"Early Hatcher"

My very talented sister-in-law took some Mothers Day photos for our family.  See more of her work here.

This past week a friend of mine called me an EARLY HATCHER and I thought it was the cutest thing ever.   I'm going to update on this pregnancy and how it has progressed much faster than we'd hoped.  WARNING: If this pregnancy business isn't your cup of tea, stop reading.  I am mostly writing this for my memory so don't feel like you're missing out by not reading the rest. 

 We had these photos taken and at that time I was suspecting 2 months of misery as my largest baby to date settled in for the last legs of this pregnancy.  Contractions are pretty common-place for me so while I was having them I wasn't concerned.  The next morning I woke up and our girl had dropped, which was in my mind too early.  Hello, freak out number one.  She hadn't dropped all the way so I figured we'd be alright.  But it was enough to start causing regular contractions which turned into early labor with the passing of a few weeks.  We ended up in the hospital where the staff hooked me up after a not so pleasant IV experience, and pumped me full of fluids.  They ran a bunch of tests and kept a close eye on our baby, who by the way is a CHAMP, nothing has stressed her out yet.  After a few hours my labor had slowed down, my labs were good and they sent us on our way.  48 hours later I was back in labor.  I refused to go back to the hospital and waited out the night before I headed into see my doctor.  My doctor basically concluded that my Uterus just hates me; she used more medical jargon but that's what I got out of it.  I was sent on my way with a prescription to help calm my body down and prevent labor to make sure the baby makes it a good solid 35+ weeks and the hope was that the drugs would calm my system down enough that labor would hold off once I stopped taking the meds.  Fast forward to last night when our girl decided to make it even more clear she was ready to come by making her final drop which lead to a MAJOR midnight freak out by ME.  I have known and been warmed this entire pregnancy that this baby would probably come early because Porter was 37 weeks and Priya was 37.5 weeks, but I never thought I'd be going into preterm labor at 34 weeks.  Then to have her settle in along with a handful of other tell tell signs that labor is eminent just shocked me and left me feeling completely unprepared.  Today we've spent the day making peace with the idea that once I stop these meds in a few days (taking them past 35 weeks isn't encouraged) we may have a baby shortly thereafter.  Of course we're worried about having a baby come that early, but statistics are great concerning infants born in that window and we've been blessed with a comfort that she'll come exactly when she needs to and exactly when I need her to.  I packed our hospital bag this morning and spent the afternoon buying enough food and supplies to keep things functioning for several weeks to make things a little less stressful as I recover from my C-Section. 

The reactions of others is always so interesting to me.  Everyone asks why I'm not on bed rest and is upset that I'm still standing.  My doctor believes that I'm too far along in my pregnancy and too progressed towards delivery to slow it down with bed rest, so I'm still going.  Yay, for that tender mercy!  Some people act like I can control this... like I am a magic baby pixie fairy, ya know and can make this stop by clicking my heels, or whatever it is pixie fairies do.  Sorry for the sarcasm but seriously?  Then the next reaction is blaming and shaming me about this and what the consequences for my baby will be.  Which I'm too feisty to put up with any of that!  Um... No, you are not allowed to try and make me feel bad about this...the end. Then there are those that, like me, find it so dang ironic how one person can desperately want to go into labor and then others, like myself, just wish it would hold off.  All I know is that the whole thing makes me crazy anxious.  This morning I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd have a baby in the next week, but I figure such thinking is dangerous because babies will be babies and they do what ever the heck they want.  So I'll probably make it to 39 weeks to my scheduled C-Section date.  So I'm hugging my calm husband and doing my best to Let Go and Let God with this pregnancy!  

In lighter news, She has a name!  It's not the name we announced earlier; we encountered too much feedback about Yvette, causing us to fall out of love with it.  Because of that we're not sharing her name, which is pretty unique.  Like this picture below shows-- we already love this girl with all of our hearts and if she comes early we'd be thrilled to meet her!  So Mommy may moan and groan about you messing with my best laid plans, but the truth is You Are Always Welcomed & Loved Little Girl! 

Next Update:  Welcome Baby or let's be realistic 3 Month update on baby. 

