Monday, April 27, 2009

Have you ever wonder how a baby stay's cool in the AZ heat?

As the temperature rise Payten clothes seem to get less and less. I toke this picture a few mornings ago she didn't want any clothes on her, she kept on telling me 'NO Hot Mommy' John and I finally decided it was time to turn our AC on !



She LOVES Sesame Street!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Home at Last

This morning as soon as 9:00 came I was on the phone to my case worker. For the first time in five weeks that man answered his phone, I was so excited. After I told him about our parenting class we had found he told me I could go get Kaitlen. I had to ask him three times if this was really all done and that she could come home. I was just so excited and happy and so thankful that this was finally over.

Tonight after Payten went to bed John and I were talking to Kaitlen and she told me that she was so excited and happy. That during the car ride home she had to keep telling herself not to scream "I'M GOING HOME" As Kaitlen puts it her stomach felt funny and she wanted to scream out the window I get to go home. She had a lot of questions for John and I, I think we answered them all for her. She didn't understand why we couldn't visit her more and why only she had to live somewhere else. She told us that her 'exam' was very embarrassing and she wanted to run out of the room. She said she didn't care if they wanted to look at her arms and feet but once they needed to look at her privates she got all red. She also was concerned about Daddy's jail visit and was mad that he didn't even get a bed to sleep in. However she thinks it is super funny that he had to wear sandals with his freshly painted red toe nails. (the night before I had painted his toes Payten wanted his them painted and he played along)

I'm hoping that in a few weeks everything will get back to normal for her. Her teacher called me today and with tears in her voice told me how excited she is to have Kaitlen back. That she is planing a special party for Kaitlen on her first day back. Also she is going to talk to the school counselor and set up an appointment to meet with Kaitlen. John and I feel she might need some help not only for this but for the loss of her cousin.

Thank you to Amanda for beining at the Urgent Care and not letting them put her in foster care. For taking Kaitlen to her doctors appointments for us and for fighting with CPS daily. For giving Kailten love and tenderness during this entire thing. Thank you so much for all you did.

Thank you to my Mom for keeping Kaitlen when Amanda had to go back to work. For making sure she had her homework done and that she was not the smelly kid in school. Thank you for loving her and trying to keep her happy for us. Thank you for going to her doctors appointments and telling CPS our side. Thank you for all that you did.

Thank you to Spencer and Crystal for also taking her to her doctors appointments. For loving her and keeping her safe and happy. For watching her when others couldn't. Thank you for all that you did.

Thank you to Royal for watching her when Amanda had her baby. For making sure she had dinner and her school work done. Thank you for loving her and keeping her safe for me. Thank you for all that you did.

Thank you to my Heavenly Father who heard my prayers and brought my little girl home. For teaching me a lesson that I will never forget. Children are a gift from him and therefor need to be treated with so much love and tenderness. I'm not saying that Kaitlen wasn't treated this way, but I would forget that she is only seven and she is going to be a kid and that's OK. I have learned many things during Sage's passing and Kailens 'vacation' the learning them part sucked but the knowledge part is amazing.


THANK YOU

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Urgent Care Warning

As most of you know Kaitlen was taken from our home by CPS on March 22, 2009. An Urgent Care Doctor accused John of child abuse when he took her in for a hurt arm. For those of you who don't know the full story I will begin at the beginning.

My dear sister Crystal and her husband Spencer lost their sweet eight month old baby boy on Thursday March 19,2009. John had been taking me to Crystal's home around eight in the morning, so I could be there to help her and so I didn't have to be at home alone during this time. (We only have one car and he had to go to work) Saturday I had spent the day with Crystal and Spencer doing what I felt was an honor to but Sage's clothes away in his room and sit with Crystal while she so bravely made Sage's funeral program. When John got to Crystal's house he immediately gave her a hug and asked if he could help with anything, she very sadly asked him if he would put all of Sage's things in his room and close the door. With tears in his eyes John moved all of the babies toys that he could find and placed them in Sage's room and closed the door.

