Hospital Food!

I will never again complain about hospital food! The service at the hospital I was at was great...when you got to order your meal! When I was in for my overnight visits and was on a sugar free low sodium diet it was kind of gross. But after I had the baby I could eat anything. For breakfast I had two huge pieces of Texas toast french toast, a pile of crispy bacon, and a hash brown. For lunch I had this mammoth sized grilled cheese sandwhich (pictured) with frech fries. Then for dinner I had a HUGE chichen salad crescent sandwhich with french fries. They had three different styles of french fries...regualar fries, big steak fries, and then the best was the ones that looked like potato chips but freshly fried like they do the french fries! YUM! They literally called my room an hour before breakfast and asked me what I wanted off of the menu. Oh and I forgot about the complimentary dinner for two the day after I had the baby. It was a steak...lots of flavor and tender, a heaping serving of peas mixed with carrots, salad, and a baked potato. They even sent a pitcher of grape juice up with little plastic wine cups.

Pics of all the kiddos holding our new baby girl!

The kiddos were so excited to see the baby for the first time! They could not get enough of her!

Some more super cute pictures of baby girl!

Here are some pictures of baby girl from Saturday evening still in the nursery getting cleaned up. The pictures of her in her ballet outfit are from Sunday afternoon.

Baby Pictures!

Here is the first of any pics to come. This is baby girl next to 4 yo's doll.
the picture of me, DH, and baby girl was taken on Tuesday at 4 yo's birthday party when they came into the hospital.

I am finally home!

I got home late yesterday evening. The baby was also able to come home. The roads were terrible!! It took my brother 2 and half hours to get me home...normally a 45 minute drive. My brother took me home because he is the only one with 4 wheel drive.
The baby was 4 lb 1.8 pounds when she was born. Her weight went as low as 3 lbs 13 ounces. When we brought her home yesterday she was 3 lbs 14.3 ounces. She is doing fantastic!!! She receiced oxygen for about an hour after she was born. She had an IV for only a day and a half. They put her on a heart monitor just to watch her for a few hours but she passed that with flying colors.
Me: OMG!! A c-section is ROUGH!!!!! I had to have a c-section because after several hours of mag-sulfate, bp meds, and inducing meds my bp did not come down. Its top number was 171/111. I had a pain in the top of my belly right where my diaphragm is that was NOT going away even with pain meds. I was to the point that I could not catch my breath for several hours. The nurse told me on Saturday morning at 9 AM that it was time to consider other options because my bp was not coming down and I was not dialating (only 1 cm after 3 treatments of citatal.) I was in the OR at 10:11 and the baby was born at 10:25!
I later found out all of the pain in my diaphragm was from my liver and kidneys shutting down from the high bp. I was very dizzy all of the rest of Saturday and if I opened my eyes to look at anything I threw up. We were finally able to get my liver and kidney enzymes under control then my platelet count was very low. Each time they drew blood to check that I was just high enough to be able to pass and not get a transfusion. Then my hemoglobin count was down...then they were able to get that under control.
The snow here is crazy!! I think we have over two foot of snow on the ground!
4 yo DD had her birthday on Tuesday so DH, my mom , and MIL brought all the kids and a cake in so we could sing Happy Birthday to DD. She was just tickled to be at the hospital and see the baby.
I feel like I have been hit by a truck...a BIG truck!! I have a TON of pictures to post so hopefully as the day goes on I can get them up.

SHE IS HERE!!

Pam went to her OB yesterday and her BP was to 160/90, so she sent her to the Hospital to be induced. They were not able to get her BP down, so they did a C-Section this morning. Baby girl was born a 10:25am, she was 4lbs and 1.8oz. Both Pam and Baby are doing well and she'll be home by Tuesday.

Pam's DH

I'm Home...again!

I was able to get my bp down!! I believe that was just because of all the prayers. I am on stricter bedrest though....in bed on my left side only. 10 more days!!
She did an u/s before I left the hospital and she estimates the baby's weight to be about 4 pounds 12 ounces which is great! I was registering some protiens...a 1+...but the nurse said it had to be over three before they would really worry or induce me.

Baby update!

