Eliza turned 2!

Our spunky little Liza turned 2 in July. I still can't believe we have her & I'm so glad I got to stay around to raise her. She's a delight to have!!She's got her own unique personality and wants to run with the big kids. As soon as she figured out how to say that she's 2, she started telling people that she's 5. Such a nut! She loves playing outside, apples, Super Why & Caillou, gum, and singing and dancing. She's almost always happy, albeit shy around strangers at first.

With cousin Zach, waiting for Heavy, heavy hangover

My sweet cousin Amanda, her hubby Thomas & other family members came

Blowing out the candles

We also partied with the Prestwiches at our house. 

She was genuinely delighted with all of her gifts, and still (now November) carries around her "Tina" doll everywhere she can. Papa Jess gave her a Princess Tiana baby doll set. She loves that doll more than any of my other girls have ever loved a doll in the history of doll loving! We frequently take Tina with us when we got to the school for different things. Instead of me pushing my baby in the stroller, Eliza pushes Tina in her little stroller. So sweet!

When facebook just isn't enough...

Do you ever think in facebook updates? If not, that question probably made no sense.

I'm sure I spend too much time facebooking. One piece of evidence: When I do or see or hear something, I think how I would describe it in a few sentences on facebook. Today I have all these little tidbits going through my brain. Rather than torture my facebook friends, I'll just write them all here and be done.

And then I'll probably share this post (or the link) on facebook, for good measure. Since I learned about the joys of bit.ly at PTA convention, I can easily tweet it too. How's that!

*I don't know if it's because I'm reading Banana Split by Josi Kilpack, or the commercials with the cute little babies and how part of the proceeds provide diapers for bare-bottomed babies, but I couldn't resist the Hawaiian print Huggies today. And the wipes, for good measure.

*I am really looking forward to summer vacation for my kids. Main reason: They can wear swimming suits all day, every day. My laundry pile is rejoicing already!!

*Sometimes, a fish taco from Del Taco sounds like a good idea. It rarely is.

*I may or may not sign up to help with PTA solely for the opportunity to go to PTA convention. It is that good! You should come- see you there, next May!

*Have you seen the show "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding?" Holy train wreck! I'm intrigued that girls who dress (and dance) like such hoochies are seriously still "pure." Can't hold hands or kiss a guy until your wedding, but go ahead and dance in an electric dress that barely covers anything. What!! I can't believe crap like that is on TV, while I'm still pining for "ER." A travesty!

*I love yard sales. I love my neighborhood. The neighborhood-wide yard sale over the weekend made my head spin! We pretty much got Jenna a whole new (cuter than I normally buy) wardrobe for about $30. Seriously! The funny thing is that the items are way nicer than what I could have found in our old yard sale haunts, for about half the price. I feel so blessed! We might be able to keep her clothes AND pay for the braces after all!

*I love my new sewing machine. That will {hopefully} have its own post someday.

*The Race for Reading 5K and Family Fun Run have taken over our lives for the time being. I'm hoping things will settle down after June 9th.

*I know that there is no way things will settle down after June 9th. My projects will just be different ones. More on that to come.

*I call Tim about once a day with a "Random Moment of the Day" call. He knows there are millions of random thoughts going through my brain at any given moment. Now you do too.

*My kids haven't had a break from school that was longer than 3 weeks since July/August of 2010. They had a 6 week break then. That doesn't even really count, since 3 of those 6 weeks, I was HUGELY pregnant and the other 3 of those weeks I was mostly dead. (See Eliza's birth story for the gory details.)

*I have 8 lbs of strawberries in my fridge that need me to make them into jam today so they can fill the measure of their creation. I'd better go see where we packed the canning supplies...

Since we're being random, here are some random pictures of that summer I don't remember- 2010

Jenna's first day of 3rd grade, Aub's first day of 1st grade- tiny Eliza

Lydia's first day of preschool- apropos, since today was her last.

Teeny tiny Eliza

Eliza's favorite food

She still won't let ME have a bite!

What's more Halloween-y than BLOOOOD!

Here's another blatant request for birthday gifts. Do you remember what I want for my birthday? Here's a reminder.

I have been overwhelmed with the response so far! Each donation of blood means so much- it literally means a gift of life for the recipient! What better gift could you give someone?

I want to share an email that I received from my college roommate & sweet friend, Jana. She married another of my good friends, Tony. (Just so you know the characters in the story) Hope this is ok to share... I should have asked before, perhaps. Every time I read it I cry. Every time I tell someone about it I cry. No one has ever done more for me!

Bean,
I must have missed your post about giving blood for your birthday, but Tony saw it the other day and told me about it. He wanted me to check into where he could give blood (I just can't do it...I pass out every time. Do you remember that from Snow? It's one of Tony's favorite stories to tell!:)) and so I went to the Red Cross website and they don't service our area and I went to a few other sites and they don't service our area either so I called our local hospital and they directed me to the blood bank in Grand Junction. So after talking with them, we're going to be having a blood drive here in Delta on your birthday!! We're hoping to have a lot of people respond especially from our ward that you can count towards your 34. I'll give you the final numbers when I get them! The lady I talked to from the blood bank asked why I was interested in having a blood drive and so I told her your story and she was pretty impressed. This is such a great idea...I may even give it a shot again...we'll see how I'm feeling that day...I might be able to make it through for you!:) So HAPPY BIRTHDAY from Tony and I!!
Love,
Jana

Holy cow! It would have been so easy for them to just not donate since there wasn't a convenient place to do so. If you are in the area of Delta, Colorado on November 9th, stop in! I am crying again...

So, if you are able, please donate blood. If you can't donate blood, donate some other act of service to someone in need. Open the door for someone, read to a child, join PTA :), help an old lady with her groceries, give some one a smile who doesn't have one. Let me know how it goes!

