I want to blog more! I feel compelled to talk about fashion. But let me segue into that because fashion hasn't ever really been the focus of my life. It still isn't but I've decided to try something new.
I'm going to be a rep for the company Agnes & Dora made famous by their amazing leggings and maxi skirts. Now that I live in Cedar City I'll be the only rep in Southern Utah and cover Vegas. I'm looking forward to it because these are in high demand everywhere and so many ladies have been asking about them. The stigma of wearing leggings has transformed into a new trend. It's socially acceptable to wear a pair of leggings with a top. I prefer a top that covers my rear end but some people can get away with it. They are in the same category as jeggings I believe but NOT the same as tights. Tights should not be worn alone. Yikes. The great thing about Agnes and Dora leggings is that they are SO stretchy but the pattern isn't affected and neither is the opaqueness. I was so happy about that. The quality is obvious. I'm ready to be an advocate.
I'm not ready for cap sleeve shirts or anything slightly tight but leggings are okay and I want to emphasize that they are ok for everyone. Such a simple, fun, cozy way to express yourself!
Skirts:
I know my days as a pregnant woman are numbered.
The feeling and sight of a small person moving underneath the surface of my belly will soon be over. In these last final days I'm trying to embrace the feelings whether pleasant or not and reflect on all my blessings including the ability to bring a little baby into this world. Our final addition to the family is a bittersweet thought and the rate at which my children are growing is alarming. I just want to hold on to the time I have left with this pregnancy. I want to feel tiny feet nudging me while I sleep. I want to feel little hiccups and hear his heartbeat on a machine. I want to hold on to the fact that he is safe in my belly away from the world. Just me and him.
But on the other hand I want to hold him very close and give him kisses on his little forehead. I want to give him my finger so he can grip it tight with his tiny hands. I want his brothers to see that something so special was really worth the wait and all the times mom couldn't get up and run with them.
I know my days as a pregnant woman are numbered. I want each moment to receive its full value as I leave this phase which has molded me into the woman I am today.
On to Zakky boy's birth story.
Summer 2010 was a busy one! My sister Kylee lived with us and worked with me at the golf course in Quincy. It was a great summer. Out of the blue on August 20th while Brandon was at work and 2 year old Ty was in his high chair, I took a pregnancy test. To my shock it came back positive!! Literal shock. We weren't trying for a baby or planning on having a second one until Ty had turned 3. Big surprise! I found out I was due on May 5, 2011.
The pregnancy went pretty smoothly. No morning sickness again but I started showing a lot sooner. On Dec 10, we found out we were having another boy! I never doubted it. I guess I always knew. We had a hard time deciding on a name. It wasn't until I was 8 months along that we decided on Zakary Drew.
I had been cast as Maria in the Sound of Music and I hummed right along playing my part, on my feet a lot with minimal swelling. Once the play closed, my swelling and contractions went into overdrive. At my next OB appt they did a non stress test and found I was having contractions every 5 minutes and I was admitted to the hospital. My doctor who I absolutely love (Dr. Verhage) wanted to make sure my cervix wasn't dilating and to try and stop the contractions. He suggested my mom fly up and help so she came the next day. They put me on a magnesium drip and tried a couple other methods. I had several ultrasounds and my monitors (baby heartbeat and contractions) were on my tummy the whole time. I got used to hearing Zak's cute little heartbeat 24 hours a day. I remember it lulling me to sleep. My mom arrived the next day and the magnesium drip was making me very sick. It also wasn't doing anything to stop the contractions. I remember having to get two heparin shots in my leg to prevent blood clots and it was the worst pain I had ever felt. One night they gave me Demerol so I could get a decent night's sleep and it was so nice. They had to check my temperature and blood pressure every 2 hours. After 4 days in the hospital my cervix wasn't progressing so Dr. Verhage decided to send me home on strict bed rest. I was 32 weeks along.
My mom stayed for a couple weeks to help me while I was flat on my back. I wasn't allowed to get up except to go to the bathroom or shower. I gained several more pounds. As a side note we also had a puppy at the time (Penny) who was causing too much stress. She ended up flying back home with my mom and saving my sanity completely. A few more weeks of bed rest and I felt like a ticking time bomb. I definitely knew I wasn't going to be carrying Zak until May 5. My mom booked her flight back to come back for April 19. On April 17, I lost my mucous plug and of course was still contracting but they weren't painful, just tight. My parents in law Lori and Ron were in town to visit her parents and it was nice having them around.
