Our lenten journey so far has been completely different from what I had planned. I set out for us to eat healthy, exercise, organize the house better, more importantly pray a rosary together as a family every night, and teach Lukrik scripture. What we have done instead...eating healthy we are still doing good, no exercising, being sick for almost a month now. I was having allergy issues causing me to have asthma attacks, Ezekiel got his first ear infection, and Lukrik got RSV which meant nebulizer treatments four times a day. Our house was in total chaos and no organizing done. Praying together and studying scripture, ha ha, we have not even been to church in three weeks!! :(
I began to get down because we were still wiping noses, feeling sick, and living in chaos. I was thinking what am I doing wrong for us to still be feeling sick? Being home all the time to do treatments for Lukrik did not help my mood. Lukrik asked if we could go to church to see Jesus, even he is missing church already which made it even harder for me to be joyful. I began to pray for perseverance and patience. I instantly thought of Job and found this verse in Job 2:10, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall not accept adversity?" I am humbled at the thought of needing to accept adversity and still praising God in it all.
The Lord showed me how many things we have and how truly blessed we are even in sickness.This caused me to be grateful for many things I was overlooking in our current situation. I am grateful that we live in this country and have access to medical services. Grateful that Lukrik and I can get medicine to breathe better. Grateful that even my two and a half year old has an immense longing for our Lord; he sees the importance of fellowship with our church family and desires blessings received by attending Mass.Grateful for support from family, friends, and medical professionals in time of sickness. Grateful that we are free to go to the church we want and not be persecuted for our belief in Jesus Christ. Grateful that even in our sickness we can praise our Lord for all that He provides every minute of everyday, because lets face it we could be doing much worse.
So even in the midst of sickness, chaos, and pure physical exhaustion this may very well be my best Lenten journey because I look forward to the hope of His resurrection with great anticipation!!
"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 <3
Monday, March 18, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Ezekiel Simon's Birth Story
Here is Ezekiel's story of coming to be here with us! Also, we most definitely planned Ezekiel, he was not a surprise. We use NFP the Creighton Model Method, http://www.creightonmodel.com/ and knew that we were expecting. As soon as Lukrik turned 1 year old, we knew we wanted another baby, call us crazy! So here we go on this journey of having our second child.
So I was due June 10, 2012 and was graduating in May 2012. I was student teaching while pregnant. This meant I was under lots of stress emotionally, mentally, and physically. I was fortunate enough to be blessed with an amazing cooperating teacher whom helped me tremendously through out the semester! Not to mention my amazing husband who supported me, cared for me and Lukrik and even gave me pedicures!! It was my last week student teaching, I was completely and utterly exhausted, 34 weeks pregnant and an emotional wreck.
Again warning of bodily fluid information, I will try to censor. So the night before my last day with the kids, I began having contractions and went in to the hospital immediately because we both knew it was too soon! Again, I am blessed with an amazing mom and dad, they would care for Lukrik while we were at the hospital no matter what time or day. Luckily they live about 5 minutes away so it is perfectly convenient. I was worried Lukrik would not do so well, because we still co-slept with him at this time and I feared he would not sleep until we were back home. We took him over and went on our way, arrived around 7 pm, I was admitted right way and checked in. They checked my urine to make sure I was hydrated and I was. So the next thing the doctor decided was to go ahead and stop my contractions with medication. I knew at that moment it was wise because he was still too early. So we agreed to go ahead and stop them. They never had to put me on an iv so it was given as an injection which hurt and burned. Not long after it began to work, but I felt horrible. It made me anxious and I could feel poor Ezekiel moving like crazy, which worried me a bit. He was being monitored and was perfectly fine, but it was scary. After a long while they subsided and we were released to return home.
