Happy Birthday Nicolas!

It has been 2 years since our sweet baby boy left us. I have had a lot of mixed emotions with the birth of Lizzy and the birthday of Nicolas. After I gave birth to Lizzy, I kept worrying that something would happen to her. She seemed so fragile. On our ride home from the hospital, I expressed to Brian how nice it was to be bringing a baby home from the hospital instead of coming home with empty hands.

Looking back at the last 2 years, I see the Lord's hand in it all. If Nicolas would have survived we wouldn't have Clara and maybe not even Lizzy. There was a purpose in his leaving us, even though it was terribly difficult. Clara needed a home, Nicolas made that possible.

Our little Lizzy looks just like Nicolas. I will be looking at her and see Nicolas' pictures and think what a tender mercy from the Lord. Now as she grows up, I will know what he would have looked like.

Abby still wants to make sure that we have everything for Nicolas, such as a bed, clothes, car seat. She still doesn't quite get where he is, but she knows he is coming back, and that is the important part. I too know he is coming back, and then I will have him to raise. How grateful I am for that knowledge, to know he is only gone for a short while.

Lizzy is Here!!

After a long labor, she is finally here, and she is beautiful!

We went to the hospital at 1am for my induction, but they didn't actually start me until 2:30am. Let's just say my body wasn't ready, and she could have stayed in another week. She had a lot of vernix on her when she came out. But with my history and us all being on pins and needles including my doctor...it was a good thing she was delivered.

We had a little scare. Around 2:30pm my doctor came in to break my water. After he left, Lizzy's little heart rate went down. I could hear it, then noticed that my nurse looked concerned. She turned me to my other side hoping for a change, but it then stopped then came back slow. I started panicking and crying, not wanting something to happen to this little one. She called my doctor STAT then put me on oxygen. He came running back and put a fetal monitor on Lizzy's head. Her heart rate came back up and was stabilized. The oxygen remained for the rest of labor, just to make sure Lizzy was getting enough.


Here I am sporting the cute oxygen mask.

It took so long for me to dilate. They would come check me and I wouldn't have changed or have only gone up one centimeter. It was getting a little frustrated. I must say how grateful I was for the epidural. I couldn't have stood laying on the bed in that much pain for that long. Then we found out she was posterior, so I would have had back labor, which I hear is horrible. My back was very sore after the epidural had worn off.

When I got to an 8, my doctor said it was time to get her delivered, so he had me start pushing to try and get me to a 10, but my body still wouldn't cooperate. He left me to labor for a little longer. My nurse left the room as well, saying that when I felt pressure to let her know. About 15 minutes later the pressure came...the nurse was called...the doctor was called...and pushing began. She still didn't come. Then my doctor could feel that she was face up. He turned her and in one push she was out. She came into this world at 3:54pm, only 15 hours after being admitted to the hospital...ha! ha! ha! She had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and her arm once, but she was fine.


Here she is soon after delivery.


Weighing in at 7lbs. 8oz (our biggest baby) and 20 1/2 inches long.


Me looking a little worn out. It truly was a long day.


First bath


Look at those fat chops!


All prettied up. The pictures are mostly in black and white because the picture taking was left up to me and Brian. We had the camera on the wrong setting. I am so grateful for my girls when it comes to picture taking.


With her big sister, Maddie


Me and Kaylie


Me with my little Clara, who isn't quite sure what to think about this new little baby.

In color (the girls had showed up to save their parents)


With her big brother, Wes


Abby was so excited to meet Lizzy.


My two babies

I am so grateful that she is safely here. I am so thankful for such a wonderful doctor who has helped me through the last 2 1/2 years, through a Placenta Previa, the loss of Nicolas, two miscarriages and finally a happy ending. Later in the evening he came to visit us in our room and told us that the heart rate dropping and the cord around her neck are things that happen, but we were just all on edge with what had happened in the past. I was also grateful for the tender mercy of the Lord. I prayed that I would be able to have the nurse that was with me through the last hospital stays. How happy I was to see her that day. She was able to be with me through the whole thing. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have these sweet little babies in our home. The Lord has truly blessed our family and taught us a lot in the process.

No Baby Yet

This little one has decided she doesn't want to come into this crazy world...and frankly, I don't blame her. My doctor has been having me come in for monitoring twice a week for the last 3-4 weeks. Needless to say, he just wants everything to turn out okay this time. He is a great doctor. All is well with little Lizzy, I have had no need for concern. He won't let me go past 41 weeks, which means he has scheduled me for an induction...AT 1AM MONDAY MORNING! Who has ever heard of being scheduled that early? I am praying very hard that she decides to come on her own, so I don't have to have the Pitocin nor go in at that ghastly hour.

Other than that, I feel great, no contractions, no aches or pains. Sometimes I still forget that I am pregnant, except when I bend over or try to fit betweeen something that is a little too tight. I am being patient, and have handed it over to the Lord. He knows my wishes, but He also knows what is best for me and the baby. We will just see what happens. I will post after the sweet little thing arrives.