The Park

Last week, we found a new park to try out. Daddy only had one day off, (his schedule has been been pretty crazy) and we wanted to make the best of it. The weather was beautiful and we wanted to be outdoors. We knew with most kids being out for spring break, the big parks would be packed. We found out about this one and the kids had a blast. Plus, it is about the same distance from our house as the others. I love to take them out, but when I am by myself, I get nervous at the big parks. This park had new equipment, completely fenced and small enough I didn't feel like I had to constantly count kids!

Austen loved running back and forth across the bridge, it was hard to get him to be still!

The excitement was just too much for Addy, she needed a break!

Ava will not be out done by her brothers. There was a smaller area for her to play on, but she had no problem keeping up with Aiden and Austen.

Swinging is the best, especially when you have such a loving big brother!

We can't wait to go back soon!

Going Green

Just for fun on the 17th, we put on our green and had a surprise for breakfast. We had cinnamon rolls with green icing and green milk!

Ava was very excited, not so much about everything being green, but more about the fact that there were sprinkles!

It's pretty hard to impress this tough crowd. "Why are we doing this? & Won't this stain my clothes?" Oh well, they obviously didn't have a problem with the taste. Both boys had three cinnamon rolls a piece!

Out & About

A couple of weekends ago, we tried to go to Wye Mountain. Since it didn't work out, we spent the day in Scott. These are a few pics from that weekend. I had purchased clothes that matched for the girls and coordinating shirts for the guys, hoping to get some great pictures. Well, this is what we I ended up with, no pretty daffodils, just pretty cute kids!

Ava is always ready to strike a pose and say "CHEESE!"

The boys are a different story, I can never get them to give me a real smile, and by the time I am done coaching them, Ava has lost interest.

Daddy and his girls.

Ava is such a Daddy's girl. The are so fun to watch, you can just see her melting his heart!

She gets by with way too much, I am certain she has him right where she wants him, wrappped around her little finger!

After a long day, we were finally headed home, but Ava had time for just one more pose!

Addy @ One Month

Addy Kay, you are 1 month old!

Where has the time gone? You are still a very good baby! You are very alert and your awake periods are lasting longer. No schedule for you yet, who knows when and if that will happen! You continue to sleep well through the night, but when you wake up in the morning, you are ready to EAT! No time for a diaper change, food first! You have been smiling a lot this past week, but I am not convinced they are the real thing. It is still very cute when I am able to catch it with the camera. Your skin is going to be sensitive like all your siblings, you have been experiencing breakouts on your face this past week. I am sure it will get better with time.

Ava was running a fever last week, so when she saw the doctor, I checked your weight. You were 10 lbs. 2 oz at 3.5 weeks. Your brothers and sister packed on the weight faster, but they didn't weigh that much until they were 2-3 months old! You are still wearing a few newborn outfits, but mainly 0-3 months. You have only received a handful of new outfits. Everything you are wearing was in Ava's wardrobe and for the most part they are in the right season. You are just able to wear them much earlier than Ava did. Your siblings love you so much and they all want to help out. Austen is taking good care of you. Just today he watched you "while Bubba doos school." (pronounced "oo" as in spoon) He told us before you were born that he was going to watch the new baby during school time.

You have been to the park this past week, and we also enjoyed many other days outside with the beautiful weather. We made our first trip to the grocery store without Daddy. You slept in your wrap and your siblings were very well behaved also. I am so proud of all of you! I love each of you more than you will ever know! Thank you for letting me be your Mommy!

Sissy Helps

Everyone wants to know how Ava is doing with Addy. She is such a good big sister! She is very loving, caring, and concerned with Addy and her needs. About a week ago, I was changing Addy's diaper. I left her sleeper unbuttoned while I went to wash my hands. When I came back, I found Ava snapping it for me. I asked her what she was doing, "Sissy help," she replied. How sweet! Ava is very helpful around the house. It warms my heart to see how she beams when she is praised for her efforts. My prayer is that all of our children will have a servant's heart. So far it has started at a young age in all of them and I hope it will continue. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful and caring family!

Home Depot-Race Cars

The first weekend in March, we were able to make it to Home Depot for their monthly project. This month was race cars, a big hit with the boys! There was a track set up and the kids got to race their cars when they were finished building. The kids really look forward to going, and I am glad we had the opportunity to go as a family of 6.

