We are a family of 7, so far. Living in the strawberry fields of the central California coast. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:47:00 -0500 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:47:00 -0500 I decided to take a break for summer, after all.  Considered schooling year round, but I think I need a break as much or more than they do.  So, the plan is to read everyday, both me to them and them to me, and do math review 2x a week.  I won't intruduce any new concepts, just reinforce mastery of the things they learned this year.  L could really use practice on her muliplication tables since she'll be moving on to division next fall.  J needs to work on simple addition and subtraction facts.  He knows how to figure them out, but he's slower than he should/could be.  I plan to play math games with him to get those math facts memorized.  R is going to work on reading this summer.  She's a whiz at math but reading is coming slower for her.  I take blame for that.  She is more than capable of learning to read better if I spend the time with her.  I haven't given her the 1-1 time that she needs.  She's napping less and less so, I plan to use that time to work with her.  If/when I get her up to reading level, she'll be in 2nd grade next year, skipping 1st grade.  I'm gonna wait at least another year with MisB.  She just turned 3 and she does know her letters and all the sounds they make but, I want to wait to start schooling with her.  We still hold to the idea of later being better.  I won't discourage any interest that she shows, but I'm not going to encourage 'school time' with her yet either.  It will be a bigger help form me to have her play with C in the fall.  They can keep eachother occupied while the olders have table time. I plan to have them spend the summer OUTSIDE!!  Beach trips, park days, pool in the yard, etc.  Lets enjoy this weather that we pay so much to live in! ;) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/698963/ Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:47:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/698963/ When we were new parents, we took the Pedi's word as bond.  If he said we needed it, we did it.  We vaxed for everything they reccomended.  L was healthy and never had a reaction to anything.  So, we followed suit with J and R.  Gave all the vaxes, no reactions, no questions, no regrets. Then came MissB and her heart defect.  We (I) did research on everything with her heart related issues.  At 4 mos, she had a reaction to Penicilin.  I did some research on the vaxes and still felt confident that they were still safe for her, for the most part.  But, this time there would be no Varicella, no Heb A, no Pneumococcal, no Meningococcal and no Flu shots.  The ones that she did get were still given individually (DTAP, MMR, HIB, IPV, and Hep B).  We were not even offered a combo shot.  She did fine with all of them and had no reactions. I knew that we'd be selective again with MrC.  I knew we would make similar choices to those we made with MissB.  I refused the HepB at birth.  He would get it later, not so soon.  I felt uneast about giving a vax to such a tiny newborn.  My Pedi was supportive and agreed to wait.  That was the only one offered/reccomended at birth.  (I should note that we also declined the VitK shot and antibiotic eye ointment.) At 2 months he got his first round of vaxes.  This was the first time I'd been offered combo shots.  The idea seemed okay, since I wasn't expecting any reations.  None of my other kids had ever had a reaction.  Why not save the baby the pain of multiple sticks when he could get it all in 1 or 2?  He got 2 shots = HepB, HIB, DTaP and IPV  No reactions.  Some tenderness in his leg, but that's it.  Well, we had his 4 month checkup and shots in the last few weeks.  It did not go as planned.  I did not listen to my mommy-intuition.  At the checkup visit, he was sick.  He'd been down with a cold and still had a fever.  Pedi and I opted not to vax until he was well.  We did all the other well-baby checkup stuff.  Weight: 15lbs 3oz Height: 25.5 inches We came back 2 weeks later for shots.  We only saw the nurse this time and she was not much help in telling me what he was getting.  She kept getting the names of the vaxes mixed up and giggling like it was funny.  He got 3 shots.  I had a pit in my stomach as I watched her inject my baby, but I dismissed it as over-emotion.  She handed me his record card.  He had recieved the same 2 combos as the first round, plus a new one, the Pneumococcal.  He didn't cry much.  I nursed him and he fell asleep.  The rest of the day seemed normal.  His legs were obviously tender, but nothing seemed abnormal about his temperment or symptoms.  He started to get fussy in the evening.  He just wanted to nurse and be held.  He started running a fever sometime during the night.  When he woke me for his 3am feeding, he was burning up.  I took his temp and it was 103.7*  I gave him Tylenol and nursed him back to sleep.  When he woke at 7am, his temp was still up.  I gave him more Tylenol and decided that if it didn't drop in the next hour, I'd call the Pedi.  I know a fever can be a normal reaction, but this was high and unbreakable.  That alarmed me.  