Well here we are in October 2012 - Amazing things have happened: I have a beautiful 18 mo old baby girl named Anna, born in March of 2011 (yes she was born full term thanks to a perfectly placed cerclage), we sold our house in Tyler, and now... we live in Houston, TX. And that, my friends, is my catch-the-blog-up summary (It seems impossible to fill in this blog with the stories from the past, so I am not even going to try).
So...
About the move: I can't give any clear reason why we moved - we just wanted to and it seemed like a good idea at the time. David could look into a career change, and I could try out jobs in a new place. Mia could have more opportunities to get the assistance that she needs, and well just... because, because, because.... we're grown-ups and we wanted something different. We'll leave it at that.
Anna: Oh what a beautiful and perfect little being. She is troublesome, smart, and already asserting her will. She is so very different from her sister Mia but still an amazingly bright light to this world. Her curiosity and her ability to understand things is overwhelming and impressive. How do such little creatures absorb so much so fast?! Oh what a blessing it is to have this child in my life, and may I never take her for granted! She is a true joy!
Mia: She has embraced this new move to Houston. She brings joy and a positive energy with her, just like always. She is a constant reminder of what life is about. I love her.
So here we are in Houston. Of course, life happens. Days pass. Routine things take priority -- It really is surprising how the monotony of life gets you no matter where to land. The city really is just like everywhere else, only with more stuff to do and more traffic. I can't say that I don't like the move, but I can say that moving from Tyler is just this: life happening in a different place with different people.
David is still looking for a job, and he stays with the kids -- something that I don't think that he is too crazy about it but he embracing it anyhow--at least until that great career change comes along...whenever that is. As for me: I have a contract job working for a school which is busy and impossible, but maybe I will get good grasp on things before long. I hope...
Social Life: We found a church here called Ecclesia that we are attending. My sister lives here in Houston, and we see her weekly, but not usually more often than that. People are a problem here. Never have I lived someplace where it took so long to get to know others. The school job is busy, and in Houston, everyone commutes from somewhere (usually not close to you), so it really is a big deal to get out and do things with people. Plus, when you have kids, meeting people is pretty limited to kid friendly environments, like church or the park. Most people are in a rush, and most people just want to get through the week here. This is definitely a downside to the move, but I know that meeting people here will just take time. And maybe that isn't a bad thing... relationships with people here require some depth--the fast--paced city life demands it. Not a negative-- just different from what I'm used to.
So... here we are in the city. We'll see how it goes.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Friday, February 18, 2011
I gave up on blogging
Well, so much for keeping a current blog... Honestly though, I have never been good at keeping a journal or diary, so this is no surprise for me - Oh sure I have had diaries, but there were months between entries in all of them. All that I can do now is do my best to transition from a blog that I wrote 8 months ago. While I know that there will be things that I skip, the problem is unavoidable at this point.
Picking up where I left off...
After David and I lost Nathaniel, we recovered well with great support from our friends. He and I experienced a sort of spiritual high, and we became enlightened by our tragedy - we were changed people, experiencing our life blessings in a whole new way... or at least for awhile. After our experiences with and recovery from tough situations and tragedy, David and I fell into a period of monotony and complacency that was undeniable. We liked each other, sure - we even loved each other, but why couldn't we seem to feel connected? In desperation, we reached out to find something fun to do. Our 5 year anniversary came, and we went to St Croix together, calling it a trip of renewal - ha! The trip was amazing; the renewal that came afterwards... not so much. The next year, 2009, was the worst year of our marriage - we spoke of divorce and sought marriage counseling. If there was anything more miserable to experience, I couldn't have handled it - that period was horrible. So, when we were only marginally better in our relationship when the new year came (2010), we made a vow to separate if our next year together brought more bad than good for us. As it turned out... something happened. We turned a corner. We laughed again. We had meaningful conversation. We felt better than ever.
So with the recovery of our relationship, we talked about children again, and the possibility of having a new addition to the family. We weighed the options: surrogacy, adoption, and surgery for me so that we could have our own child. After much discussion and research (and following the advice of my OBGYN), we decided to look into a surgical procedure called a pre-pregnancy transabdominal cerclage placement. And in June of 2010, we drove to San Antonio to have the procedure done. Dr Sabella, in San Antonio, placed the cerclage via da Vinci robot, placing a shoelace-type band just at the base of the uterus to keep the cervix closed during pregnancy. Two weeks later, we were released to attempt conception whenever we felt ready.
