Kirra Belle

Better late than never, right?


With Kai, since I was on bedrest for 2 weeks before he made his debut into the world (4 days before his due date), I was used to the idea that I was going to have him. Now with Kirra….she was more of a surprise.

The beginning of February I had some contractions that were close together almost all day. I started to get a little worried. I went to the Dr and find out that I have a UTI, and they gave me an antibiotic. BUT failed to inform me that it was the UTI giving me contractions. Well, GOOD TO KNOW! So I was uncomfortable for a couple days until the anti-biotic did its thing. I had a feeling Kirra wouldn’t stay in my uterus until her due date (March 11). Heck, I figured I wouldn’t make it to March at all. (And a little hopeful that I could end my misery early)

Wednesday, February 22nd, I leave work with Rob for my “lunch”, to my Dr appointment, fully intent on returning to work about an hour later. Boy was I wrong. The appointment went on as normal, I got checked, I was still about a 1+ dilated and 70 effaced. The doctor said, "Your bag of water is bulging." Confused, I asked, "What does that mean?" He says, "You may have been having a contraction when I checked you." and I had been. I sit up and we discuss that if I’m still pregnant by March 5th, we’ll induce then. The Dr. and CNA leave the room and I get up from the table and I’m leaking fluid…I’m not peeing… (11:50 am)

“Rob, I think my water broke!”

He stares at me, his eyes huge.

“Go get them back in here!”

He runs out, leaving the door open, as I stand there holding the “paper sheet” to collect the fluid, I’m hoping no one walks by and sees me in my glory there! The Dr. and CNA come back in and Dr. Lunt says, “Well, I guess we’re having the baby today, then!” I was trying not to get emotional, but that’s a scary realization, even when you’re ready. So he checks the fluid to make sure it really is amniotic fluid and that I’m not wetting myself.

They get me a giant pad to collect the fluid until I get over to Labor and Delivery, we quickly discuss my 6 week post partum appointment and get it scheduled then he walks us over to L&D. During this whole time I’m texting my mom, sister, and friend Amanda (who I had asked to take some birth pictures). My mom leaves work to meet us, and my sister starts her 45 mile drive down, and Amanda heads over.

I had taken my pill that morning for my blood sugar, so I informed the nurse (if I didn’t eat my sugar would have plummeted). They gave me a couple little things to eat so I’d be ok. (Rob and I were going to go to lunch after my appointment HA!). I wasn't quite ready for this, so everything just felt so crazy. Rob had to run home to grab my bag and change out of his shirt and tie. They asked if I needed him to stay for my IV, I said I'd be fine, I wanted him there for the epidural for sure, so I told him to hurry.

(about 1:30pm) I am a giant chicken about needles, so I really wasn't excited about no hand to squeeze when they did the IV. (but by now with all the blood checks, I was getting a bit more brave). So I close my eyes and ready myself for it. And the nurse and CNA in there are talking to eachother about how it didn't work and "oh look at that!" and the one urges me to look as she tells me she'll have to try again, which I'm NOT happy about so I say, "I don't want to look!"...They blew out my vein. So it is this huge knot looking thing on the back of my hand. "Why'd you make me look! Now it hurts more!!" So they went up a little way on my arm and got the vein there. So that was huge for a couple days. My mom showed up just after that. (around 2:00pm)

They wanted to get a bag of fluid in me before I got the epidural, so as I was waiting for that, Rob came back, Amanda came and April showed up. The contractions were coming in more and more and getting stronger. I was feeling them in my back AND my abdomen. With Kai, I had back labor so bad, that is all I felt. This time with it being all the way around, it was pretty rough. Jalee stopped by between all her running around, it was good to see her, sad that she was so busy and couldn't stay. My mom massaged my lower back for a while and then April took over. (5:00 pm) The anesthesiologist came in to introduce himself, and it was someone mom knew, and the nurses said he was the best, so that made me feel better. My contractions by this time were really killing me, so even though I was scared about the epidural, I was anxious to hurry and get it so I could feel better. I was crying from the pain and contracting like crazy, so we worked around the contractions to get the epidural. It took longer than last time, but was a little less painful when they put it in than with Kai. The contractions were ridiculous around this time, so the relief was AMAZING!! (around 5:30) I think that because everything was so sudden, and with it being the second time in labor, everything was more intense and fast. I was so nauseous and shaking like crazy. The anesthesiologist had said that the epidural they did was less intense and I'd be able to still feel a little bit. Which was scary, but also helpful. I could still feel the contractions coming, but I wasn't dying. It was a bit uncomfortable, but not unbearable.