After an hour, I called the Pedi.  The nurse seemed concerned but when she spoke to the Pedi, he was not.  He said to give Tylenol every 4 hours and call back if the fever went above 105*.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?  He's only 4 months old!!!  105*?!?  Pedi said the fever might last 2-3 days.  WHAT!?!?  I wore MrC all day so I could keep a close eye on him.  His fever did go down to 101* for most of the day.  He was lethargic and fussy, but happy to be held all day.  Sometime in the night, his fever broke because when he woke, it was down.  He seemed back to his normal self, happy and content. Later that day his fever returned but it was only 99* this time and was easily broken with Tylenol. I think that we will request his vaxes one at a time from now on.  It will mean more sticks more often, but the alternative is too scary.  I wish I knew which one it was that he reacted to.  Pedi seems to think it's the Polio (IPV) but all my research says it would more likely be the HIB or DTaP. (sigh)  I'm pretty sure we WILL continue to vax... selectively.  Not vaxing at all is not an option/conviction at this point.  I have friends who are on both sides of the fence on this issue and I respect them all.  It is such a controvercial issue and both sides have good arguments. I think I'll be on my knees for a while about this one. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/692772/ Tue, 26 May 2009 12:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/692772/ I have been abundantly blessed.  Specifically with this newest baby boy.  He is a dream!  He sleeps, eats, poops and smiles.  That's pretty much it.  He's so happy and content.  If he is crying, there is something wrong, and it'susually pretty easy to fix.  I think God is being merciful with me because he know how full my hands are with MissB right now. ;) He's on a pretty standard self-imposed routine: 7a     wake up, nurse, stay up 3 hrs 10a   nurse, sleep 1hr 11a   wake up, nurse, stay up 2 hrs 2p     nurse, sleep 2 hrs 4p     wake up, nurse, stay up 2 hrs 6p     nurse, sleep 1 hr 7p     wake up, nurse, stay up 3 hrs 10p   nurse, sleep 2 hrs 12p   nurse, sleep 3-4 hrs 3-4a  nurse, sleep 3-4 hrs We've got a wellbaby check up next week, but at far as my scale at home says, he's about 14 pounds, maybe a bit more.  Here's a recent pic of my 3.5 month old sweet boy and me: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/684538/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:46:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/684538/ Daddy's family moved to GA about 15 years ago and I'd never been to visit.  (For Shame!)  So when we heard that Grandpa was terminally ill and it wouldn't be long, we decided to go for a visit rather than a funeral.  I'm so glad we did.  I was so blessed.  My middle sister, Auntie R, played travel agent for us.  She took care of all the arrangements and her mom, my stepmother, graciously gifted us the plane tickets.  Who knew she could be so sweet?  We wouldn't have been able to go otherwise.  My littest sister, Auntie T, went too.  This was the first time some my kids had ever met her.  My children adored their aunties and made me promise that we'd see them more often.  A promise I'm all too happy to keep.  The aunties were wonderful help through the whole trip, but especially during the traveling.  They each took on a buddy and helped us keep track of everyone.  L became quite attached to her auntie R and Becca to auntie T.  It was really cute.  Miss B did as well as can be expected of a 2 (almost 3) year old on the plane.  She had a hard time sitting for 4.5 hours but really wasn't naughty.  The traveling was much less stressful than I'd thought it would be. PTL! My aunt picked us up at the airport in Atlanta.  She had already parked her minivan for my family of 7 the day before.   She drove her truck to pickup the rest of the crew and luggage.  We adopted the van for the rest of the week.  SO nice to save on rental fees!  It was about an hour drive north-east to their home in Suwanee.  GA was beautiful!  So many trees.  There is forrest land in the middle of town and rolling hills of green everywhere else.  We were blessed with awesome weather.  There had been a storm the week before, so the pollen was low and it was cool but not humid.  Gorgeous springtime weather.  My aunt's home is large enough to accomidate us all, so we didn't need a hotel either. SCORE!  The aunties shared a room and my family was in another.  Dh, baby and I in a queen and the kids on the floor (air mattress).  Our only complaint was the heat at night.  The air temperature didn't change from day to night.  So the wonderful breezy 70s in the daytime turned into HOT, still 70s at night.  We are used to sleeping in the cold dry air, so it was tough. The first day we spent just hanging out around the house.  We took a walk around the neighborhood and drooled over the HUGE homes.  It's amazing, the difference in housing costs between here and there. Whew!  L kept saying, "We gotta move to Georgia, Mom!"  I couldn't make her understand that daddy's salary would adjust accordingly in GA and we'd not be able to live in that particular area. ;) On the second day we got to go see my cousin's son play baseball.  