tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87138371650142734042024-03-13T22:31:13.043-06:00The Faulk FamilyCameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-84584172033989187472018-08-01T15:04:00.002-06:002018-08-06T13:11:13.944-06:00Cedar's Blessing Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In our church, it is common practice for a baby to be be given a name and a blessing in church during their first few months of life. This blessing is usually done by the baby's father. (For more info on what a baby blessing entails, click <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/family-guidebook/priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng" target="_blank">HERE</a>).<br />
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Cedar Jane Faulk was blessed by her father on July 1, 2018. We wanted her to be blessed when my parents could be there (my dad flew in from Shanghai), and as an added bonus, Daniel's parents were given permission to come home from their LDS mission in Orlando for a long weekend to attend the blessing! It was very special for her to have both sets of grandparents there, as well as most of my aunts and uncles, sisters, and other friends.<br />
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I will admit that Daniel and I felt a little bit of added pressure over this blessing as compared to our other kids' blessings. It is common to hear babies blessed with things like health, marrying in the temple, etc. For Cedar, all the "normal" things like that suddenly felt in question. Will she ever get married? Will she be healthy? Should Daniel bless her with those type of things? We pondered a lot about what he should say, and we obvious prayed that he would feel the Spirit during her blessing and truly be able to say the words Heavenly Father would have him say.<br />
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Despite our worries, Daniel gave Cedar a beautiful blessing. The very first thing he blessed her with was that she would know she is loved. I immediately started crying because that is what I want most for her as well. He blessed her that she would feel peace and that she would find comfort in the gospel. He blessed her with courage to overcome her trials and to help others, always relying on prayer. He blessed her with health and physical strength as well as spiritual strength. Her promised her the ability to seek education.<br />
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After her blessing, our bishop got up and I could feel the spirit so strongly. He mentioned that we all knew the difficult path Cedar had already had to take to get into this world, and that he was so happy she is now part of our ward family.<br />
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After sacrament meeting, we went back to our house for a lovely brunch. I put together a bagel bar, and my sisters and mom made a beautiful fruit salad, yogurt parfaits, and a variety of juices.<br />
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We were so blessed to have so many people over to celebrate Cedar!</div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-25627318056568800942018-07-24T16:37:00.000-06:002018-07-24T16:39:59.173-06:00Cedar's Orthopedic Journey! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Throughout my pregnancy, I had a TON of ultrasounds and 2 MRIs. There have been MANY pictures taken of Cedar prior to her arrival. Throughout all of these, doctors and ultrasound techs assured me that Cedar did not have clubfeet. Many kids with spina bifida are also born with clubfeet--just one of those things. I was relieved to find out that she did NOT have clubfeet, since that would just be one more thing to deal with.<br />
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At these ultrasounds, many doctors also mentioned that she was in breech position (the entire pregnancy), and often commented on how her feet were up by her head, like she was folded in half. We all laughed at her flexibility and moved on. Regarding her breech position, doctors would often say, "Well luckily you are having a c-section, so we don't have to worry that she is breech!" That is all anyone said.<br />
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When Cedar was born, we were quite shocked when we saw her feet. As you read in his account of Cedar's birth, Daniel cried. When he showed me pictures of her feet, I couldn't believe it. They were bent back to her shins, and one was clearly turned to the side as well. They didn't look like clubfeet, but obviously there was a LOT wrong with them. I was very frustrated because we had not been warned at ALL about her feet and it was a frustrating surprise.<br />
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While in the NICU, a physical therapist came a few times and showed us some stretches to help her feet and to relax her hips (she constantly wanted to still have her legs in the air), and we did them three times a day, even as we brought her home. We did not see an actual orthopedic doctor in the hospital, and we made an appointment at Shriners for the Thursday after she got home. I had heard stories of other SB kids who had the same condition, and were able to correct it with 6 months or so of physical therapy. I was hoping going into our appointment that this was the case!<br />
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That Thursday, we went to Shriners to see Dr. Hennesey, the same doctor who treated Miles' clubfoot. It was nice--and not nice--to see everybody again! After examining Cedar, she informed us that she basically had the opposite of clubfoot, and it was called calcaneovalgus foot. She also informed us that Cedar has extremely shallow hips, and her legs were not sitting in her hip sockets. Essentially, she had dislocated hips. We were informed that by the end of the appointment that day, Cedar would have casts on both legs and a hip harness. My dreams of just 6 months of physical therapy were dashed.<br />
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I was also pretty frustrated, because I found out from multiple doctors that these issues (the CV foot and the hip dysplasia) are common problems for babies stuck in breech for a long time, specifically babies who have their feet by their head. I wondered why no doctor had mentioned this BEFORE her birth, or why they did not make any attempt to flip her earlier on when it would have still been possible to change her position. I still plan on asking these questions at my six-week postpartum appointment.<br />
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We said goodbye to Cedar's beautiful feet as we knew them:</div>
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The doctors decided to give her casts from the knee-down, instead of thigh-down, like you would do for clubfoot. The doctors could not stop gushing over how "cute" her casts were. I was grateful that they were only knee-down, because as I knew from experience with Miles, the thigh-down casts like to get poop on them during diaper changes!</div>
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Getting a hip ultrasound:</div>
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The finished product with her knee-down casts, which are hidden under the hip harness:</div>
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Cedar rocking her new look at her first spina bifida clinic at Primary Children's Hospital:</div>
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Still cute, harness and all!</div>
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A week later (after dealing with a very cranky baby), we went back to Shriners to have her casts changed out. </div>
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Getting the casts removed:</div>
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Definite Progress:</div>
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Another hip ultrasound:</div>
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Waiting for the doctor, post-bath:</div>
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After her hip ultrasound, the doctor told us that she saw no improvement in Cedar's hip situation after a week in the harness. I was surprised that they were expecting to see progress so quickly, but apparently that is how it works. They informed me that the hip harness can actually do more harm than good if it stays on when it's not working. So, they decided to give it one more week, and then if there was still no improvement, they would take her out of the harness.<br />
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Cute pictures of Cedar in her harness and casts:</div>
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A week later, we came back again. First, they removed the casts.</div>
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Then, they did another hip ultrasound:</div>
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Lots of waiting to see the doctors:</div>
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After looking at the results of her hip ultrasound, the doctors decided the hip harness was not working for her. They decided that she should not wear it anymore. This basically means that Cedar will just have dislocated hips. I thought this sounded painful, but they assured me that it doesn't bother her at all. When she is six months old, we will revisit the issue and talk about surgical options.<br />
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The doctors also decided to give Cedar one week of cast freedom while they made her some AFO braces. Usually these braces are given to kids who are learning to walk, in order to give their ankles and sometimes calves more support. For her, they were hoping the AFOs would be a more lightweight option than the Ponsetti brace (what Miles wears at night for his clubfoot), and would hold her feet in the correct position that the casting achieved.<br />
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Getting fitted for her AFOs:</div>
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So, for a week Cedar got to enjoy wonderful foot freedom! We enjoyed putting her in the clothes, pants, and pajamas she couldn't wear with her casts and hip harness!<br />
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When your older brother asks to hold you and then gets distracted by Netflix:</div>
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First time wearing shoes...the only ones that would stay on her tiny feet:</div>
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Real pajamas!!</div>
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My tiny girlfriend in my giant bed:</div>
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As the week went on, I started to get concerned. Cedar's feet started looking an awful lot like they did before she was casted. I sent these pictures to the doctor, but she didn't seem too concerned. I'll admit, I was definitely worried:<br />
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At our weekly Thursday appointment, the ortho doctors told me that the AFOs were not quite done yet, and so they would have to cast her for another week. I was so bummed.</div>
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Getting recasted:</div>
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When I went over to the orthotics people to cancel my appointment (since her shoes weren't ready), they said they didn't know what I was talking about--that her AFOs were absolutely ready. Say what?<br />
Please tell me they had not just recasted my baby for no reason. After talking to the doctors again, the orthotics people told me the doctors said they recasted because her feet needed it, not because the AFOs weren't ready. Obviously they had told me something completely different, but either way she needed to be casted again so I let it go.<br />
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Back in casts:</div>
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The following Thursday, I was SO excited to get this girl out of casts and into her cute little AFOs! Shriners told me that these would be the smallest AFOs they had ever made. This time, her feet looked much better and she was able to get her braces!</div>
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Removing the casts for the last time:</div>
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Enjoying some foot freedom while we wait for the AFOs to be fitted just right:</div>
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The cutest little braces you ever did see!</div>
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She has to wear socks with the AFOs, but when the orthotics people brought in a pair of their smallest socks, they completely drowned her feet! So, another doctor came up with the idea to use the tube stuff they put under casts as socks, because you can just cut it to size. So, that's mainly what we have been doing.<br />
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They also recommended that she wear shoes over the AFOs when possible, because they can provide more stability and hold the AFOs in their position. This has been a bit difficult because they made the AFOs a bit longer than her toes so that she can grow into them. I therefore have to put larger shoes on her so the brace fits into the shoe. This causes the rest of the shoe to be really loose on her, providing little support. Not sure yet what to do about that part:<br />
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Attempting some different shoes on her:</div>
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They make her look like she has clown feet because they are so big!</div>
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We have now been cleared to come back in a month, and this week was our first week since Cedar's birth (six weeks ago) that we have NO DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS! So exciting!! Hopefully in a month her Shriners doctors will be pleased with her progress!</div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-21178181210263143532018-07-13T15:12:00.002-06:002018-07-13T15:12:49.768-06:00Life in the NICU<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I never imagined I would have a baby that needed to be in the NICU. I thought that was something that happened to "other people." Suddenly, there I was, learning to navigate what felt like an entirely different world! <br />
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The first few days Cedar was in the NICU, I was still a patient in the hospital. This made it easy to go see her whenever I could. The NICU nurses would call down to my room when they thought she might be willing to breastfeed, and I would get wheeled down there, sometimes in the middle of the night. It was definitely difficult to feel like I was recovering when I was getting little sleep, but I was happy to do what I could to help transition her to all oral feeding. This was one of the requirements for her to leave the NICU. She would also have to be weaned off oxygen, which took a few days. I knew we could go home with oxygen if we needed to, but I REALLY did not want to do that. <br />
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Daniel was supposed to take that first week off of work, but when we realized Cedar would be in the NICU for longer than we thought, he decided to go back to work and take time off later once we got home. My mom stayed at my house that week to watch my boys. Daniel and I would leave in the morning and he would drop me off at the hospital at about 8am. He would continue on to work and then pick me up after work at about 6pm. This way I could stay with Cedar all day and still eat dinner with the boys and spend some time with them in the evening. I would pump during the night and bring the milk with my every morning.<br />
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Baby Cedar hooked up to a million things. The worst was when I came to see her in the night and they had moved her IV from her hand to her head! I teared up seeing that big thing poking out of her scalp! We called it her antenna:</div>
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NOT happy:</div>
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One of the very best days in the NICU was when we got to bring the boys in to meet Cedar for the first time! It was a big ordeal. We had to have their pediatrician fax over their immunization records, and they were only allowed 15 minutes. Their name tags even had the time they had to leave clearly marked. It was worth it though because they were VERY excited!<br />
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First photo of our the Faulk Family of Five!</div>
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One of the nice things about the lower-level NICU (compared to the level 1 NICU she was in those first couple days) is that the nurses let family hold her with my permission. We were only allowed one person other than the parent at a time, but my family was SUPER excited to get to finally hold her!! Uncle Nick also came several times with a Diet Coke...talk about a lifesaver!<br />
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Grandma Anderson's first time holding Cedar:</div>
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Uncle Ty getting his turn:</div>
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Aunt Kim was next!</div>
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The nurses were all about the parents getting involved with the baby's care, so we would change diapers, take her temperature, etc. Daniel would jump in on this whenever he could be there.<br />
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Dad changing a diaper:</div>
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Dad's favorite part of the day was coming to pick up Mom so he could hold Cedar!</div>
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One of the problems that gave Cedar an extra day or day in the NICU was her bilirubin levels. She developed some jaundice a couple days in. First, they tried just laying her on the light mat:<br />
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Unfortunately, the next morning her levels had actually gone up instead of down, so they had her be under the full lights for an entire day.<br />
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Cedar in the "tanning salon:"</div>
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I thought long days in the NICU would pass slowly, but somehow they went by quickly. I was either feeding Cedar, staring at her, talking with doctors, pumping, or working on my computer. There was always something to do.<br />
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Sometimes I just liked to stare at her...I mean, who wouldn't:</div>
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This was Cedar's preferred position...exactly how she was in the womb, which we think caused her calcaneus valgus (her feet being bent up to her shins) and hip dysplasia. </div>
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Once they took Cedar off the bed warmer, they were able to put her in clothes and wrap her up to see if she was able to maintain an appropriate body temperature. I was really bummed that they didn't let us bring clothes for her, so we had to use whatever the NICU had available. I came in one morning to find my beloved daughter in this atrocious hat:<br />
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I could at least turn it around so you couldn't see the logo! It also liked to slip down and cover her eyes, but she didn't seem to mind:</div>
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I took every chance I could to snuggle with my new daughter! Not going to lie though...it took a lot of patience to deal with all her cords everywhere! It made holding her and especially nursing her very difficult:</div>
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An occupational therapist came around and worked with Cedar a few times to show me how to stretch her feet and do some tummy time.<br />
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We would do tummy time on a pillow on my lap, and she seemed to really like it:</div>
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Cedar turned one week old in the NICU. We celebrated by taking off most of her wires! By this day she had completely weaned off oxygen and was taking all of her feeds orally and not through her feeding tube. We were told that if she stayed stable, we would be able to go home the next day!</div>
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Of course, to go home, we had to pass the car seat test. Cedar had to stay in her carseat for an hour and a half without her stats going down. She passed!</div>
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When I came in the morning of Cedar's departure, I found her like this. I asked, WHERE ARE HER LEGS?! haha</div>
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The best day every finally arrived! We were schedule to go home at noon. I was able to put Cedar in her first real outfit that I had picked out for her to come home in. I was worried it would drown her, but it ended up being alright!<br />
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Baby Cedar waiting for Daddy to come pick us up!</div>
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So. Cute.</div>
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Our favorite nurse and lactation consultant!</div>
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So tiny in her car seat:</div>
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Taking our baby girl home!</div>
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When we got home, we found that grandma and the boys had decorated our front yard!</div>
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Our time in the NICU felt short in some ways and long in others. To be honest, we could not BELIEVE we somehow made it out of the hospital without having to cath her and without a shunt. The nurses catheterized Cedar several days in a row and determined that she wasn't retaining enough fluid to be worth cathing. At 3 months old, she will have a big urodynamics test to see how she is doing and to see if we will need to start cathing her at that time. She also did not show any signs of hydrocephalus in the NICU, so we left with no brain surgery, which is AWESOME! We are over the moon to have her home and finally settle in to our new family life!</div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-26407420779744744502018-06-17T16:16:00.000-06:002018-07-06T08:25:33.541-06:00Cedar Jane's Birth Story, by Daniel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is the story of Cedar's birth, from Daniel's point of view...<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="s1">"Cedar was born Thursday, June 7</span><span class="s2"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="s1">, 2018. We picked it because it was easy to remember 6-7-2018… and because 7 is lucky.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We were anxious for her birth because of everything she had already been through and we wanted to see how she's doing after fetal surgery. We were also very excited because she's our only girl and our last. I already felt like she was a part of our family and it was now her time for her birth… which was not the beginning of her life like most people associate with their children (even as I did with Riley and Miles). Since it was scheduled, there was no drama and we simply got ready that morning (had bags packed from the night before) and we left for the U of U hospital. We checked in. The C-section was scheduled for 9:30. Camee’s nurse was Casey/Kasey who was very nice and professional despite the funky blood bath IV.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">In addition to me, Lori, Kim, and Kristy were all present. I recall praying silently in Camee's room that all would go well. Camee soon after got an epidural in another room. I put on scrubs and a cap and booties and was told I would be summoned to be with Camee in the OR.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I was summoned and when I got there, Camee was lying on the table with her arms straight out to the side and legs nearly flat (basically making a cross.) There were at least four doctors/nurses on the operating side and two more doctors next to me near Camee’s head. Camee had a blue curtain positioned vertically at about her shoulders about 5' tall which I could look over to see what was going on which I did several times. My mom previously recommended that I sit down whenever I needed so I wouldn’t faint. The nurses in the OR asked if I had ever seen Brave Heart and I said I did... I had actually made a reference to that earlier when the family was all together. I was a little paranoid that I would faint, but I never even felt sick because of the blood.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Camee's incision was already made when I entered the room. I sat to Camee's left by her head. I believe I kissed Camee on the forehead and told her that she was doing great. I never thought that much about C-sections but now that I’ve been in the OR I know that it’s a huge event with lots of craziness (doctors, machines, tools, drugs, etc) all going on at the same time and it filled me with even more awe for my wife that she had the courage to do all of this for Cedar. It’s intimidating being in the OR and probably more so for someone consciously being operated on with little to no ability to control anything that’s going on.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Camee was awake and from my perspective was uncomfortable. She was alert and yelped "Ow!" a few times which was very different from the very long and groggy "ow" she said as her first words to me post fetal surgery. These seemed more like sharp, prolonged pains. Her discomfort and volume increased as the surgery went on. I knew that Camee was fairly numb where her previous incision was, and I found it odd that the doctors' procedure for testing the pain medication was pinching that area very hard. I mentioned that to one of the doctors and she nodded and said, "Oh yeah, you may be right." I was just thinking, well, yeah I’m right… and how come you didn’t know that?!</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">As Camee's groans and discomfort increased, the anesthesiologist and other doctors seemed to panic a bit that Camee was in pain and they added a drug to her IV which made her "loopy". As Camee closed her eyes, the scariest thought ever came to me which was that I could lose both Camee and Cedar. Although I knew this was a possibility with each pregnancy, it never felt real until I was in the hospital without my new baby and with my wife having closed eyes and doctors panicking over Camee's drugs. I asked the doctor next to me if Camee was alright and she said the medication would make her "loopy." One or more times Camee opened her eyes and further expressed discomfort. I believe Cedar had not been born yet but she was born very soon after.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Cedar's birth was very fast. One of the doctors carefully pulled her out. I was standing and watching. I asked if I could record it on my phone but was not allowed. Cedar was gray in color like Riley and Miles when they were born, had her mouth open, and had dark hair! One doctor immediately took her to the window where another doctor or nurse took her to where the newborns are taken care of (in the NBICU). Another thought came to me and scared me that maybe they would confuse my baby with another person's baby!! Then a half second later I remembered that Cedar had had fetal surgery and that there would be no mistaking her.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I wanted to see Cedar to see if she was breathing because I didn't know at this point and Miles needed CPR when he was born. I also wanted to stay with Camee to make sure she was going to be ok. I was torn to not know for sure on either! Camee's eyes were closed when Cedar was born but I told her, "You did it!" and "We have a baby girl!" I cried because I was so happy that Cedar was here and because it was Camee that made it all possible.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The next step was to perform the tubal as Camee and I had requested but as they began, Dr Monson saw that doing so would be risky. The surgery was starting to take longer than what seemed they liked but Dr Monson knew Camee's and my wishes to do the tubal. Dr Monson wasn't sure what to do at this point and openly asked the room if she should not do it. No one said anything until I said I agreed. I didn't want anything risky and especially not now. The rest of the room then simultaneously agreed or nodded to not doing the tubal. Camee's surgery was completed without the tubal. Before they finished, I was notified that Cedar was breathing and was a nice pink color and that I could go see her. I asked if Camee would be ok and was told that she was. That was a great relief and I felt good enough about her condition to leave her and I was led to the NBICU to see Cedar.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">When I first saw Cedar in the NBICU, she was 34 minutes old. I was the first family member to see her. I immediately took a picture of her and it was upside down. I suddenly remembered I get to have a bunch of the firsts with her. I told her I loved her (first). I held her hand (first). Besides her dark hair, one of the first things I noticed about her was her feet. Cedar had been breech for so long that her feet had formed so that her toes were nearly resting on her shins. One of her feet was also turned in which reminded me of Miles's club foot. Seeing her feet and knowing she had had her back closure and thinking of the trials she has already had and the trials she will have in her life made me weep for her in front of everyone in the NBICU. Some time passed and after regaining my composure and wiping tears and nose, I was the first to hold her in arms. I was so happy to hold her! I thanked Heavenly Father for Cedar.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I texted Camee's family and my family that Cedar was born and then all the texting craziness happened. Everyone wanted pictures and I sent one to Lori, Kim, Kristy, Haley, and the same to my mom, dad, and Joseph. After about 20 minutes, Dr Bullough came to inspect her back closure and was very pleased with how it looked. There was no leaking or major inflammation. He also inspected her head and had me inspect her head too to ensure that her soft spot was not bulging which would have been indicative of hydrocephalus. This was great news! Additionally, I was quite surprised that her head was a normal size... I was fully expecting Cedar to have a giant head due to her large ventricle sizes.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I was told that Camee was awake and that I could see her. It was hard to say goodbye to Cedar after just having met her in person but I was able to do so knowing she was in the best hands. I was shocked that Camee was ready because it didn't seem that long ago that she was still in the OR. I was anticipating that she'd be loopy for hours like her fetal surgery. When I came to Camee's room, we were given privacy after pushing some blood clots and we cried together (my third time for the day). I showed Camee the rest of the pictures I had taken and as well as the video of our brand new beautiful baby girl. I also told her the good news that Dr. Bullough had said about her back and head.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I really felt that so many prayers and so much love and hard work had all come together and were now visible. I loved this day. It was filled with craziness all over and yet it was such a beautiful day. We are now the Faulk family of five!"</span></span></div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-82577421569684911972018-06-17T16:11:00.001-06:002018-07-06T08:25:10.986-06:00Cedar Jane's Birth Story, by Camee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, here it is. Cedar's birth was already not how I would have planned it. Many of you know that my other two boys were born at a birth center with some awesome midwives, unmedicated. I obviously knew from the day of her diagnosis that Cedar's birth would be very different. I was clearly OK with however we needed to get her safely into the world, but I had to mourn the loss of the kind of birth I wanted to have.<br />
