Quick Update

Just a simple update.  Here is our wonderful family last spring!

Need Some Relief

I know it's been forever.  I also don't expect anyone to see this as my followers have probably long ago left.  I just needed someplace that I could release some emotions.  I'm having a really hard time staying positive right now.  This year has definitely been a trial but I am still reminded each day that my life is pretty spectacular and I end up having such warring emotions inside. 

These are my babies.  I love them so incredibly much.  They're full of such life, energy, love & mischievousness.  I can't help but wonder what the others would have been like.  Would they have been just like their brother and sister?  I remember each of their due dates and must now add another to the list.  And although I'm in pain, I can't help but appreciate those two that much more.  They're already spoiled rotten, but I just want to hold them close and never let go.

I had to call the doctor today to change my already scheduled prenatal visit to a postpartum follow-up.  It's not the first time I've had to make that phone call but I pray it will be the last.  The worst part is that I feel like I jinxed myself.  Last week, I helped a struggling friend who had just suffered the loss of her pregnancy.  The whole while, all I could think was how I would break the news to her that I am pregnant.  Ironically, just a couple days later, I no longer have to struggle to find an answer.  Meanwhile, I get a notification on my phone.  It's such a beautiful picture of a friend, sending out a 'baby bump' picture.  She's excited.  It's her first child.  She wants to share it with the world.  In the mail, I receive a baby shower invitation for a separate friend.  Daycare sends out a notice that they're baby room waiting list is filling up.  It seems like every other mom there is pregnant.  I can't help but feel as though I am getting slapped in the face repeatedly.

I know life will go on and I know the pain will begin to be bearable.  Already I feel as though I am dealing with this loss better than the others.  I just needed some relief.  One day soon I will be getting a tattoo to commemorate all my children but until then, I love you my babies!

01/13/2009  07/06/2010  02/12/2012  07/11/2013  10/25/2016  11/23/2016  02/22/2017

**The last miscarriage occurred after my initial post and then we were blessed with another beautiful baby girl.

  

Paige's Birth Story

Most of my pregnancy went really well.  I got a cold a couple weeks prior to Paige's due date, but managed to fight it off (mostly) by the time the 4th came around.  Although I had been having Braxton Hicks since I was approximately 20 weeks pregnant, I was only ever dilated to a 1 when checked.  Then, the last month of my pregnancy, everything seemed to stop altogether.  July 3rd, I had a doctor's appointment.  That day, my swelling was so bad, I was almost positive they would induce me that day.  Went to the appointment, and my blood pressure was pushing the limits as well.  Most of the pregnancy, my blood pressure had been very good.  The week prior, it was approximately 100/70, but that day it was 130/86. I was very close to them sending me to the hospital.  Apparently the magic number is 140/90.  But, they did not.  I did get an ultrasound that day to make sure Paige was head down.  Although the doctor was pretty certain she was, because I wasn't dilating, she just wanted to make sure.  Paige was head-down, but still no dilation.

So, they scheduled an appointment for one week out (July 10th), with my induction scheduled for the 11th.  Because my swelling was so bad and my blood pressure high, my doctor recommended I keep myself to semi-bed rest.  So I called my boss and let her know I would probably be starting my leave, which I did.  Over the weekend, my swelling decreased, but no other changes really.  Things were starting to get a little harder and more uncomfortable when I stood, and Saturday was when I started to feel a lot of pressure on my lower extremities.  But, still nothing.

Went in for my appointment on the 10th and I was still only dilated to a 1!  So, Dr. Chasan proceeded with her plan which was to insert a foley catheter between my bag of waters and my cervix, then fill it up to create a balloon.  This helps to dilate me prior to going in for induction in the morning.  After that procedure, they hooked me up for a Non-Stress Test to make sure Paige was fine with the changes.  Almost immediately after I sat down in the chair, my contractions started.  The monitor was picking up contractions every 1 to 4 minutes, however not regularly and not for very long.  After ensuring Paige was handling the environmental changes, we were told we could leave, but Dr. Chasan asked that we not head home for a couple of hours, cause she felt I would go into labor shortly.

We headed to Target and walked through the store.  During that trip, I was having contractions consistently at 1.5-2 minutes, but they were only 15-20 seconds long.  Then they slowly started spacing out to 2.5 min, then 3 min.  So we decided we would go get something to eat and if the trend continued, we would head home.  By 7:30 (when we finished dinner), the contractions were an average of 5 minutes apart.  Once we were home, I relaxed in the recliner and the contractions had stopped altogether by 8:30.  Around 9:15, I got up to use the bathroom and the foley catheter came out.  This meant that I was dilated to at least a 3, more likely a 4, but this was also most likely why the contractions had stopped.

Decided to shower and call it a night.  We had to report to the hospital by 5am, which meant getting up at 4am.

We got to the hospital at our allotted 5am time.  Dr. Chasan had a scheduled procedure to perform at 7:30 that morning, so she didn't want to break my water until after she was done as she was sure she would be in the middle of the procedure if that was the case.  So, until she was done, it was a matter of getting me prepped and seeing if Pitocin would start my labor.  The nurses started attempting to put my IV in around 5:45.  After 5 attempts and 3 different nurses, they finally succeeded around 6:30.  Oh what fun that was! 

