Today was a bad day.

Today was a bad day for me. Some good happened, but I think that I will bum you out a little first.

On tuesday, after delivery, I had a smallish hemorrage. They got the bleeding to stop, but I lost a lot of blood. Yesterday (wednesday) when they ran labs my reds blood cell count was low, but not more than was to be expected, all things considered. Well today when they ran my labs, it was worse. My red blood cell count was low enough that I had to have a 2 unit transfusion. I would like to thank the two O- people who donated to the American Red Cross. Whoever you are, you saved my life today.

Anyways. I am felling better now, but bthey will be re-running my labs at 9:30 tonight. If there is not a vast improvement, I will have a ct scan in the morning to look for a possible bleed.

On the bright side of my life, Liam is doing fantastic. He is a pro breastfeeder. He is as happy and as healthy as can be. Also, on the bright side, my milk came in today, so at least that part of my body is working properly!

I will update as I find things out. Love you!

For Paige

I will get you a better action shot as soon as I can. The staff all love the ogre hat!

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Owen was finally able to give him his first bath... Look at all that blond hair!!!

Fw: Liam's beautiful face

Isn't this just about the most beautiful little boy face that you have ever seen???

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Liam Rhys has arrived! 10lbs 8oz, 21 inches!

OK EVERYONE!!!!

It is 5:30 and we are on our way to Madigan Army Medical Center. The next time anybody hears from me, I will have given birth. Till then!

This is just a test...

This is just a test to check to see if I can use mobile blogging to let everyone know when baby Liam has arrived!

A low key Birthday Party.

Yesterday marked 3 days left until the birth of Liam, but it was also my brother Orion's 25th birthday and the day of Mikaela's 2nd birthday party.

Since I know how much he loves this picture:



This is Orion, Christmas Eve of 2007. Handsome isnt he? He doesnt have a the facial hair anymore, but he looks the same other than that! Happy Birthday baby brother! I love you and cant wait to see you this summer when you come up to visit!


OK. Happy Birthday wishes to my brother are now done.

Now there is not that much to tell you about how Mikaela's birthday party went. Most of our guest list had to cancel at the last minute for one reason or another, so the only people who were there were Owen's ex-girlfriend, Chealsea and a friend of his from high school, Monique, and her 11 month old son, Issac. Oh and of course we were there too!

We started out the festivities by having her open her present from her Gran and Grandad. (Owen's parents)




She loved her new pretty princess dress and wanted to immediately put it on! So of course we let her! Then she opened the card, which she wanted to open all by herself.



She did let Owen read it to her after a minute though.

Then the kids played for a while...

Then we moved on to dinner. It was simple. Since there where only 4 adults and 4 kids, Owen decided not to use the grill and just used my cast iron griddle/grill inside. He made hot dogs for the kids and hamburgers for the adults.



Issac, being as little as he was, ate a pancake we had left over from morning breakfast!



Then the kids played a little more.

Then we decided it was getting kinda late, since Monique still had to drive home to Portland so she could go to work in the morning.... so we brought Mikaela her cupcakes and sang her Happy Birthday.



The cupcakes made her happy, as did the two pink candles....



The Happy Birthday song, on the other hand, made her upset and she kept yelling "NO! NO SONG!" at us and practically burst into tears before we were done singing. Note to self, Mikaela doesnt like to have the Happy Birthday song sung at her.



She also really liked blowing out her candles!



Look how danty she was sucking the frosting off the bottom of the candles!



She took great joy in watching Issac eat his first ever cupcake and kept happily squealing about how "CUTE!!!!" the baby was.



Daddy gave her a bowl of pink (double strawberry) ice cream to go with her pink and purple cupcakes. She couldnt have been happier!

After cupcakes and ice cream, Owen took Monique back to her car (she couldnt get it on post.) and Chealsea played Hungry Hungry Hippo's with the kids.




Thus ended a rather laid back, but well enjoyed birthday celebration.

Today My Princess...

Today, my Princess is a milestone for you. You refuse to believe it, cause there is no cake, but today you became a 2 year old.

It is so hard for me to believe that it was two years ago that you came into my life. I went to the L&D ward at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in pain, but expecting to be sent home yet again with a "sorry there is nothing we can do, go home and get some rest." Instead they told us you were coming right then. I panicked! Your auntie Katie had just (and I mean like hours previous!) gotten on a plane to head to New Hampshire. I had no childcare for your brothers lined up for that day! Mike was gonna take the time off on the day of your scheduled c-section, which was still 2 weeks away! So I did what anybody would do. I called Mike and begged him to come down to the hospital. He was on lock down at the barracks and was certain that they were not gonna let him go anywhere. Well, He just took off anyways and headed out to help us! (If I remember correctly he fought an article 15 for disobeying direct orders to not come, and won cause he was taking care of a fellow soldier in need.)

