Monday, April 27, 2009

ATTEMPTED Family Pictures

So, we took the kids to try and get some family pictures before Jed deployed. They were not exactly cooperative, that's for sure... Keep in mind too that I had just had a baby 8 days before, so don't look at my belly....but other than that enjoy!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Deployment

Well, Jed officially left yesterday for Iraq. We dropped him off at battalion headquarters around 11 in the morning for his weapons draw. Then, we went back to the gym at West Fort Hood where we were allowed close to four hours to spend hanging out with Jed and then to say our goodbyes.
Then, the girls and I came home and Alyssa slept for the rest of the night...so almost 14 hours, she was apparently exhausted! Jed was able to text us for a while from the airport because they got stuck waiting for their plane which was stuck in Atlanta with engine trouble. They just put them on the next flight instead so they ended up leaving a little after 10 pm.
Jed called me from Minnesota around 3:30 this morning and they had a layover there, changed crew, refueled and then were headed to Amsterdam for one more stop before going the rest of the way to Kuwait. I haven't heard anymore from there, but wanted to update anyone who may be waiting to hear. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Kimber Lynn

My darling Kimber has arrived and is now almost 2 1/2 days old. If you have a weak stomach, now is the spot to just skip to the pictures, since she was by far my worst labor of my three girls.
Many of you know that the last week and a half of my pregnancy with Kimber she was back and forth between breech and vertex about three times. Anyway, I had also had elevated blood pressures, so Dr. Izu (who is wonderful) put me on the induction list for last Wednesday. To make a long story short, they didn't have room Wednesday, and actually called me at about 12:45 in the morning on Thursday to come in and start the process. Once we got to the hospital the nurse started all my intake stuff, started my IV and started my pitosin just before 2 in the morning. Then, about 3:15 or so Dr. Izu came in and broke my water, then they came in to give me my epidural around 3:45. At that point I was only about a 3, but since they had broken my water they went ahead and started my epidural. Anyway, she missed the first time and got me on the second stick, so that gave me a little relief for about two hours. But, then I started feeling more and more pain and I just figured my labor was getting harder. Anyway, by the time the shift changed, my new nurse checked me and I was only at a five, even though I was having to bear down some to just make it through the contractions. She decided to have the anestesiologist come in and check on me and he discovered that my epidural catheter had come out of my back (no wonder it hurt so badly!). So, by now it was about 8:30 in the morning and they finally got in a working epidural, at which point I mostly went to sleep, or at least was able to relax a little between each contraction.
A little before 10:00 I became rather alert and was really feeling like I needed to push, so I called in the nurse and she told me that I was complete and they were going to take me into the delivery room, where she would have me push most of the way and then call the doctor. We got down there and I think she had me push about 3 times before she called the doctor in, then with one or two more pushes Kimber was born at 10:16 am on the 16th of April. She weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. (exactly what I did as a baby....I'm sorry mom!) and was 21 inches long. She was beautiful and I adore her already. So, the labor was pretty rough, until I finally got a working epidural, plus she was my biggest baby (by nearly 2 pounds) so I'm pretty sore.
Kimber was far more interested in sleeping than eating and so she slept for about 4 hours before I could even get her to wake up enough to try. She is a champion nurser, which I was pretty happy about since my other two had a really hard time. Anyway, since she was a big baby, they had to do periodic blood sugars and at one point she was only at a 27...which landed her in the NICU with an IV in her head to get her some immediate sugar. It was extremely sad to watch them try to get an IV in her because they hit veins in both wrists, but then they would blow when they tried to put the fluids through. I know I don't like IV's so I'm sure they weren't pleasant for her either. Anyway, they were checking her blood sugar every three hours, before each feeding, and once she finally got it up it only fell hard one time. So, by Friday mid-morning they started weening her off her IV fluids to see if she would maintain her sugar levels on her own. It took until 5 this morning (Saturday) but they were able to get the IV off and she kept her levels up enough for us to finally be discharged around 5 this afternoon. It is so nice to be home and she really is a very good baby. She wakes up to eat but then sleeps rather well, even with her crazy sisters around. =)
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I hope you enjoy the pictures!








Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter

I love Easter as it is a wonderful reminder of our Savior's sacrifice on our behalf. I'm so grateful that that Atonement is infinite and eternal and all encompassing.
My other favorite part of Easter growing up was always getting a new dress. Well, here are the dresses my girls got this year. Sorry the pictures aren't that great, my girls don't like to sit still for pictures!

Again

So, Kimber is breech again. I'm not going to attempt a version again, just have her sectioned hopefully sometime this week. I will keep you posted and have Jed post pictures as soon as she arrives. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Better News....

So I went in yesterday to attempt an ECV (external cephalic vertion) to flip Kimber. I got there about 9 in the morning and we spent a little while just monitoring the baby. She was obviously still head up by how high the monitors needed to be to pick up her heartbeat. Anyway, around 10 or so the nurse tried to start an IV in case anything went wrong and they had to do an emergency section. She tried twice before she gave up and had the anastesiologist come in to put in my IV. The doctor finally came in and we talked for a while about what he was going to do an all the possible side effects they have to tell you, blah blah blah. Anyway, he left again for a bit and then came back to do an ultrasound and see exactly where she was and the best way to try to flip her. Turns out sometime in all that laying and waiting she flipped herself and was head down when he did the ultrasound. Yay! He then stripped my membranes and I've been having contractions on and off since yesterday, but nothing quite enough to send me back in yet. If I haven't had her by next Wednesday they will induce me. I'm just grateful that for now we have avoided the c-section and I pray she stops acting like a gymnast for the time being!

Monday, April 06, 2009

The dreaded words.....

So I went in for my NST this morning and once a week they also do an ultrasound to check fluids for the baby. Anyway, during my ultrasound they discovered that sometime since I was last checked the baby flipped and is now breech. Oh joy. So, they are going to try an external eversion this Wednesday and if it doesn't work, I have a scheduled c-section for next Tuesday. I know she will be fine, but it's just the fear of the unknown at this point...

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Updates

There really isn't much going on around here right now. I'm still pregnant, and Jed is still getting ready to deploy. He leaves the 28th. They set me for induction the 15th at my last appointment, though I'm still hoping to have this baby before then. Jed has been on leave for a little over a week now, so we have had fun having daddy home. The girls just adore him to no end! I put in our notice to move out at the end of the month, so we will have lots of packing to do as soon as possible. We are just going to do it a little at a time and then Jed's dad is going to come out and help me drive a small uhaul or big van or something back to Arizona so that I can take enough stuff for the whole year.
Alyssa and Hailey are little balls of energy and Hailey is forever talking about her next little sister. Every night in her prayers she says, "thank you for mommy, daddy, Alyssa, Kimber....and ME!" It is pretty cute. I love my girls and am looking forward to holding my next one, hopefully sooner rather than later! I hope everyone (all two of you that may read this) is having a good weekend. Love ya!