Three amigos!
It's a boy!!! Brett just may be getting his basketball team after all! He's leaning towards the name "Jimmer", any other ideas would be greatly appreciated:)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Oh Brother. . .
I love Easter! I love the reminder of why and in whom I have faith. I am so glad to share Easter with such a wonderful family and hopefully teach the boys the real reason that Eternal Life through the Savior is celebrated. In honor of life I'll post about a few things that have made my week wonderful!
On Monday we went grocery shopping and Noah got a helium balloon, while Hyrum insisted on just getting an air-free balloon so he could blow it up himself. The boys were inseperable from them. When quiet time rolled around Hyrum insisted on sleeping in his own bed (I usually separate them, and Hyrum naps in our bed so they don't just play the whole time). Both the boys were so tired and yet they were being so good that I put Noah in his bed and Hyrum climbed up to his top bunk. The talking began. I knew they would never take a nap in the same room, but I kept them there for an hour because they weren't fighting and they seemed to be having a good brother talk. . . which rarely happens without some kind of hitting or screaming. After the hour was up I decided to break up the party and I found them both in Hyrum's bed (pause to run and get the camera). Evidently they were having a serious chat (as you can see by the picture). I asked why they wouldn't smile and Hyrum said, "Noah's smile died mom." I love my boys!
A few days later I went to check on Noah during his nap and I found that he had taken the picture of he and Hyrum down off the wall and placed it in his 'special' toy section that he seems to always fall asleep looking at. I put the picture back and he has done the same thing two other times this week already. I love posting about these moments, because I spend the majority of the day breaking up their fights and reminding them to be nice to each other, and it's nice to know that they really do love each other.
On Saturday morning Hyrum and I went on a little hike with a few of the YW leaders and one of the girls. I can't believe I've never gone on the trails right above us. Where Hyrum is standing was only a 10 minute walk from our house! Everything was so beautiful and Hyrum has now decided that he loves hiking, especially because we ran into two deer. (picture taken on my phone.)
One of my neighbors down the street threw a street Easter Egg hunt/BBQ on Saturday. Despite the fact that it was freezing outside, everything was perfect! The food was great and the boys even sat and ate really well. The kids had the first egg hunt and my boys went wild. Hyrum especially was collecting eggs everywhere and was so proud to show his conquests. After the kids egg hunt they then had an adult egg hunt, which was really fun. Some eggs had candy in them, but some had a number on it that allowed you to redeem your egg for gift certificates to restaurants and other fun stuff that we all donated.
Noah is so funny! Noah loves BYU, no indoctrinating needed. He frequently will sit at the piano bench pouncing the keys and singing, "BYU, BYU, BYU, BYU" over and over again. Then, very randomly, several times a week he will out of nowhere start drumming on something or raise his fist in the air and yell, "Go, Jimmer, Go! Go, Jimmer, Go!" This kid is crazy! Anyway, he put this bucket on his head and told our neighbor it was his BYU hat. Yes, I realize it's red, but to Noah everything is BYU.
I absolutely love how much the boys love each other, even when it's only manifest in brief moments. Those brief moments outweigh everything else.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tried and True-sday
I had SO much I wanted to post about this last week, but just haven't had any time. Let's just say we've been busy with some gardening projects and a kitchen remodel! I'm so excited to show you before and after pictures, but it will be a while. Counter-tops are being put in on Monday then a little while later we'll be getting our new doors and then the back-splash. Because we're doing a lot ourselves (after the boys are asleep), we've spread the workload out over 2 months. The kitchen is the one thing that I never liked in our house even before we bought it. It will be so nice to make it just the way I want it.
The pregnancy is still going great. I've had some dizzy/faint moments. I've thrown up a few times. I swore off chicken (for some reason the smell repulsed me) for almost 2 months, but I ate some successfully this weekend. I have definitely been more tired then usual and a little more emotional, but overall this pregnancy has been WONDERFUL. My second trimesters with both of the boys were pretty hard and full of sickness, but (knock on wood) I'm now in my 16th week and have had minimal sick times. We have another ultrasound next week and I'm hoping to find out the gender. Woohoo!!! I'm excited!