He's 14 and playing in the pony league so I thought J would be into it.  But alas, he was much more into the playground. LOL  On the 3rd day we found a park called Suwanee Town.  AMAZING!!  This was the coolest park we've been to in a long time.  Huge play structure, lots of space for all ages, nestled in the trees with lots of shade, and a fence all the way around so the kids could run free.  VERY COOL!  Later that day we went to church for dinner.  They do a big churchwide dinner every Weds pm before services at the Methodist church that my aunt attends.  It was neat to meet some friends and see where they worship.  It's a beautiful facility and a huge congregation. The next day we went into Atlanta and went to the Aquarium.  It was really nice.  J was so excited, especially to see the whale sharks.  He still swears he's gonna be a marine biologist.  It's been more than 3 years so... we'll see.  My cousin's little girl went with us.  She's 4 y/o and a total crackup.  She's very animated and used to being the only child around, so it was an adjustment for her to be with my kids. lol On Friday we went into Atlanta again and went to Centennial Olympic Park.  Such a pretty park.  We got to see a brick that my aunt had purchased in mermory of my dad.  Neat.  We went to the children's museum that is across the street from the park.  SO FUN!!  There was so much to do in there.  The kids (and the aunties) had a blast.  Magnet fishing, moonsand, painting, tapdancing, dress up, pretend grocery shopping, mega tinkertoys, ...  it was a great place!  Saturday was AMAZING!  We went to another baseball game in the am and then they threw a birthday party for my little MissB.  (Her actual birthday was the following day (Sunday).)  On the way home from the ballfields my aunt stopped at Costco and bought a party.  A feast complete with sushi, steaks, scampi, cake and gifts.  The generosity was overwhelming.  We teased that we'd come back to GA for all our birthdays from now on. The best part of the trip, for me, was the time spent listening to Grandpa tell stories.  I came to know him in a way I never had before.  I wish I had that opportunity with my dad.  Here's some pix from our trip:  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/682829/ Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:02:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/682829/ I've been avoiding my blog because there is just so much going on that I don't know where to start and everytime I sit down to type, someone needs something.  I just don't know how yall do it so often.  My blog being up to date is usually a sign that I've been neglecting something else and spending too much time at the computer.  I just don't have the time to sit here lately.  But, I love being able to look back at past posts and reflect.  So, I'm gonna have to find the balance.  Maybe a once a week sum up on Saturday morning while the kids are vegging or Wednesday nights while everyone is at AWANA.... Well have to see what works out.  For now, here's a list of the things I've neglected to blog about: 1. J began farm league baseball with an AWESOME coach. 2. L&R began ballet rehearsals for the June production of Sleeping Beauty. 3. All 3 older kids participated in AWANA Games and Bible Quizing 4. L turned 9 years old and had a sleepover and then a shopping spree. 5. Dh played a charity basketball game against the Harlem Widards. HILARIOUS! 6. Baby boy started sleeping for 6 straight hours at night. WOOHOO!! 7. Miss B potty trained... finally! 8. We started a second PE class with some other HS families on Fridays. 9. L&J started an art class on Mondays. 10. We joined the Presidential Fitness program on Thursdays. So, as you can see, BUSY BUSY BUSY!!! I'll try to catch up in the coming days, BUT, I have a HS conference  all day tomorrow, a baby shower that I'm hosting on Tues and a trip to GA over Spring Break to plan and pack for as well as all our 'normal' weekly activities.  No promises.  Whew.  It's no wonder I'm exhausted. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/675566/ Fri, 3 Apr 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/675566/ Baby boy had his first well baby checkup today.  He will be 8 weeks tomorrow.  WOW, how the time flies!! He is 12 pounds even and 23 inches tall.  So, he falls into the 50% for weight and height.  He is eating well, besides the times when he's so hungry that he gets all flustered and sucks too hard and gets a bunch of air bubbles.  Silly boy.  He does have a sensitive tummy and I've had to limit gassy foods and chocolate.  He still wakes to eat every 2-3 hours at night, but he goes right back to sleep.  He is sleeping in bed with us, in the crook of my armpit.  He's ready for bed around 9-10pm and ready to be awake around 6-7am.  Right on schedule for me. =)  During the day, he sleeps in the Bjorn or in someone's arms.  He's very social and doesn't like to be left alone for even a minute. He adores his siblings and smiles and coos for all of them... except Miss B.  He's a little scared of her because she is so loud and moves so quickly.  Typical toddler. lol We are all so in love with our newest family member.  