Kaden Edward

Well I have been meaning to write the big finale to this journey for a few days now, but I am just barely getting around to it.
       Here he is!  Mr. Kaden Edward Parks!  Born December 6, 2013 at 5:56 p.m. 6 lbs. 11 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long!

Here is the fun story (because I'm sure you all want to know)

    I wrote my last blog post not quite knowing what was going to happen, but full of faith that it was all going to be ok.
    A little after 3:30 that afternoon (Friday) the Dr. came over to labor and delivery to get everything ready to try and flip baby.  Let me just tell you now, trying to flip a breech baby HURTS!  Holy smokes, it was not a pleasent experience.  After a few tries he was able to flip the baby into a head down position.  The Dr. stepped into the hallway to say something to the nurse, and then came back in just to make sure everything was good, and guess what...this fiesty little baby had turned again and gone back to a transverse position!  We were all just baffled that he had moved so fast. We decided to try to put in an epidural and see if maybe with me more relaxed we could turn the baby and keep him head down.  It's not very easy to relax when a Dr's hands are literally shaking as he forces a baby to turn.  Ouch!
    The anesthesiologist came in and put in the epidural, which went fine until my blood pressure dropped.  I immediately started feeling way naseaus and super, super dizzy, as well as seeing all sorts of shapes in front of my eyes.  After that whole issue was resolved (including me having a complete meltdown and crying for a few minutes, but hey things were a little crazy) the Dr. came back in and we tried to flip little man again.  No dice.  He was not going anywhere and therefore we concluded that our next option was a C-section.
    The C-section went great and I practically slept through the entire thing.  I seriously could not keep my eyes open.  I remember hearing the baby cry for the first time and trying to look around to see him.  I also remember seeing Joe stand up and watch him take pictures and seeing a little tiny baby across the room wailing and kicking like a healthy baby does.  Finally, Joe came over to me and showed me a picture of our precious little boy.  He was beautiful.  Just like I knew he would be.  The entire thing (from trying to flip the baby to delivering the baby) had taken less than two and a half hours from start to finish.  It's crazy to think that everything happened so, sooo fast.
   In the recovery room I finally got to snuggle with my new little one.  He was just perfect.  I still couldn't stay awake very well so he and I just slept for a good hour or two while all the anesthetics wore off.  Then they took us to the mother and baby wing where we settled in for the night.
    We stayed in the mother and baby wing for four days (C-section patients are allowed to stay for two extra nights, and I am so grateful that I did) and finally got to come home on Tuesday afternoon.  So all in all I spent seven nights in the hospital over the last two weeks, thats more time than I ever care to spend in a hospital again!
     My recovery has gone really, really well.  I always thought that it would be really difficult to recover from a C-section but it has been (suprisingly) not so bad.  The first night when they made me get out of bed and walk around was really rough, but I made it.  I'm not allowed to do anything strenuous, but I am allowed to walk as much as I want!  Wohoo!  (It's a step up from bedrest) Things like coughing and sneezing hurt a lot, but I'll take it to have a happy healthy baby.  The thing that hurts the most is how bruised my stomach is from the Dr. trying to flip the baby. The part that is hard is that I can't pick up Hudson and he is too squirmy to sit on my lap most of the time, so he and I both don't like that.  Hudson is a super cuddly boy so it's been tough on him.
     Joe and I debated the entire time I was recovering about what to name the baby and finally, finally decided on a name Monday evening.  It was crazy, it just seemed like nothing would fit!  Eventually I realized that nothing was ever going to fit until we just picked a name and started calling him that.  Sure enough, we started calling him his name and he settled right into it.  His name is Kaden Edward Parks.  And he is just perfect.
     Hudson is adapting well, on his first visit to the hospital he didn't want anything to do with the baby, he just wanted to sit with Mommy, but after a few days and a few visits he was so excited to see his "baby brother Kaden" and asks to hold him all the time.  He is super helpful, and loves to do things like get a pillow for the baby, or put the binkie in the babies mouth. I have to watch him like a hawk so that he isn't too helpful, but I think it is just so sweet as to how much he realied that Kaden is a part of our family now.
    Kaden is such a sweet baby.  He sleeps all the time and basically just wakes up to eat.  If I put him down he only sleeps for about 10 minutes without fussing, but if I am holding him he will sleep for hours and hours. last night I slept in a chair so that I could hold him and he slept for 5 hours!  It was awesome.  I had to wake him up at 4:00 so that he could eat, and then Hudson woke up at 5:00 so it was a bit of a tiring day, but I am just loving it so it really isn't that bad.  Kaden had his first Dr. appointment today and everything is looking great.  We have to go back next week just to make sure that he is gaining weight because he is just so, sooo tiny.  (He was 6 lbs 2 oz. when we left the hospital)
     I feel so incredibly blessed right now.  With as scary as things were, and as bad as things could have turned I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has taken care of me.  I have felt his love as well as the love of my Savior these past few weeks through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost and Priesthood Blessings.  My testimony has been strengthened that the Atonement is real and that we truly are children of a loving Heavenly Father who cares about each of us and knows us by name.   The last few weeks have been pretty up and down and I know that we aren't out of it yet, but I have a wonderful family and a loving Heavenly Father.  Life really couldn't get much better.
      I have had so many people call to check on me, and so many who have helped with Hudson. I cannot believe that I am so loved, I am so grateful that people are so willing to just take care of me right now.  Especially my mother and father in law.  They are such great people and it is such a blessing that we are living with them right now.  I couldn't have done all this without all of their help.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every one of you for how much you have done for me and my family right now (even if it just liking my pictures and leaving cute comments on facebook.  It actually makes me quite happy to know that people care enough to like a picture of my little man!)
     Now for some pictures!

