It's hard to believe that Regan is almost 2 1/2 years old. Along with her growing up so fast comes things I'm just not ready for....like talking in full sentences. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome, but it's a sign that she's growing up and I just want to keep her little forever. Am I really sitting here having an actual conversation with a 2 year old? When did that happen? Where's my tiny newborn?
Regan is such a smart kid, I know all parents thing that and I totally get that, but she truly is, she's a sponge; soaking up everything around her. She can say her entire alphabet with no assistance, including the little "next time won't you sing with me" bit at the end. And she counts to 15 with no help. Really? Seriously? That felt like it happened over night!
I'm sad to think my baby is growing up but excited that she has learned and developed so much, so well but it doesn't stop me from having a tear or two when I realize how big she's getting.
I truly understand how some people are "addicted" to having babies; that way they always have a little one around. Now, I'm not jumping on that band wagon for various reasons, but don't think I haven't thought about it!
Before I know it, she's going to be in kindergarten, yikes, say it ain't so!
5/19/11
My New Addiction
So, I must confess, I have an addiction......to coupons! I know, crazy right? But it's true! Picture it; cutting coupons and not just one, dozens, organizing them by the department in the store and then by expiration date, making a list of all the stores sale prices on any items that I have coupons for, then heading to the store to shop, shop, shop and pay almost nothing for it all! Such a rush, such a high and hey, it's better than drugs and alcohol right?
It's amazing what you can get for almost nothing and sometimes for free and on rare occasions get paid to buy it. I'm officially "hooked on coupons"! I've only been doing it a short time but I've saved a lot and have a few items stocked up; body wash and lotion in particular.
Not to worry, I'm not and will not be a hoarder as I can't stand for my house to be cluttered. I've already given some stuff to charity and figure I'll have it in case Mom needs anything when she moves in the next month or two.
It seems to be a growing trend, and I say that as there have been a few times I head out with my coupons for specific items in mind and get to the store to find the shelves have been cleared, so I can presume that an "extreme" couponer beat me to it!
I've saved as must as 98% and and as little as 38%, and to me, that rocks! Any savings at all is a good thing! And by saving what I did this month on food, I was able to afford flowers for my yard! I'm hoping as I get better and save more, my wish list for what to do with the savings will be much more than just flowers for the yard! Can you say Disney World?
I also enjoy all the awesome fellow couponers I've met via online blogs and fb pages and even some family have joined the coupon band wagon. Go us!
It's amazing what you can get for almost nothing and sometimes for free and on rare occasions get paid to buy it. I'm officially "hooked on coupons"! I've only been doing it a short time but I've saved a lot and have a few items stocked up; body wash and lotion in particular.
Not to worry, I'm not and will not be a hoarder as I can't stand for my house to be cluttered. I've already given some stuff to charity and figure I'll have it in case Mom needs anything when she moves in the next month or two.
It seems to be a growing trend, and I say that as there have been a few times I head out with my coupons for specific items in mind and get to the store to find the shelves have been cleared, so I can presume that an "extreme" couponer beat me to it!
I've saved as must as 98% and and as little as 38%, and to me, that rocks! Any savings at all is a good thing! And by saving what I did this month on food, I was able to afford flowers for my yard! I'm hoping as I get better and save more, my wish list for what to do with the savings will be much more than just flowers for the yard! Can you say Disney World?
I also enjoy all the awesome fellow couponers I've met via online blogs and fb pages and even some family have joined the coupon band wagon. Go us!
5/3/11
Reflections of a Miracle
As most of you know, in recent weeks, my Sister and family have been dealing with a very emotional situation in relation to her unborn baby boy and it has made me think back to when I was pregnant with Regan.
Let me start at the beginning. From the time I can remember, I always loved kids. As a teenager, I spent a lot of nights and weekends babysitting and always knowing that someday I wanted one of my own. I, like so many woman, dreamed of the day I would meet the right guy, fall in love, get married, get a house, and start a family.