Multi-tasking mama

So, I was sitting at the kitchen table with my little computer paying my bills online with one hand while I held my baby with the other. She was nursing to her heart's content. Don't picture it. I said DON'T.

The phone rings. It is the pediatrician's office returning my call. I give her my credit card number to pay for Eliza's in-hospital care from 3 months ago. (Oops) I am reading the card with about a third of my left eye, since the other two thirds and my right eye are busy with other tasks. I am listening with one ear to her and the other ear is receiving questions from the older girls about where we put hats and gloves the last time we used them 5 months ago. I answer them with jerks of my head in various directions.

Not to be out done in the multi-tasking department, Eliza proved she, too, can do more than one thing at a time as she pooped the biggest blow-out of her short career. Well done! Even I don't eat and use the bathroom at the same time. This girl will go far!

Eliza's 2 month picture- hurry before she's 3 months old!

Sad baby after her 2 month check up. She had beefed up to a whopping 9lbs 7 oz.

Leg warmers !

(the pics are all mixed up, but I'm holding a sleeping baby, so I'm not going to mess

with them more.)

Three shots in those skinny little frog legs!

This was the first time I caught her smile on film, but she was tipping over sideways.

Miss October 2011

It's my birthday...

...in a month. I'm giving you time now to prepare my gift. Yes, you. I want the same gift from all of my loyal readers. All 5 of you.

I'm sure you've heard mention of that new baby at my house. You may have even read the harrowing tale of her birth. Do you remember back in December when I posted this:? {not sure where to put the question mark there...}

Did I call it, or what?

So, in celebration of living to see another birthday, I am going to boldly ask everyone I know, and any strangers that happen upon my blog, for a gift this year. It's not exactly FOR me, but BECAUSE of me. Let's pay it forward, shall we?

I want your blood. I have been a faithful blood donor for my whole adult life. It's an easy act of service that I never gave too much thought before. I pictured blood going to save a car crash victim or something similarly tragic. I never pictured a mom living to raise her baby because of a blood donation. After Eliza was born, I was the beneficiary of 6 selfless acts of service by some lovely A+ donors.

Since I can't personally thank these anonymous donors, I want to ask you to fill the blood bank nearest you! I am turning 34 on November 9th and would love to have 34 people (or more) tell me they donated blood between now and then. Or even after.

If you can't donate blood for some reason, recruit someone who can. If you can't find a willing bleeder, donate some time or $ to the Red Cross, ARUP, a hospital, or some other kind deed.

If you've never donated before, it is very simple. This is one of those cases where it is better to give {blood} than to receive {blood}! Be brave. Call me and I'll come hold your hand. Plus, you get a treat after for being a good kid! It only takes about 30 minutes and then you are on your way. You can even use it as a reason to avoid house work for 24 hours after!

I am so grateful that I am here to raise my daughters! I know that my miraculous recovery was aided by fresh blood from donors. I hope you'll consider donating blood this month. Please leave me a message afterward! Thanks for the gift of life!

www.redcrossblood.org - (801) 892-4000
www.utahblood.org - (801) 584-5272

While you're at it, register to be an organ donor!
www.yesutah.org

Eliza at one month- mostly pictures

Eliza turned one {month} on August 28

She still loves to be scrunched up & swaddled.

She has yummy little toes!

She is very sweet and peaceful.

We were taking pictures in grandma's little kiddie pool. She is still so tiny. At one month, she finally made it back to her birth weight, plus one ounce more.

Eliza loves to take a bath. She looks like she's ready to pop her sister if she gets too close!

She sleeps great in the Boppy. (The cover is so cute on the other side, but it clashed with her jammies.

For perspective, she's just a little bigger than a package of size 1 diapers.

A few pictures of the babe

What are you looking at?

Eliza has long feet! Her coloring might be like mom,
but maybe her height will be more like dad!



She is quite fond of the Sooothies binikies-
the green hospital ones, not the cuter pink ones.

The nurses made her a cute pink bow.

My friend Allison took super cute pictures of her!

See more here.

Daddy picked out this cute blanket to come home from the hospital.

She really hates being photographed.

Lydia lives in Eliza's face.

Our flash stopped working at the hospital, so our pictures are limited. There's a few for now.

Part three: Seriously? What else could go wrong?

Sorry about the wait for the final part of the story. I seem to have lost the past week. Eliza hasn't been gaining weight as quickly as she's supposed to, so I spent the entire week nursing & force-feeding the poor kid.


(side note: Tim added some of his experiences to the end of my last post if you'd like to read them. It made me cry...)


So, after what seemed like forever, we were ready to move out of recovery and into my room. I was so incredibly thirsty that I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had been on oxygen for a long time & they wouldn't let me drink anything, fearing I would need surgery. The nurse did let me chew some gum to help a bit. What a weird sensation- coming back to life & wanting a drink so bad. That's my main memory of this part- thirst!


Around 8:30- 9:00 I was moved to my room. Again, we got the closest available room to the nurses' station. It wasn't quite the 'Do not let me die suite' like after Lydia, but it was good to know help was near by. When you leave recovery at Alta View, they play 'Rock-a-bye baby" over the loud speaker to announce the birth. I felt like they should have been playing the Rocky theme song or something a little more triumphant. We had overcome a lot! WE SURVIVED!


The rest of the night was uneventful. They told me not to get out of bed- like I could have if I tried. Tim stayed with me & Eliza was in the nursery part of the night and with us after about 5am- I was wide awake & wanted to see my baby. I hadn't had much time with her the day before.