Anyway, back to the recipe of the week. In honor of me finally eating chicken again I wanted to share a great Chicken Pasta Alfredo recipe. (I actually don't think I could have eaten the chicken if Brett hadn't done all the handling of it until it got on my plate. Thanks for being a grilling machine, Brett!)
2 cups milk
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
apx. 1/2-1 tsp minced garlic
The pregnancy is still going great. I've had some dizzy/faint moments. I've thrown up a few times. I swore off chicken (for some reason the smell repulsed me) for almost 2 months, but I ate some successfully this weekend. I have definitely been more tired then usual and a little more emotional, but overall this pregnancy has been WONDERFUL. My second trimesters with both of the boys were pretty hard and full of sickness, but (knock on wood) I'm now in my 16th week and have had minimal sick times. We have another ultrasound next week and I'm hoping to find out the gender. Woohoo!!! I'm excited!
Anyway, back to the recipe of the week. In honor of me finally eating chicken again I wanted to share a great Chicken Pasta Alfredo recipe. (I actually don't think I could have eaten the chicken if Brett hadn't done all the handling of it until it got on my plate. Thanks for being a grilling machine, Brett!)
Chicken Pasta Alfredo
2 cups milk
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
apx. 1/2-1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
fresh parsley
Heat milk, add rest of ingredients (minus parsley) and warm thoroughly. Don't let sauce come to a full boil. Once the cream cheese is no longer lumpy turn the heat down and sprinkle in parsley. Serve over pasta and chicken. (Brett grilled the chicken with Italian Seasoning on it and it was amazing!)
Heat milk, add rest of ingredients (minus parsley) and warm thoroughly. Don't let sauce come to a full boil. Once the cream cheese is no longer lumpy turn the heat down and sprinkle in parsley. Serve over pasta and chicken. (Brett grilled the chicken with Italian Seasoning on it and it was amazing!)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tried and True-sday
We do really try and eat healthy. Ice Cream has become a special treat rather than a nightly occurrence. Cookies are now made every 3-4 months rather than every other week. We've cut back a lot, but we haven't cut out completely. I thought I would share with you some pictures of our treat nights and a new recipe that I will definitely make again.
The other night we had company over and so we made some brownies. The boys helped clean the bowl and spoon which made quite a mess. Hyrum thought it was SO funny!
I had a breakfast meeting with my girls that I'm over in Young Womens. Pop-Tarts seemed fitting so I tried them out. They were pretty simple to make and very tasty. The next time I make them I think I'll buy some white baking flour to taste the texture difference. I've been grinding my own wheat and have loved the flavor of things, but the wheat was a little heavy for tarts, I think. Brett loved them just the way they were. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try them out:
Pop-Tarts
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 3/4 cups flour
3 teas. baking powder
1/2 cup fruit preserves
FROSTING
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teas. vanilla
2 Tbls. milk
Preheat oven to 350F.
In mixer or food processor, cream shortening and sugar together and then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Sift together flour and baking powder and stir into shortening mixture to make a soft dough. Chill for 1 hr.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out 12 rectangles, each 8 x 12 inches. Spread one tablespoon of preserves over half of each rectangle, staying well within the edge of the pastry. Fold pastry dough over the preserves and trim the edges with a pastry wheel or crimp with a fork to close. Place tarts on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 min. Let cool.
Mix vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar until you have a thin frosting. Dribble frosting on cooled tarts.
My alterations: Whole wheat flour was used instead of regular white. I used homemade strawberry/banana freezer jam and it was yummy! I used Pillsbury vanilla cream frosting and just wiped it on the top while they were still hot so that it seeped in and spread over the top. The picture above was taken just before putting the frosting on. Also, I obviously didn't make them into squares I made circles.
Happy Baking!
Our most frequent snackage as a family has become pop-corn. The boys LOVE popping the kernels and it's a much healthier alternative to dessert. (Noah always has the best facial expressions!)
