Day 6

Day 6 of being the mommy to 3 and so far we have all survived!!

Piper - she is doing great, love loves LOVES her "littlest" baby brother and is a fantastic help with her "bigger" baby brother. She baby-sat for me once (while Brannon was sleeping) so I could take a shower. She may need a little work in that department because Sage ended up in the bathroom with me while she watched cartoons but hey, it was the thought that counts!

Sage - he is having a tougher time then I thought he would. Suddenly there is some serious seperation anxiety and I dont know if it has more to do with the fact that Shawn and I were gone for a few days or if its having a new baby in the house. I think its more us being gone because he really doesnt pay much attention to the baby but he is stuck like glue to us. I love it because for so long I wasnt able to do those things with him because it was to hard to lift him and wrestle him but now I can do more and more of that stuff. Minus the fact that his little feet and knees always find their way to my incision, ouch!

Brannon - such a good baby!! He had his nights and days mixed up for a few days but I think we may have solved that issue. Shawn and I are used to Sage who was in the NICU for 2 weeks so he was on a set schedule and routine when he finally came home. Plus we had 2 weeks to recover from having him before we had to jump back into night feeds and being up at night. Brannon we didnt get that plus add in another child and a post delivery surgery and things were a little rough. But we are doing better now, everyday I feel better so I can do much more with him.

As of now, he eats every 2.5-3 hours, is awake for 30 minutes to an hour after he eats and is back to sleep for 2-3 hours. Not quite the sleeping span I was hoping for but thats me and my happy world where kids come out sleeping 12 hours a night. I keep forgetting that while both of mine do that, they were several weeks old, not days, when we got to that point. Patience, Tara, patience!!!

Shawn and I - we are doing good....TIRED but good. Im really kinda amazed at how quickly we adjusted to having a 3rd child in the house. We are a good team, we always have been and he is such a wonderful, supportive husband that I dont have to ask him to help me. He knew that I was having trouble getting and standig because of the surgery so he just did it. He wrestled Sage and let me rest. There are days he cant be here to help which at first was kinda scary and hard but it was good for me to do it. Didnt hurt that I called Katie to come and hang out with me for the afternoon so I wasnt alone with the kiddos. And I sent Sage to Grandma's house for the day also. OK, so that was a hard day but thanks to a pep talk from a good friend telling me not to be super mom because Im not, she wasnt, none of us are and to give myself a break, I felt alot better.

He is HERE!!!

Introducing Brannon Garnet Hanna!! He made his appearance on September 21 @341am. He was 7lbs 7oz and 20 inches long. A few days early but great size and doing wonderfully!!

Here is the scoop. I have been feeling like crap for awhile now. The short version of numerous doctors appointments and those feelings was that the pre-eclampsia was coming back. Kinda what I figured and really expected to have happen. We were just very VERY happy that this time it reared its nasty little head at 37 weeks instead of 30 weeks.

On Monday morning, September 20, I just feel terrible. I had been having MASSIVE swelling in my feet and hands, which are tell-tale signs, plus a headache and then I had some spots in my eyes. All of which are symptons of PE. Took my blood pressure and it was, well the lowest that day was 137/99 and the highest (when we went to the doc) was 146/106. Needless to say we didnt think we would be leaving the hospital without a baby. Especially after I told the doctors just that.

The plan was to admit me that afternoon (around 2pm) and get my blood pressure under control to start. That night, we would start getting my cervix ready to induce on tuesday morning. Of course, Im 10 days before my due date with baby #3 and I was dialited to 1. So basicially not dialated at all. When its baby #3 and your that close to your due date, anything less then 5 means your not dialiated. In my opinion.

Anyway, checked into our room and at 8pm, I got the first dose of cytoteck, which basically kicks the cervix into gear and gets things ready to go. In some cases, it can trigger labor and thankfully that is exactly what happened for us!!!!

The second dose was due at 11pm, and when the nurse gave it to me, my water broke as well. Things got rolling and Brannon was born at 341am. Just about 8 hours after the first dose of cytoteck.

No, I did not have an epidural but I did get a couple doses of NuBain. Shawn was amazing!! Waaaay better then with Sage. This time around he had an idea of what to expect and while it went fast this time also, not nearly as fast as with Sage. He actually helped me count and I didnt have to drag him out of the chair to hold my hand. He was exactly what I needed, my rock, which he always has been and always will be.

The day after we did choose to have my tubal ligation so I am offically OUT of my child having days. I did not have to have a spinal, I had general anesthesia and am very happy overall. Im incredibly sore, more sore from the surgery then delivery but getting better everyday.

I am starting to get the balance between 3 kids, especially the little 2. Sage is doing great, but he wasnt nothing to do with me when I have Brannon. As soon as I put his brother down, he will come over and say HI. He will get used to him, it just takes time.

So thats the scoop. Im feeling much better today but that could be because both of them are sleeping right now and I got them down by myself!! I wouldnt think that would feel like such an accomplishment except for the 2 inch incision and sutures that are located exactly the same place my 10 month old loves to kick.

I am so looking forward to the rest of my life with my kiddos and my husband.

Typical Me

Today was supposed to start out with a quick and easy run to town for a doctors appointment. I got up before my alarm, had breakfast made, ok, well I had the Pop Tarts out of the package and warmed up before Piper asked for them. Sage was in a good mood so we were all good. We left the house ON TIME, which rarely ever happens, and this is the first time with all 3 of us leaving the house.