Here's a pic of our little guy on our recent field trip: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/664880/ Tue, 3 Mar 2009 18:33:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/664880/ Our small church HS group went on a field trip this week.  It's an annual event, but it was our first time.  In an effort to get more people to tride the train and get youth involved, Amtrack gives a great group rate to large parties.  All 7 of us rode for $36 round trip.  Woohoo.  Our group leader scheduled the trip on a "Passport Day".  SB county designates several days of the year for students to visit museums and attractions for free.  Each student can bring one person with them for free too.  Since we have 3 students, the other 3 of us were free. (Baby not included)  We had our pick of over 20 SB tourist attractions for free. We started the day at the train station at 7am.  On the 15 minute drive to the station, I realized that I'd forgotten the Bjorn.  It was too late to go back and get it, we'd miss the train.  I had brought the stroller, but intended it to be for the toddler, not the baby.  He spends 90% of his day strapped to me or in my arms so I was VERY nervous about how he'd do sitting/laying in the stroller all day.  I was also stressed about how I'd keep my extremely independent and strong willed toddler from running away from me all day.  She's not a very good listener right now.  Add to that, she's fearless and sees no harm in wandering off alone.  So, if the baby was in the stroller, that meant she'd be free.  AHH!  Holding back tears, I informed dh that we'd likely be purchasing a new baby carrier in Santa Barbara. (sigh)  The other alarming issue was the weather.  It had rained the night before and more showers were in the forecast.   Would we be stuck in SB all day in the rain with a newborn and no vehicle?  Nope.  God was merciful and held the rain for us.  It was a beautiful day, if you like cloudy and cool (I do).  Not a drop of rain. PTL! We got a whole train car to ourgroup, which was nice for the extremely excited & rowdy children.  We could let them play and move around without disturbing other passengers.  The parents chatted while the kids crawled all over the car like little monkeys.  I was conflicted with how to handle the situation.  On the one hand, this was our first train ride and I didn't want to set expectations that it's okay to behave this way.  On the other hand, we were on a special trip and they were not disturbing anyone... but me.  I let them wander the aisle and move around but I drew the line at running and crawling over seats.  Excited as they were, it was not a playground afterall. When we arrived in SB, the families all parted ways to go off on our own adventures.  We set out for the wharf and The Ty Warner Sea Center.  It was just a short 2 block walk from the station. It was not quite open yet so we stopped for coffee on the way.  Once inside the kids had a blast exploring the interactive exhibits.  There was a Wet Deck with an open hole to the water below.  There was a guide to show the kids all about being a marine biologist.  They scooped up sand from the sea floor and examined it under the microscope.  They learned about the tides and how the shoreline changes during different seasons.  They learned about our coastal islands and the animals that call them home.  It was FANTASTIC!  The little man slept in my arms the whole time.  After a few hours exploring the underwater world, we decided to move on to the zoo. We took the trolley since it was too far to walk and it's only $.25 to ride and it drops you right at the zoo entrance.  We've been to this zoo several times in the past, but it had been a while.  There have been many changes since our last visit.  The elephants had a new home and they brought in a snow leopard.  The lions were awake and playful.  We watched as Papa Lion tried to get Mama Lion to play and she was NOT in the mood. (HaHa,  Just like humans, he nudged and swatted and she growled and walked away. HaHa)  We were sad to learn that the crooked-neck giraffe had died a few years ago.  She was always a neat sight to see.  I had packed a lunch so, we sat near the elephants and munched while we watched them bathe themselves in dirt.  Then the kids had a blast 'surfing' down the new hill at the playground.  They took plastic trays from the lunch area and turned them into sleds & surfboards.  Too Funny!!  MissB had fun rolling down the hill and then teaching several other tots how.  The baby boy was a prince, in and out of sleep and mostly in the stroller.  Dh pushed MissB in the zoo stroller while I pushed the baby in our stroller.  It worked out wonderfully!  He didn't fuss much at all. PTL! We had to be back at the train station by 5pm, so we took the 3:30 trolley back.  We had an hour to kill so we went for an early dinner at Subway.  Several other families had the same idea, so the place was packed.  Invasion of the Grace Baptist Homeschoolers. HeeHee The train was due at 5:30p and showed just 5 mins late.  SWEET!  The ride home was fun for the kids and tiring for the parents.  The kids were all amped up on sweets and overtired.  It seemed to take longer to get home than it did to get to SB.  No one lingered in the station.  Everyone was tired and ready to be done!  