Of course the best dessert is a Dad sandwich:)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
C-Sections, Psychology, and Choices
I suppose every mother wants only to remember the wonders and miracles of birth, because that's all that really matters in the end. Life in it's beginnings is so miraculous and amazing and I am always astounded that God has given us this gift of creating life alongside Him. Being a Mom and being surrounded by other mothers most of the time means that sharing birth stories is fairly common. My birthing stories are often different from other mothers. I don't think that I'm unusual or that far off from several other mothers who go through the same thing, it's just that the majority of women experience it differently than I do. Sometimes I feel that I am politely looked at as being weak or uninformed. Sometimes I receive apologies of those who strive to empathize. I really don't mind other people's responses either way, but for some reason I still feel a little off. I don't think anyone likes to be different. When I was younger I dreamed of what crazy stories I would be able to tell my children someday about being in labor for 20 hours or breaking Dad's hand when I was pushing them out. . . When your vision of how things should be changes, it's hard. I will admit it. I'm really not writing this at all to appear as a victim or a sad case. If anything I'm embracing the joy that life is no matter what avenue it comes. I never wrote anything about Hyrum's full birth story, because I think I was still coping with what I saw as a failure on my part. I KNOW it was a not a failure! But imagine dreaming of a 'perfect' wedding. You already have the perfect dress, the perfect flowers, the perfect reception location, and the perfect man. On the morning of your wedding your dress and flowers are stolen and the reception hall is flooded. The most important part is getting married to the perfect man, but it still will hurt a bit knowing that everything else was not what you wanted. I think that's kind of how I felt. I feel for all of those women who have unconventional births/adoptions that sometimes may feel like outsiders. So, for my posterity and for my own acceptance and embrace of difference, not failure, I have decided to document for the first time the whole birth story of our first son, Hyrum. These are based on my memories from nearly four years ago, but I imagine that the important memories are stuck solid.
Hyrum Neil Partridge
During the Pregnancy: At our first ultrasound they found a cute little boy. We were ecstatic. The ultrasonographer also saw what looked like a murmer in Hyrum's heart and a larger than average ovarian cyst. The ultra-sonographer told me how common cysts were and how there probably was nothing to worry about with mine. I was sent to a Perinatologist for a closer examination. We were so happy that the Perinatologist did not find anything wrong with Hyrum's heart and told us he looked great. She told us a little more about cysts and let us know my OB would talk to us more about it. I went to my next OB appointment really not expecting to hear anything to worry about from Dr. Grover. I was taken off guard when she went into detail on the concerns she had with the cyst. Scary phrases were thrown at me that I had a hard time even processing like emergency surgery during pregnancy, possible loss of baby, possible cancer, excessive pain if the cyst pops that would put me into pre-term labor, c-section. . .it seemed like she wouldn't stop talking and I couldn't handle anymore. I went home in tears and had a hard time telling Brett everything that was dumped on me. He came with me to the next appointment. This time we came a little more prepared and had questions. Basically, if the cyst grew to be 13 cm they would need to surgically remove it, no matter how far along I was in the pregnancy. If the cyst 'popped' on it's own it would be excruciatingly painful and I would need to go immediately to the Labor and Delivery floor of the Hospital because the pain would induce labor. The final and best situation was that the cyst would grow very little, not pop, and would be removed at the time of delivery. As time passed I was closely monitored and it seemed that we had achieved the ideal circumstances. As we got closer to the due date the ultrasounds showed that the cyst had grown, but not up to 13 cm. It had, however, kindly lodged itself low in my pelvis and acted as a nice pillow for Hyrum's head. A C-Section was inevitable. Of course I did still have a choice: 1-death or 2-C-section. . . . to me there was no debate on these options of which we would choose. Giving birth is a risk no matter what your circumstances are, but I prefer to lean toward the option that gives the best rate of success. I am grateful to benefit from the knowledge and skills that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with to make this process of creation less deadly than they once were. Had I had this experience 100 years ago I would have certainly died. I am thankful for modern medical technology and training.
