I Mean... RIGHT?!

I can't even get over this.

It's the same face!!!

So adorbs, right?

Bustin' Out of the NICU

We brought Baby Mikey home from the hospital on Monday night, and it's been a bit of a blur ever since. Before we even got him, I went through his clothes and put away all the newborn outfits. So sad he'll never wear them, but he was 10 lbs. 8 oz. when he was released and quite... husky. I tried to squeeze him into a special monogrammed jumper from our friend, Katie, and he was a bit unhappy about it. We sang him "Fat Guy in Little Coat" from the movie Tommy Boy to try to soothe him. It didn't really help.

But he looks good, right?

You can't see it really well, but his jumper says MHP and has a little sailboat on it. It's so stinkin' cute, but he's already worn it for the first and last time.

"Mom, my legs are too long for this."

Here he is getting his ankle bracelet off. It's like he was getting off of house arrest.

Yo. Let's bust this Popsicle stand.

We came home around 11 p.m. to very doting grandparents in their pajamas.

Next up, a post about Mikey's first batch of visitors...

He is Born!

This is a picture of the end of the story.

So last Thursday my dear friend, Allison, who is always around for my major life events no matter where in the world she is living, just happened to be in town from Bangkok and we were planning to spend the day together. She showed up at my house from her parents house in Visalia super early. Our plan was to go do my non-stress test at the hospital (which I had passed many times before without incident), go to Sonic to get cherry limeades (diet for me!) and then get some Mexican food. I was stoked to spend the day with her catching up and laughing a lot. 

Imagine my non-stoked-ness when the nurse told me my blood pressure was super high, I was spilling proteins in my urine, and that I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She was sending me upstairs to triage and whispered that I should probably eat something because they wouldn't feed me. I started stuffing my face with peanut butter crackers as soon as I got on the elevator.

Here I am on my way upstairs really sad about not getting Sonic and Mexican.

Checking into the labor and delivery ward. Notice the crackers on the dash of the window. I was also sad that I would be in triage by myself for a few hours before getting a room that would allow visitors. I mean, my friend came all the way from Thailand for one day, for Pete's sake! Now she was in the waiting room 50 feet away and I couldn't talk to her.

Finally, we got into a room, and I started making calls to my family, mostly telling them not to get excited and that it was going to be a long process.

The doctor said I could have a small lunch before we talked about induction options with Nathan, who was on his way to the hospital. Subway 6 in. turkey on wheat to the rescue, with extra avocado. After Nathan came and we discussed things with doctors, we were getting a pretty clear picture that the dream labor and delivery scenario that we had hoped for (but were holding loosely) was not going to happen. We wanted Mikey to come on his own, to labor at home for as long as possible, and to deliver without any meds. However, before too long I was hooked up to every kind of machine because I needed to be. Disappointing? Yes. Worth the result? Yes.

I told my family not to come for a while because the pre-eclampsia meds and induction meds would be fighting each other, and it would be a long battle before we could figure out which one would win. They came in the evening and hung out in the waiting room taking selfies.

So, after all the competing meds and being in the hospital for 30 hours, I never progressed past 6 cm. and Mikey never engaged in the birth canal. It was time for a c-section.

I know this is not a flattering picture at. all. but I have two comments: 1) ET phone home, and 2) Can you believe how high up he still is in my belly 24 hours after my water broke? Geez, boy! At least it made the decision to do the c-section an easy one and I didn't even have to try pushing him out.

And then he was born! 10 lbs. 4 oz., 21.5 inches long. A big boy. While they were pulling him out and cleaning him up we kept hearing things like, "Look at those cheeks!" "He's a linebacker!" and "He's ready for kindergarten!" It felt like a long time before we got to see him ourselves, but we got it on video, and I'm forever grateful to whoever recorded it (a nurse? medical student? resident? intern?). I had no idea it was even on the camera until today, and I am tearing up just looking at it. I'm not bawling because I'm distracted by how mid-western I sound when I keep saying, "Oh my gaaahsh!"

