Sammy

Sam is gone this week. He headed to San Antonio for the week to celebrate his best friend's birthday, and I have to admit... I miss the kid. I cannot believe he is going to be a senior this year. How is that even possible? He'll be 17 on August 6th, but he's definitely what I call a young 17. He still doesn't have his driver's license and only recently got a job... a job he already wants to quit because wrestling starts soon. Priorities, right? This weekend Anthony decided it

Today I had my routine doctor visit. Baby sounded good on the monitor, and the doctor’s words were, “Only 6 more weeks to go.” He had me schedule another appointment for four weeks from now, and I also “get” to have another ultrasound. Because of all the blood tests and results we’ve had during this pregnancy, they want to keep an eye on the baby’s growth since apparently there’s a chance growth could slow down at this point. So they’ll be calling me to schedule that appointm

I don’t know what it is—every time I sit down to write about our life, the baby starts crying. I just sat down, and sure enough, he began to cry. Luckily, Anthony is home now and was able to take him off my hands for a few minutes. The past few weeks, Anthony has been busy working on a “big” project, which left me home alone with the kids from 5 a.m. until around 1 a.m. Those were very long days, but thankfully the project only lasted eleven days. As exhausting as it was, we

He is home! We were able to pick him up today (Sunday) at 9 a.m., although computer issues ended up delaying our discharge until around noon. It was a long wait, but I’ve learned a lot of patience through this journey. I was so grateful to have my aunt and sister here helping with the kids during that time. The last two days he was in the NICU also gave me something special—I was able to spend one-on-one time with each of my other children, really talking with them and bondin

I went to the hospital to show my aunt the baby, and when I got there, the nurse was trying to call me because she wanted to feed him an hour early. He wasn’t even awake yet. I was just glad we went in early so I was able to feed him. While I was there, I also spoke with the doctor, who said Sammy is doing much better and they are now working on weaning him off his C-PAP. All of his labs have improved, and his lungs are looking better. They’ve turned him down to a level 3 on

I find myself feeling torn between two families right now. My sister and aunt came in from out of town to help with the kids while I make the constant commute back and forth between home and Kaiser. I’m so grateful for them, but honestly, once I get somewhere and finally sit down, I never want to leave again. When I’m with Sammy, I just hold him and cry. I keep wondering what is really going on inside his tiny little body and if there was anything I could have done to prevent

News update for baby Sammy: I’ve been going back and forth between home and the hospital to feed the baby in the NICU. Honestly, I’m practically living there right now. I come home long enough to shower, eat, and let Anthony spend some time with the baby while I spend an hour with Aubrey, who is having a really hard time with all of this, before heading right back. Since Sammy is only nursing, the hospital has allowed me to use a boarding room for the next 72 hours. I’m reall

This was written very fast, so I know there are probably still lots of errors… but here is our birth story. Labor started Wednesday morning. I had a really bad contraction followed by bleeding and all the other fun things that come with labor. My contractions were only about 10 minutes apart, so I spent most of the day in bed. Anthony still had important work things he needed to get in order, and honestly, I didn’t want him to come home until he absolutely HAD to. Later that

Just a few minutes ago, while I was editing photos, Sam came downstairs and asked me what other names we had considered naming him. I pulled out the journal I had printed and started flipping through it with him. I couldn’t believe hJust a few minutes ago, while I was editing photos, Sam came downstairs and asked me what other names we had considered naming him. I pulled out the journal I had printed and started flipping through it with him. I couldn’t believe how much histor

Published 2016/12/06 Today felt like one of those days that just keeps unfolding. Samuel had his post-op appointment this morning. The doctor removed some of the gauze from his incision and said it’s still draining, so the wick will need to stay in for a few more days. When I changed his bandage later, there was so much pus and fluid—it’s hard to see that and not feel a little overwhelmed. He’s still really sore too, which makes everything just a bit heavier. They sent a samp

Between Two Worlds Lately, I feel like I’m being pulled between two worlds. My sister and aunt came in from out of town to help with the kids while I make the constant trips back and forth between the hospital and home. I’m so grateful for them—but no matter where I am, I feel torn. When I’m at the hospital with Sammy, I don’t want to leave. And when I’m home with my other kids, I feel like I should be back with him. When I’m with Sammy, I just hold him and cry. I keep wonder