birth story (very long...)

So, I figured I would write this down so I wouldn't forget it, but first...Logan is finally home! He got to come home on Saturday.  He did come home on oxygen and on an apnea monitor, but hopefully those will leave soon.  I'll post pictures later, but for now, here is how everything happened to get him here:

Looking back I had a lot of signs that told me I was in labor, but being my first pregnancy I didn't want to jump to conclusions.  It started in St. George, when I went for my nephew's blessing.  We were eating lunch and my belly hurt.  I thought maybe it was just a stomach ache.  In the car later it still hurt and my back was hurting a little too.  For the most part it went away, but I would still feel a tiny pain in my back throughout that day (Saturday).  Sunday I felt back to normal, just pretty tired.

On Monday, I went back to work.  It was a stressful week; we were putting on Shakespeare plays.  My back started hurting pretty bad.  Most of the day I would give out an assignment and then just sit down.  I remember wincing a couple times while trying to give directions to my class.  I was a little worried, so I called my doctor.  I talked to the nurse on-call and she said to notice any contractions, sit down and relax, and put my feet up.  I thought this was stupid because number 1, I was at school, and number 2, any contractions I had I didn't feel pain so it was too hard to tell how regular they were.

When I got home, I put a heating pad on my back and it felt much better.  Ironically, Darrin and I decided to pack our hospital bag that night.  I was reading about preterm labor and we thought it would be smart just in case.  Around 10:45 or so, we laid down to bed.  As I was drifting off to sleep, my water broke.  I said to Darrin: Well, I think my water just broke. Either that or I wet my pants.  Of course I was joking around, but Darrin hopped out of bed and started getting things ready.  I was surprised at how fast he was moving.

Our neighbor, Teri, ended up driving us to the hospital because Darrin had just taken some cough syrup with Codeine in it :)  When we got to the hospital, the nurse checked me and I was dialated to 4cm.  I felt pretty good at that point and told the nurse I didn't know if I wanted an epidural or not.  I had to be put on antibiotics because I hadn't been tested for group B Strep yet.  The nurse told me she needed the labor to last 4 hours for the antibiotics.  Around 12:30 the contractions were getting awful.  I felt like they were right on top of each other.  I wasn't getting any relief between them so I told the nurse I wanted an epidural.  The anesthesiologist was called but was at home so he didn't show up for about a half hour-the longest in my life. Right after the epidural the nurse said I was at 9cm.  I realized that was why it was so painful, it was happening so fast! Boy was the epidural wonderful :)

In order to get more of the antibiotics in me, the nurse told me to hang out for an hour and then I could start pushing.  Darrin and I tried to get some sleep but with the constant noise and blood pressure taking, it was worthless.  After the hour, I started pushing.  When the nurse told me pushing usually lasts from 1-4 hours I gave myself a goal of an hour and wanted the baby out by 4:15 am.  Logan was born at 4:12 am, just making my goal :)

When I saw Logan pulled out by the doctor tears just streamed down my face.  I hadn't even felt a buid-up of tears, they all just fell out.  I was so happy.  The NICU team took him on a table to work on him.  He was crying but then stopped and was doing what a nurse called "grunting", which she said is an outward sign of an inward problem in the lungs.  They held him up for me to see and then rushed him out of the room.  It was 2 long hours until I even got to see my baby up close and touch him.  I didn't get to hold him until the next day after I had been discharged from the hospital.

This whole experience was different than I ever imagined.  It was not fun to have my baby in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks or bring him home with all this equipment, but it was completely worth it to have a healthy, beautiful baby boy.

May 3, 2011

Yesterday our little Logan was born.  He was 5 weeks and 1 day early, quite a surprise to all of us.  He was very big for his age, weighing 6 lbs 10 oz and was 19.5 inches long.  He is now in the NICU, learning how to breathe on his own.  It has been quite an emotional ride, but he is progressing and I can't wait until I can take him home.  I am leaving the hospital in a couple hours without him and I think it will take its toll on me, but Darrin has been so great supporting me.

Logan James Bronson

May 3, 2011

6 lbs 10 oz 19.5 in

projects 2-5 and an anniversary

An Anniversary-It is Darrin and my 2nd anniversary today! 

Also, Easter, never thought that would happen.  Easter is just late enough this year.  Poor Darrin is sick in bed with what might be the flu.  It makes me so sad to see him feeling bad.  Needless to say, we had a very low-key anniversary celebration.  He did get me these pretty flowers though:

Project #2-Herb/Flower Garden

On Friday, with Darrin done for the semester and me on spring break, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and planted our little garden in pots for the 2nd year.  We started a little later than last year and figure we'll have our hands full with baby, so it is smaller, but still fun.  The big pot has spinach in it, a smaller pot behind it has a strawberry plant, and the one in front of course has some pretty flowers.

