Thursday, December 1, 2016
Needs
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Roseleigh Grace
On October 6 at 9:58 PM we welcomed our sweet little girl into the world. She weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 20 inches long. This is her birth story for our remembrance and to share with others. I apologize if anything is TMI, but this is your warning if so.
Rosie wasn't due until October 11th. Denver was 4 days overdue and we had to induce him to get him to come then so I wasn't planning on her being a minute early to this party. I had low appetite and kind of upset stomach for several days prior. The night before she was born I had hardly eaten anything and Erik went to the store and bought me a frozen pizza because that's all that sounded even remotely edible. The morning of the 6th, about 3 in the morning I got up and took a shower because I was sore, achy, and had horrible stomach cramps (not contractions) and couldn't sleep. By 4 in the morning I was having diarrhea and throwing up. I continued to feel crappy (literally) until we got up for the morning. I debated calling my doctor about 7 in the morning but they didn't open until 8:30. Erik needed to go to work, but we finally decided to just get in the car and go to labor and delivery to have someone there check on me and make sure everything was fine.
Side note: A week earlier at my 38 week appointment Roseleigh's heart rate was higher than they wanted so they sent me to L and D to have a non-stress test to make sure she was alright. After 2 hours there they decided she was just fine. Because of this experience though, I was concerned that the stress of me being sick/throwing up would be problematic if she DID have some stress and high heart rate to begin with, hence the reason we decided it would be best to go in to the hospital to be checked.
Erik quickly packed up a bag for us just in case (I hadn't even started packing for us, luckily Denver was mostly packed and I had the diaper bag packed with the things I wanted for the baby.) He threw in some clothes for Denver, called Grandma (who was already planning on coming for Denver that day) to tell her to meet us at the hospital instead and hopped in the car. While leaning over a bowl to keep from puking in the car Erik carefully, but quickly drove us to Jordan Valley Hospital. When we arrived, they checked me in to a room and started monitoring me. Grandma arrived soon after and Denver got to go on his way. This was the last time I would see him as my only child.
They checked my cervix (I was only at a 2) and blood pressure. They put a monitor on my belly to track Roseleigh's heart and my contractions. They gave me ice chips and popcicles to settle my stomach and try to rehydrate me. I started feeling slightly better, but was still struggling. My stomach was still cramping and I was still going to the bathroom frequently. By 11:00 they decided to check my cervix again to check for more dialation to see if I was actually in labor and I was at a 3! This meant that they could officially check me in and consider me in labor. I begged for a little bit of solid food (I got 3 packages of saltines) and that was all I got to eat to get through labor even though I had nothing in my stomach. They put in my IV, gave me antibiotics for my group B strep, and waited.
The afternoon was long and hard. I got a fever, threw up some more, shivered under nothing but a sheet (they were trying to cool me down to get rid of the fever, but a I was SO cold.) The bed was uncomfortable and I was achy like when you have the flu and super pregnant so sleep was all but impossible. Finally around 5 my doctor arrived to break my water. When they did this they discovered meconium in my water so they planned to have a pediatric team on hand to clear out her mouth before she cried and got it in her lungs. My fever finally broke and within a half hour of breaking my water we had the anesthesiologist in to give me my epidural. Just as a reminder, my epidural with Denver was horrible, it was great for about an hour and was completely gone by the time I pushed him out. This epidural was less fun to get in (electric shocks down my legs) but it worked so wonderfully. This did slow my progression a bit however, so by about 7:30 I agreed to let them give me some pitocin. An hour later I was in pain and was asking for more epidural. I felt extreme pressure quite low and felt fairly confident I was fully dilated. They finally agreed to check me and sure enough, I was ready to push. Soon after, the anesthesiologist arrived to give me more medicine since I was in pain and he numbed me up good one more time before I actually needed to push.
When I had Denver I pushed for SIX hours, largely unmedicated. I started pushing and the nurse said to an other nurse that we might be pushing for a little while. My first thought was "oh heck no" so the next couple of pushes I did everything I could to get her out. They quickly called in the doctor and a few pushes later she was out! It was such a different experience. It wasn't painful, it didn't include me screaming at my doctor. We chatted between contractions and laughed as the doctor gave Roseleigh a little mohawk mid-delivery while we waited for another contraction. It ended up being about a half hour total of pushing. Piece of cake.