On April 19th in the morning Brandon decided to take Ty to see his grandparents before he went to work. I said bye to them and fell back asleep on the guest room bed. At about 8:30am I woke up and while rolling onto my side I heard and felt a POP! I froze for a second then got out out bed and stood up. Niagra falls; my water broke and I was home alone and my mom was on an airplane. I went into the bathroom to calm down, called Brandon, changed my clothes, Brandon picked me up and we were on our way to the hospital. I was still gushing amniotic fluid in the suburban. It was comical until my contractions started hurting really badly. When I got to the ER I couldn't stand so I was put in a wheelchair then they admitted me to a room in labor and delivery. They checked my cervix and I was at a 6. My contractions were so painful. The nurse that came in said she wanted to make sure my water had broken? Like I didn't know?? That was a little weird to me. They decided to move me into the delivery room but they made me walk?? I could hardly walk and was in so much pain. I asked for an epidural and they told me the anesthesiologist was in surgery. I became concerned about that but was trying to focus on calming down. I got onto the bed and upon checking me again they told me that in 20 minutes I had gone from a 6 to a 10. I asked for the epidural again and they must have been trying to be nice by not telling me I wouldn't be able to get one. Dr. Verhage came in and started suiting up and I was crying because he said I was ready to push and wouldn't have time or benefit from an epidural. I was going to deliver Zak naturally. The pain was all I could focus on at first. Lori and Brandon were in the room with me and I knew I just had to buckle down and be strong. I started pushing and pushing and I was able to time my own pushing with my contractions. I was determined to get Zak out. I was yelling loudly like you see in delivery rooms in the movies. I concentrated hard and pushed. Dr. Verhage was calming and helpful. I had a small episiotomy when Zak's shoulders got stuck on the way out. One last push and he finally came out at 10:15AM. I felt instant relief. He cried as they whisked him away to his receiving table. I saw Brandon cut the umbilical cord. They handed me my purple/pink baby and he was so darn cute with chubby cheeks but his head was bruised a little bit from getting stuck. The big news was that he was 20.5" and 10 lbs 9 oz! With no meds! I apologized to everyone in the delivery room for yelling. Lol!
Zak was technically only 37 weeks along. He was making little whining sounds like his lungs were having a hard time getting air. They also found out his blood sugar was low. He had to eat so they fed him formula right away. As with Ty my milk didn't come in. We tried to get him to latch but he wasn't interested and his whining was non stop. They checked his oxygen and blood levels almost constantly. It broke my heart they kept drawing blood from his little feet. Dr. Verhage had determined I had gestational diabetes in my last couple weeks which had made Zak so big with blood sugar issues. They were able to normalize his little condition and we would be released the next day. My mom arrived a couple hours after he was born. When Ty met Zak it was amazing to me. Like I had brought a little more love into the world. We got Zak home and after his first check up we had to put him on the bili-lights for slight jaundice. He was a nice little addition to our family. My mom stayed for about three weeks and taking care of him seemed easier. He was fairly easy at night but would really scream when he cried.
Next week my little Zakky will be two. It was such a completely different birthing experience from Ty. Having done natural and epidural I don't know what route I would suggest. Some days I say epidural so I could actually relax somewhat and be more "present" for the delivery but no meds and quick progression from water breaking to birth was also good. I don't remember the degree of pain but I remember saying I would not wish it on anyone!
Now Reese's story has yet to be written. I'm about 31 weeks along so we are in the home stretch.
Until next time....
So I haven't written on here since 2010?? Yikes!
Sitting here with a borrowed laptop on my lap I feel semi-uncomfortable.I am 30 weeks pregnant and my baby Reese has been doing jumping jacks. There are lots of people around me that are pregnant. I have been seeing posts on Facebook about everyone's pregnancy and birth experiences. 2013 is the year for babies! I get two new nieces (one of which has already arrived) and Baby Reese should be here end of May/beginning of June. I get asked all the time about what my pregnancies were like with Ty and Zak and how they compare to this one. How unique they each have been! Here are my pregnancy and birth stories for you to peruse and for me to keep on record. Please excuse the medical and/or womanly function references.
