Wordless Wednesday

Faith holding Holly

Megan holding Holly

Our little Christmas gift

Laugh of the day...

We saw this today at ... well you should know .... and I just HAD to laugh!!

... so how much are you really saving!?!

and a cute one of the newest...

A Rising Star

Saturday Morning we picked up Grandmum from the train station. Yea for Grandmum! The plan for that day was to let her rest up some and then we were to go the Christmas musical at church -- Two From Galilee. A synopsis: This musical is an interpretation of the love between Mary and Joseph--their life, love and conflict. Ensnared in family conflicts, a hostile world and by an awesome responsibility, they fight for their one true love and to fulfill their dreams. But trust is shaken and love questioned, revealing a family's shame and a husband's doubt until the couple realizes that it is not all about finding true love but about life's purpose and calling.



That afternoon we got a call from a gal at church. It was one of the cast members from the musical -- Mary to be exact. She starts out by saying that I can say no if I want to, so I have to laugh. She then goes on to say that the little boy they had used for Jesus (and another baby part) had gotten sick and couldn't continue his role. She was wondering if we would be willing to let them use Holly for the part(s)!

Well the plan was to go see the musical that night anyway...

So I said yes... how could a proud mommy resist? She reassured me that the blankets were being washed and that only three people would be holding her, and that they would be using hand sanitizer. I was very reassured! ... and this is my third child, I'm a bit more relaxed about some things.

We got to church later then I had wanted... her next feeding time was due to be right at the start of the musical... when they needed a baby, so I had wanted to feed her before they started. Well, we tried to feed her... she decided that a snack was all she wanted.

She was needed for most of the first act, and I had decided to stay back stage with her (which means that I need to get a hold of the video at some point). Holly slept like ... like a baby... only it more like she was in a coma HAHA. Since she had only snacked before her big debut, my chest (her source of food) felt like it was going to absolutely explode.

During intermission, I recruited Steve to the back of the auditorium to help me to get Holly to latch and eat. She finally did, and I am sure that we both felt better.

I knew the cue to take Holly back to the back stage so that she would 'enter' at the right time, and I knew that it was going to be soon... I may not have seen the musical, but I have read the account :) Then I hear it, the sound from Holly that says 'change me NOW'... I didn't really have time, but I thought I would try. So I run up to where Steve, Susan and the girls are sitting and grab a diaper and the wipes and start heading out the auditorium. That's when I hear it, my cue to go backstage... I wonder if I have time to change her...

When I got back there, the 'stage hand' says I have a min or two before Jesus is born. I actually contemplate changing her diaper before she has to be on stage... then I realize that she usually screams like a banshee whenever her diaper is changed (bum is warm, wipes are cold...). So I opt to not change the girl, but boy does it smell (not too badly, breastmilk poopies don't stink badly). SO the hand off is complete, and since she will be on stage through to the end, I head back to 'my' seat.

So there you have it! At all of five days old Holly made her stage debut as Jesus.

.... and when all was said and done, I changed the little comatose girl's diaper... she didn't even wake up :)

Announcing... Holly Ruth!

Sunday evening (Dec 6th) I got a call from the hospital telling me that they've had an induction spot open up for the next day and I should be there between 6-7am Monday. (They told me at the Dr's the previous Thursday that they would do that if something opened up before my next apt Mon at 10am). So I was set to go in Monday morning

About 12:30 or so that night (after midnight) I felt the baby move a bit funny like and didn't think much of it. About 1/2 an hour later I went to the restroom and my undies were more wet then they should have been and I started feeling some intense contractions. We called the Dr back up and call the baby sitter for the girls and in we went to the hospital.

We got there about 2am and they checked me and said that I was 6-7 cm dilated ...and that my membranes were bulging. That meant that if my water did break, like I think it did, that it was a high leak and would have been too much to worry about. So we sat there being monitored for about 1-1.5 hours. The Dr came back in and offered me some pain meds and to break my water (again). I decided on the pain meds and to wait on breaking the water. A little while later, he came back and said that maybe we should break my water... well I agreed and then as the doctor was getting ready to do that (according to Steve) at that moment the monitors "blurped" and we heard a pop and there was a GUSH! No need for Dr intervention there!! But.... there is meconium, so we have to take some extra precautions during delivery. So now the Dr is busy getting things ready for birth. All of a sudden I HAVE to push!!! but the Dr isn't ready and is trying to tell me to wait... emphasis on the TRY, I am! This is when the nurse looks over and says we have a head!! At this point the Dr doesn't even have his gloves on, and is telling me... begging me not to push! So as quick as he can, he gets ready, suctions out what they can and gives me permission to push. One or two pushes later we have a baby at 4:52am! Talk about quick!

After all that The Dr saw that I tore pretty badly (3rd degree with 4th being the worst -- because of Holly's very quick entrance), so we spent the next hour or so stitching me up. The Special "magic" lights refused to focus like they were supposed to, and the doctor finally asked for a snake light, when that got there the bulb was very dim and so in the end, with lots of morphine involved (yuck)... he tried to stitch it all with what faulty lighting we did have (partly by having the nurses and my Hubby moving the bed all over the room to get it into the lights as best they could.)... now we are all hoping that he could see what he needed to and that he got everything.

Pictures aren't working :( ... maybe later... or go here

Being induced...

Just a quick update to let anyone who might be reading this know... I am being induced in the morning (Monday, 10am EST). They decided to go ahead and induce me 'early' (we are only 39+weeks) because my measurement from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus is measuring 41 weeks and I was 4cm dilated and 95% effaced (thinned out) on Thursday. I will give an update on here once we are home, but I will probably get Steve to update FB before then.