Alice Evelyn Clark- Birth Story

 

Alice Evelyn Clark

August, 7th 2019

8.6 Lbs & 20.5 inches

Alice is here and we just love her! The kids are excited that their baby sister is here, and the way Elizabeth says "baby Alice" is too adorable. 

I like to write down the birth stories because it's amazing how quickly you forget and it's always fun to go back and read about them. Poor Thomas, I think he's the only one that I didn't write down, I was too busy finishing school I guess.

I've always say I'm not a fan to being induced, but I decided to get induced again this time because of timing and schedule. Both the kids and Dustin start school next week and I wanted to get used to our new normal before adding to the craziness, also my mother in law is in town to help out. 

I was 39 weeks the Monday before I had Alice and at my doctor's appointment on Tuesday I was dilated at 3cm and was 75% effaced which surprised the doctor and I since I was nothing the week before. So that made me excited and made me ALMOST want to wait and not get induced to see what would happen, but I decided to induce anyway. Dustin picked his mom at the airport really late Tuesday night and didn't come home sometime after midnight. I went to bed hoping to get some sleep before the big day, but once Dustin came home I couldn't sleep between the heartburn, Alice moving like crazy, and having lots a cramps and some good contractions.We got up left for the hospital at 5am to get things going. I let Dustin sleep at this time because I knew I wouldn't be able to with everything and we could trade off later when I could sleep. They started giving me pitocin around 7:20 the contractions started coming fast and hard and every few minutes, then they gave me the epidural, which probably worked too well, because I had one arm numbed and half of my face. I was also getting sick because my blood pressure was getting low but they fixed that pretty quick.  At 9:20 they broke my water and I was dilated at 4 and 80% efface, so I figured it was going to take a while before it was time, I did tell the nurse that I feel like about time I hit 5cm I go fast.  She put a peanut shape ball between my legs to help with dilation, then a little before 10 she checked my progress and I was a 10cm and 100% effaced. By 10am I was wanting to push but my doctor wasn't there, he was at the other hospital with another delivery and was heading our way. So I had to wait thirty minutes before I could start pushing. So 10:30 I start pushing and no sign of the baby coming, in the past it went a lot quicker and I was getting discouraged that no progress was made. Alice was so far on my left side that she was coming at an angle so when I was pushing she basically was just hitting wall versus going through the opening, after pushing and not that much progress I was getting discouraged and the lack of sleep hit me hard, but I kept pushing, the doctor said he probably missed the window since I had to wait for him and Alice moved out of prime location,  so after 15 minutes he used a little vacuum to adjust her, and I pushed a few times, then she came out. Like Elizabeth she cried and cried and cried, it took a while to finally calm her down. 

The first night was a little rough since she was having a hard time burping and she seemed uncomfortable so I was up most of the night with her. I did send her to the nursery to see if maybe they could get her to sleep and comfortable and they came back pretty quick and said she was fussy and only rocking her calmed her down, and I was like "yeah that's why I sent her, I needed some sleep" ha ha but I was happy to take care of her after my little nap, it just made me laugh that they didn't want to deal with her. But when I finally got her to burp some pretty good burps she slept pretty good and I got some sleep between every body at the hospital coming in to bother me. I'm not a fan of hospitals, obviously. 

Anyway she is here and she's been doing great once she figured how to burp, she's been sleeping a lot and it's hard to wake her up for feedings sometimes but she's starting to eat like a champ. We just love her and so glad that she's finally here.

Summer Fun

About a month ago I was able to get two vouchers for Build-A -Bear's "pay your age" sale, so I let the two younger ones pick out one each, it was $6 for the two stuff animals. Then I let the two older kids pick out some Legos at the Lego store since they didn't get a bear. I almost let Thomas get a bear because I did feel bad I only had two vouchers and he wanted a Star Wars one but I told him if he still wanted a bear after going to the Lego store then we can get one, luckily he wanted Legos because it was cheaper. Ha ha

I figured I should do one pregnancy picture for this pregnancy so this kid doesn't feel left out.  I think I was 35 weeks at this picture. And yes I know I'm huge, everyone likes to remind me and say some comment while I'm in public, and it takes everything in me not to say some smart, nasty remark back, oh bless me. Two more weeks!