Then someone thought I should get up and walk around. "Let's get you into the bathroom." Why? I was fine where I was. I felt like I needed a crane to get out of the bed. Tim & the nurse helped me shuffle to the bathroom with my feet feeling like they were in cement boots. I made it to the bathroom- a good 8 feet away. That's when I felt really hot & nauseous. Not a good sign. Things are fuzzy after that. I passed out sitting there and finally remember anxious people dragging me back to the bed where I was laid flat. This is when talk of transfusions began.


The phlebotomist was summoned and eventually blood was drawn. I have no idea how many blood draws & pokes I had throughout the week. I stopped counting after 30. After having to call in the veteran to try after the new kids, they started just sending the veteran each time. Good thing I'm not afraid of needles. There was often digging along with the poking, as my veins dove & burst & generally didn't cooperate. Toward the end of my stay, the phlebotomists were telling me they were hitting scar tissue & valves. It was gross. We also found out I'm allergic to hypo-allergenic tape. Of course.


Back to the story. My blood work came back & my hematocrit was at 23. Twenty-three what, I don't know. All I know is that wasn't good. It was at 33 when I was admitted. I had my first transfusion Thursday to boost that blood count. I was promised it would make me feel like a new woman. Sounds great!


Two bags of blood later, the nurses thought I should get up. Another trip to the bathroom & shower. Why, oh, why must we rush these things? This time, Tim was gone to retrieve my other children from my parents' house. I remember telling the nurse and aide that I was glad my husband wasn't there since my last trip out of bed had traumatized him when I passed out. Me and my big mouth.


(My dignity was totally obliterated by all of this. If I share too much, you can stop reading.)


I made it to the toilet, where it seemed like a lot came out. I had been on an IV for over 24 hours, so I wasn't alarmed. They moved me over to the shower where I sat on the shower chair in what seemed like really hot water. I felt something strange and reached down in time to catch a blood clot about the size of a small apple. Uh, nurse... She had been trying to give my some privacy to that point, but now she was concerned. The curtain was flung open and I told her I felt nauseous and asked to turn the water cold. "Let's get you back on the toilet." Yes, let's.


The nurse and the aide moved me back to the toilet and that's when things went dark- fast. I remember that I was watching something, kind of dreaming. I was involved in the storyline, but I don't remember what it was. I remember being annoyed that someone was trying to interrupt this nice, peaceful scene I was enjoying. After a time I realized that the person interrupting was talking to me, trying to wake me up. I knew I should answer her and felt like I had to swim to the surface from the bottom of a deep swimming pool to get where I could answer her. It was the sweet aide, Nikki. When I was able to open my eyes again, there where four people crowded around me in that tiny bathroom. Awesome. In all my birthday suit splendor. Anyone else want to come in? I have no idea how long I was out, but at least long enough for more people & equipment to arrive.


I found out why there is an emergency cord in the bathroom. That was how the extra helpers were summoned, along with a wheel chair to get me back to the bed. Nothing makes you feel incapable like an 8 foot wheel chair ride.


Turns out that in addition to the smallish clot in the shower, I had also passed a larger clot- 800 cc's. (grapefruit size) I call it 'Edward.' To give you some perspective, the transfusion I had just received was only 660 cc's of blood. This was not good. Right on cue, Tim and the girls showed up as I was getting put back in bed flat on my back.


Alta View fixes a fancy steak dinner for two with a nice table setting, sparkling cider, the works. Mine showed up shortly after the Edward experience. I did not feel like eating, so Tim & the girls enjoyed a lovely meal. Tim's brother and his wife, Sam & Janika were also there visiting around this time. Tim & Sam gave me a blessing. They also took the girls for the night. Tim had been planning to bring them home and spend the night at our house, but the passing out changed our plans.

This was one of many interventions by our family and friends that helped so much with the older girls. Our plans changed hour by hour, so thank you all who stepped in to help!

Suffice it to say, I needed another transfusion the next day. My blood count was still low. I was determined to go to the breastfeeding class Friday morning, so I hauled my transfuser across the hall to the class. I probably horrified the other class members. Sorry- I was not thinking clearly. The class was very helpful, though! I highly recommend it! The lactation consultant came to my room after and helped a lot. I think much of our success nursing came from that class & the great teacher.

While nursing Eliza & receiving blood, I reached my left hand over her to do something and blood went pouring everywhere. The line that was attached to my IV site had come unhooked and the donor blood was running everywhere. That's $550 worth of blood spilling everywhere! I needed every last drop! Thankfully Tim was there and pinched the line shut while I paged the nurse. I don't think they realized what was happening and we had to page twice. When she came in and saw, she started moving faster. We started to wonder if the child should be named Murphy's Law Prestwich.

Optimistic nurses kept taking out my IV when they thought I was done, so I ended up with at least 5 IVs and a few more failed attempts. I finally asked them not to take out my IV until I was at the nurse's station being discharged! (When I got my bill, I saw each IV site cost $50. Grrr. Thank goodness for insurance.)

Another thing about my nurses- they kept calling and checking on me when they were off work. Others who had helped me earlier in the week would stop in to see me. A few I didn't remember meeting (they must have come on bad days) would tell me how much better I looked than the last time they saw me. They were all so sweet, even if we traumatized them repeatedly. I was what you might call a teaching case. One nurse that was there for my transfusion was being taught how to do it as she went. Turns out she has worked there for 8 years and had never had to give someone blood. Glad we could be of service!

Things settled down a lot after the second transfusion, but my blood count dropped again. Dr Smith's brand spankin' new partner was in charge of me Saturday and she came in to tell me that it looked like I would need a third transfusion. She was very sweet and delivered the news herself. We later found out that it was literally her first day. She looked like she was 16- I felt older and older as the days wore on. (When the new pediatrician came for Eliza's check up, I thought for sure I was hallucinating. He looks 12. When did I get so old?)