As soon as your uncle Mike showed up, they wheeled me back to the OR. Your c-section hurt so much worse than either of your older brother's c-sections had!



But oh! You were beautiful from the word go!



Then they wheeled you off to do all the things that they do to newborns. Weigh you, measure you, give you shots, all of it. Daddy went with you to take pictures!



You, of course, were not amused!

Eventually we were together again and your brothers just couldn't wait to meet you!




Alexander was so immediately smitten that he didn't even notice that Aeddon was trying to bust open my fresh incision!

Then everybody went home for the night and you and I were supposed to get to bond. But something went wrong. You see, shortly after your brothers and daddy went home, I started to have complications. I was bleeding badly and the doctors were scared that they were gonna have to take me back to surgery. During all the chaos, you were basically ignored. Nobody really checked on you. Nobody finished cleaning you up. Nothing (well some people from your dad's work did show up and help for a few minutes at a time!)

By the time they decided I was ok, it was late and you weren't doing well. You had something that looked like a bruise on your back. (for the record, I noticed that bruise and asked them to make note of it at the time of your birth, but they didn't listen to me!) Without my permission, they took you for x-rays. They wouldn't bring you back and I couldn't understand why! Nobody would tell me that one of the nurses had seen Alexander holding you and was appalled and had told everyone that we were letting him hold you completely without supervision and that he must have dropped you. The other going theory was that the reason I was in so much pain and ended up bleeding like I did was because your daddy had hit me and done it hard enough to hurt not only me, but you as well. Idiots. Like your dad would ever hurt either one of us!

Then the next thing I knew, they were heavily medicating me and then they came in all rushed and crazy and told me that you had a broken rib and had to be rushed to the NICU at another hospital and that I had to sign the papers for your transfer and that NO I could not call you daddy to see what he though was best. I had to do it now or they were going to send a social worker down and have me declared unfit and remove you from my custody and take you anyways and then I would have to fight for you back in court. Well I panicked and let them take you. MISTAKE.

It took me two days to get them to release me from the hospital and in that time, no less than 5 people came to see me and tried to get me to confess to either Alexander dropping you, or your daddy beating us. I told them all the same thing. They were nuts and you were fine. Finally they let me go, and I rushed to your side at the NICU.



When Daddy and I got there we were informed that you were fine. There had never been anything wrong with you and that you never should have been taken from us in the first place, but that they couldn't let you go home because they had routinely put you on a 5 day antibiotic course and you couldn't leave till it was done.

3 days later we brought you home. Since then, you have been making our lives a happier, significantly more beautiful place!


















You know what, baby girl? I wouldn't change a thing. Happy Birthday My Love!

It occured to me.

*For those of you counting down with me, 5 days (including today) until I give birth!

So yesterday I was sitting on the couch when it suddenly occurred to me that I did not currently own a pair of slippers to wear while in the hospital. Since I will be there for a minimum of 48 hours, and will be there for a full 5 days if Owen gets his way, I really did need a pair of slippers to wear.

See I am not a big fan of the "slipper socks" that they provide at the hospital. They make my feet itch, and since I swell up like a balloon that first day (to much IV fluids if you ask me!) the ankles on them always pinch. The last thing you need when you are finally alone with your new baby is itchy ankles you cant reach. You know that whole "I just got cut from hip to hip, there is no way I can reach my own feet right now!" thing.

So I did what any crafter would do! I crocheted myself a pair of slippers! I used the Adult Mary Jane Skimmers pattern by Sylvia Schuchardt (Rav links to the designer and the pattern!) Her patterns can also be purchased here. For those of you who don't crochet, but want a pair for yourself or anybody who wears any shoe size from a women's 11 down to a newborn size, I am authorized to make and sell as many pairs of these as I want, so just let me know if you want some!



The bottom sole is 6 year old Red Heart Super saver yarn that I have had floating around for forever. It is in bad shape and was HELL to crochet with. But I have tested them on the floors in my kitchen and they are pretty grippy, without sticking the way a rubber soled shoe would. The top is Knit Picks Swish Worsted Weight Wool. The wool is super soft and since it is a nice open pattern, it doesn't make my feet to hot!



This is what they look like from the side. See that nice black sole? Not only does it have just the right amount of grip, but it is also black, so will hide dirt well!