Here are the herbs: we planted basil, chives, dill, and parsley. Some more little pots of flowers.  Also, in this picture is a future project.  We are going to sand and paint these chairs white and I'm going to make some outdoor cushions for them.



Project #3 & #4: Crib and Bed Skirt.

We found a bargain on the crib we had wanted on KSL-still in the unopened box! So, on Wednesday, we spent a little part of our morning putting it together.  I just love it!

I also made the crib skirt that is on the crib.  The picture doesn't show very well, but it is white fabric with little blue and yellow polka dots on it, matching the curtains.



Project #5: Curtains.

I made these curtains with the same fabric as the crib skirt-white with blue and yellow polka dots and of course, the blue.  They turned out not too bad.  For a while, I was worried that I would mess them up :)

Well, there goes my spring break.  I feel better about going back than I had anticipated.  I still feel like I would rather stay home and have my baby sooner, but I can enjoy the last 6.5 weeks of school and then get my turn with baby.

Sisters and Babies

 Baby Rose Evelyn Kohler was born on March 22, 2011- cool birthday eh? (32211).  She was born at home and weighed only 6 pounds 2 ounces.  This is my sister, Angela's, fourth child, third girl.  She is so cute!

I got the chance to meet both Rose and Parker two weeks after Rose was born.  My two sisters and my mom came to Provo for a visit.  They came on a Friday night and that school day couldn't have gone any slower.  I was really excited to see my mom, my sisters, and their new little babies. Below is a picture of Angela holding Rose and Parker.  This picture doesn't really show the size difference in the size of the two babies.  Parker was quite a bit bigger

 

Here is me with my two sisters, Angela and Mindy.

 

This week is spring break-Wahoo!!! This break has been long awaited by both me and my students.  They wanted to leave on Friday almost as much as I did.  I have a lot planned for this week and some of those plans include doing a few projects.  Here is the first project I finished on Monday: a car seat canopy.  I don't quite have my car seat yet so you might not get the idea...but here it is.  I think it turned out pretty good. Yesterday I finished some curtains for the nursery, but they aren't hung yet, so I'll post pictures soon.

update

I haven't been very good at keeping up with the blog lately.  I can't upload pictures with my school computer and I don't like bugging Darrin to use this one.  So, I guess being home alone with Darrin gone for most of the day is the time to update the blog. 

Here are a few things that we have been up to:

1. Freshman roommate reunion.  

This is the first time we have gotten together in almost 2 years.  Since we have all been together, 3 of us got married, 3 served missions, and 1 baby on the way.  It was so fun to have dinner with them and hear all about what was happening!

From Left to Right (me, Kendra, Katie, Stephanie, Holly, and Maren)

2. 6 month picture. 

This was taken a couple weeks ago at around 6 months.  3 to go! (2 1/2 now...)

3. Rex Lee Run

Darrin ran the Rex Lee Run with his good friend Boomer.  They had run this before Boomer left on his mission and now Boomer is back so they wanted to continue this tradition.  I had to take some pictures of Darrin in his running garb, and of course he had to pose a manly pose.

...and the running pose

4. Baby Bird #2 was born!

I became an aunt again.  Little Parker was born and I had to show this adorable baby off.  I haven't seen him other than pictures.  I'm excited to meet my new nephew! Congratulations Mindy & Jesse!

Not much else has been going on around here-just school and work everyday.  Darrin is ready to be done with this semester and I'm ready to be done with the school year, but we'll make it through...hopefully.

You guessed it...

 Yep! You guessed it! We're having a baby boy in June!  We got our ultrasound on Friday and we are so excited.  Both Darrin and I thought/hoped it was a boy, and we were right!  We are lucky guessers :)

We made the cute onsies at a Relief Society activity.  I'll be making more! They are so easy and cute!

Here is me at 20 weeks, which was more than a week ago.  I definitely look more pregnant in dresses, at least I think so...

I hadn't posted anything about Christmas/New Year's, so here are 3 of my nieces playing together right after Christmas.

And this is what we did on New Year's...

4 months (17.5 weeks)

I got some cute pictures over the last two weeks during the break, but I left my camera at the in-laws' house. So, instead here is a picture of me at 4 months. (This is for you, Katie).

#1-I don't know what is wrong with my neck here, just ignore it :)

Darrin thought I was sticking it out, but I wasn't. I think usually my pants hide it pretty well. Above my pants I just look a little chubby. Below my belly button has grown the most so far. I guess that's all until I get the pictures off my camera.