It was 1 am by now, but we stopped to pick up Lukrik and just as I feared he did not sleep at all. It was fine we were there all together and went on home. I never got to go say an official goodbye to my students because I was resting and needed to focus on resting so we would not have him early. At my next appointment I was again measuring small so I had to have another ultrasound to measure everything and make sure he was okay. The midwife said everything was fine and did not think I would make it to 40 weeks to have him so that was promising. I knew we had to be ready any day and have Lukrik as prepared as possible. With graduation a week away at this point, I hoped and prayed Ezekiel would wait long enough so I could graduate and celebrate.
This is Ezekiel and me before graduation, for our family pictures.
So I was due June 10, 2012 and was graduating in May 2012. I was student teaching while pregnant. This meant I was under lots of stress emotionally, mentally, and physically. I was fortunate enough to be blessed with an amazing cooperating teacher whom helped me tremendously through out the semester! Not to mention my amazing husband who supported me, cared for me and Lukrik and even gave me pedicures!! It was my last week student teaching, I was completely and utterly exhausted, 34 weeks pregnant and an emotional wreck.
Again warning of bodily fluid information, I will try to censor. So the night before my last day with the kids, I began having contractions and went in to the hospital immediately because we both knew it was too soon! Again, I am blessed with an amazing mom and dad, they would care for Lukrik while we were at the hospital no matter what time or day. Luckily they live about 5 minutes away so it is perfectly convenient. I was worried Lukrik would not do so well, because we still co-slept with him at this time and I feared he would not sleep until we were back home. We took him over and went on our way, arrived around 7 pm, I was admitted right way and checked in. They checked my urine to make sure I was hydrated and I was. So the next thing the doctor decided was to go ahead and stop my contractions with medication. I knew at that moment it was wise because he was still too early. So we agreed to go ahead and stop them. They never had to put me on an iv so it was given as an injection which hurt and burned. Not long after it began to work, but I felt horrible. It made me anxious and I could feel poor Ezekiel moving like crazy, which worried me a bit. He was being monitored and was perfectly fine, but it was scary. After a long while they subsided and we were released to return home.
It was 1 am by now, but we stopped to pick up Lukrik and just as I feared he did not sleep at all. It was fine we were there all together and went on home. I never got to go say an official goodbye to my students because I was resting and needed to focus on resting so we would not have him early. At my next appointment I was again measuring small so I had to have another ultrasound to measure everything and make sure he was okay. The midwife said everything was fine and did not think I would make it to 40 weeks to have him so that was promising. I knew we had to be ready any day and have Lukrik as prepared as possible. With graduation a week away at this point, I hoped and prayed Ezekiel would wait long enough so I could graduate and celebrate.
The Lord answered my prayers and I was able to walk and celebrate a big accomplishment!! It was awesome and so exciting, my Ezekiel helped me get through it all. :)
A video of me walking and posing for the family!! :)
Our little family!!
Only 10 days from my graduation, I began having contractions again. By this time I was 37 weeks, which made it a little less scarier if I went into labor now. I could feel like it was going to be time soon because I was having back labor again, it felt all too familiar. At my appointment this week I was checked measuring 3 cm and 70% thinned out. On May 21, 2012 which was a Monday we went into the hospital thinking this could be it because I thought my water had broke, but were sent home later that day. Tuesday I rested and made sure everything was ready for all of us. On Wednesday May 23, I woke up still having mild contractions and lots of back pain. Lucas was going to work this day, so Lukrik and I planned on going to my mom's so we would not be alone for the day. I thought what if today is it, so I began cleaning the house like a mad nesting pregnant woman! I finished just in time to leave to my mom's and went on over. Lucas left for work and I laid to rest because I was pretty tired from cleaning, lol! Lukrik played with his cousins and I rested for a bit. I began to get stronger contractions and felt nauseous. I called Lucas and let him know I would time them before he left work. So I tired to eat something but couldn't, I walked around only to need to sit right away. After about an hour I called labor and delivery to see what they suggested I do. Since it was my second child they told me to just come in and get checked. I let Lucas know and he was on his way. I was really getting them close and began to panic about everything! What if Lukrik cried the whole time we were gone, what if we don't make it in time to the hospital, what if Ezekiel poops early too, what if I can't be as brave this time, and many more what if's. I was sobbing by the time Lucas arrived to pick me up and he instantly helped me calm down.
