Dear Diary....

Our beautiful Adele

Yes, I am the blogging queen right now as I need to write (type) my thoughts down every night. It makes me feel better. This post, I am going to pretend that it is only me reading it.....

Dear Diary,

I had a bit of a crappy day. I called this morning to check in on Adele and the nurse told me that she just had a red alarm. Her heart rate dipped, her oxygen level dipped and her skin went pale. I felt ill. I know that James has to work and provide for his family and he also needs to spend time with his new baby girl. He was put in a tough position. He left work and came home so we could go to the hospital to see our peanut. Thank god for my sister. Thank god that Brinley is obsessed with her Auntie and her cousins. I feel comfortable and I don't worry about her care or that she is being neglected. The only time Brinley would be neglected would be when Auntie is Tweeting out my blog or pinning it on Pinterest!
Anyways, while we were waiting for Ange, the nurse practitioner from the hospital called. As soon as I saw the number, my heart goes into speed mode and I feel instantly like I want to throw up. She informed me that a portion of Adele's top right lung had collapsed and that they will draw some blood and she was back on oxygen and would have an echo this afternoon. She was going to call The Children's Hospital to try to get her in for a sleep study to determine why her breathing is laboured and the reason for the indrawing. I took in as much information as I could then I cried. I tried so hard to stop but I felt like I was drowning. She let me know that Adele was ok and to come into the hospital and she would sit down with us and go over the x-ray and answer any questions that we may have regarding Adele's little setback. I hung up and cried some more. I stopped crying, then I cried again.

STOP TAKING MY PICTURE

We left for the hospital and I felt better the second I saw our little peanut. She looked pale. I picked her up and put her on my chest and snuggled her close and hard and rubbed her little back. I whispered to her just how much I love her and that she is beautiful. The nurse came up and as soon as she started to talk to me, I cried. For the first time, I had a moment. I had a moment that hurt my heart. I had a moment that made my head spin. I said to the nurse, through my tears that I wondered if we made the right decision and if this was truly fair to Adele. Having a baby with Trisomy 21 and putting her through tests and needle pricks and oxygen tubes and NG tubes and a home in the NICU. Who deserves that?? Why would I as a parent do that to my child? This has nothing to do with me. This has nothing to do with my duties as a mother. I visit Adele every day, sometimes twice a day. Why? Because my love for Adele is so overpowering and I am her mother. Is it fair that I knew before hand that she may have health concerns and that I still continued with the pregnancy? These thoughts rushed my into my mind. I felt so sorry for our baby at that point and blamed myself for bringing this little girl into the world knowing that it wouldn't always be easy.....
The nurse looked at me and said that of course we made the right decision and that the love we have for our daughter is so amazing and wonderful. She told me with tears in her eyes that she thought about Adele the night before, all night. My heart felt good.

So sweet

I gathered myself. I got my mind on track, somewhat and told my baby girl that I loved her. I am telling you, don't take your children's health and well being for granted. Feel blessed that you have your children with you at home, that they can eat, walk, breathe and sleep. I have never in my life thought that our world would be consumed with oxygen levels and heart rates and respiratory rates and daily visits to the NICU. I took for granted putting a baby in a car seat and running around doing errands and not even thinking about if my baby was safe and well....I just assumed that she was fine. So many things I have taken for granted.

We will be bringing a baby home with an NG tube and also she will be on oxygen. We need to call the medical air companies and have them set the home up for Adele. We will need a lot of medical supplies for feedings and we need to monitor our little one to make sure that she is well and healthy. I am scared. There is no set date but it could be soon.

Before leaving the NICU tonight, Nurse Betty gave me a card.

Beautiful Adele,
I was thinking of you and your family
I was thinking of your journey through the NICU.
A journey filled with many ups and downs, but most of all I was thinking about what a loved and blessed little girl you are and what an amazing and beautiful family you have been born into.
PEACE LOVE AND MANY BLESSINGS ON YOUR JOURNEY HOME.

Nurse Betty. :)

YES NO YES NO

Happy 1 month Adele :)

Saturday, August 24th, marked Adele's first and hopefully only month in the hospital. We had a little birthday party, brought her a cupcake, a pretty little dress, a bear, not the Costco bear that we usually use and her one month sign. We wanted the cupcake to be blended up and put in her gavage tube but they only want Similac in her tummy right now. The nurses are so strict! ;) It was a cute little party with just the four of us. I truly thought that our peanut would have been home by now and that we would be celebrating with the whole family.

