Welcome to the World Taegan

Sunday August 5, 2018 9:30 AM

I woke up, in the hospital, because I was on bed rest, to get ready for out family/maternity photo shoot which was to happen at 11 AM. Now I had envisioned these being at our new house, outside by the pond, but was making the best of the current situation and had agreed to have them taken at the hospital on the grounds. Since I was allowed 1 45 minute wheelchair ride a day, I decided that we could make it work. I mean being in the hospital was part of our "pregnancy story" after all, so why not capture those memories.

All ready for Family/Maternity Photos, which turned into delivery photos.

The Doctor came in for her normal rounds to check on me and see if anything had changed from the night before, meaning was I having any bleeding due to my complete previa. I told her no, everything was great and I was getting ready for our photo shoot. Then the nurse came in to check my vitals, and asked the same questions, to which I responded the same.

I was about done with my makeup and decided to take a bathroom break, as soon as I stood up, I had that "gush" that I had had many times before, yet this time it was much more, much much more. After going to the bathroom and cleaning up a bit, and changing clothes, I decided to just walk to the nurses station. It was just down the hall and to be honest I believe I was in shock. I approached the nurses station and told my nurse Amy, that I was bleeding and I was sorry for interrupting her breakfast, (I knew she was eating because she told me she was going to have breakfast when she left my room.)

She followed me back to my room and after checking the amount of blood, because as gross as it sounds you have to leave your pad out for them to see and sometimes weigh, she decided to get me back on the monitors until the Doctor could come back in so they could monitor Taegan. The whole time I was waiting for the Doctor, which wasnt long, I was trying to keep getting ready and remain calm.

Last belly photo before he arrived

10:00 AM
The Dr came in the room and asked if she could use the speculum and a bright light to check my cervix. When she did this she noticed many large blood clots, to which she said was not a good sign, and then informed me I was 3 cm dilated and very thinned out. This was obviously concerning to me  because I was only 35 weeks and 3 days, but I still assumed we would be waiting until Friday to deliver and maybe my bedrest would be more strict (not sure how it could be but I was thinking "no more nurse station walks."and "no more wheelchair rides." She then decided to do a quick ultrasound to "check babies placement." Once this happened I began to realize that Baby T may be coming sooner than I had expected. After showing me on the screen that in fact my cervix was dilated, and thinned, she said we would be having a baby today. I still didnt realize the urgency of the situation and asked her "when she was thinking, like later this afternoon?" She said "No NOW!"

10:13 AM
I kinda went into panic mode because I knew Brian and Everly would be leaving the house soon to come for photos, and I also knew I really wanted to see Everly because I hadnt seen her since she got back from Family Vacation the night before. Not to mention the photographer may have been on her way as well because she lived about 30 mins from the hospital. Thankfully one thing I was not worried about was the nurse who helped deliver Everly and Callen, and had switched her schedule to be there for my scheduled date, was on duty, and was the charge nurse so she was still able to be in the delivery room with me.

I quickly text the photographer to tell her we had to cancel because of an emergency, then called my sister, who lives down the road to tell her to head to our house to get Everly from Brian because baby was coming. She had a million questions but I didnt have time to explain. I then called Brian to tell him to come right after Chelsea got Everly because Baby T was coming.

10:30 AM
The anesthesia Doctor walked in to talk to me about what was going to happen once we got into the operating room. Then the nurses began to wheel my bed to the operating room. I asked if we could wait on Brian and they said yes but we had to wait in the operating room. I was a little nervous but I was so thankful to have my nurse Amy, and Kara with me.

One of the possibilities of a previa is hemorrhaging while on the operating table. This was something I concerned with but also turning it all over to God and his plan, and trusting the nurses and Doctors during the surgery. When I heard the Doctor tell the nurses to be sure to have my blood type in the operating room, this concern became a little more real.

After getting the spinal block, and getting all situated on the operating table, we waited for the block to set in. During this time Kara did a great job of keeping me posted on Brians whereabouts. The NICU team came in and introduced themselves. Once I was numb, Brian came in and then everything went quickly.

11:16 AM
Taegan entered the world screaming! We were so thankful to hear him crying because we were worried about how his lungs would be at birth. The NICU team began working on him right away while the Drs worked on finishing my surgery. The Doctor did a great job of continuing to reassure me that my bleeding was great and that everything was going perfect. They took Taegan out of the room and into the NICU. That was really hard, not knowing if he was ok or not but again I turned it all over to God and had faith in this plan. At the end of the surgery it was the best thing to hear the Doctor tell the nurses to send the blood back down because we didnt need it. I was able to take a sigh of relief. I knew we were not out of the water just yet, but I also knew that was huge because I had not bled too much during the surgery.

