Turner's First Christmas

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Thank you MeMe for my first Christmas stocking!

I have been meaning to write about our first Christmas with Turner.  However, we got a new computer and I've been trying to get pictures to upload right, etc. and then I just lost momentum.  Anyway, it was a great Christmas!  Ever since April when I found out I was pregnant, I didn't know for sure how Christmas would go.  His due date was exactly Christmas Day, so we knew this year would be sort of crazy!  

Then, he came early and we were able to have a pretty normal Christmas.  I of course didn't buy 97 percent of my gifts until December 22nd - I am not exaggerating - but it worked out.  I think people gave me a pass this year.

I looked around town everywhere for a Wii for Heath.  I was going to give it to him for Christmas and his birthday.  However, everywhere I went they told me that of course they didn't have one, and they even laughed at me on several occasions.  Well, Christmas morning Heath surprised me and gave me this for Christmas!  This was Turner admiring it.

Then, Mom and Dad surprised me and gave me a Wii Fit for Christmas.  I really want to get into it!  I watched Heath set it up one night (hilarious), but I haven't ventured into it yet.  I am excited about it.  I have learned, though, that while I technically have more free time now that I am not at school, a lot of days a shower is higher on the priority list than a lot of things, unfortunately.  And I've also learned that if I don't immediately dry my hair while he is napping, it won't happen!  

Anyway, back to Christmas.  This was a picture of our family at our family friends the Moores' house on Christmas Eve.  This is our annual tradition, and we just keep adding more and more people each year.  It started out as the 5 of us, and now it is 10 - 11 with Grandad Starr.  The Starr family is outnumbering the Moores, but they seem fine with it!

Finally, I thought we needed a family picture that was not from the hospital!  So, since we were all dressed up, we took one.  Next time maybe Turner will wake up!  

Our Christmas was pretty normal - we woke up at our house Christmas morning.  Then we headed over to my parents' house for breakfast and presents.  One funny thing - mom bought some wrapping paper from her school and didn't realize it said "Jo Jo Jo" instead of "Ho Ho Ho."  Do you think that was hispanic wrapping paper?  Our family is so multi-cultural.

Then, we went to my cousin's house for lunch with Mom's extended family.  After an intense game of Dirty Santa (which involved me stressing out way more than I needed to and conspiring with siblings), we left with a Summit and Best Buy gift card (which we had come with), and headed to Andalusia.  Much different trip when you have to stop at a rest stop in Greenville to feed your child, but we made it!  

Anyway, we had a great time in Andalusia.  Turner slept in a Moses basket and did great!  He got to hang out with both great Grannys and many aunts, uncles and cousins.  

Granny Fran with her 19th great grandson!

In the Moses basket for his first night ever in Andalusia.

Hanging out with Granny Eloise at her house for Christmas dinner.

With Heath's parents a week or so before Christmas

All in all, Christmas was wonderful.  It was a great time to spend time with family and friends and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  It was such a miracle to have a child with us to celebrate - just looking at him is a reminder of God's sovereignty and control of our lives.  Now that I have a child that I love so much, it gives me a better understanding of what it is to be called a child of God.  

Our little glow worm!

Turner came home from the hospital on December 7th. 2 days later, we thought he was looking more and more yellow. The hospital called to check on him (and me), and I got worried because he had not pooped since we left the hospital. I never knew I could be so concerned about poop, but again, things change in an instant with this motherhood thing! Anyway, Heath and I made his first doctor's appointment to check out his bilirubin level. I was very jaundiced when I was born, so I wondered if this would happen to him. I had to have a blood transfusion at 5 days old or so, so I was paranoid for him.

Anyway, we went to visit our new pediatrician's office. On a side note, it was very weird to call and find a doctor at 35 weeks pregnant for someone who I couldn't see! I was registering Turner Henderson for the pediatrician, and I had never met him!!

So, when he went to the doctor he had dropped to 6 pounds, 4 ounces. They said he looked fine, and they would call us with his bili level. She said 13 was about normal - he had 9 when he left the hospital. Well, we get home and they call and tell us it was 23! I panicked, but they were calm, and told me it was a different form of jaundice than what I had as a newborn.