Patiently waiting on directions.

Aus can't wait to get his hands on his project!

Ready to race!

After multiple trips down the track, I was finally able to drag all four of them away!

After we left Home Depot, we went to Dixie Cafe for lunch. During a previous trip, Aiden had put the kids' names in a drawing. Austen's name was drawn as "little person of the week." This means he got a free lunch and dessert. We didn't know, but on Saturdays from 11-4, they also have Family Day. Adults can choose from 5 different entrees for $6.99 and then you can get a kids meal for $1.99, for every adult that pays. Plus kids get a free dessert with their meal. Usually Ava shares with me, but since Aus was free, we ordered food for her also. We all ordered water to drink, so we  ate lunch for under $20. What a deal! We always spend more than that on fast food.  We had lots of leftovers even though we ate too much. We try not to eat out a lot, but when you spend the whole day away from home you can't get around it. I don't mind cooking but sometimes it is worth the money to have someone else wait on you! We have decided we might have to visit Dixie once a month after our Home Depot trip. 

Addy @ Three Weeks

Addy Kay you are three weeks old!

This past week has been very busy! On Thursday you got to meet our friends the W's. They came down to visit, and bring another meal! We are so blessed to have them in our lives! For some reason, neither one of the Mommas remembered to take pics until they were leaving. On Friday we saw our friends again when you attended your first auction! You were not very impressed but your brothers were! They have played "auction" all week! Saturday we tried to make a trip to Wye Mountain, but apparently so did everyone else in the state; we opted for another outing! We ended up in Scott, at the Agricultural Museum (we will be going again soon) and we ate lunch at Cotham's. Then we made your first trip to Mimi & Poppa's, where you met Papaw for the first time. He thought you were very sweet. Uncle Beef was also there to visit you and held you for the first time! So many firsts!

You and I didn't make it to church on Sunday, because Mommy wasn't feeling very well. We probably did too much in one weekend. We stayed home again on Monday, and Tuesday was another big errand day. Thankfully, Daddy's job changed and he got a four day weekend.

You continue to be a very laid-back baby and still a great sleeper. We started using cloth diapers this past week and you are in a preemie prefold and extra small/newborn cover. You still love to be swaddled! None of your siblings cared either way, but you get very upset when you are not wrapped up tight. Your jaundice is looking much better but we still get comments on how "tan" you are. No weight check this week, Daddy says I need to relax and enjoy you instead of worrying. Sounds good to me, I just wish it was that easy! We love you Addy!

Addy @ Two Weeks

Addy Kay, you are two weeks old!

You have been out to eat twice. Once on Friday, followed by a trip to Hastings, then again on Saturday after our trip to Home Depot. You slept through both outings except waking just long enough to eat. We had a potluck at church on Sunday. Mommy fed you before going into the fellowship hall and with a full belly, you slept through all the noise. Most people can't believe how well you sleep, but I am pretty sure that happens when you have 3 older siblings.

You are still sleeping good at night, sometimes a five hour stretch. When you are awake, you are very alert. Sunday night, you stayed awake, but very well behaved, for the whole church service! Your cry is getting louder, you even shocked Daddy and I with just how loud you can get. So far you have been our easiest baby! (Besides the whole delivery/NICU experience, but we won't hold that against you!) Daddy went back to work this week; we miss having him at home very much. I took you in for a weight check this past Monday, you weighed 9 lbs 12 oz. You didn't gain very much, but I think you still had some fluid on board from your IV at your last weigh-in. Your umbilical cord fell off this morning.  Mommy found that you have two dimples just like Ava. The dimple in your right cheek is more pronounced, just like your big sis and Daddy. You are still a little "yellow" but improving everyday. We are down to the last few disposable diapers from the hospital, (size 1) I want to use them and not waste them! A few newborn outfits still "fit" depending on the definition of fit :)

Sissy helped with your photos this morning and gave you lots of tips on how to pose.

She loves you very much as we all do!