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Despite this, I was looking forward to my c-section date with extreme excitement and anticipation. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> The night before, Daniel and I headed to the University of Utah hospital to get some night-before </span>lab work<span style="font-family: inherit;"> done. The nurse almost felt my wrath as she pushed the needle in and out attempting to find my vein...and still failed. The bruising on my arm is still ridiculous. After that pleasant experience, we headed to Texas Roadhouse for my "last meal." I wasn't allowed to eat after midnight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The waitress was legit impressed with how much I ate. Clearly she doesn't know me...</span></span></div>
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We spent the evening doing some last minute packing and organizing. I woke up at 6am and showered. This is the really nice part about having a scheduled c-section. You can get all showered and ready and look nice to go in to have a baby. I didn't hate that part. At 6:30am we called the hospital to make sure things were still on schedule. They were, and we were given the OK to be at the hospital at 7:30am for the 9:30am c-section. Our amazing neighbor Heather came over at 6:45am to watch our boys for the day, and just after 7am we headed for the U!<br />
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Once at the hospital, we got all checked in. We took a last minute picture of me pregnant!<br />
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PS This angle makes me look HUGE...crazy lighting...</div>
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From there I got dressed in the gown and lots of different doctors came in to explain what they were about to do. I got my IV placed and the baby was on monitors. Our excitement kept growing as we waited for our c-section time!<br />
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The next McDreamy...right here.</div>
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Then, we found out that a woman was in labor and her baby was being a bit difficult. They had to hold one of the OR rooms open in case she needed an emergency c-section. So, everyone in the room started rooting for this unknown woman, that she would HURRY and have her baby, you know, for the health and safety of her and the baby of course. If she had to have a c-section, it would push mine back about 2 hours. Luckily, after a while, the nurse ran in and said, "SHE HAD THE BABY!" We all cheered.<br />
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From there things moved really fast. I drank the nasty drink that anesthesia gives you to neutralize your stomach acids in case you aspirate. My mom, Kim, and Kristy were all in my room so I said goodbye to them all and went into the operating room.<br />
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I was, once again, very nervous for my spinal tap--just like I was for my fetal surgery epidural. Turns out, the spinal hurt even less than the epidural, so yay! I laid down on the table and they prepped me while my lower half started going numb. I remember just staring up at the operating table lights and the crazy bright, white walls, and thinking that this is just not natural. I tried to just close my eyes and be at peace with where I was, trying not to let the fear take over. Soon I would be meeting my little girl!<br />
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Anesthesia then tested my numbness. They asked if I felt sharp pain in the places where they were poking--I did not. They gave my doctor the go ahead to proceed with the c-section. Daniel was ushered in and we were ready to go.<br />
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As my doctor began working on me (cutting...), I started to feel the "pressure" that they warned me about. The doctors said I shouldn't feel sharp pain, only pressure. I was quickly surprised at how uncomfortable I was, and it started getting worse and worse. It wasn't sharp pain, like a knife, but I clearly felt people scooping around my insides. Now, other women have described this feeling to me as "really weird," so I thought it would just feel odd. It quickly started becoming unbearable. When a massage therapist does a deep tissue massage, she is just putting "pressure," but DANG does it hurt. It was kind of like that. I began shaking with tension as I tried to grit my teeth and bear each dig into my abdomen. After a few minutes it became clear that my spinal tap had not fully worked and I was feeling WAY more than I should.<br />
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That was when everyone started panicking a little bit. I looked up at my anesthesiologist and said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't think I would be this tense." I could barely hold it together. She then told me they were going to give me a drug that would make me a "little loopy and less uncomfortable." I thought she meant just a little groggy, but I was wrong. I quickly felt myself slipping out of consciousness...and that is when the hallucinations started.<br />
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I can't really describe what went on when I was on that drug. I remember trying to explain to a group of people what was happening to me...like I was in a lecture hall or something. Everything was swirling and confusing, and I would randomly hear something the doctors said and then slip away again. The most terrifying part is that I could still feel what they were doing, and it didn't feel good, but I wasn't conscious enough to tell anyone that I was in pain. I was stuck just laying there for what, in my mind, felt like hours, with no ability to say anything about what was happening. I'll be honest with you, it was very, very scary. There was a point where I remember thinking I had died. I truly thought that I wouldn't get to see my little girl, and I was incredibly sad. Then I would be snapped back to reality for random seconds at a time. I would hear doctors say something that made sense, and then I would drift away again, stuck in this fog that I couldn't get out of. Later, NICU nurses told me that they could hear me moaning and yelling all the way in the next room, and they were wondering what in the world was going on.<br />
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Finally, I remember seeing the blue curtain that was in front of me. I remember someone saying, "Camee, you had your baby." I remember seeing Daniel for a second. I remember my doctor saying that she was sorry, but they weren't able to do my tubal (I was supposed to get my tubes tied) because I was in too much pain. Next thing I know, I was back in the recovery room trying to grapple with what just happened.<br />
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Now, obviously, there are a lot of things that happened during this that I was not aware of, many details of her birth that I missed because I was in crazytown. That is why Daniel has written up his version of the birth story, which I will put in a second post.<br />
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I was not able to see Cedar right away. Daniel went off with her and I returned to post-op. My mom and sisters were waiting there, and suddenly I was in a LOT of pain. I was moaning and doing some serious in-labor breathing to get through it until the drugs kicked in. To make it better, they started pushing on my stomach every 15 minutes to push my uterus down or whatever. Holy cow, that hurt SO bad. Eventually they moved it to every 30 minutes and then every hour.<br />
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Finally, Daniel came in. When I saw him I just started crying. I think I was still in shock about what had happened in the operating room, and I was so emotional about not seeing my baby that everything just came out at once. He showed me pictures of Cedar:<br />
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To be completely honest, it felt like I was looking at someone else's baby. First of all--the hair. Both Riley and Miles were born with a mild amount of hair and BRIGHT blonde. Here was this full head of dark, dark hair. It was also hard to connect with her when I hadn't even had the chance to see her--and essentially missed her entire birth.<br />
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Whenever a new baby is admitted into the Level 1 room in NICU, or whenever a baby needs a sterile procedure done, parents aren't allowed in there at all. So, I kept waiting and waiting for when I would be able to see her. It was a very busy day in the NICU, so our ability to see her just kept getting pushed back.<br />
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FINALLY, there was an opening in the craziness. They wheeled my entire hospital bed into the narrow room and put me right up next to her.<br />
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After holding her I truly felt like she was mine. I found out that neurology had already checked her out, and she was showing no signs of hydrocephalus, which was a huge relief. They noted that she was moving her legs and knees--a great sign--and they were very happy with how her fetal surgery scar looked. I got to hold her for a half hour before they wheeled me back.<br />
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Later that evening, when I had the feeling back in my legs and I had been moved to the postpartum unit, I was able to be wheeled over again in a wheelchair to see her.<br />
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They had washed her hair!</div>
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She was on oxygen, although not very much, had a feeding tube, and an IV for nutrition until she could start getting milk. With her oxygen on high flow, she could not yet attempt to breastfeed. This was really hard for me because hand expressing was depressing and painful--probably one of my least favorite things about the early stages of recovery. </div>
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At this point, I was recovering in my room and then going over to see her whenever I could. We constantly had to keep calling down to the NICU to see if we could see her (as in there were no newly admitted babies or procedures happening). This was the majorly annoying part about being in the Level 1 Room at the NICU--constantly getting kicked out when you are there or being told you can't come see your own baby for several hours. It was really hard. </div>
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Luckily on day two there was a time I could come down, and they told me I would be allowed to try and breastfeed her. I was SO HAPPY! A lactation consultant was there, and was shocked when she latched immediately with absolutely no problems--it was awesome!!</div>
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This began a difficult cycle because I had to start waking up in the middle of the night to be wheeled down to the NICU to feed her, or try to feed her, and then they would supplement her still with IV fluids and later, when my milk came in, pumped milk through her feeding tube or a bottle. I was exhausted, to say the least.<br />
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Cedar also had lots of visitors in the Level 1 NICU! They still weren't allowed to hold her at this point:<br />
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Aunt Kim:</div>
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Aunt Haley:</div>
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Grandma Anderson:</div>
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I will do a separate post about her NICU stay, but this is what those first 48 hours were like! Although Cedar's actual birth was literally a nightmare for me, I am so happy she got here safely, and that she had so many wonderful doctors and nurses to take care of her. We love you Cedar Jane!! Read the next post to see what Daniel thought of this whole thing...<br />
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-67086110858998229122018-06-05T23:14:00.000-06:002018-06-05T23:15:08.572-06:00Cedar Jane's Nursery Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, baby Cedar will be arriving in 36 hours, so what better way to celebrate than to show off her nursery that I have spent months planning for her!<br />
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If I'm being honest with myself, I think I worked so hard planning her nursery because it felt like giving her a "normal" room would somehow help me forget that her situation is not "normal." I just want her to feel like any other kid in any way that I can, and giving her a beautiful nursery was one way I could do that. Weird, I know.<br />
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Anyway, if you want to see a full video nursery tour, you can check it out <a href="https://youtu.be/PQKVVpF62a8" target="_blank">HERE</a> onYouTube. Sources for everything in the nursery are listed at the bottom of this post.<br />
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The wallpaper was the inspiration for the entire room. I knew as soon as I saw it on Etsy that it was meant for Cedar's room!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-p5KlGy5pQC51_ESpIgzQChy13Rm7SPFb2oRYSRcuxJ-fbRn54p1h_WGiU7FsEqDwxm9csO7lzYwYw8ULrc03fl42XWiPSwePWATouIU1IWRetMQ-Gj1joCuF10JebWCHqIfPDhqsCx_/s1600/fullsizeoutput_348.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-p5KlGy5pQC51_ESpIgzQChy13Rm7SPFb2oRYSRcuxJ-fbRn54p1h_WGiU7FsEqDwxm9csO7lzYwYw8ULrc03fl42XWiPSwePWATouIU1IWRetMQ-Gj1joCuF10JebWCHqIfPDhqsCx_/s400/fullsizeoutput_348.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I know it's a little cheesy, but I wanted to incorporate a cedar tree print into her room, and this one just fit perfectly with the vibe I was going for! Her Etsy shop had an inspiration image that had similar eyelashes, and so I had to copy!</div>
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I wanted something really bold and graphic for her crib sheet that wouldn't compete too much with the wallpaper. I knew this personalized sheet would do the trick!</div>
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From the minute I saw a Juju and Jake braided crib bumper, I knew I had to incorporate one into Cedar's room. I love how fun and unique they are. You can get them for one side, three sides, all four sides...pretty much any way you want! They also make adorable knot pillows!</div>
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My friend Ty got me this Z Gallerie deer head when I was pregnant with Riley 5 years ago. I have used it in different way in all three nurseries I have designed! For Cedar's nursery, he got painted lavender!</div>
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I love that her room can grow with her. I'm not into really baby-ish rooms. Using neutral furniture has allowed me to keep all the main pieces and use them for all three kids, including the crib, rocking chair, and dresser.</div>
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A look at the other side of her room. I'm excited to change up the sayings on her letterboard, surprise her with Happy Birthday messages and whatnot. I'm so cute. **eye-roll**</div>
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OK, so this bunny is made by Scentsy and it SMELLS! Like, smells amazing. Who knew they even made those? It makes her whole nursery smell nice!</div>
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The MamaRoo won't live in here when she gets here. I assume we will move it down to the living room or wherever we will spend the most time, but we'll see!</div>
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Also, I will clearly replace the random people in her photo frame with a picture of our family or a cute saying. I just can't decide yet what I want to put in there...</div>
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My Instagram husband hard at work, helping me video my YouTube nursery tour! Love this man!</div>
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I am in love with her room AND of course with her. I can't wait to meet you on Thursday, Cedar! We are so excited for you to join our family. Sometimes your dad and I just sit in your room and just talk about you for a long time. I am looking forward to snuggling with you in the rocking chair, watching you sleep in that crib, and yes...even change your diaper on the changing pad. I look forward to all of it!!<br />
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SOURCES:<br />
Crib: Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 crib, available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Babyletto-Hudson-Convertible-Toddler-Conversion/dp/B007CRJHUI/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1528261055&sr=1-3&keywords=babyletto+hudson+3-in-1+convertible+crib" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
Pom Blanket: Gifted, Handmade<br />
Crib Sheet: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1427120126" target="_blank">SugarHouseSwaddles</a> on ETSY<br />
Braided Bumper: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1433247873" target="_blank">JujuAndJake</a> on ETSY<br />
Cedar Tree Print: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1433422793" target="_blank">BrinaAndFriendsArt</a> on ETSY<br />
Eyelashes: ali + oli on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KF0SDGW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
Deer Head: <a href="https://www.zgallerie.com/p-8948-deer-head-1775h.aspx?gclid=CjwKCAjw6djYBRB8EiwAoAF6obTdzYBFtBgosXSOau-PODwBhoCz4n-CFc7YTUwpXhzcxb7Brp3UARoCZ8oQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Z Gallerie</a><br />
Plexiglass Shelf: <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Corner-Shelf-by-CornerMate-CLEAR-INNER-CORNER/119737143" target="_blank">Walmart</a><br />
Pillow: Target (3 years ago)<br />
Rocker: Unknown, classified ad<br />
Side Table: Target (3 years ago), <a href="https://www.target.com/p/1-drawer-mid-century-kids-nightstand-pillowfort-153/-/A-50858706?preselect=51456039#lnk=sametab" target="_blank">SIMILAR</a><br />
Lamp: <a href="https://www.target.com/p/desk-task-lamp-gold-pillowfort-153/-/A-51847399?preselect=51649728#lnk=sametab" target="_blank">Target</a><br />
Picture Frame: Hobby Lobby<br />
Succulent: Hobby Lobby<br />
MamaRoo: <a href="https://www.target.com/p/4moms-174-mamaroo-174-4-0-baby-swing-black/-/A-52210290?preselect=52210290#lnk=sametab" target="_blank">Target</a><br />
Dresser: Made from two Target Dressers<br />
Minky Changing Pad Cover: Rumble Tuff on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rumble-Tuff-Changing-Yellow-Standard/dp/B008FXOKBY/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1528259143&sr=8-1&keywords=yellow%2Bminky%2Bchanging%2Bpad%2Bcover&th=1" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
Bunny: <a href="https://scentsy.com/shop/p/46062/birch-the-bunny-scentsy-sidekick" target="_blank">Scentsy</a><br />
Fern: Hobby Lobby<br />
Letterboard: <a href="https://www.joann.com/dcwv-home-16x16-black-letter-board-with-1-white-letters/15546526.html#q=Letter%2Bboard&start=1" target="_blank">Joanns</a><br />
Pink Frame: HomeGoods, painted pink<br />
Blue Scalloped Trash Can: <a href="https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/scallop-trash-can/" target="_blank">Pottery Barn Kids</a><br />
Hanging Organizers and Closet Bins: Walmart</div>
Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-300812172098867792018-05-24T15:53:00.000-06:002018-05-24T18:18:48.442-06:0034-Week Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With the average post-fetal surgery baby being born at 34 weeks, we are super happy to have made it this far! According to our doctors, every day we make it past 34 weeks is an awesome bonus. I still plan on making it all the way to our scheduled c-section at 36 weeks, 5 days--June 7. Yes, that is exactly TWO WEEKS AWAY!!! Our whole family is SO EXCITED!<br />
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We have been doing our best to prepare the boys for Cedar's arrival. Recently I got this book, and I keep it on the coffee table:<br />
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We have been pointing out the scar on the baby to the boys and explaining that Cedar is also going to have a scar on her back when she is born. Now Miles comes up to me every day with the book and says, "Cedar has an owie" and points to the book. I just don't want them shocked when they see it for the first time!</div>
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Right now I am still undergoing twice-a-week appointments. On Tuesdays I have an ultrasound, a non-stress test, and a maternal-fetal-medicine appointment. On Fridays I just have another NST. The appointments can be long and tedious, but since I am on modified bedrest and can't drive myself anywhere, it at least gives me a place to go twice a week!</div>
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My twice-weekly recliner I chill in while doing the NSTs:</div>
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Some cute pictures of Cedar sucking on her hand during her 34-week ultrasound! It was crazy!<br />
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Last week, we had a post-fetal surgery MRI. Dr. Bolo (our pediatric neurosurgeon) now wants it to be standard at U of U to have one about 6 weeks or so after fetal surgery so they can see what changes have taken place. </div>
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Going in for my third MRI:</div>
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We received the following results:</div>
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1. First, the best news. Cedar's Chiari II Malformation, where her cerebellum in her brain was sunken down and blocking the proper flow of spinal fluid, has 100% reversed. Chiari II malformation can cause breathing or swallowing problems in kids, so having this completely reversed before she is even born is a fantastic blessing, and an outcome we were praying for after undergoing fetal surgery. I have MRI pics of the before and after, but my computer doesn't like the file format, so I will try to add those later.</div>
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2. They can tell that her corpus callosum is underdeveloped in at least one section (see my last blog post for more about this). She definitely has at least some of one, but it is very stretched. There is nothing we can really do about this. I am worried because the neurologist said that it is almost better to have no corpus callosum at all than to have a partial one, but in general I have heard that the brain works hard to form other pathways. We have no way of knowing how exactly this will affect her learning/development or if it will end up affecting it at all. They will be able to do much more detailed imaging after she is born, and especially when she is 1-year old and we have better clues to the rate of her development in many areas.</div>
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3. Her ventricles are, obviously, very large. This might be the first time in our family that someone has had a part of their body called obese. Ha. Because of their size and the way they are pointing (down I think?), Cedar can be at risk for septo-optic dysplasia. If you google this, it looks really scary, but once again, it carries with it a HUGE spectrum of possibilities, and of course she may not even have it. So, as I have had to do many times in the past few weeks with each piece of "potential" bad news, I decided to just put that out of my mind for now and worry about one thing at a time when she is actually born.</div>
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4. The MRI showed that Cedar has a <a href="https://www.beaumont.org/conditions/tethered-cord" target="_blank">tethered cord</a>. Sometimes when a tethered cord becomes symptomatic, spina bifida kids have to have it released through surgery. Turns out though, all post-fetal surgery babies present with a tethered cord on MRI, so really this is nothing to worry about. We will watch for actual symptoms of this when she gets older. Some kids have to have multiple release surgeries for this, some never do. We will see!</div>