Some friends threw me a friend baby shower last week. I just wanted friends since its my fifth baby I didn't feel like I needed a huge baby shower. My friends still went all out and did a wonder woman theme and it was amazing, and they had all the food and treats that I have been craving, it was very sweet.

This past month it's been hotter, its been a "mild' summer for Texas which has been a blessing for this pregnant girl, so we've been taking the kids to the pool almost everyday.

Also this summer the kids and Dustin have done a lot of bike rides in the morning. So far it's been pretty chill summer and now we are playing the waiting game for our baby girl to arrive.

Baby #5

It's old news for most, but I had to put it on the good old blog here, but baby #5 is on the way and it's a girl! We are very excited, at least most of us, Peter wanted a baby brother, but I think he will live.

Elizabeth Claire

Elizabeth Claire is finally here!

It took her long enough!

She was due on March 31st but she had no desire to go anywhere. There were a few times where I thought it might be the day, regular menstrual-like cramps and a lot of good contractions, enough to wake me up at night or make my body really sore, then it would stop and I would feel fine; it was very frustrating. 

Every time I went to the doctor I barely made any progress, again, very frustrating. I really didn't want to get induced yet again, but I feel like that's just how it's going to be, Oliver must have been a fluke since he's my only one that I went to labor naturally. 

I ended up getting induced a week after my due date, I was really hoping to go into labor before then but I had no luck. 

So we went to the hospital 5 in the morning to get all set up, they started giving me Pitocin(sp) around 7, then later the epidural. The nurse said when they gave me the epidural they stopped the pitocin for a little bit, and my body just stopped going to labor (when usually it will keep going) which made me think it was going to be a long day, she just didn't want to come to this world. After a half hour or so they started the pit again and the Doctor broke my water around 9ish. Then it was waiting time, Dustin started to get hungry so I told him to go eat because it wasn't happening anytime soon. Not too long after my nurse went to check me and I was around 5 cm, and that she would check me again in an hour but if I feel the urge to push to let her know. Within the next ten-twenty minutes I felt the urge but I thought it was in my head because she just told me about it, but after three good long desires to push I called her in and I was already 9 and almost ready to go, I couldn't believe it! And Dustin was still no where to be seen, and they were getting things ready, I called him and luckily he answered and was close by, for a second I thought he was going to miss it. Then I had to wait for the doctor to come,  I had to really concentrate and not push until then. 

Then it was go time, after three pushes I asked why she wasn't here, my last two were here in two pushes, but after six she was here. She had her hand on her face so I blame that ;) I had to push a head and a hand, and that she was 9lbs 2oz. Also, I just remembered she was still pretty high up.

Then she came to this world at 11:11, she came here screaming, and screaming, and screaming. I looked at Dustin with a nervous look and wondered what we were in for. My first thought was she was hungry. I would tease that she loved food because I was always hungry when I was pregnant and that's why she stayed as long as she did. Well after all the screaming and the nurses cleaning her up I decided to try and nurse her, she latched on right away and nursed for a whole hour, and ever since then she has been the easiest baby. The girl loves her food, she never turns it down and eats ALL the time.

When she was born she had low blood sugar which is normal for bigger babies, but after she eat it went normal. But then they tested her again after they took her for a bath, and it had been 3 hours since she last time she eat and it was low again so they had to test her every few hours, it was very annoying because of course her sugar was low after that long. I really didn't like the first nurse, she gave me this pep talk of having to feed her all the time to keep it up, this is after her having her for so long for no reason, then she wanted me to supplement with formula which is fine, but I wanted to try on my own first since in the past I have never struggled with having enough to feed my babies, but she said they would take her to the NICU if it didn't go up, and the thing is it was always going up. And when the boys came she got after me for not feeding her when she came to check it again, it had only been an hour and she said she would come in two,  but she made me feel like crap, so I send the boys away and fed her, then she came back and she was like "where is your family? They didn't have to go." I was very annoyed, ha ha can't you tell? I hate hospitals...ugh

Anyway, the next nurse was great and said Elizabeth was fine, go figure.