Around 12:00 PM
I was wheeled back into my L&D room to recover before they took me to Mother Baby rooms. My Mom & Dad had arrived, and came back into the recovery room to see me. After a couple hours in recovery I went to Mother Baby. On the way there they wheeled me past Taegans NICU room so I could see him. Brian had been in and out of my room and Taegans during my recovery so he had already been able to see him, but it was the first time I saw him in the NICU. Of course it was hard to see your baby hooked up to all kinds of machines and to see his little hand with an IV, but I knew he was in the best place for him at that moment.

I got to my Mother Baby room and my sisters, and cousin Shelby, and Everly were all waiting on me. It was so nice to see Everly, although I think she was a little scared to see me wheeled in in a bed, with an IV pole and lots of nurses. She was still excited and gave me a big hug and kiss. Over the next few hours, Brian took my Mom, Dad, sisters, and his Dad down to meet Taegan in the NICU. They were not able to hold him but they could see him.

I was not able to see Taegan again until 9 PM, when I was able to get up and walk around. This was extremely hard, but I was so happy to be able to go see him and bring him breastmilk, well colostrum, that I was able to pump throughout the afternoon and evening. We did not get to hold him that first night which stunk, but I understood and wanted to do what was best for him.

I was able to hold him the following morning and Brian that afternoon, and the wait was totally worth it. He was perfect in every way, and so adorable, even with his cpap machine, feeding tube, monitors, and IV.

The next few days were a blur. I was recovering from a csection, which was totally different from a vaginal delivery, Taegan was in the NICU, and thankfully Mike, Brian's Dad had come to stay a few days to help with Everly.  It was definitely a roller coaster, but also one I knew would be worth the ride.

Hospitalized Bed Rest

So far I have been hospitalized for 25 days during this pregnancy, and we have a little over a week left. Our goal is to make it to 36 weeks. I have all the faith in the world that God is in control and this baby will come when its the right time.
Many people have asked how I am doing, or what do I need? The short answers are I am doing good, and all I really need is prayers for a healthy deliver and for God to wrap his hands around the Doctors and Nurses during my stay, as well as during my csection. For the long answer, and more detailed, I thought I would do a "Pros & Cons" list.

Pros (because I like to remain positive about this whole thing and keep the good in the front of my brain)

• I can nap whenever I would like 
• I am able to sleep in, until 11 if I want
• I get to have any or all meals in bed if I would like. I especially enjoy breakfast!
• I don't have to cook
• I have plenty of time for crafts, coloring, binge watching TV and reading
• I don't have to do laundry
• My bedding is changed daily
• My room gets cleaned by the cleaning staff daily
• I have a Jacuzzi tub and can take a bubble bath whenever I want
• I get weekly massages from my amazing massage therapist who comes here
• I have time to get ready every morning 
• The nurses are amazing
• My Doctor is awesome and I feel very safe being here, because when I have a bleed I'm already here and they can help me quickly so I feel very safe.

Cons

• Miss Brian, Everly, and Riley
• Miss the house
• I'm not able to "really" nest so I clean my room a lot
• I have to get blood work done every 72 hours and my IV changed every 3-5 days, which I hate because I'm terrified of needles. 
• I get bored, and dream of going for a walk
• My body is achy. Going from always being on the move, and chasing two toddlers around, to being on bed rest is really hard. You don't really think about how achy you get when you don't move much.
• The food, although good, gets boring and I crave anything outside of these walls
• Miss my bed and being able to sleep with Brian at night. 

Now for the detailed answer to "What do I need". Below is a list of things people have done or brought that have made my day!

• My Mom's friends all got snacks, and coloring books and activities for Everly when she visits. This has been awesome because she has something to do when she is visiting and keeps her busy. 
• Flowers- I have loved all the flowers I have received and they definitely brighten my room.
• Visits from loved ones- It's so nice to have a visit from someone just to be able to have some conversations with someone other than a nurse. The only advice I have is to be sure to let someone know you are coming instead of surprising them. Yes, someone on bed rest is not doing much, but there is nothing worse than laying down for a nap to then have an unexpected guest show up and you are too tired to want to chat.
• Food, or a drink from any place outside of the hospital. I love getting a fountain Diet Coke, since the hospital only has nasty Pepsi products. 
• Pampering- Any type of pampering is also great while on bed rest. Whether it be something like a pedicure set that I can do on my own time, or offering to give a scalp massage or paint my toes (since they are harder to reach). One of my favorite things was when my sister came and gave me a Dermaplane treatment, facial and scalp massage. It truly made my day. 
• All the positive messages I have received, whether in the mail, email, text, or facebook, they have all made my days a little brighter.

