Lucy Emilia Howell

I will just start by copying and pasting an e-mail I sent out to the SS class. I might be able to go into details later, or maybe not. But I will be able to add more blogs as we continue on the journey and visit and help Lucy grow! Please keep the family in your prayers, it is greaty appreciated!

I'm trying to reply to everyone with this email, and wrap up the last 5 days! Thank you for you thoughts and prayers, it's been a tough time, and I feel we still have a long road ahead. Lucy Emilia Howell was born on Monday as you know from the e-mail. She was almost 30 weeks. There was not anything wrong with her that caused the delivery. I had pre-eclamtic symptoms, and blood test showed I had HELLP syndrome.The only answer is to deliver the baby, and the only time we had was for a repeat c-section. She was delivered, and was healthy and great. I was put on magnesium to try to help me. I don't really know what happened what day after that. I remember moments and feelings before I had my seizure, but that is all. After I had the seizure, I was considered full blown eclamptic. HELLP has to do with elevated liver enzymes and low platelet counts. I was told an average liver count is around 35, and mine was about 600 when I checked in--I'm under the impression it doesn't go any higher than that. Normal platelet count is around over 100,000, and mine was around 25,000 which is considered severe. My blood was taken over and over to monitor my counts, and they did continue to raise/lower the correct way. I was kept in the same room until the Dr.s were comftorable with the direction the levels were going. I saw some visitors and felt GREAT, and was ready to eat and move rooms. I think I moved to a regular recovery room Thursday. Then everything hit me at once, and I couldn't relax my mind. I got to feeling dizzy, about to pass out, anxiety, and needed help by several nurses to move and get up and down. They then put me on another blood pressure medicine, and also a medicine to get water in and out of me that I was holding. Thursday and Friday were very tough mentally--I had to learn to not associate certain physical feelings with anything that had just happened to me. Today was hard to undertand I'd be OK at home, and not overwhelemed. I got to actually hold Lucy today--and wasn't expecting to for at least a week. For me, I haven't been worried about her at all, my main worries were acutally my life itself. I guess all of this is to say what I'd like prayer for! At this point, I need mental peace most of all. Physically I feel good, except for a small headahce and side effects of BP still up.Peace of mind that I am OK, and for my mind not to wander and worry, is the biggest issue I am facing as of now. I know somewhere soon it will hit me that I am at home, and have a 2 pound baby at the hospital. But she is doing so much better that I'd ever thought, and progressing SO WELL. Her food is increasing ( by feeding tube), her jaundice levels are lowering, her IV fluids are way down. She tolerated 20 minutes out of her isolet today, and did great. We will continue to visit and take her milk to her often. Landon will be going to KY for a few days with my family to give us a few days to get things in a routine as well as we can. I will try to keep up with our blog, and will put most of this on there. Thanks for listening. I'm not writing this for any type of sympathy, just so you know what direction you can pray! It is appreciated, and I hope this isn't jumbled and makes sense.I'll try to add a picutre =)

28 weeks and growing

Today was the 28 week appointment for baby Lucy. We had an ultrasound first to check-up on her bowels. They are able to digest more things now(the blood that was causing them to be bright white), and are looking great. So no complications from the bowels! They measured everything else that I'm assuming would be a red flag from the 2 vessel cord. Everything looks good and healthy, but she is measuring about 2 weeks behind. She seems to be tiny like her brother. Part of this ,my Dr. said, is because Landon was a small baby also, so she will probably be smaller, and when you have the cord issue, there are some cases where it does cause the baby to not get all the nutrients it needs to grow fully. She is right at the 21% right now for 28 weeks, and I remember that Landon was around 40% when we had a late ultrasound. And he ended up being 5 pound 10 ounces. So it seems she will be teeny tiny.

We finally got to see her face too! I took a picture of this one with my phone. I'll have to scan it later on because it is a good picture of her. She said that since I'll most likely be back a few more times, she will try to get one again without her hand over her face.

She is a VERY active baby, and as long as she is still moving, she is doing good. We will have another ultrasound (or a few) to make sure that her growth does not stop at any point. I didn't really ask where we go from there, because I'm assuming we would deliver. I didn't ask either what the chances still are of going VBAC, because I know he isn't going to induce after my previous c-section, and I'm just going to go ahead and guess we will take her early, and it will be a c-section. We go back in 3 weeks, and I will have more questions ready then. Not that I didn't have questions ready--I was just in shock  from my weight gain, that they were consoling me with Kleenexes, and assuring me that my weight and my baby are fine =) What a start to a gloomy, cold, rainy day! 
I'm not going to worry about the weight, it seems no matter what or how you go about it, your body gains what it gains. And really, you can't control it. I knew it was part of it when I signed up for baby #2, and there are plenty of people who would gladly gain 50 pounds if they had the chance to conceive.So if I'm a fatty again, I'll just be a fatty. And at least now I know WHAT I need to do to get rid of it! Even if it means training for another half marathon ( ugh, not what I want to think about right now!) I might as well take full advantage of leaving my kids in the Y for 2 hours a day by getting in a good workout, showering, and getting ready alone without worrying about a crying child. I'll bask in the 2 weeks of nothingness after I have her, and hopefully get to walking with her on the track & letting Landon play in the Y nursery.

