Tongue Tied

There are no pictures to accompany this post, just a few thoughts as I encountered Rachel's first medical procedure today. Yes, I did it. I had her fenulum released or a fenulumectomy (no I don't know if I spelled it right). What may you ask is that? It is getting your child's tongue tie cut. I have debated and stressed about this procedure for the entire 10 days that she has been alive. I finally decided on day 3 that it was absolutely necessary or we wouldn't make it much longer with breastfeeding. We were having such a hard time and thankfully I am not a first time Mom so I knew something was wrong. I asked and asked in the hospital about it and everyone said just wait and see what happens or as long as she is gaining weight it is fine. However, having great difficulty with feeding is NOT fine. I shall spare everyone the gross details, but I really almost gave it up. We were told our pediatrician could just take care of it, so imagine my surprise when on day 5 we went to the pediatrician and paid our $25 co-pay and he said, oh we don't do that here, you have to go to an ENT. An ENT? I am not kidding. And so I had to wait until today. I thought I was okay with it, but I got more and more nervous last night and this morning. Alas, we arrived to see this ENT and to proceed with the fenulum release. Of course, as I go to pull her out of the carseat for the scale it turns out she had pooped all the way up her back and front. So, with all that poop, a onesie and an outfit she came in at a whopping 7 lbs. I am certain it is closer to 6 lbs 11 oz. Maybe less by the amount of poop that came out. So there we stood ready for the moment and my Mommy protective nature kicked in. Was I really doing the best thing for her? Would she ever forgive me? Would I start crying as I watched in horror and of course due to the lack of sleep and overactive hormones? And most of all, would she really be okay? I hounded the doctor with several questions and then we went for it. It was painful watching them hold her little chin and head still and I couldn't look as they actually did it. Rachel didn't particularly like being held down, but as they held the gauze on the wound for blood the cute nurse rubbed her cheek and calmed her down. She never even let out a scream. I couldn't believe it. And I couldn't get to her fast enough. Amazingly they want you to feed her right there to soothe the wound (who knew breastmilk was so great) and it was a night and day difference. I couldn't believe how easy it was for her to latch on. I couldn't believe how well she ate. Fortunately it has lasted all of today and so I know I made the right choice. But man, it is hard to knowingly submit your child to pain...even though you know it is best for them and even though you know they won't remember it. What a stressful morning! I am so glad I did it, but it just reaffirms how much you love your child from the minute they are born. 10 days into this, I love her more than anyone could ever imagine. She better not ever doubt it! Of course, I apparently failed to explain it very well to my children as I was leaving. Jacob got it for the most part, but Anna came running to the door and wanted to see what her mouth looked like. I thought it was a pretty normal question until she asked me what Rachel would do with her tongue cut off. Oops. We had to explain it one more time. Gratefully, we are no longer tongue tied, although for a moment today as I waited for her to cry, I was tongue tied for just a moment. And that, my friends, is a true feat!

Tub Time!

Rachel's first tub at home! You can see how tiny she really is when you compare the size of the cup to her head.









She didn't love it at first, but once she felt the warm water, she calmed down. She much preferred the wrapping up in the towel at the end.














Here you can see how blonde her hair is already. She also looks EXACTLY like her Dad's baby pictures. Almost frightening really. Good thing Bart is so cute!

Anna looks on as Rachel gets clean. She liked watching and helping. She even helped wash her feet. Let's hope Rachel is as beautiful as her big sister!

Our New Family Life!

Here is a look at our "new" family shortly after Rachel was born. Anna was a little freaked out by all the wires and the idea of a someone else to share her Daddy with. She immediately wanted Dad to hold her when she came in the room. Jacob and Anna each brought a new baby Webkinz for Rachel to have. They wanted her to be able to hold them right away! It has been fun and challenging both to have a new baby in the family. We all love to hold her, but the sleep deprivation doesn't always bring out the best in Mom and Dad. Anna has decided not to sleep either, which makes for some really long nights! Jacob, however, has become such a big boy overnight it seems. He LOVES to be with Rachel and tells me how much he misses her when they are apart. I love this picture of them holding hands. It is one of his favorite things and makes him feel like she knows him and wants to be with him. He will sit and hold her for 30 min at a time and just wants to do anything he can for her. I think they will have a special relationship (at least I hope they will) as they grow up. He is so great with Anna, so I shouldn't have expected anything less with this baby. The last picture is one of Rachel with her eyes open the first night we came home. Each day as she opens her eyes more and more it is so fun to watch her learn and grow and to become more aware of us and her surroundings. Thankfully, Anna is getting more used to her and is proud to be a BIG sister. We are grateful for all of these beautiful children....even when they are challenging! Can't wait to sleep through the night again someday.....a girl can dream.