Overall hospitalized bed



rest is not terrible but there are hard times, but as long as you keep your eye on the end goal, and on the positives it helps make it a little better. One thing that has helped me is my inspirational door that I have created here in my room. My sister in law got me this amazing coloring book that has different Bible versus on it, and I have been coloring those and hanging them up to keep those important scriptures in my face when I start to get down. I also constantly remind myself "Everyday little man and I are in here together is 2 less days he will have to be in the NICU and me be at home."

Third Trimester Excitement

At our 20 week scan not only did we find out we were having BOY, but we also found out I had Placenta Previa. The definition of Placenta Previa is, a condition in which the placenta partially or wholly blocks the neck of the uterus, thus interfering with normal delivery of a baby. When first receiving this information we remained very optimistic that it would move by the time we needed to deliver. Placenta Previa is very rare, only occurring in less than 200,000 pregnancies a year, and I did not fit into any of the categories of people who are typically affected by this. So another words as my Doctor said "sometimes these things just happen and there is no reason."

Due to this diagnosis we were scheduled for an ultrasound at 28 weeks to check that placement of the placenta and to see if it had moved. We both remained optimistic still hoping it would have moved which would allow us to have a normal pregnancy and a vaginal delivery. Unfortunately at that ultrasound we found out it had not moved, and they scheduled another ultrasound for a month later. 

The Thursday following the 28 week scan, I began to bleed in the evening. We had just put Everly to bed, and had to call my sister to come right over and stay the night. After calling my Doctor they told us to come straight to the hospital and go to Labor and Delivery. Thankfully my bleed was not too bad and they were able to stop the small contractions I was having and were able to stop the bleeding. I had to stay in the hospital to be monitored for 4 days. 

When I was finally able to go home I was released on moderate bed rest and was told I could not be alone without an adult who could drive, because typically once you have a bleed you will have more. Your body literally turns into a ticking time bomb which makes you a little anxious. It was very hard to remain sitting and to not be the one taking care of Everly. Thankfully my Mom, Dad, Sisters, Aunts, cousins, Mamaws and Father in law all have been very helpful. I tried to obey Doctors orders" but as I'm sure most people with a toddler can understand its not that easy. Not only are you trying to make the most of the last days you have with just your first born but she didn't understand I couldn't hold her or pick her up. It was extremely hard.

I had an ultrasound scheduled for the Monday after my 32 week mark and unfortunately the Friday before I had another bleed. This time we had just put Everly down for nap and Brian was working from home, so he was my "adult." This bleed was much bigger than the last but thankfully I had not hemorrhaged. My cousin and his fiance came right over and Brian and I headed to the hospital again. This time was a little more scary due to the amount of blood as well as Baby T's heartbeat was pretty fast and so was mine. Instead of the normal one nurse, there was 3 that rushed in. They very quickly got an IV in my arm, started me on fluids and began asking me all kinds of questions that lead me to believe they thought delivery could be near. 

I figured I would have to stay for 4 days again to be monitored. I was checked in on the 13th of July, and that following Monday, my Doctor said she wanted me to stay at least until Friday. That would be a one week stay and although I was bummed I was able to accept that. I thought as long as I did not continue to bleed I would be able to go home.....

I was wrong. Since we moved back in April and we live further away from the hospital my Doctor felt it was best to stay at the hospital until Baby T made his debut, which we had hoped would be many more weeks. 

Gender Reveal

It took me a few weeks to fully realize that I was actually pregnant and we were going to have another baby. It was different from getting pregnant with Everly because we were trying and had hopes it would happen quickly, which it did, so this time I remained in shock for awhile. Due to this I think I probably took about 60 pregnancy test.

 We decided to forgo the early testing which allows you to find out very early on if you are having a Boy or a Girl. Part of me wanted to have another Girl because I felt like I know how to be a "girl mom," and I also knew Everly had a ton of cute clothes we could re-use. On the other hand I kinda wanted to have a Boy because then we would have one of each. Brian didnt seem to have an opinion although as we headed to the ultrasound I knew in my gut it was a Boy but for whatever reason Brian thought it was a Girl.

