Some personalization

I've been trying to add some stuff to my blog, pics and stuff. Still learning how. I just realized how incredibly awful I look in the top pic. Sadly I'm not changing it until I get a better pic of our family or one of the kiddos.

An Aden update

Apparently while swimming he was running and fell. He only complained about his stomach hurting, not his head so my sister didn't think he hit his head despite the presence of a big red spot on his forehead. He has a small concussion on top of aspirating the water.

Does anyone else ever want to wrap their kids in bubble wrap just for a little while?

A very scary thing

Noah and I just spend four very long hours in the ER with my sister and nephew. He almost delay drowned. You can read about it here. http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/drydrowning.asp Had he not thrown up before we got to the hospital it could have had a different ending. He's home now and fine, but so scary!

YAY!

Noah is moving his elbow! Ok, so he still doesn't move it much, but he can and he does sometimes! I am so beyond excited. It's such an accomplishment for him. That means everything works exactly how it should and it's just a matter of time before he has complete mobility!

I've kinda been avoiding this lately

There are a few blogs I read occasionally and a few I read quite often. I have been doing some thinking and i think I feel inadequate, but that's not exactly the right word. My blog is mostly about my kids. Others post about other things, politics, things going on in the world, stuff like that. I must be either very boring or one dimensional. I'm not into politics, I can't vote, so I mostly don't pay a whole lot of attention. The news usually ends up making me cry, so I don't know much that's going on. I guess i have my head buried in the sand. Is it a bad thing that I write about my family? They are my life, this is the time and season to be a mother. Is that the only thing my life revolves around? No. I have my knitting (which includes my doing it at home on my own, a weekly stitch n bitch I attend, and the class I am teaching at the library), I have a scrapbooking group I go to once a month. I read. I do have my own interests. Although, truthfully, they do get put on the back burner when something come up for the kids. So, I guess I feel like my blog is painfully boring, and then I wonder why it bothers me because I only know one person that really reads it and I'm not sure she does often.

My middle of the night miracle!

Calling Bryan's cell phone repeatedly at 2:30 am makes for a frantic ,usband! but I could not contain my joy. Noah woke up to nurse. I fed him on one side and he was kinda asleep so I laid him on his side so I could run to the bathroom while he woke himself up enough to eat. Before I got up I watched him. His hurt arm fell behind him and I reached to put it in front of him. I didn't think he was awake enough to use his shoulder to drag it in front of him like he sometimes does. I didn't reach his arm before he did something that SHOCKED me. He pulled his arm up sideways! Like he was reaching for the ceiling. He only has about a 100 degree range of motion that direction and he got it almost up to that. I just sat there and cried I was so excited! THen I thanked Heavenly Father. I'm so excited!

Noah was blessed Sunday June 22.

Noah in his blessing outfit. Both he and Sam were blessed wearing this outfit and wrapped in the blue blanket I made.
Here is a close up of Noah.
Noah, Bryan, and Serenity
Our family. Savanna, Sam, Bryan, Madalyn, Serenity, and Noah.
My family. Back row is my dad, Donnell, nephew Aden, sis Brinae, bro Josh. Second row, sis Cassandra, mom Bridgette, me, Noah, Bryan, and Mady. Front row, niece Abby, Sam, and Savanna.

Here are Noah and Anna. Anna is 6 weeks older than Noah. It looks like they are holding hands. Bryan and his twin sister Celia and their babies.

I guess we must be doing something right

We were talking about Locks of Live with my bil and sil the other day. Savanna later asked more about it. Yesterday she decided she wanted to donate her hair, so today we went and did that. She is so excited and can't wait to mail it off so another child can get it. I'm so proud of her!

Before. It needs to be brushed.
Holding her ponytail.
After. She looks so grownup now!

Noah's Physical Therapy Evaluation

Ok, the physical therapist is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!! She was so nice and she showed Bryan and I several range of motion exercises to do a few times a day. She said basically right now we are providing his pt and she is tracking his progress. She was very encouraged by how well he is moving his hand and shoulder already. She said an adults range of motion is 180 degrees (to lift the arm from your side straight up in the air) she said a newborn has a bit less than that, but Noah's is about 100 degrees. She talked a bit about surgery, but said it is way too early to tell if he will need it. She's leaning towards him not needing it.

