Welcome Home Gracie!

(Before reading this post please realize that it was written by a very tired mommy.)

We finally got to bring Gracie home on Thursday October 22. She spent 10 long days in the NICU. She was on a CPAP for 2 days and had an IV for 5 days. She also had a feeding tube for 8 days. I drove to the hospital 3 times a day to nurse her and then they fed her a bottle the other feeding times. Taun had to go back to work so the only way it was possible for me to spend some time with her was because my mom came and stayed with us for a week. She watched the boys, did laundry, cleaned the house, made meals, did laundry, took Benjamin to preschool, did laundry, and provided emotional support.

Gracie in her hospital bed.

Every day I went in to see her she was all dolled up with an adorable outfit and a bow in her hair. The nurses loved bathing her and dressing her in the latest fashion. They really took great care of her there.

This is the day they took the feeding tube out. It left a red mark on her face for a few days but she is tube free!

She has some chub on her cheeks and chin but that is it. Her legs and arms are just skin and bones but she is getting better at eating, so it shouldn't be long before they fill out too.

My mom says that the pictures make her look bigger than she really is. She is really very tiny.

Here she is all ready for her first car ride ever. They had to do a car seat trial the night before so she was buckled in her carseat for an hour and a half to see how she would do. They do this with all babies in the NICU before they get to go home. She did great!

Big Brother Benjamin adores Gracie. He is always asking if he can hold her or check on her when she is sleeping. He sang her a lullaby when he was holding her, it went like this "Gracie, Gracie you're such cute. Gracie you're such cute!" It was SO CUTE. He can't get enough of her.

Alex loves to give her kisses. He insists on having his turn to hold her every time Benjamin is holding her.

here are the proud brothers. This is the first time they have seen her because no children are allowed in the hospital anymore. They waited the 10 long days to see her. I think Benjamin told me 100 times that I was crazy because we did not have a baby like I told him we did.

My three beautiful children.

Grandma Davis and Little Miss Gracie.

Thank you all for your support, thoughts and prayers in her behalf. She pulled through this trial great and she is lucky to have such wonderful people in her life who have not met her yet but have a great love for her anyway. We are grateful to have this little princess join our family.

Gracie Lucile Beddes

Gracie Lucile Beddes was born on Monday Oct. 12, 2009. She is a little stinker and decided to come 4 1/2 weeks early and breech. The doctor tried to turn her but she would not budge so she was born via C-section at 7:43 p.m. She was early but she still weighed in at 6 lbs. 9 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. She is in the NICU because she had a hard time breathing on her own at first so she was on CPAP land on IV fluids. They took the CPAP off at 8 yesterday morning and she has been doing great. We just pray that she will continue to improve and get stronger. The doctor says she will be in NICU for at least a week and we will just play it by ear to see how she does. She is a cutie and we can't wait to bring her home. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers in her behalf.

Our LIFESAVER!

This is Taun's sister, JeriDawn. We LOVE JeriDawn! She is our LIFESAVER! She has been the one who we call when we need to take Alex to the hospital or when I have needed to go there myself. We have called her in the afternoon, evening, or in the middle of the night. Her response has always been something like, "Sure, bring them over anytime." She watched Benjamin when we had to go to the hospital both times for Alex's seisure episodes and when I went to the ER for the first kidney infection attack. She has 4 (beautiful) children of her own and has never complained about "having" to help with ours. My children LOVE JeriDawn and often ask if they can go play at her house. I mention that we are going to play with Sierra, Mialee, and Nikell and Benjamin always asks if JeriDawn will be there too.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to go get my blood pressure checked at the Dr.'s office (I had had a headache all day and was pretty swollen.) The first time it was checked it was 161/58 so the nurse checked it again with another machiene and it was 152/54. Both high! Protein level was negative but the dr. wanted me to go have the contractions monitored at Labor and Delivery. Taun dropped me off at the hospital and went to let the kids play at JeriDawn's house. I realized I would be there for awhile so I called him to come sit with me incase anything happened. The kids stayed at JeriDawn's house.

After 4 hours at the hospital my blood pressure dropped and protein level was still negative. The blood work came back normal and the headache had gotten better. The dr. did a strep B test and checked for dialation and effacement. I was dialated to a 1 and 50% effaced (normal for someone with 35 weeks and previous pregnancies.) The dr. said to treat the headache with lortab or foricet and he put me on BED REST. I go in Monday or Tuesday to check up and will probably have to go in twice a week untill I deliver.

We went to JeriDawn's to get the kids and she was out walking with Alex and her 2 year old. Benjamin and Mialee (5 yr. old) were in the house painting and JeriDawn was doing grape juice. She has so much on her plate already and she is willing to help me with my children. I am so grateful for her and her ability to love my children as if they were her own. She is great and I don't know what we would do without her.

Thank you JeriDawn!

While we were gone...

Two weeks ago Taun and I went to Portland for a work conference he had. We were able to go for a whole week and while we were there we had a great time.

