One.

I remember that morning.  Walking downstairs, pulling out the last pregnancy test, and for my own peace of mind, peeing on it.  The results read positive immediately as the liquid soaked across the strip.  I had never gotten a positive.  In our almost ten years of marriage, and countless test, there had never even been a possible hint of a second line.
My whole pregnancy, I resisted the urge to take more test. Just to see it again. I wondered if I'd ever have another positive test, or if we'd go back to 'unable to get pregnant.'  It didn't end up mattering because we made the permanent decision after things went horribly, to prevent any future pregnancies.  The risks for my life and our sons were too much for us to take again.

That test. That one and only positive pregnancy test, it resides in my underwear drawer. I still look at it occasionally.  I try to figure out how I feel about our whole journey.  It's such a mixed up thing that I can't think on it too long. Most of the time.
But, even with the aforementioned permanent procedure, I know there's still a small possibility.  Occasionally, things will play out and I'll get anxious enough to take another test.  And, every time, despite logical me wanting it to be negative, I whisper, 'Be positive, be positive.'

For a long time I refused to call myself infertile.  And, I certainly didn't struggle with my infertility.  It just was. We were content with our children being adopted.  I had long since stopped wondering what it might be like to have biological children.  It didn't matter to me.
The whole and honest truth is that in the parenting, the day in and day out stuff, it doesn't matter. They're all amazing, and silly. Maddening, hard, and wonderful.  They each come with their very own set of incredible gifts and challenges for us as parents.

So my longing is separate.  My longing is for that of feeling like I finally belonged as a woman.  I didn't feel excluded before so my words may be hard to completely understand.  But, it's the best I can do with the words I have available.
If I'm completely honest, it's the longing to redeem the things I feel like I still missed out on.  Asher never had hiccups in utero that I felt.  He never woke me up moving or kicking.  The further along I got, the less I felt him move (likely from his small size, my ample fluid, and his low muscle tone).  The birth. Even if I could just be awake and have my husband in the room, that would be enough for me.  To hear his first cries.  To see him still connected to me through his umbilical cord.

So I keep that test.  I moved it to our new house.  Jason asked about it.  He thought it seemed weird.  And, a little gross.  It is.  I know this.  I hope that someday I'll be able to just take a picture of it, and throw the actual plastic test away.  But, for right now, I need it.  I need it tucked in that drawer, reminding me, that even if it was only that one time, I didn't carry the label of 'infertile.'  And, when my heart longs to do it again, as it occasionally does, I can look at it, hold it, and grieve the way things went. I can wonder for a bit if things hadn't gone so wrong, if we might have gotten to experience it again.  Then, I can tuck it away safely, with all of my other hopes for what I wanted things to turn out like, wipe the tears, and move on with my new set of hopes and dreams.

My drug of choice.

I took this self vow that I would live more honestly.  If someone said, 'How are you' I would respond honestly.  Most days that means, 'I'm struggling.'  I would tell people I have anxiety.  I would show people our home, even if it's messy.  I don't want it to be for pity.  It's not pitiful.  It's life, and sometimes it's really hard.
This new habit hasn't been without a lot of heartbreak.  Lots of people love the realness.  They appreciate hearing that other people are struggling.  But, some people see the opening of vulnerability as an easy in.  It's not always intentional.  But, when I share my struggles and someone responds with how it's a spiritual deficit, a parenting deficit, a spousal deficit, and just about every other area of my life, it makes one want to retreat.  Don't get me wrong.  I am deficient in all those areas.  I could make you a whole freaking list of where I fall short.  But, my hope in being real isn't to shine light on my sucking at things.  It's to shine light on how everyone feels not good enough.  And, if we can stand together and say, 'yeah, me too' our shortcomings are much less scary.  There's hope that maybe we aren't as big of failures as we sometimes feel.

This week we found out that Asher's scoliosis has gotten worse and we will begin casting to try to straighten his compensatory curve, and prevent his congenital curve from worsening as quickly to prolong surgery.  We found out that he does indeed have a bar opposite his hemi vertebra guaranteeing both that the congenital curve will get worse, and that he will need surgery to correct it at some point.  I LOVE having a definitive.  I hate what it is.
When he is casted he can not take a bath, or be in water.  I'm glad we're starting it going into the winter.  But, the boy loves baths.  The two weeks prior to casting are fall break so we're planning a trip to an indoor water park for a few days (the mid-west in October isn't conducive to outdoor water play).  We like to try to do things to balance and redeem the hard. 

I've been in avoidance mode since the appointment.  Constantly checking facebook (despite the fact that I'm trying to take a break from it), e-mail, reading articles, anything I could find to fill my mind with fluffy things.  I'm not interested in the countdown in my head.
So this evening, as I was making dinner, I wasn't that surprised to find myself fighting tears.  I know where it ends every time.  I don't know why I don't just allow myself to process it, work through it, and move forward.  Everyone in my home would benefit from me changing this habit.  I don't get much done.  I don't spend much time actually focused on my kids.  I just escape.  Distraction is my drug of choice.  It numbs things.  It's free.  Nobody else knows. 

 It, like other drugs, is temporary.  It doesn't actually change reality.  Eventually, I have to lay down in my bed, and all the things are still there, flooding my head.  Vying for my attention.  Preventing me from the escape I'm hoping for.  Just closing my eyes for some hours.  So I turn on mindless television, and fall asleep to that. 
It works for a few days.  But, at some point I'm doing something that demands me to not have a screen in front of me.  And, I lose it.  Fall apart.  I desperately clamor for a way to go back to numb.  But, it's too late.  So I wade in.  It's deep.  Thick.  Hard to make it through.  And, it's all just compounded with all the other shit that was already there.  Perhaps some day I'll be strong enough to just jump in from the beginning.  I'll join all the other brave people getting dirty.  I'm there today.  The people with me are much kinder than those voices that tell me I can escape things.  They remind me that I'm strong, and brave, and I can do hard things.  And, I can be real about how much doing hard things sucks sometimes.  This is one of those times.  

c-sections or, when your child had been cut out of you.