He so did not like her touching him. The first time she was moving his arm to check his range of motion and it hurt him. After he let out that hurt cry, he cried anytime she touched him. After I got him calmed down we laid him down and she had me practice the exercises. He did fine, didn't cry at all. After that she would guide my hand if she needed to so she wouldn't touch him. It was really funny.

So all in all I'm very pleased with the Kistler Center and very excited for Noah.

Who knew

Who knew life as a mother of four would be so busy? Just kidding. I just don't seem to find time to get on the computer as much lately. There is always so much to do and I still haven't gotten around to doing any housework at all. I'm finally healing better and can move without being in severe pain. Noah should have an app for a physical therapy evaluation sometime this week or next. It depends upon how long the waiting list is. Savanna has decided she has found a nickname for Noah. He's Nemo because he has a *lucky fin* She's so cute! Mister man is fussy, must be time to eat. Maybe I'll get back here before another entire week has passed.

Two week check up

Mr Noah is officially a piggy. We went for our two week check ups today. Last Monday he was down to 9 lbs 14 oz. Very normal to go down a few oz. He's now 10 lbs 15 oz! That's 1 lb 1 oz in 8 days!!! I don't have to worry that he's getting enough to eat! His arm is also doing much better. He's moving his shoulder kinda a lot. I'm so very grateful!

More yummy baby pics

Here is my sleeping Noah Bear.

Here we are all dressed up for our first day of church. He just woke up so not such a happy boy.

It's hot out here!

It's been so hot here. Around 100 with the heat index. So we broke out the kiddie pool today. Here are some pics.
Such a diva!



Noah at 6 days old! Isn't he a cutie?

Noah's birth story

I spent every day of May wondering *Is this it?* *Is this it?* Starting May 2 I had contractions every single day, sometimes for hours on end. May 23 I went into labor, only to stop 36 hours later at 4 centimeters. It was all very disheartening.

Finally at 4:02 am May 29 my water broke. I was so excited I cried. Contractions started about an hour later coming every 5 minutes. The midwife, Debbie, came out around 9 am . Contractions started slowing down. I went walking around the block several times, but it didn't really do much. Debbie suggested we go driving down some bumpy roads, so my mom drove me. It was horrible. The contractions started coming two minutes apart and were very painful. Debbie checked me and I cried when she said I was only 4 1/2 centimeters. I got in the birth pool and it helped. I was able to find some sort of Zen and talk to myself through my contractions. I just kept telling myself they were almost over. It helped a lot, plus squeezing Bryan's hand was nice, too.

At around 4:30 pm things started getting really intense. Debbie checked and I was 7 1/2. We thought things would go very fast. She had to leave at 5:30 to attend her sons high school graduation. Robin, the other midwife, would stay with us. Debbie and I both talked about how sad we were that she would miss the birth. She said she would be back around 9 ish to check on us. She did not miss the birth. I had a very small part of my cervix that would not move. Debbie called it my bubble. It prevented Noah's head from coming through the cervix completely. We spent hours trying to get it to g away. I went though endless contractions fighting the urge to push hping it would help the bubble go away. It didn't. They massage it and pushed it. Nothing helped. We changed positions, nothing. Finally I pushed while Debbie pushed it back over his head. That didn't help either. Debbie finally suggested I try to use the bathroom and then we were going to try something else, but now I don't remember what it was. While I was on the toilet the bubble moved and all of a sudden his head was right there. I barely made it to the couch. I started pushing and boy it sure took longer than I remembered to push his head out. Finally I did. In reality it probably wasn't that long, but it felt like it. It turns out it was a very good thing I did not get back into the birth pool because right about then all hell broke loose. That really is the only way to describe it. Debbie looked at me and said we needed to get the baby out in the next contraction. It didn't work. I was pushing as hard as I could. I wasn't sure exactly what was going on and asked and Debbie said he was stuck on my pelvic bone. He needed out NOW. I cried that I couldn't do it and she said I had to. My mom started screaming at me that I needed to do it now. She was crying. Bryan, Debbie, and Robin were all down there (Bryan was supposed to be delivering himself before Noah got stuck). One was pushing my vagina back as far as they could while the other two pulled. My poor little Noah has perfect finger bruises. Finally we got him out. They put him on my chest and Bryan told me we had a boy. He was born at 9:46 pm. He was a bit blue. He did not start breathing or crying and got more blue. Debbie rushed for the oxygen while Robin started rubbing him trying to stimulate him. He was still attached to the cord, so still getting oxygen through it, but he needed to breathe on his own. It took four minutes for him to breathe or cry. During those four minutes I heard the word transfer whispered. Luckily we didn't have to. Noah started crying and breathing and pinked right up, but those four minutes were a bit scary.