Needless to say we were both excited to hear that we were expecting a little BOY!

 A few months prior to our Anatomy scan we announced to all our family at Everly's Birthday that she was going to be a Big Sister. Everyone was delighted and we were so glad we could share that moment with each and everyone of them.

Second Pregnancy

Being a Mom of a toddler and taking care of my nephew, who is also a toddler, 4-5 days a week, its fare to say sometimes life seems a little crazy. Brian and I had talked about having a second child for awhile before we really committed to it. We knew we wanted another child but we were not sure when was the best time.

After some planning, (because thats my personality) we decided we would start trying in the Spring and that way we would have another winter baby so my nephews "hand-me-downs" would fit, and so that my maternity clothes would also all work. The plan was perfect!

God apparently had another plan for us because Christmas morning I woke up and had this feeling that I could be pregnant. I cant really describe it because its not like I was sick, I just had a gut feeling. I took a pregnancy test as soon as I woke up and although it was not clear there appeared to be a faint plus line! I decided to go about the day and not say anything to anyone until I could take another test. That evening when we got home from all the Christmas activities I told Brian I was going to run to CVS to get chapstick. He did not understand why I had to go on Christmas Day and I just told him I needed it now.

I quickly drove to a near by CVS and purchased 2 different types of test, one being the digital readout kind. Got home and went straight into the bathroom. I decided on the digital one because I needed to have the actual word Pregnant or Not Pregnant in my face. Of course it read Pregnant. I came out of the bathroom and Brian was in the living room. All I could think to say was "I guess Santa left one extra gift for us this year" and he said "what", to which I followed up by handing him the test.

We were both in shock for a few days. I still couldn't grasp that it was real, so I went on Amazon and bought the 50 pack of Pregnancy tests. I proceeded to take one almost everyday until our first appointment which wasn't until I was 8 weeks along, so I had 4 weeks left.

At our appointment we were able to get an ultrasound and hear Baby T's heartbeat. After that appointment it all became real and we found out we would be welcoming a baby into the world and the expected delivery date was September 6, 2018.

Let the Potty Training Begin

Let's be honest EVERYONE has their opinion on when, how and how not, and how quickly you should potty train your child. (Key words there is "YOUR child")

My main take away from the countless articles I have read is to do it your way and do it how it works best for your little one and your family. I have done things I swore I would NEVER do, like put the potty in the family room, and also not done things I thought I would do.

Right before Everly's first Birthday we bought a potty seat. The main reason for buying while she was so young was because we wanted her to have a good experience with her potty seat, and ease into liking it. I have seen too many times when parents wait until their child is "ready" aka: about to head to preschool in a week so they must be potty trained this weekend, and its traumatizing for the child who is being forced to do something they don't want to do. Sometimes the Mom is pregnant again, and the last thing she wants to do is follow a toddler around reminding them when to pee and cleaning up messes when they have and accident. Almost everyday we would put Everly on the potty. Sometimes it was while I went potty, or right before her bath, or right when she woke up. We didn't make a big deal about it but just said "Everly wanna go potty" and put her on there and read a book. Once she was done, because most of the time she would pee, we gave her 1/4 of a Gerber Arrowhead cookie. We were so excited! She was really going on the potty. She still didn't understand, and it was all by chance, but she was doing it. The bad part was she started associating the potty with bath-time, and with getting a cookie. So sometimes she would say "potty" but really she wanted to go take a bath or just to have a cookie.

What did we learn from this (when it comes to Everly):

•   Having the potty chair in the same bathroom as the tub she bathes in, was not a good idea.
•   Giving her a cookie each time was not a great idea either.
•   Getting the potty chair early was a GREAT idea because she loves it, and since it makes a sound when she pees she knows she did it and gets very excited.
•   Only having her potty on the chair here and there was maybe confusing for her.

What did we decide to do? Well about 4 months later we decided to just stop. We removed the cookies from the drawer, closed the potty so it was just a stool she used to stand on to brush her teeth, and began looking for "ready" signs, so we could plan a weekend to REALLY potty train. 

                                             Common readiness signs include:

• Pulling at a wet or dirty diaper.  
• Hiding to pee or poop.
• Interest in others' use of the potty, or copying their behavior.
• Having a dry diaper for a longer-than-usual time.
• Awakening dry from a nap.
• Telling you that they're about to go, are going or have just gone in their diaper.

