So Much To Catch Up On

Wow. You know I always have such good intentions when I start blogging again, I do well for a couple of months and then just stop. Ugh. Well, no promises this time. I will do the best I can to do better than I have in the past in my attempt of blogging and keeping record of things that happen in my life in order to preserve for future memories.





My last post was in November of 2010, shortly after Matt and I exchanged our vows. As many of you may know, a lot has happened since then. In brief summary, on January 4, 2011, we found out that we were going to have a new addition to the family. We were so excited! This was my only "planned" baby out of the lot of them. :) Matt and I had been trying to conceive (from the start of our marriage), but due to past complications from my traumatic delivery of Zion, I had been advised by doctors that I may not be able to conceive and I may not be able to carry to full term. So, one hurdle had been overcome, we were expecting. Now, to take it easy and keep our mouths shut for a while until I was a little farther along. We waited to tell a few family members when I was about 8 weeks, and asked for their prayers as I was getting very sick. My pregnancy's with Peyton and Zion were also very difficult and sick pregnancy's, so I wasn't surprised when it happened again. Now, when I say sick, I don't mean a little nauseous, I mean can't keep anything down for weeks, on IV's and frequent trips to the ER and OB. Here we go again. The benefit to having a hubby who is medically trained...he can give me IV's at home. That's what began to happen. Honestly, it got to the point where I stopped even trying to eat. I knew it was just going to come right back up. Zofran is my saving grace and has been with all three pregnancy's (Drew has been my easiest child to have since I didn't have to be pregnant with him :)). The bad side affect to Zofran, it constipates you. And I don't mean a little bit, I mean 6 weeks without going to the bathroom, even with the aid of fiber drinks and stool softeners. Now, I wasn't eating food, so there probably wasn't a huge need to even have to go the bathroom. Anyway (tmi right)...we made the announcement at 12 weeks. We were so excited, though I was barely functioning through the day. I got up and got the boys to school and dragged, literally dragged myself to work. If it weren't for the financial need of our family for my income, work wouldn't have happened, but I knew that we could not go without my income. Since I am an independent contractor (legal assistant) I don't get paid vacation or sick time. So there was none of that available. Often I was making a mad dash to the bathroom across the hall, or regretfully using the office trashcan behind a closed door.





We had one ER scare when the doctor did an ultrasound and couldn't find our baby. He said that I had either miscarried or it was an ectopic pregnancy. I was devastated to say the least, and Matt looked numb. Another doctor who had seen me in triage came into the room and asked if we minded if he took a look. Of course not. After a few minutes of searching, he found a perfectly formed 11 week old baby. He said that I had so much scar tissue and adhesion's that things weren't exactly where they should be and it just took some searching. He called the other doctor back in, showed him, and quietly reprimanded him for not searching longer. Thank you heavenly Father!





I didn't start to feel like I was back with the land of the living until about 22 weeks. I hadn't put on any weight at that point and my tummy barely looked pregnant let alone 22 weeks. Some would be thankful, but I was worried that the baby wasn't getting what it needed nutritionally. Our ultrasound at 20 weeks showed that our baby was on the small side. I should know by now how amazingly God has designed a woman's body to carry a child and through it all, the baby thrives. We found out the day after Easter that our precious baby was a little boy. After having three sons I am definitely not going to deny that I wanted a little girl, I have always wanted a little girl, but God, in His infinite wisdom, gave to us what was and is perfect for us. And of course, we are in love. Girl, what little girl? Are you kidding, we adore our son.





After the 22 week point, the food started staying down and my health started returning. Through all this I had also remained full-time at Regent University, not wanting to delay my grad date any further. By God's grace I kept up on all my classes and completed every one of them taken during my pregnancy (and since) with a 4.0. How His grace has sustained me. Oh, and having the most supportive, helpful and never runs out of energy husband to help me through it all was a big plus too. ;) My amazing Matt.





My due date was 9-10-11, what a cool date, and exactly one month before our first anniversary (10-10-11). However, after having had 2 c-sections, and all my high risk complications, a schedule c-section would be planned. I think it was originally scheduled for 9-2-11, but they ended up moving it back (or would it be forward...) to 8-31-11. I struggle with envy and jealousy over those that are able to go into labor on their own and have such easy deliveries. I have always wanted to go into labor naturally, have my water break, rush to the hospital and make it through with no meds. Oh well, such is not for me. Peyton was an emergency c-section when they couldn't get his shoulders through and started talking forceps. He was a 23 hour labor, with no epidural until time for the c-section. I remember the pain and delirium that I experienced through that labor. Zion was a scheduled c-section since he was only 13 months after Peyton. They (and I) were afraid of rupturing, so we scheduled the c-section. The pain I experienced during Peyton's labor was still pretty fresh on my mind as well. With Zion, it was a good thing he was a c-section because after they delivered him and they went to remove the placenta, they found it had attached to my uterus. Not good. If it had of been a vaginal delivery they would have probably ended up doing a hysterectomy (I was 24 yrs old). But again, God and his infinite wisdom new best, and since it was a c-section and I was already "cut open" they separated the two from one another and put the uterus back (though somewhat damaged) inside of me. Thus the high risk part for any future pregnancy's.

We went in on Wed the 31st for the c-section. After much delay and much nervousness the surgery began. They anesthesiologist gave me not only an epidural but a spinal tap as well, in case the surgery ran long. The two doctors ran into further surprises and complications while delivering our baby, and found that not only are my insides a mess with lots of adhesion's and scar tissue, but that I am missing a layer around my uterus and as soon as they cut into my stomach muscles they found that they were cutting into the placenta. Not quite what they were expecting. So this time, the placenta didn't attach to the uterus, it attached to my stomach muscles. But, all the drama aside, Lincoln Michael Stoltz was born sometime around 1pm weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces and 19.5 inches long. It took them about 2 minutes to get him to breath, he was born blue and floppy (not something that a Mom wants to hear), but he was and is perfect. We had a couple stop breathing scares the first month of his life, and he still sleeps with a breathing monitor, but seems to have outgrown those troubles. I'll post pictures in my next post.

One of the doctors who was performing the c-section came and visited us the next day and drew on a blackboard a nice diagram of my insides. She left us with a pleading to not have anymore little ones as it my risk both my and my baby's life. Devastating to hear as Matt and I had hoped to have one more. She said that my uterus is so thin and weak that there would be a strong chance of rupturing, and because of all the scar tissue and adhesion's inside of me, if I ruptured they may not have enough time to get to the baby and may actually have to go through my back to remove the baby. Um what!!!! Well, that's all Matt needed to hear. "No more kids Jess." They wanted to tie my tubes, but couldn't get to them. It will be another surgery for me and will require them making an incision above my belly button and inserting a camera to find my tubes first, then doing the procedure. It's going to get done, Matt just hasn't been home a lot since Lincoln's birth for us to get it scheduled. In the meantime, we are taking necessary precautions and praying.

Matt was able to take a whole month off from work after Lincoln was born. Thank you Father! I couldn't have done it without him. With his family living so far away, and my Mom still working full-time, I don't get the privilege of having family help me afterwards. Boy did I need my hubby. Staying on top of school alone with having a new baby was hard enough, let alone staying on top of the house, the other dudes, their homework and classwork, and P & Z's crazy football schedule. I couldn't have done it without him that month. Then he left in October for 2 months. It was nice while I had him.

Well, I will stop there for now. Caught up a year or so. :) So many more exciting and happy things have happened since them and I am excited to share them soon.

Jessica