We got home and I went on the computer, John and Kaitlen started a game of Wii. About an hour later Payten was climbing on her slide, and fell from the top of it. Kaitlen just stood there and watched Payten struggle and cry; John picked up Payten and he told Katy to go to her room that he would talk to her in a minute. John gave me Payten and he went into Katy's room; he was frustrated that she would just stand there and not help Pay. While he was talking to her she was ignoring him and playing with her necklace. John grab her arm and directed her to the bed to sit next to him. John was alone with Katy for maybe 40 seconds tops; when Payten gets hurt she usually wants John. When I came in the room Katy was holding her arm I asked her what happened and she said that Daddy pulled her arm and her sunburn hurt now. (I had remembered to put sunscreen on Payten but I completely forgot Katy)I went back to the computer and those two continued to play Wii, alittle while later Kaitlen told John her arm was hurting a lot so he heated up our rice bag and but it on her shoulder area. About half an hour later he had me look at her shoulder I first thought she had been biten by a spider; but I soon realized that her skin is so sensitive that the heat from the rice bag had irritated her skin. John grab a package of frozen hot dogs and puts it on her arm pretty soon she seems OK she is playing the Wii and no more complaints.

5:00AM Kaitlen comes in our room and wakes up John she tells him her arm(shoulder) hurts really bad. John comes in and wakes me up and tells me that Kaitlen needs to go to an Urgent Care, he thinks she has a broken collar bone. We decided that John would take Katy to Urgent Care and he would drop Payten and myself off at Crystal's. Around ten in the morning John calls me and tells me that he thinks that he is going to jail, that they think he hurt Katy. I told him he was crazy and to keep me informed. I then call my dad and tell him that John is at the Urgent Care and he thinks that they think that he has hurt Katy.

Around 1 or 2 I get a call that the police are at the Urgent Care with Amanda and my Dad. They are arresting John on a traffic ticket and suspicion child abuse that her arm is pulled out of her socket and her collar bone break is the worst the doctor has ever seen. I was also told that I could not see Katy, they think that I'm covering up for John. Here I am at my sisters house who has just lost her son and I'm arguing with CPS. I felt so guilty and annoyed that they would even think that John or myself hurt Katy. I find out were they have taken John and with ALL of our money I go and bail him out. When I saw him he instantly began to cry and he promised me he has never hurt Katy not ever.

Tuesday morning Amanda who is due in three weeks now has temporary custody of Kaitlen. She takes her to one of the best pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the state. Within minutes the orth tells Mandy that Kaitlen's arm is not pulled out of socket that if the Urgent Care doctor had taken a picture of her good shoulder that she could have seen that it was just Katy's growth plate (every child has separation between joints so they have room to grow)He also told Mandy that Katy's arm broke from a fall not being pulled that again any doctor could tell that her break went up, its a compact break. PLUS he told Mandy that her xrays show that Kaitlen suffers from weak bones. That a bump on the trampoline or a fall from her bike could easily cause her to break a bone.

You would think that with this evidence, and Kaitlen's statements to the investigators that they would bring her home that day. BUT NO they lied to my mom and Amanda about Kaitlen seeing another ortho instead they did a sexual exam on her. They even made my baby put her little legs in the stirrups, mom said Kaitlen was devastated. Kaitlen had to change schools, and now she is failing. A month ago her teacher wanted her to skip 2nd grade and now she isn't even passing 1st grade.

During this entire thing, John and I are still grieving over the loss of Sage. We would get so mad when we had to be at home instead of seeing Spencer and Crystal. But how can we ask Amanda to stay home so we can see them. My family did not need this extra worry at this time. Plus I was upset that I couldn't take care of Kaitlen when she is hurt. This entire thing was a nightmare.

Today I got the call that Kaitlen is coming home on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With a HUGE I'm sorry from CPS and she should have never been taken from you guys. My prayers have been answered, we are so excited to have her home.