Around 18 months, Everly began pulling at her diaper, playing with its content (YUCK!), always hiding behind the elliptical to poop, mocking potty behaviors such as wiping, and telling me "poo poo" after she went. All of these where enough signs for us that she was ready to at least "try." I always was tired of cleaning up after a poop mess after the dirty diaper was pulled off. Her pediatricians recommendation was potty train or add more layers of clothes so she cant get to her diaper. We tried the layer until we came to a free weekend, where we knew one of us could remain home all weekend long. 

At 20 months and 1 week that weekend came along. We purchased some awesome training pants from Aribaby designs, which I highly recommend, and planned out our weekend. Saturday morning we decided she would remain naked from the waist down, with the exception of leg warmers and socks, because its super cold this weekend.  We put her potty chair in the family room, and agreed Ipad and TV time would be extremely less restrictive during this weekend. We also set the expectations low, and all we agreed on was that we stay tough and not give in until the weekend was over, be happy when she goes on the potty, and not get angry when she doesn't, and that we would rejoice in how clean our floors would be after a weekend of spot cleaning. 

Day one is over and things went as expected. As soon as Everly woke up we got her naked from her waist down. At first she was confused why she had no diaper on, but quickly warmed up to the idea. Then we watched her.....like a hawk! Everywhere Everly went Mommy or Daddy went too. We tried to get her to sit on the potty as often as possible. Whether she was watching TV, playing the Ipad, or reading a book, if she was sitting down it was on the potty. During nap we did put a diaper and pants on her just because we had already cleaned up so many messes and only had one successful potty trip. After nap, off with the diaper again. Saturday evening Mommy and Daddy went on a date night late, and Everly went to her Mimi's to play. During this time she had her PJ's and a diaper on. 

Sunday morning we woke up and stripped her down again. She started out not wanting anything to do with the potty, but eventually she sat right down and peed, then popped up and said "potty!" Brian and I were elated! We thought maybe she was getting it! No worries though in less than an hour she peed on the floor again. The difference on day 2 from day 1 was that now when she had an accident she would say "potty," and point to the puddle, then run to her seat. SHE WAS STARTING TO GET IT! 

Hoping the rest of today goes well, and that tomorrow there is more progress. Did I mention our child who normally poops 3 times a day has not gone since Friday.......

Having a 15 Month Old

WOW! Today Everly is 15 months old! I cant even believe that she is growing so quickly. She is such a joy to have in our lives and we thank God daily that he chose us to be her parents.

Today was also her 15 month Dr appointment and her Dr couldn't get over how "big" she is. Not necessarily in size, yet she is in the 90th percentile on both height and weight, but mostly on how smart she is. He said "Mom she is very precocious," and I couldn't agree more. She can say a few sentences, and has many words in her vocabulary. Everyday I hear her say a new word that I didnt know she knew. Just this week she started saying:

Breakfast

Walk

That's cool

Water

Sit

Since she can communicate what she wants she has also begun to throw tantrums when she doesnt get her way. Thankfully I got the "go-ahead" from Dr Harper to start using timeout. We will see how that goes tomorrow. 

Right after Everly turned 13 months old, we started putting her on the potty from time to time. Mostly right before nap and bed. The very first time we did this she peed! We were so excited! Ever since whenever she sits on the potty, you can see that she is really trying to make herself pee. She likes that when she sits on her potty she gets to read special "potty" books, and she also gets a treat (1/4 Arrow cookie) for trying. We are not necessarily potty training her just yet, but we are trying to create a positive association with her potty seat. Far too many times I see kids beginning the potty training process way late and then it becomes stressful for the parents and the child, which results in them having a negative association with the whole potty training process. 

We ended up ordering a potty seat on Amazon, and love the one we chose. It looks like a Princess thrown and when she pees it make royal sounds and her face lights up every time. She also enjoys dumping her pot after, and flushing the big toilet. 

Everly has lots of new tricks up her sleeve but the one that is causing the most stress recently is not the "positive potty experience" but the fact that she loves to climb. I dont mean just like climb on the couch, I mean climb on anything and everything that she can reach. Trees, toys, chairs, tables, her cousin Callen, Riley (our dog), bookshelves, tv stands, and her rocking horse to name a few. Let's just say this little girl is a little adventurous and I believe she could give her Daddy grey hair someday. Thankfully she is extremely loving, so although she raises my anxiety level at times, the love she gives helps it come back down. 

She is probably the sweetest little girl ever. She is always loving on her Grandparents, cousins, Aunts and Uncle's and of course Mommy and Daddy.

The last 15 months have been so amazing! We cant wait to see whats next for this spunky, precocious, wild child!