I love this picture so much. Nathan's eyes communicate so much excitement, and Mikey looks like a little pharaoh. I can imagine Moses saying to him, "Let my people go!" and Mikey saying, "NO! I will not let your people go. Now, make more bricks... WITHOUT STRAW!" 

My hubby, me, and our little pharaoh.

Shortly after he was born they checked his blood sugar, which was low (to be expected because of my diabetes) and they took him to the NICU. I'd look out of it like him if my sugar was 36 too.

Nathan accompanied Mikey to the NICU and stopped by the waiting room to meet the family. My mom is doing the ugly cry and is being consoled by Nathan and her BFF, Kim. I love it!

I didn't end up getting to see him or hold him again until Sunday night, more than 48 hours after he was born. It was very sad for me, but God was faithful in sustaining me. As in, I didn't have an emotional meltdown like women do in the movies, getting all hysterical and saying, "Where is my baby? Who is keeping me from my baby?" The time alone in the hospital passed surprisingly quickly. 

This is us last night in the NICU. His blood sugar issues were resolved fairly quickly, but then he developed some feeding problems, mostly gagging and spitting up and changing colors, which necessitated some extra care. Hopefully he can come home soon. The soonest it would be is Monday, so we pray on for that.

I'm sure this will be developed in another post for another time, but I want to say how absolutely wonderful everyone at Kern Medical Center has been in caring for me and Mikey. Nathan and I are so, so grateful to each one and to God for his faithfulness to us.

The Post You've All Been Waiting For

Sorry for the delay in telling you, but Michael Harrison Parker is here! I had visions of blogging perfection with the birth story and pictures and everything, but it's already been a week and it just hasn't happened. I'll work on it and make it worth your wait. Promise.

Here are the basic details...

I went in for a non-stress test on Thursday morning thinking I'd be at the hospital for an hour, tops. They kept me there instead because I had symptoms of severe pre-eclampsia. I should not have watched that one episode of Downton Abbey last season. You know what I'm talking about. Poor Lady Sybil. Anyway...

Michael Harrison Parker was finally born on Friday, November 8th, at 4:32 p.m. He weighed 10 lbs. 4 oz. and was 21.5 inches long. Yeah, I had a c-section.

He was taken to the NICU originally for blood sugar issues and then was kept there for feeding issues. He's still there now, and he will stay until at least Monday. It is very sad to be apart from him now, but I know he is in the best hands possible. God is so faithful! I can't wait to share about how He has shown Himself mighty in Mikey's life so far. 

More details to come...

Pregnancy: Morning and Evening

As per usual, over a week has passed between the taking and the posting of these photos. I'm not sure why that has been my blogging pattern. Anyway, Nathan asks to take pictures of my belly a few times a week, usually when I'm stuck in a chair, in the bed, or on the floor. Two out of three times he asks I cry. It seems in the picture below he just happened to catch me in a decent mood.

This was probably taken after a night of good sleep. The night we had a time change (two nights ago at the time of this writing) I only got one hour. Now, since we moved back an hour, does that mean I pulled an all-nighter? It was horrible. I was cursing that extra hour while I'm sure everyone else was relishing it - or at least the thought of it.

This picture and the one below were taken the evening of the morning of the first picture (make sense?). I'm very grumpy and have swollen ankles and calves.

Nathan is excited that there is another willing foot massage therapist in the house. Thanks, Daddy.

And, on a completely unrelated note, Nathan wanted me to take his picture the other day at our favorite Mexican restaurant. He's eating a chimichanga (a fried burrito smothered in sauce) to celebrate his recent weight loss. He has lost weight recently (the pre-shower push ups? the nightly sauna sessions? eating less?), so more power to him!