My word of advice to ALL parents is don't take your child to the same urgent care over and over again. Kailten had many accidents last summer, John and I just toke her to the same place. They used those accidents against him plus a broken collar bone that she still has no idea how she did it. We think she broke her collar bone when she fell off of her bike, it was a bad fall her body went over the handle bars.

Here are some pictures of her many injuries last summer.


Katy fell off of her bunk bed and broke her arm.

Bonked heads with Daddy.


Was helping John feed the horses and accidental got stabbed with a pitch fork.

Friday, April 17, 2009

3 Girls

I had the pleasure of having Haven here for Easter; she has grown up so much this past year. We also had the opportunity to go to church with Crystal and Spencer on Easter Sunday. The spirit was strong, however I had such a hard time listening to the talks that had been prepared. My thoughts were on Sage, and the memories of his beautiful funeral. I know I was blessed to be that little guys Aunt.

Before we went to church I took the girls pictures they are each so special to me.



Monday, April 6, 2009

My Birth Story with Payten

My story with Payten begins a week before I had her.

Saturday August 24, 2007 my mom and Crystal had a baby shower for me. Everything was so nice and pretty, I remember being so overwhelmed with all the gifts I didn't have many people come, but I had at least an hour of opening gifts. Spencer went to Pizza Hut, I had a cake and some silly games it was fun. The reason I bring up my shower is I was now 39 weeks and SO ready to have her. After the shower John, my parents and I went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner I had heard spicy food would help bring on labor. I also had John stop by Walgreen's on our way home and we bought caster oil, my mom had told me that it helped induce her and Crystal's labor.

We got home and I soon realized that all spicy food gave me was heart burn, so on to my next 'myth' John makes me a Pepsi with caste roil in it I drink it up and wanted to vomit but instead I drank some more. That stuff is so nasty, but i was desperate I wanted her out so badly. I was prepared to have the worse diarrhea of my life, I also just wanted my labor to start I didn't care if it made me sick for a few hours. To my surprise the caster oil did not give one twinge of diarrhea and zero contractions I was so upset that it had not worked.

Monday John and I went to the doctor, for my last check up. I was getting up from the toilet after I peed in the cup. Well I had pulled up my pants when I had this huge gush of "water" my pants and the floor was soaked. I should have been embarrassed but I was excited because my water had broke I proudly told the nurse that my water had just broke and I was in labor. To my horror they "checked" me and did the amniotic fluid test coming back with a HUGE no your water didn't break you just peed your pants and you are only dilated to a one! Now I'm embarrassed, I wanted to walk out the back of the building, but no I had to walk out into a full waiting room with wet pants. To this day I swear I did not pee my pants that my water broke and they messed up on there test.

The week goes on and bye Wednesday I was passing the bloody show stuff and I was cramping a lot. For those who don't know me I have very light periods I can wear the same tampon for hours and hours if I wanted to. (sorry if that was an over share)

Thursday, I tell John that I'm bleeding a lot so he calls the doctor and they tell me to go to the hospital. We get to the hospital and they check me and again I'm still only dilated to a one. I'm embarrassed because my kind of bleeding is not what they call a lot. This time the nurse scrapes my membrane's she tells me that I will be back here in a couple days tops! That i need to walk, she told me to walk ikea and the mall. The next two days John and I walk everywhere we walked the mall, walmarts, targets, around Dads place and Crystal's treadmill. On top of all the walking I'm still drinking caster oil, this time it is straight from the bottle. I drank the entire bottle and still no labor or diarrhea.

Friday night comes and still no baby, I was so depressed because I just truly didn't want to be pregnant anymore. I was so uncomfortable and hot; my feet were the size of a 500 pound man, I had to pee every freakin minute. ECT.......

