Monday, May 30, 2011

Friday, May 27, 2011

Nicholas and Joseph


Nicholas is so good with Joseph.  He wants to always help with him and loves to give him a bath and put lotion on him.
Look at how content the baby is when brother gives him a bath!




I know I'm partial, but isn't his little face so cute!






Matthew and Joseph



Matthew lovin' on his new baby brother, Joey..
It has been so sweet to watch the big boys love on their brother.


Sunday, May 22, 2011

Me, my mama, and my newest blessing...

My mama and my sister, Tracey(she's not my sister by blood, but she's still my sister) came for a short visit to see our Joseph.  What a blessing for them to be here with us and get to know their newest family member.
If you have family that lives near by, count your blessings.  It is so sad for me when my family leaves, it truely breaks my heart and I feel for my children who don't get to spend much time with their relatives.  I'm praying for family to move here and it may becoming a reality, but I'm so scared to get my hopes up(as well as my children's hopes as well).  We will find out more on Tuesday, so until then I will be in prayer.
God knows my heart and desires and while I'm aware that God doesn't take orders, I know he knows my heart and the heart of my children, so I pray my requests are heard, but I do know that if they are not answered in the way I want, God is still good and he knows what is best for me.
So, until then I will cherish these short, but sweet moments when our family reunites...and all is good..


Thursday, May 19, 2011

Joseph's birth story


On Friday, May 6th my water broke.  I was 36 weeks along so still a bit early.  In a way, I knew my water had broken but didn't go to the hospital because frankly, I didn't want to admit it.  I had sooo much to do that day and having a baby wasn't in the schedule.  So, I wrapped toliet paper in my undies(sorry if this is graphic) and set about my day.  I was still hoping it was just some wierd pregnancy related thing and wasn't really my water.  I didn't even call Darryl to tell him. 
So, I ran around like a mad woman getting all my errands done, visiting the bathroom often because I was leaking fluid(still not admitting it was my water).  Well, come 6pm the boys had a baseball competition so I brought them to it.  We had been out all day and were all tired, but they really wanted to go.  So, we headed down to it and as they were in the throngs of the competition, I had another gush of fluid.  This time it was so much, I was worried.  Darryl was an hour away at a golf tournament and I didn't want to scare him or interrupt him, but I think then I knew it was time.  He started worrying and called the doctor.  The doctor called back(an hour later) and told me to go to the hospital.  He said it was probably urine(like I wouldn't know if I had peed my pants!) but to get checked out anyway.  So, we went home and I started crying and panicking.  I called my good friend, Heather and she prayed with me and calmed me down.  She advised me to pack a bag in case this was it(I still was very unprepared) and to pack the boys some clothes and bring them to her house.  So, still in a panicked state, I started packing and getting the boys to pack.  Darryl finally got home and we headed to the hospital.  He dropped me off and then headed to our friends' house to drop the boys off. 
I was brought into a room and was sure I would be able to go home that night...
Not!
They checked and sure enough, my water had broke.  Again I started crying and worrying about the baby.
The doctor called and said we would start Pitocin in the morning.  Of course, I declined and said we would discuss it then.  I was woken up at 6am to start on the Pitocin and I had to tell them again I didn't want it.
We did ask for an ultrasound when we came in, but the nurses and doctor felt it wasn't necessary.
So, finally then next afternoon, the doctor came in and we told him we want to labor naturally.  He informed me of all the risks like infection but agreed and said I would just be monitored every two hours. 
So, then the work began. I asked for a breast pump because I read that can stimulate labor.  So, I started pumping like a mad woman while sitting on an exercise ball and then alternating with walking the halls-over and over and over. I was getting nowhere.  The nurses said I was having contractions, but they were so mild I didn't feel anything and my labor was not progressing at all. 
I did get some visitors and that was great and helped to break up the day.  The doctor came back and assured me the baby was head down ready to go(the baby was breech at my last ultrasound and I never felt him turn-I still felt like he was head up but believed the doctor knew what he was talking about).
So, Sunday came and I was still pumping like crazy and walking like crazy and nothing!  The doctor finally came in in the afternoon and said we could continue this for a couple more days if I wanted since I didn't have an infection(even though I knew my fluid was really low because I had been leaking for two days now).
He again checked to make sure the baby was head down(at my request) and then I requested an ultrasound again.  He seemed a bit put off but agreed to order one for Monday.  Well, God was definitely there because an hour later they brought me to ultrasound.  I was grateful I didn't have to wait another day!
And then the news...baby was still breech as I had suspected! 
Again, I started crying.  I was so upset this birth was not going as I had planned.  I was upset the doctor had me in the hospital for 2 1/2 days in labor and didn't check right away with the ultrasound! 
So, the doctor called my room and told me we had to do the c-section because the ultrasound confirmed I had low amniotic fluid and he wouldn't try an external version(turning the baby) because of the low fluid and past c-section.  I cried and cried!  I was so upset and mad and scared all at the same time!
So, after  I got myself together, we prepared for surgery.  I don't know why but I was so much more scared this time than last time.  I just kept praying and praying for the baby to be o.k. 
What was weird is about 1/2 hour before surgery I started to get sharp pains in my stomach.  They weren't labor pains but really sharp kicks and movements that sent me jumping out of bed.  Darryl and the nurse felt like the baby was trying to turn.  So, I began praying and suffered through it, hopeful he would turn.
Well, it seemed he tried for about 1/2 hour and then the pains stopped.  My fluid must have been so low, he just didn't have the room to turn.  I was sad but it was kind of bittersweet, like he wanted to try for me but he just couldn't do it.
So, I was wheeled into surgery and the surgical team was really great.  They were very comforting to me and tried to make me feel at ease.  I was so nervous they were going to start without Darryl in there, so I kept asking for Darryl and then they brought him in.  A couple of minutes later, little Joseph was born.  He was healthy and strong.  His agpar was 89, he had healthy color and was kicking and screaming.  I was so grateful! 
Darryl was so right, that after all this, if he was healthy it wouldn't matter how the birth went.  No, I didn't get my ideal natural birth.  And no, I probably won't ever get a natural childbirth.  Having 2 c-sections now, I'm most assured if we are blessed with more children, I will most likely have another c-section.  What is kind of neat is that I had both births at 36 weeks 5 days.  Both of them with my water breaking at the same time.
But, even though I will never experience that, I still feel so blessed.  I have a beautiful, healthy baby boy.  God has richly blessed our family and I'm smitten with our newest family member.
The boys are in love with him too.  They are constantly kissing and hugging him and it just fills my heart with such joy. 