in just a few days, 18 months will have passed since the day a doctor cut open my abdomen and uterus to pull my son out.  the act saved my son's life.  while his heart rate had started to drop with contractions, more importantly, we had no idea that his two vessel cord had very small amounts of Wharton's jelly around it.  this is the substance that keeps the umbilical cord from collapsing, twisting, etc. so that it stays open supplying oxygen and nutrients.  if Asher had been born vaginally, it's very likely that he would have suffered brain damage and possibly even have died as a result of this. it's the reason his heart rate was dropping during contractions.  as it is, we're pretty thankful he didn't pass away in utero.

but, that's not entirely what i'm here to talk about it.  C-sections are often seen as the easy way out.  no work. no pushing.  you get a spinal block so you don't feel the contractions.  it's like you didn't even really experience birth.
there are reason upon reason people have a C-section.  some are medically necessary.  some are by choice.  not a single one of them gets my vote of disapproval.  i'm learning that the best thing we can do is support other people's decisions, even if they're different from ours. even if from the outside, they make absolutely no sense, at all.
i'm not sad, at this point, that I had a C-section.  it was necessary.  it happened.  my son is alive, and doing great. 
but, let me tell you a few things about my experience so those who think that delivering vaginally is somehow better, can possibly empathize.
some people have to be put completely under for a C-section.  my epidural, and then spinal block only worked on half of my body.  I missed my son's first cries.  I don't even have a video of it because things happened in an emergency fashion.  I didn't get to see him at all until 8 hours after he was born.  then, I was wheeled to the nicu where I got to look at him and touch him for a few minutes before going back to my room, because one of the many meds I was on made me unable to walk, stand, or stay awake for long periods of time..
I woke up from surgery, on my abdomen, to someone pushing on my abdomen.  it's probably the closest I've ever come to punching someone.  for me, I couldn't have Tylenol because my liver was failing, narcotics because I had, had a spinal block (that didn't work), and ibuprofen because of one of the other meds I was on.  I woke up from abdominal surgery with NO pain control on board, and someone pushing on me. 
getting in and out of my hospital bed, literally, required me to sit the bed up, and still took me at least five minutes because of the pain.  coughing required holding myself, and bending over.  and, when you've been intubated, you cough. 
I couldn't lift anything over ten pounds for six weeks.  at this time, I had a 25 pound three year old who couldn't walk, or climb, and a two story house.  so for the next six weeks, I had to have someone home with me at all times to help me care for little.  while i'm SO thankful to the friends who stepped up and sat with us, it was hard on the days that I wanted to just spend time figuring out breast feeding, and being a mother of three all by myself.
there is not a day that goes by that i don't see my scar.  when i go to the bathroom.  when i shower.  when i change clothes.  there it is.  the reminder that my son was cut out of me.  i can physically run my fingers over the place, and feel where the scalpel was.

but, the real kicker, for me, is that almost every day, for eighteen months, I've continued to have pain.  I've had growing issues, and am amidst appointments and imaging.  i likely have adhesions-a type of scar tissue that can happen with abdominal surgeries, and it's likely bad enough that i'll have to have something done.  sometimes, when i cough or sneeze, i still have to put counter pressure on my scar to keep the pain at bay.

i'm not looking for a badge of courage for the way my son came into the world.  i'm not looking for sympathy because of everything that went wrong.  what i'm looking for is people to just walk along side and encourage others on their journey.  everyone's journey can be different, and still good.  it can be different, and still right.  it can be different and still beautiful.
also, C-sections aren't an easy way out.

a healing step.

after the arrival of tiny, I had some things that I was sad about.  disappointed.  and, there was nothing I could do about most of them. 
one of the lingering ones though, was the fact that I had Asher a few days before our scheduled pregnancy shoot.  I wanted photos of me at the end of pregnancy.  I had found some really non-cliché ones that I loved, and we just wanted a few that could be thrown in with our newborn shoot.
we knew we wouldn't be doing a pregnancy again.  we made sure.  so I mulled over the idea of doing them anyway.  but it seemed so cheesy. 
and, I decided to do them.  it would be part of the process of healing for me.  so a year after our son was born, no longer pregnant, we did maternity shots.  these are a few of my favorites.

the healing process is different for everyone.  this what part of it for me.  i'm so glad we did it. 

*these photos are copyrighted*

Just, a little....

It's a phenomenon that most people probably don't fully understand.  But, I've heard it from lots of other parents.  I've heard it from spouses.  I've heard it from people themselves.  So, I know that lots of people experience it.

Doctor crushes. 

Now, let me start by saying, a doctor crush is in no way shape or form of a sexual nature.  If you are truly attracted to a doctor, that's not what I'm talking about here.  This is a whole different form of crushing. 

It can be a male or female.  Old. Young.  Attractive.  Or someone you find not so attractive.  But, whatever happened with that doctor led you to get fluttery feelings every time you see them, talk about them, or think about them. 

I have a few of them.  Doctors who have gone above and beyond. The fellow who literally made the life saving call to check Shilo's thyroid numbers when she got very sick at a few weeks old.  The developmental pediatrician who looked into issues with Abigail when she was really young and figured multiple things out. The doctor who delivered Asher.  The list goes on and on for me. 
And, a friend who's husband broke his neck felt this way about one of the doctors who cared for him.  A friend who had a mass removed from her abdomen, talks about feeling this way.  A parent who had a doctor step in and step up to prevent unnecessary interventions.  A parent who stepped up and stepped in to make certain a child got a surgery that some doctors thought wasn't needed.

I find myself thinking about these doctors.  Looking forward to the next appointment with them.  Wanting to bring them gifts, and invite them over for dinner.  I replay our conversations, and can't help but smile when I think of how they treated me, and my children. 
For a while, I thought it was just me.  And, that it was a little weird.  Until I admitted it.  Then, time after time, in conversation, someone else would describe something similar. 

So here's a public declaration for those of you who didn't know this was a thing.  And, here's a thank you to the doctors who are so great, that a phrase needed to be developed to describe the feelings they invoke.  You make the world of navigating medical stuff a little more enjoyable. 

 

Three for three.