Then, a home health care service calls and tells me that they are sending a bili bed - looks like this - to our house for him to sleep on.

It was like his own little tanning bed. However, since I was so hormonal, I was crying when the nurse brought it out. She told me we couldn't pick him up and hold him, that he had to stay on the bed. The light from the bed did something to break down his blood cells so he could get rid of that bilirubin. She said it didn't put off heat - just light, but it had a fan and was very calming. Needless to say, Turner loved it! I was a little sad, but he was very content. This was his first day on the bed - notice how yellow he was!

Do you see why we called him a glow worm? He was in his little suit, and could move his arms, but the rest was velcroed down. The only time I could hold him was to feed him.
Well, here is where we enter the drama. After I stopped crying, and realized this would keep the sweet quiet baby sleeping all day and happy, we were okay. Until 10 o'clock that night. I woke him up to feed him (had to when he was on the bed - the nurses made us chart everything). Well, he wouldn't really eat. And when we had taken his temperature, it was 96.1. But, the nurse was there for that, and said not to worry because he had just had a bath. And, he still hadn't gone to the bathroom. He wouldn't really wake up. He was very, very sluggish. I started to get a bad feeling. Luckily, Mom was up with me. I looked at her, and we decided he wasn't acting right. I decided to call the doctor's office and talk to the answering service.

They told me to rub a wet cloth on him and try to wake him up. He still didn't wake up! So, she told me to call 911. Well, I learn if you use the word 'lethargic' with 911, they will send an ambulance to your house VERY quickly.

The paramedics were great, said his signs looked good, but that he was really, really sleepy. So, they loaded us on an ambulance and we headed to Children's Hospital. I was calm, but I thought I was going to throw up. I was holding him, all wrapped up, and they strapped me on a stretcher. Heath followed in his car. Turner got the siren and everything. Go big or go home, right? Well, that little turkey. Don't get me wrong - I was very thankful, but as we roll off the ambulance on the stretcher, he opens his eyes! Wakes up. The whole ride there he would not do it - not even for the paramedics. Incidentally, they gave him oxygen through a little tube. Then they said, "Mom, this is for you too." Great - I guess I wasn't that calm!

Well, after he opens his eyes, we roll into a room, and he is wailing. So, they check his temp - 98.5. Then, he has an explosive diaper. Of course!! He just needed to be escorted to Children's to do all of these things.

Well, luckily the resident (who was very patient) sees all of these things. Then, he listens to me and the paramedics around me tell him what is going on. To which he responds, "We are going to do our standard procedure - admit him, give him a spinal tap, observe for a couple of days." At the words "spinal tap" I completely lost my mind. I began saying to him "Can I refuse services?" I wanted to drop kick the nurse, who ended up being extremely helpful later in the night, as she is telling me all of the things that could happen if I take him home and don't leave him there. Then I asked to see the attending. What was I thinking??? I KNOW they know far more than I do, but this mother's instinct is CRAZY! Well, the attending comes back and very calmly repeats the same things. Again, lost my mind at the phrase 'spinal tap' and refused everything. Poor Heath - he tells me that he signed some release form for just being treated, and I freaked out. I am yelling (in a whisper) "Don't sign ANYTHING! That is what they want us to do! They are using scare tactics!!" I admit I had gone officially insane.

Well, long story short the wonderful attending was very patient, and understood I was a first time mom (and completely neurotic). They checked his blood levels and bilirubin, and then we had a calm discussion. Sounds like me, huh? Ha. We compromised, and she said since his levels were fine and there was a nurse coming to our house the next morning (it was about 2 a.m. anyway), that we could take him home.

All of this at 4 days old. The night ended as we drove home about 3 a.m. and he got back on his bed. Nice. Part of his home health care included a nurse coming to our house 1-2 times a day to check on him. What a blessing! The nurse told me when she got there the next day that I had done the right thing to call 911, and the doctor told me that later. Maybe I am not completely insane, or at least they didn't want to tell me!