Well, I met a guy, fell in love and got married in 1996 and for the next six years, I would only dream of being a Mom. We spent a lot of time, effort and money trying to conceive with no luck, not even a glimmer of hope. We saw doctor after doctor, traveled to Memphis and to Nashville, you name it, we did it all in the name of a baby. I was diagnosed with a medical problem as was my husband, so two strikes against us. The doctor told us conceiving a child was just not going to happen. Wow, what an emotional time that was, it was heartbreaking to know that we would never have children, that is unless we opted to adopt but we had spent so much money on fertility treatment that there was nothing left to use for adoption.
In 2003, my marriage ended and I reflected back to all the time, effort and money we spent in fertility treatments along with the emotional roller coaster I'd been on for a long time and I realized that while I longed to be a Mom, it seemed it was working out for the best as the last thing I would want is to put my child through the horror of a divorce; and not an amicable one at that.
So, now I'm not only childless, I'm a divorcee; two things I never pictured being at the age of 28, but alas, life wasn't over, I would start anew and would one day be happy again.
As the process of divorce was taking place, I moved from Paducah, KY to Frankfort, KY to take a new job, an exciting opportunity; a new place, new people and better pay. Wow, I had no idea the whirlwind to come! I started my new job in Frankfort in January of 2004 without even having a place to live there, but I had it all planned out, I would drive from Paducah on the weekend, stay in a hotel during the week and then just do that for awhile until I found a place. Well, that worked for awhile but then it was costing me so much to stay in a hotel and the gas money to and from (4 hours one way), that I just couldn't do it any longer. So, me and my bright ideas, I decided to drive every day, while it was still costly, it wasn't as expensive as staying a week in a hotel. Well, that was a bad idea, I'd have to get up by 2 a.m. to be ready to leave to be at work in Frankfort by 8 a.m. and then leave around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. to head back to Paducah. You do the math; I was getting about three or four hours of sleep before I had to hit the road again. Enough is enough, so my Mom, bless her heart, helped me get into a townhouse in a neighboring city close to my job! Whew, that was a relief!
I then made it all final, I packed all my stuff and made the move, never to look back! It was hard but also invigorating. But I couldn't help but think; how am I going to do this? I haven't EVER lived completely alone, I always had roommates or a husband. But, I would prove strong and do well for myself. I had a good job and a nice townhouse to come home to. I did so well at work that in just a few short months, I was promoted! I felt like life was normal again.
All the while taking a new job, moving into a new place as a newly divorced woman, the last thing on my mind was finding someone. But that's exactly what happened. I met Sean in mid February of 2004, it was just business talk at first, he was a computer tech out in California and we talked over the internet and phone on occassion and as time passed we became very good friends. We would talk on and off until May of 2004 at which time I got an email from him that stating he was coming to town. And on May 1, 2004, I picked him up at the airport in Lexington, KY. Little did I know, he would never return to California. He came to visit and we decided there was no sense in him wasting money on a hotel, that he could just stay at my house. We became even closer friends and that friendship later blossomed into a romantic relationship.
I never dreamed that I could be as happy as I was at that time, I felt like a little high school girl; I got butterflies every time I was around him. He was so funny, caring and compassionate, not at all what I was expecting from such a handsome Californian.
Almost immediately after deciding he was staying permanently, he decided to enroll in College. He would spend the next two years earning his computer degree. All the while I continued to work in Frankfort. In early 2005, Sean's Sister, her FIVE kids and his Dad left California and came to Kentucky. Well, little did I know they'd end up living with us for a few months, causing a huge financial burden. That burden proved to be too much, not long after they moved out on their own, we had to give up the townhouse and move in with friends. It was a very rough time for us, he was in school full time, so I was the sole provider and it was fine for just the two of us, but add his family to the mix and it was too much! We lived with friends for about six months. During that time I had taken an even better job in Shelbyville, KY, later to take one in Louisville that got me where I am now, and Sean was still in school but working part-time as well. It was a brutal six months, but we made it and finally got a place of our own again. It was not much to be proud of, but it worked until we could move up in the world again. Did I mention that in March of 2005, while his family was living with us we decided to get married? Well, we did, we kept it a secret as my Sis was planning a big Vegas Wedding for July 2005 and we didn't want to take away from this being her time and moment, so we only told my Mom and swore her to secrecy. We didn't tell anyone else until my Sis's Wedding in Vegas. We got married by a Judge, sweet and simple! Guess we'll need to have a big celebration and renew our vows at some point in the future; maybe our 10 year Anniversary!