We got home at 8pm and had the kids in bed by 8:15.  DH and I were soon to follow. It was a fun trip and I look forward to next year.  Here's some pix of our day:   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/664733/ Tue, 3 Mar 2009 13:39:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/664733/ Typing one handed again here.  So, instead of trying tp type out the whole ordeal, I'm going to cut and paste copies of the emails the were sent out. ;) From Jan 9, 2009: ... Upon exam before discharge from the hospital, the Pediatrician found a deep dimple at the base of his back.  The depth of the dimple was cause for concern.  The Dr did an ultrasound and found that the skin is making contact with the interior fluid pocket that cushions the base of the spine.  An MRI was ordered to explore the extent of the connection and check for any brain, spine or nerve involvement or abnormalities.  In addition, a Renal Utralsound was done to rule out any abnormalities there as well. I am happy to report that the renal u/s came back completely normal and the MRI showed nothing more than the original diagnosis.  His brain, spine and nerves look totally normal.  So, the remaining cause for concern is the open dimple, which can be an easy source of infection, and the connection of the fluid pocket to the skin.  These issues require surgery to repair.  Because it involves the spine and nerves, the surgery will be done up at Stanford Children's Hospital in the Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit in the upcoming weeks or by 3 months.  We will have a consultation appointment next week at Stanford to get an official diagnosis and make the plans for surgery. Thank you for your prayers and concern. We are optimistic that this will be a simple fix.  We are trusting the Lord to carry us through this hurdle as He has so many times before.  We are thrilled to have another sweet baby boy in our family and look forward to introducing him to you all soon. Our apt at Stanford was Jan 27, 2009.  We were blessed by 2 wonderful families who kept the olders overnight.  Dh, me and baby boy made the trip up and back in one day.  We left at the crack of dawn and got home very late,  But God was merciful and cleared any traffic for us.  The trip was well worth it.  Here's the update upon our return: On 28-Jan-09, at 9:50 AM, Don't you love it when you are praying for something and God answers with a better solution than you even asked for? So is the case with our little C. We were praying that his 'neural tube defect' would be minor and easily fixed with a simple surgery. We had our consultation with the Pediatric Neurosurgeon at Stanford yesterday. After examination of the MRI and a physical exam, he has given us an official diagnosis... It is NOT a neural tube defect, in fact it is not related to his brain, spine or nervous system at all. He has a Pilonidal Dimple. Basically it is a small tunnel leading to a tiny benign cyst under the skin. We are told that it will not effect his long term health or development at all. He does not need surgery. We just need to keep this little dimple clean and watch for infection as he grows up. If it were to ever become infected, a simple doctor visit for draining would fix it. Here's a link for more info, if anyone is interested. http://adam. about.com/ encyclopedia/ Pilonidal- dimple.htm We are over the moon with joy, humility and gratitude this morning. God answered our prayers with so much more than we even imagined. Thank you Lord!!! And thank you to all of you who joined in prayer with us for our sweet baby boy. We love you. So, after a stressful first few weeks, we can rest knowing that our boy is healthy.  PTL!! Here's some pix of our little man: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/655633/ Sat, 7 Feb 2009 13:11:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/655633/ I think it's neat how old familiar songs take on new meaning depending on your circumstance. Each of my children have had a specific song that has spoken to me whem they were born.  This one's been touching me this week for my sweet new son... http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/649497/ Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:57:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/649497/ It's a BOY!!!! After 13+ hours of labor, our newest blessing arrived on Wednesday, January 7, at 4:14pm.  He was 8lbs 5 oz and is 21 inches tall.  I had a tough time sleeping on Tues night.  At 3am I was awakened by a cx so strong that I thought my water might break right there in the bed.  I got up, feeling like it might be time.  I waited about 45 mins and the cx were coming every 5 mins, but only every other cx was a 'good' one.  At 4am I called dh, who was at work.  He told me to time them for another 30 mins and call him back if things didn't slow down.  See, he remembers the 2 false alarms from baby #4 and wanted to be sure it was really time.  Well, they did not slow down, they picked up.  I called him at 4:30am to tell him that cx were 4 mins apart and each one was STRONG!  He headed home.  I got into the shower hoping to get some relief and test to see if things would slow down or if it was the real thing.  The shower did not slow things down but it definitely helped the pain.  