On another note, we got our tree up this week. We're not putting the 2nd one upstairs. We have moved the guest bed up there by the window where the tree usually sits. I tried to convince Luke to put it in our room, but I know that means I have to put it up and take it down. And.....I'll pass this year!

4 days until Landon's 2nd birthday!!!!!

Thanksgiving week!

We've been so busy this past week, and are gearing up for an even busier Thanksgiving week! Thankfully this year, Luke's Thanksgiving day off doesn't count as one of his regular 2 days off--yes, that happened last year. We're going to try to put our lights up outside on Tuesday while he is off, if it's not raining, before it gets cold on Thursday. I think we might also go ahead and make a few pumpkin pies that night too =) We watched Throwdown with bobby Flay tonight that had Pioneer Woman on it {http://thepioneerwoman.com}, and we are thinking of making her mashed potatoes this year! Amanda and Elyssa will be here late Wednesday night. And with her recipe, you can actually make them ahead of time, and then finish them on Thanksgiving!  So maybe they will be up for trying it Wednesday night!We haven't decided yet, but they looked SO good :

Click for the link to the PW's creamy mashed potatoes! 

We also need to make a carrot souffle to take to the Howell Thanksgiving. I'm not sure if we will do that early, or just wait until Thursday morning. Luke also has some cheeseballs to make! YUM, I'm starving. And our turkey in the fridge thawing right now--my dad will work on that when they get in town Thursday. Hopefully it will be ready, and we won't have to add an extra water thaw that morning.

My Thanksgiving morning will not be including the 5mile Boulevard Bolt that I had wanted so badly to walk. Walking is just NOT happeneing these days--well,for more than a few minutes at a time.

On Friday, Luke is opening at his store. I won't be doing any shopping this year. BUT  will be putting up the Christmas tree! Since we moved things from the new baby room up to the bonus room, we can't put the smaller tree in front of the window upstairs. =( We might find somewhere else to stick it though! Hopefully I will have some help from the parents or Elyssa, or at least someone can keep Landon occupied for me.

Luke is off again on Saturday, and Amanda and Elyssa will still be here. So we plan on going to Opryland Hotel to see the lights. I've heard the inside looks better than ever since the flood. We're SO excited to go!

Of course the week will be over by then, but next week is full of fun things as well: 28 week Dr. visit ( and ultrasound) ,the dentist ( yes, I just went 2 times in the past month already), Landon turning TWO & celebrating with a pool party at the Y!

My kids!

Baby news: I had my 24 week check-up this week. I didn't hear back from the glucose test, so everything should be OK as far as gestational diabetes. I am finally starting to really POP out there, and did have my big weight gain this past month. As the nurse said, Lucy is growing, and I got hungry . There are too many temptations around the house when you use M&M's as potty training rewards. I also finally found some maternity jeans that fit, and are LONGS! My jeans from Landon's pregnancy we're just NOT working--but in a good way. I really hope there is no way my legs will fit into those pants this time around. TALK ABOUT THUNDER THIGHS =) And I even got a size smaller, yay! We will go back for an ultrasound at my next visit on the 30th to follow up on the bowels, and make sure everything still looks good from my 2 cord issue. We/Dr aren't concerned, but it is just a follow up to ....well, to follow up! We'll also check to make sure the amniotic fluid is still good because of my issues with the 1st pregnancy.Maybe she will be turned the right way, and look at us so we can get a little glimpse of what she looks like.



So, 6 months into this pregnancy, and no complaints so far. OK,so maybe a major complaint. But seriously, it's painful. Imagine trying to turn over in bed, and you have pulled and strained all your pelvic muscles that you use to pull your legs over and lift them and separate them, and it's like really painful. Yes, ouch. And then imagine every time you roll over or stand up, your pelvic * well i think it's the pubic bone, but that word is gross* bone pops so loud, and you can feel it. So, just stay in one position when I sleep--yeah right, sleep? I'm doing good to get about 4-5 hours these nights. Maybe TMI--but I NEVER had to get up to use the bathroom at night 1st pregnancy, but of course this time around, it's been like 2 times a night here lately. And it takes me about 5 minutes to use Luke to push myself up, get off the bed, and slowly walk in pain to the bathroom. It also makes it hard to get up into and out of the car, put on pants....you know, just every day things. =) I try to rush in the mornings to get Landon up to use the potty,and not let him just sit around in his bed, but seriously it takes me 5 minutes to walk across the hall to get him. UGH I should NOT be waddling, and I should not be waddling at 6 months! But if you see me walking VERY slowly, waddling, or grimacing when I pick up Landon, go home and look up SPD during pregnancy. I'm thankful that the elliptical & bike do not hurt at all. But I went from running 3 miles at 21 weeks pregnant to severe pain when walking on a treadmill at 24 weeks. I will make it, just with some added pain.I am still going to try to walk the 5 miler on Thanksgiving morning--at least I have no money to shop black friday, and can be in pain that day, lounge around the house, and let Elyssa play with Landon ;-) I'm just hoping that this doesn't continue to get worse in the next 15 weeks, and will not pay attention to what I have read about that. =) I also am afraid that everything I have read says that if you have this, it will start sooner the next pregnancy. So there might not be any baby #3 in our future!