Is your head spinning yet? Well, mine was! So much happened, so many good things and a few bad that I wasn't sure what was next.
Sean and I had discussed kids before we got married and he was on the fence, he just wasn't sure but we had so much going on, that it was hard for either of us to picture our caotic life with children in the mix. So, I saw my doctor and even though I knew I had medical issues preventing pregancy, I still wanted birth control. I wanted us both to feel "safe". My doctor told me that pregnancy for me wasn't totally out of the question, but that it would be very difficult to conceive and carry a baby to term. I had a lot of scar tissue and my uterus was "hostile" for lack of a better word and I had a severely tiltled cervix. I had had some previous medical conditions that required minor surgery, but had to have several procedures, so it left a lot of scarring. So, back to my story. I decided to get an IUD, that way I would just get a yearly check-up but wouldn't have to be concerned with taking a pill every day. So, the doc put the IUD in, and now I question why he did that based on the issues with my uterus, and moreover, why I never thought to question him about it.
I had the IUD for several years and had it checked each year, except in 2008, I was overdue getting it checked, but by this time, we had moved to Louisville, I was taking College classes, as was Sean and we were both working full-time demanding jobs, so I missed my appointment and never rescheduled it. I never once thought much of it, I mean, the odds of there being a problem were slim right? And to tell the truth, I never thought getting pregnant would happen or come easy, so surely there's no issue right? Wrong!
I missed two "monthlys" in a row and still didn't think much of it. I was heavy into to College studies, working long hours and just thought the tiredness I was feeling was associated with that. Then came Mother's Day weekend of 2008 and that Friday Sean suggested he run out and get a pregnancy test. I thought about it and said "no, no way am I pregnant, I'm just tired and working and studying too much". Well, he wouldn't let it die, he went out and got a pregnancy test, well, actually he bought a box of THREE! So, I humored him and took a test. When I saw the result, I was literally speechless and felt there was an error, so I took another and another! Yep, all three came back positive. Was this really happening? Was I really pregnant or was this some sick joke these tests were playing on me? I immediately called the doctor that Friday afternoon and they scheduled me for first thing Monday morning. I was so excited but also so unsure of what to think. Do I tell anyone? Do I believe the results? Well, we went to Mom's for Mother's Day that weekend and I decided I had to tell, I couldn't contain it, so I wrapped up one of the three postive tests (I covered it in saran wrap first!) and gave it to Mom that weekend. She was shocked to say the least and I think she was as skeptical as me, but it didn't prevent either of us from going to Carter's and buying some super cute clothes (that I actually still have today)! I remember standing in Carter's and calling my Sis with the news to only find out that they were actively trying to have a baby too! So, I was happy but then sad that I might have a baby and my Sis might be having trouble getting pregnant? (But in August of 2008, she announced she was pregnant too!!!!)
We returned from the weekend at Mom's and I went to my doctor's appointment to find out several shocking things. Yes, I indeed was pregant. But there was the issue of the IUD. How could I be pregnant while having an IUD? The doctor did an ultrasound right away (which they would have done anyway) to determine where the IUD was in relation to the baby. Well, the IUD had dislodged at some point, the doctor figures my tilted cervix and scarred uterus were to blame (which is why now looking back, I realize I should NEVER have had an IUD). The doctor showed me how close the IUD was to the embyro and explained to me that removing it might cause me to lose the baby and that he was surprised it hadn't interfered before now. But thankfully, the doctor was able to carefully remove the IUD without harming the embryo. Once he got the IUD out, I felt I could actually enjoy seeing the ultrasound. It was amazing! I cried so hard and so long! It was tears of joy! Wow, is this really happening? Am I really having a baby? I felt like I was in a dream and still have to pinch myself as it all seems so unreal! I was given a due date of December 8, 2008.
