Monday, November 2, 2009

Halloween 2009

Gavin in the lobster costume that all the kids have worn!






With Mark being out of work and our lack of funds we reused the Tigger and Ladybug costumes from last year. Thankfully they both still fit and were as cute as ever!






I plan on doing a post all about Gavin's birth and our life adjusting and such but I have been very busy and when I do get a break I am so tired I can't even see straight. I will work on it though!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Gavin!











Gavin has been doing well today! He has been eating his really well and tonight when we went for his 8pm feeding he was no longer hooked up to the IV. He still has it in his hand in case they should suddenly need it but he is no longer getting IV fluids. Mark feed him tonight and Gavin ate it all. Then he fell asleep in Mark's arms.
It is possible that Gavin will be getting out of the NICU tomorrow. Unfortunately my mom and dad can't bring Henry and Irene up tomorrow. The hospital is no longer allowing children under 18 in any part of the hospital because one of the schools here was closed down because of the flu. I am worried about it. I am afraid to have a newborn out and about right now.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers!

Gavin Peter Williams




Gavin Peter Williams
Born 10-20-09
7 lbs, 12.6 oz
These are the only pictures I currently have of Gavin. Shortly after he was born he started having trouble breathing. Turns out he has a small infection and is in the NICU. Today he is bottle feeding and eating quite a bit. He will be in there overnight again. I did get to hold him today and that was the greatest feeling. It's hard to feel like a mommy when the baby isn't in your arms, but I am thankful that he is doing so well. We get to feed him this afternoon and I am really looking forward to that.
I have been tired and don't have a lot of energy to write. I will post another time with all the details.






Monday, October 19, 2009

Tomorrow Is The Day!

Well the time has finally come...tomorrow is the day that baby #3 will be here. I go in early tomorrow morning for a c-section. My mom will be coming over at 4am to stay with the kids. My dad will be coming up later in the day. Mark and I have to get up at 3am in order to be ready to hit the road at 4:15. Ugh, so early. I can't believe the time is already here. I am looking forward to meeting the new little guy. I am a little apprehensive at the thought of major surgery. Although the surgery doesn't bother me so much as the getting of the epidural before it. That part makes me nervous. When I had Irene the epidural went in fine but I threw up from it the entire surgery and until 11pm that night.

Wish us luck and send happy thoughts and blessings our way!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Let Me Help Myself...

Thursday was not a good day. We had been hoping for good news from the new job Mark is suppose to be starting. On Wednesday the lady that hired him finally answered the phone. She was very apologetic because some decisions she had made had messed up the week for Mark. On Monday she allowed a different driver to take the load Mark was suppose to get. This driver managed to break the truck. So she was out of town taking care of that. She said she'd get Mark a load for Thursday that would get him back sometime on Monday. We were thrilled since he would be making a little bit of money. Of course when he called on Thursday she did not have a load that would get him back on Monday. Of course he has to be home sometime Monday since we have to be at the hospital early Tuesday morning for the birth of baby #3. This lack of a load put both of us in bad moods. Add to that the children were being complete stinkers.
I also had a doctor appointment in Traverse City. My mom was going to take me up. I didn't want to go. The week before I did not get to see my doctor instead I got the mid-wife. She was running very behind and made me late for the appointment I had at the hospital. Unfortunately I had to see her again this week. My mom picked me up and drove us up there. I was not in a good mood since I have been stressing about how we were going to pay for gas to get there on Tuesday and how we were going to be able to feed Mark while there. When we got to the doctor's office I was surprised by the lack of cars. When we got inside there was no one in the waiting room. At the desk I was informed that the mid-wife had pneumonia and was at home. She tried to call me but my phone has been turned off soooooooo.......we made the trip for nothing. I realize that this time they did try to call but I have not had a good experience with this office. I have only seen my doctor three maybe four times in nine months. That is not what I signed up for. When she was in a practice with just one other doctor I saw her every time...which is exactly what I wanted!! Two babies with her that way. Then she joined this practice and I have seen the other doctors more then her. Right now my doctor is in Florida. She is suppose to be back before Tuesday. This experience with the new office makes me question if I would go back to her if I had another baby. Granted I don't plan to have another baby but then you never know.
After getting back home Mark and I had a huge fight. We are both stressed beyond belief right now and sometimes it bubbles over. We did make up before bed though. This morning I mentioned selling some jewelry at a pawn shop in a town about 3o minutes from here. Mark called them and they do buy jewelry so we went there this afternoon. They bought a necklace/bracelet combo and some rings. We now have enough money to get to the hospital on Tuesday and to feed Mark while we are there. Yay! We can now have a somewhat stress free weekend and finish up the few things we need to do to be ready for the baby.
I am thrilled to have enough money to have my husband by my side for the birth of baby #3. We have to leave around 4:15am on Tuesday. My c-section is at 7:15 and we have to be there by 5:30. I better get all the sleep I can this weekend!!!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Some Happy Memories...

Irene in her monkey jammies.
Henry fell asleep in his chair after a hard day at the office...er...a hard day at school.





At a local playground.





These pictures are from Irene's birthday party in June. We went to the Potter Park Zoo.








Her birthday cake came from Wal-mart. The slipper decoration is a Christmas ornament!




