Sarah's story

So, it's been almost two full weeks since we welcomed little Sarah Elgan into our family. And this is the first minute I've had free to even think about writing about it. So, here goes. There will be lots of little details that I want to remember, so if you don't want to know about them, feel free to stop reading now!

On Tuesday, April 17th, I had an appointment with my doctor, Dr. Michelle Pepperell. Wait- I guess I should rewind a few days first... Friday night I could not sleep. I was tossing and turning and just plain miserable. Turns out the baby was dropping and that was probably why I was so uncomfortable. The problem with that is the baby was pressing on the area of where the previous C-section was and it really was quite painful at times. Plus the Braxton Hicks started coming stronger and stronger. Not fun! Monday night I had a strange feeling about how things were going in my pregnancy. I had a feeling something wasn't quite right and that something was going to happen soon. Heavenly Father is great about giving me these impressions beforehand about events that might otherwise be stressful. So I stayed up past midnight that night reading about labor and delivery and c-sections and just all that end-of-pregnancy stuff that I have in my prenatal books. I love reading about it anyway, but I felt this urgency to finish up. Then I woke up around 6:30 and couldn't sleep. That is completely not like me to do. I love to sleep in!

My appointment that day was in the afternoon and usually we do the appointment then run any errands we have afterwards. Well, Mom and I decided to run our errands first so we could get the girls home for naps. (Mom and the girls decided to come along because I was having my final ultrasound and Ellie enjoyed seeing the baby so much last time.) I'm glad we made that decision. We got the last of the "supplies" for the bassinet and a baby swing and a few other random baby items. We also stopped by the hospital for a tour so that we knew where to go when the time came. The hospital is HUGE, so I'm glad we did that. Everyone on the floor was really nice and answered all my questions and it was a great experience. We told them we'd see them in 3 weeks. Our last stop was the doctor. We went in and had the ultrasound, which went well. Again the girl doing the sonogram mentioned that she could see a lot of hair on the baby. I just laughed- my girls don't have hair for at least 2 years! She didn't really say anything else while she did her measurements. Mom took the girls back out the waiting room while I had my checkup with the doctor. Well, needless to say things didn't look so good. She came in and asked how I was doing and I explained the pain and the contractions and she seemed a little concerned. She then told me a few things that were concerning her about my status.
1) the baby was transverse, meaning laying sideways. Her head was to my right and her feet to my left. Not good for a vaginal birth.
2) the pain I was feeling at the incision site was definitely a concern- usually that's the body's way of saying something isn't right
3) The strong Braxton Hicks were a concern as well, just because we had to be careful about when I went into labor so I could be carefully monitored.
4) I was already dilated to 2 cm.
5) The ultrasound showed that the baby had intrauterine growth restriction/retardation. Basically that means her head was growing at the right rate, but her tummy and legs were far behind schedule. This can happen because the placenta starts to pull away from the uterus, or the umbilical cord has started to "die" too early, therefore not getting the nutrients to the baby. There are many different reasons. But those didn't matter- what mattered was that we needed to get the baby out.

I think I took the news pretty well. Like I said, I knew something just wasn't right. I knew the baby was going to come early and probably by c-section. I just wasn't prepared to be told she needed to come out that day!!! I was fine until we started talking about setting up an appointment for a c-section and then I started crying. It just all came crashing in that I was going to have a baby that night! Three weeks early! We had just enough time to drive the 35 minutes home, drop off the girls, pack, get a blessing and head 35 minutes back to the hospital to be there by 5pm.