The Day of Awakening: (Only to be read by those who will not be queasy or shy of such things) It was about 1 in the morning. I was 2 weeks from my due date/scheduled c-section. We stayed up late the night before (July 4th) to watch the fireworks going off at the Stadium. Afterward, Brett insisted on playing a board game and I insisted on him painting my toe nails. . . we both got what we wanted :). Anyway, I was sound asleep when I had a strange intuition that popped my eyes open and had me running to the bathroom. Just as I made it through the door into the bathroom my water broke. It was like dumping a pitcher of watery fluid on the floor. I waddled my way over to the toilet. Brett managed to sleep through the ordeal, but the moment I said his name he was the fastest person I have ever seen! He was running around franticly getting things ready. It was pretty cute watching him. I was actually very calm and SO happy that I was able to have this birth experience. He pulled the car up right to the front door, literally (he backed up on the front lawn). I put two large pads on, but when I stood up they didn't seam to do anything to help conceal the gushing. So, I made a cloth diaper out of two large towels. Then I put a stretchy skirt on top so I didn't look quite as strange. Brett also put a few towels on my seat in the car. We made it into the car and to the hospital which was luckily only two blocks away. When we arrived Brett helped me into the hospital. I am so glad it was the middle of the night because my sumo-panties were very bulky under my skirt and also very awkward to walk with. We were able to get a wheel chair and headed up to Labor and Delivery.
It's a Boy!: Then there was the waiting. . . I had three different nurses 'check' to see if my water broke. Why they couldn't all just refer to the first test baffled me. If this happens again I will be much more vocal in telling them that I am not a test patient. Their were a few interns that were trying me out I guess. After explaining my fear of needles and how I tend to faint, one of the interns even made the comment, "I've never used an IV needle so big, hopefully I'll get it in the next try." WOW! I feared it would be a long night, but I was just so excited to have my water break and have a real birth experience. Dr. Grover wasn't able to get in to do the surgery until just after noon. The labor pains were very minimal and it was hours after my water broke before I felt my first contraction. The nurses all seemed to think my cyst was really cool. I had several people come in to ultrasound me and see the cyst. The funny thing was when a couple of them told me, with concern, about the cyst blocking the birth canal as if I had no idea it was there. I could see their relief when I would admit to already being fully aware of my situation. Once Dr. Grover arrived everything was in a rush. I met with the anesthesiologist first, who explained everything that would happen and how my body would react to the anesthetics. I refused to look at the machine and needle he brought in with him. I sat on the bed and took a few deep breaths concentrating on the little baby inside me and not the fact that the biggest needle in the world was being injected into my spine. It was painful but quick. I was then put on a gurney and was rolled into the O.R. Within about 15 minutes I no longer had any feeling waist down. It was a very strange sensation. I could feel pressure when someone set something down on me or moved me, but no real feeling. Dr. Grover came in moments later all scrubbed up along with her Dad, Dr. Glenn (who would be assisting in the surgery). Brett also was fully clothed for the O.R. in what looked like a bio-hazard outfit, along with mask and everything. Everything seemed so busy and rushed, which was a little overwhelming considering I had just been lying on a bed for several hours waiting. Dr. Grover came and spoke with Brett and me to tell us exactly what they would be doing during the C-Section and then removal of the cyst. I completely tuned her out, because I knew that if I listened I would have past out. (I fainted in Jr. High when my health teacher explained to us how to insert a tampon. I have since learned that the less I know the better.) The surgery began and when I couldn't feel anything I was becoming pretty relieved that everything would be easy and over quickly. Brett was intrigued by the whole surgery and watched over the curtain the whole thing. I just kept asking Brett if they got Hyrum out yet, and I would cut him off if he tried to tell me what else was happening. It was pretty funny during the process listening to Dr. Grover and Dr. Glenn talking about what was going on at home and with Dr. Grover's kids. They were having a whole conversation as if sitting over dinner. At one point Dr. Grover told us that her hand was stuck. I had a contraction while her hand was in my belly and she couldn't get her hand out. After that episode they needed to apply some "pressure" to help in the delivery (kind of doing the "pushing" for me). To do this, it felt as though Dr. Grover sat an my chest and rolled down (Brett confirmed that she pretty much did just that, not actually sitting but put most of her weight on me and rolled down). There was SO much pressure that I felt all the air come out of me. I was sure that my ribs would be mush when she was finally done. It was a strange and unpleasant feeling, to say the least. Then I heard a cry. I couldn't help but cry too. Dr. Grover held him over the curtain for a moment and then wrapped him up. A nurse brought him over and laid him next to my face so I could kiss him, even though I was unable to hold him yet. I wanted so badly to hold him forever. Brett carried him off with the nurse to get cleaned and checked. The Doctors were still in full operation mode as they now needed