Wouldn't You Know... We're still here

We know that we need to change the way we update our family records because the blog isn't working very well anymore.  It just isn't my season for writing large update on here.  I have to ignore my kids to get a post up and we don't love that.  Aaron and I have talked about a few things we just haven't decided on one yet.

Tomorrow we will be learning the gender of our 3rd child and when I woke up this morning I realized that I haven't written anything about this pregnancy.  I really want to get something down for our memory before everything changes like decorating the nursery, picking out names, ect.  So I'll be writing a brief summary of the last 6 months and how we ended up on this path and what's happening now.  I do quickly talk about some girly problems so if that bugs you, don't read anymore. 


At the beginning of August of last year Aaron and I felt like we needed to get away just the two of us.  With the help of Grandma Nec and Aunt Rachael I was able to kiss my sweet babes goodbye and tag along on one of Aaron's business trips.  We spent an extended weekend in San Francisco and a couple of days in San Jose.  We went Sight Seeing and exploring every day we were there.  A boat tour around the Bay, Morning runs along the coast, eating delicious food and Aaron even took me to see the Muir Woods because he knew seeing a Redwood Forest was on my Bucket List.  Why yes, I have a bucket list and it's full of random things but I love when I can check something off that list.  This trip gave us lots of time to talk and be together.  We discussed having more children and both of us were just so happy and comfortable with the little respite we were having with our two children (who are fairly independent at this point) we didn't feel like having more kids was in our future. We also didn't really want to have 3 children for fear of someone being left out.  I was raised in a family of 3 and my brother and I were so mean to our little baby sister.  The truth of the matter however is that with my C-sections in the past we knew I could only have 1 more baby via C-Section safely.   We could fight for a 4th with my doctor, but with my anatomy she feels strongly that a 4th would be a risk.  C-sections are hard enough to recover from and they get harder with each one Aaron felt strongly that I shouldn't have a 4th anyways.  We both agree with my doctor.  That left us with, "Let's start saving up for adoption 5+ years down the road."  We felt right about our family and moving forward with the status quo with adopting siblings from an out of country orphanage much later in life being our expansion plan.   Being together on this trip was bliss and we came home refreshed.  

Waiting to fly home and excited to see our children

Photos of my Grandma Lynda

About a month after our trip I was with all of the Maxfield women at Squaw Camp for a weekend retreat.  About halfway through the trip my little sister asked me about having more children.  She then shared a conversation she had with her boyfriend Thomas.  Thomas is the younger of 2 brothers in his family, his older brother has Autism and he had shared with Baylee how he often wanted another sibling.  The moment my sister brought up more children I had an overwhelming feeling that my Heavenly Father was reaching out to me through my sister, since I hadn't been receptive to messages He had been sending to me.  I had an IUD migrate on me (a painful experience) and an early pregnancy lose as a result, looking back everything was preparing me to be ready for a pregnancy.  I just wasn't listening.  But I sat down and listened to my sister and knew, "Three will work for us!  Three is RIGHT!"  It makes sense that three siblings would be nice when one of those children has a disability.  Everyone will always have a friend because Porter will always be a friend.  The other 2 will have each other for support as they go through their role of being a sibling to a child with special needs, which isn't uncommon but at the same time it's unique.  The thought consumed my mind and I was in the perfect place to hash it out.  I was with a whole bunch of Mother's and a handful of Mom's to 3.  I quickly found the comfort I needed in these incredible women to know that three totally works, but that we needed to have another baby ASAP so the youngest wasn't too far away in age from Porter and Priya.  I left completely blown away that my heart could be changed in an instant.  I also knew Aaron would of course need to feel the same way.  I cornered him the morning after getting home and told him about my weekend full of excitement and anxiety.  I told him he need to hear me out and then we could discuss it.  I finished my speech with, "What do you think, should we have a baby?"  He hugs me tight with a big grin and agreed that it was the right thing.  We laughed and hugs and were full of joy at the thought of a baby.

I found it ironic we had change our minds about another baby because my sister-in-law had hinted that she'd like us to have another baby so her baby would have a cousin close in age.  Aaron and I both greatly protested that it just wasn't time for our family.  As things have played out there will in fact be 3 Gelter siblings welcoming babies to their families this year. (Rach in March, Karli in May and Aaron in June)  Craziness, but of the best kind!

