July 26, 2018

Whew! Another week for the history books. Last Friday Andrew turned 4 weeks! I can’t even believe it. He is so much more alert, looking at anything and everything. He still seems to prefer a steady stream of noise over quiet, but anything sudden startles and upsets him. He is a constant back-archer, preferring to see the world upside down as much as possible. Even when I try to hold him upright, he will arch his back until he is upside down before relaxing. He is still taking the very occasional bottle (hallelujah!) and will begrudgingly take a pacifier if he isn’t too hungry. I’ve even managed to get him to nap in the bassinet or crib for more than 10 minutes (something none of my other kids ever seemed to do). He’s a sweet boy who loves his momma most and the rest of his family too. He’s outgrown newborn size clothing and diapers, and is super long. We saw a baby that is a week younger than him a couple days ago and he looked huge in comparison. They grow so fast! I love Andrew so much. My baby boy!

Friday morning we went to play group at McDonald’s. It was too hot outside so their playground was perfect. We had a great time and stayed for a long time playing and snacking on our food. Friday night we had Family Movie Night at church. They played Cinderella (the old cartoon version) and served pizza. The boys were not thrilled when they heard the choice but watched it. Afterward they agreed that it was much better than they were expecting. Go figure. Saturday we did some stuff around the house, the boys went out and played pokemon and Hannah and I had some girl time (with Andrew). Sunday was a busy day! We had church, class lunch at a burger place, then picked up groceries, came home for a little bit and had dinner, then we went to the church-wide pool party at Adamson Lagoon. Andrew and I did not swim (we snacked and chatted), but the kids and Francis had a blast on the slides, in the pools and playing around with friends. It was such a good time.

Monday we celebrated Hannah’s birthday a day early by spending the morning at Altitude Trampoline Park. It was her choice and she made some friends while she was there, making it extra special. Tuesday was my baby girl Hannah’s 3rd birthday. How did this happen so fast?! We went to Bible Study in the morning after Hannah opened presents. One of the presents contained a ballet set compete with leotard, tiara, tights and ballet slippers. I told her that she was going to get to attend her very first dance class with me that evening. She has been asking for this for a while and was over the moon excited when the time came. She danced the whole class (checking herself out in the mirror with delight). When she came out her face was positively shining. She wouldn’t take off her ballet gear, so she ended up wearing it to dinner at BJs. We met Francis and the boys there. After a yummy meal, we all headed home for mermaid cake and cupcakes. Hannah said it was the best day ever. I’m so glad, baby girl! Hannah is so smart, funny, beautiful inside and out and she LOVES to dance. She tells funny jokes, takes care of her brothers at all times (whether they like it or not) and is particularly fond of holding Andrew. She has taken to wearing outfits to match her baby dolls most days and brings her “baby” whenever she can.  She is a precious gift.
Wednesday we went to the Library and then to my post-partum doctor appointment. Without going into detail, everything seems to be healing nicely. The doctor is very happy with how my C-section recovery is going. I still need to take it easy, but I am on the road to recovery! Today the three bigs are at the last Summer Fun Days. Robert and Hannah are at church having an inflatable jumping day and William is at a Trampoline park jumping also. I am thankful for a church that pours into my kids. They love being with church and so do I!
Robert and William are also doing well (since I didn’t say much about them). Robert is growing and has hit the 42 inch mark, which means he was able to ride on the big slide at Adamson Lagoon on Sunday. His imagination is still unparalleled and I don’t always know how to answer his deep questions. He has been asking about what it means to have Jesus in your heart. Please pray I answer in the way the Spirit leads. He’s also becoming a pretty good reader, especially for his age. So smart! William is also growing. He’s reading faster than I can check out books from the library.  He has been known to read a book or two while we are at the library and put it back on the shelf. William is an amazing big brother and has taken on a lot of responsibility. If I need him to do something for himself, the dogs, or one of his siblings, he will do it right away. He can unbuckle Hannah and Robert in the car, which is a bigger help than he will ever know. The other night he looked at me and cried because he was happy being 6 and wasn’t sure he wanted to grow up any more because he will have to eventually stop doing things that kids do. He is so my kid because I did this as a child too. I cried with him a little as we talked about how there are new things to do even as old things go away. He agreed and was fine after a while. Oh the joys and pains of growing up!

That’s all for now!

