{Our boy}: Our families life

So many have been curious about our families story and before I forget all the details I thought I would share. It will be long as the last few months have been filled with more then I ever thought imaginable but I would like a way to look back and one day share with our daughter her baby brothers story. So I will start here...

December 14, 2011.

I was 35 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I started out the day the way most of my days have started out over the past few months. Preparing for a doctors appointment. This particular appointment was to be my 4th in a matter of six days and was with my perinatologist. I think both Ian and I knew that today would be the day. The day that we would see our sweet son's face. With all the anxiety over the last few months of the health of our boy we were so excited yet so scared.

As we arrived at the hospital we began to explain our whole history, one in which we have become accustomed to explaining, to the nurses in the labor and delivery department as well as giving my general OB an "update." We knew we would be headed for the OR as my perinatologist felt a natural delivery would be to stressful for our boys wee body. We had a nurse, who must not have really understood the delicacy of Reid's life, try to convince me that a natural delivery (OK not exactly natural but induced) would be what was best for our boy but we knew otherwise. As I walked into the OR I have never felt more helpless in my life. I knew that there was not much more I could do at this point except for to pray. So that is what I did.

After being situated on the table they brought my ever loving husband in to be by my side. The delivery itself was rather intense. You see they were unable at first to get Reid out. He had apparently found a nice comfy home and was well....stuck. Ian and I were really unsure of what to think as my body was pulled and tugged and pushed on as hard as possible to deliver our baby boy. One of the nurses used my husbands phone to snap a couple of photos of Reid before he was passed through the "window" into the NICU. I knew in my mind with the lack of crying and the photos that I saw that it was not as we hoped but my heart continued to pray...to pray for our boy that God would give us but a moment to be with him.

As we waited in the recovery room for Reid's neonatoligist and the minutes slowly ticked by I realized that all the unknowns of the last few months were turning into our worst nightmare. Finally, after a little over an hour Reid's doctor and one of the most amazing ladies in the whole world (I will refer to her as my guardian angel) came to my bedside to speak to us. What they told us can be summed up into "not looking good." They were both very concerned for Reid and were unsure if he would survive at this point. I longed to just hold my boy. To see his face, his tiny hands, his precious feet.

Finally, I was considered recovered enough and they wheeled me through the NICU. The first time I saw Reid was one of the most proudest yet most frightened moments in my life. My baby, all 3 pounds and 13 ounces, was living with the support of machines. He was not breathing on his own at all. That first meeting with my boy was one I will hold with me forever. He decided it was a perfect time to open his eyes and look right at me. I feel blessed because my family was able to snap a photo of this precious moment for me. I know God was watching down knowing that in the coming weeks and months and probably years I will need that moment to remember how grateful I am...and will always be for Reid's little life.

My husband and I along with our parents spent the rest of the night waiting for the sensation in my legs to return so that I could be wheeled to the NICU to spend time with our baby...our angel. We spent the rest of the night watching over our boy while trying to rest some since both of our bodies had been through more emotional stress in just a few short hours than I'm certain either of us has experienced in our entire lives.

We didn't know it at that time but we would only have a few short days with our baby. I blindly assumed and hoped that we would just be like lots of NICU mommies and daddies....trying to balance our home life with the life of our new baby. What was to come over the next few days has definitely changed our lives and we can only hope that because of it we will be better people...better parents for our girl while here on earth...better people to all of those who love us and better people for anyone who we might meet along our journey here on earth.

Celebrating Christmas without our precious boy was hard...knowing he will never have a first Christmas here on earth with us was even harder. But knowing that he spent his first Christmas with Jesus celebrating is comforting.

From our family to yours we hope you have had a very blessed and happy holiday season.

{Praying}

*This is a personal post. No tutorials here. Just a desperate plea for prayers :) And I wanted to add too that we are hopefully all is ok but there are many many unknowns. *


Life.

Life has a funny way of throwing you a curve ball just when you think you have it all figured out.

My life.

My life changed in so many ways on September 2, 2011.

September 2, 2011 was the day my pregnancy went from nothing to worry about to high risk. It was only the beginning.

Since that day I have learned many things and especially over the last month I have learned that life...my life...is and always has been in the hands of God. Sure I make decisions every single day but he is the one guiding me. I have learned that the "control" that I thought I had is meaningless. I have learned that no matter what I do I cannot go back to before September 2 and make things perfect again.

One day I will share with you all what has been going on but quite frankly I am just not ready. And I am mostly not ready because well we have no answers. We aren't really sure how our sweet baby boy is. And our doctors really aren't sure either. What we are sure of is that God has lead us down a path...down a path for us to learn...for us to be humbled by. We are sure that we are loved...that our daughter and our sweet boy have so many who love them so very much. We are sure that without our loved ones we would not be where we are right now.

I write this now in hopes that if you have any extra time in your day (and I know how busy this time of year is) but I ask that you pray for our boy. Pray that he is strong and healthy and that he lives a long, exciting life. That our children can grow up playing with one another...enjoy each others company...and enjoy that special bond that only siblings understand. I know it is a big request but as we near the end it has become more real and I strongly believe in the power of prayer. I believe that God listens to each and everyone of us and I believe that he will do what is best.