to remove the cyst. I felt my body begin to shake. The anesthesiologist filled in for Brett while he was with Hyrum. He actually held me hand and was very comforting. Dr. Grovers voice started to sound urgent, as she and her Dad seemed to be struggling with something. My shaking was getting worse. Then Dr. Grover yelled over to the anesthesiologist that he needed to give me something fast to get my shaking under control. Everything seemed frantic. I was in shock and the shaking was really scary for me because I suddenly realized that I had absolutely no control over my whole body. Brett came in and held my hand and tried to comfort me. I felt more drugs flowing through my system and then the shaking stopped. The surgery was back to a calm level. Dr. Grover asked Brett to come over with his camera and take a picture of the cyst and swollen uterus (don't click if you're squeemish) next to each other, so she could keep it in her 'weird stuff scrapbook' or something(The cyst is on the left). It's really pretty incredible seeing them together. The cyst, when removed, measured 11.5 cm (about the size of a softball)! After a bit more time they let me know that the surgery was a success and I was all closed up and ready to go to my room. The extra drugs they had to give me left me in quite a daze. I was awake and aware of things going on, but everything seemed like a dream. The only thing that I remember very well was the frustration and pain I felt because they wouldn't let Hyrum come in to me for more than 7 hours after delivery. I know that there was some reason, but I really don't remember why and I hated it (Brett tells me that his oxygen levels weren't quite high enough to release him from the nursery and since I was confined to the bed I couldn't see him period). I really don't remember much for the next day and a half. Brett told me later that I had slurred speech and said funny things. Hyrum was perfect! He was a miracle! We love him more than words can describe! I am so thankful for Dr's Grover and Glenn who saved my life and that of Hyrum. The drugs had some undesirable side-effects for a few days after the surgery, but they eventually went away. It took me three days before they could take the catheter out. It took about a week before I could walk standing strait up. It took two weeks before I could really walk around comfortably or sneeze without crying. For several weeks I felt like some of my internal organs might just fall out of my stomach. The numbness over my scar was numb for a full year. (Disclaimer: My second C-Section had a MUCH better recovery time for everything. I think a lot of the issues I had were because of the cyst needing to be removed after, and the extra drugs in my system because of going into shock.) Was it painful? Yes. Was it something I wouldn't wish on anyone else? Yes. Would I do it again? YES!!! If this is what it takes to bring one of God's choice spirits into this earth to be a part of our family, it is a very small price to pay. I embrace Hyrum's miracle birth and am so happy to have such a healthy happy boy be part of our family. I love my birth experience because through it I gained everything and because of it I am reminded how precious life is.
Hyrum Neil Partridge
During the Pregnancy: At our first ultrasound they found a cute little boy. We were ecstatic. The ultrasonographer also saw what looked like a murmer in Hyrum's heart and a larger than average ovarian cyst. The ultra-sonographer told me how common cysts were and how there probably was nothing to worry about with mine. I was sent to a Perinatologist for a closer examination. We were so happy that the Perinatologist did not find anything wrong with Hyrum's heart and told us he looked great. She told us a little more about cysts and let us know my OB would talk to us more about it. I went to my next OB appointment really not expecting to hear anything to worry about from Dr. Grover. I was taken off guard when she went into detail on the concerns she had with the cyst. Scary phrases were thrown at me that I had a hard time even processing like emergency surgery during pregnancy, possible loss of baby, possible cancer, excessive pain if the cyst pops that would put me into pre-term labor, c-section. . .it seemed like she wouldn't stop talking and I couldn't handle anymore. I went home in tears and had a hard time telling Brett everything that was dumped on me. He came with me to the next appointment. This time we came a little more prepared and had questions. Basically, if the cyst grew to be 13 cm they would need to surgically remove it, no matter how far along I was in the pregnancy. If the cyst 'popped' on it's own it would be excruciatingly painful and I would need to go immediately to the Labor and Delivery floor of the Hospital because the pain would induce labor. The final and best situation was that the cyst would grow very little, not pop, and would be removed at the time of delivery. As time passed I was closely monitored and it seemed that we had achieved the ideal circumstances. As we got closer to the due date the ultrasounds showed that the cyst had grown, but not up to 13 cm. It had, however, kindly lodged itself low in my pelvis and acted as a nice pillow for Hyrum's head. A C-Section was inevitable. Of course I did still have a choice: 1-death or 2-C-section. . . . to me there was no debate on these options of which we would choose. Giving birth is a risk no matter what your circumstances are, but I prefer to lean toward the option that gives the best rate of success. I am grateful to benefit from the knowledge and skills that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with to make this process of creation less deadly than they once were. Had I had this experience 100 years ago I would have certainly died. I am thankful for modern medical technology and training.
