A Story About E

So I debated about sharing this but I think I will just to keep family informed and up to date.   I only hesitate to share because I love our E and don't want her to be treated any different. 
So at her 4 month appointment her doctor noticed her right eye was drifting a different direction then her left.   The doctor said to watch it and if it continues at her 6 month appointment then she should see an eye doctor.   Well the 6 month time frame came around and the eye was a little better but it still deviated some.   So I took her to the eye doctor,  thinking "tThey seek probably put a patch on her.   The muscles must just be weak. " Well after the normal eye tests and getting her eyes dilated the doctor told us the verdict,  and it was not just a muscle thing.   Her optic nerve, or the main nerve that allows signals to be transmitted therefore allowing you to see, didn't develop all the way.   She will never have full vision in her right eye. We don't know the extent of what she can and cannot see right now, so we are in the dark about how functional it will be. And she will have to wear glasses as protection for the rest of her life,  starting when she begins to walk.  But the worst part is that she may have other parts of her brain that may not be developed and she could have growth issues and hormone issues because problems with the pituitary gland are common.   ( The pituitary gland controls basically the flow of most of the hormones in your body.  It's a big deal) So I have to take our baby girl to get an MRI in the 31st, which she has to be sedated for.   So this has been a very difficult month.   I still wonder is it because I got induced,  even if it was only a few days early?  Was it something I are or didn't eat?  Should I have taken different prenatals?  Was it because I gained so much weight?   It has to be my fault right?   But OH sites say that they don't know the cause for this condition that occurs in every 1:10,000 kids.  I am praying that the 31st brings good news.  But either way E  is happy and loved by us all.   Z was told E has a special eye and she has been good not to make fun or anything.   I told Z too that she may have to help her sister if people start too make fun of her.   I like to think she understands but I just worry so much about them, especially since people are so mean, starting at such a young age.  But mama bear will be there for them always.

BackPost: The Minions Are Coming to Hunt

So I thought I would catch up; October.   So October brought my deer hunt and Halloween. 
First my deer hunt.   So I originally had my sights on a large buck.   Long story short,  I shot him,  somebody else shot at another buck or two, they crossed paths,  we couldn't find my buck for two days, we later found the carcass of my buck, someone else had taken the meat and head.   The big buck we called "Frank". I will have to have my husband send me a picture so you can see the big boy ( picture to be added soon.). My husband has been scouting him and watching him for 2 years so it was sad to have him taken from under me.   And my shot was spot on.   The timing was just the perfect storm.   But I did get myself a pretty interesting buck.   He actually ran across the road in front of us.   I told Jon, because he missed him he was so fast, and then he found him and told me he was a two point.   I just wanted the meat at that point and I was still so bummed about Frank.   So I jumped out of the car, grabbed my new rifle my husband gave me for Christmas last year,  and took aim;  not using a bipod or nothin,  just free ranging it.   I pulled the trigger and click.   I forgot I had emptied the chamber when I put it in the vehicle.   So I quick loaded up,  going he wouldn't take off at a sprint, that he would continue only walking his brisk pace.   This time when I fired I heard the smack of success.   I got him perfectly right behind the shoulder, nicking his liver and puncturing his lung  and heart,  so he didn't suffer for long.  We found him 15-25 yards away from where I shot him.   And that boy had some neat stuff going on.  If he had been older his set would have had some crazy stuff.   But I am so grateful for his life so that my family can eat.  We just gutted him and took him out whole.   I made broth whey his bones and we used everything.   He was only 200+ yards away from the road so it wasn't too bad for Jon to haul him out.  But I hope every year we can take out our deer whole because that broth is amaz-ZING!
So in October Halloween brought us two little "mim-mims" as Z says.  Z wanted to be a "dinosaur skelton silly mim-mim", but I wasn't sure how to go about making that.... I must say I find so much joy making their costumes.  It is fun making my own interpretations of certain ideas.  But anyway Z loved trick or treating and her and E were so cute. 

So Much To Say

So it's been awhile but I will start with the end of maternity leave.   So I went back to work towards the end of  August, and started orienting to float pool.   It was a long orientation process but I was so excited!  I oriented to the ortho/spine and med/surg units.   I had already been working the Gero psyche and adult psyche units for almost two years so no orienting was needed for  those. But now that I am done orienting I love it!   I love getting to know the staff around the hospital and I love the different challenges that come with each floor; I love using skills I haven't used for a long long time and I love that I am learned so much.  I have forgotten how much I love leaning and expending my knowledge set.   But enough about me, let's talk about what is really important;  my girls (and hubby of course;)  ).  
So E is now 6 months old.   She is a bit smaller than Z, coming in at 25th and 30-50th for her weight and height.  ( I will put in exact numbers at a later time for anyone who is curious.  I like them on my blog so o can have E and Z's numbers in one spot but anyway. ) She is wearing size 9-12 month old clothes and size 2 shoes and diapers.  She loves the changing table ( or maybe just hang a dirty diaper removed) and smiles everytime I put her on it.  She is so smiley and happy and only gets really fussy when she wants to nurse.  She is eating solids like a champ and had liked most foods we have tried except green beans.   She hates those,  despite several goes at giving them to her.   She loves her sister so mUch and smiles so much around her.  Z loves her baby sister like crazy too.  She wanted E to sleep in her room so I set up her pack and play in Zs room. E usually serious with me but she has slept in her sister's room a few times.   Z loves to play with E, getting E her toys and showing her  how they work or shaking the rattle or noise maker, before giving it to her.   It is just so cute to see their interactions. 
Z is so excited for Christmas and Santa.   She is counting down the days.   She sat on Santa's lap and very quietly said what she wanted.   She said after " I was brave and didn't cry.  " She is getting so big!   She asked Santa for a bow and arrows this year.   So we well see if Santa brings it ;). And pretty much had Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer memorized. She well sing the songs too,  even when they play on the radio.  She watched Elf and Polar Express and loves both of them too.  She is just so loving the magic.   She is really smart though so I kinda think she won't believe in Santa for long,  which makes me kinda sad but doesn't seem to bother my husband because he stopped believing early.   Well I will enjoy it while I can.  