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As you can see, this whole thing is full of scary terms that get thrown around followed by "but she might not have that" or "she might not be symptomatic," or "there is a huge spectrum for this issue." Spina bifida is called a snowflake disorder because every kid has their own set of specific issues, and no two kids are the same. There is something freeing in this, as it provides hope that your kid will be on the milder side of things, but it can also be difficult because you just WANT TO KNOW THINGS NOW. Everything is "we'll see after she is born." This can be hard to hear because I want to feel prepared. </div>
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For now, my doctors are encouraging me to just enjoy these last two weeks of pregnancy and to put all the scary stuff out of my mind. I am trying. Daniel and I are almost done with Cedar's nursery (full post on that soon!) and I have been nesting like CRAZY! When you're stuck at home you find there is a LOT to organize. Today Cedar's bunny and I tested out some of her gear:<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">We are so excited to meet this little girl in two weeks! While this whole thing has been an emotional roller coaster, we know that Cedar was meant to join our family, and we will spend our whole lives working to be the best possible parents for her. </span></div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-37109911672117518812018-05-04T11:24:00.001-06:002018-05-04T11:25:13.204-06:00Tender Mercies Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's time to make a public update about all of the amazing ways our family has been blessed during this difficult time. Once again, I would feel incredibly ungrateful to not mention the amazing people who have done things both big and small to make our life a little bit easier right now, and all of the little things I am grateful for!<br />
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* Many family members sent me flowers while in the hospital, and my theatre ed friends sent this amazing edible arrangement plus some cash to help with our situation.<br />
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* My sister and brother-in-law watching my boys the weekend my husband was driving home.</div>
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* My husband having no car trouble on his way home from San Francisco. A day or two after he got home, his car battery died.</div>
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*My BYU friend McKell and her family letting us stay at her house the night we got in to San Francisco</div>
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* Modern technology allowing me to Skype with my boys while I was away</div>
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* Teachers and parents helping my student get to region and state drama competition. They ended up taking 3rd place overall at Region, and out one-act got 3rd place at region, making it to state. This was the first time my kids have ever placed at region overall, and the first time our one-act has made it to state. I know that this wouldn't have been possible without teacher and parent help, and especially the help of Melissa Salguero, who coached my kids!!</div>
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* The beautiful view from our family house room!</div>
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* SO many of my neighbors watching my sons while I was away.</div>
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* Celsey and Joann, two amazing moms with kids that have spina bifida, came to visit me one of my first weeks back in Utah on modified bedrest. They brought the most adorable "sunshine" basket and provided me so much comfort with their conversation and kindness! It is nice to hear from other SB moms that everything WILL be OK!</div>
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* A lovely lady from my ward brought me a take-home kit from Color Me Mine so that I could create a cute ceramic plate while bored on bedrest! She brought all the paint, brushes...everything! I can't wait to finish it!</div>
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* Thankful for social media groups for parents with kids that have spina bifida that have provided help and support.</div>
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* Generally thankful for modern technology, medical advancements, and therapies that are available for my daughter. She is lucky to be living in this day and age!</div>
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* Beautiful weather this past week that has picked up my spirit.</div>
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* SO many notes, cards, facebook messages, texts, etc. from friends around the world that have brought me so much comfort over the past 2 months.</div>
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*My sisters throwing me a beautiful baby shower. I felt so loved it was unbelievable:</div>
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* Neighbors who have been taking me to appointments, stores, on errands, etc. since I am not supposed to be driving. </div>
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* Friends coming to pick me up and take me wherever...IKEA (thanks Celsey), the new Zara at Fashion Place (thanks Corinne), and of course Target (thanks Jessi).</div>
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*Daniel's relatives sending us several food gift cards for our family to use.</div>
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*The teachers at my school also threw me an amazing baby shower, and the faculty pooled their money and got me an Owlet baby monitor. It monitors baby's heartbeat and oxygen levels through a cute little sock on her foot. I didn't really feel I need this with my other two babies, but with Cedar's special needs I feel that it will give me so much peace and comfort! The faculty at Kearns High are so kind and thoughtful. I am lucky to work with them!</div>
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Again, our family is constantly overwhelmed by the kindness of our family, friends, and neighbors. THANK YOU! We are also constantly thankful to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings we are receiving during this time, especially when things seem most difficult. We are so incredibly blessed! </div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-48261095063027730912018-05-02T17:59:00.001-06:002018-05-02T18:04:50.527-06:0031-Week Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, I have made it to 31 weeks! Every week (and even every day at this point) is a huge win post-fetal surgery. Making it past 30 weeks was already a huge hurdle to overcome, as 12.8% of fetal surgery patients deliver before 30 weeks...which is obviously not what we wanted!<br />
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Every week I go in for an ultrasound, a <a href="http://americanpregnancy.org/prenatal-testing/non-stress-test/" target="_blank">non-stress test</a>, and a meeting with a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor. Starting next week, I will go twice a week for non-stress tests.<br />
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Pretending I love these non-stress tests...</div>
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Overall, things have been looking really good with baby Cedar. For the past several weeks, her amniotic fluid has been between 14-16cm, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, at this last 31-week appointment, her amniotic fluid had suddenly dropped to 9cm. We aren't sure if that is just because of her positioning or what, as I am not leaking any fluid. They will keep an eye on this next week, and I plan on drinking a TON of water this week, just in case it helps!</div>
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There are a few other issues that we will be keeping an eye on in the coming weeks and after she is born:</div>
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1. Her ventricle size. Even before fetal surgery, Cedar's ventricles in her brain were considered large. They started at about 17mm each. After fetal surgery, they have continued to grow. At this point, they are at about 23mm and 25mm. Ventricles over 20mm are considered to be in the "severe" category. Having large ventricles is called 'v<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">entriculomegaly.'</span></span> Her head circumference is also measuring 36 weeks already. We had a meeting today with a pediatric neurologist who clarified that having large ventricles is not same thing as hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is technically when there is excess fluid in the brain that is putting pressure on the brain. Once Cedar is born, she will be monitored to see if hydrocephalus develops. We will likely know because her (already large) head will begin to grow rapidly, and the soft spot on her skull will likely be bulging. At that point, the decision will be made to either do an <a href="http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/treatments/etv-cpc-procedure" target="_blank">ETV procedure</a> or a shunt. So, there is not much we can do about this issue until she is born. The GOOD news, though, is that her ventricles have not been rapidly growing the last few weeks. Her ultrasounds have also revealed that her <a href="http://spinabifidaassociation.org/project/symptomatic-chiari-malformation/" target="_blank">chiari II malformation</a> has started to reverse, which is something we were hoping for after having fetal surgery. The doctors are hoping that the reversal of the chiari is what is causing her ventricles to slow down their growth...which would be GREAT!</div>
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2. Her <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318065.php" target="_blank">corpus callosum</a>. This is the part of your brain that connects the two hemispheres and helps them talk to one another, so to speak. It is not uncommon for kids with spina bifida to have an abnormal corpus callosum--either a partially formed one, a very stretched out one, or sometimes missing one altogether. The corpus callosum can also be extremely difficult to see in kids with enlarged ventricles--they block the view necessary to get a good look at it. UCSF noted in their MRI that they were able to see at least part of Cedar's corpus callosum in the front part of her brain, but not her back. University of Utah has been unable to see any part of her corpus callosum since we got back. Again, there is nothing we can really do about this right now, and they won't be able to get good imaging until after she is born. There are some learning delays and motor delays that can be associated with having no corpus callosum, or part of one, but again, nothing can be done right now. Cedar will have access to all kinds of therapies after she is born that will help her tackle these types of issues. We have decided to not worry too much about this, and just hold on to the hope that she actually has a full corpus callosum, and it is just too difficult to see it right now! </div>
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Next week I have a nasty three-appointment week...although let's be real, since I am on modified bedrest I have NOTHING ELSE TO DO. Tuesday is the ultrasound/nst/mfm appointments, Wednesday will be a meeting with the pediatric neurosurgeon, and Friday will be another non-stress test. Welcome to my life now. </div>
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Me at 31 weeks!</div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-54931710966770689142018-04-28T15:18:00.001-06:002018-04-28T16:11:05.168-06:00Life at the Family House in San Francisco<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Because I haven't updated since we were still in San Francisco, let me give you a basic rundown of what happened once we got to the Family House. I was discharged on a Saturday, and the Family House sent us a Lyft to get us from the hospital to the family house a few blocks away. I looked a little crazy coming out in my wheelchair trying to hold all the beautiful flowers people had sent that I just couldn't throw away yet!<br />
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The Family House was amazing. I will be putting together a video tour of it really soon. The rooms were very simple with two twin beds and a bathroom. On each floor there are two family room areas with couches, TVs, and a beautiful communal kitchen. Each family is assigned a mini fridge and a locking cabinet for dry goods. Everyone pitches in to keep the dishwashers going, and there are family meals most weeknights donated by different organizations. The only funny things about the family dinners was that we had lasagna literally 5 days in a row one week, and then 3 days in a row the next week. We're still not sure if that was just the craziest coincidence or what, but I think I'm good on lasagna for a LONG time! They also provided a continental breakfast almost every morning, and we got to play with therapy dogs in the morning also. Not a bad way to wake up!<br />
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I also participated in some highly modified yoga at the Family House to help my back pain:</div>
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I spent most of my time in the family house sitting on the couch, watching TV, and reading books. I'll admit I was a little embarrassed to be sitting around a lot. Other families would be coming and going to the hospital for appointments, and when they came back--there I was. Still sitting. I wish I had a sign that said, RECOVERING FROM FETAL SURGERY so that people would know why eight hours later I was STILL watching the Fixer Upper marathon.<br />
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The people we met in the Family House were truly amazing. Nothing makes you grateful for your own trials like staying in a place like this. One of the families on our floor had already been living at the Family House for 9 months, and they are originally from Hungary. The mom and dad take turns traveling back and forth, and they are likely to be there for 2 more years, participating in a research study until their son will ultimately pass away from his condition. Many other parents are there with their kids battling cancer. SO many trials in one building. It truly made me grateful for my situation.<br />
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While most of my time in the Family House was down time, my mom and I did manage to get out a few times so I didn't die of boredom. Here are some things we did!<br />
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First of all, we ate a lot. There were several good places to eat right around the Family House, so we sampled just about everything!</div>
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This place was called Peasant Pies Cafe. They served the cutest pot pies!</div>
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The Spark Social Food Truck park was just down the street, and it was amazing! </div>
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The Best Taco award for San Francisco goes to Publico! It was literally a hard shell taco within a huge flour tortilla taco. So. Good.</div>
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The Family House has passes to lots of great places around San Francisco for their patrons to use. We took advantage and hit up The Japanese Gardens, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Botanical Gardens. My mom's relatives I hadn't seen in a long time were able to join us!</div>
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The Japanese Gardens:</div>
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No pictured...the wheelchair I had to either push around or be pushed around in!</div>
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California Academy of Sciences:</div>
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The Botanical Gardens:</div>
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My mom and I took the Hop On/Off bus around San Francisco. It was a great way for us to see the city without having to do any walking. So, we pretty much hopped on and only hopped off once to eat lunch!</div>
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One of these things is not like the other...??</div>
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My mom and dad saw the San Francisco show "Beach Blanket Babylon" almost 30 years ago when they came here for a Ford trip. So, we went to see it and had a blast! So funny!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFG7a4ihrmppSSbKuzgxgTaaIKtIv2wibT7xZ1oyqeeTOWAMO9a6kSTp_rVpkJpEcjx73cCJBbzoT_fcsxt9BeeTeKwk_6bhWWGsFHYtINtvhitSif8bK-_VbZn-2lsue0r9prOiFxuURK/s1600/IMG_1856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFG7a4ihrmppSSbKuzgxgTaaIKtIv2wibT7xZ1oyqeeTOWAMO9a6kSTp_rVpkJpEcjx73cCJBbzoT_fcsxt9BeeTeKwk_6bhWWGsFHYtINtvhitSif8bK-_VbZn-2lsue0r9prOiFxuURK/s400/IMG_1856.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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During our two-week stay at the Family House, I had two return appointments at UCSF; however, before I could get to my first one, we ended up back in the hospital for an afternoon. About two days prior, I started itching REALLY bad. My palms and feet itched WAY bad, which I thought was weird. Whose palms itch? I knew that my mom had suffered from a liver condition during her pregnancies that made her itch uncontrollably, so I was worried that I might have the same thing. I also wondered if it might just be a side effect of some medicine I was taking. I called the fetal surgery coordinator and told her what was going on. She said that none of my medications have itching as a side effect. When I told her specifically that my palms and feet were itching, that is when she told me I needed to come in immediately. So, we headed the 3 blocks to the hospital.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKsqW1gU7NLLHCt0cl1HFO1oHzRhNOcP_kVwLU9zJTu4T8ODe9pcL_8Bp1cjA-fsc1jh02yGg7-OJbA_or7iRWww5be5rJspW6kFfsI6Jq5uHB6EhBUl7C1olS5gjkmfX1-QYOuABOpuj/s1600/IMG_1750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKsqW1gU7NLLHCt0cl1HFO1oHzRhNOcP_kVwLU9zJTu4T8ODe9pcL_8Bp1cjA-fsc1jh02yGg7-OJbA_or7iRWww5be5rJspW6kFfsI6Jq5uHB6EhBUl7C1olS5gjkmfX1-QYOuABOpuj/s400/IMG_1750.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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They did labwork and hooked me up to the baby monitors. When the labwork came back, they officially diagnosed me with cholestasis of pregnancy...my mom's same liver condition. Luckily for me, a medication has been developed since my mom's time that stops the itching for many women. Thank heavens the meds worked on me and within a day or two the itching had pretty much stopped. This liver condition increases your chances of having a stillbirth, so babies are usually delivered several weeks early, and they require weekly or biweekly non-stress tests. Because of Cedar's spina bifida and my fetal surgery, all of these things were already happening, so my care really didn't change at all. I just had to add a medication to what now looks like my home pharmacy!<br />
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I grabbed this for Cedar at one of our UCSF appointments!</div>
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At both of my appointments at UCSF, everything looked great. Cedar's fluid levels were amazing at 14-16cm every time. She was always very active, moving around and keeping that heartbeat nice and strong. On April 5 I had my second and last appointment at UCSF. This was the important one--the appointment that would determine whether I was allowed to go home or not. Thank heavens, everything still looked great and I had my final counseling session with Rachel--UCSF's amazing Fetal Surgery coordinator. </div>
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The hardest part of this meeting was discussing my work when I got home. I was hoping that after another week or so of recovery back in Utah, that I would be able to go back to teaching. I knew I would have to teach sitting down and extremely limit my physical activity, but I was prepared to do that. Unfortunately, Rachel made it very clear that this was a bad idea. This was the only time at any of my appointments that I cried. At this point, I wasn't sure whether or not I would be able to keep teaching, so at least finishing out this year with my students was really important to me. In the end, I had to admit that I knew being at school for 10 hours a day was not the way to make sure that Cedar was not born prematurely. My only job right now is to do everything in my power to keep her in there. My students and my administration have been amazingly supportive during all this, and the kids are literally directing the spring show by themselves. They are pretty amazing! Life goes on, I guess, whether I am teaching theatre at Kearns High School or not.<br />
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We finished the meeting, and I delivered all my thank you notes to the amazing doctors and staff at UCSF:</div>
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We got the go ahead to fly home, and on April 6 we arrived at the airport...to find out our flight had been cancelled. We had to wait 7 hours until the rebooked flight, which is the LAST thing a pregnant lady wants to hear, let alone one that just had fetal surgery. With my back brace on, and a good book, I survived and we made it back to Salt Lake City. I'll never forget Miles' face when he saw me at the airport! It was like he had seen a ghost and did a double-take! Being away from my kids for 4 whole weeks was incredibly difficult, but luckily kids are resilient and now I don't think they even remember or think about that time. </div>
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Spending time with my almost-middle-child:</div>
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Taking Riley to Kindergarten Orientation:</div>
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I am so grateful for the amazing care I received at UCSF and at the Family House. My care has now been taken over by the doctors at the University of Utah. And now...we wait!!</div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-60766552958425106232018-03-26T16:23:00.001-06:002018-03-26T16:30:15.973-06:00Fetal Surgery at UCSF<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, we did it! Daniel and I have spent the last several weeks deciding whether or not fetal surgery was the right way to go for our family. There are a lot of considerations, and it is not right for every family. I briefly went over how we decided to do fetal surgery two posts back, but if you would like to know more about that, let me know!<br />
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Over the weekend, we had to stop back in at the hospital to do two rounds of steroid shots. The steroids are a precaution in case an emergency were to occur and Cedar (our daughter's name, by the way!) had to be delivered at 25 weeks. The steroids would give her lungs an extra boost, just in case. Not going to lie...those hurt. But we do what we have to do! <br />
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We checked into the hospital Monday night at about 8:30pm. I'll admit, I was really nervous. We had gone to see a movie the few hours before, and I could barely concentrate on what was going on! I started to get that nervous ball in my stomach that wasn't going away. After we checked in, they did some basic stuff--put in an IV (they wanted me on fluids the whole night before), took some blood for labs, got all my information, and went over the plan for the morning. <br />
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They made me wipe down with these:</div>
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My hospital bed:</div>
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Monitoring the baby for a while and enjoying ice cream from the pantry:</div>
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During my entire stay, it took every single nurse at least twice to place an IV or to draw blood:</div>
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By the time they were done with me for the evening, it was at least midnight. I didn't sleep great that night...again, the anticipation was rough. I was also not allowed to eat after midnight. </div>
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I woke up in the morning and it was GO TIME! My surgery was scheduled for 9am, but I was warned it might take a little longer than that. This surgery requires multiple specialists to be in the same place--both for me and the baby. So, it can be a bit of a task to get the team assembled. Things remained mostly on schedule, and they took me down to pre-op about 8:30am. Daniel was allowed to go down to pre-op with me, but when they finally wheeled me back to the operating room, he had to leave.</div>
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The operating room was impressive. I've never seen so much equipment in one room! The nurses were counting all the instruments (don't want to leave any in there!), and I knew I had to face the thing I was most scared about--the epidural. This may seem dumb to some people, but I was petrified. I didn't have one with either of my boys, so this was a first for me. First, they had to numb me--this was the only part that hurt. Every time I thought the stinging was done, they would push more medicine in and it would start all over. Once that was in, though, the actual placing of the epidural catheter was painless. Overall, it was not nearly as bad as I thought. </div>
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After the epidural was placed, they laid me on the surgical table/bed, and they started talking to me about going to sleep. They put the oxygen mask on me and told me to breathe. I stayed awake for a few minutes, and then they started the anesthesia. There is this weird moment where your vision starts to go blurry, and you realize--this is it. There is literally no going back now. When I wake up, I will have had a major surgery, not only on me, but on my unborn baby. </div>
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CONTENT WARNING: SURGERY PICS!!!!!! SCROLL PAST THIS SECTION IF YOU GET QUEASY LOOKING AT GNARLY MEDICAL PICS!!!!</div>
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Here are some pics of the actual surgery!</div>
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This is literally my uterus out of my body. You can see baby is exposed and that bubble-thing is her myelomeningocele (defect area). They had to take that out and then close her exposed spinal cord:</div>
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Her exposed spinal cord. They had to close three different layers over it:</div>
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Her cute little butt/back area all fixed up:</div>
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The incision:</div>
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Anyway, if you're still with me after those pics, the surgery went really well. The doctors said I had very minimal bleeding, and they were able to close Cedar's defect with her own skin. Sometimes babies don't have enough strong skin at that point to close it up, so they have to use a patch, but she didn't need that.</div>
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Next came recovery.</div>
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As I came out of anesthesia, I became aware of a lot of pain in my uterus. I remember saying "my uterus" over and over and they told me the epidural should be kicking in. I also remember insisting that I had to pee, and they told me it's fine--you have a catheter in, just go! Funny the things you are very concerned about when you are groggy!</div>
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Over the next hour I become increasingly more and more aware, although I felt majorly unable to open my eyes still. This is what I looked like:</div>