When you've spent much time around the world of special needs, you learn a few things.  One of them is, people don't tend to have lots of random things going on, and none of them be connected.  There's usually an overarching diagnoses.  A genetic disorder.  Something.
So with each new thing that has come up with tiny, I have known, the day was coming when we would get our third diagnoses.  A couple of months ago, after tons of hours of researching, and reading medical journals, I came to the conclusion of what I thought it was. 
I mentioned it at our ortho appointment, and he sort of agreed he fit the criteria, but wasn't interested in diagnosing him.  It was frustrating for me because I want answers at this point.  It helps to know which way to go.  It alleviates fears of bigger things.  It makes state insurance for kids with special needs easier. 

Yesterday morning we made our second trip to the developmental pediatrician.  I made the appointment for stupid early in the morning so we could see the actual doctor.  Then, I showed up, and somehow they had made the appointment with a nurse practitioner.  I'm not a great person when sleep deprived, and I nearly fell apart.
It really turned out to be the best thing.  The n.p. we saw had seen Abigail five or so years ago.  She remembered us.  I listed our 'things we have noticed' and she immediately said, 'sounds like we should see a geneticist.'  I asked at our first appointment six months ago.  I didn't even have to ask this time.

There was lots more to it.  But, I won't wade you through all of that.  We have a diagnosis.  It will be confirmed with a geneticist.  It is what I thought it was going to be.  And, it was nice to put all of the pieces together.

So Asher's list of medical junk:  single umbilical artery, vertebrae anomalies causing congenital scoliosis, lipoma at the base of the spinal cord, genitourinary defect, hydronephrosis (this has already resolved for him, but is still included), congenital heart defect (it is very small and doesn't cause any issues), shoulder girdle weakness, clinodactyly in a couple of fingers and toes, and thumbs that tuck under.  It's possible that after a little more upcoming testing there may be more added to the list, but these are the knowns for now.

Asher has what is called VACTERL association.  It is not a genetic disorder.  It is a group of congenital defects that often occur together.  You only have to have three letters for diagnoses.  There are some other defects that can happen with it, but aren't part of the diagnostic criteria.
V-vertebrae anomalies
A-anal atresia
C-cardiac
TE-trachea-esophageal fistula
R-renal
L-limb deformities

Asher has V,C,R, and L.  Sometimes there is an S on the end, that isn't part of the diagnoses, but stands for single umbilical artery.  The genitourinary defects are sometimes linked with the A, but also not part of the actual diagnoses criteria.  And, the lipoma also isn't uncommon with all of it, but not part of the diagnostic criteria.
We will see a geneticist because sometimes there are genetic disorders with lots of these things, and they'll want to make sure nothing is being missed.  It's possible that the diagnoses could change, but it's unlikely at this point. 

Even with all of that, he is doing great.  He's a very active almost fourteen month old. He's trying to stand on his own, and has taken a few steps.  He love blueberries and oranges, black beans, and olives.  He has started to give lots of hugs and kisses voluntarily.  He smiles at everyone.  Our lives are so much better with him in them. 

words. dna. anxiety.

the last post I vaguely alluded to it.  this one may not be any more specific.  we'll share more when we know more, and when we're ready.

first of all, asher is a happy, healthy, almost ten month old boy. 
but, he's also a very delayed little boy.  with more going on.  and, we haven't talked to many people about it.  for lots of reasons.  he was early. he was small.  even with putting those in the equation, things just don't add up.
so when he wakes at four a.m. to eat, for the third time that night, I nurse him, and lay there wide awake, going over every symptom, over and over and over.  I diagnose him, then undiagnose him.  I remind myself that there are millions of disorders I know nothings about.  I tell myself to sleep.  I take a deep breath and unclench my jaw.  I come downstairs and fall asleep to a television show because it makes my brain stop the cycle. 
but, then when daylight comes, i'm exhausted. and grumpy.  and not the best mom to any of my kids.  and over and over throughout the day I have to resist the urge to lay down on the couch and let the anxiety swallow me.  I want to scream, 'I can't do this.  I'm at capacity.  I can't take anything else.'

but, I make it through the day.  and the next.  and I whisper to myself, 'you can do hard things, andrea.'  I laugh.  I read books.  I sing.  I dance.  I go for a bike ride with big.  I cook meals. I apologize a million times for losing my temper, for not paying attention, and for my general disdain towards all living beings I interact with each day.

and last night, I did his dream feed, and then held him for just a few more minutes.  I rocked him as he slept, and prayed over him.  I don't have any great words to pray right now.  I don't even know what to ask for.  so I just tell Him things like, 'this is really hard' and 'for the love, please let me get a solid chunk of sleep tonight.'  And I looked at my son, and it occurred to me that every cell in his body, every copy of dna, every chromosome, God knew exactly what they look like.  He knew where mutations might have happened.  He knew the exact time they took place.  He knows what the diagnoses is going to be.
and for the first time in weeks, it felt peaceful to me.  it didn't change things right now.  but, it was comforting to think of God knowing. To picture Him sort of standing over the geneticist when they look through his blood sample trying to find the mutations. 

Tuesday is the beginning of this whole process for us.  we will see a specialist.  we will list all of our worries.  and we will begin looking for answers.  a diagnoses is just a word, in reality.  it doesn't change who our son is.  it can give us more information about him, about his needs.  about his future.  but, he will continue to be the same little boy he was the day before we have an answer.

myself, when i am real.