Happy Belated Halloween

As I've said before, my favorite part about Halloween is not dressing up or passing out candy. In fact, I didn't do either this year. No, my favorite part is the next day when I spend about 5 hours "liking" photos of everyone's kids on Facebook. I love seeing little kids dressed up. I just love it.

I have been really bad about taking pictures lately, so I tried getting these off of my sister's Instagram account. They looked normal on the iPad, I promise, but on here it just looks like I did a really bad editing job.

First off, a little pre-Halloween fun. My sister dressed up as June, and June dressed up as my sister. Hilarious. June's bracelets, Starbucks, purse, hair, sunglasses, everything is SO my sister. Perfection.

We had a little fun at the park with the Josie Bear, the dog, one day. I did not make it very long before needing a nap.

And here are my nieces, Winnie and June, on Halloween. SO PRECIOUS!

One of the best parts of being in Bakersfield for a while is hanging out with these two. Winnie (Minnie Mouse) has been obsessed with Michelle Tanner from Full House these days, insisting on wearing her hair in two pigtails - NO BOWS - and saying things like, "You got it, dude." June (Ariel) has been talking a lot about our baby recently. If I decline a certain food, she says, "Is that because Baby Mikey isn't allowed?" When I'm chopping something with a large knife, she tells me to put it down because it's dangerous for the baby. And, the other day she asked me how Baby Mikey got into my tummy in the first place. I deferred that one to my sister, laughing to myself thinking that giving her an IVF answer would have been so much simpler if that's the way God would have chosen to do it. 

Happy November, everyone. It's going to be a memorable month!

More Entertaining Comments

Some additional size-related comments from strangers (in addition to labor horror stories that people see fit to tell me at a very vulnerable time in my life)...

"DANG, GIRL!!!" This one was from a man in the hospital waiting room, yelled at the top of his lungs. I don't think he was "all there."

"I think I see a foot sticking out!" Again, in the same waiting room, and she was looking at my insulin pump under my shirt. I didn't bother to correct her.

"Holy cow!" Thanks, teen-aged dude.

"Her's gots a baby in her tummy." From a toddler at Target. It was quite sweet.

"No smuggling watermelons!" Uh, okay.

And still the ubiquitous, "Twins?" from a lady at the grocery store.

I told Nathan about the twins thing again and he said, "Next time that happens I'll just tell them you're three months along with quadruplets."

"No... 'cause then they'll ask all kinds of inappropriate questions like if they're 'natural' or through IVF or something."

"Then I'll tell them that we don't know who the father is, but that you're my wife and that I've chosen to stick by you even still."

"Great."

This is not our baby, obviously, but I thought he was cute!

AND WHO STOPPED PRAYING FOR MY SLEEP?!?!?!?! I gave you a good report in a post last week, but then my quasi-peaceful nights went bye-bye. After almost a week without solid shut-eye, I am going cuckoo again. Yesterday morning my mom and Nathan were asking me a simple question about transportation to a doctor's appointment, and I just couldn't answer. The words were in my mind but didn't come out of my mouth quickly enough. I ended up bursting into tears instead.

I told a friend in an e-mail that my behavior lately reminds me of my childhood dog, Bebe, when she was about to have puppies. She whimpered a lot and paced around the house and spent a lot of time in dark closets. I don't actually spend time in dark closets, but I don't feel like going out of the house AT ALL and have been feeling quite anxious. Every night I worry that I'll go into labor right after lying down and won't be rested and ready mentally or physically to get the dang baby out. 

Normal, yes? 

To all you mamas out there, I'm sorry you've probably experienced the same. To all you ladies who long to be mamas, I'm sorry you haven't experienced the same. Being pregnant has been a lot harder than I thought it would be, for sure, but I am grateful. When I'm tired, itchy, annoyed, uncomfortable, stretched out, panicked, grumpy, etc., Nathan says, "This is what we prayed for!" So true.

It's the final countdown. Cue Gob's music from Arrested Development.