The coming months would prove difficult. I didn't have any major health issues my first trimester, but all that changed for the duration of my pregnancy. Everything that I could have, it seemed I did. I blew the lid off the glucose test, so I had to take insulin shots my entire pregnancy, not fun! Then on top of the diabetes, they found I had high blood pressure, high heart rate, to name a few. It was a pregnancy full of uphill battles. For the last few months, I was miserable and being monitered by ultrasound every week. At this point, I was working from home a lot and when I was at the office, I was wearing sweat pants and slippers as I was SO swollen that NOTHING fit right! Every Friday I reported to the hospital for fetal monitoring and ultrasounds! Ugh! But I did what I was suppose to to ensure a healthy baby! On November 25, 2008, I had a regular OB appointment that morning and the doctor sent me straight to the hospital, my vitals were all out of whack and the baby's heart rate was very high. I reported to the hospital by 10 a.m. and was immediately placed on heart monitors, fetal monitors, had an ultrasound, you name it, they did it I think! By lunch time, I was still just laying there all hooked to machines and starving and thirsty. But they wouldn't let me eat or drink in case I had to have surgery or was induced. Ugh! Well, finally around 2 p.m. I think it was, they did bring me water and a sandwich. That was the best water and sandwich I've ever had! Around 4 p.m.that afternoon, they informed me that I had preeclampsia and would need to be induced by night's end. I rallied my troops, calling Mom and Sean and my Sis along with keeping my facebook friends posted with status updates.
Around 6 p.m. they began inducing me. It went really fast and so much is a blurr, but I know my water broke fast and I was in a lot of pain early on. I started dry heaving and Mom was like "you shouldn't be doing that this early, I did that right before having you". Well, I don't know where I was in the process, but I was one sick Momma! They were able to come in with an epidural but dang, I was already almost fully dialated by that time! I went from a 0-4 in no time and then it seemed like it just happened. I was fully dialated and ready to push and about three pushes and I was done! Whoo Hoo! Welcome Regan Christine James Partaker at 2:17 a.m. EST, 6 lbs. 3 oz and 18 inches long.
Since Regan was born the day before Thanksgiving, we were assuming we wouldn't get to spend the holiday at home, but I thought it was worth asking. Once the doctor got a look at her and they did all the necessary tests, they said we could go home. We got home around noon or so on Thanksgiving. We ordered out and had dinner in our own home! Wow, it was so unbelievable to be home with our baby girl!
The first week home was rough, Regan was super fussy at night and seemed to have tummy pain. I didn't sleep the entire week at home, I went a week with no sleep but because I chose to, I wanted to be up with her. In the coming days, we would take Regan to see her Pediatrician and I would see my OB. During one of those visit, my due date was discussed and I remember telling my doctor exactly when I got pregnant as I was pretty certain and thought the due date was off from what I calculated, but hey, first time Mom, and nerves and anxiety I guess prevented me from questioning the doctor. But long story short, it was determined that my due date should have been early January, not early December, so in reality, Regan was born about a month early. I explained her fussiness and tummy issues and we switched formula but she still had bowel issues. Issues that would prove to stay with her even now. She doesn't have any obstructions, just minor difficulties. I do hope she grows out of it!
So, now, here we are almost 2 1/2 years later and I look at my baby girl every day and know that she is truly a miracle! I thank God for her every single day! We are blessed beyond measure.
And with all this being said, I know that my Sis is going to have her own "miracle baby" story! Miracles do happen and my family is witness to one already and another one on the way! God Bless my unborn nephew and I know in my heart of hearts that God has laid his healing hands on him and that all will be ok. And then our family will be in the presence of yet another MIRACLE!
Be thankful and appreciative of your family, always tell them you love them and show that you care. NEVER take them for granted!
Let me start at the beginning. From the time I can remember, I always loved kids. As a teenager, I spent a lot of nights and weekends babysitting and always knowing that someday I wanted one of my own. I, like so many woman, dreamed of the day I would meet the right guy, fall in love, get married, get a house, and start a family.