I will say, it made me grateful to God that he gives us symptoms. He was faithful to heal Turner's little body and my fragile psyche. I am glad He is in control and not me!! Also, thank God for the patient and knowledgeable doctors at Children's Hospital.

Oh, and update. He got off the bed last Friday - on December 12th. I got a little teary as we gave the bed back - he had grown so attached to it. Hormones! Bless Heath's heart!!

Turner's Birth Day

I am currently calling my sister about every 3 and a half minutes with questions about the baby. Anyone that knows us would think she is the big sister, because she knows way more about this than I do. Our doctor (Dr. Adcock) even told her she was doing a great job as the little sis! Mom commented that Lindsey was the first to ride her bike down a hill when we were little, and I was too cautious/careful to do it until she did. Who knew that would be so foreshadowing??
Anyway, I say that to say that I even need to call her to figure out how to put pictures on this blog. So, I am sure I will talk to her tonight and get some up!
I wanted to document the night/day that I went into labor with Turner (I will definitely skip some specifics - I am amazed/fascinated when people are so graphic on their blogs - not me!). First of all, we went to the doctor 2 days before Thanksgiving, and he told us we were fine to travel to Andalusia, because I was 0 cm dilated and 40 percent effaced. The check that told us that was not very fun, but again, trying to keep it pretty general! Then, we went to the doctor 8 days later - on December 3rd - to get checked again. I assumed I would not have made any progress, because our doctor kept saying Lindsey and I were so similar in carrying children, and she was dilated/effaced for weeks!! Anyway, in the meantime, Tuberville's drama happened at exactly the minute that we were called back into the room. Well, some people assume that Heath works for Auburn (because he would love you to assume that) and his phone was BLOWING UP!! As the doctor is checking me, I am mouthing over his shoulder "Put down the blackberry!!" In his defense, he was only silencing it, because I think he literally had 17 phone calls in the 6 minutes the doctor was with us! Anyway, the doctor says "Good progress." I say, "No?!" thinking he was asking me. No, he was telling me I had dilated 1-2 centimeters and was 80 percent effaced. Wow! He said, I will see you next Wednesday. Then, I tried ever so casually to say "Can we induce?" Because our due date was exactly Christmas Day! He started laughing at me. Then, he looked at the calendar on the door and said "How about the 18th?" Just like that. So calmly! Then, he wrote it on our chart and bid us farewell. I was ecstatic!! I am thinking - yes, I can do Christmas this year!! We were leaving, and they had us go back to schedule our induction. Heath was thrilled to do this, but I think so that he could get back in on the drama of the Tuberville situation. I am not saying he was more into that than the birth of our child, but it was a toss-up. Just kidding.
All right, so we are both on the phone telling people that we were going to have a baby on the 18th. I was so excited!! But, my back started hurting. Just like a cramp at the bottom of my back, and I didn't think anything of it. However, it hurt all night and into the next day. On Thursday as I am happily running around the school telling people he would let us induce, they kept saying "You are not going to make it that far!" On a side note, I had gone to my grandparents' house Wednesday night, because Dink has been sick and he has been very interested in when Lindsey and I were going to have our babies. He had a countdown of sorts, so I was going to update him. Nanny said, "Kelly, there is no way you are going to make it until then!" I told her I was fine with that!
Remember what I said about streams of consciousness?? So I was at school on Thursday. Back still hurting, so I took 2 Tylenol. My mom laughed later that I took Tylenol for labor pains - didn't know they were labor pains!! All my friends/mommies at school were asking how I was feeling. A few people said "You could be in back labor." I just laughed! Then, my friend Rebekah said "Hey, you are 37 weeks today. That is technically full-term. Let's have this baby." I agreed, but little did I know how serious that was. Finally, a kindergarten teacher friend of mine said, "What did the doctor say?" I told her, and she laughed and said, "When that happened to me, I had a baby 2 days later." Then she asked if I was having back pain. I told her yes, and she laughed, and told me to start looking at my watch for contractions.
Fast forward to later that afternoon when I went to my parents' house. Lindsey, mom and I went to Target and Kohl's. I did start feeling contractions - but they didn't hurt, I just figured that was what they were. I didn't think they were very regular, and didn't say anything, because I had to get Gordon's Christmas card outfit. (Gordon is our pug - later I will write about him). Meanwhile, the back was still hurting - and did all night. But, it didn't feel worse than a cramp.
Okay, so that night Heath and I went to dinner. When I got home, I followed the advice of school friends and started packing a bag, thinking I could add to it over the next few days/weeks. The nesting in me (which is no joke!) packed the bag, and had a list next to it of things to put in that I would need on a day-to-day basis until we went to the hospital. Then, I began packing Turner's bag. Then, I thought "Well, I could just go ahead and pre-register at the hospital." Not having any idea how soon we would need it. Heath thought it was a little crazy, I guess I did, too, but I thought why not? Then, we took Gordon's picture for the Christmas card, and I ordered them on Snapfish. Walgreen's confirmed the order, and I was going to pick them up Friday morning.
We went to bed. At 3 a.m. I woke up. I thought my water was breaking, but couldn't tell. So, I tiptoed into the nursery and called guess who - that's right, Lindsey. I described what was going on (thinking Heath would think I was insane!), and she said to call the doctor. Duh. So I did. Dr. McKenzie was on call, and he was so calm with me. He told me he was going to call the labor and delivery nurses and tell them I was going to "swing on by". I asked him if I could take a shower, and he said he didn't mind, but then I started thinking we better go on. In the meantime, I had woken Heath up, and he was packing. God had given me such a peace, it was no big deal - we were very calm.
