I'm still alive!

I finally feel like I have a few minutes to sit down at the computer & share some of our last few months. Ronan is 2 months now and Zoe is 14 months. We just had check-ups for both of them yesterday. They are both so healthy! What a blessing it is to have healthy babies. Ronan weighs 12.5 lbs & is in the 62nd percentile & Zoe weighs 21 lbs & is in the 32nd. Pretty soon they are going to look like twins if he keeps growing the way he is.

As for me, I am hanging in there. Honestly, it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I have rough days, but I try and stay positive. Having a good attitude always helps, no matter what you are faced with.

This post isn't going to be extremely long; I just wanted to share a little something and some photos. We are always up for visitors and play-dates.

Our little man is here

Although my doctor said it was very unlikely, I developed preeclampsia around 37 weeks once again. It luckily didn't get as bad this time, but I still felt the effects. Starting the week before I delivered I developed a horrible headache (dr's call this the preeclampsia headache). It felt like a migraine and it lasted until I entered the hospital and they could give me medication. My blood pressure was high, about 150/102 for a steady 4 days. I was put on bed rest for the weekend and we scheduled an appointment for Monday the 28th of March. I woke up Monday and felt worse. We made the long trip to Sacred Heart in Spokane and after checking my urine, blood and bp my doctor decided I didn't need to go any longer. I delivered Ronan Miles Winder at 6:56 pm that night. I was on Magnesium for 24 hours to make sure that I didn't have any seizures. That definitely made me feel weird. I was so hot and felt incredibly lethargic. I was glad to be done with that.

Ronan was 8 lbs 4 oz and 21 in long. At about 2 1/2 weeks early he was a big boy.

It's been a week and 2 days since my cesarean and I feel amazing! I cannot believe how quickly I have recovered. I rarely have any pain at all. I just have to remember that even though I feel great, I still need to take it easy and not do too much.

Ronan is a sleeping champ. He sleeps about 3-4 hours at a time and is getting better at nursing everyday. We have an appointment to get him circumcised. I am a bit nervous; I just don't know what to expect.

Having two children is going pretty well. I have had a lot of help, but I think it's going to be doable! Ty and I are living with my parents for a few months until we head to Boise to school. Thank goodness we finished moving the weekend before Ronan was born.

We are so blessed to have two beautiful healthy babies. Zoe loves her little brother. Every time she sees him she either smiles or giggles. She wants to touch him all the time. She is starting to understand what "be soft" means. I have to say it every time she tries to touch him. I never thought I would have children 1 year and 11 days apart, but I am loving every minute of it.

Let her eat Cake!!

Birthday Weekend

Zoe's 1st birthday was St. Patricks Day, March 17, 2011. Thursday for her birthday we went out to breakfast. Zoe & I shared Sausage & Gravy Biscuits. She loved them & couldn't get enough. We didn't celebrate her b-day until Saturday. We had a big party & there was about 25 people there! It was definitely a bit overwhelming, but I'm glad she has so many people who love her!

Testimonies

This past Sunday Ty surprised me as he got up and walked to the pulpit to bear his testimony. I have not heard him bear his testimony for a long time, probably since Zoe was born. I was so excited to hear what he had to say. Zoe seemed excited too! All she kept saying was 'Daddy, Daddy' as she pointed at him. He talked about how blessed we have been this last year. As he talked about Zoe he began to tear up, I was so touched! He is the most amazing, hands-on father. I love to watch them together. I love that Ty isn't afraid to share his feelings and emotions with me. We have such a strong physical, emotional & spiritual bond! I sure do love my man!

Why I chose to do it again

I have been reading a book called 'What If I Have A C-Section?' I am not a big reader, but I got this free in the mail from my health insurance company and I can't seem to put it down. Probably because I will be going through this again. It focuses on the preparation prior to surgery, how to decide & how to recover quickly. I am mostly focusing on the part that talks about recovery. I wasn't as concerned about this with Zoe because she was all I was going to have to take care of and it was an emergency; I didn't know I'd be having a C-Section. Now, I have time to plan and prepare.

My doctor has actually told me that I could try to have a V-bac. To be honest, I think that trying that would stress me out more than going through a major abdominal surgery again. I know that it's going to hurt & it'll take a bit longer to recover, but I am more stressed out of the unknown. With Zoe I was in labor for 36 hours and they ended up having to take her Cesarean anyways; I did have preeclampsia & was only 37 weeks, but it was so hard to recover from labor and a surgery. Knowing that I'll only have to go through one is actually a relief.

I have had some friends & family a bit confused about my decision, but I have always done things my own way & haven't been easily swayed by others opinions. I think that each woman should be able to choose the way the want to have their baby, even if it's their first. If you don't want to have to go through labor & all that pushing you aren't a wimp!! You may just want to experience having your baby a different way. A quick procedure and the baby is here. That is a bit more up my alley!

It is a blessing that I am even able to have children. I have PCOS (Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome) & Endometriosis; having one of these makes it difficult to conceive, but both it is not very likely. It took us so long to conceive Zoe. We got pregnant the second time while Zoe was 3 months old. It is amazing the way the Lord works! I don't know how many babies we will be blessed with; I would have truly been happy with just the one. Ty and I have been so blessed & love that we have an opportunity to raise these children.

And she is off...

Zoe is walking! She started taking a few steps about a weeks ago, but would stop whenever she realized what she was doing. She is now walking about 60% of the time. She is so stinkin' strong and is so proud of herself. I love these little moments that I am able to share with her. Although being a stay at home mom is challenging and exhausting, I love it! I couldn't imagine not being able to share in her excitement as she learns new things each day. It's amazing how fast they change.