Thank you for writing your story down, even though I was there I still forget some things.
Birth Story Jayden!
I'm very tired so we will see if I can get this typed while it is still fresh in my mind.
I had a doctors appointment Wednesday, July 26th and Dr. Huish told me that I was 1.5 cm and about 50% efface. While the head was down it was still floating. I wasn't in a big hurry to have her because the pregnancy had been a dream from day one. I had no morning sickness, back aches or even the relentless braxton hicks that had plagued me at six weeks of pregnancy to the very end. She didn't lay in my ribs and kick me or lay so high up that I couldn't breathe. While I did have braxton hicks the last month they were nothing in intensity as I had suffered in the past. Although I was excited to meat my daughter I knew that she would arrive when she was ready and would be healthier the longer I carried her. Besides I still didn't have a car seat! I recall one emotional day when I was afraid they wouldn't let me take my daughter home because I didn't have a car seat. Other than that things were perfect and I knew that the days of carrying my first daughter would be over soon enough.
The next day I went shopping with Spencer looking for a "PINK" car seat. A blue one would not do it absolutely had to be PINK! After locating a car seat we went to the Olive Garden to eat and after dinner I went to the bathroom to discover that I had lost some of my mucus plug, no bleeding just mucus. So I kept my "Secret" to myself, but called my mother of course. I was trying not to get too excited because I new it could be another week or two before I went into labor. Besides I had a baby shower to look forward to on Saturday.
I had my shower and really enjoyed seeing everybody and showing them my nursery that I had worked so hard on. I was so overwhelmed by the out pouring of love and all of the beautiful dresses that I received! I swear my house threw up "PINK"! It was so fun. I just sat and marveled at all many ways they could make a pair of jeans look so adorable! Who knew!
My mom said she would start staying with me on the days that Spencer worked nights because it was my fourth baby and we live so far away from the hospital. Every night that nothing happened I found myself apologizing to my mom because I felt guilty. Even though she kept reassuring me that it was no big deal that she would come when she was ready. Then I started cramping and having lower back pains early the Monday morning on July 31st. Then some time in the afternoon the contractions started coming about one every hour then finally every 10 minutes. I woke my mom up about Midnight and we put in a movie, Nanny McPhee, and sat in bed timing the contractions until about 4 in the morning. We went to sleep and when I woke up the contractions were gone! I was so sad but mom kept reassuring me that they would come back and I would have my baby soon enough. Mom took me to my doctor appointment the next morning and I was trying really hard not to get too excited about what he would find. I was sure I had to be dilated to at least an 8 with all the pains I had been having! I know that's wishful thinking but come on give me a 3! Instead the doctor told me I was about a 2 and 75% effaced. Now I know that I had progressed but not enough to satisfy me after all I had been in labor for over 24 hours. When Spencer was back at home I didn't want to let mom go so I asked her to stay with me. We took pictures and folded baby clothes and chatted for hours. All the while the cramping and lower back pain had not stopped. Then I woke up Thursday morning and my Mom said we were going to walk "all day" to get this going. I was passing lots of mucus and had terrible diahrea all a sign of labor. Spencer, Mom and I took the kids to the mall and we walked all over the place. Then my mom's friend called and said she was coming to town and could she come stay the through the weekend. Then my brother DJ called and said that his tickets to Italy came through and he had to be at the airport by 5pm. So we went home and helped DJ get ready then took him to the airport. He asked me to hold his sun glasses and I left them on the dash of the truck. So there we are in the airport after walking from the parking lot through the heat when he asks me where his glasses are! I said, "Crap DJ I left them in the truck!" My sweet mom says you need to walk so you can go get them. So off I go back to the truck and wouldn't you know it I got lost and ended up walking all over level five looking for that truck. But I found it and I have to admit the contractions were starting to come quite regular and much more intense. I said goodbye to my brother then we went to WalMart to buy groceries for my mom's company. Then we went and picked Jerrie up at her sons house. I asked Jerrie if she wanted to be in the delivery room with us and she was so excited. My mom and Jerrie have been friends since they were teenagers so we are very close.
We decided that mom and Jerrie would sleep at our house since the contractions were getting closer together. Now keep in mind that at lunch, at the mall, I ate a huge baked potato piled high with cheese and sour cream. Then later that night I was hungry for a snack so my mom made me some cheese crisps pile high with sour cream. Now for those of you who don't know this I love milk products but I am lactose intolerant. I don't know why I torture myself by continuing to eat the stuff but I do. Ad this to the fact that I was already sick with Diarrhea for the past several days. So we are watching a comedian when my contractions shift into "Shoot me now gear and honey I've changed my mind about all this jazz" so we call my sisters, Richard and Carolyn and my great Aunt Kathy and off to the hospital we go.
I was terrified they would send me home and I really didn't know if I should leave so soon for the hospital. We dropped Will off with my dad so he could take him to school in the morning. Then my dad crawled into the van and gave me the most awesome blessing I have every had! He said everything I needed to hear and more. The spirit was so strong in that van, I especially loved it when he said that I would have her naturally and that Heavenly Father was aware of the pain that lay ahead of me because he had already suffered it for me.
We got to the hospital and they let Spencer and my mom go back into triage. They put me on the monitors for 20 minutes checked me and tells me I am a 4 and said I was a keeper! Yippee I wasn't being sent home! My baby was coming. Then they told me that I had the last delivery room available. Later I would learn just what that meant. Mom and Spencer went with me to my room and we were told that the other's could come back after my IV. Now I have VERY tiny veins that are full of valves and getting blood or doing IV's is almost impossible. I warned the nurse and told her she had to use a butterfly on me and I swear they just take that as a challenge. They tell me how long they have been doing their job and not to worry. Well she stabs the top of my left hand and gets a little blood before hitting a valve and having to pull out. Then she goes for the right hand and this is where I say a few choice words. It hurt so bad and she had this huge bubble the size of a golf ball form on the top of my hand to the back of my wrist! Then I lost it she eeked out a few more drops and offered her apologies. Of course this torture is going on with all the contractions that are now coming every 1 1/2 minutes! So she gives up and goes looking for the pro! Now my Dr. comes in and checks me and declares that I'm still a 2! I'm like WHAT a few minutes ago I was a four. So he decides to break my water. Now I've had my water broke before but this was awful! Due to a tipped uterus he dug around for a good five minutes and just about the time I think I can't take it any more the PRO come in and grabs my right and and start slapping the top of my hand! Then I turn into some body that even I'm afraid of and said, "Could you wait till he's DONE!" She reassures me that she has no needles that she is just looking. Well after several more minutes of digging Dr. Huish finally gets my water broke. Then the other nurse, Pam, sticks my hand and gets it the first time!
Then they ask me if I want an epidural. Now I wanted to try it without one as I have gone to a 10 before without it so why not all the way? But the nurse tells me that due to my past C section they recommend an epidural just in case my uterus ruptures on the old scar line. Then a pain hits me and I'm like yea sure I'll have an epidural. The nurse leaves and all of a sudden some cramping hits me and my mind flashes back to all that cheese and sour cream. I told my mom that I needed to get to the bathroom and now! Just as I was getting out of bed another contraction hit and I didn't make it to the bathroom. I was so humiliated and embarrassed! Mom and Spencer help me to the bathroom they clean me up and change my bed and just as I get back to bed another cramp hits me and so the night would go! It was relentless and I was so embarrassed. Mom went looking for a bed pan and they told her no that they were much to uncomfortable for me. Then the nurse comes in and witnesses it and helps clean me up. Now there I am in horrible pain but I have to keep moving when all I wanted to do was lay there and not be touched my anyone! Then my hero comes in, his name is Joe and he has this amazing little bag full of goodies that makes all the pain go away. Now Mom is holding my hand, there's nothing like sitting on the edge of the bed curled up into a ball with your feet on a chair fighting contractions and dreading the pain of the epidural. Spencer is watching the whole thing from behind when all of a sudden I declare that I need to go to the bathroom and now. So I start to get off the bed and well lets just say it was the most embarrassing moment of my life! I was mortified but good ole Joe was a sweet heart.
Now my body is shaking every where. Arms, legs and my teeth are chattering so hard I'm afraid I'm going to bite my tongue off! This shaking goes on all night long. It was awful. I kept telling them I could feel pressure and then I would ask, "Should I be feeling this? Because it hurts." After the nurse witnesses how sick I am she decides that a bed pan might be a good thing! Go figure. Then she calls my doctor and he okays a dose of Imodium. Thank goodness.