Another trip to the bathroom brought more fun. I emptied my bladder and then heard what sounded like running water. Turns out it was more blood pouring out of me. Awesome. Oh nurse...

Saturday was spent getting more blood, resting and enjoying quiet time with my baby. I looked horrible- not that I cared much. My face was all one color- white. My cheeks were the same color as the parts of my skin that have no pigment. It was kind of creepy. I hadn't looked at my reflection for days, so that was a bit unnerving for me.

The girls spent Friday night in Nephi at Aunt Jen's and had so much fun! They went to Gavin's baptism and Jen brought them back up that night. They had enjoyed three nights of sleepovers, but were anxious to get back to their own beds. Tim brought them home and, of course, couldn't get in the house. The fuse had blown in the garage so the opener wouldn't work. The storm door had been locked somehow and the keys were all inside. Tim finally had to break a window and lower Jenna into the downstairs bathroom. Seriously! At this point, all we can do is laugh about the whole thing. I was ridiculous!

Sunday Tim got the girls all ready and took them to church. The Lynches kept them and Tim was able to come to the hospital for the day. I was feeling much better and even got a shower without incident! My blood count had improved slightly and I was given the choice to go home if I felt up to it. I was so ready to get out of there! Everyone took great care of me, but I just wanted to be in my own space & with my other kids. I finally felt strong enough to get dressed. It took a lot out of me and I had to rest again for a while, but I finally was discharged around 7pm Sunday evening. The very last thing we did before I got in the wheel chair was take out my IV. I wasn't chancing it again!

There were also visits from family and friends throughout the week. I don't remember the details- hope I didn't say anything too crazy. Thanks for coming!

I know this post jumps around a bit. My memories of the week are like snapshots- disjointed, without a clear timeline. I don't share this looking for pity or anything. We are at the point where we can look back and laugh. What else can we do? Mostly, I want to make a record of this to torture Eliza with when she's older. :)

When all is said and done, I come away from this experience with a greater appreciation for the gift of life. I am so glad I get to be with my family! I am blessed that a perfectly healthy angel baby got to come to our family. I know she was supposed to be here. Even though I couldn't have anticipated the level of danger this time around, I knew things were going to be rough. It wasn't pleasant, but it was worth it.

Even as I came home and had to take handfuls of pills and all sorts of awesome ointments, creams, and on and on, I got to come home. Period. It will be a while before I am back up to speed, but I feel better every day. Dr Jones told me to expect 120 days for my blood to be fully restored and to be feeling back to normal- I lost at least 2500 ccs of blood that was measured- who knows how much more when down the drains. (Normal adult has 5000-6000 ccs of blood) Be patient with me if I act loopy or forget things you asked me. I'm working on it. Thanks again for your love, support and prayers. I needed every last one & they worked miracles!

Part two: My worst delivery ever

Warning: this is very bloody. Proceed with caution.

So, enter the vacuum. This was the first time I had this particular experience and it might not have been so bad if my epidural had not worn off so much. Owww again.

The sudden swarm of activity in the room was much different than my previous deliveries. With my other babies, only Tim, me, my doctor, delivery nurse and a baby nurse were present. This time, we also started with a respiratory therapist and a few extra nurses that I think came with the vacuum.

Once the vacuum was ready, I pushed twice and out came baby- ready or not. Dr Smith laid baby face down on my stomach, but didn't tell us the gender. He let us turn her over to find out together. Not knowing the gender ahead of time really added some fun anticipation and extra surprise! I'm glad we waited! Tim helped me flip her over and we saw she was a she. Yay! He was right. I was wrong. (He loves when I admit that!)

Eliza Tess Prestwich

born 7/28/10, 17:17, 7 lbs 7 oz, 19.5 inches

Tim cut the cord and a nurse came to get baby to weigh & check her. That's when Dr Smith told me to push again to deliver the placenta. Dang placenta. That's always when the fun begins.

For my nurse friends: Here's where we get to use our fun vocabulary words like methergen, Cytotec, plasma extender and 16 gauge needles.

Out came the placenta, promptly followed by the horrible sensation of vast amounts of blood also leaving my body. That is not something you ever get used to. The more the nurses kneaded my stomach, the more gushing I felt. At this point the swarm of activity escalated. Things were going dark on my end, but there were more people coming in the room bringing all sorts of things. I remember telling Tim to go over with the baby. I knew they were going to poke more holes in me and I didn't want him right there. I remember looking over to the bassinet and seeing Tim holding Eliza while he and the RT looked at me with horrified faces. I'm pretty sure the RT doesn't normally see that kind of blood in his daily routine. He beat it out of there as fast as he could.

At some point Tim brought Eliza over by my head all wrapped up cute. I will never forget the peace I felt as I looked into those alert, beautiful dark eyes looking at me. I knew it would turn out ok.

Here's where I was in and out of consciousness for a while. It is a strange feeling to have so many people working on you while you have no control over what is happening and can't participate in the process. I had to have faith in them and in Heavenly Father that things would work out the way they were supposed to.

My sweet nurse, Jessica, was on my right hand side. I could hear her asking if I was still there over and over. Occasionally I could whisper to her or nod. On the left was the anesthesiologist asking me questions, but I couldn't turn my head to respond. Tim later told me they brought the anesthesiologist in to place an IV for plasma extender. My veins had collapsed and the nurse couldn't get an IV in. There was blood all over my hand from a failed attempt. Unfortunately, Tim had a direct view of that mishap.

In my haze, I would catch words here and there. One thing that stood out was the word "Vycril." I heard Dr Smith ask for more of it a few times. I knew that wasn't good. From my days as a dental assistant, I know Vycril is suture material. Tim later asked how many stitches I had. Dr Smith told him he didn't count them. He said it was more like hemming a dress- you just keep going until it's done. He did, however, tell us that he used 6 feet of Vycril. I'm barely over five feet tall. You do the math.