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Not cute. I was hooked up to a million things. Monitors were beeping everywhere. They had me on magnesium, which helps stop the contractions, but makes you feel hot (hence the ice pack on my forehead), anxious, and a bit claustrophobic. When I was asleep, they added another monster IV in my right hand (my least favorite place for IVs), that they didn't plan on using, but kept there in case of emergency. <br />
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My baby had to be monitored 24/7 the first 3 days. I had one heart rate monitor strapped to my tummy and one contraction monitor. I could feel that I was having a lot of contractions. Because of the epidural, they didn't hurt, but I could definitely tell when I was contracting. This went on for a while, through the first whole day. They tried to lower my magnesium dose (yay), but then the contractions just wouldn't stop, so they bumped it back up (not yay). They told me I was contracting for a bit longer than normal, so they couldn't take me off of magnesium yet.<br />
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On Wednesday, the day after surgery, I really started to get anxious. I still wasn't off magnesium. The contractions were slowing down, but they weren't stopping. I was starting to worry about what would happen if they couldn't stop my contractions. I had been drinking a lot of water because the meds were making my mouth SO DRY. My Wednesday morning, I could tell I had drank way too much water, and I started throwing up. Throwing up with a fresh incision hurts like NONE OTHER. They started pumping me with Zofran to get that to stop. In addition, by the end of the day, several other stressful things were happening.<br />
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1. My back pain was starting to get unmanageable. It might have been because of the contractions, but the major issue seemed to be the hospital bed. I was practically crying, begging them to help me. My poor nurse tried changing me into other positions, but because the surgery was so fresh, I couldn't lay on my side yet. Nothing was working. They even put in an order for the acupuncturist to come and try to help me. She never came, but I thought it was a nice gesture.<br />
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2. My oxygen levels were getting worse. I was on oxygen this whole time, but any time they tried to take me off, or I started to doze off to sleep, my levels would drop and freak everyone out. They attributed me oxygen problems to the magnesium, but they didn't really want to take me off magnesium until my contractions slowed down. Problems. They also thought they heard fluid in my lungs and called for a chest x-ray. While they couldn't see any, they still thought they heard it, and decided to treat it with meds.<br />
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It was at this point, Wednesday night, where I admit I wanted to give up. I knew there was really no way for me to do that, but I looked right at Daniel and told him I couldn't do this. Could they not just knock me out until this whole thing was over? Multiple times, I just looked up at the statues I had brought to remind me of my boys and of course, baby Cedar:<br />
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I said a LOT of prayers and just tried to concentrate on who I was doing this for. That night, they decided to give me a muscle relaxant for my back and to start pushing the meds to clear my lungs. Within about 15 minutes, I could feel myself falling asleep. I fell asleep sitting straight up, which seemed to work OK for the time being.<br />
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I woke up at 2am Thursday morning, and I felt like a new person. I could immediately tell I was breathing easier. My back was not in horrific pain. I had slept for 4 hours! This was a record since Monday night. I looked around, and there was no one to tell! Daniel did wake up a few minutes later, and I just waved at him and said, "I feel better!" They had also turned off my magnesium. The combination of all these things was magical!<br />
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Thursday was a great day, and I was able to start eating again and just relaxing a bit and watching TV. When the doctors came to see me on Thursday they were completely shocked. They kept gushing over how great I looked and said I was far ahead of the curve at this point. My nurse even let me sit up and dangle my feet over the bed! It felt awesome to just sit and not be fully laid up in that horrendous bed.<br />
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Friday, I continued my recovery. They started taking me off monitors and took the epidural out. We switched to oral pain medication. They continued my muscle relaxer to help my back, although it still wasn't feeling great. The hospital massage therapist even came and gave me a massage! They started pushing a lot of medications to help with constipation--a major side effect of the pain meds. They gave me an enema both Friday and Saturday (yay...). <br />
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By Saturday I had walked around a bunch and was ready to be discharged! My mom had flown in on Friday and so Daniel left to drive home Saturday morning. My mom and I left the hospital about 3pm and now we are staying in the Family House about 3 blocks away from the hospital.<br />
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Cedar is looking great at this point. Her fluid levels were at a 15 on Saturday, which is awesome! I can feel her kicking around in there all the time. We are still working on getting my back pain under control, but this cute brace came today, so yay!<br />
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My main job now is to get better and will Cedar to not come early. She just needs to stay in there, with good fluid levels, until 37 weeks, when they will deliver her by c-section. Once you have had fetal surgery, you are never allowed to go into labor again--for any future pregnancy. All pregnancies after this would also be considered high-risk and would have to be monitored very closely. Luckily, we decided before the surgery that Cedar would be the caboose of our family, so these won't be concerns for me (another factor for us in deciding whether or not to have fetal surgery in the first place). <br />
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Thank you to everyone for your endless prayers and kind messages this week. I will be doing another tender mercies post soon with all of the ways I have felt people's support this week. THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU!!<br />
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You can watch all my video updates <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwq7a9Ypu10KFp6YFnF8Mew?view_as=subscriber" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br />
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-1664191911105680062018-03-18T15:36:00.000-06:002018-03-18T15:38:08.460-06:00Tender Mercies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the most overwhelming aspects of our daughter's spina bifida diagnosis has been the amount of people willing to do anything to help us. I mean, literally. Beautiful individuals have been calling, texting, showing up at my house, sending things in the mail, and just doing anything they can to help our family. At one of the lowest times in my life, I have never felt so blessed.<br />
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A good friend of mine, when she found out what was happening, showed up at my door with the cutest Kate Spade journal and <a href="https://www.chipcookies.co/" target="_blank">Chip cookies</a> (guys, life changing). On the cover, the journal says "PUT IN A GOOD WORD," and I immediately knew what I wanted to use it for--logging all of the tender mercies and blessings our family has received during this time, both big and small. Kind of like a gratitude journal. <br />
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I will be transferring a lot of what I have written in this journal to this blog. I plan on doing "tender mercy" posts here and there to update you on the positive things that have happened to us in very difficult circumstances. </div>
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Here are a few of the things I have written and stories I wanted to share:</div>
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* My sister Kristy and her husband Nick offering to watch our boys one Saturday while I went to a film shoot at the school. She offered before she even knew I was struggling with what to do with the boys that day.</div>
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* My sister Kim bringing dinner over one Friday night.</div>
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* Our neighbors coming over to give Daniel and I a <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/family-guidebook/priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng" target="_blank">Priesthood blessing of comfort</a> the night of our diagnosis.</div>
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* I have never elected to include short-term/long-term disability in my benefits before. For some reason, in October, I decided to pay the $9 a month and get them. At the time, I thought, "Who knows? Stuff happens. Maybe I should do this." Having that short-term disability is now allowing me to get 80% of my pay while I am gone instead of simple FMLA leave without pay. This is a massive blessing for our family.</div>
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* My principal at school being so supportive and kind during this situation. She is doing everything she can to make things easier for me.</div>
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* I feel incredibly lucky that my trip to Chicago was the week before our diagnosis. It allowed me a really nice weekend with just me and my little girl where I got to enjoy myself and my pregnancy with just me and her. If we had received the diagnosis earlier that week (no appointments were available, which is why I didn't have the ultrasound until about 21.5 weeks instead of 20), I probably would have had to cancel my trip.</div>
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*An anonymous person sent me the cutest "Bright Box" in the mail. It had a positive message, a treat, and the most adorable earrings!</div>
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* During church the Sunday after we were diagnosed, I watched a little girl run around in my Sunday school class. I started tearing up, thinking that maybe my little girl would never be able to do that. The little girl walked right over to me and pulled up to sit in my lap. She stayed there for about 10 minutes, which is pretty unusual for her, and we played. </div>
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* My sister Kim's in-laws sent me a beautiful orchid that has been brightening up my kitchen table.</div>
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* I feel my baby girl kicking all the time. She is obviously not paralyzed or anything like that. It's like she is constantly reminding me that she is still here, well, and will be showing up with a lot of strength and tenacity!</div>
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* My relief society presidency coming over to talk and see what we need. They have helped so much with making sure my boys are taken care of and getting my mom a ride to the airport later this week.</div>
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* My best friend sent me her favorite books for me to read while I am in the hospital.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU929ydQXmhftcfGyPtcPVm6nWtLZeKy6Db6mMODLZI3CesYeh5OoAZb0x1ROZd2K85ELlci2p34vG6IGm75-zVJxnmH0LjOZT-T-e4Mb5Vn1JxWdjUpfbUyIyT_Bi6u04ZZq2ZE-3TYD/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU929ydQXmhftcfGyPtcPVm6nWtLZeKy6Db6mMODLZI3CesYeh5OoAZb0x1ROZd2K85ELlci2p34vG6IGm75-zVJxnmH0LjOZT-T-e4Mb5Vn1JxWdjUpfbUyIyT_Bi6u04ZZq2ZE-3TYD/s320/IMG_1443.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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* It is a tender mercy that I chose to be with Blue Cross Blue Shield for my benefits instead of Select Health. Select Health works with Intermountain, which is only in Utah. Because I am with Blue Cross, which is a nationwide service, the UCSF children's hospital is still considered in-network, even though it is out of state. My out of pocket maximum is $2000, and this incredibly expensive surgery and all my care will be covered under that. </div>
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* I told my visiting teaching companion that I was going to be doing a lot of blogging and vlogging while going through this crazy journey, hoping to help other moms in my situation, but my laptop was dead so I was going to borrow a Chromebook from my school library to do all that (plus lesson plans and grades of course). An hour later, she showed up on my porch saying she couldn't stop thinking about me and what she could do to help, so she brought me a gift. From behind her back came a brand new MacBook Air and beautiful Kate Spade laptop case. I couldn't breathe. She told me that she talked to her husband, and this was something they could do for us. I am typing this on my beautiful, working laptop as we speak. The generosity of people literally blows my mind.</div>
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* My mom agreeing to fly from Shanghai to Salt Lake to watch my kids for two weeks, and THEN fly to San Francisco later this week so Daniel can come home to be with the boys, and THEN fly with me back to Utah once I am allowed to come home. This woman's willingness to serve her family knows no bounds.</div>
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* My husband's work willing to let him work remotely while he is here to cut down on the amount of days he would have to actually take off.</div>
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* My neighbors watching my boys here and there while I am gone and giving them playdates to go on has helped immensely.</div>
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* My foster son's caseworker working diligently to provide options for our foster son while Daniel and I are both away.</div>
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* A wonderful ward here in San Francisco that welcomed us wholeheartedly today and offered many things to help, including a Priesthood blessing for me and the baby.</div>
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* An old employer of mine told me how when she was in college, she got cancer. Her parents were both teachers, and many friends and family chipped in financially to help with the situation. She told me that she has always wanted to pay that forward. A $1000 check showed up in the mail, a check that has helped us immensely with hotel and food costs while here in San Francisco--an unfortunately expensive city to be stuck in. I cannot wait until I can do the same and pay forward what she has done for us. </div>
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* Having several days post-evaluations in San Francisco to just spend with Daniel has been a huge blessing. We have not actually been on a trip with just the two of us since our honeymoon--almost 9 years ago. While I would not call this a vacation by any means, these few days have been so important for us to reconnect and enjoy quality time together before our lives get much more complicated. I will do a whole post on these few days soon!</div>
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* Two of my teacher friends at school got me a 3-month audible subscription so that I can listen to audiobooks while stuck in the hospital. They also brought me a huge bag of snacks that has sustained us many times on this trip!</div>
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* Today, many of our family and friends have been fasting for us, in addition to the hoards of prayers we have already felt.</div>
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* My brother-in-law is a pediatric neurologist at Primary Children's Hospital. His specialty is oncology, but his input and help has been invaluable. He came to our initial spina bifida meetings at Primary Children's to help give his feedback and take on what was being said. He read studied and interpreted them for us. His support and expertise is something we are incredibly grateful for.</div>
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* My father-in-law sharing an experience with us that he had in the temple, where he felt very strongly that our girl's Heavenly Father knows her struggles personally, and that she is under His divine care. The message he sent us meant a lot.</div>
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* Multiple people putting our names on the temple rolls at several different temples.</div>
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* UCSF has free family housing only a couple blocks from the hospital that we will stay in when I am discharged from UCSF post-surgery. This is an amazing opportunity that will help us financially and provide another support system during my recovery.</div>
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As you can see, we are SO blessed. Trying to put into words how we feel looking at this list is difficult, if not impossible. We feel your love and your strength every day. We appreciate the many different ways people are serving our family, in any capacity they can. Again, we look forward to opportunities in the future where we will get to pay some of this forward and serve others in need.</div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-90503850157752278292018-03-17T22:18:00.001-06:002018-03-17T23:19:19.925-06:00D-Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
February 21, 2018 is a date that I thought would be like any other, but ended up being the day that completely changed our lives. My world was one way before February 21 and completely different after February 21.<br />
<br />
In the crazy world we now belong to, February 21 is what they call our "D-Day." Diagnosis Day.<br />
<br />
Two days before, I had gone in for my routine 20-week ultrasound. The anatomy scan. You know, the one where they check your baby over from head to toe. Our big concern was whether or not little girl would have a clubfoot like Miles. We were praying for straight feet. We find that pretty funny now.<br />
<br />
Everything looked completely normal to Daniel and I on the scan. We made the ultrasound tech look for clubfeet multiple times, and her feet and leg bones looked fantastic. Daniel asked the ultrasound tech, "So do you see ANYTHING that looks concerning?" She looked us straight in the eyes and said, "No." We still wonder whether she lied straight to our face, or whether she honestly didn't see it. The latter option is honestly unlikely. We left our scan completely elated that the baby girl we had waited so long for was perfect.<br />
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Two days later, it's February 21. I was eating lunch at school with some teacher friends, and I received a phone call from my midwife. We knew that the radiologist still had to look at our ultrasound scans, but of course you never think anything will come of that. She asked me if I was alone. <br />
<br />
That was when my heart skipped a beat.<br />
<br />
I told her yes and stepped into the hallway. She told me that the radiologist had found some problems with our baby's brain and spinal cord. <br />
<br />
That was when my heart stopped.<br />
<br />
I tried to get more information out of her. Brain and spinal cord? Those are some seriously important structures. Was she not going to make it to birth? Was she going to die?? Is this something fixable??? My brain was racing, but she only told me that the baby had "T2 Malformation." She told me they would be sending me an email in a little bit with the specific findings from the radiologist and some "helpful links." She told me I would need to see a specialist of some kind. <br />
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I hung up and immediately freaked out. I walked back into the lunchroom and told my friends that something was wrong with my baby and I didn't know what to do. The tears were coming and I just knew I needed to call Daniel. I raced out of the lunchroom and dialed his number. <br />
<br />
Daniel immediately knew something was wrong by the sound of my voice, and through sobs I told him that something was wrong with our baby--with her brain, her spinal cord. He just kept saying, "Oh no. No. No." over and over. I told him the "T2 Malformation" phrase and told him I would go check my email and we would talk in a little bit after we both start Googling.<br />
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I ran into the school office, told the secretaries what was happening, and they took me into a back room so I could have a minute to breathe before going back to my class. I took a few minutes to compose myself and went back to my classroom where a group of kids waited for me. They got started on a project, and I ran to my office to check my email. It was there and this is all it said:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">"<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">I hope by the time you get this I will have been able to talk with you by phone. The results of your baby's ultrasound were not normal. The radiologist states that the images were consistent with Chiari II Malformation:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<span style="color: purple;">"There is a sacral meningomyelocele, ventriculomegaly with cerebellar compression ("banana sign"), calvarial ("lemon sign").</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I recommend we schedule a visit with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist for a more detailed ultrasound and consultation regarding how to best treat your baby."</span></div>
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That was it. No wonder we couldn't find much about "T2 Malformation." It is actually called "Chiari II malformation." I started researching Chiari II and then plugging in "meningomylocele." I scanned website after website, and that is when an incredibly scary phrase started popping up again and again.</div>
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Spina Bifida.</div>
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I thought, that can't be it. No way. I panicked and sent Daniel a text--"Holy crap it could be indicative of spina bifida. I am going to throw up." Daniel kept Googling as well, and then called me on the phone. "I think you might be right."</div>
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No one even told us our kid had spina bifida. We had to figure it out ourselves, which was a bit frustrating. It's like they were afraid to say it. I get that though, because I still hate saying "spina bifida" out loud. Sometimes when I actually say it, after days of not crying, the phrase brings me to tears. </div>
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The next week was filled with more doctors appointments than I think I have attended in my lifetime. We transferred all my care to the University of Utah (midwives only work with low-risk pregnancies, and now I was miles away from that), which has a fantastic spina bifida clinic. We were given a giant binder full of information. We found out she had the most serious (but also most common) type--myelomeningocele. We found out she might not walk. We found out she probably won't be able to control her bladder or possibly her bowels. We found out she might need a <a href="https://www.ifglobal.org/en/spina-bifida/38-content/515-shunt" target="_blank">shunt</a> right after birth. We found out a lot of scary things that sent me into a cascade of tears each time a new possibility was laid before us.</div>
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My attitude varied from hopeful and positive to complete despair...sometimes within minutes. I can only describe it as a roller coaster. Daniel and I spent time mourning the loss of what we THOUGHT her life was going to be like. We joined facebook support groups and had our neighbors from our church come give us each a blessing of comfort. Friends and family immediately rallied around us in so many ways--I will be doing a whole blog post on that later.</div>
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<a href="http://fetaltonewborn.org/myelomeningocele-spina-bifida/" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a link that can give you some of the basics of spina bifida. I feel like I've had to become an expert in a few weeks. I'm obviously not, but it sure feels that way. </div>
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The big decision we had to make was whether to pursue fetal surgery as an option. Her spinal defect has to be closed no matter what, but the choice is whether to do that before or after birth. We talked extensively with U of U doctors about the options and her specific case. Her "lesion level," as they call it, is at L4. That is the number of her vertebrae where the defect begins. With each additional vertebrae affected as you go up the spine, her chance of walking unassisted or with little assistance goes down. </div>
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L4 is a good place to be, respectively. There is already about an 80% chance that she will walk unassisted or with little assistance (like ankle braces, or AFOs). This was fantastic news. We learned that fetal surgery might increase that chance even more. It also might cause her <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiari_malformation#History_and_classification" target="_blank">Chiari II malformation</a> to reverse before she is even born, which could help her be less symptomatic when she is born. It could also reduce the likelihood that she will need a shunt when she is born--although unfortunately her ventricles in her brain are already rather large (17mm and 18mm), which makes this benefit unlikely. </div>
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Still, we decided to pursue surgery for the other benefits, even if the shunt issue was off the table. After calling a few centers that do the surgery (U of U does not do it yet, but plans to in a couple years), we decided on UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. They were one of the original hospitals that did the surgery and participated in the <a href="https://fetus.ucsf.edu/research/spina-bifida-moms-trial" target="_blank">MOMS Trial</a> that studied the benefits of fetal surgery. We felt good about going there. The surgery can only be done before 26 weeks, and I was almost 22 weeks on D-Day.</div>
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So that is where we are now. We spent 3 days here in SF undergoing evaluations and attending meetings with 9 different specialists. Luckily she has no other problems we can see, other than the spina bifida. Yay...no clubfeet. ;)</div>
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It's Saturday night and our surgery is on Tuesday. There is a lot more to say, and I am going to be blogging and vlogging (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwq7a9Ypu10KFp6YFnF8Mew?view_as=subscriber" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a link to my YouTube Channel) about this journey. Reading other moms' blogs and watching their videos has been massively helpful to me in the past few weeks. I want to try to be helpful to other moms who are going to have their own Diagnosis Day. </div>
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We love our little girl more than we can say. While things are not going to be the way we thought, they are still going to be wonderful. Daniel and I know that she is going to bring blessings to our family that are difficult for us to understand or imagine right now. She is a special little girl, and she is ours. Take that, D-Day. </div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-5715183001215027502015-11-08T16:38:00.001-07:002018-03-17T23:03:33.722-06:00Miles' Birth Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here is your typical example of second child syndrome—it has
taken me over 3 months to write up Miles’ birth story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel terrible about this (hello mom
guilt!), but I guess better late than never!
