The Weekly Happenings

Don't know why this picture loaded sideways.... but Hallie loves her arms out of the blanket and by her face!

Her fist is too cute! It's always by her face when she eats.

So angelic...

Thoroughly enjoying her "cooey"... translation.... "cookie"

Ava loves to sit by her baby "Howie". Lately, when you say "smile" this is the face you get....

Holding Hallie for the first time.

Meeting Hallie for the first time. Ava didn't quite know what to think.
P.S. This carseat is hideous, but the one Nate and I have isn't for 4 lb babies. So, we had to buy one from the hospital. I am not a fan, but it keeps Hallie safe....

So, as of tomorrow, we will have had Hallie home for one week. It's been quite an adjustment for me. The hard part is not having a newborn or the sleepless nights... I've done that before. The hard part for me is having little Miss Ava. Sometimes I just don't know how to deal with her wanting to love Hallie all the time. And to be honest, sometimes I just don't know how to deal with Ava's personality because she is so much like me. So, I've tried to make Ava my little helper. She hands me the bottle or the diaper or gets to throw the dirty diaper away. She helps me with the dishes or with washing her hands... it's been a rough couple of days. However, Hallie is really good natured and doesn't seem to mind when Ava is sitting on my lap while I'm feeding Hallie or when Ava is kissing Hallie's face all the time.

On another note, Hallie is growing bigger day by day. Even though she is still tiny, I can tell that she is starting to chunk up. Her cheeks and bum cheeks are definitely fatter. She is still eating like a champ (it's pretty much her 2nd favorite thing to do. The 1st is sleeping....) and is starting to sleep better at night (THANK HEAVENS!).

I am finally feeling somewhat human again. All of my swellin is pretty much gone. I have lost close to 40 lbs all ready.... I can't believe just how huge I was! Let's just put it this way... my ankles were the size of my thighs. You couldn't see my knee caps.... and I didn't have a chin. Yikes.

Nate survived his first week of school. It's going to be a hecka busy semester, but BRING IT ON! (I know, I say that as if I am going to school... hee hee hee.)

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. As you can tell, I'm quite camera happy. :)

I'm Totally Loving This...

Hallie and Daddy's hand
Too cute!
Ava loves to rock out on her guitar!
Ava just woke up from a nap.... crazy hair!
Too funny!


When I was pregnant, I just couldn't comprehend loving another child as much as I love Ava. My, how things change! My heart is so full of love and adoration for my two little girls, it's hard to describe!

Pics of Hallie

What Exactly Happened?

So, here's a rundown of the quick labor and delivery.... As you know, I was put on bedrest over the weekend and Tuesday morning at 1:30 a.m. I woke up with this SPLITTING headache.
3:30 a.m. ~ Starting have contractions...
4:00 a.m. ~ Call the doc. She suggested Tylenol. Yeah, that didn't work.
4:45 a.m. ~ Wake Nate up and tell him we need to go to the hospital. Get Ava ready, call my mom to come get Ava, and drive over the BUMPIEST road ever to get to the hospital.
5:20 a.m. ~ Arrive at IMC. Get my blood pressure checked, it's 195/123. No wonder I have a headache. Find out the preeclampsia has become extremely severe.
6:00 a.m. ~ Get an IV, dialated to a 5! Labs are drawn to make sure my platelets are high enough to get an epidural. Thank heaven they were! The doc had a hard time getting the epidural in because I had so much fluid on my back. Given magnesium sulfate through the IV to reduce the risk of having a seizure during delivery.
8:30 a.m. ~ Put in the delivery room. The NICU team comes and talks to us about how things are going to go once Hallie's here. I will deliver in the OR and she will be whisked right to NICU once she's born.
10:00 a.m. ~ Dialated to an 8
10:45 a.m. ~ Dialated to a 9
10:47 a.m. ~ Tell them I've got to push. They tell me to hang on. I say no. Nate gets dressed in his "space outfit". Wheeled to the OR.
10:49 a.m. ~ Push for 15 seconds and Hallie's here! She had all ready been whisked to the NICU by the time my doc could come. Dr. Ponder was so stunned that she missed it! They had to pull another doctor, who was about to start a C section on another patient , to come deliver me.

I had to have the magnesium sulfate for 24 hrs, and let me tell you, that stuff makes you feel like crap. I couldn't focus my eyes or hardly lift my head off the pillow while I got it. Dr. Ponder showed me the placenta and pointed out how much scar tissue and knots were on it. She says that's an indication that the toxemia has been reeking havoc on my body for awhile, it just now started to show itself. They think that toxemia starts when the placenta is forming and attaching itself.

Hallie has been breathing on her own since birth, thanks to those steroid shots. She was under the bili lights for a couple of days, and lost a little weight. She now weighs 4 lbs. 1 oz. She had to have a feeding tube for a day, and is now getting a little sugar water to help with her glucose levels. However, she has gotten rid of 2 IV lines and her sugar water was decreased today from 5 mL an hour to 3 mL an hour. She is chugging about an ounce of milk every 3 hrs and is pooping up a storm!

She is the sweetest thing and is such a fighter! Sometimes it's hard not being able to take her home, but I look at the other babies in the NICU and realize just how blessed we've been that she is doing so well. I have been so grateful for my many blessings. I have had the best family support in the world. They have all made arrangements to help out these next few weeks. I'm still swollen and not feeling well from the toxemia and get tired really easy. Nate took Ava to the cabin this weekend, so I've stayed at my mom's and have been able to just rest.

