Questions and advice from Aunt Susan
Brooke, tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? What's your family like? Do you have siblings?How did it feel to find out you were pregnant? What was your reaction?Brandon, what was your reaction when you found out?How did you decide on the name Betty? (Kim asked the same question - see the reply in the comments section of Kim's videoTell us about your pregnancy. Were you really sick in the beginning? Have you had any weird symptoms you weren't expecting?What have you done to get ready for the birth? Brandon, what do you think your reaction will be?If there is a section where we give advice I have some, but the number one piece of advice I'd pass on is very practical:Go pee before getting the baby. In the middle of the night, no matter how hard she is crying GO PEE FIRST. Especially if you are planning to breastfeed. It's tough to get all situated to feed a baby when your bladder feels like exploding.
I forgot to have Gracie tell her name at the end - she says she's 5 but not her name. That's Brandon's other cousin in our fam.
ReplyDeleteWell, I was born in La Conner, WA and moved to Mart, TX when I was in first grade. Mart is a small town about 20 miles east of Waco, TX. It is where I grew up and exactly what you'd expect from a small Texas town. My grandpa (Mom's dad) grew up and graduated high school in Mart. The majority of his section of the family still lives within a an hour or so of there. I graduated with 36 kids in my class and was an active member of my high school's extra curricular teams and clubs: Track, cross country, tennis (doubles), volleyball, cheer leading, student council, calendar committee, Chess club, FFA (future farmers of America), FTA (Future Teachers of America), One act play, and FCCLA (I'm not sure what this stands for anymore lol.)
ReplyDeleteMy family is awesome!!! My mom and dad have been married since 1982 (35 years this September) They met while attending Boston College, my Dad comes from a large family (he is 1 of 7 siblings) and worked several jobs to pay for his tuition, one of which was at a facility for mentally challenged adults. He lived in the upstairs apartment and made sure the doors were locked at night, stove was turned off, everyone was accounted for etc... This is also where my Mom was completing hours for class credit, towards her degree in social work, by taking a few residents at a time out for a movie, to the park, etc. It took a long while, and lots of hard work, but my Dad eventually won her affection!
I am the oldest of three siblings, I have two younger brothers, Nathaniel (28)
and Norman (27). Nathaniel lives in Glendale, California with his girlfriend Katrina and her family. He works at a nursery and specializes in sales/ landscape design. He has had several big name clients like Lionel Richie, Harry Hamlin, and Lou Ferrigno. Norman is the baby of our family and lives in Waco, Texas with his wife Sarah. I consider my brothers to be my very best friends, and couldn't imagine life without them.
Part 2: It felt unreal when I found out I was pregnant. I had been experiencing "symptoms" but couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that I was growing a tiny human in my belly, so I told myself "I must have skipped a period due to stress" and things like that. I had put off getting a pregnancy test for about a month, but was still having "symptoms" so I grabbed a box of at home tests from the drug store,then took and passed each one in the box; while Brandon was at work. I was very scared to tell him the results, because we hadn't been dating for very long and never discussed babies, so I wasn't sure how he would react. The moment he came home from work I started balling my eyes out and held up all three tests... he then smiled bigger than I'd ever seen and said "We are going to be a family" which made my heart swell, I have never felt a love like what I felt in that moment. He hugged me and I instantly felt 100 times better.
ReplyDeleteMy pregnancy has been pretty smooth. I was sick a few times (always sometime 12-3 AM) but that went away around the 6-8 week mark. Other than gaining 54 lbs. and having to go to the restroom every 15 min. I haven't really felt much different. The past 2-3 weeks have been harder for me as it's difficult to get comfortable, I always seem to be out of breath, and my feet start to hurt/swell if I stand up or walk too much. I miss coffee and margaritas but think I can can handle it. Over all I don't have many complaints.
In order to prepare for Betty's birth Brandon & I have taken a hospital tour, so we know where to go on the big day. We are also taking labor, delivery, and newborn care classes each Wednesday night in April. We also moved into a larger apartment at the end of March so Betty will have her own room, this apartment is also within 15 min of my office, so I can go home on my lunch break to feed her. I have 4-5 girlfriend who recently have had babies,Brandon & I have been visiting them to practice and pump the parents for tips.
Thank you so much for the advise. I've also been told to sleep as much as possible now, because I won't get to once she arrives. To breathe and trust my instincts. But I'm open to any/ all advise anyone has. As this is Brandon & my first baby we are kinda winging it.
All of this is wonderful - I confess to crying when I read how Brandon responded. ❤
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