The week Logan was born

Monday, October 7th was our last child birth class at the hospital. I was over going to class, Mike was super busy at work, and we decided not to go. Instead, we went to our little hole in the wall Mexican restaurant and ate cheese enchiladas. That night, I became horribly sick. I won't go into the details, but it was BAD! I also experienced what I now know were full blown contractions. Tuesday morning came and I felt perfectly fine. Wednesday morning came and I had plans to meet my mom for lunch and run errands. I ate breakfast like I always do, but this time Logan didn't move after I ate. This was unusual. I knew by now, at 36 weeks exactly, that he was probably big and maybe that's why he wasn't moving much. I wrote a couple thank you notes, took a shower, got ready, and he still wasn't moving. I also started to not feel well. I took my blood pressure and my diastolic pressure was 112, which was higher than it's ever been when I've taken it on my own. At that moment I knew something wasn't right, so I drove straight to the hospital. My mom got there shortly after I did, and Mike made great time getting there from downtown. The nurses took my BP 4 times and 3 of the 4 were perfectly normal, Logan's heartbeat was perfect too. They called my doctor and she told me to go on bed rest the rest of the day and she'd see me in the morning for my 36 week appointment. The rest of that afternoon I felt fine and Logan began his usual movements. Thursday morning came and I felt great. Mike and I drove separately to the doctor for our appointment, since I was feeling fine and checked out okay at the hospital the day before. The nurse called us back, put Mike in a room, and then took my blood pressure. It was higher than it had ever been…180/100….that's stroke level.  My doctor was not happy. She came into the room and said "That number is unacceptable!" Before she even began the exam, she gave us two options. Option 1: Induce that day and deliver. Option 2: Be admitted to the hospital for a week to monitor my BP and let Logan bake for another week and then induce. At that moment, Mike and I were pretty much shocked and somewhat scared. We knew Logan was healthy and his heartbeat was great….it was me that we were worried about. Before we made our decision, she did the exam…turns out that at 36 weeks, I was almost 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. After finding this out, Dr. Hampton said she would feel best if we delivered that day. Let's just say there were some tears shed, Dr. Hampton gave Mike and I a moment to ourselves, and then we left in 1 car to go to the hospital. Mike dropped me off to get checked in and he went home to get our bags. 

The nurses got me into my room quickly and started the pitocin drip. I was asked 3 times, "Is anyone coming to be with you.?" I think they felt bad for me being by myself. I told them "Oh just wait…this room will be full in no time!" By noon, my contractions were coming pretty fast and strong. I always considered myself to have a high pain tolerance, until I felt the very stong contractions. I was in terrible pain and no breathing technique from our classes could help! By the time I got my epidural I was almost complete and on cloud nine not feeling any pain at all! Within about 8 or so hours, it was time to push. Everyone but Mike left the room and our awesome L&D nurse got me pushing. About 30 minutes in, my blood pressure began to rise again and all of a sudden we couldn't hear Logan's heartbeat on the monitor anymore. It was the scariest feeling in the world! The nurse started moving quickly around the room, I think some other nurses came in too, and I was given an oxygen mask. Within a few minutes, we heard Logan's heartbeat again and my doctor came in. We pushed for 30 more minutes, but Logan hadn't budged at all over that entire hour of pushing. We talked and decided with my bp, Logan's heartbeat dropping, and him not moving at all, it was time to do a c-section and get him delivered. 45 minutes later, Logan came into the world at 8:48 pm and our lives were forever changed.  Other than a blood sugar issue, Logan was very healthy and big for being 4 weeks early.

We're so grateful for a wonderful doctor who realized how important it was for us to deliver that day for my health and Logan's. We're also blessed to have had wonderful family with us that day!

pups & kisses,

  Tiffany

34 weeks and 2 days

I had been dreading this week for a while, because it was so busy for Mike and me. We had two classes at the hospital, two doctor's appointments, and Mike had lots of important meetings at work all week. We made it through though and it flew by!