Meg, Rach and Tyler running the Electric Run together while Aaron missed out due to a trip to China

We continued with life.  Aaron traveled to China for a lengthy business trip.  I kept training for, another Bucket List item, Running a Half Marathon and our kids started school.  I completed my first marathon and it was a fantastic experience.  I still don't know what my time was because for me it was all about finishing but it felt like a good race to me.  Aaron insisted I didn't run fast enough because I still had energy after finishing.

Meg completing the SOJO Half Marathon

A few days after my race I started to get nauseous and started to wonder.  I finally felt sick enough I was positive I was expecting so I ignored the warning on the box about testing for pregnancy early and took one anyways.  It just happened to be Halloween and I wasn't able to sleep because I wanted to know so I got a positive test at like 4 a.m. in the morning.  I left a note for Aaron on the mirror that said, "Happy Halloween 2013 peekaBOO!"  He was elated, we've never had our pregnancy hopes fulfilled so quickly.  

As I mentioned I was sick right away.  We were hoping to keep it private information but our families were suspicious and I was too sick to hide my symptoms so we let our families in on the news.  We were given a huge amount of support.  It's amazing how you can be completely overwhelmed with joy that you're going to have a baby and so utterly miserable from the morning sickness.  I have never experience morning sickness to the extreme I have this time.  I lived in the bathroom for the first 15 weeks.  It was not an easy time in our household.  I was put on meds for the sickness because it was so severe but they only helped a little.  My Mother later picked up on the fact that the medication was making me experience depression.  I really was down, sad and not functioning at all.  I wasn't myself.  We decided I'd stop taking the medicine and just make it through the sickness.  A clear head and positive attitude made all the difference.  I lost weight as a result of the sickness after going off the meds but not enough to be concerned.  I am still sick a few mornings a week but not all day long.  I feel much better then I have prior to this point.  YAY!!!

I was sick this morning and Priya brought me her blanket to make me feel better

We've been on two vacations while I've been expecting.  We went to California with Aaron's family for Thanksgiving.  It was a lot of fun for Aaron and the kids.  I enjoyed the family and had some good moments.  I was at the height of my sickness and still on the meds so I wasn't at my best.  The thought of being so far from home at that point terrified me and it was hard on me.  I am grateful for Aaron helping me through it all with love, support and forgiveness.

At the beginning of February we went Disneyland, a trip I'd been planning for over a year.  I researched and studied anything I could find about taking children with special needs.  My parents and sister Baylee decided to join us on this trip and were a tremendous help with the kids.  It went as well as we could have hoped and I cried as we left.  If you're interested in hearing more about our trip please ask to see our Disneyland vacation book.

Best Friends at Disneyland

The last thing I'll share about this pregnancy is how conflicting my feelings are at times.  I feel like a crazy person for having a baby when my current kids are already pushing me to my limits.  I am TERRIFIED of having another C-Section, I didn't realize this would be a fear of mine until I started reliving my previous 2 surgeries in my dreams.  At least this time we shouldn't have an emergency C-Section like I did with my other kids.  Since my babies come early and it's best if I don't experience labor my doctor is going to schedule a C-Section at 38 weeks.  I'm nervous about having a baby, we're out of baby mode.  I know that is a lot like riding a bike it comes back quickly.  The truth that this is exactly what we're suppose to be doing fills me with joy and excitement.  Feeling this baby kick reminds me that we're going to have a BABY and babies are so special!  We look forward with faith knowing that this part of our lives maybe a little bumpy and some of the bonus items we've gotten used to having completed in our lives just might have to wait for a season.  We know that loving this baby is easy and that he or she is already a part of our family.  The kids will love the baby and get used to the change with time.  We know how this goes we will all get used to each other and we'll be happy with our family of 5.  

In a phrase: We are scared but so excited! 

