It's Party Time! {Maybe}

We've had a busy week. Oh, who am I kidding, we've had a busy MONTH! {Isn't it supposed to slow down a bit after the holidays?} Anyway, this last week, in particular, was especially busy. My aunt and uncle came up for a visit, and we had so much fun catching up. We had our regular homeschool routine, plus dance lessons on Tuesday night. Kam's 12 month Well-Child Check, and preparations for little Sweet Pea's birthday including shopping trips, and decorating.

The girls and I have spent a LOT of time making decorations for the party that is planned for tomorrow afternoon. So isn't it fitting that Kenners has been throwing up all day? Yeah, I thought so too. Ah well, that's life ;)

So, you want to see what kinds of crafty goodness we've been up to?

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First on our list was to make these tissue paper flower decorations. Aren't they the sweetest? I saw that Kelly made these for her daughter's first birthday, and I fell in love with them. You can find the tutorial on Design Dazzle {quite possibly my new favorite site!}

These little cuties will be gracing the tops of the cupcakes. So easy-peasy. I just used a circle punch, the girls put the stickers on, I punched two small holes to insert the toothpicks, and voila!

Kam's Happy Birthday Sign ;) Another fun and easy project that Sierra and Makenna had a blast helping with.

And finally, our Candy Bar. The funniest part about this is that I am the one who is constantly complaining about having too much candy in the house. So, what do I do? Go out and buy a bunch of candy as favors, of course.

I found these adorable take-out boxes to fill with said candy. And in a hilarious twist of fate, because of sickness and such, quite possibly half of the {already small} guest list won't be attending. That's right, I'll be stuck with all this candy. Isn't that the way?

What kinds of craftiness have y'all been up to?

Flashback Friday, Pregnancy Journal ~ Birth Story

Ack! I'm a little late. Sorry, but it's been a busy day. We're getting ready for a big first birthday party around here, don'tchaknow! {More on that to come!} Anyway, here it is. The last journal I kept for Storknet.com a year ago during my pregnancy with Kameryn. Her birth story. The very, very condensed version ;) I'll be back soon with some party pictures to post. Stay tuned!

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{originally submitted January 31, 2009}

Birth Story ~ Meet Kameryn Faith

Wow, it is hard to believe that I’m writing our birth story already! Our precious little Kameryn Faith is now a part of our family, and we feel so very blessed.

After my last journal entry we continued to play the waiting game. I got through the rest of the week without too much drama, and was told by my team of doctors that as long as she remained stable with no changes, they would continue to postpone delivery. As soon as an ultrasound or a non-stress test came back with changes, we would be induced.

On Monday, January 26th I was wheeled to the Perinatologist clinic in the next building, for my daily Level 2 Ultasound, and it showed that things had, indeed, changed. I was then sent to Labor and Delivery for a non-stress test. It was then that I was told I would be induced. I called Jeremy, and he and the girls made it to the hospital in time to visit for a bit before they started the pitocin. At that point I was only dilated 1cm, so I definitely had a ways to go.

The pitocin was started at 2pm, and by Monday night I still wasn’t progressing. Mild, regular contractions were about the extent of it. Jeremy’s parents took the girls home that night. It was the first time they had left the hospital excited, as they knew they would meet their baby sister soon. Jeremy and my parents decided to stick around in case labor progressed. Around midnight the doctors checked my cervix again, and found no change, so I got to have my cervix manually dilated (I’ll spare the yucky details!). At 5am on Tuesday, I finally dilated to 3cm, but still wasn’t experiencing painful contractions. Jeremy’s parents brought the girls back in on Tuesday morning, and we continued to wait.

By 2pm on Tuesday afternoon I had been in labor for 24 hours, and was exhausted. The doctors decided it was time to break my water. Once that happened, things took off rather quickly. Within about a half hour my contractions became painful, and I was re-considering the epidural! However, there was no time for one. By 3:30 I was having a hard time breathing through the contractions, and thought I might need to push soon. Doctors rushed in ~ 2 specialists, 2 residents, a nurse, and 2 pediatricians from NICU (as we were informed that Kameryn would be immediately whisked away for observation). Three pushes later, and our little one made her appearance!