My epidural was in but I could still feel the contractions so I would push the button to have the dosage upped and it still didn't feel better. My hair is annoying me at this point so mom french braids my hair. The nurse checks me again and I'm still the same and it's been hours. Mom reminds me and informs the nurse that it takes me forever to get to a 5 but after that I go fast. Sure enough about 6 am I'm a 5 and things are a blur from there. I'm contracting fine when all of a sudden three nurses and then later my doctor come rushing in. They lost the babies heart beat. They throw some oxygen on my face and move the monitors around and still no luck so they go in and put one on the top of her head. We could later see where they hit and missed 3 times before finally getting where they wanted it, poor baby. Even after that monitor was in place there was no heart beat so they have me lay on my right side and then all of a sudden there it was a "beat" her monitor goes from 0 to 20 then 33 and finally climbs to 100. Within minutes of breathing in the oxygen my shaking comes to a stop. It was so nice.
Then my nurse checks me and says your a stretchy 8 I'll go get the Doctor. He come in and check me and says your a 10 we are going to have a baby. So they break down the bed and with mom on my left and Spencer on my right I start pushing. Now epidural my fanny I could feel all of it! I asked mom to count for me while I pushed. I was working really hard pushing three times long and hard for every contraction. I take a breath and declare in a calm voice, "This hurts!" My doctor replies, "If your talking your not pushing!" I wanted to push my fingers right through his eye balls. Then at some point just as her head is crowning a nurse comes in and takes Spencer's place and he is now by the Doctor. Now I did not notice this and as I was pushing and feeling myself rip all the while the Dr. is stretching me so I won't rip I reach out for Spencer Shoulders and squeeze the tar out of him. I'm thinking, man he's soft when I hear this nurse screaming, "DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT!" I look at her like who are you and what did you do with my husband! She then says just as I push the baby out that I had grabbed her breast. I did apologize but she was so rude and kind of ruined the moment. But the good news is the Imodium worked and I had no "issues" during the delivery!
They show me a quick peak of my baby girl and rush her off to work on her. They said she swallowed tons of amniotic fluid so they put tubes down her throat and and suctioned 24CC's out of her, plus the tube was full and they got all kinds of stuff out with the bulbed syringe. Then an hour later they did it again. She was so pale before they did that but pinked up shortly after.
Now I didn't get to sleep all day because I was in the bathroom. They finally gave me some more Imodium and that finally stopped it. Now the problem is I haven't been to the bathroom since that last dose and now I'm popping stool softeners like they were candy and dreading the moment when I finally do go.
But I later found out that all 23 delivery rooms were full and that women were birthing on the 7th floor and in the hall way. They just put them on a bed and drug one of those curtained partitions around them. One woman gave birth too early and her baby passed away. My room was directly across from the door to the NICU. My sister Amanda left the room and laying in a bassinet in front of the door was this poor baby. All alone and not even a blanket. Amanda was so upset but no one told me until afterwards.
I'm just so grateful for my sweet little girl. I just stare at her in amazement. She is so tiny, perfect and beautiful. She even sleeps all night long! She really is perfect. I am so blessed to have her here all perfect and healthy. Spencer has been wonderful he is so proud of her and does everything for her. He can't wait for his mom and dad to come see her or for the rest of his family to come visit her
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Taralee's Birth Story with Brody
This next birth story is Taralee's, I find her writting so funny. I almost felt like I was in the room with her during Brody's birth. Thanks Tara for sharing your story with all of us.
Let me paint you a picture:
I was 273 days into my pregnancy.
I pretty much looked like I had a beach ball in my stomach and felt like I had 5 bowling balls up in there.
I had the hospital "checklist" prepared and most everything packed.
I was nervous because I really didn't know what to expect.
I tried reading books but they bored me and most of them didn't have enough pictures.
So I'm swollen, ready to pop, back hurts, boobs hurt, feet hurt, eyelashes hurt...pretty much everything...but I was a champ and handled it all so well + the freakin 200 degree heat wave that happened to pass through Utah.
So add sweaty to the list.
Anyway: so I'm ready for my little guy to come. My doctor...who is absolutely the best ever...was going out of town on MY expected delivery date, July 8th. What the? Seriously? BUT with a little begging and pleeing and some "examinations" we decided that the little tyke inside of me was healthy enough to come out a week early. (Thank the heavens.)
Friday, June 29,2007 rolls around and I insert a magic little pill. (If that grossed you out just stop reading right here...cause it gets worse.) Trace takes me out to a nice dinner because it is going to be our last dinner as just the two of us. I got dressed...wore jeans, which looking back I should have just worn my beloved sweats...8 months and 26 days prego- seriously? Don't judge me....I love sweats.
During dinner I'm thinking...ehh...nothing is happening...just some annoying cramps. And hmmm, I haven't had cramps since pre-pregoness and I haven't missed them ONE bit.
My mom and dad were headed up for the big event and she calls me as we were headed home and says that she needed a nightgown because she forgot hers. Trace told her that he was going to pick her out something sexy (chick, chick, DELETED). So we headed over to WalMart. While walking through WalMart I was getting a little...okay A LOT annoyed with this whole "cramping" thing. We grabbed a nightgown for my mom and got the hell out of dodge.
NEXT PHASE: I get home and while I'm talking to some men about a horse I look down and see something very peculiar. I'm thinking, what the world? Did my water just break? I haven't even contracted yet.
I called my Doc and explained what had just happened and I told him that I haven't even contracted yet and that I've just had a LOT of cramping. He kind of laughed and informed me that those "cramps" were contractions. (DUH...really?) He said everything was fine and that it was just my mucus plug stuff. (I'm not so sure why NO ONE told me about that....I guess if I would have actually read the books rather than scimmed for pictures I would have known that. And on that thought- I'm really glad they didn't put a picture of that in a book.)
NEXT PHASE: Sleeping and resting and CRAMPING, aka contracting, do not mesh well. I tossed and turned all night. Tried sleeping while standing up. Tried sleeping sitting up. Nothing worked. Then I started throwing up...which didn't help in the sleep department. I thought about downing a bottle of Nyquil but then decided that it would not be good for the little monster. I didn't sleep.
NEXT PHASE: I pretty much just laid around and ate popsicles and endured the cramps. My mom and dad were around and we went and got some deli sandwhiches and made a last minute stop by Babies R Us. I don't remember much of that because I'll I kept thinking was that I wanted to be home and in my basement lying on a bed. I do, however, remember my dad smoking some ignorant Utah driver with his thick Dodge diesel smoke. (I'm pretty sure we were the ignorant ones.)
As the day progressed my contractions kept getting closer and closer. I laid on a bed in the basement and Trace read to me as I ate a box of popsicles. Finally around 8 o'clock we decided that they were close enough to go to the hospital. We loaded up in the car and headed over to the hospital. I waddled inside- I told Trace that he should wheel me in in a wheelchair for the HOLLYWOOD effect...he didn't go for it.
We got checked in and they checked my insides out. I was a 2+...whatever that meant. I thought I would be an 8 or something....considering I had been cramping for the past 24 hours.
They let me stay and hooked me up to all sorts of cords and wires and beepers AND to the magic potion, Pitocin. My contractions went through the roof. We watched Brody's heart rate go up and down. The nurse came back in and checked me....a THREE???? WHAT? I knew at that point that it was going to be a LONG night and I requested the epideral ASAP (don't judge me). I don't really remember the needle or the pain. All I remember was trying to hunch over and keep breathing AND stay completely still all at the same time...it was nearly impossible.
Trace watched and I thought he would pass out and my mom held my hand. It worked wonderfully. I was able to sleep most all of the night.
NEXT PHASE: When I woke up I could feel my extreme cramping coming back. I actually had tears coming out of my eyes. I thought- ehhh- I can tough it out. Then approximately .2 seconds later I requested to have the Epideral dude come back in and work his magic. 5 minutes later I was back to my normal, happy prego self.
NEXT PHASE: I was tested positive for Group B strep so I had an IV for the antibiotics. Then I had my Epideral bag of goodies. Then a regular IV bag. Then the heart monitors for me and Brody. Then my favorite, the catheter (that's a lie...it WAS NOT my favorite.) There were wires everywhere and I started swelling up like a balloon. Plus everyone around me was drinking Dr.Pepper and I was limited to the delicious and filling taste of ice chunks. That was annoying.
NEXT PHASE: Finally, dialated enough to break my water. I have no idea how much time has elapsed...however, it felt like I had been in there for DAYS. Then the exciting news...TIME TO PUSH. Ok, the nurse on one side, Trace on the other, the doctor down there, my mom off to the side, my dad in the back with a camcorder....nice.
Push for 10 seconds then rest. PUSH for forever and an eternity and then rest for 1/2 second. Repeat. This went on for about 5-10 minutes and then Trace saw the head and got SOOOOOO excited. He even went and got a mirror so I could see. Thanks. (chick, chick, DELETED.) ha ha.
Trace tried to count once for me while I was pushing but it went like this (read as fast as possible) 123456789 10. So funny. He told the nurse she could count from then on.