19 weeks- halfway

Porter Turns 4

All about Porter at 4 years old: 

• After an 8 month plateau in Porter's development we are starting to see a flourish of new skills and vocabulary.  We love seeing him be confident and healthy enough to try new things out.  We are so proud of him.  We had backed off therapy a lot but after getting the all clear from specialists on Porter's health and development, we decided aggressive therapy would be the way to move forward.    Porter has been seeing an Occupational Therapist twice a month a Speech Therapist every week and doing Equestrian Therapy every week.  These things are a sacrifice for our little family because even with insurance they cost a great deal in time and money.  We're so grateful to the handful of friends that help with Priya while we are at appointments.  These things have been paying off and Porter is progressing.  We are currently headed into a rest period where you take a break from therapy after 12 weeks on and I'm really looking forward to that break.

• Some of you know that we had become suspicious of Porter having Autism.  The specialist we visited also told us that while Porter does have Sensory Processing Disorder and Anxiety, two very common side issues with Autism, Porter doesn't at this time have Autism.  She told us it may emerge in the next year but for now sensory issues and anxiety are just those problems on their own.  

• Pretending is a new daily game at our house.  The most popular one is "Scary Bear" (Brave)  Porter will go into scary mode and wait for your reaction, then he growls and chases you around the house.  We also play "Bad Guy" (Ralph from Wreck It Ralph), "Monster" (Sulley) , "Dinosaur" (Rex- from Toy Story) etc.  He'll also cook in our play kitchen and mimic our daily tasks.  Yay!
• From Porter's little game it's probably easy to tell that his favorite way to escape his frustration and honestly his true joy in life, is movies.  He loves most things Disney and I'd dare say any animated movie I'll let him watch.  It's borderline a problem some days. 

• Porter and Sydney are learning to play together.  I love it.  I think this is more a change in our dog than in Porter.  Sydney is getting old enough that he's softening up to the children. 
• The most challenging thing about Porter these days is dealing with his Sensory Processing Disorder.  We're learning how to deal with it and how to help him cope when he is overwhelmed but if we deviate from his comfort zone too much or break routine it can get really tough.  The most frustrating part of that is trying to explain to others something that we don't completely understand ourselves.  It also breaks my heart when others assume Porter is just being naughty when we know there is a reason behind his behavior and that it's not something he can control.  Like any diagnosis it takes time to learn and adapt to it.  We're still learning but it's nice to know he's not being naughty.  

• Because of SPD (sensory processing disorder) Porter will pull you down to the ground and wrestle with you.  He does this because his body craves the pressure he feels in his joints when he wrestles.  I'm so grateful our Priya Lynn has picked up many skills in wrestling and nicely holds her own with Porter.  
• Porter is a big fan of Birthdays for anyone.  He loves the cake, presents, candles and sings happy birthday to others.  He always pretends to blow the candles out and is a little sad when it's not his turn.  It's really sweet. 

• School this past year was a really good thing for Porter.  He learned a lot and really enjoyed being at school.  He has been missing it a lot this summer.  We did not make great progress on goals because of the plateau we encountered and in some aspects we saw regression which is always discouraging to see in a report.  We changed his goals and some of them we saw a lot of growth others will continue to need work.  I'm excited for our IEP for next year and setting new goals (I know I'm a weirdo).  I was so proud of Porter when he sang the words at his end of year program along with his classmates.  It was obvious he was fighting with his urge to just run away because the room was full of adults, it was noisy, and he was overwhelmed, but he did great!  He also had many people laughing at him and I was so glad I was in the front row so I didn't see any bad looks (if there were any) because of his shenanigans. 
• So this may seem silly but Porter is fully drinking thin fluids these days, making it a lot easier to keep him hydrated.  He still needs a little bit of flavor to his water but we can get away with a 4:1 ratio of water to juice.  A small victory! 

• Porter's favorite meal is Cereal without a doubt.  He has become very stubborn about what he'll eat and when he'll eat it.  But he's always game for cereal. 
• Part of SPD is not liking textures or in Porter's words, "Eww, messy!"  He absolutely hates being messy and is starting to generalize messy over to his sister and has a hard time when she's messy-- which is constantly.  He'll say, "Mom Messy" as he points at Priya. 