July 19, 2018

I left off last time with our trip home from the hospital. Due to my C-section, I was unable to drive (among other restrictions) for 2 weeks, so my mother stayed with us during that time. I say stayed...we did not do much staying. Thursday after Andrew got out of the hospital, we made a trip to Toys R Us on their closing day. There wasn't much left but we got many things for very cheap. The kids were glad Andrew got at least one trip there. We had lunch at Fuddrucker's and went to a check up for Andrew. He did great! Andrew had lost hardly any weight (which is amazing for being in the NICU) and everything looked normal. Hooray! Friday evening we went to the Family movie night at church (free food!). They showed the old Swiss Family Robinson. The kids loved it, especially the antics used to ward off the pirates!!! Mom and I didn't stay for the movie. Instead we took Andrew shopping to get clothing for his newborn pictures the next day and get birthday gifts for Hannah and Danielle. He was so sweet and we got so much done!

Saturday and Sunday passed quickly. Francis was amazing and took the big kids out to play Pokemon  and to church so mom and I could rest and prepare for the coming week. Monday came and mom and I packed up the van, the dogs and the kids and headed to Dallas. You read that right. I'm nuts. I wasn't able to drive, but riding in the passenger seat and taking breaks to eat/feed Andrew worked out just fine. We made it to my parents' house in time for (most of us, not me) to swim and run around outside. Francis came along in a separate car after he finished working. Tuesday we did all the fun sorts of things around the house and outside. Mostly the kids were swimming. I'm so glad they were able to do this. They also got to play some games and drive the little cars around the land. It was a relaxing day and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. We even got to finish the day having dinner with Francis's parents. Icing on the cake! Wednesday was my favorite day of the year- 4th of July. I know that's a weird choice of favorite, but I love it because I get to spend time with all my family (both mine and Francis's) in a fun and relatively low stress way (plus...the FIREWORKS!). We started off the day at the Plano parade (in which my mom was able to ride on a float). Andrew got to meet Christian, Chad and the cousins along with a few family friends. the kids had a great time getting candy and cheering, "Happy 4th!" at each group that passed. Then we had BBQ at my parents' house. YUM!!! We also managed to squeeze in some bonus fun: Hannah's 3rd Birthday party. She wanted an Ariel swim party with her cousin Alexandra and that's exactly what she got. It was so fun! She got wonderful presents, had a delicious Ariel cake and was able to swim with Alexandra (and everyone else) to her heart's content. She really loved all the Ariel toys, the dollie and me clothes, and her brand new princess bike. We had our annual snowball fight in the pool too. I videoed since I couldn't swim. Good times. Brandon and Bethany Nine stopped by. It was so fun to chat with them and show off our sweet Andrew. Finally it was time to head to fireworks. We always set up camp out there and eat. play games and talk until the fireworks start. Aunt Dani and Papa both brought light up  gear, so we were glowing along with the lights overhead. Andrew loved the fireworks. Even at just over a week old, he stared at the colors and made all sorts of amazed faces. He's very expressive.

We had to head home on Thursday, but the trip was totally worth it. Friday Andrew had his 2 week check up. Mom and I were able to drop off the kids at play group (thanks Rachel!!) and go with just baby boy. He exceeded his birth weight by 2 oz (8lbs 9 oz) and had grown half an inch. everything about his was just perfect. He didn't love his blood being drawn, but he even did that like a champ. I love him more every time I look at him. He's sleeping on me as I type this and my little heart is close to bursting each time he makes a little baby noise in his sleep. It's all just a miracle. Saturday mom started to get the house clean in preparation of her departure. While it was so wonderful of her to do, I slightly dreaded each thing she it because it meant one step closer to her leaving. Sunday we all went to church and lunch. Then mom finished cleaning. Monday was the day I could start driving again, so she helped me get all the grocery shopping done and put away before she headed out. I made it through the afternoon having all 4 kids by myself, but when Francis got home I was tired. I was thankful for Bible Study the next morning both because I knew the kids would be well taken care of and I could spend some time with fellow ladies studying His word. Wednesday we made it to the library (later than normal) and while I was nursing Andrew, the kids decided they wanted to go to story time with a friend from church who happened to be there too. So what should have been a short trip turned into a long, but enjoyable, one.  Thursday, sweet Thursday. One week ago today was the first Summer fun day  with church. Hannah and Robert went to church for the morning and William spent time at Spirit Ice Arena. And I got to catch up on things at home that needed to get done (like write on my blog). The kids came home worn out and so we cuddled and watched a little TV in the afternoon. Thursday evening we went to a friend's going away party. While it is bittersweet to say goodbye, it was so good for my soul to be around others from our Sunday school class and spend time with them. The kids had so much fun too. They now think Rachel's house (where we were) is "almost as cool as Disney World". That's high praise!