Well, both before and after the surgery, David and I began to enjoy our time together, and more and more we started to think about delaying our attempts to conceive. Once the recovery from the surgery had passed, we decided that we would just wait and see what happens - after all, surely I wouldn't conceive right away. HA! I conceived that very cycle that followed the surgery. Who knew it would happen so quickly! We were excited, and well... nervous.
So what came next? Well, there begins another story...
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Well, obviously I have many many stories to catch up on, if I am going to keep this blog current, so keeping in line with my last blog, I will pick back up where I left off.
David and I moved from Nacogdoches to Tyler in 2005, and bought a house - David started working for the family business and I started work for a local hospital. As for Mia, she was having her share of medical problems including pneumonia at least a couple of times per year and of course multiple other illnesses-- fortunately, we found a daycare who would love her and take her in despite her physical disabilities. And thanks to great insurance through my job, Mia started going to physical and occupational therapy twice per week. Needless to say, we had our hands full, but still I wanted more...
Late in 2006 I had suggested trying to have another little one. Keeping in mind all of the complications with my last pregnancy, I went to see my OBGYN in November to discuss my options. Since Mia was delivered in Nacogdoches, my Tyler OB was unfamiliar with my case, and when I told him that my last OB suggested a cerclage, he reviewed my records, and of course agreed that I indeed needed to do something if I became pregnant again.
In January 2007, I found out that I was pregnant. David and I kept the pregnancy somewhat quiet for awhile, but then felt sure that the trouble with Mia was a fluke. Once I was 12 weeks pregnant, my doctor placed a MacDonald suture in the tip of my cervix (a transvaginal cerclage). Following the cerclage, I had had occassional Braxton Hicks contractions, but otherwise no further complications. At 19 weeks, we found out that we were having a boy and were estatic! Then at 20 weeks, my doctor started me on P17 shots to prevent preterm labor. As you can imagine, I thought that I was in the clear this time. Unfortunately at 25 weeks on June 24th, I noticed some spotting; I went to the doctor the next morning who was very displeased to find the stitch blown, my cervix dilated to a 4, preterm labor, and possible premature rupture of the membranes. Following that office appointment-- unaware of the severity of the situation-- I was wheeled to the hospital and placed in trendelenberg position. My doctor made calls to Dallas, but a helicopter ride was out thanks to thunderstorms throughout the area, so I was stuck praying that I could stay stable and keep my baby growing. The next morning, my OB checked me: I was dilated to a 6--my cervix was opening and nothing was slowing it down, not even all of the medications and repositioning that they were trying. A NICU CareFlight team was called just prior to the delivery of Nathaniel Ross, born 1 lb 15 oz via c-section. He was tiny, but looked much healthier than Mia did following her delivery, so we were confident that he would do great -- too confident, I think.
Early morning (more like middle of the night) after Nate was born, I awoke in septic shock, feverish and shaking from the severity of pain and escalating body temperature--I will NEVER forget that night. The next day, the doctor and nurses worked extra hard to break my fever, which didn't break until 9:00 PM. Then, the research for the "why" I had this fever began. Infectious disease doctors and my OBGYN came together to find that I had a uterine infection, which later, we traced back to premature rupture of the membranes which occurred when I dilated with the cerclage in place. At that point, they began treating me for my infection, which kept me in the hospital for a week and a half. After more than a week of IV antibiotics and when I was at least a few days fever free, I was I was discharged from the hospital July 6th, my birthday.
Going backwards: a week after Nate was born, the NICU called to say that the baby had ruptured his bowel, and he required emergency surgery - my uterine infection had reached him. Somehow, he was able to survive the surgery and then another surgery... and yet the downhill slide began. Nate had begun to go into multi-organ failure, and hope of life was lost for our son. So as painful of a decision as it was, on July 12, 2007 we chose to withdraw care. Though painful to lose him, holding our little one as he drifted was incredibly peaceful. And as much as we would love to have him with us today, those few moments of having him in my arms were worth every second. I love him and always will miss him.