• Like any respectable brother he harasses Priya just for the fun of it.  This morning he stole her blanket and ran down the hall as she chased him screaming.  He giggled with delight as he ran down the stairs away with her blanket.  He had one big mischievous grin. 
• Porter really likes to rock out to a good tune but we're also finding that his favorites are always instrumental.  He loves dynamic movie soundtracks and he also really loves calming classical music.  It seems to bring him peace when his world is over stimulating. 

• The last 6 months Porter has had a love/hate relationship with his glasses.  His favorite frames were discontinued and he has yet to find a pair he really likes.  However, he's a smarty and knows he needs his glasses to see so he keeps trying and so do we.  We've been through 6 sets of frames in the last 6 months due to some of that hate coming out in our boy.  I hope we find something that works soon! (update: we have indeed found a pair he loves and wears without destroying) 
• Porter will run away from me and never look back.  It scares me to death!  I just keep praying he'll learn to have a little fear and stay close.  He is a skilled runner and is so extremely fast for his size.  It's something friends comment on a lot because no one really suspects it and then they try to catch him.  Another reason for me to keep running.  I'm gonna have to be able to keep up with Porter as he continues to grow up on us. 

• Porter has A LOT of attitude.  If he doesn't want to do what you've asked him to he'll put his hands up, walk away, turn the corner and then when you're out of his sight he'll say, "What?" 
•  He is also very frustrated these days.  While we've seen more vocabulary in his language this also means there has been a burst in understanding and receptive vocabulary (thank you Priya).  The gap between his expressive language and his receptive language often results in screaming.  He can't say what he wants to.  It's frustrating to both of us.  We'll just keep working and hoping we can help him through this with patience and love. 
• PORTER IS POTTY TRAINED!!!  *Happy Dance*  It still needs some shaping so he can be completely independent at it, but he wears underwear all day except for night time.  So proud of him! 
• Porter is my little lover.  Porter has a need to be built up every day.  He needs contact and cuddles with people who love him.  If you can imagine his frustration with the world he experiences it's no wonder he has a hard time.  The world to Porter is very different from what the rest of us experience so he needs love.  

• We have learned and are trying to create a shame free parenting style because of Porter's tender spirit.  Porter has shown us that love and positive reinforcement is the best way for him and we've seen the same to be true in our experiences with Priya.  Porter maybe a super sensitive soul but I've come to realize that every child has a tenderness about them and I really don't want to be the one to influence that sweetness out of them.  We still set limits for our children but we do so with encouragement, kind correction that doesn't isolate our children and lots of patience.  It's one of the hardest and scariest concepts I've been learning but example and modeling are the most powerful ways to teach Porter.  The pressure is on to be the Adult I hope my children will one day be... no pressure, right?   I'm so grateful Porter has lead us to this path of parenting  because it just feels so right for our family and our children.  

 As you can see my brain is a constant stream of thoughts, concerns, ideas and use of energy concerning Porter.  That may seem like a lot to others but it's so worth it.  When I have a peaceful moment with Porter I remember that we communicate best in stillness and quiet.  As we really stop to look at each other his spirit whispers to mine, "Hello, remember me?  I remember you dear friend!"  In those moments I awe that this incredible spiritual being in my son!  I have chills and our spirits share secrets with one another of the life we lived as friends before we came to Earth.  I weep with his tiny body wrapped up in my arms as I feel the full joy of the privilege  it is to be his mother!

WE LOVE YOU- PORTER!!!

June Headlines

Umm... if you could see me my body language it would reflect that of a 4 year old in trouble who doesn't dare make eye contact with Mom.  A month... that's just sad.  I'm gonna try to get you caught up as quickly as possible.

Porter Turns 4 

So this actually was May 31st but to help prevent sensory overload for Porter we broke up his celebration over 3 days.  This event will have it's own blog post.  Did you know Porter 3rd birthday never got posted?  I find that lots of things about Porter don't get posted, mostly because they're very special to my heart and I just can't find the words... still not a good excuse. 

Released

With Aaron being called into the Elder's Quorum presidency and me serving in Young Women's, our family was apart more than we liked.  I mentioned it and prayed about it and talked with my Young Women's President.  I came to the conclusion that whatever was decided we'd be just fine and that either way would be a blessing.  In the end I was released and called to serve in the Nursery!  It's been such a fantastic change, I really love it! 