Wednesday we had another ultrasound with our high risk doctor….only she was in a meeting and we never saw her, just the tech. We had the same tech as last time…she kept saying things like "This kid is big! Let me measure that again…oh that was right!" At 34 weeks Logan's in the 96% for body size and weighing 6.8 pounds. That's more than I weighed when I was born 5 days late! As my doctor said at our appointment on Thursday, "I can thank Mike for our child's size!" (He was 8.9 pounds as a twin!) At our Thursday appointment I asked my OB how accurate the weight is when seen on an ultrasound…she said it could be + or - a pound…..so technically, he could weigh more than 6.8 pounds, but I'm hoping it's less! I'm so glad he's healthy, but I'm worried about our last 6 weeks and how much he'll continue to grow. That leads me to my blood pressure. At our 30 and 32 week appointments, my blood pressure was somewhat better when I went to my doctor, however, at yesterday's appointment it was back to being sky high! It's also spiked twice when I haven't been at the doctor when I've taken it on my own at home. With that being said, my doctor ordered another 24 hour urine test to be done before my 36 week appointment. This will determine if my BP is just being stubborn, or if there's any preeclampsia to be worried about. With my blood pressure and Logan's size, my doctor is pretty sure we'll be inducing at 38 weeks. That's only 4 weeks away!!! We are pretty much ready for our little BIG man's arrival and can't wait to meet him!

The nursery is complete, his playroom is complete, and the cradle my grandfather made that we'll be using in our room when Logan first comes home is almost ready! I spruced it up with Old English and went to Lowe's and had a nice guy help me replace all of the 30 year old hardware. My dad and Mike will be putting it back together this weekend and then our room will be complete too! Below are pictures of the nursery and playroom. We're really happy with how it all turned out!

pups & kisses,

  Tiffany

When are we supposed to eat dinner?

That is the question Mike asked me when I told him our first childbirth class was from 6:30 to 9:30. We attended our first of 4 classes last night and while there was some useful information, some of it was a total waste of our time. In my own opinion, if I'm paying for a class, I want information given to me straight….NOT "Oh y'all are a quiet bunch and because of that, here's some play-doh. Make a sculpture of what your birth represents to you." Our instructor might have also been a little too natural for my liking, but oh well. When the BIRTH day comes, I'll do what's best for me, not anyone else! There was a time during class when Mike turned to me and said "Make sure you let me know exactly which Louis Vuitton clutch it is that you want." I guess he was feeling bad for me and what us women go through while in childbirth.

This past weekend went by fast, but was good. Thursday night we went to the hospital to see our good friends Melanie and Billy and their precious new baby girl Chloe. It was so fun to hold a baby, especially since we'll be holding our own child so soon! Friday we had our 32 week appointment and of course, my tummy was measuring 2 weeks ahead. Saturday morning we went to our sweet nephew's birthday party. We were pretty excited about his gift…I'm usually good at putting things together, but I was REALLY glad Mike was home Friday to help me….turns out he had to lean on top of the thing to get the roof to snap in….I obviously cannot lean on things! We watched a lot of football the rest of the day and Sunday watched the TEXANS pull out a WIN! WHAT A GAME! We also ALMOST finished the nursery. I'm still waiting for the nightstand to come in and once it does, I'll post pictures of the finished room! It has pretty much turned out exactly like I pictured in my head... really all that is missing is LOGAN!

Thanks again for all the prayers for my family during the loss of my grandmother. Sometimes I still can't believe she's gone, but I know in my heart that she's no longer suffering from the horrible disease of Alzheimer's. I also know she is watching over Logan and me and I don't think we could have a better guardian angel!

pups & kisses,

  Tiffany

Unending love, amazing grace

Those are the last words of the chorus of Chris Tomlin's Amazing Grace, my chains are gone. Those words resonate with me because unending love is what we all have for my beloved grandmother who passed away Wednesday morning in the comfort of her home, surrounded by her husband of 58 years, 6 children, and sister. My Nanny showed amazing grace throughout her entire life. There wasn't a stranger she met. Over the past few weeks, especially the last few days, our family has heard stories of the kindness my grandmother shared with others and how she impacted others…stories we've never known about or heard.