Addalynn's Natural Birth Part 2

This is the part where everything changed. Addy was on the warmer, wasn't she still supposed to be in my arms? The nurses kept talking about how wet she sounded, I had in our birth plan that I did not want her to be deep suctioned. Well, the more they talked, the more worried I became and I told them to go ahead. Then I realized what was happening to me. The Dr. had asked if I had IV access, he ordered Pitocin and he was still rubbing vigorously on  my belly. Not only was he rubbing hard but he keep checking me, I thought he was looking for a tear, but he said I didn't have one. So what's going on? Well, your uterus is not wanting to contract. GREAT! All this work and now it decides to quit on me? After a shot of Methergine in the leg and Pitocin being started in my IV, and thirty minutes of massage and removal of blood clots, the Dr. was able to stop the bleeding. I will be completely honest, while this was happening, I thought I was going to die. Jake was as white as the walls, the baby was on the warmer by herself. The immediate pictures of Addy were taken by a nurse. Jake never left my side. The Dr. was pretty anxious, the nurses were running around like crazy and all I could think about was not telling the kids good-bye before we left. I was so weak, I could hear everyone talking around me, but I didn't talk back. The pain was more than anything I have ever endured. I had just gave birth to an almost 10 pound baby, but to have the Dr. go back inside and dig around for 30 minutes?!? I would rather give birth any day over that pain. Maybe I was so distant because I was trying to deal with the pain. After the bleeding stopped, there were lots of theories on what happened. I am still uncertain and I am looking forward to talking to the Dr. at my 6 week appointment.

Theory 1) Addy was so big your uterus was in shock. Theory 2) For some reason the placenta separated immediately after Addy was born, not an abruption, but I think he called it a terminal separation. If this was the case what caused that? Her cord did seem short, but I never heard anyone else comment on this theory. Theory 3) My platelets were low. Norm is 150,000-300,000. Mine were 82,000 when we checked in. Nothing new for me, happens with every pregnancy. This was the lowest they had ever been and we are glad we chose to go natural this time. You cannot get an epidural if they are below 100,000 so the choice would have been made for us. But the Dr. said usually you don't have a bleeding problem like I did unless they are below 20,000. Whatever the cause, the whole process was very scary. I know Jake and I were praying very hard, and God heard us. I believe God was trying to show me He was in control. I felt like I was in control until this point. I took my eyes off of Him and started relying on myself. I felt like Peter, one minute walking on water, then I lost my focus and I was drowning. Thank God for his grace and mercy. I realize it could have been a different outcome.

Meanwhile, Addy had been checked by the NICU nurse. They were also concerned about her collarbone, the Dr. thought he had felt it pop as she was coming out. Addy checked out fine, even though I still thought she sounded wet. Her glucose was initially 35, but I got to feed her and it jumped to 67. Wow! I had lost so much blood, they cleaned me up and brought in a whole new bed. I was still so weak from the blood loss and pain that I didn't get up and walk. My Pitocin was still going and causing horrific cramps. Much worse than the labor pains.

At shift change, they decided we were stable enough to transfer to postpartum. Jake left at this point to go and get the kids. I was in my new room without my husband and still in shock over everything that had happened. I felt myself start bleeding again and I pushed my call light. No one answered. I waited for who knows how long, there was no clock in our room, and Jake had his cell phone, we had left mine at the house. I tried to dial out of the room, but it was long distance. Finally my new nurse came in, I told her about the bleeding, she checked me and said, "it looks like you have more clots, let me go get another nurse." Now I panicked again. How could this be happening. They ordered another bag of Pitocin and there were a total of four nurses in the room. As a nurse, you never feel comfortable when they call for back-up. Jake had returned with the kids, but they had to leave the room pretty fast once the other nurses came in. Jake took them outside, and one of the nurses started working on me again. Same as just a few hours before, more massaging and more digging. This was really bad; I was crying, a nurse was holding Addy who was crying, and all the nurses were crying. Jake and the kids were standing right outside the door hearing everything. They kept asking if I wanted anything for pain. I was not in pain until this happened again, and I knew by the time pain medicine would work they would hopefully be done. (Plus the only thing they offered was ibuprofen or tylenol, ibuprofen would not be good for bleeding, and what would tylenol do?)The nurse holding Addy put her in her crib and went to get Jake. She offered to take the kids for a walk so Jake could be with me. Let me just say that we have delivered at three different hospitals and we received the BEST care this time. All of the staff were excellent. After calling the Dr., they decided to do oral doses of Methergine, which had worked earlier as a shot. At some point, Mom was called to come and get the kids.

