Some Leah Pictures

Here as some Leah pictures...enjoy!

after a snack, something was funny to her :)



snug as a bug on a rug

Leah Katelyn

Our last week has been a busy one. Last Sunday, I called 911 while Jeremy was having his second seizure that day. He was taken to the ER, then admitted to the ICU because he had taken quite a bite on his tongue and it was so swollen the doctors were worried about him having problems with breathing and swallowing. He was in the ICU for a day, then transferred to a regular room and stayed there one day and was released on Tuesday. The doctors upped his medication amount. I am now gonna be a nag about making sure he takes his medication when he's supposed to. I think he'd rather me be a nag, than going back to the hospital because of a seizure. He hated being on a liquid diet. And don't tell anyone, but I smuggled him in an Arby's sandwich one afternoon. When he was released, we went to a pizza buffet, I think he may have ate his weight in pizza!

Then on Thursday, we really got quite the surprise. Leah Katelyn made her very unexpected appearance on August 18, 2011 at 4:27pm. A week earlier, I had a version because she was breech. It went quick and they confirmed she was head down. Sometime in the next week, she decided to turn back. So on August 18, I was scheduled to have another version. After they tried to get an IV in me with 3 separate pokes, I said enough, we weren't gonna go any further. So she was not turned. We had a few days until my next scheduled pre-natal appointment to figure out what we'd like to do; turn her again, wait until I go into labor naturally and do a c-section or wait longer, turn her and induce labor.

I go back to work and around noonish something didn't feel right. I felt like I was leaking amniotic fluid. I called the clinic and they suggested I come in to check it out. By the time I get to the clinic, I was convinced that my water had broke. The doctor confirmed what I already knew. They did a quick ultrasound to confirm she was not head down. Leah gave us no choice to decide how she was gonna be born, a c-section it was to be. So I called Jeremy, headed to the hospital, and she was born via c-section that afternoon.  She was 6 lbs, 2 oz and 20 inches long.

Later that afternoon the doctors were concerned about her and drew blood to find out she had a high white cell count. They immediately started antibiotics via IV. They had to stick her several times and ended up getting the IV in her foot. They also had her on oxygen and an oxygen saturation monitor. She was wired up for a few days. We also were having a hard time getting started on breastfeeding. After 48 hours, Leah's blood culture showed nothing of concern, so the IV was taken out, along with the oxygen. She had the sensor on for a few more hours before the doctor was certain she was ok on room air. We got released from the hospital on Sunday. Leah made waves on her way into this world. It was not the way I had wanted, but we have a beautiful baby girl and that's all that matters to us.

We are sick of the hospital and hope not to see it again for a very long time!

Selfish Me

I've had this post floating around in my head for a few weeks now, but I've been sort of reluctant to write it down. I keep thinking that it makes me selfish, or greedy, or a bunch of other non-complimentary words. This pregnancy has been the hardest one on me…blame it on the fact that I'm older or blame it on the fact the last part occurred in the hottest part of summer or blame in the fact I have perfected complaining…but here it is.

I'm excited to have this baby for several reasons, but one of the highest on my list is the fact I'll get my body back. I'll get back a nose that's not stuffy. I'll get back fingers I can wear my wedding ring on. I'll get back the ability to walk up stairs without getting winded. I'll get back the ability to walk, not waddle. I'll get back the chance to sleep on my back. I won't dissolve into tears at a moments notice. I'll get back the usually cheery disposition (Jeremy can attest to the fact, I'm always grumpy!)

It's not only the things that I'll get back, it's the things I'll lose that I'm looking forward to as well. Besides the obvious belly, I'll lose the burn of round ligament pain. I'll lose complications that most pregnant women get that you don't want me to delve into. I'll lose a body that's always hot and/or sweaty. I'll lose the rapid change in mood swings. I'll lose the eyes staring at my belly…yes, I do see you.  And by no means is this list complete!

There is one big thing that I don't want back, but I know will come back…pain from RA and having to go back on medication.

The #1 reason I'm most excited to have this baby…well, I'll get a beautiful baby girl, of course!

I have 4 weeks left until my due date. I'd much enjoy having this baby sooner rather than later, but I don't have much say in that. Grace's first day of school is August 24 and I'd rather not be in the hospital for that. Grace was born a week late and was given an eviction notice (she was induced). Anna came 2 weeks early all on her own. I keep thinking about things that could go wrong, that I can't do it again, how labor's gonna start. And I keep thinking back to the day each of the girls was born, the miracle that Jeremy and I created. (See, I'm getting teary eyed right now!) Then I think about life with a newborn and 2 big girls…can I handle it?

I have a quote at my desk. "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."

Garden Goodies

Some of the first things to come from our garden.  And some of the peas didn't make it from the garden to the house, a-hem.

Then I hear from some of my Facebook friends how much they are getting from their garden and get disappointed that this is all I'm getting.  But then I remember our growing season is very short and I do live at 6000 feet or so above sea level....so I think I'm not doing so bad.  The beans will be ready in a few days and I noticed we have tassels getting ready to emerge on the corn.

Jeremy has an uncle who's health is failing pretty quickly.  He's off in San Antonio, Texas, with his dad helping get the uncle's affairs in order and visiting with his uncle.  He left on Friday and is supposed to be back Friday or so.  So this is the day I say kudos to all those single parents...How in the world do they do it?  The girls are asking about him all the time and miss him terribly, as I do too.