My grandmother took a turn for the worse last weekend. I saw her a week ago and while she never opened her eyes while we were there, she drank some water and took some ice cream mixed with Glucerna. This was huge! By Sunday, things had drastically changed. Everytime my cell rang, I dreaded it, fearing the worst. On Monday afternoon I went out there again. The hospice nurse said it may be a few days, but no more than a week. When I got to my grandparent's house, my Grandad opened the door and I gave him a huge hug. He then led me down the hallway and opened the door to what was always known as the "room no one was to enter," this was because it was the junk room. Growing up, we'd get pennies and try to unlock the door to get in! When the door was opened, my mom and all her siblings were sitting in a circle looking at pictures from the past. It was such a neat scene. Especially because, the 8 of them, my grandparents, and their 6 kids hadn't slept under the same roof in 40 years and here they were, looking at pictures, taking care of my grandparents, and being there for each other during this extremely emotional time. By Monday evening, my grandmother's breathing had changed for what seemed to be a bit better than Sunday. Of course things changed Tuesday. I spent most of Tuesday out there again, praying by my grandmother's bedside, crying over memories we have of her, laughing at my mom and all her siblings being goofy with each other, and downloading music for a slideshow which will be seen at the visitation and funeral. That night driving home, I don't know if I've ever felt that drained. I know what I felt doesn't compare to what my grandfather, mom, and aunts & uncles are feeling, but no one I've ever been this close to has passed away. I've never watched someone I love struggle to breath, I've never watched someone I love and adore be taken from their home of over 40 years, knowing anytime I ever return, they won't be there anymore. On Wednesday morning, I woke up, let Pasha out, and my phone rang. It was my dad and he was sitting in his car in my driveway. I knew then my wonderful grandmother was gone. I'm so extremely appreciate that my dad came to be with me when I found out. I knew it was coming, was grateful I had seen her the day before, but still, the sadness was overwhelming. I quickly got ready and my dad drove us out to my grandparent's house. 

Nothing could have prepared me for that morning. It was unlike any other family member passing away. From standing around her peacefully asleep forever praying the Lord's prayer,  opening the door to the funeral director to come in and take her, to the hurst driving away, to my mom and one of my aunts crumbling hysterically into my shoulders, to typing the obituary, learning that her final garment would be the beautiful dress she wore to Mike & my wedding, to listening to my sweet Grandad call all his grandsons asking them to be pall bearers and seeing him breakdown and not be able to talk. And while I couldn't have prepared myself for the heartbreak and emotions I felt that day, I am so extremely thankful for my family. They are always, without question, there for each other. 

That Wednesday night when I got home, I thought I was so drained from the past few days that I would sleep better than I had in a long time, that was not the case. I kept thinking of memories from the past. Out of their 15 grandchildren, I am the oldest. I got to have 30 years with my Nanny. I have 30 years worth of memories that I will never forget. From her homemade doughnuts, to mailing us cards for every single holiday with a $2 bill in each card, to her dancing and popping her collar at a girl's night out with her daughters and granddaughters, to the handwritten note she sent me when I made the high school drill team,  to her fabulous homemade pralines and popcorn balls, to watching Troop Beverly Hills over and over again while laying in her bed with my cousins….and so many more. I think the memory that means the most to me though is one from just 5 months ago. Her health was declining then, but she was still able to walk on her own and knew for the most part what was going on. It was when we were standing in my parent's kitchen before a family meal. We were standing around praying before our meal, and before the very end of the prayer, I spoke up and said "Please pray for this child I'm carrying." I remember looking at my Nanny and she put her hands over her mouth and started crying. She came straight to me and said "Really??" She was beyond excited to be getting her first great-grandchild. Through the quick decline she faced with Alzheimer's, she remembered about the baby until just 2 weeks ago. That meant the absolute world to me and I know our little Logan has quite the guardian angel looking after him. She was the most generous, caring, loving, amazingly graceful person I've ever known and any one who's ever been around her would feel all those things. The next few days will be hard and final for our huge family, but we all know that she didn't want to live with this disease, instead, she has found peace, her memories are back, and she will be forever looking down on us from Heaven. 

pups & kisses,

  Tiffany

Baby Shower Round 2

I had another good weekend! It started Friday when my mom and I went across town to see my grandparents. Last Monday my wonderful grandmother was placed under hospice care. It's such a sad situation, but hopefully this will help her to be in peace. She slept a lot while we were there, but when I told her I loved her, she said I love you back, which meant the world to me!

Saturday morning it was Breakfast with Tiffany time! My sister and sister-in-laws threw me a BABY & Co. themed shower. It was a fun shower, with beautiful decor, yummy food, delicious desserts, and great friends and family. Here are a few pictures from the shower.

This is a pretty busy week for me. This morning I had a chiro appointment, Wednesday we go to the high risk doc for another ultrasound, the dogs go to the groomer, and the house cleaners come; Thursday I'm spending the day with one of my wonderful aunts, and Friday we have our 30 week appointment at our OB. It's hard to believe that we'll only have 10 weeks left before we meet precious Logan…..that's 10 weeks unless he comes a little early, which as long as he's healthy, I'd love for him to come a little early!

Have a blessed week and please keep my grandmother in your prayers!

pups & kisses,

  Tiffany