Today was a tough day. We call the hospital every morning and every night to check on Adele, just to make sure that she's doing well. Today when I called, the nurse told me that she had just passed her car seat test. We didn't think that they would be doing it today as they thought she needed some more time. We were ecstatic and on cloud nine. James and I couldn't stop hugging...I was so excited that I could barely contain myself. As I was getting ready, the nurse called. I was pretty sure that she was going to tell me that we could come and get Adele. Nope. One of the settings didn't work properly during the car seat test, so they would have to do it all over again. I truly felt crushed. I knew that it was an honest mistake and technology doesn't always work the way we hope and it sometimes fails. She told me that they would perform the test again in an hour.

We headed into the hospital with hopes that with mommy and daddy by her side, cheering her on, she would pass with flying colours. We stared at the monitors and it made me sick. James and I decided that in order to stay sane, we would go and get some lunch and return when she was closer to being finished with the test. We headed back up and stared again at the screen, it all looked pretty good. She has to be in her car seat for 90 minutes and maintain her oxygen, respiratory and heart rate levels. She must maintain 90 or above on her oxygen levels 90% of the time. That is the goal.

The nurse printed the histogram and the doctor analyzed it with another doctor. Due to my OCD, I hung around and listened to the conversation. The doctor was pleased with the results and said that he would give her a passing score. He said that he felt, to be safe, James of myself should ride in the backseat with Adele. We still ride in the back with Brinley, so this wasn't an issue. We were so excited. I believe I was clapping my hands and I could feel my face getting sore because I couldn't stop smiling. James took the base back down to the vehicle and I changed Adele into her coming home sleeper and got her all ready. I detached her from the machines, the first time in over a month. I could actually carry her more than two feet from her bed. We were ready, I was smiling, I had been waiting for this moment for over a month. The doctor walked over to me and he was shaking is head. He called his superior and she was not as pleased with the results. Adele was not being discharged. He apologized profusely but I cried. I didn't want to cry and I felt silly for crying, but once in a while, everything hits me again....the flood, being out of our home for over two months and having our sweet peanut in the NICU. I got myself together and sat down. James came back and I told him the news. Again, we were told yes then no. I felt ill. I felt hungover....what sucks is that I haven't had a drink in over a year.

Everybody felt bad for us. The doctor decided that we would try the car bed. The car bed is just a type of car seat but it's a little bed. She would lay flat. I knew that she would pass this test. It's easy. Ninety minutes later, we were told once again that she did not pass. She was 1.8% over the limit. I unpacked her sleepers, her bum cream, her Vaseline for her lips and we put her back in her bassinet in the hospital, told her how much we loved her, kissed her and left her again. My heart aches every time I leave her. I feel broken. I feel sometimes that I should have found a way to keep her cooking for another few weeks. I want her to get fresh air and to smell the outdoors. I want her to have some sunlight. I want her family to have unlimited snuggles with her and I want to get up every 3-4 hours and feed her. I want to tell her that I love her in the middle of the night and early in the morning. The love we have for Adele (Brinley too) :) is beyond anything that we have ever felt. She has impacted our lives so tremendously and she has only been with us for just over a month. She loves unconditionally. She looks at you straight in the eyes and you can feel her love. She is amazing.

I know that we have a whole lifetime with her and that some may say that we should enjoy this time where we still have some time to sleep in and to spend one on one with Brinley.  We love our Brinley as you all know and enjoy every minute that we have with her....even when she's a little needy and crabby. :) We are just ready to have all of us together under one roof. We want Brinley and Adele to start connecting. I want to get started on therapy, I want her Uncle Bob to have some snuggles. Her Uncle Bob said something to me the other day that made my heart melt. He told me that every time he sees a picture of Adele, he gets teary and a bit emotional. It's difficult on the family who hasn't had the chance to meet Adele. I can't wait for those moments.