I pushed for, I want to say 40 minutes, but it might have only been 25.
THEN the most amazing, undescribable thing happened. I look down and see the doctor holding my little baby boy. Trace is smiling from ear to ear and kissing me and staring at Brody. It was wonderful. Then I realize that Brody hasn't cried...or made any sort of noise. The doctor was sucking "stuff" out of his mouth and airway. Brody was blue. Right then everything was slow motion. It felt like my world had stopped. I had an oxygen mask on and all I could see where the nurses massaging him and patting him. My doctor was calm which helped me remain calm. Then finally, I heard him give one loud cry and then he just grunted like a bear. I got to hold him long enough to get a picture and then they weighed him (7 lbs 12 oz) and took him away.
My epideral was still full throttle so I couldn't move my legs and I couldn't walk down to see him. 4 hours later...after some much needed Dr.Pepper and rest I was able to get up and go see my baby. They kept him in the nursery in the incubator for the rest of the day.
L&D Summary:
43 hours of cramping and contractions...which most people call Labor.
2 very happy parents.
1 healthy little boy with a cone-head.
Very excited family members and friends.
Let me paint you a picture:
I was 273 days into my pregnancy.
I pretty much looked like I had a beach ball in my stomach and felt like I had 5 bowling balls up in there.
I had the hospital "checklist" prepared and most everything packed.
I was nervous because I really didn't know what to expect.
I tried reading books but they bored me and most of them didn't have enough pictures.
So I'm swollen, ready to pop, back hurts, boobs hurt, feet hurt, eyelashes hurt...pretty much everything...but I was a champ and handled it all so well + the freakin 200 degree heat wave that happened to pass through Utah.
So add sweaty to the list.
Anyway: so I'm ready for my little guy to come. My doctor...who is absolutely the best ever...was going out of town on MY expected delivery date, July 8th. What the? Seriously? BUT with a little begging and pleeing and some "examinations" we decided that the little tyke inside of me was healthy enough to come out a week early. (Thank the heavens.)
Friday, June 29,2007 rolls around and I insert a magic little pill. (If that grossed you out just stop reading right here...cause it gets worse.) Trace takes me out to a nice dinner because it is going to be our last dinner as just the two of us. I got dressed...wore jeans, which looking back I should have just worn my beloved sweats...8 months and 26 days prego- seriously? Don't judge me....I love sweats.
During dinner I'm thinking...ehh...nothing is happening...just some annoying cramps. And hmmm, I haven't had cramps since pre-pregoness and I haven't missed them ONE bit.
My mom and dad were headed up for the big event and she calls me as we were headed home and says that she needed a nightgown because she forgot hers. Trace told her that he was going to pick her out something sexy (chick, chick, DELETED). So we headed over to WalMart. While walking through WalMart I was getting a little...okay A LOT annoyed with this whole "cramping" thing. We grabbed a nightgown for my mom and got the hell out of dodge.
NEXT PHASE: I get home and while I'm talking to some men about a horse I look down and see something very peculiar. I'm thinking, what the world? Did my water just break? I haven't even contracted yet.
I called my Doc and explained what had just happened and I told him that I haven't even contracted yet and that I've just had a LOT of cramping. He kind of laughed and informed me that those "cramps" were contractions. (DUH...really?) He said everything was fine and that it was just my mucus plug stuff. (I'm not so sure why NO ONE told me about that....I guess if I would have actually read the books rather than scimmed for pictures I would have known that. And on that thought- I'm really glad they didn't put a picture of that in a book.)
NEXT PHASE: Sleeping and resting and CRAMPING, aka contracting, do not mesh well. I tossed and turned all night. Tried sleeping while standing up. Tried sleeping sitting up. Nothing worked. Then I started throwing up...which didn't help in the sleep department. I thought about downing a bottle of Nyquil but then decided that it would not be good for the little monster. I didn't sleep.
NEXT PHASE: I pretty much just laid around and ate popsicles and endured the cramps. My mom and dad were around and we went and got some deli sandwhiches and made a last minute stop by Babies R Us. I don't remember much of that because I'll I kept thinking was that I wanted to be home and in my basement lying on a bed. I do, however, remember my dad smoking some ignorant Utah driver with his thick Dodge diesel smoke. (I'm pretty sure we were the ignorant ones.)
As the day progressed my contractions kept getting closer and closer. I laid on a bed in the basement and Trace read to me as I ate a box of popsicles. Finally around 8 o'clock we decided that they were close enough to go to the hospital. We loaded up in the car and headed over to the hospital. I waddled inside- I told Trace that he should wheel me in in a wheelchair for the HOLLYWOOD effect...he didn't go for it.
We got checked in and they checked my insides out. I was a 2+...whatever that meant. I thought I would be an 8 or something....considering I had been cramping for the past 24 hours.
They let me stay and hooked me up to all sorts of cords and wires and beepers AND to the magic potion, Pitocin. My contractions went through the roof. We watched Brody's heart rate go up and down. The nurse came back in and checked me....a THREE???? WHAT? I knew at that point that it was going to be a LONG night and I requested the epideral ASAP (don't judge me). I don't really remember the needle or the pain. All I remember was trying to hunch over and keep breathing AND stay completely still all at the same time...it was nearly impossible.
Trace watched and I thought he would pass out and my mom held my hand. It worked wonderfully. I was able to sleep most all of the night.
NEXT PHASE: When I woke up I could feel my extreme cramping coming back. I actually had tears coming out of my eyes. I thought- ehhh- I can tough it out. Then approximately .2 seconds later I requested to have the Epideral dude come back in and work his magic. 5 minutes later I was back to my normal, happy prego self.
NEXT PHASE: I was tested positive for Group B strep so I had an IV for the antibiotics. Then I had my Epideral bag of goodies. Then a regular IV bag. Then the heart monitors for me and Brody. Then my favorite, the catheter (that's a lie...it WAS NOT my favorite.) There were wires everywhere and I started swelling up like a balloon. Plus everyone around me was drinking Dr.Pepper and I was limited to the delicious and filling taste of ice chunks. That was annoying.
NEXT PHASE: Finally, dialated enough to break my water. I have no idea how much time has elapsed...however, it felt like I had been in there for DAYS. Then the exciting news...TIME TO PUSH. Ok, the nurse on one side, Trace on the other, the doctor down there, my mom off to the side, my dad in the back with a camcorder....nice.
Push for 10 seconds then rest. PUSH for forever and an eternity and then rest for 1/2 second. Repeat. This went on for about 5-10 minutes and then Trace saw the head and got SOOOOOO excited. He even went and got a mirror so I could see. Thanks. (chick, chick, DELETED.) ha ha.
Trace tried to count once for me while I was pushing but it went like this (read as fast as possible) 123456789 10. So funny. He told the nurse she could count from then on.
I pushed for, I want to say 40 minutes, but it might have only been 25.
THEN the most amazing, undescribable thing happened. I look down and see the doctor holding my little baby boy. Trace is smiling from ear to ear and kissing me and staring at Brody. It was wonderful. Then I realize that Brody hasn't cried...or made any sort of noise. The doctor was sucking "stuff" out of his mouth and airway. Brody was blue. Right then everything was slow motion. It felt like my world had stopped. I had an oxygen mask on and all I could see where the nurses massaging him and patting him. My doctor was calm which helped me remain calm. Then finally, I heard him give one loud cry and then he just grunted like a bear. I got to hold him long enough to get a picture and then they weighed him (7 lbs 12 oz) and took him away.
My epideral was still full throttle so I couldn't move my legs and I couldn't walk down to see him. 4 hours later...after some much needed Dr.Pepper and rest I was able to get up and go see my baby. They kept him in the nursery in the incubator for the rest of the day.
L&D Summary:
43 hours of cramping and contractions...which most people call Labor.
2 very happy parents.
1 healthy little boy with a cone-head.
Very excited family members and friends.
Friday, March 27, 2009
My memories of Sage
So many words and memories of Sage have been written this past week. I have wanted to write something that would impact those who read it, but the words just haven't come to me. So instead I have chosen to write down my memories of him so in the coming weeks, months and even years to come I can always remember him the way I want to.
I remember when Crystal told me she was having a boy, I felt bad for her and Jayden. I had just welcomed a new daughter into our family and wanted Payten and her new cousin to be BEST GIRL friends. After talking to Crystal and seeing how excited she was to be having her fourth boy I was also just as happy for her.
I remember being scared that Crystal would fall down her stairs and get hurt. Chris is just so short that I feared she would lose her balance and fall down. She did fall but not down her stairs, I remember sitting in the maternity ward waiting room praying to Heavenly Father. Asking him to help Crystal and her little boy get threw this.
I remember being there when little Sage was born he was so perfect. He was the smallest of all of her babies, I was excited that she would get the chance to bring home a little 6 pound baby.