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As with Riley’s birth, I was anxious for Miles to be born on
time or early because every day he was late would mean one less day before I
would have to return to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
return to work date was set, regardless of when the baby was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did I know this baby would be
born right on his due date—July 30, 2015!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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I first started having regular contractions on Saturday,
July 25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup, that’s right…5 days
earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were coming about
every 8-10 minutes starting in the early afternoon and continuing until
evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was SO EXCITED! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he was coming a few days
EARLY!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My excitement quickly died
out, however, when evening came and the contractions completely stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I anxiously waited all night for them
to come back, but nothing happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A whole lot of nothing continued until Wednesday, July 29.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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That evening, I started getting contractions again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were the same, about 8-10 minutes
apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried not to get my hopes
up in case this was another false alarm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But this time, things kept going…all night long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Riley I had a 34-hour labor, so I
knew this could just be the beginning of two very long days, but I was REALLY
hoping that this labor would be much shorter than the first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the middle of the night I was in
quite a bit of pain with the contractions, so I called the midwife to let her
know that we might have a baby in the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told me to take a warm bath to see if the contractions
would slow down or keep going, so at about 3 in the morning I got in the
bath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The contractions seemed to
slow down a bit, but they didn’t stop entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew this probably meant I still had a long way to go, but
at least this labor seemed to be the real thing.</div>
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I continued to labor all night long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to sleep between contractions,
but that was a bit difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
lost my mucous plug sometime in the early morning so again I knew this was it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My in-laws came in the morning just in
case we needed to leave for the birth center so they could watch Riley. All
morning my contractions were really strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to jump the gun (my worst nightmare is to get
turned away at the birth center for not being dilated enough) so I just worked
through each contraction in my rocking chair, just like I did with Riley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The contractions were bad enough that I
couldn’t talk during them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was a little awkward with so many people around (my in-laws, my sisters, my
mom, Riley, etc.) but everyone was awesome and really supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had the interesting experience
of having a toddler around while laboring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t understand how much pain I was in and still wanted
me to hold him (see photo).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
made things a bit tricky, but again not a huge deal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kCf5OewWyMGUipAu-ejZR04SPBHyQnkSVVAfCRh9sQziPepb20wF2MJsOVlbahf60OnLWN81fDu1d1c4eLx81v7c6vAF05FLVrMh0Etw1vbsuD8wiEIB_AZHYdfW4xTgQE0qd-Cb-yNU/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kCf5OewWyMGUipAu-ejZR04SPBHyQnkSVVAfCRh9sQziPepb20wF2MJsOVlbahf60OnLWN81fDu1d1c4eLx81v7c6vAF05FLVrMh0Etw1vbsuD8wiEIB_AZHYdfW4xTgQE0qd-Cb-yNU/s320/IMG_1164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Around noon I decided I could no longer just sit at
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The contractions were
getting stronger and stronger, and I just felt like I couldn’t work through
them on my own anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we
called the midwife and she told us to come on in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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After enduring the horrible 25-minute drive (OUCH), I was so
excited to be at the birth center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It felt weird to be there during the day since with Riley I got there at
midnight!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They checked me and I
was hoping it would be like the first time—a 7 and a baby 3 hours later!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was only at a 5!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was so bummed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
midwife said the choice was mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could stay there, I could go somewhere and come back in a little bit,
or I could go home and try to labor there for a few more hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll admit I didn’t want a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just wanted someone to tell me what
to do!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, Daniel and I realized
we had forgotten a few things (like food) so we decided to go to Wal-Mart and
then come back to the birth center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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I kid you not, I thought I was going to be the classiest
woman alive and have a baby in Wal-Mart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had to stop between every aisle to have a major contraction and then
keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was trying to act
all nonchalant as I heaved over in pain in the granny panty aisle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to scare the customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We picked out some food (everything
from kale super food salad to a 12-pack of doughnuts—hey, I was still
pregnant!) and checked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
remember barely making it to the car I was in so much pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We made it back to the birth center around 2 and the
official laboring began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time
I worked with a doula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both she
and Daniel were with me during every contraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The back labor had begun…again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought that was a Riley-specific issue because of how he
was positioned, but it turns out I am just one of those lucky women who get
horrific back labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really mean
horrific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure the doula was
SICK of me crying, “My back, my back hurts so bad” over and over again, but she
never complained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We did everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We slowly walked up and down stairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tried using a breast bump to stimulate more contractions
(oh goody).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did a cotton root
tincture (NEVER AGAIN) a few times, and tried a variety of herbs to move from
active labor into transition, but it just wouldn’t happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked inside, we walked
outside, we ate lots of my kale salad. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contractions were at least every 5 minutes and massively
painful...for 4 hours straight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
this point it was about 6pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
been laboring for about 20 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was almost at my breaking point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It felt like my back was exploding and still no baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was crying because I didn’t know what
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The midwives had brought up the possibility of breaking my
water several hours before, but I was scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If my body wasn’t ready I didn’t want the horror of even
stronger contractions and still no baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, I told them that I felt I needed them to break my water and
they happily obliged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t as
dramatic as I thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Riley
my water never really broke either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next time I have a baby, I just need to have my water broken and
maybe my labors will be much shorter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Log that away.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, they broke my water and I headed straight for the
tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was scared of what the
stronger-cuz-my-water-broke contractions were going to feel like and I knew the
tub felt really nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was right…I
felt great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My back still felt
like it was being stabbed and I was convinced I was bleeding out my spine, but
the jets in the tub at least distracted me enough to be soothed a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was in the tub, I remember saying
to the doula, “I wish I could just have the baby in here!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doula responded, “Well you can!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh yea!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had not even considered a water birth because with Riley once
I hit transition I HATED the tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It felt too hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time,
everything was different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
responded, “I think I will!”</div>
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It was like once I made this decision everything kicked into
gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt my body going into
transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My body started
convulsing and pushing without me doing anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was finally going to have a baby!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when things got a bit scary
because everything started going SO fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Suddenly the doula was calling for the midwives because my body was
seriously just pushing the baby out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll admit I started freaking out a bit because I felt so out of
control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could feel the baby
coming down and coming down QUICKLY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was afraid that I would majorly tear if the baby didn’t slow
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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With Riley, the midwife helped coach me so Riley slowly came
out and I barely tore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
no time for that with Miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
literally was calling for my mom (she was there) and I just kept crying, “I’m
so scared” over and over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
this seems dramatic, but I just couldn’t believe how fast this was all happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After two major pushes, his head was
out, then the rest of him with one more push.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt that immediate rush of relief and the pain vanished
once he was out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was all less
than two hours after they broke my water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess that is what I needed—my water does NOT want to break on its
own!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, log away for next
time.</div>
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The midwife immediately handed him to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was HERE!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few moments of silence, I worried that he wasn’t
crying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riley was also really
silent at first, so I wasn’t scared until the midwife took Miles and started
giving him mouth to mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjA0Jy1OYTBNhhYlpJDiepK8YhRZ7HeNz-5yZqhyphenhyphenAxcH47sAeFJE9Pb-GjRTPK1dEVlr_UsSjyIZcSj5Dv4awJEE_0CrSXI7ptj1Kgp2t_WywyB8NDt2RKMf04GKKTUpFqtUz4oK4vTjP/s1600/thumb_DSC_0019_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjA0Jy1OYTBNhhYlpJDiepK8YhRZ7HeNz-5yZqhyphenhyphenAxcH47sAeFJE9Pb-GjRTPK1dEVlr_UsSjyIZcSj5Dv4awJEE_0CrSXI7ptj1Kgp2t_WywyB8NDt2RKMf04GKKTUpFqtUz4oK4vTjP/s400/thumb_DSC_0019_1024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It was
all happening really fast, so I don’t think I had time to truly be scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also just knew somehow that
everything would be all right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
a few breaths from the midwife, Miles let out a huge cry as he started
breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone in the room
also breathed a sigh of relief!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They handed him back to me and I got to snuggle my new little boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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One thing I noticed is that he had his
tongue out the first 5-10 minutes of life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He seriously loved sticking that thing out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I also immediately noticed his foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something was wrong with it, I could
tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as I saw it, I asked
the midwives, “What’s wrong with him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What’s wrong with his foot?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think he has a clubbed foot!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They looked at it and told me to wait a while before worrying myself
because sometimes newborns are just all squished up from being in the womb and
so his foot might just need to relax and then it will straighten out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew it was something a little more
serious than that and I was really worried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8G30hCC8M8c27Wwp8fYSuvvTP_NotBUKO8EQiNWQiDs152AKOB7cpqcEUc9E4WgCzY-Glr7U_se9I7-7l7U2r9B8kmlQV_Qk2ywWcSqTTgRvxXmd8STwbiA5s4d6m3kVajaxHHRjdoCHz/s1600/thumb_DSC_0060_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8G30hCC8M8c27Wwp8fYSuvvTP_NotBUKO8EQiNWQiDs152AKOB7cpqcEUc9E4WgCzY-Glr7U_se9I7-7l7U2r9B8kmlQV_Qk2ywWcSqTTgRvxXmd8STwbiA5s4d6m3kVajaxHHRjdoCHz/s400/thumb_DSC_0060_1024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Still, other than the foot he seemed to be a completely
healthy, perfect baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miles T.
Faulk was born at 7:50pm and weighed 7lb. 6oz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was 22.25 inches long—longer and skinnier than Riley,
which I didn’t think was possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By 10pm we were all cleaned and snuggled into the bed at the birth
center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I nursed him for the first
time, which was great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just
like getting back in the saddle!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
noticed that I had so much more energy this time than last time, probably
because at 22hours, my labor was 12 hours shorter than last time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seriously made a huge
difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could shower myself
this time, whereas with Riley I had to have my mom and sister bathe me because
I couldn’t even lift the soap up myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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At midnight we decided to go home so we could all get in
bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miles slept for about 5
hours, which was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gotta love
that first big just-born sleep!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently it’s exhausting getting born!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Recovery was a lot tougher the second time around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I didn’t tear at all with
Miles (THANK YOU WATER BIRTH!), it still seemed to take longer for things to
feel “back to normal.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I am
grateful for how quick my recovery was with a natural birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were walking the neighborhood as a
family the next day and it felt great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQFuzl60wyEHA8euZG0xJ1kpcD8fd9_OYFHxru-_77-4KWBHs7t9r3z_nAQJub11dYINoACkjIt1LgwSRieXtSXGEbharLCwk_5jdE3VGMz6kZXnAWvM_i_X55C343ZDudgDKV-ODhPlT/s1600/IMG_1206.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQFuzl60wyEHA8euZG0xJ1kpcD8fd9_OYFHxru-_77-4KWBHs7t9r3z_nAQJub11dYINoACkjIt1LgwSRieXtSXGEbharLCwk_5jdE3VGMz6kZXnAWvM_i_X55C343ZDudgDKV-ODhPlT/s320/IMG_1206.JPG" width="240" /></a> </span></div>
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We went to the pediatrician the next morning after he was
born and she confirmed he had a clubbed foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been working with Primary Children’s hospital every
since to get it fixed—more on that in another blog post!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGoMIMAc6Jo7LChZa3MOctThANTtpAWQlOFE_Vqt1S7uXonQ2zm2oWPBnZwT9fSPgaBcWBvyUwqgjtjkE_3N6wZHYExFa3yqUtwlrYRKrfkOAJvSOq17QDR3OilaLiKe32rG1DrWp3xmu/s1600/IMG_1207.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGoMIMAc6Jo7LChZa3MOctThANTtpAWQlOFE_Vqt1S7uXonQ2zm2oWPBnZwT9fSPgaBcWBvyUwqgjtjkE_3N6wZHYExFa3yqUtwlrYRKrfkOAJvSOq17QDR3OilaLiKe32rG1DrWp3xmu/s320/IMG_1207.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Although my labor was long and difficult, which apparently
seems to be my thing, I am grateful everything went OK and that I have a
healthy, beautiful baby boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
so grateful for expertly trained midwives who are so kind and so caring
throughout the entire pregnancy and birth process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot find that kind of maternal care anywhere
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also loved having an
amazingly patient doula this time around!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was great to have that trained, knowledgeable support through every
contraction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have to give a
shout out to my amazing husband for staying awake and supporting me through all
22 hours of labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a
rockstar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riley loves his new baby
brother and we are adjusting as the Faulk Family of Four! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBMmDCiWRTs5isoyTyPA73VJUErQiGV8cx8Os0Rc4re7MINjRpkKzNrwWe4qixMvAz7BJC-UYFPJG9YGqbiNXFdS5iQcJ6cKu7vDpbwDocn_vtyn5fxEFJOKnoAr1jihKbff7uSASgoKM/s1600/IMG_1186.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBMmDCiWRTs5isoyTyPA73VJUErQiGV8cx8Os0Rc4re7MINjRpkKzNrwWe4qixMvAz7BJC-UYFPJG9YGqbiNXFdS5iQcJ6cKu7vDpbwDocn_vtyn5fxEFJOKnoAr1jihKbff7uSASgoKM/s320/IMG_1186.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-86324025339519270302015-07-14T16:46:00.000-06:002015-07-14T17:55:19.070-06:00Baby #2--Needs, Wants, and Wishes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yea, yea. It's been a while. Story of my life. As usual I want to get back into blogging. Although I stink at consistency...I really like it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Quick Update: Riley is almost 2 years old (oh.my.word.) and baby #2 is due in 16 days! We bought a house a year and a half ago in Sandy, Utah. I am still the drama teacher at Kearns High and Daniel works as a data analyst for Williams Gas. I will do a more full "life update" post later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Moving on! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a post I have been crafting in my head for a while and I am excited to finally get it out there! As the arrival of baby #2 has gotten closer and closer I have been thinking a lot about what items I am going to need that I didn't have the first time around. I am really lucky that the boys will be almost exactly 2 years apart, so they are being born during the same season. This of course means that I can reuse all of the baby clothes from Riley with baby #2. This eliminated any major need for clothes buying (although I couldn't resist getting a COUPLE new things. I mean, come on...), so I turned my focus to baby gear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What products did I wish I had last time? What new awesome things has the baby world unveiled in the last two years? In thinking about these types of questions, I came up with 8 products that are a mix of things I decided I absolutely needed the second time around as well as some fun things I would really LIKE the second time around. Some of them I have already purchased and some of them I have not (ya see, no one gives you a baby shower the second time around!). Details are below the picture!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. A Double Stroller--<span style="color: lime;">Need List, Purchased</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has been a source of contention between my husband and I (and..ahem...still is). To him, this was not a necessity. He thinks we can just keep using our single stroller and either strap the new baby to me or strap the toddler to the stroller with a leash so he won't run away. Either way, there seems to be a lot of strapping going on that is not practical in all situations. I insisted that with two kids a double stroller was not a high maintenance wish but rather a necessity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I essentially won this argument by purchasing the stroller. There...problem solved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The picture above is the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/baby-trend-sit-n-stand-double/-/A-12443135#prodSlot=medium_1_10&term=baby+trend" target="_blank">Baby Trend Sit N Stand Double Stroller (link)</a><u>.</u> </span> I purchased it from Target. Let it be clear that if I could pick any double stroller, this would not be it. I would go for the <a href="http://www.target.com/p/baby-trend-sit-n-stand-double/-/A-12443135#prodSlot=medium_1_10&term=baby+trend" target="_blank">Bugaboo Donkey (link)</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Jogger-Select-Stroller-Second/dp/B00OG2RKXS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1436909340&sr=8-3&keywords=city+select+double+stroller" target="_blank">Baby Jogger City Select (link)</a>. Right now neither of those options are, as my husband says, "financially feasible." SO, after doing a bunch of research this stroller seemed a fantastic option at only $160. It has the best combination of price, practicality, and non-ugliness I could find. The back seat is removable and allows for either an infant car seat OR the sit n stand option. We will see if after we use this for a while my husband is won over! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Covered Goods Nursing Cover/Car Seat Wrap/Grocery Cart Wrap/Scarf--<span style="color: lime;">Want List, Wish List</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">This is a newer product that looks AWESOME. As I have learned through "Mom Experience," products that have multiple uses ROCK. I hate having tons of baby crap everywhere, so finding products that do double, triple, or in this case QUADRUPLE duty are high up in my books. As can be seen in the image below, the <a href="http://www.coveredgoods.com/" target="_blank">Covered Goods Nursing Cover (link)</a></span> </span>has 4 uses:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat, right? I already have a nursing cover, so this is not a necessity, but I like that this cover has full coverage all the way around--not just in the front. This becomes highly practical when you're not wearing something that easily lifts up only in the front. I had many instances where I had to figure out a way to not expose my back to everyone...not cool. It also helps that these covers are fantastically stylish and not at all ugly and baby-ish looking--another essential for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Mama & Little Teething Jewelry--<span style="color: lime;">Want List, Wish List</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">This is of course not a NEED but rather a fun want (my birthday is in October guys...). When your baby is teething and begging to chew on anything this is a great thing to have. While there are a lot of teething jewelry companies out there, my friend Arleene Taylor's company <a href="http://mamaandlittle.com/" target="_blank">Mama & Little (link)</a></span></span>makes the MOST stylish teething jewelry out there. This is functional baby gear at its finest because the jewelry is something you will want to wear AFTER the baby is done teething. It's seriously adorable. Proof? Nordstrom just picked her up...bam.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. A Portable Rocker--<span style="color: lime;">Need List, Wish List</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">I think this is going on the needs list. As of now I have no portable baby-putter-inner of any kind. Being able to shower and set the baby in something where I can see him is a luxury I need to figure out how to afford this time around. Before I would put Riley in his car seat, but I didn't want him to fall asleep in it, which would inevitably happen. A product like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Love-Cozy-Rocker-Napper/dp/B00NX57B42/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436911017&sr=8-1&keywords=tiny+love+rocker" target="_blank">Tiny Love Rocker (link)</a></span> <span style="color: black;">would allow me to strap the baby into something cozy while I get things done. This particular rocker also allows the baby to lay completely flat, converting into a bassinet that is safe to sleep in. While any rocker/bouncer would do, something similar to this would be amazing to have the second time around. </span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. A Second Pump--<span style="color: lime;">Need List, Purchased</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">After dealing with packing up my pump and all of its parts and schlepping it all to and from work every single day I decided this was a necessity for baby #2. I got my first pump (the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hygeia-10-0026-Enjoye-Cordless/dp/B00B0RPB4C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1436911353&sr=8-2&keywords=hygeia+pump" target="_blank">Hygeia Enjoye Pump (link)</a></span><span style="color: black;">) free through my insurance with Riley, and I have since switched insurance companies since then so I figured I could do the same thing again this time. I was correct! Unfortunately my insurance this time is not as awesome so I only got my pick of 2 free pumps. I settled on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rumble-Tuff-Electric-Breast-Express/dp/B00CE422AG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1436911533&sr=8-2&keywords=rumble+tuff+pump" target="_blank">Rumble Tuff (link)</a></span></span> double electric pump. It is small and lightweight so I figured it would be great to keep at work. No more forgetting pump parts at home and having to run to the babysitter's house during my 30-minute lunch break to nurse! Wahoo! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a side note, this time around I have purchased the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kiinde-TG-N-001-NA-Breastfeeding-Gift-Set/dp/B00CXTWJAA/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436911715&sr=1-1&keywords=kiinde+breastfeeding+gift+set" target="_blank">Kiinde Breastfeeding System (link)</a> to hopefully make my pumping experience a little more streamlined. After I use it I will do a review on here for sure!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. A Pack 'N Play--<span style="color: lime;">Need List, Purchased</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">That's right. I did not own a pack 'n play until very recently when we NEEDED some sort of travel bed for Riley. I had wanted one for baby #2, but this forced me to just get it over with and pick one. Let's get real here. Pack 'n plays on the whole are some of the ugliest baby gear out there. For those of you that don't care, good for you. For those of us that have worked very hard for baby crap to not ruin the interior design we have worked so hard on for years, aesthetics are very important. Primary-colored, plastic-looking baby crap is the stuff of my nightmares. Unfortunately, beautifully designed pack 'n plays like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/4moms-Breeze-Playard-Grey/dp/B00W64JTCS/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436912102&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=4+moms+playyard" target="_blank">4moms Breeze Playard (link)</a></span> </span>or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/BABYBJORN-Travel-Crib-Light-Silver/dp/B00IM8G038/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436912247&sr=1-1&keywords=bjorn+travel+crib" target="_blank">BABYBJORN Travel Crib (link)</a> will set you back over $200, at the least. So when I saw the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Ultra-Lite-Night-Play-Yard/dp/B00MCJULWE/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436912367&sr=1-1&keywords=Fisher+Price+pack+n+play" target="_blank">Fisher-Price Ultra-Lite Play Yard </a>and how it looked amazingly similar to the BABYBJORN for only $120 I knew I had stumbled upon something awesome! I love that it is incredibly travel-friendly and has the newborn insert on top as an added bonus! Riley HATED our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Reach-Concepts-Co-Sleeper-Bassinet/dp/B00DMCYENW/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436912515&sr=1-1&keywords=arms+reach+bassinet" target="_blank">Arm's Reach Bassinet (link)</a> so if baby #2 does as well, I am hoping that this might be a more comfy, slightly inclined option. We'll see...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/4Moms-Mamaroo-Bouncer-Grey-Classic/dp/B00PK3EO1S/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436912631&sr=1-1&keywords=mamaroo" target="_blank">4moms Mamaroo (link)</a>--<span style="color: lime;">Want List, Wish List</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="color: black;">This is definitely a want. I already have a baby swing, although Riley hated it (the unsoothable baby, for reals). I have heard great things about the Mamaroo and it is, of course, much more aesthetically pleasing than any other swing out there. It also connects to your iphone so you can play music, change its settings, etc. from across the room. Pretty neat. If it was super lightweight, I wouldn't need the portable rocker/bouncer (#4), but unfortunately it's not meant to be moved from room to room. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="color: black;">8. A Baby Wrap--<span style="color: lime;">Want List, Purchased</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="color: black;">As I already have an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ERGObaby-Original-Baby-Carrier-Grey/dp/B00IES2WLU/ref=sr_1_5?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1436913009&sr=1-5&keywords=ergo+baby+carrier" target="_blank">ERGO Baby Carrier (link)</a></span> </span>this is technically not a need. Still, babies tend to be picky and it's nice to have multiple options. Also, the ERGO, while fantastic overall, can be a bit hot, and with a summer baby I knew the super cute, lightweight <a href="http://sollybaby.com/?_vsrefdom=cpc&gclid=CjwKEAjw5pKtBRCqpfPK5qXatWYSJABi5kTx-WKJ7FMzdqpYu2x_LHsqxKx6I-g7TQp50m0yOFhTvRoCE8Dw_wcB" target="_blank">Solly Baby Wrap (link)</a> was the way to go. I purchased the mint color, as pictured above, and I can't wait to use it with my newborn! The Solly tends to be much more lightweight than the Moby or other wraps. There are tutorials on YouTube to show you multiple ways to wrap it as well. I am determined to do a LOT more baby-wearing this time around and I decided to treat myself with the Solly Baby Wrap. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="color: black;">Well, there you have it. Eight items that I want/need/wish for with Baby #2! As his due date is still 2 weeks away, I obviously have not used these products yet, so I will do a post-use review in a few months to let you know which products have actually been life savers and which I could have done without. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: lime;"><span style="color: black;">What products did you purchase for Baby #2...or 3 or 4 or 5? Leave a comment below!! </span> </span></span></div>
Cameehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07948561695739972733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-77748077077790002212014-04-24T12:45:00.001-06:002018-03-17T22:56:02.752-06:00An Easter to Remember<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Easter. A time of pastels, bunnies, and new Sunday clothes. I was determined to make Riley's first Easter great. Looking back, I just shouldn't have cared so dang much. Maybe if I hadn't everything would have gone swell...<br />
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So the morning started off fine. I was excited to put Riley in his cute Easter outfit and for the whole family to look great at church (because clearly this matters...not). First thing in the morning we get a call from Daniel's dad saying that Daniel's mom is really sick so we won't be able to go over there for dinner. I felt terrible for her (and she was SO sad to miss Riley's first Easter), but this definitely threw a wrench in our plans. We had no food. Seriously. I ran to the grocery store the day before just to get the dessert we thought we were bringing to Daniel's parents house. Still, I decided I would deal with that later.</div>
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While Daniel was showering, I nursed Riley in his rocking chair. He was just looking up at me with those ginormous blue eyes and I decided to take that quiet, still moment to talk to him about what Easter is really about. I was about ten seconds in, talking about Jesus, when Riley let out a string of farts so major I couldn't believe they came from a baby. He just kept looking up at me like, "what?" So, with that spiritual moment sufficiently ruined I moved on, about to get him dressed.</div>
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As I put him against my shoulder, he decided--after not spitting up for weeks--to suddenly spit up ALL DOWN me and the rocking chair. Awesome. I just thanked my lucky stars that neither of us were in our Easter clothes yet! </div>
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I got Riley dressed and of course...we were running late. So on the way out the door I grabbed a granola bar. As I was getting out of the car at church, I looked down and realized that one of the chocolate chips from the granola bar had smushed into my light pink Easter dress. AWESOME! I just kept saying to Daniel, "This is SO TYPICAL! I try to make a nice day for us and everything goes wrong! This is the STORY OF MY LIFE!!"</div>
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I am, of course, a bit dramatic.</div>