Well, I met a guy, fell in love and got married in 1996 and for the next six years, I would only dream of being a Mom. We spent a lot of time, effort and money trying to conceive with no luck, not even a glimmer of hope. We saw doctor after doctor, traveled to Memphis and to Nashville, you name it, we did it all in the name of a baby. I was diagnosed with a medical problem as was my husband, so two strikes against us. The doctor told us conceiving a child was just not going to happen. Wow, what an emotional time that was, it was heartbreaking to know that we would never have children, that is unless we opted to adopt but we had spent so much money on fertility treatment that there was nothing left to use for adoption.
In 2003, my marriage ended and I reflected back to all the time, effort and money we spent in fertility treatments along with the emotional roller coaster I'd been on for a long time and I realized that while I longed to be a Mom, it seemed it was working out for the best as the last thing I would want is to put my child through the horror of a divorce; and not an amicable one at that.
So, now I'm not only childless, I'm a divorcee; two things I never pictured being at the age of 28, but alas, life wasn't over, I would start anew and would one day be happy again.
As the process of divorce was taking place, I moved from Paducah, KY to Frankfort, KY to take a new job, an exciting opportunity; a new place, new people and better pay. Wow, I had no idea the whirlwind to come! I started my new job in Frankfort in January of 2004 without even having a place to live there, but I had it all planned out, I would drive from Paducah on the weekend, stay in a hotel during the week and then just do that for awhile until I found a place. Well, that worked for awhile but then it was costing me so much to stay in a hotel and the gas money to and from (4 hours one way), that I just couldn't do it any longer. So, me and my bright ideas, I decided to drive every day, while it was still costly, it wasn't as expensive as staying a week in a hotel. Well, that was a bad idea, I'd have to get up by 2 a.m. to be ready to leave to be at work in Frankfort by 8 a.m. and then leave around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. to head back to Paducah. You do the math; I was getting about three or four hours of sleep before I had to hit the road again. Enough is enough, so my Mom, bless her heart, helped me get into a townhouse in a neighboring city close to my job! Whew, that was a relief!
I then made it all final, I packed all my stuff and made the move, never to look back! It was hard but also invigorating. But I couldn't help but think; how am I going to do this? I haven't EVER lived completely alone, I always had roommates or a husband. But, I would prove strong and do well for myself. I had a good job and a nice townhouse to come home to. I did so well at work that in just a few short months, I was promoted! I felt like life was normal again.
All the while taking a new job, moving into a new place as a newly divorced woman, the last thing on my mind was finding someone. But that's exactly what happened. I met Sean in mid February of 2004, it was just business talk at first, he was a computer tech out in California and we talked over the internet and phone on occassion and as time passed we became very good friends. We would talk on and off until May of 2004 at which time I got an email from him that stating he was coming to town. And on May 1, 2004, I picked him up at the airport in Lexington, KY. Little did I know, he would never return to California. He came to visit and we decided there was no sense in him wasting money on a hotel, that he could just stay at my house. We became even closer friends and that friendship later blossomed into a romantic relationship.
I never dreamed that I could be as happy as I was at that time, I felt like a little high school girl; I got butterflies every time I was around him. He was so funny, caring and compassionate, not at all what I was expecting from such a handsome Californian.
Almost immediately after deciding he was staying permanently, he decided to enroll in College. He would spend the next two years earning his computer degree. All the while I continued to work in Frankfort. In early 2005, Sean's Sister, her FIVE kids and his Dad left California and came to Kentucky. Well, little did I know they'd end up living with us for a few months, causing a huge financial burden. That burden proved to be too much, not long after they moved out on their own, we had to give up the townhouse and move in with friends. It was a very rough time for us, he was in school full time, so I was the sole provider and it was fine for just the two of us, but add his family to the mix and it was too much! We lived with friends for about six months. During that time I had taken an even better job in Shelbyville, KY, later to take one in Louisville that got me where I am now, and Sean was still in school but working part-time as well. It was a brutal six months, but we made it and finally got a place of our own again. It was not much to be proud of, but it worked until we could move up in the world again. Did I mention that in March of 2005, while his family was living with us we decided to get married? Well, we did, we kept it a secret as my Sis was planning a big Vegas Wedding for July 2005 and we didn't want to take away from this being her time and moment, so we only told my Mom and swore her to secrecy. We didn't tell anyone else until my Sis's Wedding in Vegas. We got married by a Judge, sweet and simple! Guess we'll need to have a big celebration and renew our vows at some point in the future; maybe our 10 year Anniversary!