The kids' first look at their new baby sister!

Such a proud big brother!

And another proud big brother!

Such a sweet picture, she couldn't believe this baby doll was moving!

Except for one trip to the bathroom, I still hadn't even got up to walk yet and it was 9:00a.m. The nurses didn't want me to aggravate the bleeding, but I wanted a shower so badly.  Around noon, I was allowed to get up, after one dose of oral medication and my second bag of Pitocin. I believe that was the best shower I have ever had! Things were beginning to look up. I was doing much better and we had a perfect healthy baby girl. She was eating well, already two dirty diapers and several wet. We had a few visitors and were ready for bed that night.

My one complaint about the hospital is the fact that they have no security system. We wanted to room in with the baby, but no one can sleep if Addy was in the room. We were so exhausted, only a few hours of sleep from the previous night, and awake all day. I knew if I fell asleep I would sleep like a brick and the same for Jake. I couldn't risk someone coming in our room and taking Addy. Reluctantly, I let Addy go to the nursery. As the nurse took her out, she was still sounding "wet" but no one else had been concerned with her breathing. About 30 minutes after she left the room, my nurse came and told me they had taken Addy to the NICU. She told us they would let us know when we could go back and see her. I almost lost my mind in the hour we waited. Jake was so calm and reassuring. We prayed and read in James. Once again, I felt like I had taken my focus off of the Lord. Jake helped me to regain my focus and when they called for us to see Addy, I was at peace. Addy is a gift from God, she belongs to Him, no matter what His plans are for her life, we have to be at peace with them. I am so thankful we have a loving God who shows us his mercy and grace. He was with us through every moment of Addy's birth and is with us everyday.

 Thursday morning in the NICU.

Addy's diagnosis was respiratory distress with stridor, most likely caused from multiple suctionings. She had to have oxygen through a nasal cannula to help dry up her secretions. The NICU drew labs, and by the morning they were worried because she hadn't had a wet diaper. I knew she had multiple diapers for me the day before, but they didn't see them, so they didn't count. As frustrating as it was, I have worked on their side and I know their rationale. I was ready to take our baby home and having someone else make those decisions for us was difficult. She was still breastfeeding great, but they wanted to give her an IV to boost her volume. I felt this was unneccessary, but whatever we have to do to get her home. After the bolus of fluids, she still hadn't had a wet diaper, so they wanted to supplement formula. I initially said, OK, but everything in me said no. This could have been the end of our breastfeeding relationship and it had just started. With everything else that had already happened, I would definitely need therapy if I couldn't nurse my baby.

She looks so comfy, too bad she's not in our arms!

Her siblings first visit with her in the NICU, they were so glad to know she was OK.

I pleaded my case to Addy's nurse and she called the Dr.... New plan: instead of supplementing formula, Addy can have a continuous IV until my milk comes in. So I breastfed, then pumped, every 2 hours. (I am now paying for it!) Not much sleep, but by Friday morning, she was able to be weaned off of the IV and oxygen and we were discharged on Saturday morning. We are so grateful for the care we received!

 Friday afternoon in our rooming-in room before Addy's discharge.

Let me just say, it would be easy to see how everything went wrong. Initially I felt this way. So I want to focus on the things that went right.

1) We made it to the hospital in time.
2) We had IV access, (because of the GBS I had been so concerned about).
3) The doctor was at the delivery.
4) I had wonderful, attentive nurses.
5) We sent Addy to the nursery, (what would have happened to her if she stayed in our room?)
6) The nurses and Drs. listened to us and worked with us.
7) We had church family and friends praying for us.
8) We have four blessings from God.

and the list is endless....

All dressed up and ready for home. This was the outfit I wore home from the hospital almost 27 years ago! Ava also wore it home, and we all three wore it our first Sunday in church.

I know it was God's plan. Not mine, I am not in control. For whatever reason, God saw fit for this trial to happen in our lives and I am thankful.
 