Ty Lev:
We found out we were pregnant with Ty on our 5 year anniversary (8/10/2007). We had been trying for about a year and I had taken two doses of Clomid and while on our anniversary trip to Washington DC, my period was late. I made a little side trip to CVS to buy two pregnancy tests, both of which gave me two double lines. I didn't believe it at first as if it were a surreal fluke but when we got home to UT we confirmed it. We had just moved to Tremonton UT after Brandon graduated from BYU earlier that year and he had started a new job at ATK. I saw Ty's heartbeat at 6 weeks and didn't wait to tell anyone. Our doctor was the only OBGYN in Tremonton, Dr. Starr. At first I was concerned about the lack of choices in providers but he (and especially the nurses) ended up being great.
I got all the way to 20 weeks with no morning sickness or ailments of any kind. I started showing in November and found out we were having a boy in December. I wasn't sure how to feel at first coming from a family of four girls, no brothers. Once we decided on his name, it felt more real and we planned his room decor and continued to plan for our budding families. One issue that happened was that my weight gain started kicking in and quickly. I gained 18 lbs in 4 weeks. Although I had no other complications, I began gaining a lot more weight and retaining tons of water. When I was well into my 3rd trimester my blood pressure was high and I was on watch every week for pre-eclampsia. My swelling was still bad and I had gained about 70 lbs. Ty's due date was April 12 but due to the signs not waning they set my induction date for March 31, 2008 at 7am.
My mom and Lori came to Tremonton for the big event as well as my sister Kylee and of course Brandon was there. I checked in at 7am and they started Pitocin. The IV was the worst part because my nurse couldn't find a vein. I still remember that as the most painful part. I was pretty relaxed and even though I was having contractions I wasn't feeling them. My nurse broke my water (with only her finger) and it was like Niagra falls. Once I was dilated to a 4 I got an epidural around 1pm. I didn't have any problems with it at all and I felt such a weird feeling in my legs! I was very relaxed but a little while later I had trouble breathing and my skin started itching. I was able to rest for a couple hours and they gave me an oxygen mask for a little while. In the afternoon sometime we started watching the monitor and I was having intense intense contractions that I couldn't feel. One actually made me throw up and Brandon grabbed an empty bucket labeled "Placenta" just in time. I was dilated to a 10 by 5pm and I started feeling intense pain again so they gave me a booster of the epidural. I started pushing at 545pm and pushed for two hours before Ty made his appearance. I had Brandon, Lori, my mom and Ky around the bed and Kylee was by my head video taping. The battery died right before Ty came out. I remember being very focused like I was having an out of body experience. I mustered strength I didn't know I had. Dr. Starr could tell I was starting to tire and offered to use the forceps and I didn't want that. I tuned into Ky's voice telling me to keep going. It helped a lot. The last push was of course the hardest and little Ty Ty emerged into the world. He didn't cry and several nurses came in and took him over to the infant receiving table to check his vitals. I began to worry because he wasn't crying. Dr. Starr was sewing me up from my episiotomy and told me not to worry or else he would be over there taking care of Ty. Ty was pinking up and breathing totally fine, he was just tired from being pushed out. He had a bruise on his little forehead. Ty weighed 8lbs 1oz and was 20.25'' long.
When he was all cleaned up they handed him to me and I was in such a daze I couldn't believe what I had just done. I remember being alarmed by the fact that he was rolling his eyes all around and that his little fingers and toes were cold. Let the worries begin! We decided to try breastfeeding and he latched right away. But an hour later they took him to the incubator because his extremities weren't circulating very well. By the time they brought him back to me e wouldn't latch anymore so it was a little frustrating cause I felt like I was doing it all wrong. We stayed in the hospital 2 nights and he went to the nursery and they formula fed him. We went home and had to rent a bili-blanket since Ty had jaundice. My mom stayed with me and was my crutch. My milk didn't come in until a week later. I rented a pump from the hospital and talked to a lactation specialist and nothing worked. After two weeks of frustration, we finally switched to formula and I felt so much better about it and enjoyed my baby more. My mom stayed for 3.5 weeks and when she left I felt like I was really on my own and very nervous about it.