For everyone who has already been praying...for all the phone calls, texts, emails, meals and love that we have received over this time...I am forever in debt to you. Although I hope that no one else has to experience this I hope that we are able to repay everyone some how.

I pray.

{Hair Detangler}: Make your own

So the girl has gorgeous hair....beautiful, long, perfect layers and oh so soft. But after a bath or after sleeping her hair typically looks like the image above. Combine that with a squirmy toddler and it is a recipe for disaster 

I have thought about buying detangler at the store many times but I usually forget and then remember come bath time that I was supposed to make that oh so important purchase.

So I decided to make my own and do you want to know the best part about it? It was FREE! Yeah!

I had a left over spray bottle from a hair heat spray that I use for myself that just had a drop left in the bottom. I washed it out added a tablespoon of conditioner that I had in the bathroom and then filled it with water. The only work required was shaking the bottle and I think we can all agree that that doesn't exactly qualify as work :)

Let me just say it is amazing! The girl now sits still while I brush her hair and is no longer screaming  "AWWWW" when the brush gets stuck on a knot.

I love it so much for her I might even try spraying it on my hair!

Happy Detangling :)

{Pumpkin}

So I haven't posted in months! I know...ridiculous. And this post isn't going to be anything fabulous...sorry.

But I had to share this delicious, super easy recipe that is just perfect for fall.

Pumpkin Pancakes...YUMMY. The girl loves them and I have to say...I do too!

Hope you enjoy

Ingredients:

2 cups dry boxed pancake mix (I used Krusteaz whole wheat)
1.5 cups water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
powdered sugar

Spray non-stick spray onto pan and preheat on medium/high heat.

Mix pancake mix and water until well blended. Add pumpkin and cinnamon and continue to mix. I also use a little bit of pumpkin pie spice (just because I have it) and just sprinkled a little in. If the mix is too thick you can add mater water until the right consistency.

Cook just like cooking a regular pancake.

When done, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Delicious! Such a fun way to enjoy fall. Now all we need is some fall weather :)

Recipe Quick and Easy Pumpkin Pancakes

{Cure Search}

So this is going to be a quick one...if you remember my last post I have been just a tad on the emotional side lately and this one definitely touches my heart.

A friend of mine who is also a pediatric nurse is going to be participating in the Tampa Bay Area CureSearch Walk. I would love for you to check out her blog and consider donating in some way. As a pediatric nurse I know how hard it is for a family to be told their child is sick. For a family to be told that their child has cancer or even worse is not going to make it just seems completely unbearable to me.

Jessica, I am very proud of you and the lives you touch everyday! Best wishes on your walk!


You can check out Jessica's Blog here A Day in the Life of the Crimella's

{Crying}

OK so seriously what is it about pregnancy and the random crying that is sure to ensue no matter what? Yes, I know it is the hormones but seriously...sometimes I feel crazy.

Like the time I may or may not have cried because my husband was cooking a nice dinner for me but I just really needed Chinese food. Or the time Ian and I were watching TV and he changed the channel (during a commercial) and I completely lost it because well I was seriously into that commercial. Or the time that I may or may not have watch Free Willy and balled my eyes out. And I may or may not have watch it a second time....immediately after...only to cry again. Poor Averee...I think she really thought I had lost it :)

Oh well...only 175ish days to go! Except for then I know what comes next...the postpartum hormones....Yikes.





**Disclaimer: This post is made strictly for entertainment purposes. Just your standard pregnant lady :)**

{Yikes}

So it happened. Something that I never ever thought would happen to me. Not me. I'm way to prepared for this kind of stuff but well it happened.

I ran out of diapers.

I knew our diaper stash was getting low and was in need of a replenishment STAT. I knew I should have spent the morning heading to the store to stock up on those precious disposables for my unpotty trained dolly. I knew.

What I didn't know is what was going to happen next. What I didn't know is that when the girl awoke from her nap and I placed her very last diaper on her and proceeded to gather all of our belongs for a trip to the store was that she would do the unimaginable...POOP. That's right. Right there...in our very last no more to be accounted for anywhere diaper. And imagine my elation when I found out that it wasn't a very nice solid if you will but the other kind that you pray stays in the diaper until you rush said baby with diaper to the changing table. To top it all off...the stench was something that could parallel that of a dumpster trunk. Yikes.

So what did I do. Well I threw her in the car and ran to the store as fast as I could. Yes. We received many glares for what I imagine was a shocking site...a mom in sweaty gym clothes, afraid to take her sunglasses off for fear of being recognized and a daughter with a t-shirt and diaper on. Oh, and don't forgot the lovely fragrance that we were totting around with us.

Oh what a day. I guess it really is true that life is unpredictable. And that life as a mom will give you experiences that you never...in your worst nightmare...thought were possible.


On another note...tonight we are going to try this....Salsa Chicken Soft Tacos . I saw this recipe over on a friends blog and it sounds delish...not to mention easy :) That's my kind of meal. I'll let you know how it turns out!