Adele has come a long way. xo

I am very appreciative of the staff at the Rockyview and for all of the love that they have shown Adele, James, Brinley and of course moi. During a difficult time, such as this one, they have always shown support and love and you can see just how much they care about all of the babies in the NICU. They are unbelievable women. There is one nurse, Nurse Betty...she told me that I could use her name if I wrote something kind! :) Nurse Betty is the most beautiful person, inside and out. She smiles at you. She is sincere in her love. She checks in to see how you are holding up even if she doesn't have your baby. She is the type of person who makes us all look bad!! HA! HA!!! Just kidding Nurse Betty! I love you!!
I would love to talk about all of the nurses individually.....maybe they will give me permission.

Anyways, we don't know when the next test will be, but I am going to try to keep calm and breathe and know that Adele will let us know when she is ready to come home.

Thank you to all of you for the prayers and support. It keeps us smiling. xo

Groundhog Day!!

Sisters <3

Ok, I realize that I suck lately at writing the blog, but I truly feel like I am living groundhog day. You know, the movie with Bill Murray...that is me right now. I wake up with Brinley, I feed her breakfast, we play, she naps at 10:30, I shower, Brinley gets up, we eat lunch and we go see Adele. Next day....repeat!! It sometimes gets overwhelming even though it seems like a nice day to some of you, I assure you, it would be much better hanging out at home with my two beautiful girls.

Adele is doing great, most of the time but I still stare at those numbers up on the screen and get into a total panic when they dip too low. She had a couple of red alarms today while I was feeding her and I felt like I was going to throw up. I think about when she is at home and I no longer have those machines, how will I know??!!?? I mentioned this to the nurse today and she said that I need to focus on her skin colour. She told me that her lips went pale today when her oxygen levels dipped. I didn't notice because she had formula all over them and down her chin. I guess I need to be a little more observant and check for signs. I totally and completely took so many things for granted with Brinley. I took feedings for granted. I took oxygen levels for granted and I never even thought about a baby not being able to go in their car seat without dropping levels. This is all so new, pacing a baby while eating, looking at lip and mouth colour, inserting an NG tube, correct neck positions. My lord, I wish I was a nurse and not a teacher.

Beautiful!

Adele didn't pass her car seat test today. She lasted around 20 minutes and that was it....so discouraging yet in our minds we were pretty sure that she would need a few rounds of practice first. We need to be 100% sure that this little peanut is ready to be with her family. One of the nurses checked in on us to make sure that we were ok. We are fine just because Adele is letting us all know that she needs a little more time before she can come home to be with her family.

All I know is that she is doing stellar. She has exceeded our expectations right from the start. I asked the OT yesterday what she thought of her feeding skills. I don't ever want to compare my girls with others but I need a little more information right now on Down syndrome. Adele's sucking strength and feeding skills are equivalent to those of a baby without Ds. That is one thing that is very important to us, we want to be sure that she is able to suck, swallow and breathe and be able to digest her food and poop it out. Oh....once again, the things we take for granted.

Chubby cheeks!!

James and I have set up binders for Adele, divided into sections and ready for everything.....ok, maybe not everything but we feel organized right now. I met with a lovely lady from the Developmental Centre and she informed me of all the services that will be available for Adele. So exciting! I am looking forward to getting started, yet also feel like I may go crazy with trying to deal with an 18 month old too, who also needs love and attention. We will have to make sure that Brinley continues to feel loved and that mommy and daddy have lots of time for her and her needs.

So, we are still not back in our home. I figure at least another three weeks until we are able to return. I will only go back when the air quality is perfect and the house is spotless. We are doing 3 professional cleanings...I'm so OCD, but I need to know that the girls will be healthy and safe.

The other night while I was learning how to insert Adele's NG tube, I smelt this putrid and icky smell, so I looked at James and asked him if that was him or his daughter......the nurse piped up and said that she was sorry, she had chili for dinner and it was her butt! We started killing ourselves laughing and told her that she could be our friend. :)

Another silly story. I asked one of our faves if we should use sterilized water to help insert the NG tube or if we could use our leftover KY Jelly!!!! She went a little red, but I think she gets me! We all laughed and she said that it would probably work the same! Thank god she has a sense of humour. I seriously need some work on filtering.