The Day of Awakening: (Only to be read by those who will not be queasy or shy of such things) It was about 1 in the morning. I was 2 weeks from my due date/scheduled c-section. We stayed up late the night before (July 4th) to watch the fireworks going off at the Stadium. Afterward, Brett insisted on playing a board game and I insisted on him painting my toe nails. . . we both got what we wanted :). Anyway, I was sound asleep when I had a strange intuition that popped my eyes open and had me running to the bathroom. Just as I made it through the door into the bathroom my water broke. It was like dumping a pitcher of watery fluid on the floor. I waddled my way over to the toilet. Brett managed to sleep through the ordeal, but the moment I said his name he was the fastest person I have ever seen! He was running around franticly getting things ready. It was pretty cute watching him. I was actually very calm and SO happy that I was able to have this birth experience. He pulled the car up right to the front door, literally (he backed up on the front lawn). I put two large pads on, but when I stood up they didn't seam to do anything to help conceal the gushing. So, I made a cloth diaper out of two large towels. Then I put a stretchy skirt on top so I didn't look quite as strange. Brett also put a few towels on my seat in the car. We made it into the car and to the hospital which was luckily only two blocks away. When we arrived Brett helped me into the hospital. I am so glad it was the middle of the night because my sumo-panties were very bulky under my skirt and also very awkward to walk with. We were able to get a wheel chair and headed up to Labor and Delivery.
It's a Boy!: Then there was the waiting. . . I had three different nurses 'check' to see if my water broke. Why they couldn't all just refer to the first test baffled me. If this happens again I will be much more vocal in telling them that I am not a test patient. Their were a few interns that were trying me out I guess. After explaining my fear of needles and how I tend to faint, one of the interns even made the comment, "I've never used an IV needle so big, hopefully I'll get it in the next try." WOW! I feared it would be a long night, but I was just so excited to have my water break and have a real birth experience. Dr. Grover wasn't able to get in to do the surgery until just after noon. The labor pains were very minimal and it was hours after my water broke before I felt my first contraction. The nurses all seemed to think my cyst was really cool. I had several people come in to ultrasound me and see the cyst. The funny thing was when a couple of them told me, with concern, about the cyst blocking the birth canal as if I had no idea it was there. I could see their relief when I would admit to already being fully aware of my situation. Once Dr. Grover arrived everything was in a rush. I met with the anesthesiologist first, who explained everything that would happen and how my body would react to the anesthetics. I refused to look at the machine and needle he brought in with him. I sat on the bed and took a few deep breaths concentrating on the little baby inside me and not the fact that the biggest needle in the world was being injected into my spine. It was painful but quick. I was then put on a gurney and was rolled into the O.R. Within about 15 minutes I no longer had any feeling waist down. It was a very strange sensation. I could feel pressure when someone set something down on me or moved me, but no real feeling. Dr. Grover came in moments later all scrubbed up along with her Dad, Dr. Glenn (who would be assisting in the surgery). Brett also was fully clothed for the O.R. in what looked like a bio-hazard outfit, along with mask and everything. Everything seemed so busy and rushed, which was a little overwhelming considering I had just been lying on a bed for several hours waiting. Dr. Grover came and spoke with Brett and me to tell us exactly what they would be doing during the C-Section and then removal of the cyst. I completely tuned her out, because I knew that if I listened I would have past out. (I fainted in Jr. High when my health teacher explained to us how to insert a tampon. I have since learned that the less I know the better.) The surgery began and when I couldn't feel anything I was becoming pretty relieved that everything would be easy and over quickly. Brett was intrigued by the whole surgery and watched over the curtain the whole thing. I just kept asking Brett if they got Hyrum out yet, and I would cut him off if he tried to tell