I went in for my NST today my bp...laying on my left side...was 150/90. So, she is sending me to the hospital tonight. If my bp does not come down through the night she is going to induce me tomorrow!! I begged her to let me go home first so I could get my belly cast and belly pictures done....and she said I could!! But, I have to take it easy and be at the hospital this evening.
You would think this being child #6 I would be prepared for this...I'M NOT!! I did not even get a chance to go get a carseat yet!! No new born diapers here yet! I do not have my bag packed for the hospital yet either! I was really hoping to make it to Feb 1st. Being that I had the steriod shot she said I am good to go anytime! I am really excited right now....not anxious at all! Thanks everyone for your prayers. (Although I KNOW my BFF is praying I have the baby TOMORROW because it is her birthday!)

6 yo is so cute!!

6 yo fell asleep with his toy that he got for Christmas on his chest while he was playing with it. CUTE!!

DD's Peppermint outfit!

I have had this outfit done for a while...since like the begining of December! I am finally getting around to posting pictures of it today. To get the skirt to stand up I put her pink tutu on her and then her pettiskirt that I made that did not turn out as full as I wanted it too....still working on trying to get that right. I got the appliques off etsy...the peppermint forest sign and 3 peppermints. The ruffle going up the skirt and around the one pant leg was one of the first things I used the serger machine for. DD has a peppermint purse to go with this...somewhere. It is actually a cloth gift bag that I found out the Hallmark store.





I got the peppermint appliques from here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5173481&order=§ion_id=&page=1

Awesome Deal!!

Betty works at JC Penney's so she can watch for the clearance sales for me and I just tell her what I need or am looking for. My own personal shopper! The pink coat was orginally $79.99, the brown one was originally $69.99, and the purple one was orginally $29.99!! She got all three of them for me for $20!!! That is an awesome deal in my book! They were supposed to be put up for DD for next winter but she insisted on wearing the pink one this morning for church. The pink coat is a 4 in 1. It has an inside liner that is a reversable spring jacket that is just so cute!

BFF and ME!!

This BFF (who is also my cousin) and myself showing off our baby bellies. She is 15 weeks and I am 34 weeks.

Diaper game!

My mom and BFF threw me a baby shower today...also known as a 'sprinkle' since this is not my first baby. One of the games was Guess the candy bar that is melted in the diaper that looks like baby poo. Betty was a riot and stuck her finger in the 'poo' and tried it!! Then me smelling one of the yummy candy bars!!

Baby Clothes!

I quickly stopped at a consignment store after my OB appoinment today and got the baby 4 outfits. The Scotty dog Valentine outfit is my favorite and then the Pooh outfit.



My NST went really good today. My bp was 130/80 and I passed my 24 hour protien test!! YAY!!

Bed rest is not so bad today!!

My awesome neighbor made dinner for us tonight!! YUMMO!! Stouffers lasagna, garlic bread, a fantastic salad...and look at those brownies!!!





Had an u/s today (like every Wednesday) and the baby looks good!! My OB will weigh the baby next week. Last week she estimated the baby to be 3 pounds and 12 ounces. My bp was 140/80 so that is still good! I will be doing a 24 hour protien test every week now until I have the baby just to be certain that I am not throwing protiens.

I'M HOME!!!!

I went for my NST this morning and my blood pressure was 150/100 so she put me in the hospital for observarion. I thought for sure it was going to be for 24 hours but, I passed my protien test and my bp was back down to 126/86 when I was admitted. That was at noon. At 7:30 my OB came in and said everything looked good and I could go home if I wanted...Well of course I wanted to go home!! I am now officially on bed rest! Potty and doctor's visits is the only thing I am allowed to do.
We are thinking between the hip and back pain I had over the weekend and the migraine I had this morning that is what sent my bp so high.

I am just really glad to be home! I will take bed rest at home vs staying in the hospital anyday!

32 1/2 weeks!

I have not posted a belly picture in a while so I thought I would put one up. I think my belly has dropped considerably the last few days and when I am out I am really hurting. Then as soon as I come home and sit back on the couch I feel better.

Rabbit...AKA..new quail hutch!

