Sunday, June 26, 2011

Date Night At The NICU


It's Saturday night and Lance and I decided we would spend it together at the NICU with Riley.  So after we put our older daughters to bed, we drove back to the hospital.  It was such a great time together. We talked on the drive there about family goals and gospel principles.  When we got to the hospital it was all great news with Riley's progress.  She was taken off IV fluids completely.  She was doing perfectly off of all oxygen assistance.  I even got to nurse her and she did wonderfully. Although apparently getting food through a tube is a lot less work, because the only difficulty she had eating was staying awake!  We stayed until about 12:30 am and then went home with a little detour through the Taco Bell drive through.  This was the cheapest date we've had in a long time:  $3.89!

I feel so blessed to be able to rely on the support and strength of my husband.  His love and his willingness to do anything to take care of me and our daughters is amazing.  Even through this experience or maybe even especially through this experience, I feel so blessed!

The Amazing Blessings of The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The LDS General Conference Talks have become my substitute for church these past couple of weeks since I haven't been able to attend.  I was listening this morning and I came across the talk linked below.  It would be impossible to explain how deeply I was touched by the message given.  I learned so much and my spirit was truly lifted.  For anyone who is going through any kind of trial or pain, whether physical, spiritual or both, or someone who has experienced any kind of pain, or even someone who will experience pain (I think that covers pretty much everyone), I highly recommend you follow this link and listen!

April Conference 2011; The Atonement Covers All Pain

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Amazing Improvements


So in the 6 days Riley has been in the Intensive Care Nursery, she has made some wonderful improvements.  She is going off of all oxygen assistance tomorrow and will be able to breathe all on her own.  Tonight they turned off the heater in the isolette and she is able to regulate her own body temperature.  She is being weaned off of IV fluids and will be on straight breast milk in the next day or two.  She just looks so comfortable and relaxed now and they even dressed her and put a little hat on her! I feel so blessed right now and know that my prayers and the prayers of my family and friends are being answered in miraculous ways.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Our Sweet New Addition

 Little Riley Elizabeth was born June 18th at 8:35am.  She weighted 5lbs 6oz and was 16 inches long.  She came out crying and really using her lungs, but after she was weighed, measured and swaddled, she had to go to the NICU.
I got to see her and touch her for a few minutes before they took her away.  She was so tiny and sweet!  I fell in love immediately.
It's very difficult to see your child hooked up to so many tubes and monitors, but I know she is getting excellent care and I am praying for a miracle. I want her to come home quickly.  I want her to do even better than expected.  I am leaving the hospital on Wednesday evening and I want her to come home shortly after that.

This has been a pretty long and difficult pregnancy. I started doing stuff for IVF in July of 2010 so that made the 34 weeks I was pregnant feel more like 51 weeks!  Then I got pretty sick for about 15 weeks my first trimester.  I just remember telling Lance every night towards the end of the 15 weeks how tired I was of feeling terrible all the time.  For the last trimester, I was very uncomfortable and sleeping was pretty hit or miss (that part is typical I know).  And then the early rupturing of my water and the 11 days in the hospital.  And now I am sitting here trying to manage the pain from the c-section and really looking forward to the day when I feel "normal" again!  And most importantly when my family will all be together at home again.

But having said all that, would I do it all again?  For Riley...without question.  Through all the ups and downs since we decided to do IVF again and try for our third baby we have been so blessed!  I know this is just a very temporary thing in our life and soon it will all be just a memory and some great entries in Riley's baby book!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Change of Plans!

Just a week ago I was feeling like my scheduled c-section on July 22nd would never come!  Guess what?  It won't!  My c-section is now scheduled for June 18th!  If this week goes as planned and little Riley cooperates, she will be born at 34 weeks old.

This change of plans all started Monday night, June 6th.  I was getting ready for bed and felt a little gush of fluid.  I thought it was unusual, but decided just to go to bed and see what happened.  After all, maybe I just leaked a little pee right? It happens! :) The following morning it happened again, but I still decided to wait.  I was supposed to get my car back from the auto body that day and at that point, that was a priority! :)  Then around 3 o'clock I felt another big gush and knew something was not normal.  I called my dr's office and they told me to go get checked out at San Ramon Regional Labor and Delivery.  I dropped off my kids at a friends and went to the hospital fully expecting to be back home that night.  But to my surprise, 30 minutes after getting to the hospital, the nurses confirmed that my water had ruptured and that I would not be going home any time soon!  In fact, I was told I would be transferred to John Muir Hospital by ambulance and would remain there until Riley was born!  Wow!  Nothing I ever expected.

The good news is, from the time we got to John Muir and met with the perinatologist and neonatologist all we were told was that Riley would have no problems.  Apparently, in the neonatal world, 34 weeks is considered full term and 32 weeks is a huge milestone where preemie issue are pretty much gone.  Riley will have to be in the NICU for a little while to make sure she can eat and breathe, but other than that we have been repeatedly reassured she will be very healthy.


So here I sit, in my little room, 386.  I've been here 5 days now and probably have about 9 days left.  I get to get up to use the bathroom, take a shower and go for a 20 minute wheelchair ride! Luckily, time is going pretty quickly.  I miss spending my days with my girls and sleeping in my own bed with my husband.  I'm not loving the food and having an IV in all day, but otherwise I am doing ok! And mostly, I'm just so happy my new baby is doing well and we are both being well taken care of! I feel very blessed!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

A Birthday Fit For A Princess

This week my little girl turned 3 years old!  We had such a fun time celebrating.  We started off her actual birthday, June 2nd, by opening her presents and then going to IHOP.  She was very specific about the breakfast she wanted: "smiley face pancakes with the yogurt to decorate it."  
Afterwards, we went to Dublin to go to Toys R Us and spend the gift card she got from Grandma & Grandpa Scott and to go see the movie, "Rio".  Sadly, after the movie we had to drop Lance off at work, but we headed home so that Avery and Sophie could play with their new toys (of course the toys were actually Avery's, but Sophie kept reminding us that we share our toys :). Later for dinner, we went to Famous Dave's BBQ, another of Avery's specific requests.  She knows it as "the place where Wilbur is".


Today, we finished up our celebration by having a princess party. This was our first "little girl party" ever and we had so much fun!  Avery invited all her little friends and they all came dressed as princesses.  Avery got a special new princess dress just for her party.

We had a Royal Princess chair for the birthday girl to sit in (a fun, quick and cheap project. I used an old chair, gold spray paint, and a few yards of fabric).

The house was decorated everywhere you turned! 

Princess garlands were hung...

As well as beautiful pom poms...

And birthday banners.

We had treat bags ready for all the little princesses to take home.

As you entered the house the Royal Banquet table was set for all the little princesses!





And we had a feast fit for royalty (actually fit for a lot of little girls who don't eat very much!)

Heart shaped PB&Js

Cheetos in crown bags


and strawberries and pink lemonade

And for dessert, crown cookies and princess cupcakes



















Our activities included decorating princess crowns


coloring princess pictures
a pinata
and face painting.

I think all the little princesses had a good time.




We finished by opening all the great gifts from our wonderful friends


















We love our sweet little Avery so much and are grateful for every second with her over the past three years!