It's about time!

Wow, after a friendly reminder that I have not introduced the newest member of our home (thanks Audra!) and a friend discovering and reminding me I have a blog (Hey Josh!) I pulled it back up. Much to my dismay my background had a snowman on it. Gesh! That guy would only last about 2.5 seconds outside today. Time for some updating.
Our lives are not too action packed and no way will I bore you with what has been going on since December in our lives...BUT I will share with you about our sweet little addition to our home. No, I am not talking about any structural changes to our house (however another bathroom would be nice, and a functional basement, and a bigger kitchen and bigger laundry room hehe) I am talking about sweet little Eliza Christine.

Miss Eliza Christine was born March 4th at 1:09 pm and weighed in at 7lbs 12 oz and 21 inches long. Now most people will say, that is a good sized baby, pretty average in size and I would agree. However miss 7 12 coming in after her brother who was 9 lbs 11 oz and the rest of the siblings around 9 lbs, she was as I liked to call her, Dainty.

I am going to rewind the story a bit and tell about her birth, which in itself was alot different in ways than the others as well. Actually alot of my pregnancy was different, less weight gain (nice) not as much pregnancy sickness but more illness that I couldnt kick, like colds, sinus infection, bladder infection.

Anyway back to the big day. We arrived to the hospital and went through all the get changed, hooked up to the monitor, IV put in, blah blah blah, oh yes and for those who dont know, this was a planned c section and our 5th one too. So we are hanging out waiting for everything to get ready, I am texting with my sister (Hi Dawn!) and watching Tv. Chris is reading the paper, pretty normal stuff for us pre baby. They come and get us to goto the recovery room to wait until it was time for me to go in the C section room and get my spinal block. Some someone who was to be there wasnt able to get there right away so back to our room we went. Well, they had already moved my bed to outside the recovery room so I kicked back as good as a largely pregnant woman can in the recliner. Still texting with my sis to let her know what all is going on and talked to my Dad on the phone who had gotten turned around in town and needed help to the hospital.
Finally they came to get us and I went into the surgical room. Now they dont allow husbands back there while they are putting the block in, which is ok as mine doesnt like needles. Now the anesthesiologist was a VERY tall man and he had the bed raised up so high I didnt even have my feet on the stools they give you to put your feet on while they put the spinal block in. So was just a bit difficult to get my back right to help him out with nothing to push my feet on. He got the necessary stuff in and they laid me back while the spinal was kicking in and got me all prepped to go. Only the spinal never took. They tested and waited and repeated several times. Finally the anesthesiologist leans over to me and says "the block isnt taking" (really? so those pinches of pain were not my imagination?) "we are going to have to put you under." I was stunned by this and really not aware of any other options so I agreed. Now this also meant my husband would not be in the room either, since I would not need a support person. This I hated. We had already planned on getting my tubes tied while they were in there and neither of us were going to be able to see the baby in her first minutes outside of me, not the way I had pictured going out of my season of having babies. So, out I went.
I remember them waking me and I was in the recovery room, my nurse was asking me questions that I could only nod or shake my head at. My mouth was super dry as they give you a med to dry out your mouth while the tube is down your throat and my throat was a bit sore. (I kept thinking to myself, now I understand what Jarrett goes through) I was also in ALOT of pain. I remember my nurse asking me if I was numb, they assumed the spinal was just taking awile and would kick in, well it didnt and I was hurting really bad at the incision. So they qickly started me on Morphine with the PCA pump, I kept refering to it as my friend and truely it was! On top of the incision pain they were giving me pitocin to help stop some of the bleeding. The doctor told me I had alot of scar tissue and it bled pretty bad and found out the next day that I was pretty close to needing a transfusion but my blood count started to go up on its own. (whew)
It seemed like forever before I even realized my husband was in the room, I heard him talking to the nurse who was checking the baby. He took my hand and I wanted to cry, but couldnt, all I could do was stare at the ceiling and breathe through the pain and suck on a washcloth to wet my mouth. Finally I was able to ask him how big she was, figuring upper 8's at least. I had to ask him a couple times to make sure I heard him right. She was born at 1:09 and it was after 3:00 before I was taken back to my room. Completely abnormal from what we were used to. With the others (except Jarrett) I was able to nurse the babies in the recovery room and look at their sweet faces right away. Not this time, because I was out of it and in pain they had Chris give her a bottle and it was a couple hours before I could really look at her face and really see her. This being part of the reason she was nameless for a day and a half. We went into the hospital with 2 girl names Eliza Christine and Evelynn but not sure on the middle name. Like we had done with some of the others we had to see her to decide, and we couldnt decide which one she looked more like. We decided on Eliza but the poor little thing, her mama called her Evelynn a couple times :) and in my foggy mind was worried we picked the wrong name.
The day after she was born I got a call from the anesthesiologist to see how I was doing and if the block had taken later. I told him it had not. He said they were going to be doing some investigating as one of his colleagues had the same thing happen to another woman and she had to have a general as well. Both of us having medicine from the same batch and they were thinking it was bad, so they had pulled all if it from that batch. I am glad, I would hate to have someone else go through that. I never did hear anything else about it.
All in all, we got our sweet little one, she is very precious and has killer smile. She stares right into our eyes and she has this look of maturity in her eyes, alot like Jarrett had. In fact her personality is alot like his as a baby.
We are now enjoying this last season of having an infant and it is exciting but scary and sad to move past as that has been what has defined who I am for so many years. Now I have to find a new me in this new season of life. Scary, but I think it is going to be a fun adventure!