Friday we made it to play group! And at a splash pad no less. The weather was mild (though not as remarkable mild as it was on the 4th of July), so in the shade it was perfectly pleasant to sit and watch the kids play. And play they did. We had a good group of both kids and moms, so a good time was had by all. Saturday Francis took the big 3 ice skating for over 3 hours. They came home for dinner still full of energy (what??) and after eating, Francis and the boys went back to skate for another 2 hours. Hannah. Andrew and I watched a some TV and cuddled until they fell asleep. Sunday we made it to church again and even made it to class lunch afterward. Having a baby does not seem to have slowed us down too much, but Andrew doesn't seem to notice. I'm glad he is super chill about being in the car. Fortunately everything except the trip to Dallas has been very short trips.

This week we've been to the grocery store, Bible Study, and the library. Yesterday the Bryan library had a bunch of science experiments which the kids were able to do. The Williams family came too, so it was extra special. Today is the second Summer Fun Day. All three big kids are at church this time. William is doing a special Bricks 4 Kidz program and the younger two are making pizza among other things. Whew! I caught up!

Andrew is growing so fast. They older three adore him and want to talk/hold/play with him constantly. Taking turns is hard but necessary. Tummy time is fun because all 4 kids kid on their tummies. The big three love it when he raises his head and try to encourage him as much as possible. Andrew can roll from front to back already. When I put him down for tummy time last Friday, he lifted his head and managed to get his arm underneath (he was mad and flailing). Then he did his famous back arch and suddenly flipped onto his back. He was so stunned he didn't know what to do for a moment. He has since repeated this phenomena and is stunned every time. It cracks me up a little to see his eyes get huge with "what happened?". He's been up at night quite a bit, but he isn't screaming, so although I am tired, at least my ears are in tact. I'm recovering well. I overdo it once in a while and have to back off, but mostly I have been good. I've had no more joint problems and my stones have not flared up. I'm so much better than I was a month ago, and so very thankful for that.

That's all for now!

July 12 Part 3 The NICU stay

It was Saturday, and Andrew was only 19 hours old. How could this be happening? After receiving the shock that they were taking Andrew to the NICU because he was breathing too fast, my eyes welled up. I tried to be strong though. They let us keep him long enough for the kids to get to hold him one more time and then they wheeled him down the hall. Those moments of waiting were....indescribable. Finally a doctor I didn't know came in and introduced himself as Andrew's attending physician. He explained that Andrew was breathing 100 times per minute (60 or less is normal) and that they would be keeping him in the NICU for at least overnight. Despite my best effort, I lost it. Francis looked panicked too. The doctor was kind and said we could come visit any time we wanted. This was not as much comfort as it should have been because I was hardly able to sit up in bed and had only stood once momentarily. The wheelchair ride was excruciatingly painful, but I said as little as I could because I desperately wanted to see my boy. He was hooked up to a bunch of machines which kept beeping. I could hardly see him through my choked back tears. The next day and a half are a bit of a blur. Francis spent a lot of time in the NICU and I went as often as I could physically bear. Andrew's X-ray showed fluid in his lungs and a cloud which could indicate pneumonia. The put him on antibiotics while waiting for his blood-work to come back. It was possible the fluid would be absorbed on his own. This was our hope. By evening time Andrew had to be put on oxygen because his levels were below an acceptable rate. One more tube... He couldn't eat due to risk of aspiration, so they had him hooked up to an IV. I had to pump to try to get my milk supply started in hopes that he would soon be able to eat. time stood still and yet passed in the blink of an eye. I did have a lot of visitors to keep me company. I am so thankful for these amazing ladies, because without them I would have been left to my thoughts while Francis was away. They all were truly sent from God in my time of need. The only other bright spot was that since is was Summer time (and not flu season), the older three kids were able to visit Andrew in the NICU. This made the kids happy and brought me comfort too. Finally on Monday we turned a corner. He was taken off oxygen and the fluid in his lungs was starting to clear. He was able to take some of my milk from a bottle. By Monday evening he was even able to nurse! I thought we were finally getting out of here. I was half right....

Monday I was discharged, but Francis and I were allowed to stay in our room to "board" until they needed the room or Andrew was released. We got the news that they wanted to keep Andrew another night, but that he should be released in the morning. Finally! I was disappointed not to leave Monday, but glad to see an end in sight. His breathing was within normal range and he didn't need the heat lamp anymore. My big guy!