Beautiful blue eyes :)

Ok, back to serious. :) I have to talk about the nurses at The Rockyview. They have been so amazing with our little peanut. Nurses call in before their shifts to request Adele and some have even said that they will only come in for overtime if they could take care of Adele. She gets so much love and so many snuggles. We feel so blessed. I was talking to my favourite doctor yesterday and he said that he was so impressed with Adele and he told me that he thought she was going to be a very smart little girl. There are so many moments when I am holding her and I get this overwhelming feeling that she is going to make such a difference in this world. She looks around and stares at her mommy and daddy and what we see is this little girl who is going to impact the lives of so many people.

While James and I were laying in bed a while ago, not doing any adult activities because it hasn't been 8 weeks and mommy is absolutely petrified that she will get pregnant...I want at least 7 contraceptives in place before any bedroom fun! ;)
Anyways, James and I were talking about Adele and the love that we feel for her, from the first moment we laid eyes on her beautiful, little face. I said to him, just imagine if we decided to not continue with the pregnancy because of our fears and concerns. Imagine not having her in our lives right now. Imagine not being able to hold her and love her and watch her grow. Imagine if I had gone to the hospital that day and ended it. Imagine where we would be today. Would our marriage actually survive? We would have blamed the other person. We would have to live with the fact that we made the wrong decision.
When we initially found out about the Down syndrome, it was very difficult. All you think about are the limitations and not all of the positive reasons why we should have this baby. Now, seeing this perfect and beautiful girl, all we see is how far she will go and how we as parents will never discourage or put limitations on either of our girls. James and I will settle for nothing less than the best for Adele and Brinley. They are capable of anything and with our support and the support of our family and friends, they will have unlimited potential to become whatever they want to be....nobody will tell us any different.

UPS AND DOWNS.....

A little update....

Cute!! Cute!!

Life has been a bit crazy lately. Adele is now 10 days old and I think that she is such a little fighter. She keeps gaining weight, but is not taking a full bottle, so that's why she has that tube up her poor little nose. She did take one full bottle today, I was shocked and so happy. That was her first time. Our little peanut is growing up! :) Adele is now in isolation because she needed to go back on oxygen. They weren't too sure if she has a little cold or something more serious. The doctor mentioned pneumonia, but her blood work came back great and her chest ultrasound also showed that her valve has closed. Her heart is looking great!!! Big smiles for mommy and daddy. I feel confident that it's just a little cold and that she will get over it quickly. Her respiratory rate hasn't been too great so the doctor told me today that they have decided to give her some caffeine....like seven cups worth. I guess it helps with improving her breathing, so here's hoping. I asked if there were any adverse or long term effects but not enough studies have been conducted, so it's up in the air, but he did say that it helped with brain development and the respiratory rates in babies increased and were more stable. IQ scores in older children who received caffeine as babies were on par with the other children. This totally made me laugh. All I want is a healthy baby without going through caffeine withdrawals. That's it!

Cool feeding tube Adele!

Baby Adele is changing every day and even though I am totally biased, I think she is just the most darling little girl. She is sweet and cute and lovely and wonderful. She loves to curl up into a little ball on your chest and will start snoring because she feels so comfortable and at ease. Brinley has spent some time with her sister and loves to hold her and touch her feeding tube. She isn't too sure who she is but we keep telling her that she has a sister and that we love them both dearly. I'm pretty sure that when Adele comes home, Brinley will want her to go back where she came from.....

So precious!

The past few days have been emotionally draining for me. I think that my hormones are out of whack, so that doesn't help with keeping my mind healthy and taking time to just relax and enjoy our family. James, Brinley and I went to visit Adele, and every time we go, a piece of my heart breaks when I leave her in the hospital. I feel that I am not spending enough time with her, I feel that I should be there all day, into the evening. It's so difficult with a 17 month old. I wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I decided to go to the doctor and get checked out. I have a UTI which has gone into my kidneys. After I picked up my prescription the nurse called to let me know how Adele was doing....that's when she told me about isolation etc. I cried all the way home. I cried because I felt awful and was in pain, I cried because I should be holding my baby, I cried because I miss my house, I cried because I totally feel displaced, I cried because James is working so hard to get us back home, I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't talk on the phone with my sister, so I had to text her and every time I sent a text, I cried. I texted my dad and I cried. I really want to get life in order, get back home and get Adele settled in her new life with her family. I know that she is in the best place right now and is getting around the clock love and care, but I still worry. While I was cuddling with her today, her red alarm went off a few times and nobody came in. My heart was in my throat and I froze. I knew somebody would come, good lord, it's a loud alarm. NOPE!
I stopped a nurse who was passing by the room and told her about the alarm, she said that it all looked fine and not to worry. I worry, I worry all day and all night. I leave my ringer turned all the way up just in case the NICU calls. I do feel confident that she is going to be just fine, I think it's just a mommy thing, you worry.  The nurses in the NICU adore Adele. They stop by and tell me how much they love her and that they request to be her nurse. This makes me feel great. I know that already, so many people love her and think that she is just the most darling little girl.