As we drove to the hospital Lucas kept asking if I felt them stronger and if I was sure we should go. I said yes as I cried and focused on breathing. Once we got there and began walking to he hospital, I felt as if they were slowing down. We went in anyways just to be sure and see how far I was dilated. It was about 2 pm when we arrived and praying that it be whatever the Lord wanted. Even if it meant getting sent back home again, I was okay with it.
We got checked in and hooked up to everything. The nurse checked and I was 4 cm dilated and still 70% thinned out. Next they gave me water, checked my urine, and had me walk the halls for an hour. Once I got back in bed, hooked up again and waited a bit to check. Still the same and contractions not slowing. Then we thought they would probably send us home, but his heart rate was low so they needed to still monitor us. By this time it was around 4 pm, I was hungry, tired, and needed rest. The nurse had to set up an iv to see if that would help the baby get energy. Around 6 pm they sent in an ultrasound technician to check on how he was. She observed for about an hour and left to talk to the doctor. I began to pray I would not need a c-section or that nothing worse would happen.
About 6:30 pm we got new nurses for the night and still waited on doctors orders. Our nurse told us we could be sent home still depending on how the baby looked, because they could not induce labor before 38 weeks unless medically necessary. I expressed how this is what happened last time with Lukrik and how I was worried it would happen again. But we were okay with going home so we could sleep and eat. Not long after our midwife came in explained how he only passed 6 of the 10 profile tests they did through the ultrasound and she thought it would be better to just induce now rather than wait.
I went to the bathroom and then made phone calls to family to update them, and also to ask for prayers that he would not need assistance breathing. Then the nurse came in for us to sign consent forms and explain the pitocin. She asked if I had been induced with Lukrik and I said yes, then made sure I did not need anything else. I was started on the pitocin around 8 pm and prayed for strength, I knew it would not be long. The midwife came in to ask if I wanted an epidural or medicine once I said no, she said she would be back when it was time to break my water.
They did not take long to get stronger and it was tough to stick it out with no pain relief. I was able to manage again as I did with Lukrik, by offering up my pain for little babies that do not get to live. Plus having Lucas there was amazing of course, he is by far the best coach, the nurses even offered him to help them with other patients. :) This time it was just him and I, no grandmas, just us. It was a beautiful time for us because we new we would get to see our little boy soon!
When I was 7 cm dilated the midwife was called in and she came to break my bag of waters. It felt so weird and I immediately felt his head come down. They told me not to push until they said I could and left the room. It only took about 2-3 more contractions before I felt like I needed to push, she came in immediately and checked, 8 cm and 100% thinned out. They turned me on my side again and said hold on do not push. The room filled with nurses and aids. They brought in the stuff and that's when my body could not wait any longer. I began to tremble and it freaked me out a bit. The nurse stood by the bed facing me and told me not to push yet. I held Lucas' right hand and I needed another hand so I grabbed her hand. She stayed and helped comfort me until the midwife got in. She came in quickly, checked one more time and we were ready. They turned me on my back and coached me to begin pushing when I felt ready. This time I remember only pushing 4 times and he was out. She let Lucas catch him and cut his umbilical cord. They immediately placed him on my belly, which was absolutely amazing!! They took him over to weigh him...
Ezekiel Simon, 6 lbs. 12 oz. and 19 1/2" long
After they cleaned him off and did necessary procedures, he was brought over to be fed. I actually got to feed him within an hour of being born!! He latched on right away, it was such a special moment, forever stamped in my heart! I will never forget how amazing it felt to be able to hold him right away.
Proud Daddy!!
We get to go home all together?!
Ezekiel and his big brother Lukrik!! He loved him from the beginning! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)