We showed up, I was admitted and sent upstairs to labor and delivery. Turns out they were swamped. They had 2 already in the operating rooms with emergency c-sections. I was put in a triage cubicle in a corner and basically forgotten for an hour (although a nurse did come in after about 1/2 hour and put the doppler monitors on me). There was a girl next to me (we were separated by only a curtain) that was having complications and was sent away for a c-section when her baby's heart rate stopped. Scary! I guess they got it under control but she ended up delivering the next day. I felt like I was intruding by laying there, listening to all that was going on. Mom and I were just chatting and passing the time. I was feeling contractions about once every 10 minutes or so. But they felt like Braxton Hicks to me. I've felt contractions before- you'd think I'd know the real thing! After an hour a nurse showed up to place my IV and start fluids. She then told me I was having real contractions every 4 minutes. I couldn't believe it! I really wasn't feeling them. She thought it was because the baby was laying sideways. But anyway- that scared me a little bit. I realized that had we not scheduled the c-section, I very well could have been at home having these contractions and not realize it. And worst of all, there could have been some serious complications because I'm sure I wouldn't have made it to the hospital in a good amount of time to deliver safely. Heavenly Father was definitely watching over me!

At 8pm I was wheeled into the operating room and things began to roll. Mom was given scrubs to change into while I was prepped for surgery. Now let me explain exactly what happens when you have a planned c-section. First of all I was given a spinal block. My anesthesiologist was great. He was really nice and relaxed and just very confident. I was given the spinal block (like an epidural, only it's a one-shot deal- no tubes left in because you only need the one dose that lasts about 4 hours or so.) Then I layed down on the operating table and the real fun began. It is really a bazaar feeling to be on that table. You're completely exposed, your arms are stretched out to the sides for IVs and blood pressure checks, and there is no modesty to be found! It's a good thing they put up that drape and you can't feel much of anything! My surgery ended up taking 1 1/2 hours. There was so much scar tissue left behind from my last c-section and Dr. Pepperell took the time to clean it all out for me. Turns out scar tissue had attached to my bladder and part of my rectum and that explains why I had strange pains in my abdomen. She cleaned that all out then went for the baby. I wasn't feeling any pain, but I could feel them moving things around and tugging and pulling and it was just a strange feeling. But then Sarah was delivered at 8:38pm and I was a new mom! It was an incredible feeling. I watched them take her over to the warmer and wipe her down and suction her and convince her to breathe (she had lots of fluid in her lungs and didn't want to breathe for them- I guess that's very common with c-section babies). She was so tiny. Her cry was so tiny. Everything about her was just... tiny. But that hair! Two weeks later I still can't get over how much and how dark her hair is! She weighed in at 6 pounds 1 1/2 ounces and 17 1/2 inches long. What a sweet little angel arriving from our Heavenly Father. It is the greatest feeling to be around a spirit that is so close to that veil.

Then came the uncomfortable part. The cleaning up and getting stitched. Almost immediately after Sarah was delivered I started to have pains under my ribs. I guess this is common as well. As soon as the baby's weight is removed from the stomach gas bubbles start to rise and therefore causing pain. The pain was excruciating. I felt like I couldn't breathe it hurt so bad. They gave me another pain killer and that helped a little bit. Then with the doctor cleaning me out (kind of gruesome to think about...) and stitching me up I was really uncomfortable. I don't remember it being that painful last time. But, that probably accounts for why I never healed correctly! This time they did two sets of internal stitches instead of one. The doctor made sure she did all in her power to give me the best healing experience she could. After seeing how I healed last time she could better gauge what would be best for me. I am grateful they took that extra time to do it. I guess most surgeries last just 45 minutes, so they definitely took their time with me.

Then it was off to recovery. Steve called and I was able to tell him all about Sarah and the delivery and it was wonderful to talk to him. It was obviously a bummer not to have him there with me, but for all intents and purposes, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. The hospital I delivered at is OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois. It is the leading children's hospital in the area. (I guess everyone at church was concerned when they heard I delivered there just because people around here only deliver up there when there are issues with the baby.) I was then wheeled off to my room. Sarah was able to come in to nurse, but she had a hard time keeping her temperature up, so I was not allowed to keep her in the room with me. That worked out fine anyway- I was exhausted! It was actually a couple days before I got to keep her with me. Sarah also was losing a lot of weight and was getting jaundiced. We ended up supplementing her with formula. Normally they don't recommend supplementing, but since she was so little, we didn't want her to lose too much weight before my milk came in. I made sure we supplemented with a syringe instead of bottle so we didn't end up with nipple confusion problems. She thought the formula was great. Funny girl. But I must say- she's been an awesome nurser as well. I'm blessed that she picked up on that right away.