I have seen the Lord's hand work many miracles this past week. I know He is watching out for my little family and is aware of our needs. I have felt of His love and have felt Him comfort me during this past week.

Presenting....

Hallie Jean Cash! Yahoo! She was born this morning at 10:49 a.m. She weighs a whopping 4 lbs. 4 oz and is 18 inches long. I haven't had the chance to hold her yet because she's in the NICU but she's doing great!

Overloaded!

Man, this has been one crazy week!
Monday: Work (Nate in the morning, me in the afternoon)
Tuesday: Headed down to Delta for Girl's Camp. Nate came as one of the priesthood leaders and Ava tagged along as well.
Wednesday: Left Delta at 8 pm and got to SL around 10:30 pm
Thursday: Work (Nate and I all day)
Friday: Dr. appt at 8:15 am.... supposed to work but never left the hospital. On with my story...

Friday I went in for my 34 week check up. Got there at 8:15 a.m. Went to the bathroom for my usual pee test.... stepped on the scale and WHAM! I've gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks. I knew I was swollen and retaining water.... but 10 lbs is an awful lot! The nurse took my blood pressure.... DOUBLE WHAM! It's sky rocket high. Then the nurse comes in from reading my pee stick and..... TRIPLE WHAM! I have a 4+ protein in my urine. What does this all mean? TADA! I have preeclampsia (aka Pregnancy Induced Hypertension or Toxemia). Well, this is weird because it usually occurs in the 1st pregnancy (didn't have it with Ava) or your 1st boy (and I'm having another girl) so I am a highly unusual case.
They take me down to labor and delivery and I now have to be monitored for my blood pressure and take a formal urine test. I call my mom so she can come be with me and help with Ava. I am informed that I have mild preeclampsia but it will eventually progress to severe. If I wasn't 6 weeks away from my due date, they would have delivered me that day. But, the baby still needs time for her lungs to develop so I opted to get steroid shots so it will help her lungs. Oh yeah, the shots are in both my butt cheeks. Lovely.
Because my platelets were low (that's the stuff that makes your blood clot) and the high levels of protein in my urine, they want to keep me for 24 hrs and monitor all my pee. This is highly embarrassing. I have to call the nurse every time I go #1 and they have to come collect it. Lets just say I didn't sleep very well between going to the potty every 3 hrs and having my vitals checked every 2 hrs and I had raging heartburn! I had an ultrasound done and everything looked good with our little girl. Had things not looked good, they would have started labor.
So, my blood pressure eventually went down a little and I have been sent home on pure bed rest. To be honest, this is pure crap for me because I feel so lazy and useless. I can't do the laundry, dishes, and I was told I can't even take care of Ava by myself. I am not one to just sit and do nothing.... but I know it's important for me to just sit here so that we can maybe squeeze another week or two in.
As I was laying there, in my room, alone, I just started to cry thinking of how this pregnancy has completely turned our lives upside down. I will be honest with you.... I have had a hard time bonding with this baby because she was such a surprise. Please don't think I'm a horrible person, I've just had such mixed emotions. Then I began to worry about how we are going to make ends meet financially. I can't work anymore and Nate is in his last year of his Bachelor's program and is working as much as he can..... but we now have 2 children to support.....I am missing my cousin's wedding reception, and my other cousin's homecoming.....and as I started to think of everything that is not going right, I had to stop and remind myself of everything that I have.
1.I have an amazing husband who is now our only financial provider, has to take care of Ava full time, do the housework, get ready for school to start in a week, take care of his bed ridden wife, do the grocery shopping, and anything else that pops up. I am so grateful he puts up with me and all my little obsessive ways.
2. I have a great family. On both sides. My mom and dad, Nate's mom and dad and sisters have been so willing to take Ava off our hands and to offer to come clean and make dinner.... but it's so comforting to know just how many people care about you.
3. I am so grateful for modern technology. Kudos to all you ladies who labor and deliver at home without any drugs.... but all those ultra sounds and stress tests and labwork and pee monitoring have been so vital to keeping me and our baby healthy. You see, preeclampsia affects the mother's health more than the baby's. If it gets too severe, my liver and kidneys stop functioning, and I could have seizures and possibly strokes. That's why it's so vital for me to keep my blood pressure down.
4. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of our situation and who is looking out for us.
5. I am grateful for my brothers. Both are out of state right now, but they called to let me know they care and are thinking about me.
6. I am grateful for the ability to have children. Enough said.
7. The list could go on and on but this is all ready a long enough post. Just know that I have been truly blessed.

So, what are the plans for the future? I have to go in twice a week for non-stress tests and to have my lab work done. It's become a day by day thing. So, we could be having a little bundle of joy arrive within the next couple of weeks!

One of the best things.....

I hate taking the trash out. The bags always break, something leaks out of it, and sometimes I'm just plain lazy! But, I have since discovered Force Flex Trash Bags. They have made my desire to take out the garbage increase by 3%. Since we have always lived in an apartment, our dumpster has always been far away and I am no longer afraid of my garbage bag breaking! Usually, I am all for the Kroger, Great Value, Western Family, or whatever is the cheapest... However... I am willing to spend an extra $2 on these divinely inspired Force Flex Trash Bags. Personally, I prefer them in black because it matches my kitchen decor, but I will settle for white. I urge you to try them. You will love them.