Welcome Home Baby Reed!

My sister, Cassy, made the trip down from Alberta to be here to help out for Reed's birth.  We have felt so incredibly blessed to have her here.  When she arrived, we didn't worry anymore about what we'd do if we went into labor in the middle of the night in a new town where we didn't know anyone very well.  She has taken so much stress off our hands and has been incredibly helpful with the kids and everything around the house.  She has eased my burden tremendously during the weeks she's been here!  We know that it's a sacrifice for her to take time off work and for her husband to be without here so we really appreciate all that they are doing for us!

It has been so fun anticipating baby Reed's arrival because the kids have been old enough to get excited to welcome another sibling.  Ever since we brought him home, Reed has been the center of attention in our home.

 Ever since I got home I've been soaking up every moment of our family togetherness.  There are many moments when I am absolutely in awe of my many, many blessings.  Four beautiful and awesome children!!

The pediatric cardiologist called this morning and discussed how today was key because the medications I was on were worked out of Reed's body today.  Before his birth, we had decided to take a low intervention route with the SVT by taking him off the meds right away so we can evaluate whether the SVT is still present.  Jaron and I are taking Reed's heart rate via a stethoscope several times a day.  If we don't ever come upon an episode of tachycardia, we'll follow up with the cardiologist in three months.

Reed had his first pediatrician's visit today and he checked out great.  He's absolutely ginormous.  His head measured in the 95th percentile, his height measured in the 99th percentile, and his weight is in the 92nd percentile. I should definitely be more sore than I am!

Welcome Baby Reed!

On Monday, two days before my due date, I went to my doctor's appointment and laughed with Dr. Lee about how the goal for this pregnancy had once been to reach 32 weeks. Seeing how it felt like it actually would never end, it was hard to laugh.  I'd been having contractions off and on for weeks and was starting to get discouraged.  The contractions were getting increasingly stronger but were obviously not doing anything - I kept measuring only 1 cm dilated.  The ultrasound at this appointment measured baby at 9 lbs (a shocking 3.5 lb gain in four weeks!).  Since Dr. Lee said ultrasounds are often 10% off, he thought it might be good to try to induce labor before baby got too big.  I certainly wasn't going to argue!

I had painful contractions off and on all that night and early the next morning Jaron and I headed to the hospital.  We ran through a list of options for inducing labor since I'm a VBAC and started by breaking my water.  Then we discussed options for trying to increase contractions like walking, etc.  Within minutes, the contractions were coming pretty fast and furious.  I'd told them I like to wait to get an epidural until I'm at least 6 cm or so to make sure the epidural isn't going to slow it down.  Within the hour the contractions were really painful and were coming almost on top of each other. I was having second thoughts about waiting on that epidural and was wondering if it was possible that contractions had been so fast and strong with my others and I just didn't remember it.  

I got the epidural and about an hour later was ready to push!  Just before I started pushing, I started to feel nauseous and like the wind had been knocked out of my sails.  My BP had dropped to the low 100s/50s and I felt like I had absolutely no energy.  At first the epidural was so strong I couldn't tell how or if I was pushing but as it started to clear, we made some quick progress and baby came!

When we first saw him, both Dr. Lee and I guessed he was in the high 8's for weight.  We were shocked when they weighed him in at 9 lbs 12 oz!!  YIKES!

Because of his SVT history, the neonatology team was on hand for the birth.  I got to hold him for a minute before they whisked him off to the NICU to be evaluated.

As expected (because of the heart drugs I had been taking for him), he showed no sign of the SVT.  He did, however, have fluid on his lungs and low oxygen levels.  He also had signs of infection in his blood and was treated for that with antibiotics.

I easily had the biggest baby in the NICU. :)

( Those little pictures are from Jaron's phone.  I am obviously technologically handicapped and don't know how to properly download pictures from it.)

The kids were allowed to come and visit the NICU but because baby's breathing was labored, they weren't allowed to hold him.

 Two days later, he got to come home and join our family!  The kids are in love!!

We named our new little man Reed Jaron Brunson.  He is named after two great men: his Grandpa Brunson and his Dad.  These are both men I'd love for him to grow up to be like.

We are all so excited that baby Reed is finally here!!

Hello Idaho

We arrived in Idaho in the middle of a Saturday afternoon.  Jaron's parents and younger brother were here to help us unload but it wasn't long before men were coming out of nowhere and helping us unload.  I figured they had to be LDS and members of an Elder's Quorum - who else spots a moving truck and stops by to unload it?!  Somehow it came out that we were LDS and one of the guys happened to be our new ward's Elder's Quorum President.  He started texting guys in the neighborhood and we were unloaded in no time at all. 