So, we head to the hospital. Heath called his parents, who were in North Carolina on a business trip, and told them what was going on. They immediately started finding flights home. I called my parents, too, and began texting a few people. We got to the hospital and unloaded - they had just told us the day or so before where we would need to park. As we walked to the door, they buzzed and asked us how they could help us. I was oddly calm - only from the Lord - and Heath was pretty calm, too. I could only tell he was a little jittery when they called over the intercom about opening the door, and he couldn't say anything. They said, "Can we help you?" And he said, "Uh..uh...uhhh..." I laughed and we told them we thought I was in labor.
So, Heath prayed for us and we walked in - wondering what was going to happen. The nurses had already been called and showed us where to go. All the while, I thought one of the nurses looked like a mom from school. Well, it was. Her name was Lila, and I was so comforted that I recognized someone. She didn't have a child in my class, but had a friend of mine last year. Looking back, there was God calming us again. So, they tell me my water had definitely broken. At that point I said, "So I won't be going to work today, right?" They laughed and said there was no turning back. I called my principal at 4:55 a.m. and talked to her husband.
They hooked me up to monitors and said they didn't know who the doctor on call would be. By 6:00, I had a new nurse. In God's sovereignty, it was Katie, who had delivered Kate with Lindsey. She was wonderful, and we were instant friends! Then, they said the doctor on call was on his way. In walked Dr. Adcock!!! I was thrilled. There was God again - keeping me so peaceful. I fist pumped the air (which Derek continued to make fun of). Then, all of the family walked in except Brandon, who was taking care of baby Kate. Looking back, Dr. Adcock said he had called in an hour and a half before and heard that I was in there. Side note - he had been handling me so carefully as a patient, because I have been told before I tend to be emotional, especially when it comes to change. Ha! He had told me a couple of weeks before that he had some nurses in mind for when the big day came. I don't think it was a coincidence that I had such a wonderful, laid back nurse in Katie.
He told me we were going to start pitosin and progress through dilation. Then, he left. The nurses said, "It looks like you are going to have a lot of family here. Would you like a birthing suite?" Of course! So we wheeled down the hallway. Then, Lindsey made a phone call. She used to work at the hospital, and they secured her a suite for after the baby was born. Look how smoothly everything was going, thank you Lord!!
I got the epidural, and it was no big deal. I did feel one real contraction, and it was enough to make me want to kiss the anaesthesiologist when he gave me that beautiful shot. All of a sudden, the back pain was gone!! It felt so good when it was gone, that I didn't realize how badly it had been hurting. It had been so constant!
At this point, it was almost 8 in the morning. The family came into the room, and Derek ran into our pastor at Starbuck's. He has been our pastor my whole life, and he came to the room to visit and pray over me. God is so faithful! It was amazing to have the man who baptized and marry me be there to pray for such a big event!
Then, sister-in-law Kate came. At this time, the medicine was hitting me and I was a little woozy. I told the nurse "I am seeing..." I couldn't finish, and she knew I was seeing stars. My blood pressure had gone up, so they gave me something to make it come down. I semi-consciously motioned Kate to come to the bed so I could see her better. The family laughed - I guess I sounded kind of crazy. Then, Kate and Lindsey held my hair back as I threw up. I haven't thrown up since college, but I felt so much better.
Then, Jay (Heath's brother) got there, and Brandon brought baby Kate up. I was progressing and text messaging school friends, etc. and posting on facebook from my phone. About an hour later, they told us we could start pushing. However, Dr. Adcock was in surgery. So, Derek and Jay went and got everyone lunch and we just waited.
Then, the time came - about 12:15. Everyone had eaten lunch (except me, but it was the last thing on my mind!), and were in the waiting room. My dear friend Jane Ann came in and we prayed and then the nurses got me all set up. I will try to be vague. Heath wanted to stay at my head (good call), so Lindsey was at my legs. She has been in so many deliveries, she didn't care, and Heath and I were just glad to have her in there with the nurses and doctor!
We started pushing for about an hour. Then, Dr. A said "Are you a competitor? Room 1 is also in labor, and I can't be in 2 places at once." Well, this got me more serious with everything. I had to win! He had to stay in my room!! We kept pushing, and Heath and Lindsey were wonderful cheerleaders. I was exhausted and threw up one more time - sorry, a lot of info - but was determined to keep the doctor in there! Eventually, Dr. A said, in one more push you will have a son! There we went. He said, "Free up your hands" and I helped pull him up to my chest. It was so surreal. Heath and I just started crying. Lindsey then became our photographer, and I was so glad. The time was 1:54 p.m. They came in to bathe him and weigh him. It was truly a miracle. I have heard that said so many times, it is almost a cliche. However, when it happens to you, you are so thankful to be a child of such a wonderful and giving God. We couldn't believe how far little Turner had come, and it was just his first minute of life! Amazing - I highly recommend it!!
Okay, I will end this post here for now, if people are even still reading. Sorry so long, but it was one of the best days of our lives, and I don't want to forget even the smallest detail.