me what else was happening. It was pretty funny during the process listening to Dr. Grover and Dr. Glenn talking about what was going on at home and with Dr. Grover's kids. They were having a whole conversation as if sitting over dinner. At one point Dr. Grover told us that her hand was stuck. I had a contraction while her hand was in my belly and she couldn't get her hand out. After that episode they needed to apply some "pressure" to help in the delivery (kind of doing the "pushing" for me). To do this, it felt as though Dr. Grover sat an my chest and rolled down (Brett confirmed that she pretty much did just that, not actually sitting but put most of her weight on me and rolled down). There was SO much pressure that I felt all the air come out of me. I was sure that my ribs would be mush when she was finally done. It was a strange and unpleasant feeling, to say the least. Then I heard a cry. I couldn't help but cry too. Dr. Grover held him over the curtain for a moment and then wrapped him up. A nurse brought him over and laid him next to my face so I could kiss him, even though I was unable to hold him yet. I wanted so badly to hold him forever. Brett carried him off with the nurse to get cleaned and checked. The Doctors were still in full operation mode as they now needed to remove the cyst. I felt my body begin to shake. The anesthesiologist filled in for Brett while he was with Hyrum. He actually held me hand and was very comforting. Dr. Grovers voice started to sound urgent, as she and her Dad seemed to be struggling with something. My shaking was getting worse. Then Dr. Grover yelled over to the anesthesiologist that he needed to give me something fast to get my shaking under control. Everything seemed frantic. I was in shock and the shaking was really scary for me because I suddenly realized that I had absolutely no control over my whole body. Brett came in and held my hand and tried to comfort me. I felt more drugs flowing through my system and then the shaking stopped. The surgery was back to a calm level. Dr. Grover asked Brett to come over with his camera and take a picture of the cyst and swollen uterus (don't click if you're squeemish) next to each other, so she could keep it in her 'weird stuff scrapbook' or something(The cyst is on the left). It's really pretty incredible seeing them together. The cyst, when removed, measured 11.5 cm (about the size of a softball)! After a bit more time they let me know that the surgery was a success and I was all closed up and ready to go to my room. The extra drugs they had to give me left me in quite a daze. I was awake and aware of things going on, but everything seemed like a dream. The only thing that I remember very well was the frustration and pain I felt because they wouldn't let Hyrum come in to me for more than 7 hours after delivery. I know that there was some reason, but I really don't remember why and I hated it (Brett tells me that his oxygen levels weren't quite high enough to release him from the nursery and since I was confined to the bed I couldn't see him period). I really don't remember much for the next day and a half. Brett told me later that I had slurred speech and said funny things. Hyrum was perfect! He was a miracle! We love him more than words can describe! I am so thankful for Dr's Grover and Glenn who saved my life and that of Hyrum. The drugs had some undesirable side-effects for a few days after the surgery, but they eventually went away. It took me three days before they could take the catheter out. It took about a week before I could walk standing strait up. It took two weeks before I could really walk around comfortably or sneeze without crying. For several weeks I felt like some of my internal organs might just fall out of my stomach. The numbness over my scar was numb for a full year. (Disclaimer: My second C-Section had a MUCH better recovery time for everything. I think a lot of the issues I had were because of the cyst needing to be removed after, and the extra drugs in my system because of going into shock.) Was it painful? Yes. Was it something I wouldn't wish on anyone else? Yes. Would I do it again? YES!!! If this is what it takes to bring one of God's choice spirits into this earth to be a part of our family, it is a very small price to pay. I embrace Hyrum's miracle birth and am so happy to have such a healthy happy boy be part of our family. I love my birth experience because through it I gained everything and because of it I am reminded how precious life is.
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