommy. We both like white noise while we sleep and a blow dryer is a nice noise to have in the background.

You were sleeping in your crib around 5 weeks old. We had to swaddle you to keep you a sleep for more than an hour. One of our favorite reasons to watch you sleep was the flying arms. The slightest unfamiliar noise would make your arms going flying. Sometimes you slept with both arms in the air just because. We thought it looked like you were doing the tango or that you had a question you really wanted to ask. Swaddling helped keep your arms from waking you up.

Besides your family, there are two other things you absolutely love, the whale bathtub and your pacifier. The pacifier you chose to use is a 3-6 month. Therefore you can never keep it in your mouth for long without a little assistance. Just like your daddy though you love to have it in your mouth. The whale bathtub is where all the fun takes place each night. You love to pee in it, smile, laugh, and just listen to mommy and daddy sing and talk to you. I think this is one of our favorite times each day with you.

We love you so much!

Mommy and Daddy