Anyway the next day we tried to leave as soon as possible and to make a long story short another nurse tried to give us a go around, I swear they are there to get money out of you and stay as long as possible, with that being said, most nurses there I love and are great we just had two annoying ones this go round. A funny side note, when we were leaving Dustin said."See you in two years!" and the nurse was like "Really?" and was probably thinking we already had enough kids ha ha.

Anyway, we are so happy she is here, the boys fight to hold her, Peter is the worst he's always like "Can I hold it?" and some times it's a no because she is sleeping, and one time he threw a major tantrum, and anytime another sibling is holding her he gets mad. Ha ha I wonder how long will she be a novelty in this house. Thomas when he gets home from school, the first thing he does is to find Elizabeth, it's pretty adorable. 

And I'm finally sure it's Elizabeth, even after we named her I was questioning if we got the name right, I don't know why I had such a hard time deciding, I went with Elizabeth because that has been my "favorite" the most when I was pregnant with her, and when she was crying when she entered the world I thought she wasn't afraid to voice her opinion like Elizabeth Bennet ;)  But not until yesterday I was like "yeah, she's an Elizabeth" I was still playing with names in my head the last few days. 

So far I've been the only one to call her Lizzie, Thomas is too literal and only calls her Elizabeth so the other boys have followed suit. 

Anyway we just adore her and she fits perfect in our family, I almost said little family but, we aren't so little anymore. 

Life Lately

So some catch up as always....

my blog has been really sad the last two years.

I have been really lucky to have some amazing friends here in Texas. I not only had one baby shower but two! I'm always so touched by how lucky I am to have some amazing friends. I always talk about how much I miss Idaho and how I would love to move back, which I do, but at the same time I have made some awesome life-long friends here that makes me glad I am here.

I also did another painting class for one of our Relief Society activities, the ladies did awesome, it was not an easy painting!

Also last month I went to a very needed girls' weekend. ( I am missing one friend in this picture, she wasn't with us at that moment) we stayed at a hotel in Oklahoma City then headed to the Pioneer Woman restaurant and store. There were huge lines! But it was a good store and everything I tried there was amazing!

And I guess I should do at least one prego picture for this pregnancy. I am 38 weeks right now and I don't think this little lady is coming anytime soon, I'm due on the 31st, but my guess is April 3rd, we will see if I'm right. I have had all winter babies so mentally I have been done since January so I feel like it's never going to end.

Also over a month ago I took Peter to Build a Bear to use his birthday money. This kid loves his stuff animals and dogs. He loves this dog, but the other one that I mentioned before is still his number 1 buddy but he was soooo excited about his new dog "Max".

Another update, our computer died, so we had to get a brand new apple computer, it's just been a very expensive year. I hope this is the last of things "breaking down" for the year.

Anyway, hopefully my next blog post will be about the new baby, but that might be some wishful thinking on my part. And no, I don't have a name picked out.

Our Little Announcement

I made this little announcement over a month ago on social media, but I wanted to document on here too. 

We were able to find out our 4th baby was a girl pretty early on because we took the blood test.

The story is kinda funny, Dustin called me from work, which he never does since he is a teacher, and said the Doctor called, then his phone cut us off!!!! I had been waiting for the call for about a week at that time waiting to hear the results.

I tried calling him over and over, then five minutes later he sends me a text that said "call the doctor".

So I called the doctor and they told me it was a girl, and I just started crying with joy and called Dustin and told him and his class. Then called my mother and mother-in-law, then later announced to everyone with this drawing.