Through all the trauma, Tim was right there. He held my baby where I could see her (when my eyes were open). He didn't leave when things got so bloody. He is amazing. I can't imagine the situation reversed and having to watch him go through something like that. For me, it was much easier to be on my end, except for seeing the fear and concern in his eyes. That was hard for me to feel like I was making him suffer. I mostly didn't want him to have to tell his girls that mommy wasn't ever coming home. I love my family so much and I am so glad I am here with them!

The next thing I remember was the room slowly coming back into focus and I was shaking. I was shaking so hard that it took me at least 45 minutes to stop. Between the epidural, cold IVs of who-knows-what, and good old fashioned shock, my body couldn't stop. I had piles of warm blankets and I was concentrating on breathing deeply through the giant oxygen mask. My jaw was sore from clenching my teeth in an attempt to hold still.

Around this time (I think) I sent Tim out with Eliza to meet her sisters and Grandma Barb and Papa Gary. The picture at the top of my blog was taken when they met for the first time. Lydia was quick to point out that she was right- the baby was a girl. She was was SO SURE!

So much happened during that crazy delivery, that it took Jessica and hour to chart everything. While I was shaking, she was next to me typing like a mad woman. I lost 1480 cc's of blood during delivery. Tim said Dr Smith was covered with blood from the shoulders down. We traumatized more than one nurse. They offered to pass around a collection plate to contribute to a vasectomy so we wouldn't try this again! I was Jessica's last patient before she left for a two week vacation and I think she more than earned it. If you remember, during labor she asked my about my previous deliveries and I told her that my bleeding had gotten worse each time. She was so prepared with all the right medicines and supplies so we had what we needed in the room ahead of time. I know that these amazing professionals saved my life! I would never have survived a home birth. I definitely wouldn't have made it as a pioneer!

Jessica apologized that I wasn't out of recovery within an hour of delivery. I never knew that was a goal. I felt bad that we had reached the end of her shift (7pm) and she was still at work. Soon, my night nurse (Chris) came in to take over & we moved to the next phase of the adventure.

Stay tuned for "The worst recovery ever." (if I haven't totally grossed you out yet)

Tim's addition: Anyone whose delivered in the hospital can recognize the rhythmic thump..thump..thump.. of the baby's heart monitor. I held my breath and I think my heart waited as we listened and waited for Eliza's heart to start beating again after a contraction. I lived a lifetime in that moment...waiting. Her heart beat again and then again and then back up to the familiar thump..thump..thump.. the nurse wasted no time calling the Doctor back to our room. When he saw the heart beat drop and discovered Eliza was upside down he called for the vacuum. He apologized ahead of time, saying we had to for the baby. The Doc's and nurses faces showed concern, and the room was full of equipment and people and an unsettled feeling. I was not sure if everyone was worried abut the baby or Corrine. I was worried about both. Somehow I knew everything would be okay, but what did that even mean?

The Doc said okay here we go, we're going to have a boy and no bleeding! No such luck. Eliza came out slick as ...um.... she came out quick. But she didn't cry or scream and her face was blue for a few moments. When we looked at her to see she was a her I remember thinking how unimportant the gender seemed now, I just wanted my baby to breath and Corrine to be okay. She finally cried a little, I cut the cord, she was doing great, but that uneasy feeling just kept growing.

I heard the doctor say 2nd degree and 3rd degree tears, he asked to start the blood clotting drugs. Ah oh, we've been down this road before. The tension hung in the room. The doctor looked stressed and concerned. More shots, more doctor orders, more nurses running. I could hear the blood gushing out and slopping on the floor. I looked, and wondered how much blood a person could lose. Corrine told me to go take care of the baby. I just went but I wasn't sure if she'd just sent me away to protect me or to protect the baby.

It was a relief to see Eliza was wide eyed and mostly pink. Across the room Corrine's eyes were shut and she was white like her bed sheets. Eliza's nurse kept talking to me, but I was watching & listening Corrine. Corrine's nurse kept shouting at her, " Corrine are you still with us?" Sometimes Corrine would respond. One time when there was no response I wondered if Corrine's spirit would stay in the room or if she would be able to hear the nurse shouting to her. Would the nurses urging bring her back?

More blood, more orders, more nurses scrambling. Corrine was bleeding out of her left arm now while the nurses tried to get another IV started. They complained that her veins were diving and collapsing I thought "Stop that bleeding on her arm she needs her blood." They called someone who was a specialist to try the IV, meanwhile another nurse tried again and again-and was finally successful just as the specialist showed up.

Eliza was wrapped tightly in a blanket and I was holding her while pressed up against the wall watching. More blood, more orders, more nurses. The doctor had called for cross typing and 2 units right away and two on hold. He looked gruesome, his gown was covered in blood up to both shoulders and down the front to his legs and feet. The nurse was still calling out to Corrine, and I could not see Corrine respond at all. I was praying and still had hope when but when Corrine didn't respond that time a wave of terror fell over me. I was going to raise four girls alone, I was going to take a baby home without her mother, I felt cold, lonely and realized how much i depend on Corrine. I felt like Peter suddenly sinking into the sea, and the waves were about to bury my head.... Just then a thought popped into my mind, it would seem silly to some, so I won't tell it here. But I did it. Hoped returned.

Soon the situation began to improve. Corrine was moving. The nurses were pushing stuff into her through multiple tubes but were more relaxed. The doctor was sewing but wasn't shouting. He worked for a long time. While he was working I did ask him if he would spot me a few bucks to pay for a vasectomy...he looked at me with a puzzled look before he realized I was joking--he said we could pass a hat and everyone in the room would contribute (there were still 4 nurses in the room). We all laughed. Then he said, whatever we do, lets not do this again. I agreed.