When dh got home, I was still in the shower.  He sat with me for a few minutes, watching me like I was gonna explode or something and then he left to make arrangements for childcare and call the grandparents.  At 5am, I finally emerged from the shower as the water turned cold and told dh that we needed to go very soon.  This was it, for sure!!  He called a friend over to stay with the dc until the IL arrived to pick them up.  MrsH arrived within minutes.  Dh woke L to tell her we were leaving.  She was too excited to go back to sleep so she stayed up and saw us off. We left for the hospital at 6am.  It was a LONG car ride and dh tried to keep the mood light by singing along with the radio.  I was NOT amused.  We arrived just befor 7am and apparently the L&D floor had been closed the day/night before due to staffing shortages.  What a blessing that we hadn't been there the day before as I would have had to go to the other hospital where VBACs are not permitted.  It was the very begining of the shift so the nurses were busy getting situated.  We were shown to a room and left for about 30 mins.  The cx were still coming every 5 mins but I was still able to work through them with the swaying and humming routine.  Finally a nurse came in and got us all set up.  She hooked up the monitors but let me stay on my feet, as I was NOT comfortable in bed.  She said that DrL was on his way and she'd let him check me when he got there.  He showed up a few minutes later and did a pelvic check.  He said I was 4cm but baby was still pretty high.  He wanted me up on my feet and walking.  Fine with me! I paced, I swayed, I moaned and hummed.  I was having back labor and had dh pusing on my spine through the cx.  He's a pro at that since our first delivery was posterior.  By 9am, my legs were getting tired and the cx were getting almost unbearable.  I was ready for my epidural but I didn't want to slow things down.  I was torn by the decision.  The nurse said that the anesthesiologist was on his way to L&D and if I was ready, he would be right in.  I decided to let her check me and I was 6cm.  I knew I'd never make it all the way without meds and I was exhausted from no sleep and laboring on my feet so, I opted for the epi and a nap.  I got my epi at 10am.  Ahhhh sweet relief. Dh and I both napped for several hours.  I woke around 1pm, when the nurse came to check me again.  8cm! WooHoo  The Epi had not slowed things down and had given me the rest I needed.  PTL!  With a slight increace in the Epi dosage, I was quite comfortable, just feeling pressure but not too much pain.  At 4pm, the nurse checked again and I was complete.  Since the epi was still working (mostly), we waited for DrL to come from his office across the street.  He arrived and confirmed that we were a go.  Baby was still a little high and I had a slight cervical lip, but we were gonna go anyways.  After 2 good cx and 4 pushes, our boy arrived.  I think I pushed harder for this one than any of the others.  The epi was wearing off and we had started a little high, so I really pushed with all I had and IT BURNED!!!  When he emerged, he had the cord around his neck, which I sorta feared after seeing the U/S weeks before, but Dr was able to remove it right away.  As they lifted baby onto my tummy, he was quite purple and not crying.  I looked up at dh who was almost in tears with joy as he kept repeating, "It's a boy, a boy."  I didn't care what it was.  I just wanted it to cry and breathe!!  I rubbed him, the nurse rubbed him, finally after what seemed like forever but was likely just moments, he screamed.  AHH the sweet sound I'd been waiting for. No tearing, but Dr did a little tugging to get the placenta out.  I think he may have tugged a little too hard because I am having a really tough time healing.  It's much more painful and taking much longer than any of the others.  I know, I'm older and this was my 5th delivery, but still.  I consider myself a quick healer and this time has NOT been quick.  Here I sit 10 days later feeling like I just delivered 2 days ago.  Even after my c-section I was off the pain meds and up and around 4-5 days later.  Not this time.  I'm still out of commision and popping pills every 4-6 hours for pain.  Praise God that dh is off work for a few weeks.  He's been wonderful.  He lets me sleep when I can and helps with schooling the kids.  He even went tothe market today!  He hates the market, so that is HUGE! We have been blessed by our friends and church family with meals for dinner.  The first few days, MIL ws here and she cooked for us.  Then a friend from church organized a week's worth of meals from ladies at our new church.  MrsY has this coming week set up for us with meals from old friends.  We are blessed and OH SO thankful!! We've got a bit of drama with baby boy's health.  But, that's a whole nother post for another time.  Took me long enough to get this one done. lol Here's a pic of my handsome boy at 5 days old: FTR- It took me 5 sessions to get this one post typed.   Newborns keep ya busy! ;) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/645249/ Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:09:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/wheelsonthebus/645249/