David and I moved from Nacogdoches to Tyler in 2005, and bought a house - David started working for the family business and I started work for a local hospital. As for Mia, she was having her share of medical problems including pneumonia at least a couple of times per year and of course multiple other illnesses-- fortunately, we found a daycare who would love her and take her in despite her physical disabilities. And thanks to great insurance through my job, Mia started going to physical and occupational therapy twice per week. Needless to say, we had our hands full, but still I wanted more...
Late in 2006 I had suggested trying to have another little one. Keeping in mind all of the complications with my last pregnancy, I went to see my OBGYN in November to discuss my options. Since Mia was delivered in Nacogdoches, my Tyler OB was unfamiliar with my case, and when I told him that my last OB suggested a cerclage, he reviewed my records, and of course agreed that I indeed needed to do something if I became pregnant again.
In January 2007, I found out that I was pregnant. David and I kept the pregnancy somewhat quiet for awhile, but then felt sure that the trouble with Mia was a fluke. Once I was 12 weeks pregnant, my doctor placed a MacDonald suture in the tip of my cervix (a transvaginal cerclage). Following the cerclage, I had had occassional Braxton Hicks contractions, but otherwise no further complications. At 19 weeks, we found out that we were having a boy and were estatic! Then at 20 weeks, my doctor started me on P17 shots to prevent preterm labor. As you can imagine, I thought that I was in the clear this time. Unfortunately at 25 weeks on June 24th, I noticed some spotting; I went to the doctor the next morning who was very displeased to find the stitch blown, my cervix dilated to a 4, preterm labor, and possible premature rupture of the membranes. Following that office appointment-- unaware of the severity of the situation-- I was wheeled to the hospital and placed in trendelenberg position. My doctor made calls to Dallas, but a helicopter ride was out thanks to thunderstorms throughout the area, so I was stuck praying that I could stay stable and keep my baby growing. The next morning, my OB checked me: I was dilated to a 6--my cervix was opening and nothing was slowing it down, not even all of the medications and repositioning that they were trying. A NICU CareFlight team was called just prior to the delivery of Nathaniel Ross, born 1 lb 15 oz via c-section. He was tiny, but looked much healthier than Mia did following her delivery, so we were confident that he would do great -- too confident, I think.
Early morning (more like middle of the night) after Nate was born, I awoke in septic shock, feverish and shaking from the severity of pain and escalating body temperature--I will NEVER forget that night. The next day, the doctor and nurses worked extra hard to break my fever, which didn't break until 9:00 PM. Then, the research for the "why" I had this fever began. Infectious disease doctors and my OBGYN came together to find that I had a uterine infection, which later, we traced back to premature rupture of the membranes which occurred when I dilated with the cerclage in place. At that point, they began treating me for my infection, which kept me in the hospital for a week and a half. After more than a week of IV antibiotics and when I was at least a few days fever free, I was I was discharged from the hospital July 6th, my birthday.
Going backwards: a week after Nate was born, the NICU called to say that the baby had ruptured his bowel, and he required emergency surgery - my uterine infection had reached him. Somehow, he was able to survive the surgery and then another surgery... and yet the downhill slide began. Nate had begun to go into multi-organ failure, and hope of life was lost for our son. So as painful of a decision as it was, on July 12, 2007 we chose to withdraw care. Though painful to lose him, holding our little one as he drifted was incredibly peaceful. And as much as we would love to have him with us today, those few moments of having him in my arms were worth every second. I love him and always will miss him.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
My first blog
Well it's about time for me to chart this amazing journey that my life has been and has been becoming for the past 29 years. Aside from standard life experiences like, school, marriage and career, life has managed to throw a few curve balls that have allowed me to grow and learn-- after all, the meat of life is in the triumph over the struggles that we face. Thus begins my story...
At 23, so many life changes began to happen: end of school, start of a career, marriage, and pregnancy. I realize that these changes happen to most people, and I would even say that it's not all that uncommon for it to happen all at once (aside from the pregnancy part), but the part that threw me was pregnancy... well, I should say having a baby. Little did I know, my life was about to change for the better, thanks to grace... life's good grace.