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So church is going typically. Riley is screaming and squirming. Seriously, holding this kid in church is like wrestling a cat. About halfway in, Riley suddenly spits up-again-this time all down his Easter outfit. I freak out and reach for a burp cloth in the diaper bag. Nothing. We were so rushed I didn't really pack the diaper bag. Luckily a sweet mom behind us saw our predicament and handed me one of theirs. Bless her.</div>
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The rest of church was uneventful. Riley even took a nap during Sunday School:</div>
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Since I now knew we weren't going over to the in-laws I had someone take our picture outside of church. I look ridiculous, but here you have it: </div>
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I swear he had cute shoes on right before this picture.</div>
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When we got home, I took a few more pictures:</div>
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Immediately after taking this picture Daniel realized that Riley had had a blowout (also rare) all in his Easter outfit. All I can say is of course he did. Of course.</div>
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At this point our grumbling stomachs reminded us of our dinner problem. This probably sounds bad, but I was hoping all during church that someone would ask me what my Easter plans were so I could tell them they got cancelled and in my head the person would say, "Well come on over for dinner at our place!" Unfortunately my imaginary conversation never came to be in real life. So what do the Faulks do in a dinner worst case scenario? </div>
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Nachos.</div>
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I have to say, I make a mean nacho. I literally speed beans on each individual nacho. Can't beat that. It was yummy!</div>
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We made the best of our crazy day by going on a long walk together and dropping the dessert off at Daniel's parents' house. I very unceremoniously plopped Easter baskets in front of Daniel and Riley, but they seemed to like them.</div>
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Luckily none of the petty things that happened really matter. Nachos on Easter? Fine. No Easter egg hunt for Riley? He doesn't know what's happening anyway. Chocolate chip on my dress? It will come out. I hope.</div>
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Christ is the reason we celebrate Easter and I am grateful every day that he is my Redeemer. His Atonement makes up for my sins, my hard days, and my sorrows. He is the only one who truly always knows what we are going through and how we feel. How amazing is that? I encourage everyone to watching the LDS video on YouTube entitled "Because of Him." It is beautiful! Happy Easter!!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-61147612868505487452014-04-19T16:11:00.001-06:002018-03-17T23:02:10.526-06:00That Time AFTER You Have a Baby...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Remember how I used to blog? Yea...me too. I'd like to get things back up and running because it makes me sad to think of all the fun things that are happening as Riley grows up that I might forget! We're also well under way with our kitchen renovation, so there will definitely be a post about that coming soon--don't get TOO excited!<br />
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Anyway, my last post was about Riley's birth. I'm not sure how to describe the month after that...'rough' might be a good word to start out with. This is my blog so I'm going to be real here and say that I struggled. I think I thought that everything would go smoothly--sure, I'd lose some sleep here and there, but overall I would just be swimming in feelings of love for my newborn and none of the hard stuff would matter. While I definitely loved my newborn (I mean look at him...who couldn't love that?), I encountered many things I wasn't prepared for...<br />
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1. Endless Crying. I'm not just referring to Riley, but to me as well. I cried ALL THE TIME. The combination of stress and no sleep overcame me and I found myself bawling my eyes out. I have memories of just sitting in the rocking chair, holding my sweet baby and crying. It was an emotion overload. I consider myself a strong individual, so this all came as a shock to me. Postpartum Depression was also a factor here I believe. I never thought I would get the "baby blues," but I got smacked upside the head with them. Despite having this amazing, beautiful baby that truly made me SO happy, I didn't smile often. I remember Daniel (and a few other people) noticing that I was not happy. Amidst all of this I had to go back to work less than 4 weeks after giving birth. I'd say it wasn't until month 4 or 5 that I improved and found ways to keep the baby blues at bay. <br />
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2. My Need for a Support System. Thank GOODNESS I had my mother and sister staying with me that first week or I think I would have had a full-blown mental breakdown. They rocked Riley when I just couldn't listen to his crying anymore in the middle of the night. They offered so much support by comforting me (during all the crying, see #1 above), cooking meals, grocery shopping, and cleaning. My husband was also amazing. The first few days are so rough because I was trying to heal from birth while taking care of a newborn. He would help me to the toilet and the shower (embarrassing!) and even help change my "dressings" down there when I couldn't by myself (MORE embarassing!). He never complained once about any of this. <br />
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3. Breastfeeding Didn't Go Perfectly. I am incredibly pro-breastfeeding so making sure that this was a possibility for me was very important. I read all the books beforehand and did as much preparation as possible. I knew there was going to be some discomfort, but holy COW I had no clue. It took over 6 weeks before I didn't cry every time he breastfed. It hurt SO bad! I went to a lactation consultant who helped with his latch and things got better from there, but WOW. It felt like he needed to be fed constantly. Every time I sat down for a break he started crying and it was time to feed again...for 40 minutes every time. It was practically on an hour, off an hour. This was a major thing that contributed to #1 above. I knew I was doing the right thing for my baby and thank goodness I was COMMITTED to breastfeeding or I would have given up on week 2 or 3 for sure, but MAN was it tough. It's still tough! I constantly struggle keeping up my milk supply and it causes me a lot of stress. Pumping enough bottles to give to the babysitter every other days is a NEVERENDING struggle. I will totally admit that I can't WAIT to ween this kid when he's a year old! I will miss breastfeeding, but NOT pumping!<br />
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4. The Unsoothable Baby. Before I had Riley I thought that babies would just rock in the swing, or just chill with their pacifier. I couldn't anticipate that I would have a baby who liked none of this. He hated the swing. He hated his car seat (at first). He hated the pacifier. NOTHING WORKED. I have friends whose babies just chill in a rocker for an hour or so just fine, but I never got that experience. To this day he is still pretty high maintenance like that. He never took the binky. He only plays on his own for maybe 5-10 minutes and then gets bored and needs attention. He hates napping. He won't just chill in his high chair OR the swing OR the jumper OR his play mat. I guess it's just his personality. Essentially all this led to me getting very little time to take a breather, which of course constantly contributed to #1 above.<br />
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Now, I know this sounds like a lot of complaining and above all I am SO grateful to have an amazing son who truly fills my life with joy. Still, I want to put it out there that a lot of women portray this perfect life online through Facebook and Instagram with their newborns that can make you feel bad sometimes. I felt like a TERRIBLE mother. I mean, what mom cries that often when they have so much to be thankful for? I am sure it made it look like I didn't love my new son, but I did.<br />
On day 4 of having a baby I could no longer stay in the house--it's just my personality. I HAD to get out of there, so we went to a mall and just walked around with the baby in the stroller. It was delightful, but I had several ladies in the stores telling me I should be at home and not out and about already. Little did they know that getting out of the house that day kept me from just spending hours crying in my room.<br />
Maybe there are women who have these just lovely months after they give birth where everything is snuggles, and bonding, and pure happiness. Maybe. But for me that was only part of the experience and I want other women who struggle with some of the same things I did to know that they are not alone. <br />
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That being said, here are some things I have LOVED about having a baby!<br />
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1. Everything He Learns is Exciting. Seriously. Daniel and I were just reminiscing about this yesterday. We exploded with excitement that first time he smiled, laughed, held something in his hand, reached for the birds above his playmat, cooed, rolled over, said "dada," crawled, ate food, etc. Each new thing he learns brings me so much joy! And it's adorable!<br />
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2. He Loves Me...SO MUCH. I can't describe how it feels to have this tiny human that thinks you are thebomb.com. His eyes light up when I enter the room and he comes crawling to me as fast as he can! He reaches for me when he's sad. There is something so fulfilling and beautiful about this unconditional love and need. I ADORE watching him look up and me while nursing and just smile out of nowhere. Seriously...I melt. <br />
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3. Watching Daniel Become a Dad. Dads are hott, guys. Daniel has become an amazing dad. I know he has struggled with a lot of things since having Riley, but he is such a trooper. He helps me however he can and usually does so without complaint. Riley loves him so much. I say, "Where's Dada?" and he frantically looks around the room, hoping for him to come through the door. When Daniel gets home from work and bursts through the door, Riley FREAKS out, waving his arms all around, smiling, and making his crazy pterodactyl noises! Basically, watching Daniel become an ever better person because of Riley has been amazing.<br />
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Because I haven't blogged in a while there are so many things I have missed, but here are a few milestones I want to remember, and a few of my favorite pictures for each week/month.<br />
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First smile: About 2 months old<br />
First laugh: About 3 months old<br />
Ate rice cereal: 4.5 months old. Now he eats everything. <br />
Rolled over back to front: Just shy of 5 months old, On Christmas Day, 2013. We were all opening presents in Dubai and he just did it out of nowhere! What a great present!<br />
Rolled over front to back: About 5 months, 1 week old. <br />
Crawled: 6.5 months old. He was in a HURRY to get moving. This has been a huge blessing because now he can entertain himself for longer periods of time which has helped immensely with my sanity!<br />
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NEWBORN</div>
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ONE WEEK OLD </div>
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THREE WEEKS OLD</div>
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ONE MONTH OLD-BLESSING DAY!</div>
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TWO MONTHS OLD</div>
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THREE MONTHS OLD</div>
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FOUR MONTHS OLD</div>
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FIVE MONTHS OLD</div>
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SIX MONTHS OLD</div>
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SEVEN MONTHS OLD</div>
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EIGHT MONTHS OLD</div>
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Again, we LOVE this cutie and we feel truly blessed that he is ours! I will hopefully keep this blog MUCH more updated on the Faulk comings and goings! I will also have to do some flashback posts to write about some of the great things that have happened to us these past eight months! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-78705569730450227662013-08-06T16:24:00.001-06:002018-03-17T23:03:57.020-06:00My Birth Story--Riley James Faulk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A warning in advance--this is really long and detailed, so if you don't want to read a detailed birth story (with pictures), then stop now! This was an important record for me to make and I didn't want to spare any details. :)</div>
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Technically the story of my labor
begins on Riley’s due date: July 24, 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because I have to go back to school as a teacher very soon
(my first meeting is August 14), I was desperate to see if I could use some
“natural” methods to get the labor going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, on Wednesday, July 24 around ten in the morning I took about 1.5
ounces of castor oil, which is known to get labor kick started occasionally by
basically freaking out your bowels so you have the runs—lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited for a few hours but nothing
happened at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bummer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother and sister came to Salt Lake
and we celebrated Pioneer Day by going to temple square and having lunch at the
Lion House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch I started
to have some horrible pains in my stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t feel like contractions—just horrific, stabbing
stomach pains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to sit on a
bench and breathe like crazy to get through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I felt a bit better we went shopping at City Creek hoping
all the walking would help get labor started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t feeling super great (thank you castor oil…) and I
had to use the bathroom one time (6 whole hours after I took the castor oil),
but other than that…nothing.</div>
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Me on my due date, July 24, at Temple Square </div>
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I assumed the castor oil had not
worked at all so that night we went out for Mexican food (at the suggestion of
my dad…he wants me to mention this) also hoping it would get something
started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next morning
(Thursday) I woke up around 5am with cramping pains—much more
contraction-like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started timing
them and they were consistent from 5-10am, exactly a minute long and 10 minutes
apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so excited!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I totally thought this was it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately at 10am, they stopped
almost completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran errands
all afternoon and went out to lunch with a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I occasionally had mild, sporadic contractions, but nothing
major.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 6pm I went out to dinner
with my husband and we decided to try Mexican again so we went to Café
Rio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we got home I
started having contractions again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was the beginning of my “real” labor I guess and it was the started
of one of the longest, most miserable nights of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The contractions lasted all night
long, again about 10 minutes apart and a minute long each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t sleep at all and on top of
everything I felt really constipated so I took some milk of magnesia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, about two hours later, around 3am
I began to have the worst diarrhea I’ve ever had in my life—on top of
contractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t think it was
possible to have both of those things going on at the same time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is something that should be reserved for the 7<sup>th</sup>
circle of hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So all night long
I endured that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I labored on the couch
and on our exercise ball mostly throughout the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laying on my side was particularly painful but I was trying
to doze off between contractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It didn’t work out too well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By the morning I was practically delirious I was so exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I knew that I wasn’t supposed to
go to the birth center until contractions were 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute
long and going on like that for at least an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also not supposed to be able to walk or talk through
them, and I knew that these contractions, although unpleasant, were not painful
enough to warrant that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So, it’s Friday morning and Daniel
goes to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him I’d call
him if I felt like this labor was actually going to go anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom and sister came to hang out with
me that day so I didn’t have to be alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We stayed at my apartment all day while my sister timed my
contractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my horror they
were hardly getting any closer together and definitely not quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After laboring all day long (still
awake after laboring with no sleep all night) the contractions were finally
getting about 5 minutes apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was around 5:30pm when Daniel got home from work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was kind of freaking out because I
couldn’t imagine another night like the one before with no baby to show for
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been awake for 2 days
and could not imagine trying to have a baby when I was already this
exhausted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did I know that
was what I was about to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
My mom and Haley left to go back to
Ogden and told us to call them if anything progressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My contractions slowed down for a few
hours…much to my horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then,
they started picking back up around 8pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I labored on the bed for a bit but it was making the contractions more
painful so I actually ended up getting through a lot of contractions in my new
rocking chair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t think I’d
want to be sitting during contractions, but for some reason just sitting and
concentrating got me through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Around 9pm we tried to put in a movie—The Amazing Spider Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t even get to the part where he
turns into Spider Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
contractions started getting pretty severe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This included some very painful back labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This confused me because I knew
that he was anterior, not posterior which is usually what causes really painful
back labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would find out later
why…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Anyway, I started begging Daniel to
call the midwife because I thought the contractions were close enough and
strong enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted to
wait—possibly until morning (haha…) to call because neither of us wanted to be
sent home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was literally a
huge fear of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been
awake for 2 days, already been laboring for more than 24 hours and if I showed
up and wasn’t dilated enough and got sent home I think I would lose it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I started to really feel the
baby pushing against my bones “down there” and knew this baby was coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also around 10:45 pm I lost my mucus
plug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been wondering when
that was every going to happen and when it did I definitely knew what it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We called the birth center at 11pm and
the midwives conferred and agreed that I should come in at midnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was SO EXCITED (but still nervous they
were going to send me home).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
this point the contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They felt like they were coming on top
of each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty dang
painful but it wasn’t really the contractions that were excruciatingly painful
it was my back that felt like someone was trying to claw right through it or
something—literally the worst pain I’ve ever felt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We used that hour to bustle around
the house getting last minute things packed for the birth center. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The car ride over was not super
pleasant but we got there in less than 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came in and the midwives started setting things up to
check me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jennifer the head
midwife on call that would be helping me through the birth told me later that
the minute she saw me she thought, “Oh this girl is definitely going
home.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told me I was way too
happy and cracking jokes so there was no way I was dilated enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few minutes later she checked me and
to her and the student midwife’s surprise I was 7cm dilated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were shocked!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they told me that I was definitely
staying I almost cried with relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was also incredibly scared—this was it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no going back now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also scared because I was already exhausted beyond
belief from the last 48 hours and wondered if I had any strength left to birth
a baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There wasn’t much I could
do about that, so I just mentally moved on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The midwives filled up the jetted
tub and I got in—heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone
should be able to do this in labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It felt SO NICE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
cooled my head with towels as my labor got back on track and I continued with
the horrible labor phase that is transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt like I really had to poop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the only way I can describe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was me trying to get the baby’s head
all the way down and around my pubic bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I labored in the tub for about an hour and a half with my
birth playlist going and Daniel at my side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually I just started to feel too hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My body also started to sort of
convulse and involuntarily made me start pushing a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also decided I had to pee and wanted
to labor on the toilet for a bit (I was still convinced it was poo and not a
baby haha).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I started to get
out of the tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was when I
couldn’t hold my pee anymore and just let it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, a LOT more came out and we think this is when my bag
of waters ruptured (it never fully broke and pieces of membrane came out later
when he was born).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Laboring in the tub, going through transition</span></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Daniel was awesome at helping me through each contraction </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I got out of the tub and the
midwife told me she thinks I’m ready to start pushing to get the baby’s head
around my pubic bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I leaned
on the counter in the bathroom and started squatting a little with each
contraction and pushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became
pretty vocal at this point. I was begging someone to just rip out my spine
because my back was in SO much pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It really is indescribable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I just begged someone to help me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Daniel was doing all the pressure points but they weren’t helping. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point I had 3 people all
pushing on my back at the same time trying to relieve me of some of the
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did this for maybe 10
minutes but then realized I was too weak to hold myself up anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the midwife suggested I transfer to
the bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The bed was probably the worst part
of everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I have pictures of this, but they all involve my naked bum so I'm going to forgo those. </span>Again, lying on my
side was way too painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had
me lift my leg high in the air and back as I pushed with each contraction to
try and get the baby’s head around my bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was having a hard time getting around it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was all in the transition phase
(known to be the most painful and when a lot of women want to give up).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On that bed I wanted to give up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked at Jennifer, the midwife, and
I told her I couldn’t do it, that I was too weak, that the birth was too far
away and that I give up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
looked me in the eye and told me I could do it—that she had done this four
months ago and had thought the same thing I did, but that I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told me I was really close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t believe her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought she was just telling me that
so I would keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
despair that I had failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
midwives decided that the bed wasn’t working (and I definitely agreed) and that
the birth stool would help me be in the right position to give my pushes more
power to finally get the baby’s head around my bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The birth stool is a padded
U-shaped stool about a foot off the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was skeptical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got on it and Daniel positioned himself behind me to give support and
hold me under the arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out
the birth stool is the best thing ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I pulled my legs apart and gripped Daniel and started pushing again with
each contraction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The baby’s head got around the bone and
they told me to reach down and feel my baby’s head—I felt it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could do it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was almost there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeling that head gave me the strength
to get through the rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pushed
on the stool with each contraction and then went limp on Daniel to rest in
between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With each contraction I
felt him getting a little closer, which also got me excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would say this part of pushing was
actually one of the least painful parts of labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Laboring in the birth stool </span></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Any minute now! </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Eventually though I got to the ring
of fire—what women call it when the baby is crowning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is aptly named!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had been warned to go slow at this part because if you just try to
push fast to get through the pain you will tear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Jennifer coached me through each push.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point I had to “hold it” as his
head was crowning to let my skin stretch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was the most difficult thing in the world because my body just
wanted to push so badly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to
lock eyes with Jennifer as she told me I could do it and to hold it and not
push.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With coaching from the
midwives I suddenly felt his head fully come out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was shocked at how it felt and the relief it gave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone in the room gasped (my mom and
sister were watching) and I knew he was almost here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After just a couple more pushes the rest of his body slipped
right out and I collapsed against Daniel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It felt so unbelievable I can’t even describe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the pain immediately went away and
I knew I had done it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They placed
him on my chest and the best day of my life began!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Everyone started crying and again I
was in awe at what I had just done and that there was a baby on my chest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was here after all that time and
worrying and waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They put him
on my chest and we snuggled still sitting on the birth stool for a little
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had me remove my
sports bra to get really good skin to skin and to make sure that the wet bra
wasn’t making him cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also
had him covered with a warm fuzzy towel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He hardly cried at all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
just whimpered a bit and gave us a few squawks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He immediately looked up at me and just started quietly
looking around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also came out
almost completely clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
practically no blood, no vermix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was juts a little slick looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a quick towel dry he was looking perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I gave the baby to Daniel so he
could have some time with him while I got checked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The midwives helped me to the bed and
they examined me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a first
degree tear, which wasn’t too bad all things considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The midwives realized as they watched
the baby come out that he had grabbed onto his umbilical cord near his shoulder
and stuck his elbow out in front of his face the entire way down the birth
canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His elbow had literally
been dragging down my spine the entire way—hence the horrific back pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stuck to that position the whole way
out and they said it was a miracle that I didn’t tear more because of that
elbow. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Then it was time for the placenta
to be delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all honesty I
had completely forgotten about this until I realized what was happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember thinking that I hope it
wouldn’t hurt or take too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, it DEFINITELY didn’t take long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was one of the funniest things ever.—and kind of gross
so skip this part if you want to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had the thought about hoping it wouldn’t hurt and then the midwife
told me to cough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let out one
small cough and the placenta literally shot out of me and slid at least two
feet down the bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw the shock
on the midwives’ faces and my sister pretty much gasped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like the little sneeze moment
from the movie What to Expect When You’re Expecting where her baby shoots out
with one small sneeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t
hurt at all, it was just a bit of a shock—and hilarious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told me it was a large, very
healthy placenta so I guess it was all good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will never forget the looks on everyone’s faces though
when that thing came out!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, Jennifer stitched me up, and let me say that
getting those three numbing shots was TERRIBLE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like getting a nasty bee sting somewhere you should
never get a bee sting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I literally
screamed out loud all three times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t help it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I
was stitched up they brought me to the bathroom to try and pee and I started
realizing how weak I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t
aware how much blood you lose on top of how exhausted you are (and how
exhausted I already was before I even got to the birth center!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It suddenly hit me and I could barely
keep my head up and my eyes open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t quite go to the bathroom yet so they got me all “bandaged” up
and brought me back to the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
barely made it to the bed, I thought I was going to pass out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, they got me all comfy sitting in
the bed while they did the newborn exams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Daniel brought Riley over to the
bed and the midwives did all of his measurements so we could be near and watch.
