Javan Hunter Edwards' Birth Story

It all began on February 25th, 2011 at 7 am. We arrived at the hospital to be induced. I was very nervous because earlier that  week when the dr had checked me there had still been no dilation. I was very worried about going from starting at nothing when being induced. So they got me hooked up to the baby monitors and started an IV. My dr came in around 8:30 and checked me and said I was at a 2-3 and broke my water. I was very relieved that I had already started to dilate, but he also informed us that the lab lost my test for strep b so they were going to give me the antibiotics just in case. Then they started my pitocin. Pitocin is the worst drug ever blah it makes contractions so painful. Any ways so then it was just a waiting game. We all thought I would progress fast and have Javan quickly since that's what happened with my last and this was baby #4 for me. By noon they were upping the Pitocin for the 4th time and I was in serious pain and only dilated to a 4 so I decided to get the epidural. We talked with the anesthesiologist earlier in the morning about how last time I had a reaction to something that made me itch so she left out the fentanil hoping that would help with the itching. I was glad that this time around we avoided all other pain meds so nothing would get to Javan. At this time they also realized Javan was face up instead of down and while I could still deliver him that way it was going to be harder and he'd yet to drop any. So after getting my epidural we started the fun time of flipping mommy around to flip Javan around. Every 30 min I swapped positions until I was dilated to a 10. We started off with me kneeling on the bed leading against the raised head of the bed, then on my right side with left leg  in a stirrup, then left side with right leg up in a stirrup then sitting straight up like in a straight back chair. By 1:30 I was dilated to a 5 by 3 I was dilated to a 7 by 4:30 an 8 by 5:30 9.5 but 10 with contractions at this point the dr came in and I started pushing. After  few contractions of pushing the dr realized he wasn't making it past my pelvic bone Javan would get to a certain point and just not move any further. So the dr tried vacuuming him the first one popped off and broke. He used the vacuum again through 2 more contractions and it didn't really help. At this point Javan heart rate dropped so we stopped pushing and rested for a bit and the dr ran across the hall and literally caught another baby and ran back in. Javan's heart rate had improved so we were ready to push again. I pushed like crazy which my dr informed me I pushed like a rock star and that was not the issue at one point while he had his hand up in there trying to get Javan past my pelvic bone when I push I smashed his finger between Javan's head and my pelvic bone. That gave us all a good laugh which we needed since things were getting kinda stressful. He tried the vacuum 2 more times and Javan just wouldn't move pass my pelvic bone and the dr said he was worried the cord was wrapped around something, and it was time now for a c-section. Oh and I forgot to mention around the time I was dilated to and 8 my epidural quit being so effective. I could feel everything that was going on down there and all the contractions. Ouch. My dr apologized to me and was probably more upset than I was that with my finally baby I was having to have a c-section and that we hadn't even discussed c-sections because neither he nor I thought that in a million years I'd need one! I'd already successfully birthed 3 kids with out any complications. So we were rushed into the OR at 6:40 and prepped for a c-section and I was numbed up better and let me tell you at this point I was glad about my decision to get the epidural. 1 I would have been really freaking mad to go through all that with out one only to end up with one and 2 since it was an emergency c-section I'm pretty sure they would have had to knock me out for the c-section and that would have really upset me. I was way more calm than I think most people are in this situation I didn't cry I think I knew during all the pushing and vacuuming that this was where it was all going to end. My dr made my incision nice and low according to him and the nurses who checked on it later also verified this by saying my dr must really like me because of how low and small my incision was.(I have no idea because I don't know where the incision is normally made so I just have their word to go by). At 6:59pm  Javan was born 8lbs 3oz 20 inches with the cord wrapped 2 times around his neck and a little skin missing off the top of his head from the vacuuming. So nearly 12 hrs start to finish. Out of everything that happened came a beautiful little boy that I'm just so thankful is healthy. :-)

Time is just zipping by....

I was just sitting here thinking about when I had Brandon since his birthday is in 2 weeks and he is going to be 10!! I have had 10 fun filled years with my oldest son and yes a few trying times but he is turning out to be a wonderful child. He is such a sensitive loving and helpful person (of course he complains but not very often). It really has just flown by it doesn't seem possible that he should be turning 10 maybe 5 or some smaller number but not surely 10!! He's already 4' 5" and his foot is nearly as big as mine. He is growing up and I just want to swaddle him back up and rock him to sleep again. He's still my baby and always will be. I'm extremely proud of who he is and the way he handles himself. I love him dearly just wish he wasn't growing up so dang fast!!

2/4/2001

a Hot Coco kinda day

a warm bit of heaven to try and sooth my soul

It's been 3 weeks now of someone being sick in my house. It all started 3 weeks ago with Danika getting strep.  By that weekend I had it. Then Danika went to school on Monday and called crying about her throat. I picked her up and took her to the dr the next day when her fever was 103. Tested for flu it was negative. So the dr suggested that we get some blood drawn to see if it was viral and mono. So I asked for the dr. to test Danika for Factor V Leiden since their dad has it. By the end of the week Lucas had strep (Yay) and we got the results that Danika's other thing was not mono but was a viral infection. She finally is all healthy and back at school this Monday. Tuesday me and Lucas had her viral infection while neither of us have had a fever he lost his voice other than that he's been fine. Me on the other hand I feel like someone took sandpaper and rubbed it up and down the inside of my throat! Today I seem to be slightly better! Yay I hope that this means I am on the up swing of this!

