Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Brody's Birth Story

I woke up Friday morning for work and began getting ready.  While I was doing my hair I noticed that I had abnormal cramping and some spotting.  I began to panic as I thought something was wrong.  I woke Kent up and then called my mom for help.  She informed me that I should call my doctor to make sure everything was ok.  My doctor's office wasn’t open so I called the hospital.  The hospital informed me that as long as I was feeling some cramping along with the bleeding that I would be fine and they hoped to see me soon.  I went to work and the day went on without too many contractions. 
            The next morning we woke up and walked around the neighborhood with my parents in hopes to induce labor.  As the day continued contractions seemed to get a little harder and closer together.  We drove to Southern Highlands to look at some model homes in hopes that more walking would bring this baby sooner.  I had a couple hard painful contractions, but they weren’t close enough to go to the hospital.  As the night went on my contractions got closer and more painful.  I paced our downstairs for about a half hour and around 8 or 9 at night we headed to the hospital.  Before we left Kent gave me a blessing that I could make it through this and that our baby would be healthy.  They took Kent and I into triage and hooked me up to check my contractions and the babies heart rate.  The patient across the room from me moaned in pain the ended up pulling her IV out.  The nurses seemed to be a little annoyed with her because she was from out of town and had no ride home (she was a prostitute).  After a little while the nurse came in to check me, but she wasn’t able to accurately get my dilation.  The physician then came in and explained to me that I wasn’t having contractions and that they were just early labor pains and that they would be sending me home.  I left feeling so discouraged on how I was ever going to make it through labor if that wasn’t even a contraction.  I could tell Kent was feeling the same way and was a little annoyed that I wasn’t being very tough.  We headed home.

            I went home and sat in the tub while Kent and my parents went to bed.  I sat in the tub and that didn’t seem to ease any of the pain.  After a couple of hours of getting in and out of the tub, trying to get comfortable in bed, and sitting on the toilet I still had no luck in easing the pain.  At some point I began to feel very nauseous and ended up throwing up everything that I had eaten.  I spent hours over the toilet and eventually around 3 in the morning I called the hospital and explained to them that I couldn’t keep anything down.  The nurse told me to come in and they would check me and if anything they would hook me up to an IV so I wouldn’t get dehydrated.  I was so discouraged from the night before that I didn’t want to get sent home another time.  I waited a couple more hours continuing to find a comfortable position in the bath tub, on the toilet, or in bed.  The most comfortable position I found was bent over the toilet with a pillow supporting my belly.  Finally, I knew something was wrong when I kept feeling the urge to push, like I needed to go to the bathroom.  I faintly said Kent’s name because I didn’t want to startle him.  He came in the bathroom and said, “it’s so hot in here, you’re going to pass out.”  I couldn’t get myself up off the floor so he helped me to the bed so I could get dressed.  I could barely walk and I had to lean over the bed to be remotely comfortable.  Kent helped me put on my clothes and we left to the hospital around 6:30 Sunday morning.  As each contraction came I would squeeze Kent’s hand and turn my head to handle the pain.  It was interesting how as each contraction came my body would naturally push and I had no control over it.  Once we got to the hospital they put me in triage again and hooked me up to all the monitors.  The nurse said, “I’ve been waiting for you since you called this morning.”  As I laid on my side to make it through each contraction I noticed that the babies heart rate was changing as the contractions were coming.  This nurse checked me much quicker and immediately said, “well you’re at a 9.”  She immediately went to the back room in a panic and the next thing I knew I was being wheeled to the delivery room.  I remember the nurses being in a panic and everyone kept saying this baby is coming quick.  As I got to the delivery room and moved to the other bed my water broke.  It felt like somebody had popped a water balloon on me.  Within minutes the anesthesiologist was in the room and I was being hooked up to an IV and the epidural was being put in.  I was the most worried about these two, but everything happened so quick that I didn’t have a chance to be nervous.  My legs began to feel as if they were asleep and the nurses began the paperwork.  I was then informed that I was actually at a 10.  Within 15 minutes I was no longer feeling that sensation to push, I could hardly feel the pressure from my contractions.  Within an hour they had me begin practicing pushing before the doctor could get there.  We began making predictions on when the baby would arrive.  Our times ranged from 9:15 to 10:00.  After awhile, pushing became frustrating to me because I no longer felt that uncontrollable urge to push.  I think this is part of the reason it took me so long to push the baby out.  I could tell the doctor was getting frustrated with me.  The baby’s head would make progress and then it was as if his head would suction back up.  Eventually, they ended up turning the epidural off so I could feel my contractions.  Kent was so good at my side holding my hands or legs and counting for me.  We did 3 sets of 10 second pushes.  My mom was also in the room helping hold my legs and giving me water.  My dad waited outside the room for hours with little updates.  After two attempts at vacuuming him out with no luck Brody Leroy Schank made his debut at 12:00 PM on May 17, 2015 weighing 8 pounds 4 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. 