So we are having a girl! And our world is about to change since we have been a family of all boys for so long! I admit this last pregnancy I was trying to stay neutral but deep down I knew I wanted a girl. The other pregnancies I was honestly fine and happy to have boys, but this last time I really wanted a girl, I don't know if it was because my first sonogram the doctor said she might be a girl (since my other boys have never been shy that we knew Peter was a boy from my twelve week apt) that just having the little hope made me want one. 

Anyway, we are excited, especially Thomas he has been asking for a little sister for a very long time. I'm due March 31st, so I'm 22 weeks along, half way, and already have gained 24lbs! I'm just one of those people that just puts the weight on when I'm pregnant. 

We still haven't decided on a name yet, I have a huge list of girls names, but the three we are leaning on the most are Elizabeth, Evelyn, or Eleanor -I guess we like "E" names, but Charlotte are Scarlett are up there too, We are just having a hard time picking, maybe because this might be our one shot of picking a girl's name we don't want to mess it up, ha ha. 

Anyway, hopefully this little girl will have a name soon!

The Life of a NICU Mother

It's never fun having your baby in the NICU.And I didn't even have it that bad, my kid wasn't fighting for his life and we weren't in there as long as many. But it was very hard for me and I hope I will never have to do it again.

Peter was born Thursday early afternoon and everything looked great, he had low blood sugar but I guess that's pretty normal for bigger babies, so they checked every few hours to monitor it and they really wanted him to nurse. I got him to nurse three times before he went to the NICU. The last time I fed him was early Friday morning and I noticed he was very warm and red, but I figured it was because he had three blankets on him! They wrapped him up so much because of his low blood sugar so I figured that was why he was so warm, so quickly I unwrapped him. I also noticed he kept spitting up junk, that wasn't breast milk and I told the nurse Thursday about it but she said she thought she got all the junk out of him, and I thought it was weird that I couldn't get him to burp. Well after I fed him Friday morning I had Dustin hold him for a bit and change his diaper. Dustin later said he noticed his breathing seemed a little fast but he thought it was normal. After he changed him a nurse asked if we wanted him in the nursery, I was thinking no because I rather have my babies with me but Dustin said "sure" and for some reason I didn't say anything and let her take him.

Not too long she came back and told me his breathing was very shallow so they hooked him up with some air to help him and that he should be fine, then she came again and said that it still wasn't looking good and that they put him in the NICU and to expect him to be there for a day. Then 7, Friday morning the pediatrician came and showed us Peter's X rays and told us his lungs didn't look good and they didn't know why, and his breathing was still looking bad. It's the worst as a parent to hear your child isn't doing well. She took us to the NICU and it was easy to spot him because he was the biggest baby in there by far. It was so hard to see him hooked up with machines and just laying there and I couldn't hold him. It was so heart-breaking. They weren't sure why his lungs were looking bad so they started on anti-biotics in case he has picked up a cold or the flu. After seeing him we left the NICU to let him sleep and rest, he didn't seem like he wanted to be touched.

We went back to my room and I just started sobbing, I really don't do well when my kids are hurt in any way, and I hate anything medical so I was an emotional wreck and Dustin just held me. I had many concerns, I was wondering what happened to Peter and if he will always have health problems? Did this mean I wasn't going to breast feed him since we were going to be apart? Will he and I be close since I wasn't going to be able to be with him that much in the NICU? Would he remember I was his mom?And many more, it was very hard.

Later that day the lactation specialist came in, she was very sweet and let me cry on her shoulder for a good half hour, and told me that I will still be able to breast-feed Peter, and she got me a breast pump right away and gave me information to rent one at home. And she gave me the schedule for pumping and not too stress about how much I pump but to keep doing it. So I started pumping right away.

At the NICO you can see your baby anytime but they have certain "touch" times when they change the diapers and take their temperatures and that is when you can do that and touch them. So every three hours I would be there to  help, then when he fell back asleep I would take the blanket he was wrapped in with me because it would have his smell and it would help me with my milk supply, those were my favorite I would sleep with it because it would smell like Peter. Then I would pump for 40 minutes.