I had James read the comments that our friends and family have made about Adele on Facebook, he asked me if he thought people were being so kind because she has Down syndrome?? I told him that if somebody doesn't think a baby is cute, they say nothing or they make a very generic comment. He told me that he thinks his girls are just the cutest but that's because he is their father and he worries that people are just being nice. I told him that I was pretty sure that people feel connected to Adele and that she is loved and adored by so many. She is cute, there is no doubt. When I look at Adele, I see perfection. I see a little girl who belongs here with us, her family.

The other night when James and I were laying in bed, we started talking about when we found out that Adele had Trisomy 21. For one whole day we had decided that we couldn't move forward with the pregnancy. There was no way that we could do it. What do we know about Down syndrome? It would be too hard. Every day after that, we were moving forward and we were pretty confident that we could do it, we love our child. As we look at Adele now, we are so thankful that we made the right decision. We made a choice to continue with the pregnancy because she was ours and we were chosen to have this baby. We are great parents, we will make mistakes, many of them over the years, but the one thing that we know is that we love our girls, unconditionally. We love them madly and deeply and we will do our best as parents to give them the lives that they deserve, filled with respect, love, support and encouragement.

Welcome ADELE!

Adele's Birth Story......

Adele Jamie Collins

5 pounds 4 ounces

17.3 inches

On Tuesday, July 23rd, Home Care came by for a regular visit and to do an NST. Baby's heartbeat wasn't showing any accelerations, so this concerned the nurse. She told us to go to The Rockyview and just get things checked out.
Baby was showing the same pattern at the hospital, so the doctor decided that after multiple visits to the hospital, it was time to have this baby. James and I expected this to happen; we even brought the overnight bag and baby's outfits.
The induction started at 5:00pm and I was pretty sure that the contractions would start within 20 minutes, as they did with Brinley. The cramping started, then it all went away when I ate dinner. I was happy and disappointed all at the same time. Ange and James really wanted it all to get going and for me to push out a baby. After all, it was all about them and their sleep schedule. ;)
At around 10:00pm, the nurse came in and informed mom, James and Ange that they weren't allowed to stay the night and that they would have to go home. UMMMMM......I'm sorry, what did you just say?? They can't leave. Are you insane??!!?? I need them here, I need the support and encouragement. I need them to hold my hand when the contractions hit hard. UGGGGGGHHHHH.
So, they left.
I kept it together. I was surprised that I didn't cry. I didn't get upset. I just pressed on. Ok, I need some sleep. Once the contractions start hitting hard, I will call James and they can come back to hold my hand.
At around midnight, the cramping hit, it wasn't hard, just a bit uncomfortable. The nurse offered me some morphine and gravol. No way!!! I wouldn't subject my baby to anymore drugs. I'll press on.
Ok, I'll take some morphine and some gravol. Well, that didn't help at all. Not at all. The cramping hit hard and I took some more drugs. The nurse decided to check me...I was 2cm. Well, it's a start, I guess. I ONLY have 8 more to go. OH MY GOODNESS!!!
At around 3:00am, the pain was now VERY uncomfortable and the cramping was painful and making me breathe harder and I was trying to go to the happy place. All I saw was a place filled with fire, I was guessing it was a type of hell. I pressed on, I had no choice as my sister would tell me.
At 4:15am, I pressed the nurse call button and wanted to tell her that I'm sure I had a million more hours to go and that she better stick a huge needle in my spine and get rid of this pain. I am now not able to speak through the cramping but the contraction strip didn't show anything obscene. I guess I'm a wimp. Man up Krista and press on.
The nurse came in and said that she would check me because she wasn't going to wait for the doctor and she didn't even know where he was.....
All I heard was "you are 10cm!!!"
The second that she invaded my vagina, the labour hit and it hit hard. I needed to call James and Ange. I rolled over, grabbed the phone and barely managed to call James.
"IT'S TIME!!!" Click.
In the meantime, actually, I believe that right after I was told that I was at 10cm, I asked if I could still get the epidural. The nurse giggled a bit and told me that we are way too late. Oh frick!
I remember being whipped down the hall into labour and delivery. The pressure in my bottom and the urge to push was overwhelming. They said not to push. 
HA!! HA!! HA!! HA!! HA!! Now that it funny. 
Once in labour and delivery, they told me to move myself onto the other bed in between contractions. I managed to move myself, not gracefully but I did it.
My body started to push and the nurses, whose average age was 22, told me not to push and to wait for the doctor. 
You obviously have not pushed out a child before. I am pushing and she is coming. I was pouring with sweat. She is coming.
The doctors showed up as well as the NICU team because she was 5 weeks early. She would need some extra loving. 
My water broke at 4:30am. 
No James and no Ange. It had only been 10 minutes since the call.
Push Push Push 
POP!!!
She's out! 