Kameryn Faith was born at 4:12 pm on January 27th , at 34 weeks, 6 days, weighing 6 pounds even, and measuring 19 ¾ inches. Not too terribly tiny, considering. She was whisked away, but was able to come back so I could take a peek at her. They ran some tests, and found that she wouldn’t need to have a blood transfusion (yay!), but her blood sugar level was a little low, so she did have a short stay in NICU. By midnight she was rooming with me. We felt so blessed that she had no other complications. No breathing problems, no temperature-control issues, nothing!

She was a little jaundice, so Wednesday night was spent under bilirubin lights, but praise the Lord, she was able to come home with us on Thursday morning.

We are now settling in at home, though we are far from any sort of schedule. After being in the hospital for two weeks, there is a lot of catching up to do. Though all of that will have to be put on hold for awhile. Kameryn lost quite a little bit of weight, and is now down to 5 lbs. 6 ozs, so we have to go to the doctor for daily weigh-ins. She seems to be having a hard time putting weight on, but I’m trying not to get discouraged. My main job these days is making sure she is getting enough to eat, which includes trying to supplement in between feedings, and tracking all feedings and wet diapers. I really took for granted the fact that Sierra and Makenna gained weight so quickly after the were born. It’s hard to truly enjoy this time when I am feeling like I’m not doing a good job growing my little baby. With prayer and a little time, I have faith that it will all work out.

A great big thank you to all who have followed my journal, especially those of you who have taken the time to write. Best wishes to all of you for happy, healthy pregnancies.

Blessings,

Liz

One.Whole.Year.

Alternately Titled: Get ready for a whole lotta pictures, people!

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Oh my goodness, I cannot believe my baby, my littlest baby is one year old today. Have I mentioned {242 million times} that I don't know where this year has gone? Yeah, well, I don't. The only thing I can figure is that when you have other children at home who are constantly on the go, time zooms by even faster. Anyway.

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Kameryn, you are ONE YEAR OLD! On this day, one year ago, you blessed our lives more than we could ever have imagined by arriving to meet us. You came into the world putting up quite a bit of fuss {I know, I know, you weren't ready}, at 4:12 pm.

It's not a pretty picture, but it's REAL, and I kinda like it because my face says it all. This was me in PAIN about a half hour before you arrived.

Minutes after you arrived. Right before being taken to NICU.

Tiny little thing.

I was so happy to be holding you.

Your sissies were pretty happy too.

The eye mask that you had to wear under the bili lights. I have to admit, it was kind of cute :)

On our way HOME!!! {I seriously don't have gigantic hands. That's how little you were that Mama's hands look enormous. What, 3 times the size of your little head}

Precious little bundle only a few days old.

Yay, you started growing. Look at the little bit of chub.

Sleepy girl. My first big outing with my three girls. Alone.

So peaceful. 4/09

Smiles!

5/09

First trip to the beach! 6/09

Happy 4th sleepyhead.

Family Camp 7/09

Probably my absolute favorite picture of you.

You've got the cutest little tootsies!

My three most favorite girls! 9/09

Halloween ;)

Loves from a Sis

Woohoo! Your first Christmas!!

I can't believe you are one!!! 7 1/2 teeth later, 18 pounds heavier than on the day you were born, we've been through a lot this year, girl. I love you to pieces!

Happy Birthday my darling.

Friend Makin' Monday ~ My Simple Daybook

Welcome back to another Friend Makin' Monday! Today we are participating in this wonderful meme: The Simple Woman's Daybook. Head on over to Amber's, link up your own post, and check out other great blogs. The last couple of weeks have been a little chaotic, but I plan to do a better job of making the rounds this week!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window . . .

It's gray and gloomy. Again. But, hey, no rain yet.

I am thinking . . .

