Sunday, July 31, 2016

The Birth Story of #4...

 #4 was supposed to make his debut on July 16th, but like all my other children, did not come on his due date, so we decided to force him out on July 19th.  Which also happens to be grandpa Bob's birthday too! We would have had him later but because of a family reunion trip in Donnelly , ID starting the 23rd we thought it would be a good idea to have him come earlier so Justin and the kids could meet him before leaving for Idaho for the week.

Being induced is great because I can shower and get mentally prepared for whats to come, but can also be very nerve racking because being forced out could lead to to unknown. I pray every time that my babies are ready to come out and that even though they decide not come on their own that they come healthy and ready to sleep. And for all of them I can say yes to healthy and no to sleep. Ha! I guess I can't have it all.

Justin brought me to the hospital at 6:30am, while Grandma and Grandpa Thompson stayed home with Ryan and Kate. Zach was away at an overnight soccer camp out at Pacific University.  The nurse told me to do the usual, pee in the cup, undress and lay in the hopsital bed.  So I did and Justin sat on the couch checking the updates on his social media feeds. After about an hour the nurse came in placed an IV and started me on Pitocin. Justin hung out for about an hour and then headed to work for the morning. I figured since this was #4 things would progress somewhat quickly and I would start to push around 11;30am. 11:30 came and went and Justin arrived around noon to see how things were going.  I started reading the book Nightingale to pass the time. Finally around 1:30pm they decided to break my water.  Things picked up from here.  I continued to read my book, Justin checked his phone and kept everyone updated on my progress and about an hour after my water broke I decided to get my epidural.  No sense in feeling any pain if I didnt have too.  One side numbed up just fine while the other remained really uncomfortable. By about 2:30, it was still really uncomfortable so I called the anestesiologist in to get the other side just as numb. Thank goodness I did because at 3pm the nurse and midwife came in and told me to start pushing. I thought I would get this baby out in about 20 minutes.  Two hours of pushing later, with my legs flopping on and off the sturrups, the oxygen mask strapped to my face and the wanting to pass out in between each push the midwife said she needed to go see the other patients and told me to take a break.  Seriously it was the best feeling! The nurse, Laura, told me that the most they would let me push was 5 hours and I cringed at the thought that I was only halfway, but also did not want to end up having a C-section. I was worried the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. I could overhear the doctor and nurse talking about possible vacuume, and I remember at one time they had even called the NICU nurses into the room beacuse the baby's heartbeat would drop every time I pushed. I must have said about 5 prayers that the baby would just come out, and I kept exchanging looks with Justin, because I did not have the strength to talk, wondering why this delivery was my hardest one yet.  Well the nurse finally let me know that the baby was posterior! Oh! Now they tell me...

After hanging out, really passing out for a half hour, Laura, my nurse, decided it was time to start pushing again, and with prayers answered the baby had turned and with a few more pushes, he was here. Sweet baby boy Preston Lee Marostica, had made it safe and sound, born at 5:31pm, 6lbs. 14 oz. He literally had the biggest cone head I have ever seen but he was here, and so alert!

Preston wanted to eat right away and did great latching on!  Until he pooped on me! Yes that lovely brown and black tar all over me. But it earned him a bath, which apparently they don't do anymore in the hospital. I like my babies cleaned up so I was grateful for that poop.  My shower however had to wait until the next day when I would actually have feeling back in my legs to even be able to stand. Justin held him for a bit while they cleaned me up and then the nurse wheeled me and the baby down our room.

I celebrated Peston's birth with a nice Turkey dinner and my favorite vanilla milkshake. And spent the night snuggling our sweet new boy. Our first visitors before we went to bed were Kate and Ryan. Kate was a very proud big sister and Ryan wasn't too sure what to think but smiled because we told him to.

Grandpa Bob picked us up from the hospital and brought us home after our 48 hour stay. I cried like a baby leaving the hopsital. It's not that I want to stay at the hospital, but I have so many emotions about going home and worry about being able to do it all on my own that I cry because of the overwhelmingness of what "home" all entails. I could tell my dad wasn't sure what to think and he was so good to not say anything becasue if he did say something I probably would have cried more! he just kept giving me hugs and telling me how proud he was of me.  I wasn't very proud of me, but that's what dad's are there for...to cheer you on!

Preston's first visitor at home was Unlce Russ, Grandpa's twin, who Preston also now shares a birthday with. And then Grandma brought Zach home from soccer camp and he finally got to meet and hold his new brother. Love at first sight for sure!







  













Monday, July 4, 2016

#4thofJuly2016...

The iMovie app on my phone is magical! I might be slightly obsessed with making movies, but what better way to sum up one of my favorite holidays than a movie to showcase all the events that took place. Kate and Brooke rode their bikes in the parade, our neighborhood hosted a rockin' potluck linner(lunch+dinner) with endless hours of waterslide fun, and we ended the night with the Oak Hills Firework show, the best local show around!

I am so grateful for my freedoms, and feel very forntunate to live in this country. I take it for granted all the time, but when we get this one day set aside to remember, its very humbling to know how lucky I am.  I think of all the places in the world I could have been placed and see on the news the types of struggles and circumstances people live in and am forever grateful for where I am.