At 4:39am, our precious Adele Jamie Collins made her appearance into the world. I exhaled and felt like a queen. No more pain. No more pushing. I could hear our little princess crying. 

I got in one kiss and she was whisked away. She was so cute.

In the meantime, Ange and James showed up at the hospital. The nurse saw them walking down the hall and she informed them that things happened a little quicker than expected and that baby was here. They were shocked.

When they walked into the room, their faces were priceless. I told them to go see baby and to check to make sure that she was doing ok. 

Then it all started to go downhill....
I had two doctors staring at my vagina like it was a drive in movie screen. They were trying to figure out how to get my placenta out...it was stuck. Ok, just get in there and pull. Let's get moving. The doctor said that I would have to go to the OR and get an epidural and then get it removed. Oh, I'm sorry, you want to give me an epidural now?? I don't think so. Get it out of me. This popcorn eating, drive in movie continued for 30 minutes until another doctor walked in, grabbed the cord and pulled. There you go, my placenta is out. :)

The NICU doctor then walked into the room and asked me how I knew that she had Down Syndrome. I was a bit confused. I told him that we had done non-invasive and invasive testing and both came back above 99%. The doctors were not convinced that she had Down Syndrome. I knew that she did and it just didn't matter. I love her with all my heart. The other doctor in the room started talking about maybe she's mosaic. I had no idea what this meant, but it sounded exotic and fancy. I guess it means that she still tests positive for Down Syndrome but it could be very mild. Who knows. She's perfect!

Next, my blood pressure sky rocketed. I was injected with so many drugs that nobody could keep count. I guess I was a bizarre shade of grey and I was puffy. Nothing was getting it down. The doctors were getting concerned so they hooked me up to some anti seizure drugs and I was told that I wouldn't be moving, eating or drinking at all for the day.

I was given 4 IVs, oxygen, heparin, catheter and leg pillows. I didn't get to see Adele at all that day but was told that she was doing well.

I remember when James walked back into labour and delivery, he had tears in his eyes. I could see that he was in love all over again. Another baby girl to snuggle and love. He is such a good father and husband.

My blood pressure improved.

Adele was hooked up to some machines so that they could monitor her closely. We had no hiccups. Thank god!

Momma's first visit

The following evening, all of the crazy equipment was removed from momma and I was about to have my first visit. James rolled me in and I saw my baby girl. I cried.

I cried because it has been such a journey. I cried because she was healthy. I cried because I have never in my entire life felt so much love for another human being (except her sister). I cried because it was all over. I cried because my hormones were so messed up. :)
It was a great moment.
The love that you feel for your children is above any emotion, any feeling that you have ever experienced. You see no flaws. All you see is this human being that you made. You see the love that went into making this beautiful child. All you see is absolute perfection. There is no better feeling in the entire world then holding and loving your child.
I have to be honest, I was worried that maybe my love would take a while, maybe I would be so overwhelmed by the Down Syndrome that I would need some time to come to terms with everything....I needed no time. I loved this baby from the second she made her entrance into the world. I loved every inch of her. She is ours.