I got some quail eggs a few weeks ago to try and hatch...none hatched but, I am going to try again. I thought that a rabbit hutch would be perfect for putting quail in. So, I had my mom ask my step sister if she knew of anyone giving away a rabbit hutch since she is involved with 4H. Well, she remembered seeing this one for sale so my mom went and checked it out yesterday...I did not get to see it until DH brought it home. The guy was asking $110 for it. I told my mom to offer him $75...he counter offered $80 so I bit!! The guy said he had over $300 just in treated lumber and supplies in it. It is 12' long x 7' high x 3' deep! It took 6 full grown men and the two oldest boys to put it on the trailer. Our trailer is 10' long if that helps you judge how big this hutch is. I think it will be perfect for putting some of my Black Jersey Giant peeps in a couple sections and quail in one section. There are 6 sections all together...three two story sections each with there own separate door. I must say that I am very impressed with this hutch!! It is much bigger than DH would build for me and we could never have built this for $80!!

DD just being so darn cute!!!

This is a mini version of what I look like all day!! DD is just facinated with the computer and when I went potty for the millionth time today this is what I came back to find!


I have been trying to rest as much as possible to keep my blood pressure down to try to make it through at least the next four weeks. I have been able to keep my sugar under control. My blood pressure has been hovering at 130/90 for all of my OB appointments. I now go to the OB's three times a week...Monday and Fridays are NST's and Wedneday's are u/s. I did get a steroid shot on Tuesday to help develop the baby's lungs in anticipation of an early delivery.

New look in the living room!

DH and I had a 'lively discussion' a couple of weeks before Christmas because I wanted to get rid of half of our huge sectional couch. We never used it...well unless you count piling mountains of laundry on it!! It was to big to move around in the living room and rearrange so we have had it in the same place since we added the living room onto the house 7 years ago!! We have a tiny tv that sits on the other side of the room 18' away so sitting on the couch watching tv was not practical. DH said there was no reason to get rid of it...I wanted it OUT! We moved part of the couch to the middle of the room because I could not sit in the wooden rocking chair anymore because it made me to sore and 6 and 3 yo wanted to sit on me all the time and in the chair there just was not any room. Thus half the couch is in the middle of the living room. My second reason for wanting that half of the couch out was because I wanted to move my rubberstamping table out of the spare bedroom and put it in that corner so I could put my sewing stuff on it and clear off the dining room table because we had not seen the table in MONTHS!! DH and the kiddos got me some fabric for Christmas from JoAnn's because I wanted it for making cloth diapers...and while they were there the kids spotted a sewing table!!! So I got a new sewing table for Christmas!! When I got it Christmas morning DH came to realize that getting rid of the couch was a GREAT idea afterall!! Plus now 6 yo has a great place to set up his Geo Trax so we are not tripping on them and they can stay sat up so he is loving it too!
Here is my new sewing table...sitting where the old couch used to sit...and 6 yo's Geo Trax city!



(Can you hear the under tone in the background saying "I WON!!")

More Napkins!

In my quest to become more self sufficient or 'green' (not sure which but to ulitmately save $$ in the long run) I have been making some reusable homemade items....including cloth diapers, TP, wipes for the baby, hankies, sanitary napkins, and cloth napkins. I got a HUGE flannel sheet set at Goodwill yesterday for $5.98 for the top sheet and fitted. I was able to make 54 napkins and 11 towels just out of the top sheet! I still have to figure out what I am going to do with the fitted sheet! I used the awesome serger machine that the lady from my church gave me along with the gold thread that came with the machine. So, for about $3 I have a TON of cloth napkins!!

Necklace!

This is a necklace for my mom. She bought all the beads and we put it together on New Year's Eve. She has been wanting this kind of stone for a while. I think it turned out pretty nice!

This is a work in progress!

I got a mattress changing pad at Goodwill yesterday for $1.99. It has PUL fabric on it that I am using to make cloth diapers for the new baby. Cloth diapers are my new endever! The pad was in mint condition. I just paid $9.99 a yard to order PUL fabric online for cloth diapers so when I saw this I could not pass it up. I am also trying something else new...homemade sanitary napkins. I was able to fit four newborn diaper pattern pieces, 4 SN, and 2 SN liners on the mattress pad. I also got a large flannel sheet that I cut to put as filler inside the SNs. I hardly made a dent in the flannel sheet. Then I put some of the super cute flannel that I got on sale the day after Thanksgiving on top. I have the middles all sewn together but now I am waiting on DH to change the color of thread on the serger back to white because I used the gold thread today and I think white will work better on the SNs. For a $1.99 I thought this was worth a try!!