They warned us that because of the meconium they weren't going to try to make her cry immediately so they could clean her out before she sucked it in. Erik cut the cord and they quickly took her over to be taken care of. Erik went with her and they cleaned her up, sucked out the gunk and she finally let out a little girly cry. It was absolutely beautiful. At that point I thought they would give her to me, but they went on to measure and weigh her and all I wanted to do was to put her on my chest and hold her. My doctor could sense my anxiety I think and asked if I wanted to do skin to skin. I told her yes and she hurried them up to bring me my naked little babe to snuggle. She looked so much like Denver, but was also so different, but I loved her the same. You always wonder how you will love another baby like your first, but it is so very possible. Your heart just grows to make room for each tiny little human you have. She was so good and nursed right away like a champ. I gave her over to Erik and he got to love on her and take her to the nursery for all of the rest of her checks and shots. Meanwhile, I lugged my half numb body onto a new bed to go to our new room and finally got to eat a sandwich.
How very lucky we are to have her. Our little family feels so perfect with her. She is such a sweet little girl with a wonderful disposition. She likes to snuggle but can also be content in her swing and sleeps well in her own bed. (most of the time.) Things worked out so perfectly with her delivery and I am so grateful she arrived safely and is a happy, thriving little baby. We feel truly blessed.
Rosie wasn't due until October 11th. Denver was 4 days overdue and we had to induce him to get him to come then so I wasn't planning on her being a minute early to this party. I had low appetite and kind of upset stomach for several days prior. The night before she was born I had hardly eaten anything and Erik went to the store and bought me a frozen pizza because that's all that sounded even remotely edible. The morning of the 6th, about 3 in the morning I got up and took a shower because I was sore, achy, and had horrible stomach cramps (not contractions) and couldn't sleep. By 4 in the morning I was having diarrhea and throwing up. I continued to feel crappy (literally) until we got up for the morning. I debated calling my doctor about 7 in the morning but they didn't open until 8:30. Erik needed to go to work, but we finally decided to just get in the car and go to labor and delivery to have someone there check on me and make sure everything was fine.
Side note: A week earlier at my 38 week appointment Roseleigh's heart rate was higher than they wanted so they sent me to L and D to have a non-stress test to make sure she was alright. After 2 hours there they decided she was just fine. Because of this experience though, I was concerned that the stress of me being sick/throwing up would be problematic if she DID have some stress and high heart rate to begin with, hence the reason we decided it would be best to go in to the hospital to be checked.
Erik quickly packed up a bag for us just in case (I hadn't even started packing for us, luckily Denver was mostly packed and I had the diaper bag packed with the things I wanted for the baby.) He threw in some clothes for Denver, called Grandma (who was already planning on coming for Denver that day) to tell her to meet us at the hospital instead and hopped in the car. While leaning over a bowl to keep from puking in the car Erik carefully, but quickly drove us to Jordan Valley Hospital. When we arrived, they checked me in to a room and started monitoring me. Grandma arrived soon after and Denver got to go on his way. This was the last time I would see him as my only child.
They checked my cervix (I was only at a 2) and blood pressure. They put a monitor on my belly to track Roseleigh's heart and my contractions. They gave me ice chips and popcicles to settle my stomach and try to rehydrate me. I started feeling slightly better, but was still struggling. My stomach was still cramping and I was still going to the bathroom frequently. By 11:00 they decided to check my cervix again to check for more dialation to see if I was actually in labor and I was at a 3! This meant that they could officially check me in and consider me in labor. I begged for a little bit of solid food (I got 3 packages of saltines) and that was all I got to eat to get through labor even though I had nothing in my stomach. They put in my IV, gave me antibiotics for my group B strep, and waited.
The afternoon was long and hard. I got a fever, threw up some more, shivered under nothing but a sheet (they were trying to cool me down to get rid of the fever, but a I was SO cold.) The bed was uncomfortable and I was achy like when you have the flu and super pregnant so sleep was all but impossible. Finally around 5 my doctor arrived to break my water. When they did this they discovered meconium in my water so they planned to have a pediatric team on hand to clear out her mouth before she cried and got it in her lungs. My fever finally broke and within a half hour of breaking my water we had the anesthesiologist in to give me my epidural. Just as a reminder, my epidural with Denver was horrible, it was great for about an hour and was completely gone by the time I pushed him out. This epidural was less fun to get in (electric shocks down my legs) but it worked so wonderfully. This did slow my progression a bit however, so by about 7:30 I agreed to let them give me some pitocin. An hour later I was in pain and was asking for more epidural. I felt extreme pressure quite low and felt fairly confident I was fully dilated. They finally agreed to check me and sure enough, I was ready to push. Soon after, the anesthesiologist arrived to give me more medicine since I was in pain and he numbed me up good one more time before I actually needed to push.
