Abbi's turn to feed Javan

What big helpers I have.

Very Short Javan Video

Javan was making weird sucking faces and noises so I got the camera out to capture it. By the time I had the camera ready he had stopped but he did make some other cute faces I thought everyone would enjoy.

2 Weeks

Today Javan is two weeks old. He is still as cute as ever but he has definitely changed a lot over the last couple of weeks. He stays awake for longer and makes little cooing sounds from time to time. He opens his eyes a lot more whereas in his first couple of days he would just squint and usually only open his right eye. He does well at night usually. He eats around 9:30 and then usually sleeps until 1am or so. Then he wakes up a couple more times at night but just to eat and then go back to sleep. He still only fusses really if he has a tummy-ache and other than that he is pretty content. It's nice to have a baby in the house again but we are learning new things as this is our first boy. Today we went out to the mall to meet my mom. She was having baby withdrawals and it was good for me to get out of the house. Our friend's Machelle and Larry gave us this stroller. It was so convenient and worked great for Abbi and Javan.

Still cute

Babysitting

After Bresa helped me feed Javan and got him a blanket so his feet wouldn't be cold I put him in the swing for a little quiet time. Bresa wouldn't leave his side though she decided to set up her own chair and watch him going back and forth.

First Service

Today was Javan's very first church service. We didn't attend church last week (he was only three days old) and I really missed it so I was happy to return this week. Peter was playing lead guitar in the worship team band so he definitely had to be there. The girls went to their Sunday classes as usual and I kept Javan with me. I fed him right before the service and then put him in my sling so he was right next to me the whole time but I still had my hands free. He did great. The loud music didn't seem to bother him and when Pastor James was talking during the service Javan stayed nice and quiet the whole time. I kept checking on him to make sure he was alright because he only made a couple tiny noises during the entire sermon. Everyone was so excited to see him. Lots of people had already met him but there were many more that had only heard about his presence. After the service my friend Nancy took him around while I gathered the girls. Javan was perfectly content the whole time and didn't seem to even notice we had left the house. What a sweetie! This picture is from a couple days ago, so cute; Daddy with new son.

Rebel

*Professional sleeper; Please do not try this at home.

My beautiful children

Since Bresa first saw Javan she has been asking to hold him and to feed him. I don't usually give him a bottle so I wasn't able to let her feed him. Today however he was hungry and I had nothing left to give so I told Bresa it was her turn to feed Javan. She was very excited and quickly got ready to be a big sister. Abbi has had a little cold so she hasn't been able to touch the baby but she still enjoys watching him in his cradle and telling me why he is fussing. Since Bresa was feeding Javan Abbi decided she needed to feed her baby too. What good big sisters they are!

One Week Old

As of 8:08 tonight Javan will be exactly one week old. It's so funny how it seems he just got here but also how I can't imagine life without him. Javan is such the sweetie and brings us joy everyday. He had a little difficulty nursing at first but once my milk came in he got it down with no problems. He still sleeps most of the day and is most awake in the morning around 10 and in the evening around 5:30. Last night he woke up 3-4 times to nurse and then went right back to sleep when he was done (I like those nights). It's a little different having a boy in the house but he fits right in and now Peter isn't as out numbered. Right now he really only cries when he has gas and he whines when he gets hungry. It's still early though so we will see how long this lasts. Our friends from church have been great and are continuing to bring us dinner every night until February. It is the best thing in the world not having to worry about what's for dinner and who's making it, we appreciate this more than words could ever describe. We haven't left the house since the dr appointment but we are planning on going to church this Sunday.

Hard Core Rocker

It's hard being so cute

1st Doctor Visit

Javan took his first car ride today to go to his first doctor visit. Everything at the doctors was fine, but he didn't like being undressed, good thing I brought his blanket in. Everything checked out good and his weight has gone down to 7 lbs 10oz (that's perfectly normal for newborns). The doctor was surprised that we went for a homebirth and asked if they offered me any anesthesia, I thought that was kind of odd, I guess they don't get too many of those. We switched insurance companies last year and this was the first visit we had with our new dr office. I didn't really like the nurses or doctor too well but it was the first visit so maybe things will get better. It's hard to leave the old office that we have been going to for almost 6 years but if this one doesn't work out hopefully we will find a doctor that we like just as much as our last one.