a year ago I was starting to feel it.  the wounds were scarring over nicely, and the pain had diminished.  I could look at pictures of our past few years without crying.  I could pray.  that was a big one for me. the feeling that God had abandoned me in a hospital room for three months was fading.
but, everything backed up again with the birth of my son.  I've spent the months asking why, and knowing i'll likely never get an answer. the distance returned.  the trust diminished.  I can happily spit out the things people want to hear so they aren't uncomfortable, 'we are just so thankful that he's here and okay.'
and, it's true.  I am thankful.  but, i'm also angry.  and sad. and frustrated.  and I want more than anything to know God.  to feel Him.  to think He might be hearing me when I ask for things.  but, not just hearing me.  responding to me.  wanting to give me good things.  no more hard please.  I need a big long break from hard.
the past few weeks have been wrought with ugly parenting things with my big.  I never see them coming, and I have no idea if we are doing anything right when these things hit.  so tonight, I climbed up the ladder to her bed, and laid next to her.  I sang to her.  she sang to me.  she talked about things that seem so small from my adult world.  they're significant to her.  so I listened. 
then, she rolled over, sucked her thumb, and rubbed her lambie between her fingers.  I rubbed her back and silently thought.  or prayed.  or maybe those two things are one in the same.  I thought about how angry I am about hospital stays.  how I just keep cycling through the same things over and over.  and, maybe, she's angry about hospital stays too.  but, she's six.  and she doesn't know exactly how to say that.  so it looks different than it does for me.
I thought about how I can go to God over and over again, with my ugly thoughts, and my frustrations with Him, and how He doesn't ever seem to lose his temper.  He just lets me be angry.  and I pictured him rubbing my back as I fall asleep at the end of a day where I have spent the whole day stomping my feet and yelling at Him.  how He always seems to be there when I look back at things, right in the middle of it all, sustaining me.  and I told Him that I was trying.  trying to figure out who He was.  and that I would continue to seek, pursue, and run after Him, even on the days where i'm not sure how I feel about Him.  and I told Him that was really hard for me because I was afraid that He might abandon me.  get angry and decide i'm not worth the effort. or that He already had.
I eventually kissed big on the head and told her she was my favorite six year old in the whole world wide.  and I thanked her for singing to me.  the song she sang, was a kids song, by an artist named Justin Roberts.  lots of his stuff is really silly.  but, for some reason, she picked a song from one of his c.d.'s that is taken from old testament stories.  specifically, this song was taken from job. as if her lips were singing a soothing balm to a broken heart.

'where were you, when I laid the earth's foundation?
where were you, when I set the stars in space?
and they all sang together.
they all sang together up in space.
allelu, allelu, alleleuia.'

(if you want to hear the whole song, this is not him singing it, but it has the words with it)

someday, all things will be made right.  maybe, i'll even get to see the bigger plan that played into the last three years being hard.  but, for now, this doesn't wrap up neatly.  things are hard.  and, I don't want to act like it's all okay.  I struggle.  if you struggle too, that's okay.  if you're tired of hearing pat answers, and warding off those who blame you so that they can continue to believe that really hard things are from a lack of faith, come join me in.  it's hard here.  but, there are lots of really good days.  and laughter abounds because I use sarcasm to get through the hard ones.

6 weeks.

we have a sweet little six week old boy.  as you can imagine, our days are spent lovingly gazing at him as he sleeps peacefully on us.  when he isn't sleeping, he is contentedly breast feeding while peaceful music plays in the background.

 

 

see.  these pictures prove that our lives are blissfully peaceful right now.

unless, of course, you come during one of the millions of moments when we aren't taking pictures.  then you would see a very easy going 6 week old, sleeping amidst the chaos and noise of two big sisters.  or you might catch a glimpse of one of his sisters (who will go unnamed) patting his head much too roughly while I try to breastfeed him.  the same sister also likes to climb onto the couch (a newly acquired skill) and then attempt to get down by any means possible, leaving me diving across the couch multiple times a day with a tiny in my hands.
yes, the small snapshots of our lives are nothing at all like our realities.  and, they do nothing at all to capture the out of control noise levels in our home.  somehow, with the third child, I am much more realistic.  while I do sometimes hold him and just stare at him, my thoughts during that time aren't the sweet sentimental thoughts I often had the first couple of times. instead, I confess to him my short comings 'hey buddy, mama is going to get frustrated with you some day.  mama might even yell.  i'm sorry.  i know i fall short.  but, i love you something fierce, and I promise to do my best to be patient and kind.  just know, you were born into an imperfect family.  as a result, you will learn quickly about saying sorry and forgiveness.'   he never seems phased by this. 

we are adjusting to life with three here.  it hasn't been easy.  it hasn't been hard.  it has just, been.  i'm thankful every day that God chose to give us a son.  it would not have been our timing for things, but, at the end of the night, after putting the high energy, boisterous big and little to bed, there's something redemptive in staring at tiny while he sleeps.  

post-partum body.

i didn't shower for the first few days. multiple nurses came in to check my incision and told me i could take the dressing off.  two days in a row the doctor came in and told me the same thing, and that i was free to shower.  but, i couldn't.  i was too scared.  not of pain.  i just didn't want to see it.  the place my son had been removed from my body.  it was new.  it was foreign, and it had not been a part of me the last time i had seen myself naked.
on the morning i was ready, i slowly peeled the dressing off, and stood in front of the mirror, staring.  there were still steri-strips so it wasn't a great view of what was underneath, but i got the gist of it.  i don't know what i had been afraid of.  it was just a line, cut just above my pubic bone, and well below my underwear line.  it was healing nicely. 

it has sort of become a routine now.  after i shower, i stand in front of the mirror for a while.  i stare at the reflection of my body.  it's a new reflection, not one i've ever known.  i don't feel shame.  i just want to get to know this new me a little better. 
my breast are the largest they've ever been, and covered in stretch marks.  they rapidly went from an a cup to a d cup during pregnancy, and the little lines that have formed on them show that growth.  i'm still amazed by the fact that they alone are able to nourish my son.
my stomach has decreased greatly in size, but is still soft, and much rounder than it was before a life formed inside of it.  the softness of it seems fitting for holding a tiny one against me to nurse, and snuggling up with him as he drifts off with a  belly full and milk on the corner of his mouth.
and just like the first time, i stare at my scar.  there are no more steri-strips.  just a pinkish line that runs across my lower abdomen.  i run my fingers over it again and again. there are still nerves that haven't regained feeling in it yet.  it makes touching it an odd feeling.  i move my hands away and stare.  i feel like society would have me feel ashamed of this scar.  i was unable to give birth the way most women do.  but, there is no shame.  this scar, this pink line that continues to heal, saved my son's life.  i love it, and feel some sorrow that it will always be hidden beneath clothes. 
i stare at my face and my legs.  they were very swollen by the time tiny came.  i gained around twenty pounds in the last three weeks of my pregnancy.  i had gained around twenty five in my first thirty three weeks.  looking at them now it's hard to believe or imagine where they were less than five weeks ago.
i'm still amazed at my body.  i'm amazed at how it grew life, and continues to sustain it.  i'm amazed at how very much went wrong, how very sick i was, and how quickly it has recovered.  i'm falling in love with my new self.  whenever someone says, 'you look great' i agree.  because i feel great.  it's unlikely that i will ever look like i did before pregnancy.  i'm okay with that.  i also will continue to sing the praises of other women and their incredible bodies. 