I remember when she had finished painting his room it was awesome. Everything matched so wonderfully I just knew her new son would love his room.
I remember Sage dressing as a clown for Halloween. Crystal pushed him right alongside Payten, when Sage needed to go home to nurse i toke his bag and made sure he had a successful Halloween. (Parents always need candy)
I will always remember holding him and how stiff he would sit he never bent his body. I always laughed and thought it very unique.
I remember seeing him crawl around, he was into everything. I remember being happy for Crystal that she finally had a baby that crawled at an early age.
I remember when she cut his hair, how sweet he looked with his new look.
I remember Crystal feeding Sage his carrots and how happy he was. His little face was orange and he kept on making sweet baby nosies.
Most of all I will forever remember how much Payten loved to give him kisses. She LOVED him, it's like she knew just how special he was. Sage couldn't be in the same room with Payten without her kissing him over and over again.
Most of all I will miss not getting the chance to know him. I will miss not knowing what his favorite animal is, or what he likes in his sipy cup. I will miss seeing him learn how to walk or talk. I will miss not knowing what his favorite foods are and seeing his face when Spencer makes him one of his milk shakes. I will miss hearing all about his first day of school and all the new friends he made. I'm going to miss the bond he and Payten would have had. I know he is in Heavenly Father's arms, doing the work that needs to be done. But I just know how much I'm going to miss him.
I remember when Crystal told me she was having a boy, I felt bad for her and Jayden. I had just welcomed a new daughter into our family and wanted Payten and her new cousin to be BEST GIRL friends. After talking to Crystal and seeing how excited she was to be having her fourth boy I was also just as happy for her.
I remember being scared that Crystal would fall down her stairs and get hurt. Chris is just so short that I feared she would lose her balance and fall down. She did fall but not down her stairs, I remember sitting in the maternity ward waiting room praying to Heavenly Father. Asking him to help Crystal and her little boy get threw this.
I remember being there when little Sage was born he was so perfect. He was the smallest of all of her babies, I was excited that she would get the chance to bring home a little 6 pound baby.
I remember when she had finished painting his room it was awesome. Everything matched so wonderfully I just knew her new son would love his room.
I remember Sage dressing as a clown for Halloween. Crystal pushed him right alongside Payten, when Sage needed to go home to nurse i toke his bag and made sure he had a successful Halloween. (Parents always need candy)
I will always remember holding him and how stiff he would sit he never bent his body. I always laughed and thought it very unique.
I remember seeing him crawl around, he was into everything. I remember being happy for Crystal that she finally had a baby that crawled at an early age.
I remember when she cut his hair, how sweet he looked with his new look.
I remember Crystal feeding Sage his carrots and how happy he was. His little face was orange and he kept on making sweet baby nosies.
Most of all I will forever remember how much Payten loved to give him kisses. She LOVED him, it's like she knew just how special he was. Sage couldn't be in the same room with Payten without her kissing him over and over again.
Most of all I will miss not getting the chance to know him. I will miss not knowing what his favorite animal is, or what he likes in his sipy cup. I will miss seeing him learn how to walk or talk. I will miss not knowing what his favorite foods are and seeing his face when Spencer makes him one of his milk shakes. I will miss hearing all about his first day of school and all the new friends he made. I'm going to miss the bond he and Payten would have had. I know he is in Heavenly Father's arms, doing the work that needs to be done. But I just know how much I'm going to miss him.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Aunt Tamra's Birth Story for Ryan
I have asked Aunt Tamra to please tell one of her stories and she chose to write about Ryan's birth. Thank you Aunt Tamra for taking the time to tell his story.
Two weeks late, but I finally went into labor on Sunday, July 13. It was so exciting to think “today is the day!” I got up that morning at 7:00 a.m. and told Jim, “this is it.” He didn’t believe me but after timing the contractions which I had been having most of the night, we found they were very regular at five minutes apart. By 10:00 a.m. we were on our way to Show Low. Jim’s mom went with us. We went to Aunt Clea’s house and I hung out there all afternoon. We went for a walk, tried to take a nap, and in general, tried to make the time pass. At 3:00 we met Dr. Garver and he checked me and I was only dilated to 4 cm., so he said to meet him at the hospital around 6:00. So we drove around Show Low and the pains kept getting harder and closer, but not near hard enough I was soon to find out!
Mike and Helen showed up thinking we would have a baby here by now and of course we didn’t. But we went to the hospital at 6:00 p.m. and I was given a room next to a lady who was having her 12th child. I was still only dilated to about 5 cm. so Dr. Garver took the other lady in to be delivered because I still had a while.
About 8:00 my water broke and totally soaked the bed I was in. Dr. Garver came in and I said, “Am I just supposed to lay here and wallow in this?” He got quite a chuckle out of me using the word “wallow” and I really think that was my last laugh until Ryan was finally born!
Jim stood by me the whole time and massaged my back and gave me water and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Labor is sure hard work. I had no idea even though I had done some reading about it, but now I had firsthand knowledge! By 9:00 I was finally at 10 cm. and I was so happy that this labor was going to be over soon. The lady next to me was done in 15 minutes or so after she had reached 10 cm. so I was really pleased to learn that. But….
They didn’t take me into the delivery room until 10:30, but I had already been pushing for an hour so I was already feeling exhausted. They suited Jim up and he came in with me. There weren’t many nurses so Dr. Garver invited Jim’s mom to come into the delivery room, too. (OK, so let’s make this a real family affair! Haha) By midnight, I truly felt like giving up when they finally said they could see the head. I was so exhausted that I would almost fall asleep between contractions. Finally at 12:37 a.m. we had our baby boy Ryan. Jim was so proud and happy to have his first son and half a second after he was born I had already forgotten about the pain and the exhaustion because I was so happy, too.
Ryan was in the birth canal so long that he had a very pointed head. Dr. Garver assured us that the swelling would go down. After they cleaned Ryan up, they let me hold him and that was so special. Seeing a newborn that just came from Heavenly Father is a feeling that you don’t soon forget. Jim was so proud that he carried Ryan out to the hallway to show him to everyone who was there. Lots of family had showed up by that time. When they put Ryan in his little bassinet in the nursery, Jim kept hearing people in the hall talking about that BIG baby next to the two smaller newborns. Ryan weighed 9 lb. 3 oz. He was so chubby and he laid in his bassinet and sucked on his forearm until they finally brought him to me to be nursed. He came out one hungry little boy!
Having a baby is an experience like no other and completely changed my life—for the better. I couldn’t have been more blessed. To have three more children after the first was a blessing, too. Each one is different and unique and brought a whole new dimension to our little family. I am indeed blessed to have such a sweet family. I love each one so much!
Two weeks late, but I finally went into labor on Sunday, July 13. It was so exciting to think “today is the day!” I got up that morning at 7:00 a.m. and told Jim, “this is it.” He didn’t believe me but after timing the contractions which I had been having most of the night, we found they were very regular at five minutes apart. By 10:00 a.m. we were on our way to Show Low. Jim’s mom went with us. We went to Aunt Clea’s house and I hung out there all afternoon. We went for a walk, tried to take a nap, and in general, tried to make the time pass. At 3:00 we met Dr. Garver and he checked me and I was only dilated to 4 cm., so he said to meet him at the hospital around 6:00. So we drove around Show Low and the pains kept getting harder and closer, but not near hard enough I was soon to find out!
Mike and Helen showed up thinking we would have a baby here by now and of course we didn’t. But we went to the hospital at 6:00 p.m. and I was given a room next to a lady who was having her 12th child. I was still only dilated to about 5 cm. so Dr. Garver took the other lady in to be delivered because I still had a while.
About 8:00 my water broke and totally soaked the bed I was in. Dr. Garver came in and I said, “Am I just supposed to lay here and wallow in this?” He got quite a chuckle out of me using the word “wallow” and I really think that was my last laugh until Ryan was finally born!
Jim stood by me the whole time and massaged my back and gave me water and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Labor is sure hard work. I had no idea even though I had done some reading about it, but now I had firsthand knowledge! By 9:00 I was finally at 10 cm. and I was so happy that this labor was going to be over soon. The lady next to me was done in 15 minutes or so after she had reached 10 cm. so I was really pleased to learn that. But….
They didn’t take me into the delivery room until 10:30, but I had already been pushing for an hour so I was already feeling exhausted. They suited Jim up and he came in with me. There weren’t many nurses so Dr. Garver invited Jim’s mom to come into the delivery room, too. (OK, so let’s make this a real family affair! Haha) By midnight, I truly felt like giving up when they finally said they could see the head. I was so exhausted that I would almost fall asleep between contractions. Finally at 12:37 a.m. we had our baby boy Ryan. Jim was so proud and happy to have his first son and half a second after he was born I had already forgotten about the pain and the exhaustion because I was so happy, too.
