YOU ARE HERE!!

Our sweet baby!!  Oh, how we love you and are so glad that you are here.  You are absolutely beautiful and Mommy and Daddy are completely in love with you!

Here is the story about your beautiful birth:

On Tuesday, while I was at work, I started not feeling very good and just felt a little different.  I told Daddy that I thought that it was my body preparing for you to come.  I also had a horrible cough for about a week before and had literally spent the week doing nothing to prepare for you.  Daddy was so nice and cleaned the house and got things ready for you to come though, while I laid on the couch. 

We had a doctor's appointment scheduled on Wednesday evening, which was where Julia had told us last week she was going to check your weight and if you hadn't gained enough, she was going to induce us Thursday morning. 

Well, you had other plans in mind!  Early Wednesday morning at about 12:30 AM, Mommy got up to use the bathroom and I started having really weird pains in my chest and abdomen as well as some contractions.  The pains didn't feel like labor pains but they definitely weren't normal.  I paced upstairs for about 15 minutes until I finally decided to wake Daddy up and I told him that I didn't feel very good and was having really bad pains.  We immediately decided that we needed to go to the emergency room.  Daddy got dressed and I just went in my pajamas and only socks, no shoes. Then we locked up Gus and headed to McKay Dee.    

We hadn't timed which way was faster so we took the freeway and it took us about twenty minutes to get there.  Once we got there, we headed through the emergency room and when they saw I was nine months pregnant, they immediately sent us up to Labor and Delivery.  Once we got up there, they had me change in to a gown and hooked me up to some machines to monitor your heartbeat as well as my contractions.  

After watching everything for a little while, they decided that I was not in labor.  The pains also got worse and they decided to send me back down to the emergency room to get treated there for, what they thought at the time, might be my gallbladder.  

They hooked me up to some medicine to take away the pain and then they did an ultrasound of all of my organs and could not find anything wrong with them.  After that, they did a CT Scan of my lungs and heart because they were worried that I may possibly have blood clots in my lungs.  When they did that, they found that I had a small amount of fluid around my heart, so after that they decided to do an EKG of my heart.  Everything came back normal.  The ER doctor told me that he thought that my body was done being pregnant and that he didn't think we would be leaving the hospital without our baby.  Looking back, I think all of this happened because we needed you to come when you did so you were healthy, which made all of the pain worth it just having you come without any complications.

Once everything checked out normal, I was released back up to Labor and Delivery so Mommy's baby doctor could take care of me from there.  They were going to do an echocardiogram on my heart up there as well but they later decided it wasn't necessary.  After waiting for a really long time up in triage at Labor and Delivery, Mommy's doctor came in and told me she didn't know what to do with me but that she did want me to see a periontologist, which is a special doctor for pregnant Mommies with problems.  We couldn't get in to see him until 11:00 that morning, so Daddy ran home and got all of our things and took Gus to the neighbors, just in case they did decide to start me.

We met with the wonderful periontologist, who did a 20 minute ultrasound of your sweet little body.  They looked at every part of you and we were so grateful to see that everything looked perfect.  We also got to see your sweet little face again and also confirmation that you were still a little girl.

We met with the doctor after the ultrasound and he said that you were still little and hadn't gained much weight and also that the amniotic fluid was low.  They consider normal to be between a level of 5 and 25.  My fluid levels were at a 5.3.  We discussed all of the different options and risks and he finally told me that I was the Mom and asked me what I wanted to do.  I let him know that I would feel much better with you here so we could get you out and fed, since it didn't look like the placenta was really feeding you anymore.  He agreed that would be the best option and that he would call Mommy's doctor  and let her know as well.  Here are some of the ultrasound pictures we got.

We went back to the triage in Labor and Delivery and a few hours later, the nurse came in to let us know that Mommy's doctor had called and they were admitting me to the hospital and they were going to start us so that we could have you.  By the time they got all of the paperwork done, we got in to the delivery room around 2:00.  Daddy went down and ate some lunch, since neither of us had eaten since dinner the night before.  I only got ice chips and two popsicles the whole time, until we delivered.  I was hungry by the time you got here!

The nurse finally administered my pitocin at 3:00 and oh boy, the contractions sure started quickly!  I don't think I expected them to be that sudden or intense.  I wanted to get an epidural but at the same time, I wanted to see how long I could go before getting one because I wasn't looking forward to it too much!  Julia came in and broke my water around 3:30 and then I really wanted that epidural!  Once she did that, which was quite a weird thing, the anesthesiologist went into a C-Section and I had to wait another hour before I got it.  The nurse came in and she and Daddy talked me through my contractions until he got there to give me some medicine to make me feel better.  My nurse also turned the pitocin down so the contractions weren't as hard.  The epidural wasn't pleasant but I don't think it was as bad as people have said it is and it was sure worth it once I couldn't feel the contractions anymore.  He did an amazing epidural because I could still lift my legs and bum a little bit and feel the pressure of the contractions towards the end so I knew when to push.  