My stay at the hospital was incredible. My nurses were awesome and attentive and I really couldn't have asked for a better stay. I was supposed to go home on Friday, but my insurance wouldn't cover the home health nurse visit on Sunday (to check her weight and temp to be sure she was keeping both up), so instead they paid to have me stay another full day in the hospital. Insurance companies really make sense, huh? I didn't mind- one more day of having someone else take care of Sarah at night except for feeding... nice.

The girls love having a new little sister. Ellie holds her at every chance she gets. Katie wants to touch and poke and pull so she doesn't get much time with Sarah :) She's a great little baby. She sleeps and eats and doesn't cry much. These are three things I never had with my other two girls, so I'm basking in the joys of this little girl. My recovery has been going well. Mom is taking extra good care of me and isn't allowing me to do much of anything. I go upstairs in the morning and spend time with the girls all day then back downstairs once we get the girls to bed in the evening. My job is to take care of Sarah. Mom has been taking care of the other two girls for me. It's been a huge relief and already I can tell my recovery is going a million times better than last time.

Sarah is growing already. We head back to the doctor on Wednesday for her 2-week appointment and I'm anxious to find out just how much she's grown. I know that we went last Monday and she had already gained 4 ounces. With as much as she eats...

On a side note... remember how Ellie abandoned potty training as soon as Steve left? Well, as soon as Sarah came home Ellie decided she was a big girl and refused to wear pull-ups. She hasn't had an accident in a week. I guess everyone was right- she had to decide when she was ready to start back with the potty.

Okay- time to be a mom again. The girls have all awakened. I'm sure I forgot to mention things and when I remember I'll write more. I finally found time to post some fun pictures if you haven't seen them yet. I have three little girls... wow!

Enrichment success

Okay, so we had the coolest Enrichment activity a few weeks ago. It was a "service auction." Here's how it worked- any sister that wanted to could donate a service. There were things like home made cakes, cookies, blankets, makeovers, housecleaning, babysitting, tutoring, etc... anything that the sister had a talent in and thought that someone might enjoy receiving. Each of these items were put on a card and placed up front for the sisters to peruse before the evening began. As we walked in the door we received a number and a questionnaire. The questions were things like: I brushed my teeth this morning- 5 points. I went on a mission- 10 points. I read my scriptures today- 10 points. I have an empty nest- 5 points. Something along those lines anyway. There were probably 25-30 questions like that. You got points according to what you could answer affirmatively to. I think I ended up with around 200 points. Well, then the fun began. We had an auctioneer that ran the show (an unbiased brother) and he ran it like a regular auction. Your points were your money and you bid on these services. It got to be hilarious, watching these sisters duke it out! I won a jar of homemade jam, a baby blanket and a 2-hour sewing lesson. Not bad! I was quick with raising that number of mine and bidding. It really was fun, and all the sisters- of all ages- really got into it. Plus, what greater way to serve your sisters- especially ones you might not even know very well. It ended up being funny and exciting, but also inspiring as some sisters would win an item and donate it to another sister. I highly recommend this activity!

The sister that gave the sewing lesson is the mother of a good friend of mine that I grew up with, Taylor Dawson. So not only did I get a sewing lesson, but I got to catch up on where her kids are and she did the same. The item I decided to sew was a hooded towel. It was initially intended to be made for this new baby on the way, but in the end we decided that Ellie had grown out of her hooded towel and she would appreciate it more- so she has inherited it. Well I must say- this towel turned out AWESOME!!!! Sister Dawson has an embroidery machine and we picked out the cutest little butterfly to go along with the trim we had found for the towel. I can't tell you how pleased I am with how it turned out. And now if I want to make another towel, I know what to do! It was most definitely a huge success.