Ryan was in the birth canal so long that he had a very pointed head. Dr. Garver assured us that the swelling would go down. After they cleaned Ryan up, they let me hold him and that was so special. Seeing a newborn that just came from Heavenly Father is a feeling that you don’t soon forget. Jim was so proud that he carried Ryan out to the hallway to show him to everyone who was there. Lots of family had showed up by that time. When they put Ryan in his little bassinet in the nursery, Jim kept hearing people in the hall talking about that BIG baby next to the two smaller newborns. Ryan weighed 9 lb. 3 oz. He was so chubby and he laid in his bassinet and sucked on his forearm until they finally brought him to me to be nursed. He came out one hungry little boy!
Having a baby is an experience like no other and completely changed my life—for the better. I couldn’t have been more blessed. To have three more children after the first was a blessing, too. Each one is different and unique and brought a whole new dimension to our little family. I am indeed blessed to have such a sweet family. I love each one so much!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Amanda's Birth Story
Awhile ago I had asked some very special women to please send me one of their birth stories. I wanted to share their special day with others and hope that it would get Amanda even more excited for her little girl's coming arrival. Do to the tragic loss our family has suffered this week I wasn't sure if this post would be appropriate, but after much thought I have decided to go ahead and post them. We have had so much pain these last few days that I'm hoping that when others read this that they can remember just how special babies are.
My mom has chosen to write Amanda's story since this post was first thought of for her, her story is the first I'm publishing. Mom wanted you all to know that it is long and somethings aren't pretty but it is how she was feeling the day Amanda was born. Since it is long her story will be the only one I post today I understand that many of you are very busy keep on looking at my blog I have so many wonderful stories I want to share.
Amanda's Birth Story
My oldest was born when I was 19 only 10 ½ months after we were married. When Crystal was four months old I learned, much to my surprise, that I was pregnant with baby number two! Someone told me you couldn't get pregnant when you were nursing. I was 20 years old with a 13 month old and a newborn baby. Two beautiful and yet very different little girls. One olive skinned, with brown hair and big brown eyes the other ivory skinned, crystal clear blue eyes and blond hair. One liked dolls the other hated them. One was clean the other messy. They were opposites in every way and wonderful but they kept me so very busy!
I waited a little while before venturing to have number three. But when the spirit started whispering to me that it was time I was excited. I was so sad every month that didn't result in a pregnancy. I had conceived so quickly with the first two so three whole months seemed an eternity. I was two weeks late and so excited to go to the clinic and take the pregnancy test and so sad when that test was negative. I remember driving home from the clinic with silent tears streaming down my face. There was always next month. When another week had gone by and I still hadn't started I mustered up the guts and drove back to the clinic for another test. They seemed a little irritated with me when I asked to be tested again. They grilled me about the dates of my last menstrual period and after some discussion they decided I needed tested again. My heart jumped for joy when this time the results were positive!
I kept waiting for the horrible morning sickness that I'd had with the first two but it never came. I didn't have a single queasy moment the entire pregnancy! It was truly an answer to my prayers. Then one night when I was about 12 weeks along I awakened to a terrible shooting pain in my lower back. I tried to wake Teele but found I couldn't move. Teele being the hard sleeper he was didn't wake up to my shouts for help either. I lay there for hours unable to move so I prayed. About the time the sun came up I slowly started to regain some feeling in my legs. Dr. Garver said I had a kidney infection and some sciatic (sp) nerve problems but that the baby was fine. Other than that the pregnancy was wonderful!
Teele loved his little girls but he longed for a son. While a boy would be nice I really loved little girls and wouldn't mind a third one. He asked me the entire pregnancy, “Well what do you think it is?” With the other two I was positive they were girls but this one had me stumped.
I was due with Amanda July 13th on my 23rd birthday. My first baby was overdue and my second was three weeks early I really wanted this one to be born on the 13th! I was born on my grandma Jordan's birthday so that would have been three generations born on the 13th of July. The night before my due date I took some castor oil with no luck. The morning of the 13th I stood at the kitchen sink and drank what was left of the bottle. I went to bed that night without a single contraction, other than those annoying braxton hicks, but thankful I had suffered no ill side effects from the castor oil.
The Pioneer Day rodeo weekend came and I was 11 days overdue. I packed up the camper and my little girls and we rodeoed for three days. I was miserable! Did I mention I was miserable? The comfortable bed in the camper was over the hood of the truck but I was so bulky (sounds better than fat) I couldn't get up there without a boost from Teele. I knew I would not be able to wake that guy up to give me a boost every 30 minutes all night long so I slept in the bed that was made when the kitchen table was laid down. Again I was miserable! The table bed was low to the ground and very hard and just as I would fall asleep it was time to make another trip to the bathroom. We were camped at the rodeo grounds in Springerville so I would literally fall out of bed. Put on a robe and shoes. Roll out of the camper and waddle to the out house by the grand stands. Only to repeat the process all night long! We went to rodeo's in Show Low, Taylor and finally Pinetop. That last day I was so hot, tired and miserable that I just laid down under a pine tree near the outhouses and slept with people and horses walking all around me and I didn't care! I was past the point of embarrassment! Teele later told me that people kept telling him to, “Get her home she looks miserable!”
At my last Dr's appointment Dr. Garver told me, “Make an appointment for next week and if your still pregnant plan on being induced.” That's what every over due woman loves to hear come out of their Dr.'s mouth! NEXT WEEK? Are you kidding me? Get it out! Get it out right NOW! But instead fat, hot, miserable, shy me said nothing.
The night before my “next” appointment Teele asked the TWO questions I had grown to hate hearing the minute he got home from work. “What no baby?” and “What do you think it is?” If poking out eyes weren't such a permanent thing I would have done it. But I went to bed that night knowing I would be holding my baby this time tomorrow! In the middle of the night I woke up and saw a spirit standing at the foot of my bed. It simply said, “Today you will have a daughter and her name shall be Amanda LaNae.” Then it was gone. I just laid there wondering if I had been pregnant too long and just lost my mind all together or if I had really just been visited by one of Heavenly Father's angels/messengers. I was afraid to say anything but decided I would tell Teele he was having a daughter. He asked how I knew and I told him my story. We hadn't decided on a name at all because we didn't know what we were having. I had never heard the name “LaNae” before and that was what finally convinced me that I had really been visited by an angel.
My appointment was at 3pm and Teele was going with me. I started feeling the contractions early that morning but didn't mention them to Teele. Doy told us we had to go butcher a beef at the ranch in Heber first. We arrived at the cabin, in Heber, about 6:30am. Teele, Larry Gibson and I cut, ground meat, wrapped and labeled an entire beef and finished just in time to drive to my appointment in ShowLow. I had stood in the heat all day bent over a table working my rear off. By noon my contractions were 3 minutes apart and very strong. I hadn't eaten all day and now I was hot, sunburned, tired, starving and my back was killing me. Teele stopped at Circle K to eat a hot dog. Past experience kept me from eating but his hot dog sure smelled good!
When Dr. Garver checked me he said, “Your in active labor.” I replied yes I have been all day. He said he would be back in a little while to break my water and handed Teele a pencil and paper with instructions to time my contractions. When Dr. Garver left the room Teele asked why I hadn't told him I was in labor and I said, “Because your dad would have been mad at me if we didn't get the beef butchered.” Dr. Garver came back later and broke my water then instructed us to meet him at the hospital.
We left and Teele said he wanted to stop at Sonic and eat. So he sat there eating a steak burger and fries and again it smelled really good! I was so hungry and finally decided to have him go into the grocery store and buy me some Jello or some pudding thinking that would not be so hard on my stomach. He went into the store and I sat in the truck in terrible pain. Then I felt another huge gush of water. I continued to sit and wait for Teele when he finally emerged about an hour later I was very mad to say the least. He proceeded to tell me about all the people he ran into that he hadn't seen in a while and how nice it was to get to chat with them! Are you kidding me? Really you've been “chatting”. GET OUT! Get out of the truck and get my suit case I'm not walking into the hospital looking like I wet my pants. He drives me to some lake near the hospital and I change clothes in the truck and cover the seat with the grocery sack.
We make it to the hospital and I'm sitting there waiting for a contraction to pass when I feel another gush of water! Great I'm out of clothes. Teele tried to get me to go in and I refused. Nobody was going to see me like this and with every contraction there was another gush of water. I had him go inside the ER and scope out the area. He came back and told me the coast was clear I could tell he was lying so I sat there. A really bad contraction hit and I new it was either sit there and give birth in the truck or swallow my pride and walk in. We made it to the nurses desk and when we told her who we were she gets on the speaker and says, “Dr. Garver we have found your patient!” Now I'm really embarrassed. If I had known my arrival was going to be announced over the loud speaker I would have given birth in the truck with Chatty Kathy. She takes me to my room and instructs me to get into a gown. I go into the bathroom to change. I could hear Dr. Garver and Teele talking and I start to freak out. I've changed my mind, this hurts too bad, I'm not coming out of this bathroom for love nor money!