When I had Denver I pushed for SIX hours, largely unmedicated. I started pushing and the nurse said to an other nurse that we might be pushing for a little while. My first thought was "oh heck no" so the next couple of pushes I did everything I could to get her out. They quickly called in the doctor and a few pushes later she was out! It was such a different experience. It wasn't painful, it didn't include me screaming at my doctor. We chatted between contractions and laughed as the doctor gave Roseleigh a little mohawk mid-delivery while we waited for another contraction. It ended up being about a half hour total of pushing. Piece of cake.
They warned us that because of the meconium they weren't going to try to make her cry immediately so they could clean her out before she sucked it in. Erik cut the cord and they quickly took her over to be taken care of. Erik went with her and they cleaned her up, sucked out the gunk and she finally let out a little girly cry. It was absolutely beautiful. At that point I thought they would give her to me, but they went on to measure and weigh her and all I wanted to do was to put her on my chest and hold her. My doctor could sense my anxiety I think and asked if I wanted to do skin to skin. I told her yes and she hurried them up to bring me my naked little babe to snuggle. She looked so much like Denver, but was also so different, but I loved her the same. You always wonder how you will love another baby like your first, but it is so very possible. Your heart just grows to make room for each tiny little human you have. She was so good and nursed right away like a champ. I gave her over to Erik and he got to love on her and take her to the nursery for all of the rest of her checks and shots. Meanwhile, I lugged my half numb body onto a new bed to go to our new room and finally got to eat a sandwich.
How very lucky we are to have her. Our little family feels so perfect with her. She is such a sweet little girl with a wonderful disposition. She likes to snuggle but can also be content in her swing and sleeps well in her own bed. (most of the time.) Things worked out so perfectly with her delivery and I am so grateful she arrived safely and is a happy, thriving little baby. We feel truly blessed.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Ode to Oregon
It has been a LONG time since I have been on the blog. However, I feel like as we are moving on with our lives I have some things to say that would take up too much on Facebook or anywhere else.
There is definitely a bittersweet vibe in our lives right now. Five years ago we set out on this journey to put Erik through his PhD program at OSU. When we left, it was just the two of us, fairly newly married and inexperience in living away from family and friends. I remember leaving my parent's driveway in tears, but excited to start our new adventure. After a harrowing 17 hour journey in a moving truck we made it to our apartment in Oregon. Our first year was pretty enjoyable. We spent a lot of time together, exploring Oregon, and settling into new jobs and new school, however new friends were hard to come by. After a year, our landlords chose to raise rent and we chose to move across the street, landing us in a new neighborhood and new ward. I can't express what a blessing that ended up being to us. Within a few months we had met some seriously wonderful friends that I can't see us ever losing touch with. These friends became our family very quickly. The James' moved in next door practically and we lived at each other's houses for a couple of years. The Butlers just down the road invited us into their family and home (which we have a key to) and have helped us and cared for us in ways we can't express. Many other sweet families reached out to us and welcomed us with open arms. We not only gained friends here, but people we truly consider our family. I was also blessed to work in two different salons with so many incredible people who taught me new things, and shared their skills and talents with me. They also helped me to work through my entire pregnancy and were flexible with my abilities.
After a year of stress, trouble, and sadness, all buffered by our amazing friends, we were finally able to conceive a sweet little boy who has turned our whole lives around. Denver is our little Oregon baby with Oregon blueberry eyes that will make us forever treasure our time in Oregon. We became parents here, this tiny apartment is where we brought our baby home. He learned to crawl, walk, and climb here. His infectious energy keeps us going on days we don't think we can make it through.
Erik's school has been an incredible challenge of highs and lows. He has seen successes and struggled with experiments gone wrong. He has worked as a TA and mentored countless undergraduates while working on his own classes, lab work, and responsibilities at home. He has always been there for Denver and I when we needed him, even at the cost of his own luxuries and happiness. He made sure we had income and health insurance, and even agreed to work extra hard so I could stay home after Denver was born. He has worked with me to keep us out of debt, to pay off our vehicle, and save up for a home. I have been so blessed to have him as my husband through all of our ups and downs, he is my rock.