asher's story.

when I found out I was pregnant, I sought out encouraging natural birth stories and books.  one of them that I came across was Ina May Gaskin's 'Guide to Childbirth.'  One of my favorite things she said is, 'your body in not a lemon.'  Someone telling women that their bodies were designed to grow and birth babies without crazy medical intervention.  i felt hopeful and empowered.  The rest of this post is Asher's birth story (or the parts i can easily recall). 

we found out at Asher's twenty week ultrasounds that he had a two vessel cord (single umbilical artery).  this happens in about 1% of pregnancies with a single baby.  i had none of the categories that made me higher risk for this (over 35, birth of three plus children).  however, everything else looked great.  and it's possible to have a two vessel cord, and a perfectly healthy pregnancy. however, most doctor's won't let you go over 39-40 weeks due to the higher risk of the baby passing in utero if the placenta starts to break down.  you also get a lot more ultrasounds due to the risk of intrauterine growth restriction.  it can be an indicator of other genetic disorders, but they show up with other markers and defects on the ultrasound.
I wrote out my birth hopes (i refused to call it a plan because i wanted to be somewhat flexible).  i had plans for a natural water birth. i wanted to be able to move around during labor to use different positions to help alleviate pain. i wanted intermediate fetal monitoring.  i did not want internal monitoring.  we took birthing classes.  i practiced my relaxing breathing.  i went to every appointment. 
we had an ultrasound at 34 weeks.  he was still growing, but seemed to be slowing quite a bit in growth so we made an appt. for four weeks later to follow up and make sure he was growing.
on Friday, December 19, we had put the girls to bed, and I was sitting on the couch.  I started to feel a little dizzy, and was having some weird visual disturbances.  I called my doctor, and she had me come to labor and delivery to be monitored.  my blood pressure was up, but all of my labs were perfect.  after a couple of hours of monitoring, it came down on it's own, and I went home.  over the next few days I kept an eye on it with an at home monitor.  I didn't feel great, but did my best to rest as much as I could and take breaks or lay down if it got high.
on Tuesday, December 23, I woke up, and it was already really high.  the doctor had me go in again, and once again, labs were perfect.  the nurse who took care of me that day just kept telling me it wasn't that big of a deal, and I might have to take a pill to help keep it down. she told me there was nothing genetic about it, and really down played it.  i still couldn't quite shake the feeling of being overwhelmed and scared.  i was extremely swollen from it as well.

the next couple days were more fluctuations.  and on Christmas day, we drove the six hours to visit my husband's family for Christmas.  we got there in the late afternoon.  I ate dinner, helped get the girls ready for bed, and just sat there.  as the night went on I felt worse and worse.  I started to feel nauseous, and my stomach hurt.  we had eaten steak and shake for lunch that day though, so I wasn't so surprised.  I took my blood pressure before bed.  it was up, but decided to try to lay down for a bit.  I laid down for about an hour, then got up and got sick multiple times.  I woke Jason up, and he called the doctor.  by the time we got the return call, I had decided we were going to the hospital because my blood pressure was still so high.
off we went to an unfamiliar hospital, six hours from home.  I puked as they checked me in.  they put me on the monitors and asher sounded great.  they did urine and blood work.  at some point the doctor came in and told me they were going to keep me for a 24 hour urine collection. he also said he was going to start me on a magnesium sulfate i.v. to keep me from having seizures.  we decided to send Jason back to his parents so the girls didn't wake up with us gone, and I would stay. everyone was calm and together.  nothing seemed that far outside of my other two experiences.
he left, and they moved me to a room.  a few minutes later, the doctor came in.  his assumption was that I knew or understood how sick I was.  my assumption was that like every other time, the labs would be fine, and they were just taking extra precautions.

'you're having this baby.'
'what?'
'oh.  I thought you knew how sick you were.  you have HELLP syndrome. your liver enzymes are high, and your platelets are low.'