Things were finally stabilizing, I took Eliza down the hall to show her to the Sisters and G-ma. I wanted to run out the door and leave the hospital right then. But I reminded myself that the trauma was over and everything was fine now. If I'd only known....

My best labor ever

I can't believe it has been two weeks since Eliza entered the world! I had better write down my memories now before they get any fuzzier! It is kind of long and rambling, but it does cover 8 hours of events & I am still not completely in my right mind.

July 28, 2010
Tim dropped me off at Alta View Hospital about 7:30 am. He walked me to the doors and then I went the rest of the way by myself. This might seem odd to some (and to the nurse that checked me in) but having been induced three other times, I know nothing happens immediately except hospital gowns, IVs and blood work. While that was happening, Tim took the girls to my parents' house and got them settled for the day and then came back to the hospital.

My sweet labor nurse, Jessica, got me all settled and we talked about my previous deliveries and the probability of hemorrhaging. She was a wonderful nurse and listened when I told her what had happened. She made sure we were very prepared and wasn't the "I'm a nurse so I know better" type. Her preparedness was key later on! At this point we had our first miss on an IV, so the charge nurse, Jeralyn, came in and tried again on the other hand. I am what they call a hard stick, which only got worse through the week.

By 8:30 or 9 I had my pitocin and the waiting began. It takes quite a bit for me to dilate, so they turned up the pitocin by increments of 4 instead of the usual 2. We were chugging along and the contractions were getting more frequent, but not super strong. I was enjoying the NCIS marathon on cable and we kept waiting. Dr Smith broke my water around 11:00 (I think) and we kept going. My mom brought the girls to visit and the darndest thing happened. While the girls were there, my contractions basically stopped, despite the pit drip around a 15. I think Eliza was scared of them! Her quiet, comfy spot was better than being out with her loud sisters!

So, more waiting, more NCIS, more flavored ice chips. The ice chips were a nice new addition. They had what was probably snow cone flavoring of some sort that they put on your ice if you want. I enjoyed strawberry ice for hours. This made up somewhat for the lack of warming the penicillin. When I had Lydia at Jordan Valley, they wouldn't let me have ice chips, but they warmed the penicillin before putting it in my arm. Cold penicillin in warm veins OWWWW!

As a side note, if you are going to be induced, I would highly recommend going on a Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday are the busy induction days. I was one of only 3 ladies in the labor side of the women's center. Excellent service! When I was ready for my epidural, the anesthesiologist was there as the words left my mouth. I was expecting a half hour wait.

Around 2:00 I got my epidural and then blissfully enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with more NCIS. (Tim hates that show, btw. He kept himself entertained by posting strange things on my facebook page.) At 4:00, I was dilated to a 7. By 4:30 I was at a 10, but the baby was still really high in the birth canal. That fast dilation earned this baby a gold star!

A girl came in to set up the room for delivery and when I looked again, it was a girl I used to babysit when she was 3. (Hi Dana!) Turns out she graduates from nursing school in December. Man, I felt too old for what I was about to do.

At 5:00, Dr Smith decided baby was still too high, so he was going to go down the hall for a few minutes to visit a friend who was in the hospital and I was to push with the nurse to get baby down lower. He had made it about 10 feet down the hall when I had another contraction and baby's stats dropped. She was face up and was now in distress. Jessica sent for the doctor immediately. Dr Smith came back and told me that I needed to have the baby right now. He said, "We're going to have to use the vacuum and it might not be pretty, but baby needs to come now." At this point I was really glad I didn't have the mirror this time around.

That's where "The Best Labor Ever" changed to something else entirely.

My constant companion

Through the ordeal that we've had this last week, Tim has been so amazing! Not one for needles or hospitals in general, he has witnessed so much and stayed right by my side and not complained once.

I could tell how things were going by the look of concern on his face when things started to go bad after Eliza was born. As he tells me about the details of things I missed when I was 'gone' I hear the concern and love in his voice and I am so glad I get to be here to enjoy my family. In spite of the needles flying, blood spewing and chaotic activity in that room, he didn't leave me. It would have been easy to walk away, or pass out!

I shudder to think about the things he has seen, done and had to help me with. How many tears he has dried! My dignity is gone, but I know how much he loves me just by the concern in his eyes when he looks at me. I could not ask for a better husband or a more steady, constant companion. I am so blessed to have him for my husband and the father of my daughters.

I love you, Tim. I could not do this without you!

Beautiful baby pictures

We made it home from the hospital tonight. I'm not ready to give the details of the last week- mostly due to time/exhaustion. We'll worry about that later. For now, I thought I'd show you the pictures that the hospital photographer took.

Click on the website here. Choose the big square that says "View Photos." Enter our password in the little box: 0728elizaprestwich.

Could she be any cuter? Not that I'm biased or anything, but I think she's gorgeous!

Now it IS the big day!

So, here I sit in my dark kitchen at 4:45 am sipping a Sprite. I have been instructed to not eat after midnight and only to drink clear liquids up until 5 am. Not a huge fan of Sprite, (and yes, I've also had a bunch of water) but I have a feeling I'm in for a long day and wanted the calories to sustain me somewhat. I thought about fudging a bit on the recommendations- my sister got to eat on her way to the hospital when she was induced with her last baby- but memories of violent vomiting in previous deliveries quickly ended my rebellious thoughts.

This is really some rambling thoughts, but I need to thank everyone who has been so helpful to me and my family over the last 9 months. There is no way I could thank you each individually, partly because much of your service and prayers have been given anonymously. It has all been so appreciated! It is miraculous to me that I'm going to have a baby today. Miraculous that we decided (with some divine intervention) to have another baby at all and miraculous that I am still pregnant and healthy. The Lord has sustained us through this and has important work for this little one to accomplish somewhere!