When I was about 22 or 23 weeks pregnant (full term is 40 weeks) I came down with bronchitis, and I was unable to get rid of it. And sometime around the 26th week I stayed home with fever and just general malaise. That same day, I had low back pain and side pain which I attributed to a urinary tract infection, and I called my doctor's nurse who prescribed me antibiotics over the phone. Later that night after staying up way late with David my husband, I began to have back spasms - -or what I thought to be back spasms. From midnight on, the back pains continued, and I stayed up the entire night worrying David. Throughout the night, we considered going to the hospital, but we had one trip to the ER 2 weeks prior to that with a false alarm, so we were in no hurry to get me back in for another unnecessary trip. Well, by 7:30am the pains were worse than ever, and David was scheduled to teach class at SFASU that morning. After he left the house and had arrived to teach class, I became sure that I was in labor, so I called him to come get me. He brought to me to the hospital with barely enough time to check me in before they carried me in to surgery to have an emergency C-Section. As it turns out, the baby was in my cervix, but thankfully the water had not broken. And so... Our daughter was born at 9:30 in the morning on November 20, 2003 in Nacogdoches, TX.
Mia Emmeline came into this world with an initial impact of trauma -- bruised arms and legs, difficulty breathing, and eventually problems with brain hemorrhages and keeping her heart rate up. She was a beautiful mess, at 2 pounds and 4 ounces, a head full of black hair, and her skin bright red from the traumatic delivery. By the grace of God, she pulled-through 3 months in the NICU and brain surgeries. She survived that rough beginning and is now 6 years old and finishing Kindergarten. Her condition: cerebral palsy, but in mild form. She struggles with asthma and seizures (which, fortunately, are rare for her), but somehow she is managing to keep up with kids her own age. Sure, her balance is off, she falls a lot, and her right hand is weak, but she makes the most of things, using her good spirit to brighten everyone's days. Oh yes, she can be a sassy and more than a little to obstinent at times, but overall she is this beautiful little charmer who can gain anyone's attention. Everyday, I am amazed at the ways she has overcome so many of her life obstacles--She really is a miracle.
...and I am thankful
At 23, so many life changes began to happen: end of school, start of a career, marriage, and pregnancy. I realize that these changes happen to most people, and I would even say that it's not all that uncommon for it to happen all at once (aside from the pregnancy part), but the part that threw me was pregnancy... well, I should say having a baby. Little did I know, my life was about to change for the better, thanks to grace... life's good grace.
When I was about 22 or 23 weeks pregnant (full term is 40 weeks) I came down with bronchitis, and I was unable to get rid of it. And sometime around the 26th week I stayed home with fever and just general malaise. That same day, I had low back pain and side pain which I attributed to a urinary tract infection, and I called my doctor's nurse who prescribed me antibiotics over the phone. Later that night after staying up way late with David my husband, I began to have back spasms - -or what I thought to be back spasms. From midnight on, the back pains continued, and I stayed up the entire night worrying David. Throughout the night, we considered going to the hospital, but we had one trip to the ER 2 weeks prior to that with a false alarm, so we were in no hurry to get me back in for another unnecessary trip. Well, by 7:30am the pains were worse than ever, and David was scheduled to teach class at SFASU that morning. After he left the house and had arrived to teach class, I became sure that I was in labor, so I called him to come get me. He brought to me to the hospital with barely enough time to check me in before they carried me in to surgery to have an emergency C-Section. As it turns out, the baby was in my cervix, but thankfully the water had not broken. And so... Our daughter was born at 9:30 in the morning on November 20, 2003 in Nacogdoches, TX.
Mia Emmeline came into this world with an initial impact of trauma -- bruised arms and legs, difficulty breathing, and eventually problems with brain hemorrhages and keeping her heart rate up. She was a beautiful mess, at 2 pounds and 4 ounces, a head full of black hair, and her skin bright red from the traumatic delivery. By the grace of God, she pulled-through 3 months in the NICU and brain surgeries. She survived that rough beginning and is now 6 years old and finishing Kindergarten. Her condition: cerebral palsy, but in mild form. She struggles with asthma and seizures (which, fortunately, are rare for her), but somehow she is managing to keep up with kids her own age. Sure, her balance is off, she falls a lot, and her right hand is weak, but she makes the most of things, using her good spirit to brighten everyone's days. Oh yes, she can be a sassy and more than a little to obstinent at times, but overall she is this beautiful little charmer who can gain anyone's attention. Everyday, I am amazed at the ways she has overcome so many of her life obstacles--She really is a miracle.
...and I am thankful
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