There Mama

Having boys can be one of the sweetest things for a mom. Elliott has recently started his training to manhood by taking care of me with various little tasks, all done with no prompting by me at all, just warms my heart.
I first noticed this trek from being a toddler running around doing crazy things to actually doing something for me around Thanksgiving time. I was doing some cleaning and he went and got a toy hammer out and was hitting everything with it, the cabinet doors, the wall, couch and when he was done he would look at me and say "there mama" I guess he is fixing things for me. This act of sweetness has grown into other things, like kisses on my arm or hand (even my belly the other day) all followed with the same "there mama" It is soooo sweet! The other day we were snuggled on the couch and he kept leaning over and kissing my nose!
This morning he did something different, after putting in the morning ritual of Finding Nemo and we were walking over to the couch, I could feel that he was guiding me with his little (ok he has large hands) hands! What a sweet little man I have, already taking care of his mama and being my protector!

The Toe

Wow, It has really been a long time since I have posted anything. Geez, better get this back up and running.

We took Jarrett in for his once every 6 months check up at UIHC for his scoliosis. Great news no change, so the TLSO (back brace) that he wears is doing it's job. Part of the routine is for them to also check his other bracing and his feet, we had an issue this fall with a pressure point sore so everything gets checked out. When the Dr took all the gear off of the left foot, his pinky toe just flopped over to the side. I was behind Jarrett and was a tad shocked to see that happen. I had only ever seen something sticking out that way and that was when one of the wrestlers in High School dislocated his little finger. So, back to x-ray we were sent and sure enough, it was dislocated. No clue as to how that happened. Boys are hard on their bodies and when you can't really feel your feet or legs, we are always battling something on him. But this little toe seems to have become my foe. It is always cracked, bleeding, torn up, and I cannot seem to keep it healed for anything. So, the dr tried resetting it, Jarrett cried. I am not so sure it was due to feeling it as much as seeing what he was doing. We got sent home with gauze(because he ripped the skin open, again) and tape to keep his toes buddy taped together. We are generally never lacking a year in Jarretts life where we have not had to gauze and tape somewhere on him, generally those are more likely to be found in the closet instead of bandaids in this house! New type of taping for me to achieve, feel like if I could only stand on my head while doing it, it may just work better! :)