I hear knocks on the door. “Honey are you okay?” No answer. More knocking then, “Liz are you okay?” Then Dr. Garver say's “Mrs. Reidhead talk to us!” I finally answer, “I'm fine. You guys go away I've decided not to have this baby. I've changed my mind.” There is a long silence then Dr. Garver say's, “Dear we will get the keys and unlock the door so you might as well come on out.” So I open the door and make my way to the bed. I have my lovely check and I'm told it won't be long. I remember Teele sitting there watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie on TV while I lay there writhing in pain. That's got to be the most frustrating thing, I'm sitting there singing “I am A Child of God” over and over, to myself of course, just trying to get through the pain and hubby is kicked back watching TV. Let's see, he's eaten TWICE, had some nice chats with old friends and now he's watching a movie! That's when I lost it. I demanded he turn off the TV and pretend to be helpful, interested or at the very least concerned. That's when he went for the nurse, “I think it might be time. She gets angry just before she delivers and she's angry.” Sure enough it's time to go to the delivery room. I was pushing when Teele said, “Don't look now but you have company.” I glare at him and say, “What some more old friends to chat with?” I look over at the door and and it's my mother-in-law, Leone, and three of my sister-in-laws, Helen, Paula and Tamra.
My sister-in-law, Tamra, was almost due with her third baby, Tara Lee, and we had the same Dr. so Dr. Garver said, “You could pull up a table and we can deliver both of you while I'm at it.” Tamra said something along the lines of how she wished she could and how tired she was of being pregnant. I felt bad for her.
Then the Dr. told me to stop pushing the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. She had three full wraps around her neck and her little head looked so blue. As soon as those were removed and one last push I was the mother of my third baby girl! During the course of the delivery Leone had made her way to the end of the delivery table and was chatting away with old Dr. Garver while he was stitching me up. He delivered the last of Leone's babies years before so they were old friends. I thought, “Geez what's up with you guys and all the chatting!” Hello I'm getting stitches here.
My little Angel came into the world at 9:55pm, 15 days over due, and weighed 7lbs 1oz. Even though daddy wanted a boy after he saw them working frantically to get the cord untangled from her neck he said he was so relieved he didn't care what it was. Amanda was nothing like her sisters. She slept all night since the day she was born. Was a complete mommy's girl. She didn't like anyone else holding her but me.
After everybody went home my blood pressure dropped and I wasn't allowed out of bed and I wasn't allowed to have the baby in my room. That was hard because I loved that time when I was all alone and could just sit, hold, inspect, talk to and love on my baby.
Teele came to get me that morning and I was home by 10:00am with my barely 12 hour old baby. That was hard because I had a mandatory 3 day stay with Crystal and an extended 4 day stay with Jessica. So 12 hours was very hard! She cried that first night home because my milk hadn't come in yet. I finally got her to drink a little formula but the next night there was plenty of milk. She ate her fill and slept through the night. I remember waking up at 3am and running to the bassinet terrified because she had been asleep for 5 hours! But she was sound asleep! Mommy desperately needed to nurse so I fed her and she slept through the entire feeding and didn't wake up until after 7am! I was so happy! It was like that every night with Amanda. She still treasures her sleep. The girl would konk out at 7 and sleep 12 hours. She is still like that...the girl does love her sleep.
Amanda was my blond headed brown eyed baby. A perfect mix of her two older sisters. She has been a wonderful daughter to raise. Never really giving me any troubles and I'm so excited she is going to have a little angel of her own! I can hardly wait.
My mom has chosen to write Amanda's story since this post was first thought of for her, her story is the first I'm publishing. Mom wanted you all to know that it is long and somethings aren't pretty but it is how she was feeling the day Amanda was born. Since it is long her story will be the only one I post today I understand that many of you are very busy keep on looking at my blog I have so many wonderful stories I want to share.
Amanda's Birth Story
My oldest was born when I was 19 only 10 ½ months after we were married. When Crystal was four months old I learned, much to my surprise, that I was pregnant with baby number two! Someone told me you couldn't get pregnant when you were nursing. I was 20 years old with a 13 month old and a newborn baby. Two beautiful and yet very different little girls. One olive skinned, with brown hair and big brown eyes the other ivory skinned, crystal clear blue eyes and blond hair. One liked dolls the other hated them. One was clean the other messy. They were opposites in every way and wonderful but they kept me so very busy!
I waited a little while before venturing to have number three. But when the spirit started whispering to me that it was time I was excited. I was so sad every month that didn't result in a pregnancy. I had conceived so quickly with the first two so three whole months seemed an eternity. I was two weeks late and so excited to go to the clinic and take the pregnancy test and so sad when that test was negative. I remember driving home from the clinic with silent tears streaming down my face. There was always next month. When another week had gone by and I still hadn't started I mustered up the guts and drove back to the clinic for another test. They seemed a little irritated with me when I asked to be tested again. They grilled me about the dates of my last menstrual period and after some discussion they decided I needed tested again. My heart jumped for joy when this time the results were positive!
I kept waiting for the horrible morning sickness that I'd had with the first two but it never came. I didn't have a single queasy moment the entire pregnancy! It was truly an answer to my prayers. Then one night when I was about 12 weeks along I awakened to a terrible shooting pain in my lower back. I tried to wake Teele but found I couldn't move. Teele being the hard sleeper he was didn't wake up to my shouts for help either. I lay there for hours unable to move so I prayed. About the time the sun came up I slowly started to regain some feeling in my legs. Dr. Garver said I had a kidney infection and some sciatic (sp) nerve problems but that the baby was fine. Other than that the pregnancy was wonderful!
Teele loved his little girls but he longed for a son. While a boy would be nice I really loved little girls and wouldn't mind a third one. He asked me the entire pregnancy, “Well what do you think it is?” With the other two I was positive they were girls but this one had me stumped.
I was due with Amanda July 13th on my 23rd birthday. My first baby was overdue and my second was three weeks early I really wanted this one to be born on the 13th! I was born on my grandma Jordan's birthday so that would have been three generations born on the 13th of July. The night before my due date I took some castor oil with no luck. The morning of the 13th I stood at the kitchen sink and drank what was left of the bottle. I went to bed that night without a single contraction, other than those annoying braxton hicks, but thankful I had suffered no ill side effects from the castor oil.
The Pioneer Day rodeo weekend came and I was 11 days overdue. I packed up the camper and my little girls and we rodeoed for three days. I was miserable! Did I mention I was miserable? The comfortable bed in the camper was over the hood of the truck but I was so bulky (sounds better than fat) I couldn't get up there without a boost from Teele. I knew I would not be able to wake that guy up to give me a boost every 30 minutes all night long so I slept in the bed that was made when the kitchen table was laid down. Again I was miserable! The table bed was low to the ground and very hard and just as I would fall asleep it was time to make another trip to the bathroom. We were camped at the rodeo grounds in Springerville so I would literally fall out of bed. Put on a robe and shoes. Roll out of the camper and waddle to the out house by the grand stands. Only to repeat the process all night long! We went to rodeo's in Show Low, Taylor and finally Pinetop. That last day I was so hot, tired and miserable that I just laid down under a pine tree near the outhouses and slept with people and horses walking all around me and I didn't care! I was past the point of embarrassment! Teele later told me that people kept telling him to, “Get her home she looks miserable!”
At my last Dr's appointment Dr. Garver told me, “Make an appointment for next week and if your still pregnant plan on being induced.” That's what every over due woman loves to hear come out of their Dr.'s mouth! NEXT WEEK? Are you kidding me? Get it out! Get it out right NOW! But instead fat, hot, miserable, shy me said nothing.
The night before my “next” appointment Teele asked the TWO questions I had grown to hate hearing the minute he got home from work. “What no baby?” and “What do you think it is?” If poking out eyes weren't such a permanent thing I would have done it. But I went to bed that night knowing I would be holding my baby this time tomorrow! In the middle of the night I woke up and saw a spirit standing at the foot of my bed. It simply said, “Today you will have a daughter and her name shall be Amanda LaNae.” Then it was gone. I just laid there wondering if I had been pregnant too long and just lost my mind all together or if I had really just been visited by one of Heavenly Father's angels/messengers. I was afraid to say anything but decided I would tell Teele he was having a daughter. He asked how I knew and I told him my story. We hadn't decided on a name at all because we didn't know what we were having. I had never heard the name “LaNae” before and that was what finally convinced me that I had really been visited by an angel.