Once again I had a list of things to pick up and BROUGHT IT WITH ME.....WHOOHOOO!!!!!!

My doctors appointment went well. To well....my blood pressure was great. So great that my doctors doesnt see a need to induce me earlier then September 27. I know its only a few extra days but really, I am so tired of being pregnant, and I hurt all over, and I just want to get back to feeling like myself that I was really looking forward to having the baby a little early.

So I took my semi-distraught attitude and did what any good pregnant chick out do. I went shopping.

Pulled into the parking lot, got the car, Sager loaded into the cart and started walking into the store just in time to come face to face with a 3 foot bull snake. In the parking lot. I didnt really have a choice but to walk around/near him and when I informed the employee on a smoke break in the outdoor flower section (nice) about it, she said "again, we just moved him a few minutes ago." Well he was back and another reason for permanment relocation.

Got all my shopping done, didnt forget a single thing. I actually remembered a couple things that were not on my list but I knew we needed.....so proud of myself!!

Sage was a little fussy so I wanted to open the new $1.99 toy key chain I just bought him to keep him entertained for the last errand and our trip home. This was when my day got worse.....when the knife I was using to cute the stupid zip tie off of the back of the $1.99 toy, slipped and went into my finger. The blood gushed good, which I expected because finger cuts always bleed really bad. I was not prepared for the flap of skin and grossness found below the flap of skin.

Long story short, my go-to RN (aka, sister in law) was in town and I had her check it out and made the decision to have someone look at it, just to be sure.

Of course, my doctor was the ONLY one with an opening at that time. Not the on-call doc, not a PA but my doc who I knew was going to give me a serious load of you-know-what because of this little incident. And the fact that I had just left his office an hour before.

He glued my finger back together, laughing the whole time (Im so happy I can keep him entertaind) and told me to "behave, not mess with knives"...sounds just like my husband.

So all before noon I was told I wont have this baby anytime soon, faced a stupid snake in a store parking lot and attempted to cut my finger off.

Its safe to say, I am better off staying home for the remainder of the day. Its safer for all involved.

Almost Done

Only a few more days!!! Depending on the nursing situation at the hospital (according to my doc) I could be induced on Thursday, September 23 or Monday, September 27. Thursday really works better for us, and not just because its 4 days sooner. I will be home that Sunday or so, and babysitting for the other 2 kiddos is much easier on the weekends.

Last week at my appointment my blood pressure was back up. My swelling is getting worse, and there are some symptons in my urine that they have been kinda waiting for. Basically, the pre-eclampsia could be starting again. This time, though, I am 37 weeks instead of 29 weeks. As my doctor said, if things get worse, we induce earlier rather then later.

Im really not worried this time around. Maybe because I know what to expect. Maybe because I did the preemie thing with Sage so a 37 or 38 weeker doesnt really phase me.

Im excited that he will be here soon, and I am very excited to not be pregnant, but at the sametime, I am just not finding the balance needed with 2 kiddos. Im not ready to have to split myself in 3rds versus in half and share again. I know I will be the moment he gets here, but as of now I am loving spending my time with Piper and Sage. Its hard to believe that I will be able to add in another little one and still be able to give the attention to them that they need and deserve.

So exhausted

I tell people I am tired and they nod in agreement, probably because I look like I have been run over by a mac truck. I know that the moms know how I feel, but Im not sure they actually remember how exhausting and sore they were 3 weeks before they had their little darlings. I know I certainly dont rememeber feeling this crappy with Piper.

Just to let everyone know just how tired (and slightly more then irritated) I was last night, I had a snake encounter and didnt have the energy or desire to flip out. Well, not totally, I wanted to flip out but I wasnt sure exactly how I could get my aching body on the hood of my Durango without causing some major injury to myself, the car or whatever dog happened to be under me when I fell off.

After cleaning the whole kitchen (that was clean this weekend however the pizza fairy left boxes and left overs all over the place, along with a sick full of dirty dishes (s)HE didnt feel necessary to attend to) putting away the groceries, while helping Piper with her homework and taking Sage back into the living room with his FATHER because he really isnt any help in the kitchen, I finally made it outside to feed the dogs (who were looking at me with big brown pleading eyes cause they think they are starving). Fed the dogs, turned to walk back into the house and there was the snake....slithering past the door and around the corner of the house.

My initial reaction was to scream, but again....energy. My other reaction was to walk to the other side of the house and go in that door...but again...energy. So I sucked it up, hoped the snake was around the corner enough that I wouldnt have a baby in the landing, and walked to the front door and into the house. (I did make sure to shut the door TIGHTLY) behind me.)

Went into living room and asked my dear husband if he would please go kill the snake by the door.

"What?"
"Please go kill the snake by the door. The one I just calmly and rationally had to walk past to get into the house and I am not having a fit about it. Go kill it."
"Where is it?"
"The door, the porch, the place I am always worried they will get into because someone doesnt shut the door tightly all the time and you say, they wont get there, they dont come that close to the house."
"Oh, that door."
"Yes, please go kill him."

Turns out it was just a little guy, a harmless water snake about 16 inches long (I cant believe I just wrote that out....uhhh...harmless and little in reference to a snake BY MY HOUSE) and he has since been sent to where snakes go when they have losing battle with a shovel. I dont care. He isnt in my house and he isnt in my yard anymore.

There you have it....I didnt have the energy to flip out over a snake. If that doesnt tell you something, well then nothing will.