The new house is great.  I should take a picture of the outside since I promised myself I'd snap a picture of our Kansas home before we left...and never did.  This house is roomier than anything we've ever lived in and HAS A FENCED BACKYARD.  *Sigh.*  What more could a woman want?!

The ward has been incredibly welcoming to us.  Turns out there are several LDS families on our street, all of whom have young kids.  It's been fun to meet them and have our kids excited to meet new friends.  Alden started up school here even though there's only a few weeks left of the school year.  He loves it because school starts at 9:00 here!

My biggest worry of moving to Boise at 37 weeks was that baby wouldn't stay in until 37 weeks.  My next biggest fear was that he would make it to 37 weeks and then what were going to do when I went into labor and we didn't know anybody we could call on to watch the kids?!  On the first Sunday here, however, an amazing lady sat next to me at the end of Relief Society meeting and asked if she could be the person I call to watch the kids when I go into labor.  She was a direct answer to my prayers!!!  After two Sundays at church we've now got four couples on our list of who to call in the middle of the night. WOW.

I met the Maternal Fetal Medicine group the Monday after we got here and my doctor is fantastic.  He's taken a lot of time to make sure he thoroughly understands my case and I feel very well taken care of.  He referred me to an equally awesome pediatric cardiologist who has spent a long time discussing potential courses of action when baby is born.

It is expected that the drugs I'm on will carry baby's heart rate in a normal rhythm for about two days after birth.  After that, baby needs to be weaned off the medication at some point in the first year of life to assess whether the SVT is still present.  After discussing the options with the cardiologist, we've decided that, depending on the results of tests they'll do after birth, we will likely wean him immediately so that he isn't on powerful heart medication for months that he may not even need.

Now that we've got a plan, all we need is a baby!  The house is for the most part unpacked and we're starting to feel settled.  I've never had so many contractions as I've had in this pregnancy and they're starting to get pretty painful and are keeping me up in the night.  I worry constantly about baby's well being and just can't wait for him to come!!

Goodbye Kansas

Our last few weeks in Kansas flew by in a blur of packing and saying good-bye to awesome friends.  I managed to be really awesome at not taking my camera to anything so I don't have much documentation of any of our good-byes!

Not long before the move my friends Billie and Ashlee threw a going away/baby shower party for me.  It was such a treat to be able to get together with the girls one more time.  There are so many amazing women who have influenced me during both times that we've lived in Kansas.  I am going to miss their shining examples and am so grateful that I've had an opportunity to know such fantastic people.

The move officially started on a Wednesday when some of our neighborhood muscles came over to help us load the truck.  Jaron's Dad flew in from Idaho to drive the truck for us and we were able to spend our last night in Kansas as a family having dinner at Jaron's brother's house out in Lawrence (he's a student at KU). 

Early the next morning, Jaron, the kids, and CR and the moving truck were off.  I didn't want to alarm the kids so I tried not to get emotional as I put everyone most dear to me into a vehicle and then stood on the curb while they drove away.  Totally didn't work.  I cried through the family prayer, pulled it together to buckle the kids in, and then stood crying in the early morning rain until they were out of sight (okay and maybe a little after!).

Then I got dressed and headed to a non-stress test at the hospital, thanks to my neighbors who were so willing to chauffeur me.  Wouldn't you know it, a new nurse hooked me up to the machine and said,

 "Is your baby always tachycardic?" 

 Wouldn't you know it - that is just my luck that baby would do great for 8 weeks and then be tachycardic the morning my husband drives away!  His heartrate was nothing what it was originally when he was tachycardic but was still out of the normal range at about 190 beats per minute.  I waited to speak to the MFM doctor and contemplated whether to call Jaron and tell him to turn back.  In the end, the doctor said that milder tachycardia could often be explained by emotional trauma or physical stress in the mother.  Haha, I guess packing up and saying good-bye had been more emotional than I'd realized!  The doc gave me the go-ahead to still leave via airplane two days later.

I spent the next few days cleaning the apartment, doing homework, and just relaxing.  I also got spoiled by friends and taken out for lunches and dinners.  On Friday night, my last night in Kansas, I went to stay at my dear friend Billie's house.  She took me out with her gal pals (whose average age is probably 65 and who were an absolute blast to spend the evening with) to dinner and the ballet.