My appointment was at 3pm and Teele was going with me. I started feeling the contractions early that morning but didn't mention them to Teele. Doy told us we had to go butcher a beef at the ranch in Heber first. We arrived at the cabin, in Heber, about 6:30am. Teele, Larry Gibson and I cut, ground meat, wrapped and labeled an entire beef and finished just in time to drive to my appointment in ShowLow. I had stood in the heat all day bent over a table working my rear off. By noon my contractions were 3 minutes apart and very strong. I hadn't eaten all day and now I was hot, sunburned, tired, starving and my back was killing me. Teele stopped at Circle K to eat a hot dog. Past experience kept me from eating but his hot dog sure smelled good!
When Dr. Garver checked me he said, “Your in active labor.” I replied yes I have been all day. He said he would be back in a little while to break my water and handed Teele a pencil and paper with instructions to time my contractions. When Dr. Garver left the room Teele asked why I hadn't told him I was in labor and I said, “Because your dad would have been mad at me if we didn't get the beef butchered.” Dr. Garver came back later and broke my water then instructed us to meet him at the hospital.
We left and Teele said he wanted to stop at Sonic and eat. So he sat there eating a steak burger and fries and again it smelled really good! I was so hungry and finally decided to have him go into the grocery store and buy me some Jello or some pudding thinking that would not be so hard on my stomach. He went into the store and I sat in the truck in terrible pain. Then I felt another huge gush of water. I continued to sit and wait for Teele when he finally emerged about an hour later I was very mad to say the least. He proceeded to tell me about all the people he ran into that he hadn't seen in a while and how nice it was to get to chat with them! Are you kidding me? Really you've been “chatting”. GET OUT! Get out of the truck and get my suit case I'm not walking into the hospital looking like I wet my pants. He drives me to some lake near the hospital and I change clothes in the truck and cover the seat with the grocery sack.
We make it to the hospital and I'm sitting there waiting for a contraction to pass when I feel another gush of water! Great I'm out of clothes. Teele tried to get me to go in and I refused. Nobody was going to see me like this and with every contraction there was another gush of water. I had him go inside the ER and scope out the area. He came back and told me the coast was clear I could tell he was lying so I sat there. A really bad contraction hit and I new it was either sit there and give birth in the truck or swallow my pride and walk in. We made it to the nurses desk and when we told her who we were she gets on the speaker and says, “Dr. Garver we have found your patient!” Now I'm really embarrassed. If I had known my arrival was going to be announced over the loud speaker I would have given birth in the truck with Chatty Kathy. She takes me to my room and instructs me to get into a gown. I go into the bathroom to change. I could hear Dr. Garver and Teele talking and I start to freak out. I've changed my mind, this hurts too bad, I'm not coming out of this bathroom for love nor money!
I hear knocks on the door. “Honey are you okay?” No answer. More knocking then, “Liz are you okay?” Then Dr. Garver say's “Mrs. Reidhead talk to us!” I finally answer, “I'm fine. You guys go away I've decided not to have this baby. I've changed my mind.” There is a long silence then Dr. Garver say's, “Dear we will get the keys and unlock the door so you might as well come on out.” So I open the door and make my way to the bed. I have my lovely check and I'm told it won't be long. I remember Teele sitting there watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie on TV while I lay there writhing in pain. That's got to be the most frustrating thing, I'm sitting there singing “I am A Child of God” over and over, to myself of course, just trying to get through the pain and hubby is kicked back watching TV. Let's see, he's eaten TWICE, had some nice chats with old friends and now he's watching a movie! That's when I lost it. I demanded he turn off the TV and pretend to be helpful, interested or at the very least concerned. That's when he went for the nurse, “I think it might be time. She gets angry just before she delivers and she's angry.” Sure enough it's time to go to the delivery room. I was pushing when Teele said, “Don't look now but you have company.” I glare at him and say, “What some more old friends to chat with?” I look over at the door and and it's my mother-in-law, Leone, and three of my sister-in-laws, Helen, Paula and Tamra.
My sister-in-law, Tamra, was almost due with her third baby, Tara Lee, and we had the same Dr. so Dr. Garver said, “You could pull up a table and we can deliver both of you while I'm at it.” Tamra said something along the lines of how she wished she could and how tired she was of being pregnant. I felt bad for her.
Then the Dr. told me to stop pushing the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. She had three full wraps around her neck and her little head looked so blue. As soon as those were removed and one last push I was the mother of my third baby girl! During the course of the delivery Leone had made her way to the end of the delivery table and was chatting away with old Dr. Garver while he was stitching me up. He delivered the last of Leone's babies years before so they were old friends. I thought, “Geez what's up with you guys and all the chatting!” Hello I'm getting stitches here.
My little Angel came into the world at 9:55pm, 15 days over due, and weighed 7lbs 1oz. Even though daddy wanted a boy after he saw them working frantically to get the cord untangled from her neck he said he was so relieved he didn't care what it was. Amanda was nothing like her sisters. She slept all night since the day she was born. Was a complete mommy's girl. She didn't like anyone else holding her but me.
After everybody went home my blood pressure dropped and I wasn't allowed out of bed and I wasn't allowed to have the baby in my room. That was hard because I loved that time when I was all alone and could just sit, hold, inspect, talk to and love on my baby.
Teele came to get me that morning and I was home by 10:00am with my barely 12 hour old baby. That was hard because I had a mandatory 3 day stay with Crystal and an extended 4 day stay with Jessica. So 12 hours was very hard! She cried that first night home because my milk hadn't come in yet. I finally got her to drink a little formula but the next night there was plenty of milk. She ate her fill and slept through the night. I remember waking up at 3am and running to the bassinet terrified because she had been asleep for 5 hours! But she was sound asleep! Mommy desperately needed to nurse so I fed her and she slept through the entire feeding and didn't wake up until after 7am! I was so happy! It was like that every night with Amanda. She still treasures her sleep. The girl would konk out at 7 and sleep 12 hours. She is still like that...the girl does love her sleep.
Amanda was my blond headed brown eyed baby. A perfect mix of her two older sisters. She has been a wonderful daughter to raise. Never really giving me any troubles and I'm so excited she is going to have a little angel of her own! I can hardly wait.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Daddy's Day Off
For the next three days John is HOME and we all love having him around. Our house is filled with laughter, teasing and of course the occasional argument (don't want you all to think it's always perfect) We don't always have the money to go out and do things but we do make sure that we have fun at home. Today he jumped on the tramp with the girls, chased them around the house, danced with them to footloose, swung Payten around and laughed when she fell down (that's always funny) He played the Wii tank game with Kaitlen and didn't handle her beating him to well! I think he just let her win to make her happy. Then we played around of Tiger Woods Golf and of course he beat the pants off of us! I love that we can stay home and still have such a fun time together!
I don't know why he is wearing Payten's blankie but is was sure funny, even Payten was laughing at him. Maybe he thought he was Rocky as he beat us at golf.
Wii Fun !!
We love our Daddy!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Bus Stop Lunch
Today I was chatting with Mom online and I was telling her that I was bored and was thinking about walking the mile too Kaitlen's bus stop just for something to do. Then mom suggested I pack a lunch and walk the girls to the bus stop and have a picnic inside the little hut at the bus stop. So I made lunches, grabbed the sun screen and a blanket and we were on our way. I didn't tell Kaitlen what I was up too she thought that I was making her go clean cat poop at some lady's house she was very annoyed at me and did not want to go on our adventure.
(let me explain the cat poop lady) Sunday night I told Kaitlen that since she had the next two weeks off that I found her a job cleaning cat poop for a lady named June. I told her since she had to go to the doctor and had a birthday that she needed to pull her weight in the family. Every morning she wakes up and says that June lady must have forgotten to come get me!! I know it's mean but she is SO much fun to tease.
(let me explain the cat poop lady) Sunday night I told Kaitlen that since she had the next two weeks off that I found her a job cleaning cat poop for a lady named June. I told her since she had to go to the doctor and had a birthday that she needed to pull her weight in the family. Every morning she wakes up and says that June lady must have forgotten to come get me!! I know it's mean but she is SO much fun to tease.
Ready to GO!
Leaving our house.
The view from the front of our house.
Not even ten minutes into our walk and Payten falls down and hurts her knee.
Another dirt road half way to the bus stop!
Payten showing Kaitlen her Knee, Kaitlen felt really bad for her she calls Payten a survivor because Payten didn't even cry.
This house has a wheel in the front yard so we stoped and snapped a picture!
The same house with the wheel has been abandoned for as long as we have lived here. It creeps me out that someone would just walk away from their house, I think that someone is dead inside and no one knows.
The bus stop hut!
I had the girl's pick wild flower's along the way we made vase's and laid down our blanket. Kaitlen is still thinking that the cat poop lady is coming to get her. She also thinks I'm crazy for eating at the bus stop.
EATING LUNCH!