I took Ellie to my dad's jazz band concert on Friday night. We had gone to another of his concerts awhile back and there were two things Ellie remembered about that night. First and foremost- she got a sucker. Second, she got to play the drums. So that's all she could talk about once she found out we were going. So at this concert she got her sucker and played the drums. She did great this time, too. We made it all the way until the last 2 songs- impressive. I remember when I was little that I didn't last too long. We'd be out in the hallways running and sliding on benches... having a great time. But the greatest thing about it is that we still heard the music and have a great appreciation for live music. Even just the smell of Presser Hall brings back those memories. It's interesting how something as insignificant as the smell of a building can bring back a million memories, huh? I love going to those concerts and I hope Ellie learns to feel the same way.

Last but most definitely not least, I forgot to mention that Diane (Steve's sister) had her baby, Alexandra Evalyn Witzel on April 6th. She was 3 weeks early and weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and measured 19 inches long. She is a gorgeous little baby. Congratulations to the Witzel family! Alexandra is the first of 3 in our family that are expected within the month. Rachel and I have the exact same due date (May 8th). We'll see who wins ;-) All I know is that the baby dropped yesterday and I'm feeling quite uncomfortable and ready to be done!

News

I don't know how many people have heard the latest news, but it's not so great for those of us with deployed soldiers. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced today that all troops currently in Iraq will automatically be extended an extra 3 months, making it a 15-month tour. We were told our deployment would be 12-18 months, so in a way it is nice to know that Steve will be there no longer than 15 months. But it's pretty lame as well. All the little things that Steve has missed so far in the two months he's been away and will miss again if he has to stay those extra 3 months (including all 3 girls' birthdays) makes me sad. I am just grateful to have family here to help take care of us. It's an interesting life in the military, that's for sure!

It happens almost every night

So it's almost bedtime, the girls have been cranky and all the sudden they get a second wind and they are happy and playing together and giggling- I love the giggling. And so I let them stay up longer because I just love it when they play together so well. Tonight was one of those nights. Katie discovered a mirror in my closet and was blowing kisses to herself. She was playing peek-a-boo through her legs (which Ellie had to join in on) and practicing walking in her bunny slippers. Once we got pajamas on the girls they started wrestling and having fun with that, too. It really makes me happy when they get along and play together. I pulled the camera out and got some fun shots of the play-time. Funny little girls!

Haircuts

Today both of my girls got haircuts by yours truly. You may look at the pictures and think, "Katie got a haircut? What did you cut?" Well, turns out Katie had the beginnings of a mullet in the back and I just cannot allow that. She had enough hair in that little batch to make a small ponytail. Ewwww! Now it's gone and I feel better. I let Ellie's hair get much too mulletish when she was smaller just because I couldn't bring myself to cut her hair. Not this time around! Then after looking at pictures from yesterday I realized Ellie was in serious need of getting her bangs trimmed, so that's what she had cut. I probably need my hair done as well, but I have yet to find anyone that can do a good job and my hair-disaster-fixer is currently in Iraq ;-)

I had a doctor's appointment today as well. Everything is looking good. My blood pressure is super low, I've gained about 35 pounds and I'm measuring the usual 2 cm smaller than the number of weeks I am (I'm 36 weeks measuring 34 cm- but that's how the last two pregnancies were). Next week I get my last ultrasound to get a guesstimate of how big this baby will be. I don't care if she's 10 pounds as long as her head is smaller than Ellie and Katie's were!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! What a wonderful time of year. The perfect opportunity to remember the Savior's sacrifice for all of us and the wonderful gift of the resurrection. I was given the opportunity to speak in church today, so I have spent the last week studying this topic and it has made me very grateful for the hope found through that resurrection. Here's something I found for my talk that I really liked:

Samuel Smiles wrote: "Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us... Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination."

