Maggie's blessing day!

We blessed Maggie about a week and a half after she came off oxygen, on December 2, 2012.  It was so nice to be at church after a long, long absence.  

I really, really wish that I had a picture of the whole family together but such is life with Dad as the bishop and only me to man the camera.  

We sure do love our sweet Maggie.  It's so wonderful to have her home and off oxygen.  What a special girl, and blessing she is in our home. 

Carson turns 3!!

I'm so proud of this kiddo.  He's made it to 3!  Way to go Carson.  

Here are some fun facts about our Carson boy:

1. He loves guns, and swords.  He's constantly turning my wooden spoons and spatulas into weapons.

2.  He's very affectionate.  I love it.  He is always saying sweet things like "Mom, you know I love you right?"  

3. He hates getting his hair cut.

4. He loves to be the center of attention

5.  He loves to follow around and play barbies with his sister Camrie (He's always Prince Donio).

6. He can eat his weight in crazy bread, good thing its cheap!

 7. He's allergic to peanut butter.  So sad!

8. He's only in the 2% for height.  Poor guy got mama's genes.

9. He's got a very expressive face!

10.  He is always making us smile, and laugh.  He is such a happy, silly boy.

  We love you Nater Gator!

Maggie Jewels

I found out that I was pregnant in January and we were all so very excited.  After having suffered an ectopic pregnany and the loss of my right fallopian tube in September of 2011 we were a little nervous that getting pregnant was going to be difficult or maybe even impossible.  

We were excited to tell our children, especially Camrie since she knew that our last baby went home to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus.  She was so thrilled.  

This pregnancy was difficult.  Very. Difficult.  And so very different from the others.  I was very sick the first trimester, the second trimester I battled debilitating headaches that would last for days at a time with no relief.  After a few weeks of feeling good, I had the strongest urge to get ready for baby.  I cleaned, set up Maggies room, shopped and stocked up the house with toiletries and food, froze meals, and had a fun summer in the pool with the kids.  I was grateful that I did because the third trimester I started having difficulties with high blood pressure.  Starting at 30 weeks I was in the hospital 2 times every week doing labs and non-stress stress tests, watching closely for signs that preeclampsia had settled in.  I was put on bed rest and at first I was not happy about it.  Who has time for bed rest?  But after a few weeks I started to get sicker and sicker.  

At 35 weeks and 5 days, I went into the hospital with a terrible headache.  I was sent to see a perinatologist and she said that I had preeclampsia, that being pregnant was too big of a risk to me,  a bigger risk to my health than the risk of having a baby born prematurely.  Within a matter of minutes after the decision was made I was gowned up, and had my epidural and was put on mag (a terrible medication to help regulate bp. Yuck.), and the pitocin was starting my contractions.  

My Doctor decided to prick my water and create a slow leak to help Maggie's head come down into the pelvis so I would start dilating.  Accidentally my water was ruptured and Maggie came crashing down on top of the umbilical cord and for the next few minutes after I had a contraction her heart rate would drop into the 60's and 70's.  We made the decision to get Maggie out and fast.  

I was wheeled into a big, bright operating room.  They lifted me onto the operating table and I heard the doctors asking which way they preferred for the blood to run... Scary!  I was hooked up to a heart rate monitor and could hear my heart racing, and I was embarrassed because I knew that they knew that I was scared.  

The surgery was a pretty quick procedure, Maggie's shoulders got stuck and so they spent some extra time tugging her out but other than that it went great.  Once she was out I didn't hear her cry.  I could hear them talking about her but I didn't hear her and it scared me.  I kept asking and the anesthesiologist what was going on and he wouldn't answer me.  Turns out the receiving Nurse, Sheri (who became a very good friend through the weeks ahead) had to do some rescue breathing to get Maggie going.  They took her to the nursery and thankfully everything looked great!  She was born at 10:02, weighing 6'5, and was 18 1/2 inches long.  

She was so tiny! So precious and, of course, true to form she came out with a nicely bruised face, and just like her brother Carson, she was given a sign for the side of her bed saying "I'm bruised, but check anyway".  I love my purple little babies.

Maggie stayed with me for two days.  Camrie and Carson came to see her and boy did they, and still do, love holding and loving on her.  Carson was nervous and kept saying that he was going to pinch her, but Camrie couldn't get enough baby loves.

After having Maggie with me for two days a Nurse thought that she was looking a little more blue than normal and she was hooked up to a pulse oximeter to check the oxygen levels in her blood.  Sure enough my sweet baby was de-sating every few minutes, she would start breathing really rapidly to bring her levels up and then would tire out and the levels would drop once again.  After about 30 minutes the Doctor ordered her to be admitted to the level 2 nursery (NICU).   At first they just thought she was tired, or that she could possibly have an infection so they hooked her up to an IV and gave her antibiotics and decided to watch and see what she would do.  I was told at first that she was a strong baby and would be coming out in a few days.     