Daddy Kangaroo and Henry Kangaroo!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

One Week To Go

It has been awhile since I've updated. Life has still been a crazy roller coaster ride. After being told for 5 1/2 weeks that the "check is in the mail" from unemployment we suddenly got a letter saying they would NOT being giving Mark any money at all. We jumped through so many hoops for them and then we were slapped with this. They are not giving him money because he quit his job. Yeah, he quit because he had a new, better job lined up. It was not his fault that the job fell through. Needless to say our situation is not good. I pretty much spent the day crying when we received this letter. I still have no idea how we are going to get to the hospital next week. Or how Mark is going to be able to stay with me up there since we won't have money to feed him. I stress about this constantly. Someone commented on one of my posts that if all my problems were financial then I have no problems at all. I think that is probably one of the most insensitive things someone could say to me right now. I am a week away from giving birth and I have no money. None. I cannot pay bills. We are close to losing our home and car. I can't even get my kids winter coats, boats, hats etc. Just got the shut-off notice for the electric....but yeah I have no problems.

A week and a half ago my mom took me to my doctor appointment. I finally saw my doctor. I was a bit annoyed though. She was a little testy with me for not having been there in over month. I explained our situation and that I just couldn't afford to come up. She seemed to understand and then she went on and on about how I HAD to come the next week. I did not want to come in but since I had to be in town for the Maternity Prepared Stay at the hospital I said I would but only if she could get me in on that day. Of course it was a day she would not be in so once again I was going to be seeing someone new. In case you are wondering the MPS is something the hospital there requires. You come in and sign paperwork and if you've never been there you get a tour of the maternity ward. Since I am having a planned c-section I had to sign all the paperwork for that. Plus I filled in part of the baby's birth certificate.

At my next appointment I had to see the mid-wife. I was just annoyed to be seeing yet another different person. I arrived twenty minutes early for my appointment. The hospital appointment was scheduled for an hour and a half later. Plenty of time...right? I sat and waited and waited. An hour and twenty minutes later I went to the window to tell them I had to leave. Suddenly they could get me in. I explained why I had to leave and I was assured that they would be quick. I waited in the exam room another five minutes. I had just gotten up to leave when the mid-wife came in. She didn't know anything about me at all because...THEY LOST MY CHART!!!! They could not find it anywhere! When I left they still did not have it. Oh but they did call the hospital to tell them that I was running late. Me? I was not the one running late!!!!! Needless to say I was not happy.

I hate to keep going on and on with my crappy life. Stay with me....I'll try to come up with happier news. A week and a half ago my hubby was given an interview with a company about 45 minutes from here. He seemed to impress them with his skills and experience. They said they wanted to hire him and that he would start this past Monday. We were sooooo excited! Granted he wouldn't get paid for two weeks but he got a job!!!!! On Friday they said to call Monday and they would have him come up and get a truck and get on the road. Mark called all day Monday and all day today. No one has answered and no one has called back. Okay....if you changed your mind or if the plan has changed then why can't you let us know this?????!!!! We were just so thrilled. Happy days last week and because Mark was about to be gainfully employed we were able to get some help from Salvation Army. They said they would pay two months of our back rent and one car payment since Mark would need the car to get to work. Yay! Plus we were able to get the cable/internet extended. It was about to be shut off at the pole but they were willing to wait because of the new job. Now all these things are in jeopardy because of these people. We have internet until Monday so it is back to frantically searching for a new job. Oh and Michigan leads the country in unemployment. Yay! (that's sarcastic in case ya couldn't tell)

As for good news....it's surprising how when your life in falling apart "friends" suddenly disappear. People stop commenting on your blog. People stop talking to you on Facebook. Even family can't be bothered to care. No one wants to hear about your troubles. And then.....there are people that surprise you with support. People you've never met sending you prayers, kind words, and sharing their own stories. Some family sends a huge box of diapers and wipes. My mom who has no money helps where she can. A sweet friend drops off formula, diapers and some money to help with gas. I am truly grateful for these people.

I've been worried about how my mom is going to cope with my kids while I am in the hospital. They are very energetic. My brother Pete said he would come up and help her. I was thrilled with that idea because they love him and he is very protective. He cannot come up now though, he finally got a job here in Michigan. I am happy for him but I wish it started a week later ;-) Oddly enough another person is going to help my mom. My father called her and offered his help with the kids. I am surprised that they both are willing to be in the same house for days at a time, but I am relieved that my mom will have some help.

Henry has been enjoying preschool. The other day he told me that he loves it. He brings home his projects and I hang them on the fridge. He is reciting the alphabet although he gets mixed up and he is learning songs. I am thrilled to have him there!

We have moved Irene into Henry's old toddler bed so that the baby can have the crib. It is decorated in trucks. She doesn't seem to mind though. She has been a stinker. She gets up and roams around her room getting into things. She piles every stuffed animal onto the bed then yells for daddy that she can't get back in.

The countdown is on for this baby. I am excited to meet him. I am grateful for many things in my life, children, hubby, some family. I just stressed about everything though and keep wondering when we'll get a break.

And to my sweet friend Shannon...I am sooooooo happy and excited for you and Warren!!!!