What I learned in 2008

I am so glad that 2008 is over. I have learned a lot of stuff that has been beneficial and hurtful in the last year.

I have learned:

*God has a never-ending love and will never let you down

*Good friends are hard to find

*God can work beauty into the darkest of situations

*a good man is hard to find, I'm glad I have one

*my children will love me whether I have good days or bad ones

*people on earth are going to let you down, family, friends, etc. but God places those around you that He has appointed and HE will never let you down. 

Battle of the Bulge

I never used to have trouble with weight, after my oldest was born I was able to get back to pre-pregnancy size before her first birthday and *about* the same with my second child... I had to work HARD to get off the weight the second time. Now that I have had three children I find that I am at an unhealthy weight for my frame - healthy for me is anywhere between 140 and 160 and well... Lets just say I weigh WELL over that(I will be weighing in tomorrow on here, in the morning). 

I have wanted to lose weight, I need to. *But* now I am on doctors orders to lose weight. My heart has weakened and I have elevated cholesterol and sugar levels in my blood... Soo... I read up on a lot of things that can cause that and that can "reverse" that. Exercise strengthens your heart and lowers cholesterol and sugar... So! My plan: To start walking... I plan to start at 30minutes a day at a light pace and work myself up to running, I *really* want to run the Peachtree Road Race this coming year - something I have always talked about but never done... And dog gone it! I'm gonna do it! (providing we can afford to buy a number)

Tomorrow morning I am going to post a picture of what I look like now, with my measurements and current weight and track my progress weekly or bi-weekly... We'll see how it goes, but however frequent, I will be tracking it on here. 

Please give me some encouragement as I press on toward a healthier and more fit me. I want to be around a long time for my children, God-willing. 

Needing to vent...

I am NOT super mom!

Last week my house was clean... We had the carpets clean, laundry was done and put away... BUT I didn't get any editing done on my photo shoots... This week I'm focusing on getting caught up on my editing... And my house manages to have toys all over the living room floor, bills on the table along with my daughters' homework and whatever else has been set down there, the bathrooms have dirty laundry and towels just thrown in the floor as does the bedrooms in my house excluding the nursery... The kitchen has dishes in the sink and groceries that need to be put away... BUT I'm getting my editing caught up...

Why is it the house doesn't stay clean unless mom busts it 24/7 with no break?? My husband doesn't work... He stays home. He has fun with our kids and plays video games with them... Why can't I have fun with my kids? The last fun thing I did with my kids was when we spent a week with the in-laws...

I need a cook, a maid, an organizer, an assistant, a nanny, a pet walker/groomer, a beautician/make-up artist/stylist, diaper changer, plumber, hvac tech, painter, decorator... You name it!!

So hear I am sitting at home... Looking at the mess that needs to be cleaned while my husband and 2 of my 3 children have gone to church because after taking care of the baby and helping get the older two kids ready I have no time left to get me ready for church. So I will sit at home and clean the living room and kitchen for the 2nd time today, undoubtedly to have to do it again after the kids go to and work on editing my photos. My husband tries to help with the editing but I can get 2 done in the time it takes him to do one and clean the kitchen, since the computer is in the same room. 

What is it with men? Do they ever really realize how much moms and wives do? My husband doesn't work... But I do. I'm jealous. I wish he would help more. 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr............. And I have vented!!

Ashley & Addison Update

Hey guys! Here's the latest:

On Addison:
Her labs yesterday came back and had dropped two whole points from the day before which is great! She is actually at the hospital right now with Wes, having more labs done again today to determine if the levels are still dropping and to see if there is anything that they need to do over the weekend to keep her levels dropping. Her bilirubin count had been up in the 20's and yesterday it was 18 - they don't like them to be above 12 but they are pleased that her levels are now coming down. The main thing that they worry about it potential brain damage in babies with high bilirubin levels. We are just praying that her levels keep dropping and that she has no adverse reaction/complications due to the high bilirubin levels.

On Ashley:
I went back to the cardiologist for the echo/ultrasound yesterday and at this point my heart function looks good and they are thinking that it is probably just my heart having to work overtime because all the excess fluid right now. I am on a 24 hour Holter heart monitor until this evening so I can record when I feel the chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, etc. I am also on total bed rest, again! But they are wanting me to get up and move around the house some so that I don't develop any clots and clots are another concern that they had for me. So right now we are just asking for prayer that the diuretics are able to continue to remove fluid, that my heart function doesn't weaken, that my hemoglobin, potassium and iron levels(and a few others) level out, and that I don't develop a clot. They are choosing to treat me slowly because the levels in my blood, my elevated blood pressure & pulse and so that I can continue to nurse Addison. I'm still a little nervous about it all but God's gonna take care of us and I know tons of you guys are praying for us!

Thank you for all your prayers! Keep praying and we'll keep you all updated! Thank you for your encouragement!!

Prayer Request for Me & Addison

Wednesday - September 10, 2007

This is in 3rd person, I just copy & pasted from Wes' note so I didn't have to type it all over again...