I've already told you in previous ramblings that I am so thankful for the power of the priesthood and the blessings that have healed and comforted me. I am so eternally grateful for my wonderful husband who honors his priesthood and is ever ready to bless me. What a wonderful man! I love him more every day & am so blessed to have him in my life!

If this labor proceeds like my previous ones have, I will have most of the day to sit around and wait today. I will try to keep you posted when things happen. Anyone know of the wi-fi situation at Alta View? If nothing else, I'll ask my sisters to hack in here and post something. (I have the best sisters, too! And parents, and daughters. I'm so blessed!)

So, shoppers start your engines. Soon you will know the gender of this naked child. Then, head to the stores with his or her grandmas, who have been chomping at the bit to buy baby clothes!

Have a wonderful day and thanks again for all you've done for me!

PS I did proofread this, but make no guarantees. It's very early in the morning and I took half a Unisom before bed last night.

The big day...

As of this moment, I am scheduled to have my baby tomorrow. At my appointment this morning, we were able to a spot for an induction tomorrow!!!

In TMI news, I am dilated to a 2. For most women that would be a disappointment. For me, that's the furthest I've ever been outside of the hospital. Heck, it usually takes a few hours of pitocin to get to a 2. I'm feeling encouraged already!

Soon we will get to meet Baby X and let you know who won the boy/girl debate at our house!

What women need

Two things every pregnant woman needs:
A razor that requires no shaving cream and the least amount of bending possible- the Schick Intuition razor. These are great when you're not pregnant, but imperative when you are.

Glitter toes. This picture is awful, but so are my feet. The only good thing they have going for them is the awesome glitter toes. Why glitter toes? You don't have to paint your nails since it doesn't flake or chip. You just get them re-done when they grow out to the point that they bug you. It is basically fake nails on your toes, but doesn't look creepy. At 39 weeks pregnant, my cute toe nails are my best feature- hands down! I don't have to try acrobatics or unnatural contortions to reach my feet or rely on my 6 year old to paint my toe nails!

Call my cute cousin Jessi to get your toes done. 801-828-5499. She does them at a salon in Taylorsville and they are only $15! That is a much better price than I have seen anywhere else. Tell her Corrine sent you!

New baby name poll

Ok, I think I fixed the name poll problem. We would love to hear what you think about the names we are pondering. If you have other suggestions, leave them in the comments.

Then we have to pick a middle name...

Some lessons have to be learned the hard way

Or should I say, sometimes I have to learn things the hard way. I don't always pay attention when the lessons come gently.


This pregnancy has taught me a few things that I should have already learned by now, but apparently haven't. I thought I'd better document them so when I forget again, I can re-read them instead of re-learning them again.


1. Just say "NO."

I am notorious in my family and neighborhood for my inability to say NO when asked to do something. It doesn't matter if I have the time, ability or goods to complete a task, I can be heard saying, "Sure, I can do that." Starting this pregnancy with bed rest and then 'light duty' (whatever that means) really made me take a few steps back and forced me to say NO to things I would have taken on previously. I also learned how to adapt and be able to say yes to modified things. When I couldn't help in Jenna's classroom, I was able to correct papers that the teacher sent home. That helped me not feel totally useless and out of touch with the school, but I could do it from my bed or rocking chair.


I have also had to turn away craft orders at times when I couldn't be sitting at my sewing machine. Turning away a hobby that earned me some spending money- ouch!


I know this is a lesson I will still have to work on. I did agree to be on next year's PTA board in the midst of all this. But I will keep trying. My health and family have to come first no matter what. My church calling as Gospel Doctrine teacher has helped me say NO more, compared to my former RS calling, but I know I will always struggle to find balance here.


2. Just say "YES."

As much as I try to help other people, I hate to have people do things for me that I can or think I can do for myself. I have had to learn to humble myself and accept help when it is offered- and occasionally call and ask for help. Gulp! This is so beyond my comfort zone. Showing signs of weakness is not something I do if I can help it. Can you say "control freak?"


I am surrounded by wonderful friends and family who have willingly picked up my slack on all sides. The first time my mom came and did my dishes I felt like a complete loser. My pride was wounded when my children had to take on more responsibilities. (I got over that quickly.) In the last few days I have heard myself accepting offers to come help get the house ready for the baby. I surprised myself when I readily accepted and I could tell the people offering were surprised that they didn't have to talk me into it. (Maybe they had hoped I wouldn't accept so quickly :) )


My sweet friend called yesterday to see if she could host a baby shower for me and told me that she wouldn't take NO for an answer. I wasn't going to say it! I am ready to admit that I could use a little help & will gratefully accept it! Without knowing the gender of the baby, I haven't amassed a wardrobe or other gender-specific items for the little one. (If you want an invite, let me know.) I will be eternally grateful for help!


3. Good enough is good enough.

You perfectionists out there are cringing right along with me on that one. I have had to learn to take things down a few notches & accept 'good enough' when that is all that is needed. Paper plates with dinner a few nights a week- hey, at least I fed the family. No centerpieces on the tables at the dinner after Jenna's baptism? The cute colorful plastic cups were fine and I doubt anyone cared/noticed besides me. Cupcakes instead of elaborately decorated birthday cakes for the parties? Six-year-olds can smear cupcakes everywhere just as easily as a fancy cake.


I wish I could say that the house work has had to be scaled back, but it has never been my strong suit anyway. I have learned to let the kids' best effort stand on tasks I've asked them to do- when they did their best. Sometimes the 8 yr old rushes and it looks like the 3 yr old did a job. She does get to re-do those.