Grandpa's Day

Today Javan got the privilege of meeting both his Grandpas. Grandpa George (my dad, left) and Grandpa Mike (Peter's dad, below).



We had quite a few visitors today with a bunch of people coming over after church. Javan got to meet many of our friends but he mostly slept through it all and let everyone cue over him. He had a rough morning though because Karen came by and did his PKU test. He didn't really like that but he forgot all about it in just a couple of seconds. Tomorrow is Javan's first dr appointment for his baby wellness checkups.

My Labor story

Well, we attempted to update the blog as labor progressed but I guess it went a little too quick for us (I am not complaining). We have had lots of inquiries about certain details and if you haven't already gathered, yes; Javan was born at home with an all natural VBAC delivery in the water. I will try and give you an overview of the birth without going into too gory details but I am sure my excitement will get away from me at times...

Thursday morning I woke up still feeling discouraged and very pregnant. After taking Bresa to school Peter made me chocolate chip pancakes and I ate a little bowl of applesauce and then took a nice warm shower. My Dad came over to help Peter with some electrical stuff and Abbi and I watched a movie and played CandyLand. At lunch time Abbi ate and went down for a nap and I ran to Publix to get subs for the guys and for me and the baby. Around 12:30PM I felt a stronger contraction come on and then maybe one or two shortly after that. I didn’t bother calling Karen (our midwife), I am pretty laid back and I know she had other appointments; we actually had one scheduled for 5PM that evening anyhow. Around 1:30 I felt another couple strong contractions and tried to do a bit of walking around the inside of the house (it was cold outside). Just after 2PM I went to get Bresa from school and in the car my contractions were staying pretty strong and were very regular. My Dad left after we got back and I tried to stay on my feet and clean the house a bit. At 3PM I decided to lie down and time the contractions as best I could but the best I could figure was that they were peaking every 2 minutes. Sometime around 4PM I fell asleep and woke up about 40 minutes later. Karen called to tell me she was running late from another appointment and I told her about the contractions being stronger and still regular but not to hurry. After the call I got up and started walking again, I wasn’t sure if this was the real thing just yet (especially after last week) and I wanted to do what I could to keep the contractions coming. Though the contractions were stronger I could still walk through them and do most normal things. I did what most 40 week pregnant women do- I did the dishes and cleaned the bathrooms. Karen got here around 6:45 and recommended that I try and eat something more and drink something other than water to get some energy in me. Peter got me some Gatorade and watermelon out at 7:06 and I sat on the yoga ball in the living room and ate what I could. I called my mom to tell her I was in labor (again) and told her she could get the girls in the morning because she had to work that night. Karen left to grab some dinner at a drive-thru and return. I finished eating and the contractions were getting a lot stronger at this point. Peter put the girls to bed and I tried to walk the contractions out but it hurt too much so I tried to rock on the yoga ball but ended up leaning over the bed while sitting on the ball instead. I couldn’t find a comfortable position so I asked Peter to run me a warm bath around 7:18 while I stayed on the ball. Karen returned around 7:40PM and I got into the tub just after that. The water felt good but my contractions were getting stronger so I don’t know that it helped me feel any better. Peter was busy making up the bed for birth and when he finished he came to my side. I was highly uncomfortable at this point but I was still able to get through contractions without wincing too much. They were probably peaking every 45-60 seconds at this point and it felt really good to breath in between them. After a couple of those contractions they got a lot harder really fast. Peter was by my side as I sat in the tub and I held on to his hand and arm and practically bore my head into his forearm during the last few contractions. I was in so much pain and I couldn’t stop it from happening. I felt like I couldn’t do it anymore and I wasn’t strong enough, I just wanted the pain to stop but I didn’t know what to do. Peter was very supportive and told me I was doing great, he tried to get me to focus on just the contraction on hand and not the ones to come. I only had 20-30 seconds between each one to breath and not knowing when they would end was the hardest part. If someone had told me I would only have a couple more I would have been fine but not knowing if I had a couple hours more made it so much harder. At one point Karen asked if I had pressure but I didn’t at that point. It was on the next contraction at 8:03 (probably the 5th or 6th of the really strong contractions) that I felt the pressure. She was in the bedroom preparing for the birth, none of us expected it to come so quickly. When I told her about it she told me to push through it to see if it would help the pain. As soon as the next contraction started I pushed with all I had and Karen said “There’s the head, it’s coming! It's right here, you’re doing great, the head is already here.” The bag of waters had still not broken but it did end up breaking before the next contraction. That contraction had ended but I was still in so much pain from pushing Javan partially out, I was actually looking forward to the next contraction when I could push again. As soon as the next one started I gave a great push and the head came all the way out, I gave another push without taking a breath and once his shoulders passed he just slipped right out. Karen grabbed him up and put him in my arms at 8:08PM. I was still getting over the pain when I heard his first little cries. I couldn’t believe the pain was over, it was so intense but as soon as he came out the contractions seemed to cease. I finally had enough sense to check and see; we have a son! I think I was somewhat in shock from what had just happened, all that pain but now all of a sudden I have a baby boy. I remember thanking God and just holding on to Javan as his crying winded down. After moving me to the bed and getting cleaned up and cutting the cord, Karen took Javan from me and then weighed him to find he was a rather heavy 8lbs 4oz and measured 21 inches long. I had no tearing and am not quite sure how I pushed his 14inch head out without a little rip but I am extremely appreciative he came right out.
The homebirth was great and though the pain is still present in my memory I know I will soon forget about most of it. Right now I am feeling great and have a little bit of soreness but it is mostly due to getting the whole nursing thing to flow well. I still have some swelling in my hands but I can only tell by feeling them not by looking at them. The after pains of the birth were strong but I only had a few that night. I took a couple Ibuprofen yesterday morning but haven’t taken anything since then. Javan’s first doctor appointment will be Monday morning. So far he’s been great and makes the coolest noises.
Everyone has been very supportive and helpful during everything. My lifegroup ladies set up a schedule for different people to bring us dinner each night, which is very much appreciated-words cannot express. We have had a couple visitors and are expecting more tomorrow after church, everyone is welcome (we will not be at church though).

