Happy Halloween

Stevie's first Halloween 2011

She got money for her piggy bank

from Pepaw and Linlee

Her card from Pepaw and Linlee

Playing With Daddy

Tucked away in bed

Happy Saturday

Little Miss Stevie Reese had a rough night, she has actually been fussy for a few days now. She has already started the process of teething a few weeks ago. So we bought some Orajel All Natural for her. It seems to work pretty well for her. Stevie Reese was pretty restless the whole night. She would take her pacifier then she would lose it or spit it out. When it fell out she would wake up and start squirming everywhere! She sleeps in a bassinet beside our bed so I was able to keep my hand in there and try and hold it, but she was still restless. Nathan got up around 5am and took her to the living room to rock her a while. She finally gave in and crashed. Poor baby. Nathan had to go to work this morning. He got home a little after twelve this afternoon. So we got ready and went and grabbed a quick bite to eat and looked around a few stores. This is the first weekend we have been home in a while. It's only about to get busier though and we will be on the road again during the weekends. This evening we decided to go to Saturday night Mass. It was pretty exciting for our family because we got to take the gifts to the altar! Stevie Reese brings lots of attention everywhere we go, but especially at church with the older people! After church we had to visit with the assistant priest to go through a baptism class. Lets just say he wasn't the nicest and we would have rather visited with the main priest Father Peter. Oh well the class had to be done. We are getting SR baptised at our church in Olney with Father Ray. We wanted to have it done there so all of our friends and family could be there. Plus we have made a good relationship with Father Ray and wanted the same person who had married us!

On another not you have to check out www.totsy.com when you sign up for FREE on your FIRST purchase your get FREE SHIPPING!! I bought SR a pair of sequin boots and a pair of Mary Jane's. My final total was $12 and some change. I saved nearly $30!! I would call that a deal!

I will leave you with a few pictures from today!

Random Wednesday

So our doctor had told us to give Stevie Poly Vi Sol. Well I had held off for a while.

The stuff is awful!!

So on Monday we gave her the smallest dose. She was trying her hardest not to throw it up.

I tried mixing it with expressed breast milk but she would not take it. Plus we don't really ever give her bottles so on top of her not liking the taste she didn't want the bottle.

Tuesday I gave it to her again this time it was the recommended dose. I gave her half, let her nurse a minute and then gave the other half. Once again it took all she had to not throw it up. You could just see it in her eyes and facial expression. Her little lip was quivering because it was so nasty.

A few hours later we had went to the dollar tree and she finally ended up throwing up some. It just wasn't settling with her.

Stevie already has reflux issues and some stomach and gas issues.

And adding the Poly Vi Sol was not going to help.

She had not had a bowel movement all afternoon tuesday up until 2 pm today (wednesday)

and for her if she doesn't go she is so fussy and restless. Her stomach was so bloated.

She finally went. It was a mess I had to put her clothes in the wash and then bath her asap!! She was just smiling afterwards, I could tell she felt so much better.

So Nathan and I decided that we aren't going to be giving her anymore Poly Vi Sol.

She is getting everything she needs from breast milk. I continue to take my daily vitamins and eat a variety of meats, fruits and vegatables. That's what im going to do.

I had to tell myself it isn't the law! lol! She is our child and it is our choice. All the doctor can do is recommend.

Also Nathan and I have been discussing solid foods for Stevie. We have decided that we aren't going to start her at 4 months we are going to wait until 6 months.

I will do another post on that later regaurding our reasons!

Well tonight I am going to be making chicken tacos with verde salsa!

Happy Wednesday!!!

A brand new day...

Today was much better. I had stayed up all night and went to bed at 6 AM this morning. I know crazy huh! But I was painting our dining room and had a quiet hose while my two loves were sleeping away. I just painted, listened to music and just thought to myself. Nathan's parents came up for a visit and it was so nice. We headed over to Lawton to grab a bite to eat then we went shopping around for a little while. It was so fun because every time I'm with them we can just laugh and Linda and I laughed a lot. It was definitely what I needed!

LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE that's what my day consisted of. 

I will not be moved...