When I try to reminisce about those first couple months there is little I remember and I wonder if it's because I was so oblivious and stressed. I want to remember him how he was as a chubby snuggly baby. Grateful for pictures!
Zakary Drew will be next....
Until next time...
So, the biggest scandal to hit Moses Lake come February will be a pregnant Maria in The Sound of Music. Me! Haha. Hopefully I will not balloon out like a house before I should. I am very excited about the part and all the people I get to be with in the play again. The performances are Feb. 10-12, 16-18. I thank Brandon in advance for his patience.
Ty is so hilarious. He sings almost every song on the radio and is a very quick learner. He is also the only person who can make his dad laugh to the point of tears. It's fantastic. He still takes naps (much to my liking) and loves watching shows on PBS. I need to enroll him in a gym class ASAP cause he is so acrobatic. He continues to be the pickiest eater EVER but I still love him. Especially when he starts singing "Poker Face" out of nowhere.
I am very much looking forward to the holidays. It's a big year since we're staying in Moses and doing our own thing. I will be making Thanksgiving dinner AND playing Santa for the first time. I can't wait to get the Christmas lights up, so much so that I even drew a diagram of what I want to go where. So fun! However, I am going to really miss my family. It will be a learning and growing experience.
My pregnancy is still going well. I am going to stop binging so I don't repeat the weight gain of my pregnancy with Ty Ty. I've already gained about 18 lbs for no reason! Anyway, my next appt is Nov. 22 and we'll find out around Christmastime if we're having a boy or girl.
We're staying busy but not too busy. It's getting cold outside and dark early. I have successfully held off on listening to Christmas music so far. I love my little family. Happy Holidays!
Until Next Time......
At my 12 week appt. yesterday, I was able to get another ultrasound. I have had four, I feel so lucky! My doc uses the wand to pick up the heartbeat more accurately and in doing so I get to catch a glimpse of the baby. I got more than just a glimpse! The baby was SO BUSY! It was bouncing like it had the hiccups and had the cutest legs ever. It turned once or twice to face the front. It was so cool!!! The picture doesn't do it justice. Brandon was with me and I knew he was pretty excited. My next appointment is November 16 when I will have all the blood screening tests. Then my December appt. is when we find out if we're expecting a boy or girl! Just in time for Christmas!!
My family is coming in two days and I have been cleaning and planning stuff to do. Ty's robot Halloween costume is almost done. Brandon has done a GREAT job. I just hope Ty will wear it. Oh gees.
SO... Ty is an appreciator of Lady Gaga. He sings all of her songs with me. He is so adorable. Mom, dad and Hay are coming on Friday and staying til Nov. 2! Hooray! Their visit has to last me through the rest of the year so I hope it doesn't fly by. I have my 12-13 week doc appt on Tuesday. My baby is supposed to be about 2.5" long now. I think the worst of the all day sickness is on its way out. Every once in a while if I don't eat on time I get the dreaded urge to unload but usually it doesn't happen. Mind power! Ty has decided that naps are OPTIONAL. Great. SO with me being extra tired, I am really struggling to adapt.
I have been watching Season 6 of the Office on Netflix which I missed most of since we don't have TV (this is going to change Nov. 5, local channels only and fiber internet!!) I remember how much I love the show. My loyalty was starting to wane in the middle of season 4 but now I am back and the episodes are so great! How I have missed them! Steve Carrell is done once season 7 wraps up. Bittersweet! I think the show should also wrap up.
I have been making dinner a lot more lately but the problem is is that I have so many cravings for fast food that I usually give in for lunchtime. I am trying to streamline this! Cut it down to once or twice a week!
I got a new calling in my ward. In addition to leading the music in relief society, I am in charge of planning activities for the RS sisters. They will probably happen every other month or so and I have a list of great ideas already! My motto is SIMPLIFY. I am going to put this quote in vinyl on my living room wall:
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
-Leonardo da Vinci
Until next time......
The Burton Experience