So last night the pediatrician called with Danika's results on the Factor V Leiden test. She has the  heterozygous form of the mutation. So basically she is at higher risks for getting clots in veins and may cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT). But the risks aren't as high as someone who had the homozygous form of the mutation which is good news. The pediatrician stressed that she not ever be around cigarette smoke, start smoking when older or work in an environment where there is heavy cigarette smoke. She needs to stay on a healthy diet and it's important that she never becomes over weight. She will also be limited on birth control options later in life and will also have to most likely see a perinatologist as well as an OB if she ever gets pregnant. We will have to make sure any medicines she is given do not increase her risks of getting clots. There is a chance the boys have it to we will find out for sure sometime when they need blood work done.

I knew there was a chance she had it but knowing now is kinda hard it makes it a reality. Now I have to try and protect her from something we have no control over. She may live her whole life with never having an issue from the disorder. It just really makes me sad that she's not "healthy" and there is nothing we can do to fix her we just have to wait and hope she doesn't fall apart. I think probably in a few weeks the initial shock of the news will wear off and it'll just be one of those things to remember just in case but right now I want to hug my babies to me and keep them all safe even though that's not really possible.

my little princess

So I'm having a hard time copeing with knowing she really has this disorder. And as I sit here finishing my hot coco all I really can do is pray she will be ok and nothing bad will ever come to her, but it's hard to have that kind of faith in the unknown. Maybe I'd cope better if I didn't have my hormones outta whack from pregnancy but they are so I'm just sitting here waiting for school to be over so I can cuddle my little girl extra tight today because I think that's really what I'm needing right now.

Another Sunday Night

Tonight we enjoyed a pleasant pot blending of Caribbean Breeze Herbal Tea (mix of strawberries, apples, elderberries, citrus peel, rose hips, hibiscus blossoms and rose petals), Apple Lemon Pomegranate Rooibos Tea (mix of green rooibos, apples, pomegranate seeds, lemongrass, cherry bits with pits, cardamom, red rose petals, & pomegranate blossoms ) with a hint of Peppermint Herbal Tea mixed in. This is one of my many favorite blends of tea it's especially yummy iced in the 100+ temps we get here in the summer. The boys spent their chill time messaging each other through their DSs. I love the brotherly bond they have and how they love spending time together sending each other silly messages instead of just vegging watching tv!

Hormonal Upheaval

So this is what's been bothering me lately a lot.
 Like most people who have kids or are planning to I want to be the best parent I can be. It's not like when you think about it anyone goes yeah I'm ok with just being an O.K. parent or I'm fine with not putting in the effort or time to make this little person the best they can be (or at least I hope people don't think that way). Normally most days I find it easy to be at my best but some days it is a struggle (we all have those days). That being said this pregnancy has played havoc on my hormones and I've not felt well most days. I was nauseous 24-7 for nearly 4 months and have been having hormone headaches almost daily since I got pregnant. Not feeling well and trying to parent at the same time is hard. It's manageable in small bursts like when you have a cold but this has been 5 months. Not feeling well and not sleeping well has made me extremely irritable which ends up causing me to snap at my kids.
Brandon seems to kinda understand that this is just something we have to get through but Danika and Lucas just don't get it. Don't get me wrong I am so thrilled to be pregnant again and can't wait to meet my new baby, but I am so ready for him to be born just so I can be me again. All of my other pregnancies have been symptom free so they were easy to go through this one I feel like invasions of the body snatchers has happened lol and I just want my body back! ;-)
I feel so bad for the way I treat my family lately but it doesn't seem to be under my control. I try really hard to not get frustrated or angry at the little things but everything just irks me. Parenting has been a strange balancing act for me lately. It's been me snapping at my children followed by me trying to show them I love them. It's like I'm constantly trying to play catch up. All the while trying to make them all 3 still feel as important as the new baby is.
I really am trying to keep things even I always have between the 3 kids trying to not treat the oldest different than the youngest but treat them what's appropriate for their age and keeping the same rules for them all. I know once the baby is born that they might feel, I don't know, replaced but I'm trying my hardest to make it not that way. We are going to make an huge effort to still get one on one time with each kid so no one gets lost in the shuffle!
I just wish it didn't seem most days to be such a struggle to get through but I do know it wont always be this way and I will get back to being the fun loving strictish parent I used to be :-) not the grumpy old lady who crawls out her cave to growl at everyone every day!

Brandon's birthday party

we had a wonderful day today. we spent 4 hours at bonkers while the kids played. I've weighed myself but still haven't measured myself. maybe I'll get that done tomorrow since it's going to be freezing and we're not really wanting to leave the house. I'm extremely lucky and blessed to have found my husband. He's so extremely encouraging and thoughtful. I know i wouldn't have the drive i have in getting healthy if it wasn't for his positive attitude and support. He's such a constant source of positive attitude. I love him with all my heart, being and soul. I'm blessed to have a best friend, partner and lover that's an equal on all levels. We have such fun together. it's very late but i wanted to put something on here for today, but I'm headed to be bed now.