I caved!

Okay...so much to say! First of all, I have mixed emotions about a blog. I have waited until now to start one because I couldn't imagine what would be exciting enough in our lives to write about. Especially when I was pregnant - "Yea, I am EVEN bigger now. My belly button looks like a torpedo and the children at school laugh at it." Not so much. But, then Turner came. The mom in me came out and I have actually thought this week how big he has gotten and that I better record it! That is crazy - he isn't even 7 pounds yet. Motherhood will do crazy things to you. It is insane to think that one week ago I was a different person than I am tonight. (Tomorrow he will be one week old!) So, I thought I better start recording things. I know for certain that I will not keep up his baby book, but I am going to try to keep this up!
Since I am a blog-stalker and I am interested in even the most mundane things, I figure I will write things, and people can click the X in the top corner of the page if they are boring to them.
My sister is the blog guru, and helped me set this up yesterday. Also, my friend Lindsay and my sister-in-law Kate need shout outs because they have asked me monthly since I found out if I was pregnant when the blog was starting. They knew I would cave, but again - waiting on Turner to be the star of it!!
Note - I write in streams of consciousness. I found this out in high school when Mrs. Treleaven (English teacher) was talking about a student of hers that did this - wrote on and on and jumped from subject to subject. Then she looked directly at me and said "It is you!" Nice. Anyway, I embrace this - it just means so many things come to me and I just go with it. So, go with me!