Saturday September 1, 2007 I wake up around 5 with horrible contractions I was so scared that they would stop so I just layed there and with silent tears streaming down my checks I knew that I was in labor! After an hour I woke up John and he timed my contractions for me, he could see the pain on my face and he to knew it was time. He woke up my Mom at around 7 and she made all the calls to my sisters. By the time we get to the hospital it was about 8:15, I get checked and the nurse informs me that I am still only dilated to a 1 and that my uterus is tipped, she recommends that John and I walk the hall ways. I remember that at first during our walk John and I were talking and laughing however about an hour into it the laughter and talking stopped, all I wanted to do was get to a bed. I remember walking into a clean room and sitting on the bed I told John to let the nurses know that I had changed rooms, he managed to coax me into going to our room. So with excitement in my heart I just knew that I was at least dilated to a three; when the nurse told me I was still only a one and my uterus was still tipped and that they would be sending me home I was shocked and mad. I knew I was in labor, my contractions hurt and I just knew that if they sent me home I would wind up having her on the side of the road because we lived so far away. I didn't understand what a tipped uterus was until I was in more active labor all I know is that it hurt like monkeys to lay on my right side I thought was going to die.

After some arguing my mom convinced the nurse to call the doctor. The nurse came back and told me that I was not in labor and I would be going home. But first the doctor wanted me to have an ultrasound just to check my water level but after that I was going home no exceptions. I didn't care I was just thankful for the time I had to labor and hopefully dilate. Bye now it's after 10 and I'm in full labor, I'm crying and begging John to help me and when he would tell me that I couldn't have an epidural yet, I would move on to the next family member. I remember calling Mom 'MOMMY' and begging her to help me. All this time I kept on asking if this is not labor then what the H--- is it, the nurse informed me that I was having practice contractions and they can hurt but they are not the real thing. I felt like I had been in labor for hours but it had only been an hour. My poor John got the crap beat out of him each time I would have a contraction I would close my fist and HIT him as hard as I could on his back over and over again. (He was hugging me and talking in my ear so his back was the best choice for me just in case you were wondering why his back!) Also during this time I told everyone that I felt like I was going to throw up and I was very dizzy a few minutes later the nurse come in and tells us that my blood pressure has dropped. She then looks at my mom and asks her what should she do; my mom looked at her and said I don't know you are the nurse. So mom recommended giving me some oxygen, the nurse thought that was a great idea! That helped me calm down enough to take long deep breaths, I guess I had been holding my breath that's one of the reasons my blood pressure dropped. The nurse still insisted that I was going home just as soon as the ultrasound was done.

So now it's almost eleven and the ultrasound tech has arrived, she is getting the best pictures of Payten and everyone was so excited. I remember just laying there holding on to John and trying to be patient while she did the ultrasound. It's sad to say but I didn't care that I could see her I was praying that my epidural would be coming soon even though I was still being told that I was not in labor yet. After ten minutes or so the technician takes a measurement of my cervix and when she typed in 8cm I think that's when the entire room got well lets just say pissed.

The nurse that had been telling me that I was not in labor all of the sudden decided to check me, she said I was a solid 6 and that my tipped uterus was straight now. I was finally declared to be in ACTIVE LABOR I was staying! So now I'm mad that she had not believed me so I start screaming I want my epidural as loud and rude as one in labor could. Of course they had to try to give me an IV before I could have my epidural that is always fun because like my sisters I have tiny child like veins. During my epidural I told them that I had to push, they kept on telling me to just hold on for a few more minutes. After my epidural was in they checked me again and I was a ten so they broke down my bed and and just when the epidural had kicked in I pushed 2 very solid pushes and at 12:14 P.M. my beautiful 6lb 14 ounce baby girl was here. She had pooped inside me before she was born so they had to suck all her poop out of her lungs before her first breath or she could have gotten an infection. Other then that she was healthy and so blond. The doctor kept on saying her had never delivered such a blond headed baby before. She was so small and just perfect!!

John and I have loved having her, she has been such a fun little girl to have. As I always say Pay Pay ties our family together!

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