That maybe, just maybe, I am not a true Oregonian at all. I need the sun, people. I need some warm weather! And if I have to wait until July for regular doses of the glorious sunshine, I might just cry.

I am thankful . . .

That I get to be at home with my daughters every day. Some days I take it for granted, but not today. I cherish the time I have with them. They grow so quickly.

I am praying . . .

For faith and guidance. To follow the path that God has mapped out for me and my family.

I am reading . . .

The Bible ~ specifically Isaiah, for our newest study: Breaking Free

I am creating . . .

Lots o' decorations for Kami's first birthday party coming up soon!

From the kitchen . . .

I hear the breakfast dishes calling my name.

Around the house . . .

Needs some serious organization! I'm trying to simplify and get rid of the clutter, but every time I feel like I'm making progress I find more and more to go through. Ugh!

One of my favorite things . . .

Is listening to my girls laugh . . . together. I love it when they are getting along and playing together happily ~ the way I envisioned it when we found out we'd be giving our first-born daughter a sister.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .

Schooling, dance classes, and Kam's big days. Her birthday, on Wednesday, and her party day on Sunday! Such a big, exciting week. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little sad. How can it be that it is already time to celebrate her first birthday??? Waaahhhhh!

Sunday Ramblings

Last week our bible study group started our third Beth Moore bible study, Breaking Free. I'm just not feeling it yet. If I had to be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure I started it with the right attitude. I'm praying that God changes my heart about this. It's only the first week, after all.

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Kenners was sick with a stomach bug last week, and I'm so happy that she's been feeling better the last few days. Stomach bugs are the worst!

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Yesterday we had a brief break from the constant rain that is the pacific northwest, and it felt so nice to get outside and feel the sunshine! I think I'm ready for a vacation. Someplace warm and sunny are the only requirements at this point.

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Kam's first birthday is coming up {FAST!}, and I'm not feeling very organized. Time to make list!

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What do you find yourself thinking about today?

Flashback Friday ~ Week 33

Alright y'all I'm just going to be honest, I'm sort of looking forward to the end of these journals. I am getting some odd anonymous comments, and it's always on these journal entry posts. Weird. Anyway, this is officially the last week that I journaled besides my birth story, so the end is in sight ;) Happy Friday!

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{originally submitted January 21, 2009}

Week 33 ~ Hospitalized

Just typing the title for this journal entry seems so surreal. I am still in shock that I have been hospitalized for the last 6 days with a very good possibility that I will not be going home until I deliver our baby.

Where do I begin? Last Friday we were scheduled for a follow-up ultrasound at the perinatologist office. Jeremy and I made the drive and waited patiently for the ultrasound to begin. Much to our surprise the ultrasound showed that the anemia had gotten worse, and in a matter of minutes we were whisked away to Labor and Delivery to get set up on a fetal monitor. We were then told that I would receive my first of two steroid injections, and most likely deliver our baby on Sunday, just shy of 34 weeks gestation.

Since then I have had my two injections of steroids, and the doctors have kept a very close eye on our little one. Most importantly, it is now Wednesday and I haven’t had to deliver yet. I’ve had almost continual fetal monitoring, and 1-2 ultrasounds daily since being admitted. I feel very lucky to be in a place that is taking such good care of us.

While I am trying so hard to keep a positive outlook, I would be lying if I said this wasn’t the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Being away from Jeremy and the girls is excruciating; I miss them every minute. It’s especially hard because I am used to being with them all day every day. I’ve never been away from the girls for more than 24 hours, so the past 6 days has felt like an eternity to me. And as you can imagine, this is equally hard on them. At 6 and 3 years old, Sierra and Makenna don’t quite understand why I can’t just come home. As for Jeremy, I can’t imagine how stressful it must be. He’s gone from dad to single-parent in the blink of an eye, and has acquired many more responsibilities.

Now we play the waiting game. Each day we wait to see if today is the day we deliver, or if we can buy just a bit more time. If she remains stable, they will try to postpone delivery as long as possible. Our first priority is a healthy baby girl.

Thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers. We appreciate them all!