Lakeview Delivery

Well I know this is super late but here is my delivery of Miss E. I went to  my 39 week appointment and everything was well.   But I did have one huge problem,  Jon was going to be doing shut downs at with for the next two plus weekends, which included Thursday and Friday,  and didn't have cell service for most of those days.   Well I didn't want to go on labor and not be able to get a hold of him so I talKed to the doctor and she said we curls induce me the next day.   So at 9 am I went in to Lakeview to have my baby girl. So they got me all hooked up to the monitors and  low and behold I was actually having contractions already.   So she may have decided to arrive that day or the next anyway. But I did still get pitocin.   So I started at about a 2-3 cm dilation and began progressing.   I had my epidural at about 1 in the evening.   I was ready at about 3:50 feeling pressure (but no pain,  thank you epidural) and did a couple practice pushes with the nurse.  On the second set of practice pushes she told me to stop after the first one because someone's head was making an appearance.  So they called my doctor, whom I absolutely love, we pushed 9 times and out she came.   She was having some dips in her heart rate at times so I had to push some when I want having any contractions,  but she got here and was a perfect color and wiggled and made little noises.  I say little noises because she didn't let out that big cry for a little bit,  but the nurse was checking her and said her lungs and heart sounded good.  And like I said her color was pink and she was moving and making little sounds.   This little girl did try to poke her arm out but pulled out back in before she was fully in world.   My doctor was awesome and let me feel her head when it was starting to make an appearance.   I think it was because she knew I was a nurse and thought I would like feeling her little cranium, which I did and thought was awesome.
The while experience was just super good.   I saw way more nurses who were checking on me and baby girl,  the epidural was perfect and I could still feel pressure and shift my legs but I felt no pain.  My postpartum room was huge,  I had way more staff check on me, such as the lactation consults, they had smoothies, and it was fun because I knew some of my nurses because of working in the same hospital.   I felt better after faster and could sit down faster, which could've been because of the wonderful numbing spray they have me and getting the tucks at the beginning.   I remember with Z curling I  almost fetal position when my ibuprofen wore off, but my pain never got that bad with E.  So all in all I had a wonderful experience.  I am so glad my baby girl is here on May 28th and was a healthy 7 pounds 15 ounces and 19 3/4 inches.  We sure love her. 

Baby Update

Still on for June 2.  We did find some possible names but we will see what she looks like first.   But only 6 weeks left!   Her are some belly pics.   Can I just say I don't know how my hubby deals with heartburn all the time.   I hate it and the fact it gets so bad I want to puke. But other than back aches, sciatic nerve pain in both legs, and ligament pain ( oh and feeling huge)  things are going pretty smooth.  (Knock on wood).

Z-3 and New Job... Sorta

Well my baby turned 3 last week.   I can't believe it.   She has gotten so big and even tells us "I am so big".  She is wearing size 7-8 shoes and 4t clothes.   And maybe she will be potty trained soon.... if I am lucky.   She is such a stinker about it.   Last teary she was sitting on the potty just fine and then one day she decided she didn't want to anymore.   Well I have been trying to get her back on board with everything.   I have tried just putting underwear on so she would get wet and not like it going she would then want to use the potty to stay dry... no luck.   I have tried bribing her with sticker charts and prizes and treats.... no luck.   I went and bought her a new potty and not just a seat and she got to pick her "crown potty"... no luck.  She knows she is a big girl and big girls use the potty and babies use diapers but she just keeps saying she will go potty "tomorrow".  I knew there was a reason that i was dreading potty training above anything else with kids.  But Z is getting so big and grown up it kinda makes me sad.   I am not ready for her to be in preschool next year and to start playing sports and doing big kid activities.   But I guess everyone has to grow up.
Well on a side note I kinda got a new job as a float pool nurse.   So instead of being on just the two floors I am on now, which are psych floors,  I will be on two other floors as well; Medical/surgical floor and the orthopedic surgery floor.  I am super excited and start orienting next week.   Happy day.   Then I get to use more if my nursing skills and see different patients and meet more staff in the hospital.  It will be awesome.  

Hiccups and Basketball

Well we have kinda taken out sweet time about announcing it but we are expecting Horman baby number 2!   It is another code pink,  which isn't what I thought.   Things have been different with this pregnancy such as getting bloody noses, massive amounts of heartburn,  and leg cramps, most of which I didn't have with Z.   But oh well.   I am excited either way but now is the tricky task if finding a name we like.   We have three boys names we love but girls names are just harder for us to come up with.   So I am so June 2nd and about 26 weeks along now.   I feel so much bigger this time around and comparing my last picture at about this time I am quite a bit bigger and look like I am carrying a basketball already.   But  I here that is pretty normal for the next go around.   I did feel her hiccup for the first time this morning at work which made me smile because it means she is getting bigger and is growing,  which is reassuring.   Z is cut when we talk to her about "baby sister".  I asked her what she wanted to name her and she said "zebra". She also kept taking about baby sister waking up and coming out.   She also loves playing baby sister with her dolls, getting them dressed and giving  then bottles and getting diaper bags ready for them.  She is so cute and I can't wait to have both my girls to snuggle with.   Plus I am excited to see little Z with "baby sister".