Ashley had to go to the cardiologist today. She has been having the same symptoms since before the end of the pregnancy that could be indicative of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy,which is a weakened heart that develops during pregnancy and the heart could just stop, that is supposed to be and can be diagnosed in the last month of pregnancy. She has been very fatigued, swelling in her feet and ankles, racing pulse, elevated blood pressure and shortness of breath since before Addison was born but they didn't do anything about it. Her blood pressure and pulse sent us to the ER the other night and they checked out her kidney function and told us to follow up with her ob since she is postpartum... The ob did some blood work yesterday and the levels in her blood didn't come back so great so they put her on iron pills and told her she would need to see a cardiologists due to her symptoms and her labs. At the cardiologist today they checked her out and she has developed heart murmurs and all her symptoms, worse case scenario, can be indicating the cardiomyopathy or, best case scenario, could just be that her heart can't handle all the extra fluid (and the trauma of the delivery on her heart) that a diuretic to remove the fluid would resolve the issue. The cardiologist has sent her home on a mild diuretic, since she is breastfeeding, to be started immediately and they have ordered an ultrasound of her heart to be done tomorrow to check the valve function, etc. She has already been suffering from shortness of breath and a racing pulse, which are things they told her could signal the worse of the two "problems", to the point that it woke her up last night from her sleep... They said that if that happens again that she needs to go straight to the ER. Needless to say she is scared and it's not really and easy situation to be in. Please keep her, and us, in your prayers and that whatever it is can and will be able to be resolved soon and safely.

Addison is still having to have daily bilirubin checks because her levels are still elevated. If her levels don't go down enough they will have to do one of two treatments, phototherapy or they would have to remove old blood from one leg while at the same time putting new blood into the next leg. So we are just praying that the bilirubin levels will go down enough and soon enough that we don't have to undergo the harder of the two treatments.

Ashley & Addison both have appointments in the morning with their doctors.

JesusBranded.com

One place: www.JesusBranded.com
One link: www.JesusBranded.com

GO NOW!

To: www.JesusBranded.com

Okay... So my husband and I had the awesome privilege of meet Sam and some others, from Jesus Branded in 2007 at Atlanta Fest... We enjoyed talking with these guys and getting to know them! The hardest part of meeting them, for me, was leaving without one of EACH of their shirts... Though I was able to squeeze two out of my husband as a "birthday gift."

Awesome Shirts!

Awesome people!

Awesome causes!

Awesomer messages!

Do you need any other reason to check them out? I think NOT!

Check out their site and don't just look at the amazing shirts! Look at who they are and why they do what they do!

www.JesusBranded.com

Updates on Me & Baby Girl #3

Soo... It has been a LONG while since I have posted anything on here for anyone who may actually be reading this. Here is what has been going on with me and this pregnancy - most recent update is the top one... The updates are in reverse chronological order :)

Enjoy!


8-20-08
AMFM, my specialist, has given the okay for the doctor to order the amnio for me to be induced! YAY! So today when we saw my obgyn he ordered that the surgical coordinator call me to set up the appointment for the amnio to determine if the baby's lungs are mature enough for induction next week! Makes me oh so happy!!! *BUT* There is a twist to this story... There have been things going on and happening with my body that could signal that labor could happen anywhere from a few hours away to a few days. Some of the doctors seem to think that with everything that has been going on, and if you have had a child you may know what I am talking about, I may go into labor on my own before there is even the chance for the amnio to be done. The doctors also have agreed that ideally I should go into labor on my own before all this has to happen. We are just praying that either I will go into labor on my own within the next few days or that the results for the amnio will say that the baby's lungs are mature enough to go ahead and be induced, in order to prevent any further complications. ALSO - I am the world's biggest weenie...And I HATE needles(and have a severely low pain tolerance)... So pray that if we end up having to go the route of the amnio, and even if we don't, that I will be okay with all the needles and pain associated with everything from the amnio to the epidural to the baby being born and everything in between and after...I'm a BIG baby....I know...And I'm okay with that so go ahead and laugh at me :).




8-20-08
Soo...I saw the specialist, AMFM, yesterday and my doctor there is fine with my regular obgyn ordering the amnio to have me induced pending the results of the test on baby girls' lungs :). So I go to my regular obgyn today to have all that scheduled for the first of the coming week, since by their dates I will be 37 weeks on Sunday...YAY! The specialist did say that it would be ideal if I would just go on into labor on my own between now and having to have the amnio done for the best chance of a successful delivery. So pending me going into labor on my own and/or the results of the amnio coming back fine for the baby...We may have a baby on Tuesday or by Tuesday!!

We're just praying that I will either go into labor before the amnio or that the amnio will come back with good results for induction.




8-18-08
Contractions started pretty steady yesterday afternoon and the doctor had us come in to be checked out for an hour but no change. Went back to the doctor today because since I'm still having contractions they wanted to see me - but no change...still. The doctor said I could be in early labor but since there has been no change yet they aren't going to do anything to help it along. *BUT* the doctor also said that he has no problem inducing me the end of this week/beginning of next as long as my specialist is okay with it. We see the specialist tomorrow and so we are going to ask them and then we have to go BACK to the regular obgyn on Wednesday to let them know what the specialist says. If the specialist says its okay than we are going to be scheduled for an amnio, to make sure the baby's lungs are okay and then induction the next day following the results of the amnio. The baby is still measuring rather large and I have gained 5 pounds in a little under a week, despite following the diabetic diet that they have given me, which is not a good thing for me or the baby and we aren't sure why this has happened.
As of last Tuesday the baby was measuring 7 1/2 pounds so it is likely that she could be measuring 8 1/2pounds now. The doctor we saw today said that if we are able to induce within the next 7 days that I will likely not have to have an emergency c-section since both our girls were 8lb 3oz...Otherwise if we aren't able to induce or go into labor before induction is to be done, we will have to wait till beg-mid September for the doctors to do anything...And this baby is already measuring 40weeks and they have me on bed rest for my blood pressure and i am on a very high dose of insulin. So right now - We are praying for one of two things, a) I progress into labor on my own within the next few days or b) the specialist gives the doctors the okay for an amnio and that the amnio results come back fine to go ahead and schedule the induction for within the next few days.