Then, for the next six and a half hours, we waited for me to dilate so we could get you here.  You did absolutely perfect and your little heartbeat stayed right where it should have.  It only spiked one time and that was because Mommy was dilating and contracting so well on my own, that they didn't need as much pitocin, so they turned it down and you settled right down.

During the contractions, I asked the nurse if she could tell if you had any hair and when she checked my progression, so she did and she said that you probably didn't have much.  As we progressed in the labor and your little head finally crowned, she looked and couldn't believe how much hair you had.  She said she was way wrong and you had a ton of dark hair.  This made Mommy so happy.  I didn't have any hair until I was three and was so pleased that you would have some!

I progressed really well and each hour was dilating at least another centimeter.  I was beyond exhausted but really didn't sleep much at all, which I probably should have.  We absolutely loved our nurse, Lisa, and we had such a good time during the labor.  We also had a photographer come to get the special moments when you arrived and we had fun with her being there as well.  We were all joking during the labor and Lisa said it was one of the most fun labors she was ever in.  It really was such a great experience and we definitely will look back on it with fond memories.

When they started me, I was at about two centimeters.  By 7:50, I was at a 5 1/2 and finally 100% effaced, which had taken a little while.  By 9:30, I was at an 8.  And finally, at about 11:00 that night, almost 24 hours after getting to the hospital, I was finally dilated to a ten and ready to start pushing.  Mommy and Daddy really like odd numbers, so we were hoping you would be born on the 21st and not the 20th, but when I got to a ten by 11:00, I figured there was no way we would have you on the 21st, which was just fine.  Pushing took a lot longer I thought it would and was also a lot harder than I thought.  A few minutes in to pushing, I started having severe back pain so Daddy had to lift my head every time I pushed.  He was amazing during the whole labor and delivery and I am so grateful I had him by my side.

I ended up pushing for almost two hours and then at about 12:40 AM, on April 21st, my nurse told me to stop pushing and called Julia and told her we were ready to have you.  I progressed really fast at the end, so the nurse was a little late in calling Julia.  I had to hold of pushing until she got there, which took about 15 minutes, but seemed much longer than that.  Once she got there, she told me we only had three pushes left to get you out.  I started to get really emotional at the thought that you would be here so soon.  Well, about 15 pushes later and some pretty good pain and pressure, at 1:06 on April 21st, 2011, we welcomed you, our precious miracle, in to the world.

They laid you on my chest and I immediately began to cry.  You were so beautiful and after years of struggling, you were finally here to love and hold.  You were absolutely perfect and you came out with your big eyes wide open and stared right at me.  Daddy cut the cord and they cleaned you up as you laid on my chest and looked at me.  What a beautiful and perfect moment.  It is definitely one that will forever be engraved in my memory. You were so happy and barely cried.  I don't think we heard you really let out a big cry until about 45 minutes after you were born.

Once you were born and they laid you on my chest while they cleaned you up, they took you and weighed you and checked to make sure you were healthy.  You weighed 5 lbs. 12 oz. and were 19" long, which we were pleasantly surprised about.  You were bigger than we thought you were.

After about 45 minutes of being able to love you and hold you, Daddy went with you to the nursery where they checked all of your vitals and made sure again that you were healthy and strong.  During this time, Mommy went to my room where they cleaned me up and I was finally able to eat some food, while I waited for you and Daddy to come back.  It tasted very good after not eating for about 30 hours.  

Once you and Daddy finally got back to the room, about an hour later, they were able to give you a bath and we were able to see all of that beautiful hair!  You are absolutely perfect! I also got the urge to keep calling you Breklyn so Daddy and I talked about it and we decided that your name is:

Breklyn Bernice Beardall

It seems to fit you perfect and I hope it will be a little more unique.  I heard the name about eight years ago and I have loved it ever since.  I now can't see calling you anything else so I think we made a good choice.

After we got settled in, it was about 5:30 in the morning and we were tired! We enjoyed loving on you and snuggling with you and then had you go to the nursery where they watched you for a few hours so Daddy and I could get a little sleep.  Daddy and I also had prayer together and we both cried the whole time because we are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for blessing us with you and blessing you that were so so healthy and perfect.  We are grateful beyond words for you Breklyn.  We feel completely honored to be your parents and love you beyond what any words could ever describe.  You are our little miracle and we will be grateful for you every day of our lives and are so grateful to have you for eternity.

We love you so much Breklyn B!


Here are your beautiful birth photographs.  These are absolutely priceless to me and daddy and I am so grateful we had them done.  We will cherish them forever!