Our opportunity to move back to Utah has come much quicker than we had anticipated, and in this whirlwind of it all, we still seem to hit green lights along the way. Things just keep working out for us in ways we didn't know how they would. It makes me more confident in our decision that going back to Utah is right for us. We swore for a long time that Utah was not the place for us, but after Denver was born, we came home after a particularly exhausting trip to Utah and we didn't feel like we had come home. We felt out of place in Oregon for the first time in 3 years. Since then our goal has been to go back and share our child with our families and be around those we love. Who knew we would also find people we loved here in Oregon? Like I said, the bittersweet vibe is alive and well at the moment. I know we will never regret our time here, and it will always hold a special place in our hearts.
We also discovered a few weeks back, that we would be returning to Utah, not as a family of 3, but of 4. Our new little addition is due in October. We have so much ahead of us, and so many wonderful memories we are leaving behind. What a journey these last 5 years have been, I can only be excited and find joy in the potential of the next 5 years together. I love my little family and feel so very blessed and appreciate all our Oregon friends have done for us. What a truly amazing experience we got to share with some truly amazing people. Thank you Oregon, we will miss you!
There is definitely a bittersweet vibe in our lives right now. Five years ago we set out on this journey to put Erik through his PhD program at OSU. When we left, it was just the two of us, fairly newly married and inexperience in living away from family and friends. I remember leaving my parent's driveway in tears, but excited to start our new adventure. After a harrowing 17 hour journey in a moving truck we made it to our apartment in Oregon. Our first year was pretty enjoyable. We spent a lot of time together, exploring Oregon, and settling into new jobs and new school, however new friends were hard to come by. After a year, our landlords chose to raise rent and we chose to move across the street, landing us in a new neighborhood and new ward. I can't express what a blessing that ended up being to us. Within a few months we had met some seriously wonderful friends that I can't see us ever losing touch with. These friends became our family very quickly. The James' moved in next door practically and we lived at each other's houses for a couple of years. The Butlers just down the road invited us into their family and home (which we have a key to) and have helped us and cared for us in ways we can't express. Many other sweet families reached out to us and welcomed us with open arms. We not only gained friends here, but people we truly consider our family. I was also blessed to work in two different salons with so many incredible people who taught me new things, and shared their skills and talents with me. They also helped me to work through my entire pregnancy and were flexible with my abilities.
After a year of stress, trouble, and sadness, all buffered by our amazing friends, we were finally able to conceive a sweet little boy who has turned our whole lives around. Denver is our little Oregon baby with Oregon blueberry eyes that will make us forever treasure our time in Oregon. We became parents here, this tiny apartment is where we brought our baby home. He learned to crawl, walk, and climb here. His infectious energy keeps us going on days we don't think we can make it through.
Erik's school has been an incredible challenge of highs and lows. He has seen successes and struggled with experiments gone wrong. He has worked as a TA and mentored countless undergraduates while working on his own classes, lab work, and responsibilities at home. He has always been there for Denver and I when we needed him, even at the cost of his own luxuries and happiness. He made sure we had income and health insurance, and even agreed to work extra hard so I could stay home after Denver was born. He has worked with me to keep us out of debt, to pay off our vehicle, and save up for a home. I have been so blessed to have him as my husband through all of our ups and downs, he is my rock.
Our opportunity to move back to Utah has come much quicker than we had anticipated, and in this whirlwind of it all, we still seem to hit green lights along the way. Things just keep working out for us in ways we didn't know how they would. It makes me more confident in our decision that going back to Utah is right for us. We swore for a long time that Utah was not the place for us, but after Denver was born, we came home after a particularly exhausting trip to Utah and we didn't feel like we had come home. We felt out of place in Oregon for the first time in 3 years. Since then our goal has been to go back and share our child with our families and be around those we love. Who knew we would also find people we loved here in Oregon? Like I said, the bittersweet vibe is alive and well at the moment. I know we will never regret our time here, and it will always hold a special place in our hearts.
We also discovered a few weeks back, that we would be returning to Utah, not as a family of 3, but of 4. Our new little addition is due in October. We have so much ahead of us, and so many wonderful memories we are leaving behind. What a journey these last 5 years have been, I can only be excited and find joy in the potential of the next 5 years together. I love my little family and feel so very blessed and appreciate all our Oregon friends have done for us. What a truly amazing experience we got to share with some truly amazing people. Thank you Oregon, we will miss you!
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