Is your head spinning yet? Well, mine was! So much happened, so many good things and a few bad that I wasn't sure what was next.
Sean and I had discussed kids before we got married and he was on the fence, he just wasn't sure but we had so much going on, that it was hard for either of us to picture our caotic life with children in the mix. So, I saw my doctor and even though I knew I had medical issues preventing pregancy, I still wanted birth control. I wanted us both to feel "safe". My doctor told me that pregnancy for me wasn't totally out of the question, but that it would be very difficult to conceive and carry a baby to term. I had a lot of scar tissue and my uterus was "hostile" for lack of a better word and I had a severely tiltled cervix. I had had some previous medical conditions that required minor surgery, but had to have several procedures, so it left a lot of scarring. So, back to my story. I decided to get an IUD, that way I would just get a yearly check-up but wouldn't have to be concerned with taking a pill every day. So, the doc put the IUD in, and now I question why he did that based on the issues with my uterus, and moreover, why I never thought to question him about it.
I had the IUD for several years and had it checked each year, except in 2008, I was overdue getting it checked, but by this time, we had moved to Louisville, I was taking College classes, as was Sean and we were both working full-time demanding jobs, so I missed my appointment and never rescheduled it. I never once thought much of it, I mean, the odds of there being a problem were slim right? And to tell the truth, I never thought getting pregnant would happen or come easy, so surely there's no issue right? Wrong!
I missed two "monthlys" in a row and still didn't think much of it. I was heavy into to College studies, working long hours and just thought the tiredness I was feeling was associated with that. Then came Mother's Day weekend of 2008 and that Friday Sean suggested he run out and get a pregnancy test. I thought about it and said "no, no way am I pregnant, I'm just tired and working and studying too much". Well, he wouldn't let it die, he went out and got a pregnancy test, well, actually he bought a box of THREE! So, I humored him and took a test. When I saw the result, I was literally speechless and felt there was an error, so I took another and another! Yep, all three came back positive. Was this really happening? Was I really pregnant or was this some sick joke these tests were playing on me? I immediately called the doctor that Friday afternoon and they scheduled me for first thing Monday morning. I was so excited but also so unsure of what to think. Do I tell anyone? Do I believe the results? Well, we went to Mom's for Mother's Day that weekend and I decided I had to tell, I couldn't contain it, so I wrapped up one of the three postive tests (I covered it in saran wrap first!) and gave it to Mom that weekend. She was shocked to say the least and I think she was as skeptical as me, but it didn't prevent either of us from going to Carter's and buying some super cute clothes (that I actually still have today)! I remember standing in Carter's and calling my Sis with the news to only find out that they were actively trying to have a baby too! So, I was happy but then sad that I might have a baby and my Sis might be having trouble getting pregnant? (But in August of 2008, she announced she was pregnant too!!!!)
We returned from the weekend at Mom's and I went to my doctor's appointment to find out several shocking things. Yes, I indeed was pregant. But there was the issue of the IUD. How could I be pregnant while having an IUD? The doctor did an ultrasound right away (which they would have done anyway) to determine where the IUD was in relation to the baby. Well, the IUD had dislodged at some point, the doctor figures my tilted cervix and scarred uterus were to blame (which is why now looking back, I realize I should NEVER have had an IUD). The doctor showed me how close the IUD was to the embyro and explained to me that removing it might cause me to lose the baby and that he was surprised it hadn't interfered before now. But thankfully, the doctor was able to carefully remove the IUD without harming the embryo. Once he got the IUD out, I felt I could actually enjoy seeing the ultrasound. It was amazing! I cried so hard and so long! It was tears of joy! Wow, is this really happening? Am I really having a baby? I felt like I was in a dream and still have to pinch myself as it all seems so unreal! I was given a due date of December 8, 2008.