Her choices are....odd

It's been a long time since I have posted, I am sure there is dust collecting somewhere on here (and the rest of my house too). I was trying to think of something amusing that was blog worthy the other day and was feeling a bit discouraged, until I went to my bedroom where Gretchen was taking her nap. I let her sleep in there so she doesnt wake Elliott, because if he doesnt get a good nap, or Gretchen, then well, the rest of the day isnt so fun. Anyway, onto the nap. Whenever Gretchen lays down she has to find something to sleep with and I have been noticing that her choices are a little odd. I have found her snuggled up with one of Chris' shirts, my belt (several times), books, toys, kleenex box, and the best one was a book about womens health issues. I also have found her in weird attire. I went to see if she was alseep one day and found her wearing some knee high stockings on her arms (kinda Madonna looking) I hadnt realized until she got up that she had some on her legs too. So I decided I am going to start keeping a list on here of the odd things I find her napping with. Hopefully someone else can get a good giggle out of it too.

Never a dull moment when Cael is around! :)

My nephew Cael stopped by today on his bike today, the kids wanted him to stay for lunch, which was fine with with me, but I teased him we were not having cereal. He is just a crack up in the things he says and does. Jeni had noticed at one point that it looked like his pants were on backwards so this is what went on with that conversation:
Jeni: "Cael, are your pants on backwards?"
Cael: "No" and just shruggs his shoulders
Jeni: "come here" she is giggling and puts her hands in his pockets
Cael: "Those are my back pockets, these pants dont have front pockets" These are athletic pants and are obviously backwards at this point and looks funny since the rear in them has more space than the front
Jeni: "Your tag is in front" She is teasing him
Cael: Shrugs and says "I wear my underwear backwards too" Then he farts and moves on to go play.

I am laughing so hard at this point, he was still better dressed than Gabi who is wearing a blue and red Cubs shirt(that is too short b/c it isnt hers), pint cordoroy pants with flowers, orange and white stripped socks and a purple jacket. Fashion diva I tell ya. Gretchen isnt a whole lot better with the red velour like shirt that she is wearing over her clothes that I got at Goodwill for a Halloween costume several years ago.

Priorities of the youngin's

Let me set up the scene: I am sitting at the computer looking on Facebook. Gabi see's some people had profile picture changes and was asking their names.
Gabi: Is that Mackenzie?
Me: yes
Gabi: Whose that?
Me: A girl named Erin I went to school with when I was a little girl.
Gabi: What color was her backpack?
Me: I don't remember
Gabi: What color was your backpack?
Me: Sorry, I don't remember (I don't even know if I had a backpack then)
Gabi: Was it pink?
Me: I don't think I had a pink backpack (I hated pastel colors)
Gabi: I think I would have a blue and black one to put stuff in for school.

And that was it. I love how her mind is and would love to spend 15 minutes in there. Everything has to be about a color, blue church (CBC) red church (Harmony Bible that we will visit when out of town, or as Jarrett referred to it as HBC the other day :)sure why not we shorten our church name)

it stinks

Have you ever been heartbroken? I am sure most of you have at some point in your life. Heartbreak over your "first love" (in second grade) or the passing of a loved one. All things in that catagory are heartbreaking, but nothing hurts more than to see your child hurt and see them not understand how to deal with it. Tuesday afternoon Jeni found out about a friend who tragically passed away due to injuries in a car accident. I am sure I will forever remember the sound of her voice when she called me to let me know, honestly when I heard her voice my mind immediately thought something had happened to Elliott since she was home with him. But to hear the confusion and panic in her voice...well, I pray no one will ever have to hear that from their child. She has been spending time with friends and chatting on Facebook with them about their friend, which is always helpful. Many hugs and "I love you's" have been exchanged. Tonight is the visitation for this young man, I am hoping to be able to go with her, for support. Tomorrow is the funeral. Looking back, I remember all to well what going to the funeral of someone your age is like, especially in high school. It certainly is not one of those experiences you want ou kids to have growing up. We keep reassuring her that in time, it will be better, and thank you to all who have said kind words or come over to talk to her. It is all in Gods plan and to let how Tyler lived his life to be an example and to take with them the kindness that he showed to them and to return the favor to someone else. As a mother to see the hurt in my child is difficult, yet I cant imagine how the mother of this young man has to be heartbroken over the loss of her child. Yet, it is a great reminder to not let them leave the house on a sour note, it could be the last time you speak to them.