So by this time, I was more fun to be around and not sobbing. The next time they checked me I was a 7. So we started placing bets on when Kirra would be here. I figured it'd be after 8 sometime. Since things were moving quicklySo my guess was 8:22. And I was definately ok with the birthdate (2-22-12, nice and easy to remember). Moving quick! Nauseous Naseous Naseous! They checked me again (I think it was close to 6:40pm) and I was a 10. WOAH! Faster than I expected. So everyone ran around, getting things ready, getting me situated, got Dr. Lunt in, and they had me bear down to push, I took a breath in the middle and kept pushing and she was out! They set her on my stomach and I remember saying, "It was so quick this time, its so surreal, I can't believe she's here! It doesn't seem like she's really mine." It was the weirdest feeling. (6:57pm)

My mom took Kai that night, so Rob was able to stay that night with me in the hospital. The next night Rob had to be at home with Kai, so I was alone. It was pretty sad and lonely. I cried through dinner (dang hormones).

And now Kirra will be 11 months old on Tuesday....I can't even beleive it. So much has gone on that has left me feeling blog-less. But I want to fix that. So bear with me.

**Beautiful video made my Amanda! :)

Jason

I had written this up a while ago, and decided to go ahead and blog it....even though I have Kirra's birth story done, just need to upload pictures...yes I KNOW she's now 11 months old!!

Jason is my cousin. His mom and my dad are siblings. I have a span of memories of Jason at different times in our lives. The first thing I think of is when I was close to 5 years old he would to tease me to no end. One of his favorite things to say to me was “Should I call you ‘Danny-yell’ or ‘Danny-scream’?” I would say, “Danny-yell” (because it was closer to my name, Danielle). And he’d call me “Danny-scream” anyway and I would cry. Despite this teasing I looked up to him and his sister, Shawna, so much. Later, in high school I would use “scream” as my internet screen name, because of Jason. Jason has always been an artist, when I was little I remember he drew amazing pictures (a lot I remember were of “Watership Down”) and he had some cool Star Wars toys that my brother and I envied.




My parents divorced when I was 8 and I moved away and wasn’t able to see their family until I was about 13 years old. We came back to Washington for a family reunion and I was so excited to see them! I remember my brother and I being upset because our trip was in jeopardy of being cut short, and Jason said, “Wow, you guys have really grown up, you’re way more mature, in this case before, Josh would be spazing out and Danny would be throwing a fit and crying. You’re all grown up!”



Losing contact again, it wasn’t until I was in my mid-late 20’s when his mom told me I should read his blog. I found it, became a follower and started my own blog. On my side-reel of blogs I read, I called his “He’d call me Danny-Scream”. I had commented on a few blogs, and he eventually was curious enough to look through mine and realize that I was his long lost cousin! When I got engaged and started planning my wedding, my mom wanted to see if she could have this amazing nephew of hers come and take my wedding pictures. We’d seen his work on his blog, and knew we had to have him come down. He agreed, but kept saying that he couldn’t promise anything amazing, he hadn’t done a wedding before. When he showed up, he just started getting ready to take pictures, and I said, “HEY, DORK!! Get over here and give me a hug!!” (I hadn’t seen him for 16 years!) He later told us that he was apprehensive about the whole thing, not really knowing us anymore, and didn’t know what to expect. But he was glad that he and Shawna make the trek down here to reunite with old family. And I was happy to have some of the most amazing pictures from my wedding!

After that, we closely followed eachother’s blogs and facebook. We’d reunite a couple times a year for dinner, and we all so looked forward to these meetings. He’d stop to show me new things on my camera, so that I could progress in my photography. He’d make each of us feel so special and important. Just the way he did with everyone.

I’m a very nostalgic person and I love my extended family so much, they’re all so amazing. And I am SO glad I was able to have Jason close again. And so heartbroken that he is gone.

Jason, I will miss you more than you’ll ever know. But I know that I will see you again. And I look forward to that big huge hug. I will embrace your memory by getting back on track with my blog, and taking more pictures of the beauty around me that you captured better than I could ever hope to. But I will keep at it, like you always told me; it takes a hundred pictures to have that one good shot.

**Pictures are courtesy of his blog.