Introducing.....

Rachel Elizabeth Williams

We are so blessed and excited to share our new baby girl with everyone. Rachel was born on Friday, March 7, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. She weighed in at a tiny 6 lbs 10.2 oz and 20.5 inches long. She is the sweetest, best smelling baby ever! We were so surprised that she was so tiny. All reports were that she would be a big baby. Turns out she was just in there the wrong way...which made us wait a little longer, but not too much. Once she decided to turn herself around, she came out quickly. We had a fantastic labor experience and truly enjoyed welcoming her into the world. I am still amazed that our bodies can do this. I am amazed at how much you can completely and instantly love someone so small. I am so blessed that she is a healthy, beautiful girl. So far she is pretty mellow, but if her ultrasounds are any indication, she won't stay that way for too long. I am doing really well, I can't believe how much easier it is after the 3rd baby in terms of healing. I am super tired but have lots of help which is making it easier. And each day as it gets easier, my love for her grows. My love for my sweet husband grows and my love for my other kids grows. They are in love with her too. Jacob is completely taken and already possessive and protective as all big brothers should be. Anna is still somewhat unsure. When she is with me and the baby she feels like an important big sister, but isn't sure what to do when all 3 kids are around. I am sure it will take some adjusting and I have decided that we will for sure NEVER be on time for anything again if we ever leave the house ourselves again! Alas, here is our beautiful baby girl and I am certain there will be a lot of posts and pictures about her as the days and weeks go on. Welcome home, Rachel. We love you!

False alarm?!?

Last Sunday, I thought I was lucky enough to be having the baby, but to no avail. We went to our stake conference at church and the last half an hour nearly killed me. It took me a few minutes to figure out why I was so uncomfortable and then it hit me really hard. I could hardly breathe. I thought I should wait and see if they were regular or not and by the time they were and I got Bart's attention, we were winding down. He gave me the keys so we could start out the door, but they were such intense contractions, I couldn't walk fast enough. I could barely walk at all. Plus, I will admit I was terrified that I would stand up and my water would break right there in front of everyone on the wood floor and then I would slip and fall. Yes, that is a nightmare of mine for real. So, after the meeting was done Bart took the kids ahead of me to clear off the car that was covered in a few inches of snow and my Mom and I carefully braved the crowds trying to get out. I had to literally stop a few times because I couldn't walk through the pain. My cute Mom was visiting for the weekend and I thought she was going to burst with excitement. However, I have also inherited my Mom's stubborn will. She wanted to just go to the hospital, but I refused because I was in heels and more importantly, because I was hungry. I get so mad when I even think of how they try and tell you not to eat or drink ahead of time because who is really expected to do all of that work on an empty stomach? And to add insult to it they only offer you ice chips when you want to gulp down a 44 oz. Diet Coke, er water. And why do they always insist on breast feeding before you can even attempt to restore your body's resources? It makes me wonder if they really know what they are talking about! Anyway, obviously, I didn't have the baby last Sunday, but we did end up taking some pictures just in case. I am thrilled that I was wearing black as it definitely makes me feel slimmer. The kids were even well dressed and groomed for once at the same time, so we took a couple of family shots too. Which leads us to today, March 6th, my last day being pregnant. We are going tomorrow morning to get induced and to finally meet this little one. So check back in a few days to see just who we add to our family!

The Belly In All It's Glory!

Well, here it is,the much anticipated belly shot. The only thing is that the pictures never really do it justice. This thing is huge and apparently so is the baby. I know, I know my last baby was only 7 lbs 10 oz and my first was 8 lbs 5 oz, but with my stellar height of 5 ft 3 inches, this is a serious feat to be able to carry relatively large babies. And they are relatively large to my body! This picture was taken on Feb 21, 2008 at 36 weeks and 5 days, so we have grown even more since then. Fortunately the baby has also dropped so I think it makes your shape look a little better. I had to pull up the top shirt so that you could really see the bump of the tank top. This kid has been hiding in my ribs so when it finally dropped and I could breathe it made me excited that the end is actually near. Too bad that the rest of you has to get phat too. Well, for most people that happens. I wish I could say it was all belly, but obviously not! So, for those of you who requested it, there is the belly shot. One day I'll be able to use this against this child for something, won't I? Like, I carried you and looked and felt like this, so you better get an A in school? Do you think it will work? Yeah, me either.