Blessings,

Liz

Wordless Wednesday ~ Little Miss Sass{afrass}

Oh Baby!

A couple of weeks ago I had the priviledge of taking pictures for a dear friend of mine, Lisa. Her newest little sugarplum is an absolute doll. And big sister, Kyla, couldn't be prouder. This was my first ever "photo shoot", so be gentle ;)

Friend Makin' Monday ~ It's Project Time!

It's Friend Makin' Monday! This week Amber asks:

What kinds of projects are on your to do list this year???

If you're like me, January can be a bit . . . overwhelming. It's the start of a new year which leaves me wanting to do everything. I need to start small and move forward, but instead I run around starting a whole bunch of projects, leaving many unfinished. Anyway.

♥ We have one BIG project planned this year. We are hoping to build a house. We meet with a builder this week to see if our ideas and his ideas mesh. And alsoto see if we can afford to build a house! I am SO excited! Eeeekkk! ♥

***Other than that, I'm dreaming of finishing a million little projects.***

♥ Organizing our homeschooling cabinets and drawers.

♥ Organizing in general.

♥ Finishing the scrapbook{s} I have started, and moving on to some digital scrapbooking/photo organization.

♥ More activities and crafts with the kids.

How about you? What kinds of projects do you have planned this year? Head on over to Amber's and link up!

Oh, and stay tuned. I'm finally going to post some pictures of one ADORABLE, brand new little sugarplum from my first ever newborn photo shoot. Talk about baby fever ;)

A Year Ago Today . . .

A Year Ago Today

I sat nervously in the waiting room at the Perinatologist.

A Year Ago Today

I was called into the ultrasound room and patiently lay there with goop on my belly as the technician checked on our baby girl.

A Year Ago Today

Tears filled my eyes, and I hung tight to my husband as we were told to head over to Labor and Delivery seven weeks early.

A Year Ago Today

I had my first of two steroid injections to help develop Kam's little lungs.

A Year Ago Today

I said good-bye to my husband and daughters as they left for home while I stayed in the hospital.

A Year Ago Today

Was the start of a very long two weeks of waiting, worry, prayer, and ultimately a miracle only God could have provided.

How Do You Use A Soft Voice?

I've been debating whether or not to post this. But in an effort to be more authentic, I think I need to put it out there. I'm sort of at my wit's end, and I really don't like feeling that way.

One of my goals as a mama is to be soft and gentle in words and actions. At all times. Even when I'm feeling frustrated. Even when I'm tired. So, here's my question. It's a question to myself, really, but please feel free to leave me an answer if you have one. And I'll do some soul-searching myself.

How do you find your soft voice

when:

You walk into your girls' room to find lotion squirted all over the place from their earlier "beauty shop" play.

You've asked {nicely, softly} about 1.2 million times {just this week} for your children to not climb up on the counters. And they continue to do so. Every.15.minutes.

You've mentioned {over and over} that as soon as socks come off the feet, they go in the hamper. And still the carpet is littered with little socks. Daily.

You've asked for scissors to be put up as soon as they are done using them, and you still have to wrestle them out of Kameryn's hands on a regular basis because they've been left on the floor.

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The list goes on, but you get the idea. Just typing this, I know it seems so trivial. And no, I don't need to be reminded about the crisis in Haiti. I know that I am blessed. I know I have nothing to complain about. But I honestly don't know how to use my soft voice to ask the same question hundreds of times every day. And I want to so badly. I have been, actually. But I find myself getting close to losing my temper. So I need to know, am I asking too much? Is it just me?

Whew, it feels good just to get that out.

Flashback Friday Pregnancy Journal, Week 32

Alright y'all, welcome to another week of Pregnancy Journals. I kept this journal a year ago, when I was pregnant with Kameryn. We're in the home stretch . . . and it's about to get a little exciting.

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{originally submitted to Storknet.com January 14, 2009}

Week 32 ~ What a Week!

It looks as though I spoke too soon, last week, regarding peace and quiet! This week has been quite the whirlwind.

Remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Makenna had come down with Fifth Disease? Back in October we were exposed through our Sunday School class, I mentioned it to my midwife, and she assured me that it was probably nothing to worry about. It finally made its way to Makenna right before Christmas, and shortly after, Sierra came down with it. Being that I wasn’t just “exposed” to it now, I was actually living with two little pumpkins who had it (loving on them, and in close contact 24 hours a day), I thought I would mention it again. The midwife agreed that I should probably be tested, though it was unlikely that I wasn’t immune to it, as I’d probably had it as a child, and didn’t even know it. So, I had some blood work done at my last appointment, and the nurse assured me that they’d have the results “soon”. When I hadn’t heard anything in over a week, I just assumed that the results were fine, and I put it out of my mind.

Imagine my surprise last week, when I received a call from the midwife letting me know that the tests came back that I had a full-blown case of Fifth Disease! I was so sure that I was immune to it. As I had mentioned in a previous entry, Fifth Disease is completely harmless and often times mild, but it can present complications in pregnancy. Because the hospital I go to now isn’t equipped to monitor this type of situation, I was referred to a
specialist, and ordered a Level 2 Ultrasound at a larger hospital that specializes in high-risk pregnancy.

Yesterday was the big day. My mother-in-law came over to watch the girls as it is close to an hour and a half drive each way to the hospital, plus the wait time for the ultrasound and appointment. We were so grateful for Geri to be able to watch the girls. My parents took off last week for their annual 6 week trip through Nevada and Arizona, so we don’t have quite the help we normally would have.

My ultrasound was scheduled for 2:20 with a follow-up consultation appointment at 3:00. Through the worry and concern, I must admit it was wonderful to be able to take another peek at our little princess. This ultrasound was a bit more detailed, so we really got a good look at all her little fingers and toes, her adorable little mouth and nose, and her little heart, just beating away. We even got a 3-D picture! After the tech took an extensive look around, she gave the results to two other doctors, and they both came in and had another look around. While they found no fluid around our little girl’s heart (a sign of severe anemia), they did find a sign that she had possibly developed the anemia. It is at a mild stage at this point, so I will be monitored up at this hospital 1-2 times per week via ultrasound, and I have been ordered to have a NST (non-stress test) twice a week at my regular hospital. I’m going to be one busy gal!

After the ultrasound, I got to meet with the perinatologist. He was wonderful in helping explain everything to us. He let us know what we might be able to expect every step of the way. Once our consultation concluded, he wanted me to have a NST, so we got set up for that. The nurse had mentioned that we would need to get a good reading which means having the baby alert, awake, and moving. Well, that was no problem! As soon as the monitors were strapped to my tummy our little girl kicked, punched, and prodded the entire time! Needless to say, it didn’t take long to get the reading they were after. About a half an hour in all, and we were on our way.

By the time we left the hospital it was after 5, and we had a long drive home in rush-hour traffic. It was the perfect time to reflect on the day, I suppose. I feel so blessed that I was able to leave the hospital last night. I couldn’t help but think of all the women who wind up with complications during pregnancy which keep them hospitalized for days, weeks, or even months! I, on the other hand, was able to go home and see my precious daughters and enjoy the rest of the evening with them. It will be a bit of a pain to make weekly trips up to this new hospital. The drive is long, and it’s not easy to get there. But I have to remind myself just how lucky I am that our baby is doing so well through all of it. I truly feel taken care of.

Of course, any and all prayers are welcome. With 7 weeks to go, we have our fingers crossed that baby girl doesn’t decide to make an appearance too early!

Until next week, enjoy all the blessings in your life!

Liz

Dance Class Days

The girls started back to dance this week. They were so excited. We took a break through summer, then had swim lessons through the fall that conlicted, so it's been awhile!

On Monday they tried the Tap class and Tuesday was Jazz. They settled on Jazz. Both of them. Have I ever mentioned how cute they are in their dance clothes???

Kam loves watching her big sissies.

Maybe someday she'll be out there in her tutu too ;)