Maggie's bilirubin went up while in  the NICU and they put her in the cutest little goggles and lay her under UV lights for 24 hours. 

After the she was taken off the bilirubin she had another de-sat episode, and then another, and another.  She was put on oxygen.  She was doing well with her bottle feedings but once she started to de-sat she stopped eating as well.  This little girl had tried for so long to do all that we had required of her that finally she just tired out, and sadly it was manifested in her breathing and eating.  Its a scary experience to watch your baby struggle with such a necessary function.  So we hunkered down for the long haul.  We knew now that what she needed was rest more than anything.  They oxygen and feeding tube was the rest she needed.  She was able to sleep with no interruptions for feedings.

I was not prepared for how hard it would be to be home without my baby.  I went twice everyday to the hospital at 10:30 and 7:30.  I was able to hold, change and feed her.  I cried every time I left her in the hospital.

Every. Single. Time.

Each night before going to bed I mentally went over what I would do, and how I would get to her in case of emergency.  At night I kept her dirty clothes between me and Russ.  Just so that I could have her smell nearby.  

Russ gave her a beautiful blessing one night.   It made me smile to have her meet her Daddy in church clothes.  He's in them quite a lot, and I explained that she would have to get used to them, and that he would have to get used to spit up on his shoulder.  

After 17 LONG days.  Maggie Jewels came home.  She was kept on the oxygen for another 4 weeks after coming home.  

Overall, I was so very pleased with the quality of care that she received.  I had such a great respect for her nurses and knew that they were taking good care of my baby when I was not able to.  I am so grateful for modern medicine!  Without it I wouldn't have my little Magpie.

So much to Blog about... almost a whole year in fact

I've been absent from the blogging world for almost a year.  Shame on me!  Please forgive me as I bombard you with pictures and memories galore.  It's been a wonderful year....

We started with Scott living in our basement working as a ski instructor, he got into a car accident and my garage turned into his shop.  He completely tore his car apart and then successfully put it back together.  I cannot believe that it is still running!  Good work Scott. 

In July Russ' cousin Andrea passed away after contracting bacterial meningitis.  She left behind her wonderful husband and 3 very sweet daughters.  We were reminded, in a very real way, of the miracle that our Savior is.  This family is forever.  What a blessing this knowledge is.

This photo was taken on the day that Andrea died.  We were in the garden center of Walmart.  I think life became a more about the moments and the memories and less about the everyday stresses and "to do" lists.  

 Russ and I in Vegas after attending Andrea's funeral.  It's a terrible picture of us but sadly one of the only ones that I got this year.  I need to be better about that.

 

We found an awesome little man-made lake in Daybreak this year and had a good time letting the kids wade in the water and get covered in sand.  They LOVED playing in the water.  Silly Carson didn't want to take his shirt off because it wasn't modest.  Funny boy!  Looking at this picture makes me excited to go back again!

My family came into town and we had a great time with them.  This was all of us after my brother Dallin had a concert at BYU.  It was so nice to be able to spend time with my family.  Oklahoma is so far away.  Notice my sisters arm is in a cast... She broke it about 5 minutes after they pulled into town long boarding down our street. 

Camrie turned 5!  She got this way awesome new bike.  We live on a pretty hilly street and so she was pretty nervous she did a great job.  My Camrie is so fun to have around.  This girl loves summer!  In the summer she lives on playing outside, swimming, and eating popsicles.  I can't believe that I have a 5 year old!

She started a preschool program called Learning Dynamics and she is doing such a great job.  I was worried about her being so young in kindergarten (she turned 5, 7 days before the deadline) and so we decided to hold her back.  It was the best decision we could have made.  She is excelling in this program and is doing such a great job learning to read.  I'm so proud of her!

Carson is too cool for school.  Really, the kid is cool.  He likes his hats, and his swords, and loves terrorizing his big sister.  He can be a stinker at times but he has a heart of gold, and has such a playful spirit.  He is one fun kid to be around and is always making us laugh.

We were able to go to Bear Lake with the cousins for a day and had so much fun playing around and camping.  We had never been to Bear Lake and have decided to make it a yearly tradition.  

Of course we had to go to cheer on our Cougars this summer.   We got to go with G&G Clayton to the game and felt like rotisserie chickens, the sun was so HOT!  The kids LOVE going to the games and getting "pockcorn and soda" but they HATE Cosmo.  Seriously, every time he comes any where within their radar they scream, even though we are 100 rows away... Ridiculous! 

This was the story of life for 6 weeks this year.  Because of pregnancy complications I got to spend 6 weeks of my summer on bed rest.   Not. Fun.  and really, not possible with children.

Camrie and Carson posing before church.  Sometimes its hard to believe that they are siblings.  They look like polar opposites.  It makes me laugh.  They are such a joy in life, I am so blessed to be their mother.  

so far 2012 has been a great year!  Too bad it's almost over already.

It's been a while...

But we are doing so very well!

Life is good.