Tada! SO CUTE!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that they are completely machine washable. So I will be able to clean them easily when I get home!



Even Mikaela loves them, and has requested a pair in her size, which luckily I have a pattern for!

Ginger is the COOLEST!

We are all gonna play a little game of pretend. Ready. When I say go, we are all going to pretend that I posted this yesterday. OK??? GO!

Six days left till Baby Liam is here. Today I had planned on a tender post about his bassinet and why it is so special, but I have decided to wait on that post until he is here and sleeping sweetly inside said bassinet.

Instead I want to tell you about a present I received from someone whom is very special to me. Her name is Ginger, and I have talked about her here on my blog before. The link to her blog is right there on the right hand side. Just click the link for Momma MC. Yep that is her.

I asked Ginger a few months ago if I could buy a custom embroidered shirt off of her to bring Baby Liam home in. Ginger insisted on making it for me as part of his baby present. Ginger is one of those SUPER AWESOME people who likes to make a present for every baby to be whose mother (or father) she knows personally.

She asked me what I wanted. I told her I wanted a cute little dragon in the same colors as the set I had/was knitting and crocheting for him. She asked for a sample of the yarn for color matching purposes. I sent it off to her and look what I got back!!!!!



Isn't he SUPER CUTE???!!!!

This is the newborn sized Coming Home outfit all together.



Just in case he is another 10lb baby like Aeddon was, I have a back-up plan!



I still have to make the shoes for this one, but since they take less than a day, I can bust them out in the hospital if I have to!

Of course, in typical Ginger fashion, she did not just send the shirt! Oh no! She sent a whole package!


This is the shirt and some cute matching sock/booties that she made! The sock/booties are crocheted!


This is the super cute, super squishy ball that she crocheted! The older kids all love it and want to play with it, but I am trying to save it for Liam to play with first!

Last but not least, a few weeks ago Ginger posted a blog about the awful-ness that was buttered popcorn flavored Jelly Bellys. I happen to love that particular flavor, and so I jokingly told her she could send them my way! Well HOORAY FOR ME! Ginger actually sent me a bag of Jelly Bellys of my very own!



This was all that was left after they were in the house for just under an hour! This bag was almost 3x this full when it got here! At least I didn't eat them all! The kids helped.

I keep thinking Ginger has officially done the coolest thing ever, then she does something else. Like send me a really cool gift. Thanks Ginger! You really are the COOLEST!

The finish line is in sight.

Today marks exactly one week until I give birth. In honor of that I will post a picture of me, taken by Owen.



This is Owen's favorite of the pictures. I am standing on Owen Beach. He loves this picture cause that is just me. No make-up, no fancy hair, no fancy lighting, no photo editing. Just me watching the kids playing.



This is my favorite of the pictures Owen took of me. I know it doesn't show my face, but I have always loved profile shots. Plus you can see my whole pregnant body in all its glory, or at least as much of "all its glory" as I am willing to show in public!

That is all I have for now. I am gonna try to post at least once a day from now until I head in to give birth to baby Liam.

I so totally owe you!

Ok. I promised you all alot of updating... and haven't done any of it. I have been checking things off and adding commentary to my to-do list for the month, but I feel the need to give you more than that!

First Liam's completed blanket:





It turned out huge! I love it though. The tips go from one edge of my queen sized bed to the other side (from side to side not from top to bottom!)

Easter:


The kids all dressed for church.


From left to right: Mikaela's Easter Bucket, Alexander's Easter Bucket, Aeddon's Easter Bucket. I never did give them all the eggs in front of the buckets. They are still hiding in a drawer in my bedroom!







Fun with Easter buckets.

Then Owen went to work. That was pretty much the end of Easter for us. No egg hunt, no dyeing Easter eggs. Nada. We even just had Mac'n Cheese for dinner.

My birthday:

Traditionally, my birthday sucks. I don't know why. It just does. I know some will say that that is because I am expecting it to suck and therefore it does. That is just not true. Every year I wake up and hope for the best!

This year was no different really. I was in horrible pain all day. On top of that, Aeddon tried to strangle Mikaela and I had to have Owen come home and help me with the kids cause I just wasn't up to doing it on my own!

On the good side of things, we had a yummy dinner and I had a cake... sort of. It was a tiramisu from the Safeway bakery. It was pretty good too!


Owen put 27 candles on it.


The kids helped me blow them out.


Then we chowed down on tiramisu and vanilla ice cream.

That is all I am gonna pack into this post. I have updated information on Aeddon's evaluation, but I am not really ready to talk about that right now.