Now we're both doing well. My pelvic bone is bruised, but other than that I feel fine. Miraculously I did not tear at all, even with all the pulling and pushing. Noah has an appointment with a pediatrician today because he has a bruised nerve in his arm from being stuck and being pulled. He moves his hand and grips, but doesn't move his arm much. Hopefully we can fix it. I feel horrible guilt over his injury and hope it isn't permanent. I have a friend whose son had the same thing, only worse, he couldn't move his hand or fingers at all. In less than a year you couldn't tell that anything had ever been wrong. I hope we have the same blessing.

Oh, and my boy got stuck because he was huge. 22 inches long, 14 5/8 inches head, and 10 lbs 6 oz!!!

He's finally here!

Noah Calvin Chandler was born Thursday May 29, 2008 at 9:46 pm. He is 22 inches long and weighs in at a whopping 10 lbs 6 oz!!!!! Here are some pics. Here's my BIG boy!!!!!


Beside cousin Anna who is six weeks older!Another pic with Anna

With my big brother Sam.
With my big sister Savanna.

With my big sister Mady!
My boys are sleeping!
A close up of Noah

Random pics of the kids

Mady and her best friend Kaytlyn.
Sam dancing with Koal.

Kids on the trampoline the first day we got it.
Sam on the soccer field.
My girls missing the same tooth.
Mady chillin' at the park on Easter.
Mady and Auntie Nay Nay

Kids at the park on Easter.

Sam playing soccer.
Savanna playing soccer.

Sam and Savanna warming up.

Mady in her bike gear.

Savanna being goofy on her field trip. This might have been when she was doing the cha-cha slide.

Savanna in her glasses

Dear Heaven, please make the phone calls stop!

I swear if I have to deal with one more phone call or e-mail asking where my baby is I will scream. I know exactly where my baby is, still inside of me. Why is s/he not here yet? Well, honestly I don't know. Apparently because it's not TIME yet. I'm officially *due* in two days. Does that mean I will automatically be induced, nope it sure does not. I won't even think about induction until at least 42 weeks. Heavenly Father has a time table and as anxious and uncomfortable as I am, it doesn't matter. I'm sick of other people bothering me about it. I can not do one single thing to make this baby make an appearance sooner. Trust me, I would love to. Of course, there is usually a bright side to everything. The bright side to not having the baby yet is that I got to go on Savanna's field trip with her today. That will be for a separate post, though. But seriously, please, make the the phone calls stop!!!!

Glasses

Miss Savanna got her glasses the other day. She looks so cute in them! So grown up! My camera is still dead, I think it needs replaced, so no pics at the moment. They are hot pink wire frames. Right now she only has to wear them when doing school work. She barely needed them, you can buy her scrip in reading glasses at Wal-Mart. They, of course, don't come in kid sizes, though. We have great insurance though, so they didn't cost much. She thinks they are the coolest thing ever. The eye dr said in a few years she will need to wear glasses all the time. She already has an astigmatism. So I will post pics when I get a chance.

Still pregnant

I'm still pregnant. I'm miserable. I am so past done. Mady's third birthday is Tuesday and she keeps saying she wants the baby to come out on her birthday. I personally would love a day sooner than that, but if not, Tuesday works great for me. My mom will be out of town for work on Mon, Tues, and Wed and is very sad I might have the baby while she is gone. It's probably her last grandchild until Josh and Brinae start having babies so she really doens't want to miss it.