We all have off days, and today was my off day. I was just in a funk that I just couldn't shake. No reason at all. I was testy, emotional, quick to judge and was basically tearing myself up inside. But that wasn't me. That's not the loving, funny, outgoing, nurturing wife and mommy that I am. I am so thankful to have the Lord to turn to at any place and anytime in life. I know he is there. I know he will listen and I know he will forgive.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for blessing my life with your saving grace and the beautiful family you have given me. I know I can turn to you to help me through it all or just to talk to, I know you are there. I am thankful for my loving husband who just holds my hand and reassures me its OK. Also for my beautiful daughter who coo's and smiles at her mommy because I am her world. They definitely make any anger, hurt, sadness or pain that I'm feeling just vanish. I please as you to continue to walk with me through each day, good or bad.

Amen

Two month check up, shots and worst feeling of life......

This little girl had a hard day!

 This morning Nathan and I took Stevie to her 2 month check up. 

Weight: 11 pounds 7 ounces

Length: 22 and 1/2 inches long 

Head: 14 inches around

She is in tip top shape and growing good! 

The first medicine they gave her was an oral medicine half way through the nurse giving it to her she threw up everywhere and not just a little all over her, down my pant leg and all over the floor. We had to give her a rinse right there in the sink! Next she got 3 shots She cried when she got them but stopped shortly after. Her Daddy got a shot with her today so she wasn't alone! ;) 

We had given her Tylenol before her shots so when we got home she slept for a long time. By mid day she was crying continuously like she was in so much pain. So around 1:30 pm I was giving her more Tylenol when she got choked on it. It must have went down the wrong way or something. Her face turned purple and wasn't breathing. My mind and body immediately went in to action. I flipped her over face down/ sideways in my hands and was patting her back pretty hard. She still couldn't get a breath. Luckily the suction was right by me so I grabbed it and tried to suction her out. But she still couldn't get a good breath, so I called 911. 

It was truly the worst feeling ever to be by yourself and to know her little life was in my hands and depended on me. God was def there with me. I don't know how I just reacted and tried to save her life, but I knew I had to and when I finally got her breathing again and she was crying good. Then I could let the worrying mother come out and cry. And I did. The firemen got here first and she was crying good with her airway clear. They tried to ask me her name and I couldn't even talk because I was choking on the huge lump in my throat. But they were so nice and were comforting me and I was finally able to speak with them. A few minutes later the medics showed up and checked her breathing and pulse. She was OK and her color was good. 

Thank you Jesus for guiding me through this awful experience and giving me the strength and knowledge to save my daughters life.

This evening she has just been tired and she had a really bad diaper we thought we were going to have to cut her clothes off because it was everywhere. But the nurse had told us the oral medicine would cause her diarrhea. We got her cleaned up and relaxed and she had a good feeding and is now resting in her daddy's arms.

Our Birth Story and more...

August 2nd (37weeks and 4 days pregnant) I had a doctors appointment and was dilated to 3cm and 50% effaced. My doctor had decided to go ahead and strip my membranes. That was one of the most uncomfortable things, I thought it even hurt. After that we had talked and she said she was supposed to be going out of town that weekend. Wow was I worried all I know is I wanted my doctor there when it was time to deliver and I was afraid the baby would come while she was gone. So Dr. H said when I go to my non stress test on Thursday August 4th (38weeks) she would check me again and if I had made anymore progress she would keep me and break my water.


Well for the next two days i had some cramping but no real contractions that I could feel. 2am August 4th I had gone to the restroom and then was walking back to the bed to try and get some rest when I felt a gush, I literally stopped and thought I had wet my pants, i was shocked. More fluid kept coming out and then I started to get excited! This was the real deal! I finished packing our bags, I let Nathan sleep a while before I woke him up because I didn't want him to worry. I had my sister in law here with me at that time so I wasn't by myself. I also finished straitening up last minute things around the house. I finally called the hospital and they told me to come in and get checked out! Here we go! 


We arrived at the Labor and Delivery around 4am August 4th 2011. They hooked me up to the monitor to listen for the baby and check my contractions. I was actually having contractions I just couldn't really feel them. Then they did a couple test to see if my water had truly broken, sure enough yes it did. So I was admitted and our journey began. I was feeling so nervous and anxious to know that soon we would be meeting our little girl and become parents. Yes I was nervous about labor, the pain and so scared to get an epidural. 