Through all of this my mother-in-law was watching my kids. She is amazing! She took them to church, to Altitude trampoline park, to McDonald's, to Chick-fil-a and to so many other fun places I don't even know about. While I know my kids missed me, they were not lacking in love or attention. It's a debt I can never repay and I am truly grateful.

Tuesday morning dawned, but not how I expected. When I went down to the NICU to nurse Andrew, I saw him under the photo-therapy lights and my heart sank. Sure enough, Andrew now had jaundice. We weren't going home after all. The all too familiar feeling of hot tears streamed down my face. I was so tired. So ready to be home. So...done. After an exam by the doctor before noon, he gave us some good news. Andrew could be taken off all of the tubes. This meant he could join us in one of the NICU transition rooms. We were going to be with our baby boy again! Transition rooms look a bit like a hotel room with a queen bed, TV and bathroom, but have all the hook ups for babies so their beds can be in there with the parents. The rooms are located in the NICU so the nurses can come and check on the babies and give them medication/exams as needed. He had to stay under the photo lights unless he was nursing, but at least he was within arm's reach. We spent the night with this arrangement and despite the joy with Andrew being near, it was far from easy. Andrew hated the lights and kept ripping the masks used to protect his eyes. He was either nursing or screaming (the banshee scream is what the nurses called it), but I stayed strong in hopes home was on the horizon. It was. The next morning his bilirubin was down and they turned off the lights. My mother came Tuesday night to relieve my mother-in-law, and she and the kids came to get us around lunch time so we could go home. 5 days in the NICU were enough. We were getting out of there! I laughed and cried happy tears on our 3 minute drive home. the house, which I had only seen for a brief moment in two weeks looked like heaven. We made it. Home.

This is probably it for today but I will try to post about our time at home soon.

July 12 Part 2- Baby Andrew is here!

As I was saying... I was called back to my appointment on June 21 at 4pm, and the nurse took my blood pressure. She didn't look at me or say anything. She asked another nurse to come take my blood pressure. After checking my blood pressure, that nurse just smiled strangely at me and took me to a waiting area saying she'd be back. After 30 minutes they took my blood pressure a third time and ushered me into an exam room. The doctor came in and asked me how I was. I said I hurt and that I couldn't shake the headache I was having. She told me I was going to the hospital to get some blood work done and that I was most likely going to have this baby tomorrow. I stared at her for a moment. What? I was only 37 weeks. She explained my blood pressure was elevated and that she suspected preeclamsia (the blood work came back to support this claim). Out of confusion or stubbornness, I told her I couldn't go straight to the hospital because I had to go get (or you know, pack) my bag and drop my kids off somewhere. She and the nurse both looked concerned, but conceded to give me until 8pm to get to the hospital or else...oh and that I better not have a seizure. It was already past 5pm. I rushed home, fed the kids, packed my bag and got a hold of our family friends who could watch our kid until someone else arrived. Francis and I made it to the hospital at 7pm after dropping off the kids at the Browers' house. We were admitted to "triage" in the maternity ward while they did blood-work and monitored my blood pressure. I was eventually admitted to a room. My mom arrived and was able to get the kids (who had an awesome movie night) and bring them home. My mother-in-law got in a short time later to watch the kids overnight so my mom was able to rejoin us at the hospital. It was a long night. Medication helped me sleep a little and lower my blood pressure.

They started me on pitocin in the middle of the night. I was already contracting every minute and a half when I arrived at the hospital, but it wasn't doing anything. I also got an epidural which did wonders for my joint pain (aka I couldn't feel my legs or back). We waitied all day and finally the doctor broke my water. A while later I was at a 10 and it was time to push. The nurse checked me and made a strange face. She asked another nurse to check me and that nurse made the same face. They called the doctor to confirm that Andrew was presenting with his forehead instead of the back of his head. They were going to go ahead and let me push but warned me it would probable not work. After an hour of pushing I had made no progress. It was after 5pm now. they prepped me for a c-section. I was so exhausted I was shaking. When they got me into the operating room, they had to heavily sedate me and tie down my hands because even though I don't remember it, I was talking and trying to stop them even while on the drugs. I woke up after 7 and could see Francis holding something. I couldn't see what it was but I knew it had to be Andrew. He was a handsome 8lbs 7 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. They told me he was born at 5:55 but because I was having some trouble, it took a while to stop the bleeding and sew me up. My vision was blurry and I was coming in and out of consciousness. I mostly recall sobbing uncontrollably because I was in the worst pain of my life and I hadn't yet seen my baby boy. When they got me stable and back into my regular room, they handed me Andrew. I couldn't see him well, but I could smell his baby smell and that helped a lot. I cried for a long time, but after the right amount of medication and time, I was able to calm. I stared at my perfect baby boy. The sadness of the previous hours melted away as I looked at the angelic little one in my arms. It was worth it. He was was worth all of it. That night was also short. Despite the orders to not give me food (I hadn't had food since Thursday), Francis got me some Chick-fil-a and I snuck bites between nurses visits. I had my baby, and the sweetness of that realization carried me further than anything. the kids were able to come by that evening and meet Andrew. The brought him a toy dragon and he gave them paints and paper, pokemon cards and a priness ball. We were all instantly so very much in love. Francis's parents joined my kids (my mom had been there since I returned to my room). We doted for a bit and got pictures of us all together.