They quickly took him to the corner of the room to clean him.  They brought him over to me to look at and said they would be taking him.  I didn’t quite know what was going on at the time.  I noticed that there was poop on my leg, but I had figured that it was mine.  Kent and Brody left the room.  My mom stayed with me as the doctor stitched me up.  Kent came back as I was still getting stitched up.  He explained to me that Brody was taken to the NICU because he was stained green and wasn’t a normal color.  Come to find out, he had pooped shortly after my water broke and could have meconium in his lungs.  Kent explained that in the NICU they pumped his stomach while he sat back and cried because he couldn’t help our baby boy.  After I was stitched up Kent and my parents came in the delivery room with me.  I was shaking uncontrollably for 20 minutes due to the epidural wearing off and my hormones.  Shortly after I threw up the water I had drank.  After I was finished in the delivery room they wheeled me in my bed into the NICU to see my baby.  I was only able to put my hands in the incubator and touch his little body.  He had a tube down his throat so they could continue to pump his stomach and an IV in the side of his head to give him sugar water and to give him his antibiotics.  Once I was in my recovery room the pediatrician explained to me that they would be keeping him for 2 days till the results were back that would clear him of the meconium in his lungs.  If it didn’t come back clear they would be keeping him from 5-7 days.  I was told I wouldn’t be able to see my baby again until later that night when I was able to be wheel chaired into the NICU.  Later that night Kent wheeled me into the NICU to see our baby.  Luckily the nurse was at his side and his IV had come out of his head and we were able to hold our baby for a half hour.  I will never forget the first time I was able to hold him.  It was frustrating to have to work around all the tubes and wires attached to his tiny body.  The next two days Kent and I spent as much time in the NICU as we could.  Unfortunately, the test results didn’t come back in time on Tuesday for us to take Brody home.  I was discharged on Tuesday and we weren’t able to take our baby home with us.  I cried on our way home.  The next morning Kent dropped me off at the hospital to spend the morning with Brody while he went back to work.  Brody’s cultures came back negative and we were finally able to take Brody home Wednesday afternoon.  








We couldn't imagine the love we would have for Brody.  Our lives completely revolve around him.

The nurses nicknamed him "surfer dude"






"Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn't know you had and dealing with fears you never knew existed."
-Linda Wooten

Friday, May 3, 2013

*Graduation*

This guy graduated!!
I couln't be more proud of him.  He worked extra hard his last semester.  I finished working at the beginning of April and was able to pack up the apartment up and spend some much needed time with Kent. 
Our parents were able to come the morning of graduation.  We got everything put in the trailor quickly, thanks to Donald & Kenna moving service.  Kent had his graduation dinner at Stockman's.  Luckily, we were able to have Kal, Lacy, and Jackson join us for dinner.  We went straight from dinner to Kent's graduation. We were so grateful that both of our parents were able to make it. 

The next morning we headed out to Vegas!!  We left our first apartment.  It was a little bittersweet knowing that was where we started our lives together.  We miss our friends in Rexburg and hope they visit.
Goodbye apartment #411
We headed out early Saturday morning.  That's why we look the way we do.  We left rainy Rexburg for 90 degree Vegas.  We were able to stop in Kaysville to eat and say goodbye to my family.  We made another stop in Cedar City to see Kent's cousins family and eat Maggie Moo's.  We made one last stop in St. George to pick up a few things and see some of Kent's family.  We finally arrived around 10 p.m. and couldn't have been more excited to be out of the car. We LOVE our new place.  I'm especially loving the garage.  Kent started his new job after the weekend ended and Kent's parents went back to Fallon.  (Thanks again to them for all their help)  Kent is loving his new job.  He always tells me he couldn't have picked a better career.  I am working on switching my cosmetology license from Utah to Nevada.  In the meantime Kent has a maid and chef. 
Our first full weekend in Henderson we were able to have our first visitors.  Kassi, Tim, and the kids came for the weekend.  It was so fun to have them!  We're looking forward to more visitors.  For now we're enjoying exploring our new city.  I'm loving the amount of shopping and restaurants.  We're loving our new adventure!
 



Saturday, January 19, 2013

Holidays

Thanksgiving
I've been terrible at keeping up our blog or we don't have anything exciting in our lives.  I'll start by updating our holidays.  Thanksgiving we were able to go to Fallon.  Kent's siblings are on a different schedule than us so we weren't able to see them.  On our way to Fallon we made a stop in Twin Falls to spend the night at Kal and Lacy's.  We were able to spend the night playing with Jackson.  The next morning we left early and made the rest of the trip.  We tried to enjoy the drive since we knew it was probably going to be our last.  Once we got to Fallon we were able to play with our cute nieces and nephews.  We were finally able to meet little Ila.  I have to say she is the most beautiful baby!

  Kent was able to get in a lot of hunting with his dad and I was able to do hair.  We were able to celebrate Christmas with Kent's parents.  They were so sweet and spoiled us.
 We took the kids on a 4-wheeler ride.
 One of my favorite things is when Kent's mom pulls out old pictures.  These are a few of my favorites.


Christmas
Christmas this year was with my family.  We were lucky enough to have all of my siblings home and together for Christmas.  I was able to get some last minute shopping done with my mom and Kent was able to do some fishing with my dad.  We celebrated Ashton's 3rd birthday the Saturday before Christmas.  He was so funny to watch open his gifts.  He finished opening gifts and asked for more.   
Christmas morning we woke up around 9:00 to open presents.  If it was my choice I would have had everyone up at 6:00.  I'm 22 and still have a hard time sleeping on Christmas Eve.  Kent surprised me with rainboots I was coveting.  My parents normally give us money, but my mom went out of her way this year to get everyone gifts.  Kent got spoiled with new irons.  I was able to get more boots, clothes, a purse, and finally a rice cooker.  I wasn't able to master cooking rice since we've been married and now i finally have.

Our sibling gift exchange.






We found out the Zach and Emmie will be having a baby boy in May.  Also, we were able to facetime Kent's family to hear the news that Kort and Jessie are expecting TWINS in July.  We're so excited for the additions to both sides of our families. 
We are so grateful for our parents and everything they do for us.  We were so happy to see our families this holiday season. 

Monday, June 18, 2012

*Just a Few Obsessions*

I may be a little obsessed with this song. 



I'm even more obsessed with shellac!  This stuff is AMAZING!!
Too cute!sherbert and white jeansSS 2012 trend combination
 
 Any type of pastel,






Pretty
Grey ruffle dress with cream


Ruffle,





turquoise
Or chunky necklace and bracelet I'm obsessed with.