I started talking to someone when they laid him down and he immediately started
looking around for me and stretching toward where I was laying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone couldn’t believe it, it was so
adorable!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew my voice!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a really nice first “I’m a mom”
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ‘passed’ all of his
tests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is LONG AND SKINNY!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and was
22 inches long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His head was 13 ¾
inches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was born at 3:12
am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After all the testing stuff was
done they put him to my chest and we breastfed for the first time—definitely an
interesting sensation!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
latched right on and was so good right from the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did this for about 10 minutes but
then I was so weak I couldn’t sit up or hold him anymore, so I put him down,
which made me feel so bad but I really didn’t have a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Me, Daniel, and the baby all napped on
the bed together for about an hour or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They brought us breakfast in bed, which was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that Daniel and my mom helped
take me to the tub where they helped me shower and clean off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was literally a three person
job!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again I was weak and had to
sit down in the tub while Daniel and my mom soaped me up and helped get me feeling
like a human being again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
slowly worked our way back to the bed so I didn’t pass out and I rested for a
while longer while Daniel, my mom, and my sister started packing up all our
things to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left the birth
center around 9am and were home taking an awesome nap by 10 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so happy to be in my bed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">It was a miracle we got these two perfect prints! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
First family photo <br />
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<br />
How many people does it take to put a newborn in a car seat? <br />
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<br />
One hour old <br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, that is the story of
Riley’s birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know there are
lots of details I will probably remember later or add, but I think the most
important things are here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Already
people are asking me if I would go natural again and can I even think about
doing this again right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
definitely a bit soon to be thinking about having another kid and going through
all of that again, but I’d say I would definitely do it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It blows my mind that I could have gone to the hospital much
earlier in my labor and gotten an epidural and had a much less painful
experience, but now that I’ve done it naturally I cannot imagine doing it any
other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t imagine not
being able to really feel what it feels like to give birth. It's crazy to me that most women, at least in the U.S., haven't got to have that experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our bodies are SO AMAZING and it was a
special privilege to be able to experience what a woman’s body is capable of
doing firsthand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not the easier
road to take but I knew it was the right one for me and absolutely the best
choice for the health of my baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am in love with this boy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-70782061130489217802013-07-17T10:44:00.002-06:002018-03-17T22:58:16.403-06:00Pregnancy Top 10 Lists<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For one of my baby showers, my friend had me write down the 10 things I have loved most about pregnancy and the 10 things I have loved least about pregnancy (loved least? hated?). I thought I would share my lists here!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The 10 Best Things About My Pregnancy</b></u></span><br />
<br />
1. Growing "Up Top"<br />
Yup, they got bigger. Finally. Also Daniel's favorite thing about pregnancy maybe?<br />
<br />
2. Feeling the Baby Kick and Move<br />
Definitely the coolest (and simultaneously the weirdest) thing ever.<br />
<br />
3. Designing a Nursery<br />
I love a good interior design project so this has been a blast for me.<br />
<br />
4. Eating for Two<br />
Enough said.<br />
<br />
5. Feeling Connected With Other Women<br />
I think it's cool to finally be experiencing something millions of other women have gone through. It makes me feel connected!<br />
<br />
6. Learning About Pregnancy and Birth<br />
Being pregnant has given me the opportunity to learn SO much about pregnancy and birth and it's fascinating!<br />
<br />
7. Strengthening My Relationship With My Husband<br />
Daniel and I have never been closer than during this pregnancy. Yay for no fighting!<br />
<br />
8. Excuse to Wear Comfy Pants<br />
Sometimes I stay in my PJs a little longer than necessary...<br />
<br />
9. Lots of Back Rubs and Massages<br />
This is part of Daniel's Bradley Method homework and I've enjoyed it VERY much!<br />
<br />
10. NO PERIOD.<br />
There had to be some trade off for carrying a baby for 9 months!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The 10 Worst Things About My Pregnancy</b></u></span><br />
<br />
1. All-Day Sickness<br />
Try 16 weeks straight of pure hell.<br />
<br />
2. Worrying About Everything<br />
As a first-time mom I kind of "over worry" sometimes. I can't help it.<br />
<br />
3. Peeing Constantly<br />
This has definitely kicked up a notch in the last few weeks and it gets pretty annoying. On the plus side, I know exactly which stores have restrooms and where they are.<br />
<br />
4. Not Fitting Into My Cute Clothes<br />
Ugh. Beautiful red lace dress I long to be able to put you on again!<br />
<br />
5. Back Aches<br />
I already had the back of an 80-year-old before pregnancy, so add pregnancy and right kidney problems to that and you've got a hot mess. <br />
<br />
6. Waddling<br />
I didn't understand why pregnant people waddle when they walk until my week 37 when the baby dropped. IT HURTS TO WALK WHEN THERE IS A HEAD SMASHING AGAINST YOUR PELVIS! Seriously. It HURTS.<br />
<br />
7. People Staring<br />
Pregnancy = a free pass for people to stare at you. It makes me self-conscious.<br />
<br />
8. Feeling Heavy/Fat<br />
Yes, yes I KNOW I'm not fat--I'm pregnant. It doesn't make me feel any less fat, sorry.<br />
<br />
9. Difficulty Putting My Shoes On<br />
Nothing more humbling than having your husband tie your shoes for you.<br />
<br />
10. Trouble Rolling Over in My Sleep<br />
The combination of being huge plus extreme pelvic pain has made turning over an Olympic sport.<br />
<br />
Well, there you have it! <b>What would be on your top ten lists?</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me at 38 weeks @ The Hogle Zoo in SLC</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-39150032864786843992013-06-18T14:31:00.001-06:002018-03-17T22:57:33.632-06:00Pregnancy Musings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
</div>
Pregnancy is fascinating.<br />
<br />
It's one of those things that I've wondered "what it felt like" my whole life. I mean seriously--a HUMAN BEING growing inside of you? Creepy.<br />
<br />
I wondered what it felt like when the baby kicked. I wondered what it felt like to actually give birth. I wondered--let's be honest here--what it felt like to be fat. So many unknowns that felt so far away from where I was in life. <br />
<br />
Then suddenly, here I am. I am pregnant.<br />
<br />
Even as my husband and I started trying to get pregnant I thought it would never actually happen. I'm not really sure why--maybe it was because my mom had trouble getting pregnant, or maybe it was because I had so many friends that struggled with infertility. I'm not sure. It took us 3 tries to get pregnant (whoop-de-doo), which I know is nothing, but it was interesting how each time we found out I wasn't, my mind went immediately to "of course I'm not." Of course this is happening to me. Of course I can't have kids. Of course I'm going to get this trial in my life. It's funny how quick I was to assume that I wouldn't get to have the great gift of procreation in my life. Maybe some part of me thought I didn't deserve it or something, like why should I get to experience this when so many women cannot? I honestly felt guilty. <br />
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But as this pregnancy has continued I've concentrated on what an amazing blessing it is to be able to create life. I fully recognize how lucky I am. Through every difficult part of pregnancy I've tried to focus on how many women would kill to be feeling what I'm feeling--both the good and the bad. This was not easy at times, and sure I've still done my fair share of complaining (I mean seriously, 14 weeks of being REALLY sick...come on), but I still try to thank my Heavenly Father every night for the opportunity to be a mother.<br />
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Now that being said, pregnancy is weird. There is just a LOT of stuff that I didn't realize before I got pregnant. Here are some RANDOM things I've noticed:<br />
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1. People look at you.<br />
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I don't specifically recall staring at pregnant women before I got pregnant, but holy cow. The minute I started obviously "showing," it's like people just want to stop and stare. And occasionally touch...awkward. There's something about a pregnant woman that just draws the eye. I often wonder what people are thinking. Sometimes I imagine them thinking, "OH MY GOSH THAT WOMAN HAD SEX!" Well, duh. Can't avoid the obvious implications there. Other times I wonder if they're judging me for who knows what or if they just can't help but notice that I am with child. I mean, I guess you can't help that. Regardless, it's something I've had to get used to.<br />
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2. People congratulate you on being pregnant without looking/acting pregnant.<br />
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This is an interesting one. I've found that I get constant praise for not having many of the typical late pregnancy symptoms. I've received praise for not waddling, not being swollen, and most certainly for not gaining any noticeable weight anywhere but my stomach. Now I've been incredibly lucky in the second half of my pregnancy. I feel like I've got to skip some of the horrible pregnancy woes only because of how terrible the first half of my pregnancy was (again, REALLY sick). It was the only way the universe could right itself in my opinion. I am also very tall and naturally thin. I cannot help this fact. It does make me wonder if all pregnant women feel the pressure to look like this:<br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr26JnI6-ZQd9viZcDE_Uf2LLlTSzV-i7c3De4NNrsUzO_g99Yc5fH0q2PBoCcGbGdsJo9XICtQhKzCZ9znM30YqaPCHgwQKyoy6MV710cAc1OU5BvuV5Jwkt2Pjz0ID8mMVuwgu_CNdBt/s320/pregnant.jpg" width="213" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleXoXkyL01RFpcMG1azImaOq1kJ01xhQsj5Gp1Z8qBs4BXk6eK_yLfKFlher4uQrv70FNZh4O-8ffxfaEhs8fMLQv8jyplUT3hS2RFRMd3y0ICwn0myTC4TY_JrG2Z2HwFYZFKP2uj3Cn/s1600/gisele-bunchen-pregnant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleXoXkyL01RFpcMG1azImaOq1kJ01xhQsj5Gp1Z8qBs4BXk6eK_yLfKFlher4uQrv70FNZh4O-8ffxfaEhs8fMLQv8jyplUT3hS2RFRMd3y0ICwn0myTC4TY_JrG2Z2HwFYZFKP2uj3Cn/s320/gisele-bunchen-pregnant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We've seen in the media lately what people think of you when you look like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AG2fM2diKVc14Mwmt2o-7aG_CRjw0rydZintjOIH6juvOyrZ3EldVBGr4blPJ6Q8c8ONQ0rViu4yjE4YzE_RpzccQrOFfDROOoM2EmJZtSsFieP5zT1j4kbsww3Q7OqTMeFjrd0IFzE7/s1600/kimk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AG2fM2diKVc14Mwmt2o-7aG_CRjw0rydZintjOIH6juvOyrZ3EldVBGr4blPJ6Q8c8ONQ0rViu4yjE4YzE_RpzccQrOFfDROOoM2EmJZtSsFieP5zT1j4kbsww3Q7OqTMeFjrd0IFzE7/s320/kimk.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHowabwsMGlw4ldtBuSSNAOVma3rhg3H0PbsBDEgUu45HXVyH5tJyVsZ25bv5IodWVEWn-3bxMBznSwNp33HQCoJC4f34co4cV1BYN7ebg8xd6HiahBcGgvvxYYXhYxfiFJg3W9P3ieue/s1600/jessica-simpson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHowabwsMGlw4ldtBuSSNAOVma3rhg3H0PbsBDEgUu45HXVyH5tJyVsZ25bv5IodWVEWn-3bxMBznSwNp33HQCoJC4f34co4cV1BYN7ebg8xd6HiahBcGgvvxYYXhYxfiFJg3W9P3ieue/s320/jessica-simpson.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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People can be brutal! Again, I've been grateful that I've pretty much maintained my figure (minus the belly), but I do wonder if everyone will be so kind if on my second or third pregnancy I DO waddle or I DO gain a little somethin somethin somewhere OTHER than my middle. I feel the pressure to stay thin while pregnant and I'm sure a lot of other women do too. I just find it funny to be complimented constantly on something that I really have no control over. </div>
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3. People are very sensitive and opinionated about birth.</div>
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This is the same phenomenon I discovered when I became a vegetarian. I had no clue how strongly people felt about meat until I stopped eating it. It was like I had joined some evil religion or something. I had NO IDEA. Birth is quite similar. After literally years of research ( I became interested in birth options when I was in college) I decided that giving birth naturally with a midwife at a birth center was the right path for me. Knowing what I know there was no other option in my mind. I think that giving birth--no matter how or where you do it--is amazing. All women are heroes for going through so much to bring life into the world. This just happens to be the way I have chosen to do it. I don't talk about it with a lot of people because many of them immediately freak out. It's like I just told them I'm doing an unassisted birth in the middle of the desert just for fun or something. I'm not...by the way. I've just had to get used to the fact that birth is a sensitive topic for a lot of people. </div>
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Again I think it goes back to what I experienced as a vegetarian. A lot of people think you are judging THEM for eating meat so they react strongly. I think it's the same with birth choices. Because I have chosen to give birth without drugs or other interventions people think I am judging them for having gotten an epidural or whatever. Let's be clear that I'm not. Like...at all. I feel that as long as a woman is educated about her options and about all of the interventions/drugs/choices she is offered wherever she is giving birth then she is empowered. The only time I get upset is when I see women not taking responsibility for how their birth went, when they let other people make decisions for them because they think others are "more educated" or whatever. It's up to the mom and dad to be educated and to take responsibility for their birth.</div>
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4. Your husband still thinks you're hott.</div>
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I will admit I was a bit scared about getting pregnant because I assumed Daniel would find me less attractive. He's never seen me with a giant belly, so would it be gross to him? Turns out, it's not. I still have to remind myself of this at times because it's easy for ME to not always love my new shape. He still wants to kiss me, touch me, hold me, and....all of that. I don't know why this came as such a shock to me, but it did! I still got it! Of course, being a lot larger up top doesn't exactly hurt the situation, but I'll still keep assuming he loves ALL of pregnant me! ;)</div>
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5. You will be asked the same few questions.</div>
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Sometimes I want to make a t-shirt that says: </div>
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Yes, I'm pregnant.</div>
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I'm ___ weeks along.</div>
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It's a boy.</div>
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No, we don't have any names picked out.</div>
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I think having this t-shirt would save me a lot of time. It's not that I really mind answering these questions (and I've found myself asking the exact same ones), I just think it's funny that we haven't come up with more creative quetions! Just get used to providing these same stock answers and you'll be good! </div>
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Anyway, as my pregnancy continues (for about 5 more weeks!) I'm sure I'll remember and notice other funny things about pregnancy, but I think this post is long enough! Overall I have loved being pregnant but I am VERY excited to actually meet this boy who is rolling around in my stomach like he is doing the harlem shake or something. Seriously dude, what is going ON in there?! </div>
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Your thoughts on pregnancy?</div>
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Me at 34 weeks (I'm on the left) and my friend Keeley at 38 weeks </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZK20z1NIrWjBnMAqRd1y-BEHIAb6NmA1XwPaivBnc6soj69JBs5cjYTpGE9GyDJbmdNEoUMAsq-QGCuZVMGBEa9DS5yJ_ysXwVM33ef4-1rnDFxPlChUMnQr9ok7DLrsl8_DR7tRZlFy/s1600/babies+due.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZK20z1NIrWjBnMAqRd1y-BEHIAb6NmA1XwPaivBnc6soj69JBs5cjYTpGE9GyDJbmdNEoUMAsq-QGCuZVMGBEa9DS5yJ_ysXwVM33ef4-1rnDFxPlChUMnQr9ok7DLrsl8_DR7tRZlFy/s320/babies+due.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The two expecting couples! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShUaNzXClkBg3vPdhN6SytW8lsPihHw_G97KRDhHYi8A6yNJk_re-OPCWrigoF1giLp2BEIIQRRYqC8h-PdijQISoW7lSWzyN7D7CX38ACbwea-3B7Zz9fqKgWbf0BEF1dyOwZSapDGjS/s1600/Grad+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShUaNzXClkBg3vPdhN6SytW8lsPihHw_G97KRDhHYi8A6yNJk_re-OPCWrigoF1giLp2BEIIQRRYqC8h-PdijQISoW7lSWzyN7D7CX38ACbwea-3B7Zz9fqKgWbf0BEF1dyOwZSapDGjS/s320/Grad+party.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-20499050430454981992013-06-11T18:59:00.001-06:002013-06-11T18:59:24.096-06:00I'm Back!Well, it's been a while friends...as usual.<br />
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BUT I'M BACK! Hopefully for good this time with a lot of updates. School is out, my shows at the Desert Star are over and now I have NO EXCUSE not to blog. At all. <br />
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A lot of things have been happening around here since my 20th week of pregnancy! We're now in week 33 and here is a video update on how things have been going the past, ahem, 13 weeks:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAoBhlmudl0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAoBhlmudl0</a><br />
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It's easier to just have you watch that outrageously long video than to retype all of the same info here. It all boils down to the fact that I am in the last few weeks of my pregnancy and overall things have been going great. Here is a really crappy photo of me this week at 33 weeks pregnant:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyGZGg5KRjiv5PQh1_Jx0OWzmhhf4V8nYehCzqiPrIzbch3Wj0qmOKYWNBKkzEA-dRJO4G7hum75QjVwbDEGbqCICc3b2XPSEQ3UTnjn5qXYIEiAKLnCfSnT3YJ8bpNB1cTe0j7LjDhaf/s1600/33+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyGZGg5KRjiv5PQh1_Jx0OWzmhhf4V8nYehCzqiPrIzbch3Wj0qmOKYWNBKkzEA-dRJO4G7hum75QjVwbDEGbqCICc3b2XPSEQ3UTnjn5qXYIEiAKLnCfSnT3YJ8bpNB1cTe0j7LjDhaf/s320/33+weeks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I seriously don't know why I'm always wearing horizontal stripes while pregnant. I'm pretty sure this is a common knowledge no-no. Still, I just don't care. Maybe if I was fat EVERYWHERE and not just in my stomach area this would be a different story. At least this is what I tell myself to make me feel better. <br />
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In regards to other aspects of Faulk Family life, here are a few other updates of things that have been going on:<br />
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1. I have been performing in <i>Less Miserables</i> (yes, I spelled that correctly), a spoof on <i>Les Miserables</i>, at the Desert Star Playhouse</div>
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I played Madame Thenardier and here a few incredibly attractive photos of that gig:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gCOC92Ig3DKPht1IMcjDX9zv3Om7_j3rOXYHtqdFUi1nzK2ZzJTPVrmREw8eMwa1izjyMtS-r4ikH-PXqh2T3o_4Mw7W-E24UC-3sJJDZwVXB7WmKFafQVXSYtmyk_Ze33V3rP7MicfM/s1600/LesMis1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gCOC92Ig3DKPht1IMcjDX9zv3Om7_j3rOXYHtqdFUi1nzK2ZzJTPVrmREw8eMwa1izjyMtS-r4ikH-PXqh2T3o_4Mw7W-E24UC-3sJJDZwVXB7WmKFafQVXSYtmyk_Ze33V3rP7MicfM/s400/LesMis1.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4EK9UQPE-T_JHVMDioCtfSpVHBm1SRgytwimG_PswHkIr-QhS-M5AQ5UUPxWgmn5txHAG-pBN2H2oHVlbk_gqcNImwspMQ8MVNlM5qCVLSPFNdXmnXwEgqRFlQ0_PFVhtwmo3C8KPAT-/s1600/LesMis2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4EK9UQPE-T_JHVMDioCtfSpVHBm1SRgytwimG_PswHkIr-QhS-M5AQ5UUPxWgmn5txHAG-pBN2H2oHVlbk_gqcNImwspMQ8MVNlM5qCVLSPFNdXmnXwEgqRFlQ0_PFVhtwmo3C8KPAT-/s400/LesMis2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1J5dE71BylEG-aahM-pkTKWrniQZ-mSfJ71b10ilthb9CoRvql5d6jDa6MyHEn5Phpf2ZGHteenWrGNAM0ZwEjuJ-duhtwriJRVIO0I94gnWyPVqAXpnZk7A8MoY98Hr5R0_X-5zDGqT/s1600/LesMis3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1J5dE71BylEG-aahM-pkTKWrniQZ-mSfJ71b10ilthb9CoRvql5d6jDa6MyHEn5Phpf2ZGHteenWrGNAM0ZwEjuJ-duhtwriJRVIO0I94gnWyPVqAXpnZk7A8MoY98Hr5R0_X-5zDGqT/s400/LesMis3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3JIO6AEOTs6H2cj4BvSzYiM8F5iyUlRk5K7jOm9DJOd4ULV2VHPym0EhPOsKcLlP9Lo3CgDn7JIQ7liz_7E3Esw2VtjMGS5W1NU5NEAmkxm15vdeJZ8nIUjScMG-hUG3MiGayo1m5an6/s1600/LesMis4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3JIO6AEOTs6H2cj4BvSzYiM8F5iyUlRk5K7jOm9DJOd4ULV2VHPym0EhPOsKcLlP9Lo3CgDn7JIQ7liz_7E3Esw2VtjMGS5W1NU5NEAmkxm15vdeJZ8nIUjScMG-hUG3MiGayo1m5an6/s400/LesMis4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was a blast to be able to do this show, even while pregnant. When we started rehearsing you couldn't even tell I was pregnant, and the costumes were made to "expand," shall we say, WITH me as the weeks went on. We performed from the end of March through June 8--quite a long run. I finished at 33 weeks pregnant and I've got to say that was just the right time to be done. Doing a kick line on top of everything else multiple nights a week was getting a little tough at the end there. Still, it made the time go by faster and was great exercise. I will NOT, however, miss the judgmental comments by old ladies after every show. "You sure do a lot of bouncing up there, hope he's OK!" "Is that belly real?" "How far along are you?....oh my!" They mean well. I just always tell them that all that dancing around will make him resilient. Anyway, I probably won't be able to do a show for a while, so this was my last hurrah.<br />