The next morning was uneventful as we both started the healing process. I was able to nurse him a couple of times. My brother-in-law Chris and niece Abby came and brought gifts. My kids were able to see and hold Andrew again too. All seemed well for a moment. And then the nurse came to do an exam around noon. Without warning she said, "He's breathing a little fast. I need to take him to the NICU to do more of an evaluation." What?

To be continued...

July 12 Part 1

A whole month has passed since I last posted, and so much has happened it will not all fit in one post. A month ago the kids all graduated from their respective swim lessons (hooray!), and then we all went to a CC 3 day practicum. The kids attended camp and I got to learn all about Latin and its relation to the Classical Conversations model of education. It was fascinating. William attended Geodraw camp and learned to draw the world as a "blob map" and got pretty good at drawing the outline and countries of Africa. Robert and Hannah had a ton of fun at play camp and the nursery respectively. After the Saturday session, the kids and I took Francis out to an early Father's Day Dinner at Red Lobster. They sat us in our own room for some reason so it was quiet, and we really got to enjoy our food and time together. He had been gone from Monday evening until Friday so this was an especially sweet time. Sunday after church we had a quick Father's Day lunch with Francis at Freddie's before the kids and I headed to Dallas for the next few days. We arrived in time to have Father's Day dinner with my dad and the whole Noble crew. The kids got to play with their Drake cousins and also had a little time to swim before bed.

Monday morning, we headed across town from my parents' house to Prestonwood Baptist Church (where I grew up) and the boys got to attend Adventure Week (aka Vacation Bible School) there. Hannah, my mom, Danielle and I went and got a pedicure while the boys were gone. It was Hannah's first pedicure and she sat on my mom's lap and watched with fascination as they painted her toes "sparkle pink" with white polka dots. She loved every minute of it and was so proud of her feet when they were done. My back had been hurting so bad and the massage chairs there were just what I needed to take some of the edge off! We met Christian and her kids at the mall where we shopped and all had lunch after picking up the boys. That afternoon and evening, we all went swimming. My kids are regular little fish. Tuesday during Adventure Week, Hannah and I went to Play Street Museum by church and we had a fun time with just the two of us. She made some friends and especially loved playing with the baby dolls. After picking up the boys we met Danielle and Kevin at Studio Movie Grill for lunch and the Incredibles 2. The kids loved it, especially baby Jack Jack. Another round of swimming and fun with Papa was how we spent our evening. Wednesday while the boys were at camp, Hannah and I sopped at Target. We had a snack in their restaurant too. Hannah said it was the best day ever. I love that girl!

While in Dallas, I had been getting headaches that I realized corresponded with spikes in my pulse (thanks fitbit!). Thursday morning I was awoken around 3:30 with the worst headache yet. I checked my pulase and it was hovering around 150 (which is not normal. I waited and breathed. My pulse came down but the headache just hung around coming and going.

Thursday Hannah and I met up with Christian and her kids at Playstreet Museum. We had a very nice time despite my pain. My dad helped me pick up the boys from church so the kids and I could head home. I had a doctor's appointment at 4pm in College Station, so Francis met me in the Doctor's parking lot to trade cars and take the kids home. I was called back to my appointment and the nurse took my blood pressure. She didn't look at me or say anything. She asked another nurse to come take my blood pressure. After checking my blood pressure, that nurse just smiled strangely at me and took me to a waiting area saying she'd be back. After 30 minutes they took my blood pressure a third time and ushered me into an exam room. The doctor came in and asked me how I was. I said I hurt and that I couldn't shake the headache I was having. She told me I was going to the hospital to get some blood work done and that I was most likely going to have this baby tomorrow. I stared at her for a moment. What?

To be continued...