Friday, May 13, 2011

Baby Announcement

Joseph Harper ******
Born: May 8, 2011 (Mother's Day) at 8:32 p.m.
6 lbs. 5 oz
18 inches



We are all doing well and loving our newest blessing!
Birth story to follow soon (-:

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”


– Mark Twain

Monday, May 2, 2011

Dinner date


Darryl and I got a special treat on Thursday together.  We got to go on a dinner date!  We rarely go out on dates because we don't have family that lives nearby to watch the children(although that will be changing-yeah!).  Since we don't ever have a sitter that I feel comfortable watching our children, we never go out.
In fact, this is only the 2nd time in about almost 3 years we've been on a date and the last one was just a couple of months ago when a good friend took pity on us and insisted we go out (-:
So, this past Thursday, Darryl had a business dinner to attend to and usually he goes alone.  In fact, some of his customers thought I wasn't real and didn't believe he was really married because I'm never at these functions(of course they were joking).  Most of these people always bring their wives because most of them are empty nesters already.  Darryl seems to be the youngest usually...  Anyway, I got to go on Thursday and it was such a treat!
We went to Sullivan's in Charlotte and were treated to a lovely dinner.  We had oysters Rockefeller and calamari for appetizers.  Then I had a beautiful filet with crab on top, creamed spinach and horseradish mashed potatoes...yummm!  
Then we had banana foster and peanut butter pie for dessert.  It was so good!
I, of course, didn't get to partake in all the wines that were presented but they looked lovely as well.
It was a L..O..N..G.. dinner but it was so nice to be out with him and he was so glad I got to come because he always says he wishes I could be there with him.
Hopefully, we won't have to wait so long to go out again-it was much needed and I felt so special!