On our way back Payten got tired she found a nice place to sit!
I recommended a short cut home and ended up with a LARGE piece of cactus in my shoe(toe)
Home at last!
Payten fell asleep with in minutes of being home!!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Mother Nature
Yesterday Kaitlen and I where watching some Kid show on Disney when a commercial came on advertising Tampax Pearl. "Mother Nature" was there giving this women her monthly gift. After the commercial Kaitlen asked me if I get my gift from mother nature. I was taken off guard with her question thank goodness she was mad that this whole time mother nature had been skipping her that she didn't realize I hadn't answered her. I told her that she was to young to understand the mother nature monthly gift and that one day I would let her in on the gift. She then told me she knows I get a gift each month because I have special toilet paper in my bathroom (referring to my tampons) I just laughed and asked her what kind of gift she thinks I get each month in a very know it all tone she tells me I get new makeup each month and she wants her gift too. When John got home I told him about our conversation and he and I both agree she is still to young to fully understand "mother nature" so for now she thinks that mommy gets new make up each month. Honestly that would be so much better then the real 'gift'.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
I Screamed Like a Little Girl
I love Spring time, everything is coming to life the kids can play outside plus it's not hot yet. Today was one of those days, Kaitlen and Payten had been outside most of the morning (Kaitlen had half day) I was folding my laundry on the couch and watching my favorite talk show 'Today with Kathy Lee and Hoda' When I heard the girls come inside, Payten came straight to me I gave her a hug and then kissed her cheek. Then she showed me what she found outside. I screamed so loud and got so freaked out that she started to cry all the while the poor little thing she was holding was slowly dieing because she was smashing it to death. Refusing to touch it Kaitlen brings me a kitchen towel to lay it on, by this time it's already dead. I felt so dumb for reacting so childish over her little caterpillar warm (I think that's what it is)I'm so surprised that she even picked it up and played with it, poor little girl was so excited to show her mommy what she had found and I screamed at her. Kaitlen laughed the entire time she had tears rolling down her cheeks.
Rest in Peace little warm thing.
Rest in Peace little warm thing.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mini Mouse Sunglasses
Almost five years ago my Mom and sisters and a very close family friend all went to California for ten days. We did so many fun things together my favorite was Disneyland. While we were there my Mom bought each of her grand babies a special gift. Kaitlen's was a princess piggy bank and a pair of Mini mouse sunglasses. We still have them, each time the tooth fairy visits Kaitlen she puts her money in her bank. However the phase to wear her sunglasses has faded out. Fortunately Payten loves to wear them so I still can get a good laugh in!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Hurry This is your one time chance to get something made by ME
The first FIVE people to respond to this post will get something made by me personally. What I make is my choice, but it will be made JUST FOR YOU! My choice. For you. However, (like all things that sound too good to be true :), this offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- There is no guarantee that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you personally.
3- It will be completed sometime this year.
4- You will receive no clues as to what it's going to be. I'll let you post a request of some sort with your comment, but still... it could be anything!
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange if I so desire... it may blow your mind! Or it may not. It may be very simple and predictable... but hopefully you will benefit from it!And like most things that sound too good to be true, there is a catch. You must re-post this on your blog and offer the same deal to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. Not too bad, huh? In fact, I think it'll be a lot of fun!!So-- on your mark, get set, GO! The first 5 people to leave a comment telling me they posted this on their blog and want to win a free, FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift from me will receive just that!!! **Remember: You have to tell me in your post that you've posted this on your blog before you can be guaranteed one of the five slots!** Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!
1- There is no guarantee that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you personally.
3- It will be completed sometime this year.
4- You will receive no clues as to what it's going to be. I'll let you post a request of some sort with your comment, but still... it could be anything!
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange if I so desire... it may blow your mind! Or it may not. It may be very simple and predictable... but hopefully you will benefit from it!And like most things that sound too good to be true, there is a catch. You must re-post this on your blog and offer the same deal to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. Not too bad, huh? In fact, I think it'll be a lot of fun!!So-- on your mark, get set, GO! The first 5 people to leave a comment telling me they posted this on their blog and want to win a free, FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift from me will receive just that!!! **Remember: You have to tell me in your post that you've posted this on your blog before you can be guaranteed one of the five slots!** Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!
Monday, March 9, 2009
GOOD BYE MOP
OK I know you have all seen the commercial with the lady mopping her floor with her Swiffer WetJet. While her old mop is outside looking in the window then the mop sends her some flowers trying to get back on her good side. I'm usually not the type of person who has to have the latest thing but ever since we moved into our home with ALL tile floors I have wanted a WetJet. Payten always has her hands in the bucket and I hate how wet the floor gets. Plus seeing all the dirt in the bottom of the bucket is gross. I was so excited when my mop slowly started losing pieces of it's head. Each time I would mop 3-4 pieces would fall off until I had only 3 lonely pieces of cloth left on my mop stick. I had been telling John that our poor mop was going threw some serious Kemo treatments and now it was almost bald. So to my surprise he brought me home my very own WetJet. I used it today and LOVE it. It was so easy that I went to the girl's room and moped just because I wasn't done playing with it yet. So if you are wondering about the WetJet it works and is so much easier then an old mop and bucket.
I had to add my ALL dryer sheets in the picture I was so excited when I found my favorite dryer sheets at our local Dollar General for only a buck!! I love having clean smelling clothes and sheets.
I had to add my ALL dryer sheets in the picture I was so excited when I found my favorite dryer sheets at our local Dollar General for only a buck!! I love having clean smelling clothes and sheets.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Self Portrait
When Kaitlen started her new school back in September she was so excited because, her new school has music, library, computers, P.E and art class. She loves getting to participate in all of them. For nearly 2 months she would come home on Tuesdays and tell me all about her 'self portrait' she was making in art. One Tuesday she came home very upset because her picture came up missing. Her art teacher allowed her to start over again by this time Kaitlen said that all the cool art stuff had been used up. A couple of days ago Kaitlen brought me home her painting, I have laughed (in secret) over her art work. When I asked her why her face was orange she told me in a very annoyed tone 'all the skin color was gone' I LOVE kids!!
I know that I don't have much longer and her pictures will change. She will soon judge herself way to harshly. The over sized eye will be perfectly shaped and her orange face will most defiantly be skin color. So right now I cherish these little moments and look forward to the next.
I know that I don't have much longer and her pictures will change. She will soon judge herself way to harshly. The over sized eye will be perfectly shaped and her orange face will most defiantly be skin color. So right now I cherish these little moments and look forward to the next.
Friday, March 6, 2009
MP3
All Kaitlen wanted for her birthday was an MP3 player, after much thought John and I agreed that she could have one. We didn't buy her the best it only holds about 150 songs. Kaitlen loves her MP3, of course she yells at you when she is talking and she is always singing a song out loud. John made the mistake of letting Payten have a listen and now I'm thinking that when Pay turns 2 she is going to be asking for an MP3 player just like her sister's.
She was singing to Taylor Swift in this picture!
I just thought she looked cute so I took these. I LOVE LOVE her smile !
She was singing to Taylor Swift in this picture!
I just thought she looked cute so I took these. I LOVE LOVE her smile !
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Bows
I have noticed that in almost every picture Payten looks homeless. Yesterday I took her picture as soon as she was dressed and hair comb just so I can feel better about myself and show everyone that she does get her hair comb and clean clothes everyday.
9 A.M.
10:30 A.M. Her bow is almost out and she is getting some fly aways.
NOON! She has a new outfit and no bow. From the looks of her shirt she needs a clean one already!
9 A.M.
10:30 A.M. Her bow is almost out and she is getting some fly aways.
NOON! She has a new outfit and no bow. From the looks of her shirt she needs a clean one already!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
I take Blankie everywhere
Ever since little miss Pay Pay was born she has had her favorite blanket. It was a gift from my sister in law who lives in Montana. This particular blanket has a hood on it with cute soft bear ears. When Payten puts the hood on it's really adorable. We can't go any were without her blankie or else our ears hear about it the entire time we are gone. Payten has gotten so attached to her blankie that it even goes out side with her. As I have mentioned before John and I don't have a plush grassy yard we have HUGE pieces of cactus and dirt. We don't want to spend the money on a yard not until we decide if we want to buy our house. So until then this is my afternoon.
This happens daily, I can usually try and hide blankie but some how she manages to find it or I just forget to hide it. I can't in good conscious let her sleep with a sticker in feasted blanket so before bed time her blankie gets washed and she stands by the washer most of the cycle, it's a good day when she lets me dry it.
This happens daily, I can usually try and hide blankie but some how she manages to find it or I just forget to hide it. I can't in good conscious let her sleep with a sticker in feasted blanket so before bed time her blankie gets washed and she stands by the washer most of the cycle, it's a good day when she lets me dry it.
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