Adele is doing great and is eating like a champ. She is almost back to her original birthweight and we've been told that she is a mover and a shaker. Momma can't go for snuggles until this cold goes away. I'm sad but I know that she is in great hands. The nurse told me today that she is getting tons of love in the NICU.

Thank you to all of our friends and family for the love and support over the past months. Thank you for the gifts, the words of encouragement and for never judging. You are amazing. <3

I LOVE MY SUNTAN!!

My Cervix is HIGH! :)

Our Princess!

Well, it's been a while since the last blog. I find that my mind is on our little house and keeping this baby in the oven. Last weekend, I spent the night in the hospital because my BP was elevated and they wanted to monitor the baby. The doctor released me the following day BUT it was quickly follwed up with "you need home care and you will not leave here unless you agree with the conditions."
I quickly agreed!

This week, I had my routine OB appointment and was sent to the 6th floor to be monitored because, once again, my BP was elevated. I already had it all planned out in my head how I was going to tell the doctors that I was not willing to spend the night and that being in the hospital is not conducive to lowering my blood pressure. They monitored the baby and I found out that I was having regular contractions. Nothing painful, just a lot of tightening. First thought....great, she's coming soon. GREAT! Please keep her in, push her back in, don't let her out yet, I am not ready. The resident, who is the third doctor to ask me if I was a nurse because I guess I use a lot of medical terminology, was kind and caring and very knowledgeable. I think it's funny that they think I am a nurse, couldn't I be a doctor?? Why a nurse?? Is it because I am just a girl? :))

.

Anyways, he said that he was going to check my cervix. YAHOO!!! Pregnancy takes away all diginity that you have as a woman and flushes it right down the toilet. I remember with Brinley when the nurse came in the day after delivery and started to milk my boobs. After she milked my boobs, she checked my mesh undies and frozen maxi pad! I felt like such a winner. I don't know how husbands keep the attraction going for their wives after giving birth!?!?! Droopy, flabby belly and droopy, flabby boobs and crazy hormones and damaged vagina and maxi pads for a month. It is SEXY!!
Ok, back to the cervix. The doctor had not checked many cervix in his rotation, so when he checked mine, I almost laughed. He was so gentle and caring, maybe almost creepy like. ;)
The nurse checked right after him to see if they were both on the same page. She went in for the kill, up to her elbow and whipped her hand right out, snapped the glove off and smiled. Thank you nurse! My cervix was closed and things were tight and high! ALL GOOD!!!
They all know me by name now on the 6th floor...we are friends! I would probably feel better if I could check a cervix too or at least do some BP checks. I feel like our relationship is so one sided at the hospital. I'm a giver and I feel that I'm not reciprocating the love.

So, that's where we are at with the baby. I am on a type of modified bed rest, which is quite difficult with a toddler but mom, dad and James have been helping out a lot. I get as much rest as I can. I am aiming for 37 weeks, so another two, then it will probably be go time. I have another ultrasound on Wednesday, so we will see how she is looking and I'll have a good chat with the doctor about how she/he feels about when I should deliver. It is going to be difficult having a baby at mom and dad's house. I know that we will feel bad when she's crying at night and inturn it causes James and I to get frustrated with each other. Ma and Pa are heading to their BC property for the first two weeks in August, so that may give us some time to settle.

Our home is being worked on but we have heard that it will be another month before we are permitted to move back in....that will be a total of two months out of our house. It's crazy!! James has been working diligently on getting us back in as soon as possible and has spent so many hours putting together the list of all the damaged items. It's been a lot of work for him and I feel awful that he lost so much. He really downplays it and said that one day he would have sold it all, but this wasn't the way for it to go....in a flood. Maybe karma will come his way and somebody will replace some of his lost items. ;)
Maybe Michael Jordan with step up and give him a new rookie card?? Maybe GI Joe will step up and send him some first edition comic books?? I mean come on, GI Joe has connections, he must be able to pull some strings.  :)

Lastly, our friends have been truly amazing throughout this whole ordeal. James and I would never ask for anything from anybody. We know that there are others who have lost absolutely everything, their entire house and the insurance company is not covering anything, nothing. We have been fortunate.
We have received so many gifts and gift cards from friends and family. We are overwhelmed and blessed and thankful and humbled by the kindness. I don't know what to say, besides thank you thank you thank you.