I called Jason and told him to come back.  he had to give the run down on how to use shilo's g-tube and just the girls in general to his family.  he woke Abigail to tell her the basics.  meanwhile the doctor is going through all sorts of things with me, and working to get my paperwork faxed from the doctor's office back home.  when he came back, we talked. there were multiple points where we both wept together and talked about how it seemed like nothing ever got to be easy for us.
at about two a.m. they started the magnesium sulfate.  at seven a.m. a new doctor came on.  I REALLY liked her.  at around eight they started the Pitocin, and by nine I was having contractions.  I continued to labor with the Pitocin until around nine that night.  I couldn't have anything to eat because I was high risk for needing a C-section.  I was making it on Jell-O and water.
they were continuing to draw blood and run labs on me all day to make certain my numbers weren't changing to drastically.  at about 8 p.m. the doctor came in and told me that I was not only peeing protein, but also sodium.  my sodium levels had dropped to 'dangerously low' and could start affecting my brain.  Pitocin can exacerbate this so they had to stop it.
I was two centimeters and about 70% effaced.  we decided to go ahead and rupture my membranes in hopes that would make my labor continue to progress.  from about ten p.m. when they ruptured them until around eight a.m., my contractions slowed to about every ten minutes, and not nearly as intense.  I wasn't making much progress.
they still couldn't start the Pitocin, and at this point I was no longer allowed to drink anything because it could further deplete sodium levels, and my ice chip intake was extremely limited.  they decided to try a drug called cytototek that is inserted against the cervix.  it caused me to go back into active labor having contraction every four minutes.  at this point Jason and I had been up for over 48 hours.  we were both, literally falling asleep between contractions.
my contractions were all down low, and quite a bit in my back so Jason spent every contraction rubbing my lower back and telling me I could do it, or encouraging me to breathe. he kept the peaceful music playing and diffused an essential oil to help me relax.  by late that afternoon, we were both exhausted, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could make it.  the doctor checked me and I was at a five.  not great, but still progress.  i tried to focus each contraction on opening up.  a few hours later i felt some pressure so the doctor checked me again. i was at a five still and 80% effaced.  asher had moved down (hence the pressure i was feeling).  i started to cry.  i told Jason i couldn't do it.  i was exhausted, in pain, having blood drawn every couple hours (often during contractions), and my mouth was like a dessert from not being able to have anything to drink.  the worst part for me though was that i couldn't move around because i had to stay on the magnesium and multiple other things at this point.  i periodically rolled from one side to the other.  laying on my back made contractions worse because so much of the contraction was focused in my back.
at this point, someone explained that the magnesium I was on causes the smooth muscles to relax.  therefore, with every contraction I was having, the magnesium was fighting against it.  I was feeling extremely overwhelmed, and defeated, and asked for something to help with the pain.  the med they gave helped a little, but didn't last long.
i still wasn't dialating any more.  i finally just asked for an epidural. the first doctor i saw when i first arrived had encouraged me to consider it anyway because it can help bring blood pressures down.  Jason and i were both relieved when it kicked in, and we could rest.  my sodium had come up enough that they started a very low dose of Pitocin as well.  for the next little while i labored and let my body do all the work.  after about thirty minutes, the epidural stopped working on one side.  so while the pain wasn't as intense as it had been, i could feel the contractions.
at this point, people started to rush in every third or fourth contraction because asher's heart rate was dropping. they started by putting in an internal monitor for contractions.  they also used it to put a little more fluid back around asher.  they put an oxygen mask on me, and at one point had me get up on my hands and knees in hopes of taking the pressure off of him during contractions.  it worked, but i couldn't stay like that long term because i couldn't feel my legs.  they eventually put an internal monitor on him to follow his heart rate as well.
i was at eight centimenters, and decided to focus all of my energy on trying to get my body to open up again.  after a few more contractions i started to feel the pressure to push.  the doctor checked me and i was at nine.  asher was at a +2.  we just needed that last centimeter so he could come out.
but, his heart rate continued to drop. i was getting nervous for him.
after a few more contractions, the doctor said, we have to get him out. we were wheeled into surgery for a C-section.  they gave me a spinal block, but like my epidural, it didn't work.  i could still feel quite a bit.  so they had to put me completely under.  Jason couldn't be in the room as a result.  i remember them putting the mask on my face, but that's it.  i didn't hear his first cry when he was born.
when i woke up in recovery, there was a nurse checking my fundus to make sure it was contracting.  however, the epidural and block hadn't worked.  they couldn't give me ibuprofen because of the magnesium.  they couldn't give me Tylenol because of the liver failure.  and, they couldn't give me narcotics because i had, had a spinal block.  i'm not sure what i said to that nurse but i know i grabbed her hand and moved it away from me multiple times.  while i was still trying to wake up, the neonatologist came in and told me something.  i have no idea what he said to me.
eventually i got wheeled back to my room, and Jason came in.  i started to asks questions.  how big was he?  was he okay?
3lbs 13oz.  17-1/2 inches long. born at 6:43. he was okay, in the NICU and on c-pap.  he showed me a pictures, although i was having a hard time keeping my eyes open and focusing.  he told me his parents had come and gotten to see him.  i started crying because they got to see him before i did.
he told me about the nurse taking the camera to get pictures when they got asher out, and how when she walked by with him, he started to cry. 

i had to be on magnesium for another 24 hours after delivery.  i still wasn't allowed to walk.  and i wasn't even allowed to go see him until i had been out of surgery for 6-8 hours.  so at about two a.m. i got wheeled to the NICU to take my first look at my son.  he had the c-pap mask on, and was just so very tiny.  in those final 24 hours of magnesium, my calcium also dropped, and they had to give me i.v. calcium after I was done with the magnesium.

I learned from different doctors and nurses over the next few days that asher's small size was likely cause by a combination of things.  first of all, his two vessel cord did not enter the placenta like it was supposed to, but instead he had peripheral cord insertation (about 10% of umbilical cords don't insert into the placenta as they should).  also, umbilical cords are surrounded by a jelly like cushion called Wharton's jelly. this helps protect the cord from completely collapsing if there is pressure put on it.  asher's cord had very little of this jelly, and it's the reason he went into distress during the end of labor (something would compress the cord during the contraction, and it would close off blood supply instead of being able to hold up to it like most cords can).  and lastly, while I haven't researched it a bunch, HELLP syndrome and pre-eclampsia are often something that is going to happen, and is determined by the way the blood vessels formed in the placenta. so from the get go it's likely that the syndrome lurking below the surface was hindering things.  all of these things meant that asher did not grow like he should. 

as it turns out, my body might just be a lemon.  if we were to get pregnant again, i would be at very high risk for HELLP syndrome.  but, we have already decided that we are completely unwilling to take that risk.  i was extremely sick, and going down hill fast during labor and delivery.  had asher made it closer to term, he likely wouldn't have lived.
while i wouldn't say i'm happy i developed HELLP syndrome, i will say i'm thankful that it happened when and how it did because it likely saved my son's life.
i am on the mend.  he's doing great. he's just small.  and i will forever remember this time as one where my husband was above and beyond amazing.  i have likely thanked him 100 times over for how great he was during labor and delivery despite understanding more of what was going on, and knowing that at some point he sent a text to some people telling them he was scared i was going to die.

newborn

meeting papa

on c-pap

hanging out with mama this morning.

he is here.



because our children don't do things in any sort of easy fashion....