I have come to realize that many of the things I spent so much time worrying about- as far as how other people perceived my effort- go relatively unnoticed by other people. No one else knows how I had envisioned XYZ to be carried out. They will never know if the decorations didn't turn out like I thought or if the game for the kindergarten class party was shorter than I thought.


I'm still uptight more than I need to be, but this will be a work in progress for years to come. 30- something years of a habit die hard.


4. You gotta have faith.

Logically I know this. From the previously mentioned items, you probably noticed a pattern of trying to do it all by myself. With the medical scare at the beginning of the pregnancy and other lingering issues, my faith has been put to the test. I knew going into this that everything would be ok. I don't know that my definition of ok and the Lord's definition of ok are the same, but I have faith that things will work out according to a greater plan. Everything that has had me worried over the last few months has turned out fine. Tim & my doctor have both told me repeatedly that I just need to have more faith. Men saying that to a nervous, hormonal pregnant lady are taking their lives in their hands, but they were right. I have had priesthood blessings of healing and comfort that have worked miracles for me. I have been the beneficiary of the prayers of many others. All of these have combined to increase my faith in the Lord & His promises. I know everything will be ok.

5. A little Prevacid goes a long way. (Same applies for Unisom)

This is not a philosophical realization, but a practical one. Last week I couldn't take the heart burn anymore. I was up all night after just having a small drink of luke-warm water. I have never had heartburn that Tums couldn't handle and I finally asked my doctor for something. This was hard for me, for some lame reason. I guess it goes back to admitting weakness. I hate taking medicine of any sort, so I had put this off as long as possible- suffering needlessly. Duh! A few days later I was late taking my dose and I could feel the heartburn starting and at the same time noticed my patience with my children crumbling. I realized that this same feeling happened every afternoon and I didn't connect it with the heartburn until the heartburn wasn't there for a few days. What a rotten mom- yelling at my kids because I was uncomfortable, something that I could have remedied easily. Sorry for making you suffer my wrath for longer than I realized. That was probably TMI. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for whatever help you need. That's why they are overpaid.

I shouldn't have had to learn this lesson so late in life. My mom was always sympathetic when we had various ailments as children- unless we wouldn't take our medicine. I remember hearing many times, "If you're not going to do what you know will help, I don't want to hear about it." We could whine all we wanted about our braces hurting or knees aching as long as we had taken something for the pain. Why did I have to re-learn this decades later!?! Oh yeah, stubborn control freak...

Now that I have exposed a few more character flaws that you probably already recognized, I'm going to wrap this up. I am truly grateful that I am miraculously only 3 weeks away from my due date. That fateful night in December, I was sure I had miscarried. This little soul has an important purpose on Earth, even if only to teach his/her mother lessons that I wouldn't learn any other way. Can't wait to meet you, Little One!

What's in a name?

As we come closer to D day, I have been contemplating our name choices for this baby. Lydia is still adamant that the baby is a girl. The rest of us aren't so sure. Every time I have dreamt about this baby, it has been a boy. Some of those dreams didn't end happily, so I'm trying not to put too much stock in them.

How do you pick names for your children? How did you get YOUR name? I am named after someone that my mom knew and admired in high school. My name is frequently misspelled and/or mispronounced. Those are my starting points: a name with some significance, and a name that substitute teachers don't demolish the first time they see it on a class list.

I also have the baggage of knowing too much about name origins or meanings in other languages. I used to like the name 'Brady' until I took medical terminology and learned that is means "slow." I like the name 'Cameron' but after learning Spanish where 'camaron' means 'shrimp' and being short, I had to cross that off my list.

We plan to continue the use of family names with this child as we have with our girls. They are all named (first, middle, or both) after family members- some more recently alive than others. Both of my grandfathers and their fathers were named 'Frank Henry ___.' While I would like to honor their memories, Frank just doesn't sound like a baby to me. (Ironically, two of those men were born in Canada, one in England, one in Salt Lake. Who knew it was such a popular name combination.) My grandmothers were Edith and Elsie, not my first choices either. Love you, grandmas! With names like Serilda & Dahlia on Tim's side, we're running low on choices there too.

Another obstacle we have is that Tim is from a small town. What's that go to do with anything? In a place where you know every one your age in half the county, you come to know too much about those same people. Any boy name we have ever discussed has been shot down because "So and so was like this" or "So and so did that." I'm convinced we have three daughters because we could never agree on a boy name. Our son Lydia would have been traumatized for life!

So, pending the arrival of baby 4, we are again pondering names. I thought I had decided on a few that I liked, but now I'm wavering in my commitment to them. When Lydia was born, she didn't have a name for three or four days. Luckily, I was in the hospital for a week, so there was plenty of time to think about it. Tim left the first name up to me, since we already agreed on her middle name. Looking back, I don't know that a person on narcotics and recovering from serious blood loss should be allowed to make such a life-altering choice for a helpless child. I might have named her after Nurse Brunhilda. Ever time Tim or my mom called to check on us, the baby had a different name. She was Lucy, Madison, Annie, and some others I don't recall. Eventually, I had narrowed it down to two names. When the photographer came to take her picture and told me she needed to write the name down, I told her my options and SHE made the final decision for me. Luckily, it turned out OK.

I now know why people are starting to sell naming rights like their kids are a sports arena. Names are a big responsibility and kids are expensive. Maybe I could cut a deal with Diet Coke...

Perhaps it's time for a contest. What would you name this child? Boy & girl options, please. (Despite what critics say, we honestly don't know the gender of this child.) Maybe the winner could get a cool prize, like a week with my other kids.

Let's hear your suggestions and maybe I'll even create a fancy schmancy poll for the sidebar one of these days.