It was such a neat experience to go to the Kauffman Center in the heart of Kansas City for my last night there.  The ballet was very contemporary but was a neat experience.  I had contractions throughout the entire evening and joked with Billie about taking me to the hospital later that night.  Turns out they were all Braxton Hicks and I got on a plane the next morning.

Jaron and the kids arrived in Boise just hours before I joined them via airplane.  It was soo good to see them!!

Our Last Kansas Days

We are counting down our last days in Kansas and it is so sad!  With all that's gone on in the last few weeks with baby, we have been so reminded of all the people we love here and who care for us.  It is going to be hard to say good-bye!  Many families in our ward at church seem to be far away from their families here and it's neat to lean on each other when there's a need.

I've been trying to think of all the things we should do "one last time" while we're here but everyday life seems to be whizzing by too fast.  I have three doctor's appointments a week that keep life busy but I love them because they're so reassuring! :)  The ultrasound techs are always great at giving me "4D" pictures and last week we caught the baby yawning in 4D!  SOO sweet!  I'm so grateful for all my neighbors who seem to be constantly watching my kids since the hospital requests no kids come along.  We also had a neighbor offer to watch the kids so Jaron and I could go on a date a couple of weeks ago.  We went and enjoyed Oklahoma Joe's BBQ one last time.  

Our house is starting to look boxed up and I'm trying to tie up all the loose ends for moving, like closing/opening accounts and address changes and stuff.  Amongst it all, I'm trying to keep up with school!  Thankfully Jaron is around on the weekends for this rotation so that I can hit the library on Saturdays.

The moving truck is booked, we've made a deposit on a house to rent, and now all we need is for baby to stay put until we get to Idaho!  I have an appointment set with the new MFM group for two days after we get there.  They were a little surprised to find out I'd be arriving just shy of 38 weeks. :)

Here are a few pics of our last jaunt through the "woods" across the street from our house:

Happy Birthday, Alden!

I can't believe my first baby is 7!!!  I know I start every birthday post like that but, man, these kids grow and change so fast!

We hummed and hawed over what to do for Alden's birthday this year. Considering the fact I'd be 34 weeks pregnant and we'd be moving two weeks later, I wasn't sure how to swing it.  We talked about several options and finally Alden said what he really wanted was a surprise party.  I decided that I could do that, even if it did mean one more crazy birthday party in our tiny, tiny house.

We started the day out by taking cupcakes to Alden's class at school.  Eli and Gracen absolutely love getting to visit Alden at school.  I opened my "cakes" board on Pinterest, full of super easy to do cakes and cupcakes, and Alden decided on these rainbow cupcakes.

 My friend and neighbor Ashlee picks up our kids after school so she helped me with the "surprise" part of the party by inviting Alden over to play after school.  After all the guests were here, Alden came home and we did the whole jump out and yell "Surprise!" thing.  Alden loved it.

 Several weeks ago we read a library book about birthday party games and Alden kept talking about some he'd want to do at his own party.  We played an egg and spoon race, pin the birthday hat on Alden, and good ole' fashioned musical chairs.  Musical chairs was definitely the biggest hit and only Gracen had a hard time handling it when she was out. :)

We also made our own mini pizzas (I made and baked the dough ahead of time so they only had to be broiled a few minutes - super easy!) and then decorated cupcakes.  We finished the party off with a homemade pinata (which will probably be my last - they're too much work and, let's face it, they're ugly! Haha. :) ).  Sorry, no pics of all that stuff.  I guess I was having too much fun enjoying the party/corralling the kids.

At seven years old Alden picks up information like a sponge.  He seems to learn things the first time he's told them (except when it comes to work around the house, i.e. hanging up his clothes, cleaning his room ;) ).  Alden is a great big brother and loves to play with Eli.  He loves to tell jokes and is really enjoying reading Harry Potter every night.  His favorite birthday gift was a microscope set.  I'd say his favorite toy is Lego but he wrote a paper at school saying his favorite toy was his stuffed dog he sleeps with.  Alden has a hard time getting up for school and is looking forward to his new Idaho school, which starts at 9:00.  This past year he's gotten to take basketball, fencing, and swimming lessons and has a fun time being active.

Happy, happy birthday to my wonderful first born!

Biddy Basketball

The boys took a "Biddy Basketball" class through our rec department.  It was good for them to learn the importance of practicing skills and also sportsmanship (even if the coach somehow managed to make every game a "tie!").