Isn't that great? Everyone has their own discouraging times. This deployment happens to be one for me. But at the same time I have faith and hope that Heavenly Father is watching over this little family of ours and blessing us in so many different ways.

Stepping aside from the spiritual side of Easter, let's talk about the Easter bunny :) We had a lot of fun with that today. Ellie was incredibly anxious to search for those eggs she had colored last night. We also hid a couple dozen plastic eggs to keep it more exciting and have it last longer. Both girls thought it was great. Ellie was running all over the place and Katie was doing her fair share as well. The Easter baskets were also a hit. I don't even want to know how much sugar went into those two little bodies this morning. Katie got a few M&Ms and she was pretty giddy over those. Ellie ate quite a bit more. Hey- it's Easter, you have to let them live it up, right? They girls also got a few movies from the Easter bunny- ones that we were supposed to get in time for Christmas but because of complications on the Internet they never came in. We got "Curious George," "Cinderella," and "Happy Feet." Very thrilling :)

Since we have afternoon church (ick) we had most of Easter dinner prepared yesterday. We invited Dick and Sybil Smith (our adopted family) over to enjoy supper with us and Ellie staged another Easter egg hunt for them. The cutest part of it all was that she dragged them around showing them where she had hid everything. It was hilarious! It's fun to see her so excited about it all.I took a picture with the girls in their Easter dresses right after church. Katie was exhausted and Ellie not too interested, but I think they turned out nice. Steve has been begging me for a picture of his girls and I thought today would be a great opportunity. The girls did look adorable in their dresses.

I posted pictures from the last couple of days if you're interested.

Just as a side note, Katie started walking on her own three days ago and now she's a pro. She's all over the place. She still likes to hold your hand when she wants to go fast, but she is plenty capable of getting around on her own, which is nice. It's just one more way that she's growing up and that makes me a little sad at the same time. Although, she still loves to be swaddled for bed. The only 1-year old I know of that still enjoys being swaddled. I like it- it's special snuggle time for the two of us.

I find it interesting...

When we were at the doctor last week I asked him about Katie drinking milk. Everything that I have read has indicated that you need to put your child on whole milk for a year once they turn 1. That's what I did with Ellie and so that's what I did with Katie. And she did not like it. I tried chocolate milk with Hershey's syrup and even tried Ovaltine. Nope- she was not interested in the slightest. So I asked the doctor if just eating cheese (which she can't get enough of) was enough calcium or if there was some magical ingredient in milk that she needed. He said no- cheese was fine. But get this- he told me 2% milk was better than whole milk to give to Katie. That night we bought some 2% milk and now she chugs it! Go figure.

Hippity Hoppity

Easter's on its way....

Today was the last gorgeous day we are going to have for about a week (it's supposed to freeze on Wednesday), so we took the girls out to take some fun pictures for Easter. Unfortunately I did not foresee the reaction of terror as Katie's bare feet touched grass for the first time. Needless to say our vision of bunny rabbits dancing in the grass did not come to fruition. We took our pictures, put the girls in regular clothes, and they had a great time playing the rest of the day. They make cute bunny rabbits if you ask me, though.

Tonight we had our FHE about Easter and it actually went over pretty well. I wasn't sure how Ellie would react with talking about death and resurrection. We had a flannel board story from church that we used and I think that helped a little bit. As she went to bed tonight she told me that she is going to be wrapped up when she dies, too. I made sure to explain very well to her that she didn't have to worry about dying anytime soon. She woke up two nights ago with a nightmare about birds coming into her room and I didn't want any scary thoughts going through her mind as she went to sleep tonight! It's a tough concept to try to explain to a 3-year old.

I also decided to take a picture to prove just how enormous I am. I told Steve earlier today that the shirt I have on did not fit that tight a week ago! Just 5 more weeks to go!