Just a few moments old...

Eyes open

Our first family photo!

He has a little turtle neck, it is the cutest thing ever!

Going home!

This is when he was doing the hearing test.  Isn't he just precious!!!

A little sun during the storm.

So, I went in for my ultrasound this morning at 11:30.  I really didn't have high hopes that my fluids had increased enough, but I was going to be optimistic.  Honestly I have been really calm and upbeat through the last two weeks and I have just known this entire time that everything is going to be ok.
    This has been my 8th ultrasound this pregnancy.  You would think that after 8 ultrasounds I would have some awesome pictures of this little guy.  Nope.  Not a single one.  At the 20 week ultrasound he was turned the wrong way so we couldn't see his profile, and then in all the ultrasounds in the past two weeks fluids have been way to low to get a good picture.  Who knew that a large amount of amniotic fluid is what allows you to see babies so well?
    Today, after learning that my fluids are at a 4.7 (so only up one centimeter from yesterday) I was feeling kind of discouraged.  Then, the ultrasound tech asked if I had any good pictures of him.  I told her no and that he was a stubborn kid and liked to keep me in the dark.  She said "lets just see what we can see" and turned on the 4D monitor.  And then, just like magic, there he was!  My beautiful, precious little baby boy that I have been fighting so hard for the last few weeks.  And let me tell you guys, he is absolutely beautiful.  I immediately started crying and just couldn't believe how much love I have for him and how worth all of this has been suddenly seeing his precious little face.  It really was just a giant sunbeam through a bit of a storm.   I cannot believe that this gorgeous little boy will soon be in my arms.
   As for our plan of action...since fluids really didn't come up that much we are going to deliver baby boy today.  There is another scary twist to the story (this little guy likes to panic me a bit!)  He is breech, well technically transverse.  This has semi been another big issue for the last two weeks because he keeps flipping between transverse and breech, and you cannot deliver a breech baby vaginally. We think since fluids are low every time he trys to to turn head down something makes him uncomfy.  We are going to try and flip him and then induce labor.  Because my fluids are low we are being very, very careful and cautious about flipping him so that he doesn't go into distress.  And if he does, then we will go to a C-section.
     Needless to say I am a bit nervous, but like I have said before, I have complete faith, confidence and trust in my Doctor.  I am so greatful for him.  He has discussed things with me multiple times, consulted other doctors, and been a huge support.  I know that he will take as much time and care for me and my baby as we need.  I am also so grateful again for medicine and what it is today. With as up in the air as things are now, I am glad to know that there is a whole team of professionals ready to go if we have to go for an emergency C-section.  As well as a very comptant and compassionate nursing staff who are very capable to help me with anything I need!
    Finally I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father.  Like I said earlier, this entire time I have felt very calm about everything and I know that that is the Holy Ghost comforting me.  The power of the Atonement is so real in my life right now and I know that I am not alone and that my son is not alone.  I cannot express the gratitude and love I have in my heart right now for my Savior and Heavenly Father.  We truly are children of God and he does not ask us to do things without preparing a way for us.
    Please pray for me and baby, I know that everything is going to be just fine and I am so excited to soon be holding this sweet little one in my arms, but we will take all the prayers we can get!  Hopefully my next post will be pictures of this beautiful litte boy that I got to see today for the first time!

A baby! Almost....

Well we went into the Dr this afternoon and my fluids had dropped to a 3. Since they dropped I have been admitted to the hospital again to receive more fluids.  Hopefully that will boost me back up to a higher number and the we can let little guy cook a bit longer.  
     However,  if fluids are still low tomorrow then we will just induce labor and get him here! 
    Thank you so much for all the prayers, help and words of encouragement you have given me this week.   I feel so blessed to have so many people who care so much about me and about this sweet baby.

A new baby update!

    I saw the Dr. this morning so I figured it was time for another update.  Last Friday I was worried that I was leaking fluids so we went to the hospital around 10:00 on Friday night to check.  Thankfully, I was definitely not leaking fluids at all so that is all safe.  We did a quick ultrasound and found out that my fluid was a 14!  Wohoo!  It was so nice to have the rest of the weekend and not worry.
    Today at the Dr. we did another ultrasound and my fluids had dropped back down to a 6.9.  Above a 5 which is good, but below a 10, which is not very good at all.  We did a stress test on the baby and he is just fine.  His heartbeat is strong and active so we know that he is safe and happy.  And his movement is absolutely wonderful...I feel like there is a football game going on in my stomach!
    The Dr. sent me home on semi-bedrest (I can't really do much of anything, but I don't have to actually lay in bed all day long) with the instructions to come back and see him on Thursday.
   Once again I am just so grateful for an OB doctor that I know cares about me specifically and who I can trust completely.  I know that both me, and the baby are in very, very safe hands.
   Please keep us in your prayers, I have had a blessing that says everything will be fine and I have faith in that blessings and in the things Heavenly Father promises us.  I know that my baby is special to him and that I am special to him, nothing is going to happen that shouldn't happen.
   Thank you also to so many of you who have offered to help me with Hudson, help me around the house and bring meals.  And thank you to those who have sent me quick messages of encouragement and love.  I feel so supported and cared about.  It is absolutely wonderful.