Thompson Family Retreat 

36 hours, 7 rooms at the Little America, 7 children, 2 huge Pie pizzas, 2 birthdays and some VERY unhappy hotel neighbors.  We were spoiled and loved getting to be a complete family. 

 I felt the bathroom was a little over kill. 

Well Checks 

I was a brave Momma and did back to back well checks with a new pediatrician on my own.  It went as well as possible with Porter.  We're doing good.  Priya wasn't happy about shots. 

Last Day of School

It was a much sadder day than I was expecting.  We get to go to our Preschool another year and we're keeping our favorite teachers.  But it was goodbye to our bus driver and bus aide, which broke my heart a little.  They played a huge role in Porter's well being.  He was so handsome and we were so proud of him at his end of year Program. 

First T-ball Game

We are blessed with wonderful friends who arranged to allow Porter to play in a T-Ball game so we could see how he handled it.  He did okay, but the heat ended up being more than he could handle.  

Summer Time = Play Time 

I covered our play set in shaving cream and filled up some dishes for the kids to play with.  In accordance with their personalities Priya loved every second of the messiness and Porter hated it! 

Horse Therapy

We decided to follow through on some spiritual promptings we've been having for a long time.  We were lead to a wonderful place called Hoofbeats to Healing.  They use World Champion Fox Trotter horses and there is a theory that their unique stride strengthens the connections between the two hemispheres of the brain.  We found this information after a new research study was published showing brain mapping for a brain with Down Syndrome.  The study showed that the Down Syndrome brain doesn't connect like yours or mine does.  While this was fascinating and helpful information it breaks my heart to learn these things because that makes it that much harder for my little boy.  Put it all together and it feels like answered prayers.  We're seeing improvements and are excited to observe how things continue.  Therapy is expensive and we cannot afford it on our own.  My Grandparents have been offering us help for a long time and I finally swallowed my pride and asked for their help.  They agreed to help pay for his therapy before I could even get the question out and I'm so overwhelmed by their kindness.  

Zoo Trips

We love the zoo as much as ever.  I really love the hand holding that happens. 

Hair Cut 

I've always wanted to donate my hair to a wig making program for cancer patients.  I cut it off when I was 13ish but I still have the braid that got cut off.  I vaguely remember my Dad having a hard time with me sending it off so I kept it.  I wanted to follow through on this goal so I cut twelve inches off and sent it into Pantene Lengths.  I took this picture just after leaving the Salon, this was my OH. MY. GOSH! moment.  I was so scared to come home to Aaron, but he actually really likes it. 

RUN

We like to run!  We had a successful Ragnar Relay this year and really enjoyed how everything played out.  There was no sleeping for me and very little for the people who were able to sleep.  Our team was made up of strong and fast runners with the exception of yours truly ;-)  I am a strong runner I'm just slow and I'm okay with that.  It really is an amazing experience and I really enjoy running with Aaron. 

 My cute cousin and runner extraordinaire, Randy!

24 hours between these two photos. :-/

Aaron Conquering Ragnar Hill 

Our Van #2

Tired and happy to be done 

With my training going well and being halfway to a Half Marathon I decided to sign up for a race.  I feel a little crazy.

Daddy went to Tennessee 

Aaron had fun listening to the bands on Broadway in Nashville.  Maybe I can get him to blog about it.  We missed him so much and were so excited to have him come home. 

Everyday Cuteness

Dancing and pretending to take pictures on a paper phone at the same time.  This girl's got skills. 

Making Rain Inside

Donuts 

 Whitley Jane Turned 1 

My Mother's Day

If you've followed me for very long you know the one thing I expect out of Mother's Day is photos with my kids.  It's a tall order for one of the busiest days of the year, but we managed some decent shots  this year.

Being the mother of our two beautiful children is all I want to do right now in my life!  There are no words that can express my love for them, but I know every mother knows what I'm talking about.  They are my world and I'm so grateful, even for that furry white baby of mine ;-) 

Hopefully I'll get to posting the details of the 48 hours of celebrating Mother's Day weekend.  We partied hard and made an effort to hug each of the very important women in our lives.