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2. I finished school!</div>
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As many of you know, I teach drama at Kearns High School and we are OUT for the summer! We finished off our season with <i>You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown</i> which is a really fun musical. Here is a pic I put up on Instagram of some of our production elements:</div>
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We took some awesome production photos, but I don't have those loaded onto this computer yet. The show turned out super cute. And finally...graduation!! Happiest day ever:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3l48XfjBofTVrgmtcz5kYeMS2NDay82e8apbQ4Ib9rCUbWHqIqQzSznMafEbv67FCaxsPKGFgHLH5BoHVbb299bitV50imCOvRbISveQDVxMBYYvVFhQRH5Y-PIYNTfFenwBzmkHN0CZ/s1600/graduation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3l48XfjBofTVrgmtcz5kYeMS2NDay82e8apbQ4Ib9rCUbWHqIqQzSznMafEbv67FCaxsPKGFgHLH5BoHVbb299bitV50imCOvRbISveQDVxMBYYvVFhQRH5Y-PIYNTfFenwBzmkHN0CZ/s320/graduation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For fourth quarter I taught credit recovery class which boils down to me shoving tests at students who need to take them in order to make up all the credits they failed during high school in a last-ditch effort to make them graduate. I don't necessarily agree with the entire philosophy behind it, but it did feel good to see many of my students up there, especially knowing that without me they would NOT be graduating. Now that school is out my days are filled with reading, Netflix, and laying by the pool. Not too bad, I'd say.<br />
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3. My sister Kristy got married!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFAzM6UzqdNU1uByBhyphenhyphenQ1nRsCI0zvT2bw0t5ERdHTNPp9LNiyUquPz2QnFna7K_WaGfjx6x7U1P9Qrk094XymCK3LtandfW-9xTPZpLw1CiXJqPJZKVBwUsUqsXISveMHUx_tP9wEuS-n/s1600/wedding3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFAzM6UzqdNU1uByBhyphenhyphenQ1nRsCI0zvT2bw0t5ERdHTNPp9LNiyUquPz2QnFna7K_WaGfjx6x7U1P9Qrk094XymCK3LtandfW-9xTPZpLw1CiXJqPJZKVBwUsUqsXISveMHUx_tP9wEuS-n/s400/wedding3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnFoDRUT9nb2RMJugAsrVt8R5JYE3iGLcC8CmUqU1Jo23s2F6oLRbhuVvDb8Xf0YvAgp05PDr0twj4PCCvNELylDF5ea-kOxNaGAqQnYcs23A8eCM08L3nhqwxgPKVFkIjN18I-jJSl5s/s1600/wedding5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnFoDRUT9nb2RMJugAsrVt8R5JYE3iGLcC8CmUqU1Jo23s2F6oLRbhuVvDb8Xf0YvAgp05PDr0twj4PCCvNELylDF5ea-kOxNaGAqQnYcs23A8eCM08L3nhqwxgPKVFkIjN18I-jJSl5s/s400/wedding5.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Umm...hello handsome! </div>
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The wedding was beautiful and it was such a happy day to see my sister get married to such an awesome guy. Nick is a handsome, musical theatre-loving, piano-playing, singing, pediatric oncologist. Need I say more? We are so happy to have him join the family. <br />
The only sad part was that our other sister Kimberly (Kristy's twin) wasn't there to join us. She is serving a mission for the LDS church in Arizona:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihokjpr4_QnxqE5e-fwV9L3MEBC0aKmwq0JQohkyy0Th2o9NXt21JDZjAgnLPLzLXzbi-vjfNThNE0cQyc4ap9YIPkP3I8h0uXC3lJ7oQPJdJDj7Sun3tOvor3hIHl239cVTN4puucKXVW/s1600/kim.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihokjpr4_QnxqE5e-fwV9L3MEBC0aKmwq0JQohkyy0Th2o9NXt21JDZjAgnLPLzLXzbi-vjfNThNE0cQyc4ap9YIPkP3I8h0uXC3lJ7oQPJdJDj7Sun3tOvor3hIHl239cVTN4puucKXVW/s400/kim.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Isn't she cute?</div>
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4. Daniel got his Masters Degree!</div>
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My hubby is now a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (or so says Denver University). I am SO PROUD OF HIM! It has been a long 3 years. We decided at the beginning that we'd rather grad school take longer but then have little or no student loan debt than to go full time and have to pay it all off later. So, Daniel has faithfully taken just one class at a time, slowly but surely, so that we would have time during each class to save up for the next one. It was really hard to watch our savings build up and then suddenly be taken away 4 times a year. So, we don't have much saved right now, but we are DEBT FREE (minus one vehicle). To us the sacrifice was worth it. Now we can start saving for a house! I got Daniel a University of Denver Alumni t-shirt and I'll upload a picture of him wearing it soon! And just as an update, Daniel is still working for Williams Gas!</div>
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I think that is about it for the Faulks right now. I'm seriously going to be better about blogging (honestly, somebody please hold me to this!). It's like exercising. I always feel better after I do it, but MAN is it hard to get me there in the first place! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-38760349586131152792013-03-10T17:09:00.000-06:002018-03-17T22:58:39.578-06:00Pregnancy Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well...we're HALFWAY!<br />
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I'm 20 weeks and 4 days today. It feels SO GOOD to be on the other side of halfway--not only because that means I'm that much closer to actually having this baby, but also because my crazy sickness seems to have subsided. This is the best I've felt my entire pregnancy! I cannot say how great it is to eat food again, to enjoy a meal, to not wake up throwing up, etc. It is AWESOME!<br />
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I just had my 20 week scan a few days ago, and it went great! The baby is healthy and right on schedule. Also, it's still a BOY. I didn't want to finally get used to it being a boy and then find out it's actually a girl, which I've heard has happened at these scans. What's weird is that he was SO wiggly at the last ultrasound, but during this one he didn't seem to want to move. The ultrasound tech was trying to get a certain angle of his heart, but she couldn't because his arms were crossed over his chest. We tried to make him move the right way, but it just wasn't happening. I guess she got some "good enough" pictures, which is good, and he definitely has 4 chambers in his heart--yay for a healthy heart!<br />
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We also found out that I have an anterior placenta--meaning the placenta has attached near my front instead of near my back. This isn't a huge deal, but it DOES mean that I'll most likely not feel the baby kick as easily as other women. Essentially, there is a placenta wall between the baby and my stomach, so if I put my hand on my stomach, I'm not really going to feel or see the kicks for a while.<br />
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The crib also came and it looks great! Daniel put it together for me while I was at rehearsal and I came home to my bunny and baby blanket safely tucked in...cute.<br />
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For more info on this pregnancy, watch some more of my videos on YouTube!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_9LY3N5Rt0" target="_blank">Pregnancy Week 7 and 8</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hr7h_oTlqE" target="_blank">Pregnancy Week 16</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-3189874400169420952013-02-20T22:11:00.000-07:002018-03-17T22:58:53.225-06:00Oh Yea...We're Pregnant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So...big life change! If you know me at all or follow me on facebook or follow me on instagram, then you definitely know by now that we are <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">PREGNANT</span></b>!<br />
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Many people have been "waiting" for us to get pregnant for a while since we live in Utah and have been married a whopping 3.5 years (the ladies at my church thought I was infertile...). Well, luckily infertility was not the issue we just wanted to wait until the time seemed right. We wanted to make sure our marriage was strong before we brought kids into the picture. Having a baby during the summer seemed like the best option since I'm a teacher, so luckily on our third month of trying--success. The baby is due July 24 as of now. In two weeks I'm having my big 20-week ultrasound where they measure the baby and everything so we'll see then how accurate the date is. Also, if you haven't heard...<br />
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Let me tell you how shocked I was. I COMPLETELY thought it was a girl. I didn't want a girl more than a boy I just thought it was a girl, so when I saw that it was a boy I could NOT believe it! I started crying. I have a video of it that I will try and upload later this week.<br />
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I wanted to keep track of what was happening throughout my pregnancy in a fun way, so I decided to do a vlog, even though it's a little embarrassing to see myself on video. Big surprise--I haven't been consistent (WHAT, you say? But you're SO INCREDIBLY consistent at posting on this blog!). Regardless, here are links to the first two videos I made. I'll play catch up for a little bit and then hopefully get more up in "real time." <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOHvhGru9LQ&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">PREGNANCY WEEK 5</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjuO9qQuQLw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">PREGNANCY WEEK 6</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-89799188963427255122012-10-19T15:48:00.001-06:002018-03-17T22:59:17.537-06:00Layers of a Living Room<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, I haven't updated this baby in a while. Sorry! I will do a catch up post about us in a minute, but more importantly...here is how our living room is doing.<br />
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We left off with...we bought a couch. Then, the couch arrived, so the living room looked like this:</div>
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Then, we found a great linen chair at a furniture clearance store! </div>
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Next up, we definitely needed a rug. We ordered this charcoal grey rug from overstock.com. At first, we weren't sure if we liked it. It was definitely blue-grey (apparently a common problem with "grey" rugs), which we weren't sure worked very well with our light blue couch; however, after sitting on it for a while (literally), we decided that we liked it. It's not overly matchy-matchy, which I hate in design, so it worked out. I also made a dalmatian print pillow (inspired by the recent interior design trend, see <a href="http://www.sarahstaceydesign.com/merc_news/dalmatian-print/" target="_blank">HERE</a>). I got the fabric from spoonflower.com-1 yard. I still have yet to actually sew it, but that is between me and you. I threw on our old light green pillows from our last couch, but they won't be there much longer. Anyway, here was the next layer:</div>
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After this came the big Daniel project. We wanted a coffee table that looked like these:</div>
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<img src="http://www.enhancingyourhabitat.com/catalog/ze_HS036_lg.jpg" height="126" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /> </div>
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Above <a href="http://www.enhancingyourhabitat.com/servlet/the-1720/Reclaimed-Natural-Wood-Coffee/Detail" target="_blank">image</a>: $2,795</div>
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/632870/Claro-Walnut-and-Stainless-Coffee-Table-modern-side-tables-and-accent-tables-austin"><img border="0" src="http://st.houzz.com/simages/632870_0_8-2920-modern-side-tables-and-accent-tables.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/modern/side-tables-and-accent-tables" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Modern Side Tables And Accent Tables design</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/furniture-and-accessories/austin" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Austin Furniture And Accessories</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/sarabistudio/sarabi-studio" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Sarabi Studio</a></small></div>
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Above <a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/632870/Claro-Walnut-and-Stainless-Coffee-Table-modern-side-tables-and-accent-tables-austin" target="_blank">image</a>: $9,600</div>
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<img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="190" data-width="266" height="190" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR48r1DH_mQKbWIYMDCJngo-jwTUr-XWR00YKdq3f5k6uYxcrPp" style="height: 190px; width: 266px;" width="266" /></div>
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Above <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?start=124&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1152&bih=586&tbm=isch&tbnid=KZJVMgbwZCofeM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thehomeloft.com/basket/catalog/Luna-Coffee-Table-Acacia-Slab-p-16384.html&docid=ehocgtDtoQMWdM&imgurl=http://www.thehomeloft.com/basket/image.php%253Fproductid%253D16384&w=429&h=306&ei=vcOBUNXnA6WBiwKx9YDABA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=847&vpy=105&dur=75&hovh=190&hovw=266&tx=212&ty=110&sig=117378885715855653577&page=7&tbnh=140&tbnw=203&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:33,s:100,i:103" target="_blank">image</a>: $1,265</div>
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We knew we wanted a "free form slab" or "live edge," as they call it, wood coffee table with stainless steel legs. As you can see, the prices were no where near what we were willing to pay. So, Daniel decided to make it himself. He went to his parents' cabin and found a tree that had fallen down. He cut out a giant piece of the trunk and hauled it to his car with his dad. He took it to a mill to have a piece sliced out of the middle and cut to the size we wanted. Then, he put a clear gloss on the top part of it to protect it from drinks and whatnot. We kept it pretty matte because we wanted to wood to still look really natural and not overly glossy. Then, Daniel bought the metal for the legs. We wanted to get stainless steel, but thought it was too expensive. So, Daniel bought aluminum, which ended up looking exactly the same and was cheaper. He had the legs cut and welded together at a metal shop and screwed them on himself. </div>
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So, here is the next layer including the beautiful coffee table Daniel made:</div>
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Some more angles:</div>
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Below is an image of the lamp I got at Homegoods and the 'F' I snagged from Anthropologie on clearance:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95_jaMlz7nEoGv-Hovu8BOkY7HtKkjwtqPUFn_hA7SFF3719VCn-NQw_mweFAYdVBHcj34LvI1jRBo7eooFZlSDhhecJ7n__JlvZzQKDLM509vBqBIBJYU80OieiggcKOY-83DCfgDIDE/s1600/photo-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95_jaMlz7nEoGv-Hovu8BOkY7HtKkjwtqPUFn_hA7SFF3719VCn-NQw_mweFAYdVBHcj34LvI1jRBo7eooFZlSDhhecJ7n__JlvZzQKDLM509vBqBIBJYU80OieiggcKOY-83DCfgDIDE/s320/photo-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also, for my birthday Daniel let me get these two Philippe Starck-style Louis Ghost Chairs. They're not the real thing, but they look exactly the same, and at only $70 each instead of $300+ each, I said HECK YEA!</div>
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Here are some inspiration images using lucite ghost chairs: <a href="http://favim.com/image/22630/" target="_blank">In Dining Room</a>, <a href="http://greigedesign.blogspot.com/2012/08/lucite-love.html" target="_blank">In Office</a>, <a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/1124104/Lamps-Plus-contemporary-living-room" target="_blank">In Living Room</a> </div>
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Up next for our living room? ART, PILLOWS, ACCESSORIES. Let me know if you see any awesome deals! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713837165014273404.post-63811591726645968562012-08-04T19:23:00.002-06:002018-03-17T22:59:35.188-06:00We Bought a Couch...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, we've officially made the move from a basement apartment in Midvale to a rented condo on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City....and we're loving it!<br />
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The only problem is that our new apartment is pretty unfurnished. We never really liked our old brown sectional, although it was our first "big" purchase as a married couple so I guess it had some sentimental value. Regardless, we decided to try and sell it to people who came through to look at our apartment when it was up for rent. Luckily, someone bought it! This was very exciting to us, but we quickly realized when we moved in to our new place that we now had no where to sit and watch movies or snuggle or just relax after work. Well, it's been almost 3 weeks and we are still only watching movies in bed on a tiny TV.<br />
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The GOOD news is, we ordered a couch! It should be here in about 4 weeks. Now that we have picked out a couch, we still need to get:<br />
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1. Rug<br />
2. Coffee Table<br />
3. Side tables<br />
4. Lamps (these are a MUST since we have no overheard light in the living room)<br />
5. 2 Side Chairs<br />
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This is where I need YOUR help! I need some design inspiration! The rug is the next project. Anyway, here is the couch from Macys:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfWoTffS_D_UEW7afKLtY7rMDRhBlBStMZfeoKBPxPdgoVf0S7l9TMZbmlNlBa_No0zUviTby5dh64QfKMBNLGlhMfBuJL-t3z2Idw7YyFBb4OltD5OcAPHzZOt0AF22bAhULLvY4t5i4/s1600/couch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfWoTffS_D_UEW7afKLtY7rMDRhBlBStMZfeoKBPxPdgoVf0S7l9TMZbmlNlBa_No0zUviTby5dh64QfKMBNLGlhMfBuJL-t3z2Idw7YyFBb4OltD5OcAPHzZOt0AF22bAhULLvY4t5i4/s400/couch.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
We really went out on a limb and got the sky blue instead of grey or cream. We want to get some color up in here! Here are some of the rug ideas I have had so far, but I would LOVE your input!<br />
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CHEVRON: could get in black/white, grey/white, or even brown/white (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Alexa-Chevron-Vibe-Zebra-Rug-710-x-1010/5725628/product.html" target="_blank">LINK</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3crmutt75rUboBsj_lE_RAhnOF8cuJo7HSBjrJ7f-XzuG3m6dpOExmvRvA9FC0utGNufm1ftjYjgcQE0EPDQPDY54kqykuwhyphenhyphenBFoc7V6vbErWlHU61LiIE6diBH9dN0msG88yezb3TO5U/s1600/chevron+rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3crmutt75rUboBsj_lE_RAhnOF8cuJo7HSBjrJ7f-XzuG3m6dpOExmvRvA9FC0utGNufm1ftjYjgcQE0EPDQPDY54kqykuwhyphenhyphenBFoc7V6vbErWlHU61LiIE6diBH9dN0msG88yezb3TO5U/s400/chevron+rug.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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TRELLIS: Grey would be safe, but I've also seen that mixing light blue with darker blues looks great too (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Handmade-Luna-Moroccan-Trellis-Wool-Rug-76-x-96/6491527/product.html" target="_blank">LINK</a>)</div>
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ORANGE: I think that the light blue/orange would be a fun color combo (<a href="http://www.mecoxgardens.com/pageItemDetail.asp?RECORDID=14575" target="_blank">LINK</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu9MSfgfJFUXT3-DCU5hsssV3_Btd0aUlo8NSU5zwoEFbAA1tnKaaL3EBdLbos-vyMLQo74JnfqKlj3fpxRT8TKwuoa-_tCGUZLDeLKUaUEna1JOylP_yMEzQ6iL9fJ4n3f0UqzUMnVJ_/s1600/orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu9MSfgfJFUXT3-DCU5hsssV3_Btd0aUlo8NSU5zwoEFbAA1tnKaaL3EBdLbos-vyMLQo74JnfqKlj3fpxRT8TKwuoa-_tCGUZLDeLKUaUEna1JOylP_yMEzQ6iL9fJ4n3f0UqzUMnVJ_/s400/orange.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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CORAL: I love the light blue/coral color combo (<a href="http://www.domesticmodern.com/coral-colored-rug-with-repeating-diamond-pattern.aspx" target="_blank">LINK</a>). I'm also loving actual coral patterns (see below, <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=202981332&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=202981332&ci_kw=%7Bkeyword%7D&kwd=%7Bkeyword%7D&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-202981332&ci_gpa=pla#customer_reviews" target="_blank">LINK</a>) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgrVLy27EpjQrfP2fJP6WIDpWNnQKtPMJtLSQjxjaHUMkisawNboCgP0I28ps2Nt7mzvTtWI5HpECR0GwLGH8pPwOtjni_zTjHyEGp7VU9e7cyV4CPvg8jkGqqlhkWoYL_MBy4SHVjZH_/s1600/coral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgrVLy27EpjQrfP2fJP6WIDpWNnQKtPMJtLSQjxjaHUMkisawNboCgP0I28ps2Nt7mzvTtWI5HpECR0GwLGH8pPwOtjni_zTjHyEGp7VU9e7cyV4CPvg8jkGqqlhkWoYL_MBy4SHVjZH_/s400/coral.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyXo32ykY09Q-mK_3N1zYBx8UmBJAU540gG1QmwKOHJqpMNRKjHA3TU8SVIP79QBBvo1826Hb1eJrS51qxXqyVm6QSk5Gb4WsMhdgOds3pSpgbGkuuKHAi-3DxsvcxWXBsXaM1NCG1lyN/s1600/coral+rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyXo32ykY09Q-mK_3N1zYBx8UmBJAU540gG1QmwKOHJqpMNRKjHA3TU8SVIP79QBBvo1826Hb1eJrS51qxXqyVm6QSk5Gb4WsMhdgOds3pSpgbGkuuKHAi-3DxsvcxWXBsXaM1NCG1lyN/s400/coral+rug.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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DAMASK: So many color options: yellow (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Handmade-Alexa-Modern-Damask-Wool-Rug-5-x-8/6016311/product.html" target="_blank">LINK</a>), red (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Handmade-Alexa-Pino-Tribal-Damask-Rug-76-x-96/4755316/product.html" target="_blank">LINK</a>), black (<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Sabrina-Off-white-Wool-Rug-8-x-10/4574787/product.html" target="_blank">LINK</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfQ6QZKcGQ2yrJsEJMHUC503T3kO2UyBS27DddffcavU05TwXucdNmzDIWE62m20lSIR9Eq_aQFeRSgfyPF7hbHAt_h-q_wWc_UtWyK8COSapwFIY4tKVLyGS5Wpw9EZ7EXa-zChgkHQN/s1600/damask+yellow+rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfQ6QZKcGQ2yrJsEJMHUC503T3kO2UyBS27DddffcavU05TwXucdNmzDIWE62m20lSIR9Eq_aQFeRSgfyPF7hbHAt_h-q_wWc_UtWyK8COSapwFIY4tKVLyGS5Wpw9EZ7EXa-zChgkHQN/s400/damask+yellow+rug.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVJoQDze4usN5p_o5t0WS5tTn_pJX8mqP9bkI_e_pqR-kipLclJFX0T2I4jzZv13kcA66cfSuRxIT_J-BQBVVxvC4T2_88pDHTTRajG_GmQR4K4LSMgPiSbEYsGMYmNMKRxwOCGWC4SLr/s1600/black+damask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVJoQDze4usN5p_o5t0WS5tTn_pJX8mqP9bkI_e_pqR-kipLclJFX0T2I4jzZv13kcA66cfSuRxIT_J-BQBVVxvC4T2_88pDHTTRajG_GmQR4K4LSMgPiSbEYsGMYmNMKRxwOCGWC4SLr/s400/black+damask.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anyway, as you can see there are a LOT of options! Who knew a blue sofa could look great with so many rugs? Which one/type would you pick?</div>
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