I decided to stay one more night at the hospital because I had a hard time leaving him that night and I didn't want to miss a touch time. My mother-in-law came that night with the boys so I could see them, it was very hard to tell them that Peter wasn't coming home because he was sick and that Dustin and I were staying another night. I did really good not crying till they were leaving, and then some tears were coming down. And I think it effected Thomas seeing me cry that he started crying when they were leaving which is very out of character for him, but I think he had a better idea what was going on and seeing me cry made him sad so I decided to keep a strong face for my kids after that.

Also that night my father in law and Dustin gave Peter and I a Priesthood blessing. With Peter it said he would heal and that he will be home soon and that he would be strong, and that he would be a comfort to me. Then in my blessing it said the Lord knew this pregnancy was hard on my body and that my spirit and my body was very tired and that I will have strength to get through this through the atonement, and that even though Peter and I aren't close physically that we will still be close as mother and son. And that this was the Lord's plan and everything will happen in his time, and that He was watching over our little family. Those blessings were such a comfort to me and answered all of my questions and concerns and after that I was more calm and I had the strength that I needed to continue. I honestly don't think I would have made it through that week without my Savior being there by my side, I knew that the Lord was watching over us. I'm so grateful for this Gospel!

Saturday morning they did another X-ray and his lungs looked worse, I was really sad, but Dustin was such a great comfort and told me it's the darkest right before Dawn. So they decided to check if his heart was ok, and because of the blessings the night before I had a strong impression there wasn't anything wrong with his heart but I let them do the tests and they saw nothing wrong with his heart!

I continued to be with Peter every touch time but went home that night. It was really hard, it was Oliver's birthday and this wasn't how I imagined his birthday was going to be like, and it was hard leaving the hospital with no baby in my arms and people congratulating you as you leave with your baby. I came home with dinner ready thanks to my mother in law. My mother in law helped A LOT the week Peter was in the NICO. She made meals and cleaned while watching the kids.

It was weird coming home though with no baby. That I did a lot of cleaning myself to keep myself busy that week. It was also really hard leaving Thomas and Oliver a lot to go to the NICU. Thank goodness we live on the same street as the hospital and it was only a 3 minute drive. But I tried not to miss a touch time, if I didn't make it I had Dustin go. Touch times were every three hours and if Peter was awake I would stay the whole time he was awake, then once he fell asleep I would go home to my boys if they were home, but then I would also have to pump for 40 minutes when I got home, so I wasn't around that much. I tried to be with my boys when I was home and spent time with them. But it was hard knowing poor Peter was by himself in the hospital, it seriously broke my heart.

Sunday morning came, and his X-rays looked  a lot better and I could tell he was feeling a lot better. He kept pulling off his breathing tubes and you could tell he was done being there. He loved when I held him and he would get excited when Dustin and I would be there that he would try to stay up as long as he could. That was very comforting and hard at the same time, I loved that he recognized me and we had that mother-child connection but it was hard to leave him knowing he would be sad when we were gone, both Dustin and I were very sad to come home that night. 

Monday he continued to improve and they were giving him more food. They would feed him every three hours but I guess he would start crying before that time that nurse started feeding them a half hour early. I guess he gave the nurses a rough time, between being hungry earlier (all my kids eat every 2 hours for the first 6 months)and he would pull of all the wires, and he would cry a lot when I wasn't there. So I think they were thinking I was going to have a hard baby, but I wanted to tell them he's hungry every two hours, and he wants his mom and wants to get out of here, and ever since he's been home there has been less crying ;) 

Tuesday morning I missed one touch time because I took my kids to my brother's house, because I knew my kids needed to get out of the house and have fun with their cousins and I wanted to stay with Peter more, knowing he hated the NICU. Which worked out great because when I came Peter was unplugged with everything!!! I was very excited to see it, I don't know if the nurses were tired of fighting him or the pediatrician let them. But they bottle fed him that day, and I guess he drank that thing so fast! And they said he was a new baby with no wires and to be able to drink from the bottle. So that day we decided to start nursing. It was very frustrating because the nurses were trying to help me, and THAT NEVER WORKS for me. You need to leave me alone when I'm figuring out nursing. And if he didn't latch on after 15 minutes I had to give him a bottle because they didn't want him to burn too many calories. Well, it was hard because he was so used to getting food from the tube that he wasn't used to having to work for it, so that day was long and hard and I felt like a failure when I came home that night and I was very tired.