Because I had been positive for Strep B, that meant that they needed to get 2 doses of penicillin in me prior to delivery.  The process takes about 4 hours.  So they started the first dose at 6:30 and that meant they preferred I didn't deliver before 10:30.  Around 7am is when they started the Pitocin.  Nothing was really happening and about every 15 min they would come in and kick it up a notch.  Dr Chasan's procedure got bumped back to 8am and she came in and checked on me prior.  She let me know she would come break my water after she was done.

This time around, Andy was with me, Candace came and then my sister, Michelle was going to stop in prior to heading to her class for the day to check on us.  Well, she ended up skipping the whole morning and sticking around the room instead (silly sisters).  So, she popped in around the time Dr. Chasan did her first check on me.  When Dr. Chasan left for her procedure, contractions were coming, but they were very sporadic, with no rhythym and no pain.  We were all joking around, nurses included.

Dr. Chasan came back in and broke my water around 8:45am.  Once she did, things started to roll.  I had to start focusing during my contractions and taking deep breaths.  Once I started to get pissed at the three of them for talking during a contraction, they knew it was about time.  I like to labor on my right side and hold someone's hand.  I also like them to breathe with me while I look at their eyes.  This is how I handle my labors.  So, after about 30 minutes, Candace needed a break and Michelle stepped in.  WELL, after only a couple of contractions, her eyes start to water and she looks away in the middle of a contraction!  So, I switch my attention to the button of her suit jacket, cause I can't have her crying on me when I'm the one dealing with the pain.

I hit transition pretty quickly this time and let me tell you, the second time around, transition is harder to deal with cause you know how much relief it is to be able to start pushing and you just want to get to that point.  My nurses (yes, plural, we had a veteran showing the ropes to a new department nurse) had set up the delivery table early and had come to find out after all was said and done that the veteran had turned to the other nurse early on and said, 'Watch this!  It's going to be a quick delivery!'.  I liked both of them a lot!  During a contraction, I apparently started to waiver in my breathing because Michelle decided to dance around trying to get my attention back to her eyes, at which point, I yelled at her to 'stop moving your BUTTON!'  I also find out after the fact that the veteran nurse had to step out of the room at this point to prevent me hearing her from laughing.

During the last few contractions, I had a really hard time not pushing.  My body seemed to be doing so involuntarily.  When I was dialated to a 9, the nurse called Dr. Chasan and said, 'You better run over here or I may be delivering this baby'.  Dr. Chasan really did seem to make it to the delivery room SUPER quick. 

The room was really full this time around.  I had Andy, Candace & Michelle.  The two nurses, Dr. Chasan and then a resident Dr. and then a couple other nurses were popping in and out.  Once they told me I could start pushing, I pushed through only 2 contractions and Miss Paige Elizabeth Lasley was born at 11:12am on July 11th, 2013.

I had a hard time delivering the placenta this time around as my body just didn't want to cooperate.  I was shaking uncontrollably almost immediately after delivery.  I also had to have 1 stitch again, in the same place as with Owen.  They kept me on the Pitocin for most of the afternoon to help contract my uterus back down and man did I hate that.  The contractions with the Pitocin made me ill.  I kept throwing up, but as soon as I was off it, I felt TONS better and scarfed down the burger and fries Michelle had brought back for us.  Little Miss has been an eater from the beginning and constantly wanted to nurse those first few days which helped me bounce back quickly.

If I think of other things, I will edit this post as I do.

Baby Girl

Here are the only things I have for baby girl so far:

 

These were the first things we received for her, Gma Mary Lou got us the bear wash cloth and towel and Aunt Christi was insistent that it was going to be a girl (even in December when we didn't yet know).

 

 

This is the first outfit we bought for her.  Owen picked it out for his little sister.

 

I convinced Daddy that baby girl needed this too.

 

Babies R Us is closing their location to move to a larger location, so we swung by to see what kind of deals we could get.

 

 

Then I went to Target the other day and saw this cute little dress for only $3!

 

30 Weeks

Weekly Survey ~ 30 weeksHow far along: 30 weeks; 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: I had a doctor's appointment today and am up ~6 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: 100%.
Stretch Marks: My old stretch marks aren't fully expanded, that's a plus, right?
Sleep: Starting to hit that point where you wake up in the middle of the night cause you are soooo uncomfortable.
Best moment this week: Owen specifically requested to kiss Baby Sister.
Movement: The movements have changed now that she is getting bigger.  Much more 'rolling' rather than kicks.
Food Cravings: Really haven't had any specific things this time around.
Gender: Baby girl!
Labor Signs: Besides the normal Braxton Hicks, I actually had a couple hard contractions the other day.  I overdid it a little and had to stop and put up my feet cause the contractions were actually causing discomfort.
Belly Button in or out: I’m too fat for it to be anything but in.
What I miss: Sushi. Sushi, sushi, sushi. Maybe the occasional margarita.
What I am looking forward to: Having my CPA Exams behind me so I can focus on this baby.
Milestones: Nothing specific.
Weekly Wisdom: Sleep while you can.
Pictures:  Here ya go.  Taken today.