 

Asher Toviah arrived on December 27th at almost 7 p.m.  six hours from home.  via emergency c-section.  he weight 3 lbs and 13 oz and was 17-1/2 inches long.  he had some severe IUGR.  he was born at 36 and 1/2 weeks.  i'll write the whole story out at some point, but for now, he's in the NICU working on growing.  i'm recovering from a C-section.  we are six hours from home, and thankful for family who is caring for big and little. 

hospital stays and littles.

shilo spent half of the first year of her life in and out of the hospital, and has had other short stays off and on since then.  our longest stay was three months straight.  i had lots of things i had to work through as a result.  Jason and i have talked through our emotions a million times.  as new layers come up, even now, i know i can go to him and talk it out.  i've also seen a professional counselor to work through some of the issues.
when you're three, the words to describe how you feel are limited.  no matter how much we talked with big during all of this, and how much freedom we give her to share her thoughts and fears, even now, almost three years later, her ability to completely and adequately share her emotions regarding all of this, are limited.  even seeing a counselor who is amazing, she still isn't able to put all of her fears into words.  they come out, just in other more subtle, and generally annoying ways.
so the last few weeks with big have been atrocious at times.  she goes from yelling and telling me no to being unwilling to do anything other than stand or sit right up against me, and tell me she loves me over and over again.  and then, doing the same thing with Jason.

turns out, that the idea of her mama going to the hospital, and her little brother being born in the hospital might just be causing her a bit of anxiety.  it took us a little bit to figure it out.  but, it makes sense.  her reference for hospital stays is half of her family being an hour and a half away, her parents stress levels being through the roof, and spending lots of time at other people's houses.
today, i sat down and had a conversation with her about what she thought was going to happen.  it's a tough road to navigate because while i can give her run down of what usually happens when someone has a baby, i cannot tell her that everything will be okay.  i cannot tell her we will be home in a couple of days.  i can't make any guarantees to her.  so i can just give her the basics of what to expect.
i have a call in to the hospital to see if we can walk through with her to show her where we will be, and what it's usually like.  but, to be honest, this is super hard.  there are no children books on how to help your kid navigate a 'routine hospital visit' when she has some ptsd from hospital stays.
at this point, i'll spend the next eight weeks telling her over and over what it will likely be like when i go into labor.  i'll reassure her about who will be taking care of her and little.  and, even then, she will continue to tell me things throughout the day like, 'i don't want tiny to be in the hospital' and 'i hope tiny doesn't have seizures.'  all i can say is, 'me too.'

a few belly pics.



I have had multiple people ask for belly pictures.  However, I won't post them on facebook because I know for people who have struggled with infertility, miscarriage, or infant loss, pregnancy pictures can be really painful.  So instead, I'm going to post a few here, and people can look if they want, and they aren't in their face as soon as they open their facebook page.   Also, I wanted to take a few pictures tonight because it's snowing here, and I love the snow.  

 

 

 

 

 

7 weeks.

18 weeks. on vacation in st, maarten.

29 weeks.  where's your baby brother?

30 weeks.  preparing him for what is to come.

31 weeks.

31 weeks. 



things that are and aren't appropriate.

yesterday, shilo and I got a rare time out of the house with just the two of us.  it was to get her g-tube changed so not a fun experience for her.  however, whenever it's just her and it, the staring numbers drop substantially.  apparently, not having two children, of two different races, makes me stand out less.
i'm a very obvious pregnant at this point (almost 30 weeks).  no more questionable bump.  all of my weight gain is in the front, and most in my belly (some is slightly north of it).  this helps set the stage for the question that I am still trying to 'shake off.'

we had been put in a room to wait, and a nurse comes in to do the once over on meds etc. for shilo.  she looks up at one point and says,
'oh, your family is expanding.'
'yes.  we have a little guy due at the end of January.'
'how exciting.'
she then looks at shilo, and back at me.
'so, is there anything wrong with this baby?'

1.  she is a nurse in a pediatric doctor's office that specializes in caring for children with special needs.  this alone means she should have had the sensitivity training to know it was not an appropriate question.

2.  she is a nurse, and therefore, I would think she would know that Down syndrome is extremely rarely inherited (there is a form of translocation Ds that is.  not important to understand, but you are welcome to research it more if you care).  (obviously shilo is adopted so this is a mute point, but she seemed unaware of that fact)

3.  IF by some chance there was something going on with this baby, perhaps I don't want to talk about it with a complete stranger.  or at all.

4.  it's really none of your business.  like, at all. 

I still have been unable to shake the question.  I have no idea what I even said in response because I was trying not to cry. 
if you see a pregnant mom, and she has a child with obvious special needs of some sort, you don't have the right to ask if this next baby has anything wrong.  even if you are super curious.  even if you work in the medical field.  it's just not your business. 
things you can say:
congratulations.  you look beautiful.  do you know what you are having?  have you picked out a name? when are you due?  is big sister excited?  
these are all things I don't mind answering.  at all.  (or being told). 

discovering grief.

a little over six years ago I became a mother for the first time.  I watched an amazing woman give birth to my oldest daughter.  I fell in love.  instant and deep. 
almost three years ago I became a mother for the second time.  I don't even know what all emotions I felt because it was a whirlwind that when remembered, seems a little like a fuzzy version of hell.  surgery, home, hospital stay, home, hospital stay, surgery, home, surgery again, home, seizures, hospital stay, home.  you get the point.  and to be honest, home wasn't any easier than the hospital most of the time.  lots of puking.  exhaustion form getting up every three hours to give meds and do feeds through a tube.  it was hard.
as we prepare for the arrival of number three, I have been overwhelmed with a rush of emotions I didn't know were lurking below the surface.  I have grieved the fact that I never got to see an ultrasound picture of shilo (I have some of both Abigail and our little guy due in January).  I grieve not being there when she was born, or the first few days of her life.  her family missed her first few days of life.
and then, I feel like her whole first year was missed.  not because I wasn't there, but because it was spent in survival mode.  we were caregivers.  we didn't give bottles, and warm baths, and snuggles.  we didn't comfort tears, or help our daughter learn to sleep at night time.  we gave meds, and sat in waiting rooms, and wondered if our lives would ever be the same.  we never got to experience shilo as a 'baby.'  I have very few memories from her first year of life, likely because I tried so hard to forget.