His name

Lots of people have been asking about Javan's name (pronounced Jay-vin) and where it originated.
In Genesis 10:2 you will find that Javan was actually one of Noah's grandsons, son of Japheth. There isn't much in the Bible about him but we liked the name and it isn't overly common like so many others we considered. Javan's middle name, Dee, was Peter's grand-
father's first name and Peter's Dad's middle name. The names together flow well and they make for good initials. We are very proud of our new son, JD, and can't wait to show him off to everyone.

More pics (some with Daddy too)

First morning with our son

It sure is nice to be home. I'm sure Chellee will write about her post something soon with more detail and pictures, but I did want to try and get some more pics up today as time allows. Here's one from last night (just a few minutes old). I'll post another picture later from today. Enjoy!

Javan Dee Taylor

Javan was born at 8:08 p.m. He was 8 lbs. 4 oz. 21 inches long. Chellee was in "active" labor for less than five hours. She was amazing. Both Mommy and baby are doing great and we are over joyed with our new addition. The girls have yet to meet him. I hope they're not too disappointed to have a brother instead of a sister. I'm sure they'll get over it. Thank you all for your prayers.

It's a Boy!

More details to come..

This could be it...

I have been having stronger and more regular contractions for a couple hours now. My midwife, Karen, is here and checked to see if anything has happened. Between contractions I am about 6-7cm dilated and the baby is still in a great birthing position. I am going to try and get some food and drink down and then see how I feel.

Prayer, please.

Lots of contractions and discomfort. Please pray for our family. We'll update soon if there is any progress. Thanks.

See Yesterday's Post

No Baby

Nope, not yet

I had my usual doctor appointment today to make sure everything was still going alright. The baby's heartbeat was in the 140s and as strong as ever and my blood pressure and measurements were all good. I did some research and found out that it is possible to undilate so I fully expected that I would have gone down to 2cm by now. However, when the midwife checked me she said that the baby is still head down with the back towards my left side; the perfect birthing position. Also, she said the head was very very low and she wasn't sure what this baby was waiting for. She checked my dilation of course and while she was checking me I went from 4cm to 5cm. That doesn't mean I will stay 5 cm but it is still progress. I continue to have my normal contractions about every five minutes but they still aren't gaining in strength. If I keep this up and dilate to 10cm without any pain than I really can't complain, this is the easiest labor ever; I really don't expect that to happen though. If nothing happens before then, we have another appointment this Thursday. I am of course hoping that I will get to meet my new son or daughter by then but we can only wait to find out what happens.