Taun designed this poster and had it printed for the conference. (It cost $120 to print) He then presented on his poster and another 30 minute power point. He did a great job and it will help him in his job.

When we got to the car rental place they said that they had reserved a 2010 Mustang for us to drive. Taun was all excited and I was not that thrilled.

We rented it anyway and it was fun for the first drive and then we both decided that it was not all it's cracked up to be.

It did feel like driving a race car and we felt pretty cool but we will never be spending our own money to buy one.

Taun skipped the last day of his conference so that we could go spend some time sight seeing together. We went to The Japaneese Botanical Gardens in Portland and to The Grotto.

This statue was at the JBG right after the entrance. It was pretty amazing!

The JBG was breathtaking with all of the beauty.

They have raked the sand around the rocks to make it look like ripples in the water.

At one point we were able to look out over the city of Portland. It was a very overcast day so it is hard to see but in real life it was beautiful!

Again, they have raked the sand to make it look like this... I would hate that job.

This is at The Grotto. It was beautiful as well.

While we were gone my parents watched this little munchkin and...

this little munchkin. We are so grateful to my parents for offering to watch them and spend some time at our house so that Benjamin did not miss a day of school. While we were gone my parents did some projects around our house.

My mom made cutrains for the boys room and for the new babies room. She also painted in the babies room and made some basket covers, carseat cover, nursing coverup, and carseat blanket. (Pictures to come) My dad replaced the brick in the back of the house, fixed the fence gate, and filled in some holes in the garden.

We moved Alexander's bed into Benjamin's room and put his new bedspread on it. (When Benjamin started sleeping in a "big boy bed" I had my mom make him a bedspread and then I found the same fabric and had her make one for Alex.)

We had to move the dresser into the closet so that both beds would fit. (I figured that they are not big enough to need the full length of the closet.) The boys love being in the same room and it is so much easier to put them to bed.

32 weeks!

I am officially 32 weeks along today. Just 2 more months to continue getting bigger and more uncomfortable. I am starting to get anxious about labor since I have always been induced and have no idea what it is like to go into labor by myself. I am also very excited about the new baby! Thanks to neighbors and sisters in law, she has more clothes than I ever expected...and I have not spent one penny. We love hand me downs!

Randomness

The following pictures are not in any order. They are just a glimpse into what has been keeping us so busy for the last couple weeks. Please look at the next post for pictures of Benjamin's 4th Birthday.

We went up Logan Canyon with Taun's sister just for a hotdog roast and s'mores. YUM!

Aiddie JoMichael McKellar...1 1/2 months old. She is so cute!

Benjamin was really enjoying his s'mores. I could not get him to sit still and that is why the picture is so blurry. The van in the back is our new van. I LOVE IT!

I went to the Jon Schmidt concert at Thanksgiving Point with a friend who has been in Virginia for 3 months and is moving to California in a month. It was so much fun and it was great to hang out with Amber.

My dad gave the boys several rides on the 4 wheeler. Every time we go down that is the first thing Benjamin asks for.

Grandpas are the Best!

Benjamin made a card for his preschool teacher. He insisted on making it a circus theme because that is what his preschool is decorated like. (Puddle Jumpers Preschool)

The inside of the card. (No laughing at my artistic abilities!)

Benjamin wrote his name on the back. Needless to say we didn't practice much during the summer...all the letters are there though.

Benjamin's 1st day of preschool under the Big Top at Puddle Jumpers Preschool.

trying to show off his new backpack.

Here he is at his desk. This is just before he told me to leave. He said he was really nervous and he wanted me to stay with him for awhile and then when we got there he was totally fine and told me to leave. He LOVES preschool!

Benjamin and Ms. Kris (his preschool teacher)

Benjamin has ben learning how to pump on the swing set...now if he could only get started all by himself.

Alex decided to go down the slide upside down and by the look on his face you can tell he loved it.

There is nothing like chocolate pudding to make one happy!

We finished our patio in the spring and this is a before shot. It was a complete mess!

Here are the stairs.

This is what all the hardwork looks like. It is awesome! Thanks to my parents for helping with the wall and to Taun's dad for replacing the roof. We now have a great patio that keeps me out of the sun while the boys are outside playing.

Taun took the boys on a walk to the grocery store and apparently he bought licorice for the ride home. Have you seen anyone happier than that?!

Benjamin's Birthday

Benjamin turned 4 on September 1st. He was so excited that we had a party at Grandma Davis' house with his cousin-friends. (please remember while you look at the pics that I am 7 months pregnant!)

He got a new backpack from Grandpa and Grandma Davis. He was so excited! It's Spiderman!
He got a helmet and pads from Mommy and Daddy.

This is what his face looked like when we brought in the bike. (my parents found it at DI for $5...looks brand new thanks to Grandpa Davis and WD-40)

Here he is riding his new BIKE! He does so well and he rides it all the time. We could not even get him to get off it for cake and ice cream.