 "My brethen, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." James1:2-3 

Addalynn's Natural Birth Part 1

This is the story of our first natural birth. When I say natural I mean no drugs except for the antibiotics. Just to clarify, no pain meds or epidural, I say this because my grandmother asked if they gave me "twilight." How long has it been since they have done that?!? We attended Bradley classes this pregnancy, and they were so helpful! In the past we have had problems with my blood pressure and for the first time we didn't this pregnancy. The Bradley method suggests the Brewer diet which consists of eating 80-100 grams of protein daily during pregnancy. At first I was a little skeptical, until we hit 37 weeks, then my blood pressure went up.... I had slacked off eating my protein. So Jake and I went to the grocery store and bought all the right things. By my next appointment, my blood pressure was back to normal! I am glad we chose this method and would not change anything that happened during our labor/immediate delivery :)

At my last appointment, Dr. S told me we wouldn't make it to the next appointment. I didn't believe him, but he was right! Addy was born 12 hours before my appointment. He barely escaped an earful from me! I had prepared to tell him he absolutely should NOT tell a mom she was going to have a baby unless she was headed to the hospital! ;]

We had a very busy week from the 16th to the 23rd. My Aunt passed away unexpectedly on Thursday the 17th. This was hard for all of us. I just kept telling myself, we can't have the baby now! Well, Addy was patient and waited until Mommy was ready. Tuesday the 22nd, was the funeral. We spent the day with family and our church provided lunch. Everyone kept asking when the baby was due. When I would tell them we were due last Saturday, they would step back a few feet, like I might explode at any moment! We ate lunch, took a walk, then Jake took the kids home. I stayed to help my Nanny and Mom clean up. Around 4:00, we loaded up in the van to take the dishes back to the church. As we were leaving the parking lot, Jake asked if I wanted to go for a drive.... sure, nothing else to do. We drove until 5:30, then Aiden said he was hungry. He suggested Mexican food. We ate, then Jake dropped me off at the funeral home for visitation for another relative. After we were done at visitation, my Mom took me to Tractor Supply, (the boy's favorite hang-out) and left me with them. I told Jake I was really tired and ready for bed. This was around 8:00 p.m. We came home, did our normal routine and went to bed.

At 11:30 that night I woke up feeling a little sick, I blamed it on the Mexican food and went back to bed. At 1:00 a.m., I woke up with a contraction, (I had been having contractions at night for weeks) I looked at the clock and closed my eyes. At 1:05, I had the second contraction, it didn't feel different, but I did. I woke Jake and told him, "I think this is it." He immediately got up and started getting ready. I told him we would time them for a while, then I would call Mom to come and sit with the kids. By the third contraction, I was on the phone, something just told me it was different. When Mom arrived, we were almost dressed, she helped me put on my socks and shoes while Jake gathered up a few more items to take with us. We got in the van and headed out, I didn't even tell the kids "good-bye". I was already in the zone. My back was hurting and I felt like the baby was probably posterior, so I rode in the van facing backwards, leaned over the seat. When we arrived at the hospital it was around 2:00 a.m. The walk to L&D was the longest I have ever made! When we walked in, they wanted to get my weight! I was shocked at this, but I complied. The nurse walked us to our room, I changed into a gown, and she said she would go ahead and check me. I was already dilated to 7 cm, 100% effaced, but the baby was at -2 station. They drew my lab and started my hep lock. I needed antibiotics this time because I was GBS positive. (I was initially very upset about this, but now very thankful!) She called the Doc, I told her we went pretty fast with our last baby, and she looked a little nervous. She hooked me up to the monitor, saying she needed to get an initial strip for 30 minutes. I looked at Jake, and he wanted to tell her "no way," but I told him it was okay. I laid in the bed for just a few minutes then it was completely unbearable. I got on my knees in the bed and was leaning over the back of the bed. The nurse came in because it messed up her strip, but after I stayed in that position for a few minutes, the monitor actually picked up pretty well. I stayed in that position and it helped so much with the pain. We learned how to breathe with our abdomen in class and this worked wonders. I felt completely on top of the pain, it really was not bad. I am not sure what time the doctor arrived, but he was absolutely wonderful! He also felt the baby was posterior and asked if he could pray with us. He said the most precious prayer and and all my anxiety and worry went away.