Another Day

I don't have any news to report but I know that if I don't write anything everyone will wonder if I had the baby or not. The answer is still no and I am feeling a bit discouraged at this point. I would be fine if I hadn't started labor on Wednesday but since I did I mentally prepared myself and now I am just left waiting. Not sure how much longer but God has a plan and the baby can't stay in here forever. Peter bought me my favorite flowers to help cheer me up. I love Gerber Daisies.

Still no news...

Is no news really good news? Things here haven't changed much. I am still having contractions about every five minutes but they haven't progressed to anything stronger than I have been feeling. This little bean sure is taking his/her time coming out to meet us. This morning we decided to take a little trip down to Downtown Disney so I could get a bit of walking in. The girls were dressed up in their pretty dress-up clothes that Santa brought so we let them wear that out, it is Disney after-all. We walked for a long time and then tried to go meet baby Charlotte at my sister's but they aren't being discharged until later tonight. We were really hoping to see the new pretty girl but hopefully we will be able to meet her soon. Tonight we are going over to a friend's house for dinner and games. It will be good to go do something to get my mind off of this never-ending pregnancy.

Welcome Charlotte Lee Scott to the World

We are excited and proud to announce that Janell and Wyatt (my sister and her husband) gave birth to a healthy baby girl just after 12:30pm. Their due date was about the same day as ours. Janell had a c-section yesterday because Charlotte was breech but both baby and new mommy are doing well. Congratulations Janell and Wyatt!! We are so excited to soon be meeting our new niece!

As for Peter and I, we are still waiting for our new arrival but there hasn't been much change in my condition; though I am in early labor I am still not in active labor.

No change

Still no new baby in our house. We went to sleep early as my contractions stayed the same. I felt them throughout the night but they weren't very strong and I was able to sleep through most of them. At my last check which was around 5:45 last night I was dilated to 3-4 cm so that is something. Can't really say active labor has started at this point since I am not really having any pain. We thought things were going underway yesterday but we still seem to be at a stand still. The baby is still actively kicking so I know s/he is doing alright in there.

Still here..

Well, we're still just waiting for this sweet new child to obey and come out already. Still having lots of contractions, but they're not really getting stronger for us quite yet. I hope this doesn't end up being a really long labor, but we're kinda over this whole pregnancy thing by now so a longer labor would be better than no labor. Keep on praying and we'll post another update when there's something to tell.

We're in Labor..

Today has brought about was started as a slow (but hopefully not too long) labor. We spent most of the last several hours trying to sort though whether or not this was actually progressing to real labor. The contractions are now stronger and more consistent so we're resting up for the home stretch. Please keep us in your prayers and stay tuned to the blog for further updates. We'd rather avoid the phone for now. To be continued..

Count Down

Our newest member is almost here! I have been having constant Braxton Hicks contractions and I know that labor will start any day. My poor coworkers are preparing to throw me in their cars and get me to where I need to be-good thing they have lights and sirens. They apparently really don't want to have to deliver a baby at the station. I met with my midwife tonight and she said she doesn't expect me to make it to my appointment next Monday. I have had some swelling in my hands and feet, you can't tell by looking at them but I can tell because my rings don't fit and my fingers hurt a bit. When I do go into labor Peter is going to try and keep everyone updated on the site as well as he can as things progress. Stay tuned...

Update on Donna

Donna went to the doctors today and he gave us some more positive news. He thinks the new chem is working as he feels the tumors are a bit smaller and not as hard. He would like Donna to stay with it but if the really bad side effects that she has been experiencing continue he will re-evaluate. If she gets too sick she is to call him. She has lost 12 pounds which is not good This is from her not being able to eat much because of all the sores in her mouth. He told her to eat a few bites a dozen times a day if she has to but that she needs the nourishment. She goes back in 4 weeks.

So to my family and friends, thanks for your prayers, you are witness to how well they work. Praise the Lord.