Life with six kids...

...is crazy. I'll try to post more soon.

Introducing...

Mikaela Nicole

5 lbs 4 oz

 

Here is Mikaela's birth story. It may sound unbelievable, but it is true.

I'm not really sure when it begins, so I'll begin with Monday. I went to the doctor on Monday, and he checked me. I was dialated to a 2+. We scheduled me to be induced on the 15th. After I left I noticed I had a couple of contractions. They were pretty strong, but not regular or consistent. I went about my day fairly normally. That night I woke up every couple of hours to go to the bathroom, and then I was waking up and I didn't need to go, so I just laid there and realized that contractions had been waking me up. I was having a couple every hour. I figured things must be getting pretty close. In the morning I told Mike that I thought that today or tomorrow we were going to have a baby, and we needed to get ready.

When I got up, I realized I wasn't having contractions anymore. I was really sore though. I decided to take it easy, and just get her stuff ready. So I packed my bag, and pulled her clothes out. I got the diapers and wipes ready, and checked the car seat.

Sometime after lunch I started having contractions again. They were fairly strong for me, so Mike told me I needed to start timing them. I started timing them at 4:00. at 4:30 my contractions had consistently been 7 min apart for 30 min, so we called my mom to come. I decided to go to the bathroom and lay down while I waited for her to come. I was having a contraction when I went into the bathroom, and it was strong. I told Mike that I thought it was labor quality. In my head I told me self that when it ended I would sit down and pee and then get to the couch before the next one started. I stood there for a while, because it wasn't ending. I knew then that I was in trouble. It eventually started to fade (not end) and I decided to sit down anyway. I could feel the stretching as I sat and then there was a burst of water, as my water broke. I screamed and stood up really quick, so that I wouldn't have to labor by a toilet, and looked down, and there was a baby on the floor. It was so unreal.  I have a hard time believing it myself.

At this point Mike and the kids had rushed into the bathroom. Mike scooped up the baby and a bath towel and shoved them into my arms and ran out of the bathroom to call 911. Merek and Rylan were in the bathroom asking me if I was ok, and if the baby had hurt me. Corbin was dancing outside of the bathroom. I don't know where Tyler was. Mike tied off the umbilical cord with his shoe string, and I delivered the placenta into the toilet. We waited for the paramedics to arrive and take me to the hospital. When we got there some how a rumor had spread that I didn't know that I had been pregnant. They were a little freaked, but calmed down when I explained that I just didn't know the baby was on it's way out. The took her to NICU because she hit her head when she fell, and they thought she might have some bleeding. They did an untrasound that night, and a CT the next morning. No bleeding. Her hemacrits were high, so we got to stay. I am hoping to get out by tomorrow.

Updates

It's been a bit since I've posted. Mainly I've been too lazy to break out a camera. We had a nice Thanksgiving break. We were able to have two Thanksgivings. One with Mikes family, which I have no pictures of, and one with my brother and mom, which I do have pictures of. Here are the pics from the second dinner...

 

 Kids playing before dinner. It was so nice outside, they didn't even need sweaters.

 Helping to prepare the feast.

 What is a trip to Jon's without visiting the falls. It had gotten pretty cold by now. The kids really enjoyed rolling down the hill and making a nest out of leaves.

My first semester of teaching is almost over. It has been a good experience. I didn't know everything, but we were able to figure things out, and I think overall it has been a good semester.One thing I learned is that teachers spend a lot of time grading papers. I think that this is something that I want to continue doing.

I have less than three weeks left, until the baby will be here. I don't think that I am ever ready for a new baby. We still haven't figured out a name.  After five names, I am named out, and I don't even want to think about it. If anyone has any good suggestions for girl names I would love to hear it. I am in need of help. The middle name will be Nicole.

Gardunia Gift Exchange

WOW, I can't believe it is time to think about Christmas already. Here is the annual Gardunia Gift Exchange list.


Marc has Rich
Brian has Marc
Anna has Brian
Jon has Anna
Rich has Jon

Busy Weekend

Mike has been helping his brother-in-law build a shop, and we decided to head to Emmett and spend the day with cousins while he worked. The kids love to visit here. There is so much to do. Corbin started out raking leaves with Bryce, and then they got to haul them off with a 4 wheeler.

The other kids jumping on the trampoline.

Corbin loves to vacuum with the built in vac system.

Mike working on the shop.

Making donuts.

On Sunday Mike baptized Anthony.

Here's a fall picture. Corbin refused to take off his coat because it was too cold. I told him he only had to take off the hat so we could see his face, but he thought it would be better to wait in the car.

Boise Temple

We went to the Boise Temple Open House today. I wish I could say that it was a really spiritual experience, but it wasn't. Today might not have been the best day to go to the temple. The kids stayed up late last night, they had had too much sugar. They were a little uncontrollable. But we did have a good experience. The kids were very excited. They thought they might see Jesus. The plastic shoe covers were a little scary for Merek, and even with a lot of pre-warning, he freaked out and would not put them on. We elected to go with just socks. We have decided that we might try to go through it again without kids, it would be a good date night.

Halloween

Halloween for us was really three days. On Saturday we went to the ward trunk-or-treat, Sunday grandma came over for an hour and helped carve pumpkins, and then Wednesday we went trick-or-treating.  Here are some photos...

Tyler, Brandon, Isabelle, Elijah, Samantha, and Merek. (The names you don't recognize are the kids' cousins who live with us.)

Madi

Boys carving pumpkins (that we grew!)

Grandma helping to carve pumpkins.

Brandon played with Madi while the kids carved pumpkins.

The finished products.

Merek waiting to go trick-or-treating.

Rylan "Hold your hands up!"

Corbin the magnificent.

Michael

Nicole came to help us trick-or-treat, and boy did I need her. We had seven kids and four 

adults. Mike and Mia took the older and faster kids, and Nicole and I went with Merek and Madi. We had a fun time.