The antibiotics finished quickly and the nurse unhooked my IV. I asked her to check me because I was feeling more pressure. This was our first natural birth and in the past I have always been told when to push. I was so afraid I wouldn't know what to do. I shouldn't have second guessed myself, but now I know. She said I was about 8-9cm but the baby's head was still high. She unhooked me from the monitor at this point and quickly left the room. She came back with another nurse, I asked if I could get in the tub, nurse 1 said "yes", nurse 2 looked at her like she was crazy and said "I don't think that's a good idea." Then I asked for the shower, no comment from either. Then my water broke, that was the weirdest feeling ever, a release of pressure only to cause more pressure. In class we learned how your water acts as a cushion, so TRUE! The next contraction after my water broke was intense. I think this is when I lost control. Things like "I CAN'T DO THIS!" "THIS WAS A DUMB IDEA!" "YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!" and "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID IDEA!" came out of my mouth. Jake knew from class that this must be transition, and he just laughed it off, to which I responded, "JAKE ALAN, THIS IS NOT FUNNY!"

I asked them to check me again because I was ready to push. She checked me and said I was at a 9, but I didn't feel like it. I wanted to PUSH! They told me not to, but I couldn't help it, my awesome coach was telling me, "Honey, if you want to push, just do it!" Apparently the nurses were stalling, waiting for the doctor! I pushed anyways, to which the nurses responded, "DON'T!" I reached down and felt the baby's head, but I didn't think it was a head, I thought I had pushed to early and it was my cervix that was swollen. (I know, dumb idea, but they were so adament about not pushing.) The Dr. came in and finally I couldn't hold back any longer. I pushed and nurse 1 said, "This is not a small baby!" I heard someone else comment on her hair, then they told me to get my legs back and push harder. Prior to this point, this is what I was most scared of, pushing! But when it happened it was not bad at all! In fact, I wanted to push and it actually felt good to push. I had read about women who would grunt during pushing, I didn't think I would ever do that. But I did, and it was helpful. Isn't it amazing what your body is made to do? I think I pushed four times, Addalynn Kay was born at 3:37 a.m. About 1.5 hours after arriving at the hospital. Wow! Picture perfect delivery! Jake announced we had an Abigail, but it was more like a question instead of a statement. We were so convinced it was a boy we hadn't put that much thought into a girl name. They put her on my chest just like we had asked. She looked perfect, but she sounded really wet, they took her to the warmer to suction her. Then I realized the doctor was rubbing pretty hard on my abdomen. The birth plan I had worked so hard on was about to change....

Welcome Home Addy!

We have wonderful friends! Ms. Stacy delivered the stork to our house, along with a beautiful wreath and delicious meal. All this in a horrible storm, while we were still in the hospital. Then I was such a wreck, I wasn't up for visitors. Such a long drive and she put forth a lot of effort! We are so thankful for her and her family. I still feel awful about not seeing her, but we will have a make-up visit soon.

The kids thought the stork was really neat, Austen was completely fascinated with it. Aus always has lots of questions, "How did it get here?" & "How long is it going to stay?" After question #563, I put him on ignore, so I guess he came to his own conclusions. On Sunday morning before church, Aus looked out the girls' window and saw the stork, he came to the living room and announced his findings. "Well, that big buzzard is still in the yard!" We needed a good laugh, not sure where he got buzzard,  possibly from Hank the Cowdog, (the boys favorite audio books) but either way it was too cute!

Addy @ One Week

Addy Kay, you are one week old!

You have had a very eventful first week! A trip to the NICU, and discharge on Saturday, when you were three days old. We made it to church on Sunday morning, to everyone's surprise! You were very well behaved, not one peep. On Monday, you had your first check-up and the Dr. said you looked great. A little yellow, but he was not concerned. You lost down to 9# 3oz in the hospital, but at your appointment, you were back up to 9# 9oz. You are eating very well; during the day you nurse every 1.5-2.5 hours and you are already trying to sleep four hour stretches at night. Mom is having to wake you up because I can't make it that long! Your brothers and sister love you so much, they always want to hold you. Ava says you are "heavy", I guess so, you weigh half as much as she does! Your sister's newborn clothes are already too small. 0-3 months fit you much better, although your feet are too big for the footed sleepers. You are still in the disposable diapers from the hospital, not sure how much longer they will fit either. We are so blessed to have you in our family and love you so much. We can't wait to watch you grow, but please take your time, it is already going by too fast!