I guess you really don't understand until you are in that moment or experience but when you have people in your room and you are having bad contractions you don't want any noise, much less anyone to breath. I had to be put on Pitocin to help induce labor more. So you women that have been on Pit know how much more intense your contractions are. I labored for 9 hours before getting my epidural. When the anesthesiologist came in I was terrified I started shaking. But Nathan stayed with me and my super sweet nurse. The guy was so nice he helped calm me down and just really comforted me. In the end I didn't even feel anything going into my back because I had a contraction at the time and my mind was focused on breathing through that! The epidural was the best thing I could have chosen. It really help me relax, I could still feel the contractions and slight pain but it definitely took the edge off big time. I had read that the IV drugs they can give you for pain make your baby Very sleepy and you still feel the pain you just sleep in between contractions so that's why I didn't choose that route. 


I finally got to start pushing around 3:40 ish. Stevie was coming on her own, my doctor barely made it into the room!!! Stevie Reese was born at 4:46 pm, 6 pounds 11 ounces, 19 inches long. An unexplainable wave of emotions over took my body. I was just so happy to hear her cry and glad she had survived a long 9 months and was here with us. They laid her on my chest just long enough for Nathan to cut the cord and had to take her because she was having a really hard time breathing and waking up. She had breathed in some fluid, plus I had High blood pressure my whole pregnancy and my doctor said that really affected her a lot too. After they took her away I was OK because I knew they had to get her stable. Then they were working on getting me stable my blood pressure had shot up and they were trying to get it down, so I didn't have a seizure or stroke. I didn't have any visitors for a while after giving birth. We just turned the lights down and concentrated on my breathing and relaxing my body to get my blood pressure down or I was going to have to be put on magnesium for 24 hours. Sorry but my health was more important. Luckily we got it under control and I was able to have visitors but still had to be quiet and not get me worked up.


After several hours I was they finally took me in a wheel chair to see my baby girl. She had to be put under a oxygen hood until her breathing was stabilized. For me that was the worst feeling ever, to see your baby under there crying her little heart out and I couldn't hold her. So of course I cried seeing her like that. But her daddy stayed with her while I couldn't. 12 hours later she was off of the oxygen and they brought her to my room. She still hadn't even had a bath but I was FINALLY able to hold my daughter for the first time! It felt like an eternity but it was well worth the wait. 




By the end of all of this, losing close to 30 pounds in the first and second trimester, being in bed for almost nine months strait, on tons of meds. just trying to keep my daughter alive and in me. It was all worth it. My Doctor told me out of all the patients she had, had this past year I had the hardest pregnancy of them all. 

So I will say, DON'T COMPLAIN, IT'S WHAT YOU PRAYED FOR, BE THANKFUL  There are so many women out there who want children so badly but still can't become pregnant.

Yes we know your back hurts, you don't feel good, you can't sleep, you want the baby out or you have so long to go. Remember no one said it would be easy. Just think of the reward in the end. 

I have been on both sides of the fence Longing to become a mom/ Infertility issues/ Super hard pregnancy.

You will make it through.


This coming Tuesday October 4, 2011 my beautiful girl will be 2 months old! She is growing so fast. I will tell you she is the light of my life!! As I was putting away her laundry the other day I came across a little romper outfit for summer that she had worn several times. It made me sad for a moment to think she will never be this tiny again and never be able to wear it again, but then I just thanked God that she is a happy, healthy, growing girl. That's all I could ask for. So yes enjoy every moment.


We go for Stevie's two month check up and shots on Monday so I will update stats then. 

2 months

* She is getting so good at holding her head up and the control of her head is great.

*She has really started to spit and slobber.


* Her papa and Nana bought her a new play mat and she loves it, she was looking at herself in the mirror and smiling.


* She nurses about every 3 hours  (we just nurse on demand, but she is pretty regular)



* She eats about 8 times a day


* This past week she has really taken to her pacifier when before she didn't want anything to do with it and would gag herself.


* She smiles when momma or daddy talk to her


* Her happy time is around 6 am and 8 am. We talk and play and she smiles and talks and kicks her legs like crazy!


* She is wearing 0-3 month clothing and head bands finally fit her head!


* She loves her swing and bouncy chair!


* She is wearing size one diapers.