and now, we prepare for another little.  a boy.  and I'm not even sure what having a baby looks like anymore.  i'm petrified of germs, and am considering not letting anyone near him for the whole first year (this might be a little bit of an exaggeration).  I have no idea what it's like to have a kid without a genetic disorder, and doctor appointments, and so I just prepare for another diagnoses.
perhaps this all sounds a little crazy.  I can't say that between the last six years of our lives, and pregnancy hormones, that I might not be just a little over the edge when it comes to my thinking being rational or sane.
at the same time, I've learned that when confronted with grief, it's often best to put on your boots, and wade into it.  splash around a little.  get a feel for what all is around, and make your way to the other side.  you can likely find a bridge, or a boat, or even a path around.  and, you are welcome to try that.  but, you'll find yourself right back there, at the edge, staring into the deep dark pain of it all, and wondering how you ended up back in that same spot.
so i'm some where in the mucky waters of pain, trying to figure out how to look forward to our upcoming life changes without fear.  I am hoping that as the day of his arrival draws nearer, the other side will come into view, and we will get to meet this child with nothing but exuberant joy.
for now, if you see me, and say something about how excited I must be, don't be alarmed if my response seems less than.  I am thankful for this child.  his life.  what he will add to our family.  it's just that this whole experience is being filtered through past.

...as long as the baby is healthy.

anyone who has ever been pregnant has had this conversation:
'do you know what you are having?'
'not yet?'
'do you want a boy or a girl?'
'it doesn't matter to me.'
'as long as it's healthy....'

the last line actually makes me cringe.  now, of course I don't want there to be something that causes my child to be unhealthy.  but, when I hear 'as long as it's healthy' it feels a little bit like I would accept either gender, but not if they had any sort of disorder, or birth defect, or whatever any of the other millions of things are that can go wrong in pregnancy.
in our house, we will be thankful that we have the opportunity to parent another child.  if it's a boy, well hooray for a whole new adventure.  if it's a girl, *sigh of relief* I already feel equipped to navigate this boat (plus I have lots of clothes).  if the baby is anything less than 100% healthy, we will be just as thankful for his or her life.
I know that when people say this, they mean well.  they are not being rude.  I'm not angry at them.  but, honestly, it still makes me feel like my other two girls are seen as less desirable.  too many of my friends have buried their children.  some of them gave birth to children who were born sleeping.  some of them only got to spend minutes or hours with their children.   and, if you ask them, most of them would tell you that they wouldn't have been upset about dealing with a disorder.  they just want their child.  not a boy.  not a girl.  not a healthy baby.  just their child.
as we near the time period when we would be able to find out what gender our baby will be, we do it knowing full well that we have not been given any sort of guarantees about this child, and the health of it.  neither of our daughter's genetic disorders were 'caused' by anything more than a sperm or egg that had a chromosome on it that was a little wonky. it was nothing that either of their parents did.  and, as a result, we have just as much of a chance of wonky chromosomes as their parents did. 
so, what do we want?  we want to get to parent this child.  but, we make no big plans about who he or she will be.  we will wait, and rejoice in the child we end up with.  boy.  girl.  typical.  just as weird as the rest of us.  we will love our third child.

and then there were three.

mostly, I've felt like I just can't do it.  i'm already tired.  i'm already stretched.  how could I ever add another kid to this mix?  will I ever sleep?  will my other kids end up getting the short end of the stick for a while?  I just can't imagine adding more to what already feels like chaos.

and, then, I look up and the sunlight and shadows take turns dancing across her beads and face.  she concentrates on getting the next Lincoln log in just the right spot.  she adds chairs and beds, a fireplace, and a table.  she shares the details of the little world she has made. it seems impossible that she hasn't always been this age.  she was once a very little, little.  i soak up the moment and look forward to sharing these things with another child.

all the while, little is snuggled under a blanket, in the crook of my right elbow, sleeping.  she just couldn't make it until nap time, and i have not the heart to wake her.  i sit quietly feeling each breath she takes in and lets back out. i think of how much closer she is to walking, and how she will no longer feel like a baby to me when that happens.  i brush the hairs out of her face, and become thankful that soon, i'll have another little to sleep in my arms.

and, i remember how with each child, God has given me a verse.  and, they have fit perfectly into what His plans are for our lives, for our children's lives, and for our family.  so i try hard to focus on the verses He gave me for this little instead of the exhaustion and sickness i am experiencing.  i remember that while i will likely deal with the same struggles with tiny, of learning boundaries, and respect, and kindness, that it won't be in the first day, or week, or even month of life.  i'll have time to settle into the role of mother of three.
and, so to celebrate, and look forward to the joy that looms ahead, i buy a onesie.  a teeny tiny one that seems like it could never fit a real live person.  and i lay it out, and look at it, reminding me of days to come filled with toothless smiles, first times for all sorts of new things, and a sleeping baby on my chest.

clearing a few things up.

as I suspected, I have already heard quite a few cringe worthy things about being pregnant, and how it relates to our two other girls being adopted.  i'm barely showing folks.  I can't help but fear for what lies ahead, and what my two amazing girls are going to hear.  so i'm going to start by clearing the air a little bit, here.

first, and foremost, the sentence:  if you had only waited.....
you may follow that sentiment with, I wouldn't have my two daughters.  no regrets.  nothing but thankfulness for the children we have.  and had we known we were going to get pregnant ten years later, we still would have adopted first.  there's not a whole lot I can think of that would be sadder than not having my two daughters.

 

 

 

second, I didn't get it easier the first two times.  yes, carrying a child is much different than adoption.  and my first trimester has been fairly miserable in all honesty.  but so was the three year wait for Abigail.  and so was being stuck in another state with my daughter waiting on the powers that be to send paperwork from point a to point b so I could cross state lines.  so yes, pregnancy is hard. and I know there are some harder things to come.  but, adoption has it's pains as well. 



and last, my pregnancy is NOT a reward.  it's not what I get for adopting 'those kids.'  the gift I got for adopting these two, is getting to be their mother, and them getting to be my daughters.  make no mistake that the child growing inside of me is NOT more of a blessing than the first two who listened to someone else's heart beat for the first nine months.  my love for this child is NOT  more than my two daughters. 

God has given me three babies.  three children.  three gifts.  none of them are a reward for what I have done, lest I would never have been a mother.  they are, all three, my children.  in the end, it turns out that the person who's uterus the child grew in has no affect for the love I feel for them.