Then Wednesday came, and I decided to be firm and let the nurse know I wanted to be left alone to nurse and that I had a plan. The nurse that day was way more relax and let me do whatever, it was Great! I came with some pumped milk with a syringe and I slowly trained him to nurse. And he started to latch on very quick after that, it just took a few days to use the pump milk in the syringe to learn to latch on. Then that day the pediatrician said he could come home that NIGHT! I was sooo excited because I thought it would be Friday because originally they thought he would need the anti-biotics for 7 days. But since he didn't have a cold or the flu he didn't need to finish the anti-biotics, so we were just waiting for the circumcision which would be later that day and that they needed to watch him a few hours after that. It was a happy day! And we took him home that night!! And the boys were excited to finally have baby Peter home.

Peter William Clark

Finally he is here!!!

It took him long enough. He's such a sweet heart and so far a pretty easy baby. {knock on wood}

I wanted to write his birth story before I forget because it's amazing how quickly you forget the little details.

Many people thought I wouldn't make it full term but I had a feeling I was going to be late, and painfully I was. Saturday, 17th was my due date and I was hoping that was a day I went to labor because it was a 3-day weekend, but no baby. I had a Dr's appointment that Wednesday, and I thought for sure I would have the baby by then, nope!

I went to my appointment, talked to my Dr. and we decided to induce the following morning. I had mixed feelings because I would rather my body go on it's own because it's a lot faster, but my body hurt and I really didn't want Peter and Oliver to have the same birthday (Oliver's was that Saturday) and I was 4 days over due. All day I was wondering if I had made the right decision, sometimes I over think things. That night I surprisingly slept well and we headed to the hospital at 6am. We got in when the night crew was almost finished with their shift, so they hurried and got me all set up for the morning crew to start the Pitocin. I was bummed a little because I was hoping to get my nurse that I had when I delivered Oliver because she awesome, but my Dr said she worked night shifts but when they had the morning crew come, there she was!!!! I was so excited!!  And the guy that gave me the epidural last time gave it to me again, it was very much like de ja vu. 

But before they gave me the Pitocin I was starting to get some really good contractions and some what more consistent that I actually thought they had already started the process, but I guess they didn't, but I had a feeling if we waited a little longer, like a day,  I probably wouldn't have gone on my own. They started the Pitocin and an hour later I got the epidural. Everyone was saying that I just had this huge basket ball in the front and that you would never known I was pregnant from the back, and I was thinking "Yeah, all 40 pounds in one area, that's why I'm in so much pain". Once the Pitocin and epidural was in I was progressing very fast but my Dr was still in the middle of a surgery that they stopped the Pitocin to slow it down, but my body just kept going. We were just waiting for the Dr to break the water and to deliver. When my nurse checked how dilated I was she said my sack was coming out and that she was shocked it hadn't popped yet, and that it was buldging out, and she said she has only seen that one other time and I thought it was pretty exciting, me, I just wanted the baby, ha ha. Finally the Dr was there, he broke my water, then it was show time. They got things ready, then 3 pushes later he was out! Thank you! Another easy delivery!

And when he came out he was a chunky monkey compared to my other two kids. Everyone was shocked how big he was that everyone was anxiously looking at that scale to see how much he weighed. 9lbs 3.3 ounces! About 2 more pounds than my other kids! It made me feel better about always being in pain during this pregnancy knowing I was carrying a big baby. Everyone chuckled and said that's why I had a nice good basketball-like belly. When he was born he did have low blood sugar so they were watching that, and if you follow me on Face book or Instagram you know he ended up in the NICO, which I will blog on another post. But now he's been home almost a week and life is great. And he's adored by all of us at home.