Productive Weekend

Well, this weekend is drawing to a close, but I must say it has been super productive.

Took an exam Friday morning, a second Saturday afternoon, I don't feel optimistic about Saturday's but hopeful about Friday's.  Came home, took a nap, made dinner and prepared for our Sunday shopping trip.

This morning, little man woke us up around 7.  By 9:30, we had completed a load of dishes, two loads of laundry, cleaned house a little more, had breakfast as a family, all showered and we were out the door on our shopping expedition.  Went shopping at three stores, got gas, made it home, put little man down for a nap, put groceries away, updated our budget and laid down for another nap.  After a short (~2 hours =D) nap, woke up, got dinner going, made 24 'freezer burritos, and got more laundry going.

For those who don't know me, you are probably thinking, eh, not that special, but I am a lazy person, ESPECIALLY while pregnant, so I am quite proud of my weekend.

21 Weeks

Since I haven't posted on my blog for a while, there are a lot of things that have been new. First and foremost is that we are expecting our second child! Funny thing is that my due date is only one day off of what Owen's was.  Funny how that works, we had been trying to get pregnant for a while and after a few personal trials, things just happened to work out the way they are.
 
My mom tells me it’s because I try to plan everything.
 
So, this time around I have decided to try to do the pregnancy survey I completed before with Owen.  I don’t expect to actually complete is weekly, but at least regularly.
 
Weekly Survey ~ 21 weeks
How far along: 21 weeks; 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: I am currently down 6 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: I ended up in Maternity clothes much sooner this time around (I hear that is common).  Pants have been necessary for at least a month and a half now and I am slowly weeding out the regular tops that no longer work this pregnancy.
Stretch Marks: There is absolutely no way to determine if I have any new stretch marks.  I had plenty from my first pregnancy.
Sleep: I’m actually still doing really well.  I had some problems in January, but I think that may have been work-related and once I started sleeping with my full body pillow, sleep has been pretty nice.
Best moment this week: Owen and I went grocery shopping at Fred Meyer and I couldn’t resist and purchased my first outfit for this beautiful child inside me!
Movement: At least twice a day right now I will feel little kicks, movements, etc.
Food Cravings: No, not really, at least not recently.  For a little while there I was eating pepperoncinis like crazy!
Gender: We found out on Valentine’s Day what we are having.  Fitting for that day, since we will be seeing a whole lotta pink in our future!  Baby girl is on her way!
Labor Signs: I’ve already been experiencing some contractions, though really it is only once a day or so.  Doctor says it’s perfectly normal.
Belly Button in or out: I’m too fat for it to be anything but in.
What I miss: Sushi.  Sushi, sushi, sushi.  Maybe the occasional margarita.
What I am looking forward to: Having my CPA Exams behind me so I can focus on this baby.
Milestones: I was able to feel a couple kicks on the outside the other day.  But I am not sure if my mind was just telling me that since I know when they happen or not.
Weekly Wisdom: Don’t stand up suddenly and yawn at the same time.
Pictures: Definitely not of me, but here is the only purchase we have made so far for this baby girl!  Owen helped pick it out.

 

Owen's Dance Skills

My child LOVES to dance.  One weekend he went all out and danced for at least 30 minutes.  It was after he completed a 'Step Up' full-blown break dancing move that Andy and I decided to start recording (of course we didn't get that on film), just in case he managed another move like that.  I have many clips of him that day, but below are a few.

 

 

 

2013 Catch-Up

Sadly, my camera is suffering from a lack of use so far this year.  Below are some pictures that have been captured so far:

 

 

Owen was helping me with laundry one day and decided to put one of my dresses on.  He then proceeded to tell me, 'I a princess!'

 

 

 

After he and I had a weekend nap, he came into my room to tell me to get up.  Next thing I know, he has re-snuggled in and fallen back asleep.  My philosophy was if you can't beat them, join them.  Andy snuck in and snapped a picture.

 

 

Valentine's Day, Owen is opening his present from Mom & Dad.

 

 

Before Haircut pictures

 

 

And after haircut pictures.  Such a stud!

 

 

For some reason, he decided to be a tornado one Saturday.  Here is the after affect and the little man proud of his work.

December 2012

We had a photo session with Owen early in the month in the hopes to get a picture we could add to some late Christmas cards.  The pictures below show how sucessful we were: 

 

 

 

So, instead, we decided to take one of them and turn it into our 'official announcement' (read: Facebook photo) that we are expecting our second child.

 

 

 

Christmas Eve: We have a couple Christmas Eve traditions in our family, one is receiving an ornament each year and the second is pajamas.

 

 

 

We then headed to my mom's house to celebrate Christmas with my family.

 

 

 

Owen received this mask from Aunt 'Chelle and refused to take it off.

 

 

 

 

Finally, here is a picture of our living room after Santa came.

 

 

Christmas Morning

 

 

 

Christmas Day with Andy's family