Announcing Brielyn Reese Martin

It was early Tuesday morning, January 25th, and I began having contractions.  They had actually started about 1:30am and were more a bother than a pain.  I would wake up with the contraction and because they were not close together or painful, I would fall back to sleep for 30 mins or so before the next one came.  Finally around 6 am, I woke Chad and told him this might be it - he wanted me to be sure before he got up and drove to the hospital.  So for the next 45 mins I layed there and timed my contractions... yes indeed, it was the real thing and they were coming about 8 -10 mins apart... and getting stronger!  We got up and got ready to go.  Taelyn woke at her usual time around 7:30, we hopped in the car and were off.  Chad's mom met us at the hospital to take Taelyn for a day of fun and we settled in for the pending arrival.  When I arrived I was already about 5 cm dialated, but the contractions were still not that bad.  By 11:30, when I still had not gotten my epidural - not because I wasn't asking for it!- I was almost to the breaking point and in walks the anesthesiologist...Finally!  At 12 noon, it was time to start pushing and so I did, for the next hour and a half.  The baby was turned and having a tough time getting out, and I had thought to myself if this baby doesn't come soon, they might just have to cut her out of me!  But, that luckily did not have to happen and at 1:33pm, Brielyn Reese made her arrival on the world.

38 weeks and nearing the end...

Wow, I have been bad about posting.  Here is a new picture of me at 36 weeks - stastically I haven't really changed since then, although I feel like I am bigger!  My due date is January 26th and Taelyn's birthday is January 19.  Being a twin, I know what it's like to have to share your birthday, so hopefully that will not happen!

In addition, here is a picture of Taelyn playing in the rain.  She loves her rain boots and mackintosh!  Also, Taelyn has gotten pretty good at taking pictures with the digital camera, so here is a picture of Butter that Taelyn took... not bad!  It is also good that we have a dog that will sit still for a while and makes a pretty easy subject!