The coming months would prove difficult. I didn't have any major health issues my first trimester, but all that changed for the duration of my pregnancy. Everything that I could have, it seemed I did. I blew the lid off the glucose test, so I had to take insulin shots my entire pregnancy, not fun! Then on top of the diabetes, they found I had high blood pressure, high heart rate, to name a few. It was a pregnancy full of uphill battles. For the last few months, I was miserable and being monitered by ultrasound every week. At this point, I was working from home a lot and when I was at the office, I was wearing sweat pants and slippers as I was SO swollen that NOTHING fit right! Every Friday I reported to the hospital for fetal monitoring and ultrasounds! Ugh! But I did what I was suppose to to ensure a healthy baby! On November 25, 2008, I had a regular OB appointment that morning and the doctor sent me straight to the hospital, my vitals were all out of whack and the baby's heart rate was very high. I reported to the hospital by 10 a.m. and was immediately placed on heart monitors, fetal monitors, had an ultrasound, you name it, they did it I think! By lunch time, I was still just laying there all hooked to machines and starving and thirsty. But they wouldn't let me eat or drink in case I had to have surgery or was induced. Ugh! Well, finally around 2 p.m. I think it was, they did bring me water and a sandwich. That was the best water and sandwich I've ever had! Around 4 p.m.that afternoon, they informed me that I had preeclampsia and would need to be induced by night's end. I rallied my troops, calling Mom and Sean and my Sis along with keeping my facebook friends posted with status updates.
Around 6 p.m. they began inducing me. It went really fast and so much is a blurr, but I know my water broke fast and I was in a lot of pain early on. I started dry heaving and Mom was like "you shouldn't be doing that this early, I did that right before having you". Well, I don't know where I was in the process, but I was one sick Momma! They were able to come in with an epidural but dang, I was already almost fully dialated by that time! I went from a 0-4 in no time and then it seemed like it just happened. I was fully dialated and ready to push and about three pushes and I was done! Whoo Hoo! Welcome Regan Christine James Partaker at 2:17 a.m. EST, 6 lbs. 3 oz and 18 inches long.
Since Regan was born the day before Thanksgiving, we were assuming we wouldn't get to spend the holiday at home, but I thought it was worth asking. Once the doctor got a look at her and they did all the necessary tests, they said we could go home. We got home around noon or so on Thanksgiving. We ordered out and had dinner in our own home! Wow, it was so unbelievable to be home with our baby girl!
The first week home was rough, Regan was super fussy at night and seemed to have tummy pain. I didn't sleep the entire week at home, I went a week with no sleep but because I chose to, I wanted to be up with her. In the coming days, we would take Regan to see her Pediatrician and I would see my OB. During one of those visit, my due date was discussed and I remember telling my doctor exactly when I got pregnant as I was pretty certain and thought the due date was off from what I calculated, but hey, first time Mom, and nerves and anxiety I guess prevented me from questioning the doctor. But long story short, it was determined that my due date should have been early January, not early December, so in reality, Regan was born about a month early. I explained her fussiness and tummy issues and we switched formula but she still had bowel issues. Issues that would prove to stay with her even now. She doesn't have any obstructions, just minor difficulties. I do hope she grows out of it!
So, now, here we are almost 2 1/2 years later and I look at my baby girl every day and know that she is truly a miracle! I thank God for her every single day! We are blessed beyond measure.
And with all this being said, I know that my Sis is going to have her own "miracle baby" story! Miracles do happen and my family is witness to one already and another one on the way! God Bless my unborn nephew and I know in my heart of hearts that God has laid his healing hands on him and that all will be ok. And then our family will be in the presence of yet another MIRACLE!
Be thankful and appreciative of your family, always tell them you love them and show that you care. NEVER take them for granted!
5/1/11
God Bless the USA!
I was sitting on the couch watching "Celebrity Apprentice" around 9:22 on the night of May 1, 2011, when I heard the news.......Osama Bin Laden is DEAD!
God bless our troops for all the sacrifices they and their families have made over the last decade to finally come to this glorious day!
I could only hope and pray now that the next monumental moment I will remember is....."the troops are coming home"!
God bless our troops for all the sacrifices they and their families have made over the last decade to finally come to this glorious day!
I could only hope and pray now that the next monumental moment I will remember is....."the troops are coming home"!
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