Big boy news: Sunday will be 3 weeks with no accidents! I use to put those plastic/rubber covers over Landon at naptime, but have also quit that this whole week. He is doing so good holding his bladder. And we have even had some mornings ( quite a few) where his pull up is dry in the morning. And yes, I'm frugal, we re-use it that night--don't judge! He actually gets upset when I throw away his "buzz and woody underwear" in the bathroom in the mornings. He doesn't understand that it is a pull-up, and made to pee in =) Isn't it crazy that when you don't give a kid a choice, and tell them how to do something, and stick to it, they don't know any different?  When my Dr asked this week how the rest of the family was doing ( the boys stayed home since it was an hour Dr visit with the glucose test), I told him we got Landon potty trained. He said " GOOD". I told him I knew that I would NOT want to do this--mentally or physically-- in another month, and once I had the baby, I didn't want to deal with it either. He fully agreed that it was great that we went ahead, got it knocked out in a week, and won't have the added stress. SO, AGAIN,THANK YOU to everyone who gave me moral support during those 6 days of TORTURE! =) I wanted to quit and slap a diaper on his booty so many times, felt like a failure, and didn't have any desire to try. But after day 1 (October 12th) of undies, we never put another diaper on him, and am SO happy we did it this way.
Birthday party #2 is under a month away! Our little boy is growing, and we love him SO much!

Blessed

"Things turn out the best for people who make the best of the way things turn out."

--John Wooden

I'm so excited for Luke. Hopefully soon, he will be moving up again with his job. Things are just starting to get moving along with the process. It seems like it has taken forever--although we all know nothing is in our timing, and there is always a greater reason for why things turn out the way they do. He has worked very hard with his company for the past 6 years, and is ready to move on to the next level. He puts in 12+ hours 5 days a week, has to be there for meetings on his off days, take phone conferences at home in the mornings when he isn't at work, never has a consistent schedule, and stays at work until 1 AM on some days, only to get back up at 4 AM the next day to work again. All this only to come home and play with Landon, help with things around the house, and give me some adult conversation after spending 12 hours with a 2 year old by myself.

We've had to really adjust financially with me staying home, but it was something we decided when we were dating that we would do as a family. It has been a lot harder than I had ever imagined. I can't even walk into walmart and buy new eyeshadow--just because I love it. Ok, so who cares about eyeshadow, but really, every little penny really does count! I know that one day, most likely when Landon starts school, I will go back to work full time, and it will just be a short time span where we have had to sacrifice to be able to raise Landon and Lucy the way we want to as babies. And then I can always hope that in 4 years, Luke will be at the next level he wants to be at (district manager--after 2 to 3 years as a store manager), and maybe I can slide by with some part time work =)

Sometimes it seems like we get dealt sucky hands in life, but it's so fun to try to make the best out of every situation. You learn so much about yourself when you are absolutely pushed to your limit. You learn a great deal about others too--sometimes things you wished you didn't know. I'm learning not to be jealous of what others have, but to fully appreciate all that I do have. I could sit and sulk, and wonder if I made the right decision by not working for a few years. Life might be SO much easier if I was working & making close to 40,000 a year. We wouldn't have to worry about coupons & sales, spending too much on ourselves, if we can afford to buy  big Christmas gifts, being able to make extra payments on student loans. But, I don't feel we would be as grateful for the small accomplishments and details in life.

No matter what we face, I will continue to make the best of it. I am very grateful for my life and family. I have a house, food, clothes, car, a wonderful son, and a loving husband. I do know that life will continue to be great, whatever obstacles we come across. I wouldn't want my life any other way that it is right now!

My little football player

Landon has such a blast trick or treating! I really had no clue he would understand what was going on. We had a little practice at the Y on Thursday night.

He knew how to walk up, hold his bucket up to get candy dropped into, and say 'thank you' at the end. And thanks to the extra nice people who let him then pick into their stash and get some extra, he thought it was necessary to pick into the candy bowl after they handed him some already.

On Halloween, walked around with Leslie, Jason, and Buzz A.K.A. Jack.

He LOVED his football costume, and loved going up to each house.He was ready to run up to each house when their wagon stopped to let them off.

We had a great time making his football uniform, a great night together, and a great ending to another week!

Craft Fair

Hobby and Craft Sale

Saturday, November the 13th

404 Overton Drive

Smyrna, TN

It's time to get those Christmas lists crossed off. We will have many items to chose from for the special ones in your life--even adults, and some great stocking stuffers too.

Come out and buy some things from Leslie and me =)

Bows, tutus, clothing,  & custom embroidered items.