Have a wonderful Sunday with your family! <3

Done at 37!!!

Princess Brinley!



Yes, it's been a while since the last post. Life has been busy and stressful for all of us, including friends and family. We have been living with my parents for the past 2.5 weeks and will now be here for at least another month. I was admitted to the hospital on Saturday with high blood pressure. I thought maybe they would have released me that night but it was a no go. I think I had maybe two hours of sleep, which sucks for lowering the blood pressure. My roomie who was just wonderful and delightful was induced that night at 1:0oam, so we both didn't sleep too much. Yesterday, I had more blood work done as well as a 24 hour urine test. I can't stand that test, but I guess it's pretty simple compared to other tests. James drove to the the hospital 3 times yesterday to be with me, plus take care of little Brinley. It was a busy day for him, while I just sat and stirred in my little bed. I had an ultrasound later on in the day and it went well, they wouldn't let me walk so I got to go strolling in a wheelchair. I like being taken care of!! :) James wasn't allowed in and I didn't even get to see the screen, so I never got to see our princess. I asked the tech how she looked. His answer "fine." WOW!! Thanks!!

I asked how her femurs were measuring and he told me that they were a little shorter. I told him, thinking that he would have read my chart, that she has Down Syndrome. His answer "oh, she does??" NICE!!!

The ultrasound results came back perfect. She weighs 4 pounds 6 ounces and scored an 8/8. Those results made us smile.
The tech asked James to take me back to my room and as we were getting out of the elevator, the wheelchair got stuck on the metal piece, I almost went flying. The chair smashed my ankles and my chart shot across the floor. James does not make a good porter. :) 
The doctor came in to have a chat and he told me that the only way I was allowed to be discharged from the hospital was if I was open to home care. Yup, I sure am!! So, I am on a type of bed rest until baby arrives. I have to be honest, it stresses me out a bit more just because we had to leave the house due to the flood, so nothing is ready the way I like it! I am quite the perfectionist, so I need for my house to be just perfect for baby. I think I will hire a cleaning company to go in and do a very thorough clean, that will make me feel better. We don't really need access to the basement and garage, just the top two floors. I know that it will all work out in the end, but I miss my home. I miss my bed. I miss my schedule and routine. I miss my little town.
I try so hard to stay positive and put a smile on my face. It's difficult. I don't wish this on anybody, losing your belongings and your valuables. I have heard a few times that it's just stuff, but we have worked very hard for that stuff and poor James had to throw it all out in the garbage bins. I didn't have to witness our belongings being tossed and I can't imagine the heartache for James. A couple of the things that he lost were his Michael Jordan rookie card, first edition GI Joe comic books that he's collected over the years plus his hobby and passion for Greek books, figurines, shields etc., all gone!

Driving around High River is incredibly difficult. When you watch the news and see the devastation, you feel bad for others then you move on and eat dinner. When you see the destruction first hand, it is surreal and heart wrenching. You drive up and down the streets and all you see are families tossing their belongings out on the front lawn, all covered in mud and sewage. High River is also a community that houses the elderly, this breaks my heart. Some of them have nowhere to go, no money and no help. I pray that they heal.

Life has it's twists and turns and heartaches, but you rebuild and move on. I am thankful that my family is safe and that we have a place to stay until baby arrives.

My goal is to keep cooking this little one. I am 33 weeks pregnant and would like to get to 37, then it's exit time. I don't think this body will carry a baby to 40 weeks and we all know that 37 is full term. I am ready to never house a little human being ever again. I am thankful that we were able to conceive so easily and we are blessed with Brinley and Little Bean, I am just done. Induce me, epidural me, drug me and exit! I asked the OB after I delivered Brinley to just completely sew me up, there is no need for that anymore. ;) She obviously didn't listen to my request. 

I am looking forward to the next step in our lives and can't wait to meet this perfect baby of ours. Thank you to everybody who has helped us out, you mean the world to us and we love you.

Happy Monday to all my friends!