Baby Austin

It's about time for an Austin post! We are so blessed by him. He is full of happiness, chubbiness and seriousness. He is either super smiley and happy, hungry or he'll just sit there and soak everything in with a smug look on his face. He's hilarious. He loves to put his fingers in his mouth constantly. He devours them. It's really funny. He's already rolled over a few times which isn't good since I'm usually just leaving him on the couch while I go fix lunch or do something for Braylen.

It has taken him a few months to feel more comfortable and content. We really had a rough start with him. We decided with my doctor to schedule an induction on his due date. I have had a few friends that were induced so I just didn't think there were ever any complications with them. I'm not sure why I trust everything without researching it, but I do. I'm trying to not blame myself or keep looking back to the past but I do think a lot of Austin's current issues may have to do with him being induced. I tend to blame myself for not letting him come on his own but I know there is nothing I can do about that now. When I was induced we learned that he was face up which resulted in pushing for 2 hours and led to my doctor using the forceps. Which led to his face being completely bruised and had a swollen lip. The bruising led to Jaundice- the red blood cells that are part of the bruises are broken down and produce bilirubin as a byproduct. Which led to 3 days in the ICU under the lights. From there he started sleeping and looking only to the right side, never to the left. I started to notice this around 6 or 7 weeks. He was diagnosed with torticollis and plagiocephally. Ever heard of those things before? Me neither. Torticollis is a muscle condition in the neck- "twisted neck." He is going to physical therapy to help strengthen his neck muscles. Plagiocephally is basically called "flat head syndrome." He has this because of the torticollis and sleeping on the right side of his head so much. He has torticollis from either his position in the womb or because of a difficult delivery (ie: forceps). To repair the shape of his head, he will more than likely need to wear a helmet for a few months. And now my heart is breaking. They have to wear the helmet for 23 hours a day from 2-6 months. I know that in the long run it will be worth it. We have an appt in a few weeks to determine if he needs it or not. Shew. That is a lot of info.

I love Austin so very much. We all do. We are thankful that God has given him to our family. I am thankful that his current issues are "fixable" and are not something that we will need to be concerned about in the future. God has really allowed alot of things to happen over these few months. We continue to try and trust that he is still in control and knows what is best for our family. I am telling these things as a way to keep account of our life but also as way to inform other parents. If I had known about the difficulties of an induction I may have taken a different. Not everyone has these issues either! You just never know I guess. But now you know about torticollis and plagiocephally. :) And if you see a little babe in a helmet it is more than likely a way to repair their sweet little heads.

Here are some photos of Austin when he was born. It's amazing how quickly his bruises and swollen lip disappeared.

And now! These were a few weeks ago so he's even chubbier now! 

Chemo & 2nd Cycle Update

I'm a little bummed that it's been a few weeks since my last post. I've been trying hard to keep this updated with how things are going with my mom.  However, as if life isn't crazy already, Austin was diagnosed with torticollis and now has to go to physical therapy. :( His first appointment is this Thursday morning. I started to notice that he only looked to the right and had a lot of trouble looking to the left. I thought it might be his hearing but when I brought up to his doctor she said it was torticollis. I had no idea that was an actual diagnosis. She said it's nothing to be worried over and that PT will help his movements. Poor little guy. He has had such a hard few months. He is the sweetest little babe. Sleeping through the night, smiling like crazy. He is so adorable. He has a hard time napping but we're just going with it. Whatever works, right? SO NOT BABYWISE! Funny how things and routines are so different with baby #2.

We had the BEST time with my mom during her off weeks of chemo. She felt really good! My sister and Kaleb were still here and we went shopping, out to eat, to a Florence Freedom game, went swimming, and just got to be together! I was so thankful that my mom felt well enough to do these things. It's hard for her to be cooped up in the house all the time.

On May 24th and 25th, she started her 2nd cycle of chemo. She had a treatment to her shoulder on Thursday and then a treatment to her abdomen on Friday. Guy and I took the boys to Young Life camp for a leader retreat during Memorial Weekend so we were not here during this cycle, but Jess and her family stayed. On Saturday morning Jess called me and said that mom was feeling really good. She was up and walking around, and even sat outside for a bit. However, by that evening she started to feel pretty bad. She came down with a super swollen throat. She couldn't speak, eat, or take her medicine. I tried talking to her Monday morning but I could tell it was painful for her to speak. When you think you have a handle on your chemo symptoms something else comes up. It's best to have no expectations. With medicine my mom started to feel better by Tuesday. Her taste buds are still giving her a hard time and eating has not been fun.

My mom is an example of such strength and beauty. She is living her life in complete trust and faith that  God is in control. She is going through such a trial. We all are.

Something that one of the speakers said at our leader retreat was that when we are with Jesus in Heaven, we will no longer experience pain or heart ache or trials, etc. So when we experience them now on Earth, they should be special. This is the only time in our life on Earth that we can cling to Jesus for comfort and peace. We won't need to do that in Heaven. So for now we will .......

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

My mom was supposed to have chemo last Thursday but her white blood count was too low. As much as we hate that she has to have chemo, it's hard when you're told you can't do it. We're hoping that she is able to do it this Thursday. It's hard when her schedule gets pushed back; prolonging everything. Please be praying that she is able to go on Thursday. Please pray that God is healing her body and that the chemo is working. Pray that God continues to work in her heart and controls her thoughts. All of our thoughts!

Thank you for your support of our family. My parents feel so loved! Keep the cards coming too!

March 16th & April 10th

On Thursday, March 15th at 6pm, Guy and I checked into the Birthing Center at St. Elizabeth Hospital to have our baby. I was being induced and we were excited to meet our little boy. 13 hours later we welcomed Austin Christopher Domec. Born at 7:53am, on March 16th. 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches long.

He was face up and after 2 hours of pushing, my doctor said we either try forceps or you will need an emergency c-section. I agreed to try because I was a little nervous to have a c-section. She first tried using the vacuum and that didn't work. I pushed 4 times and with the help of forceps, he came out. The first thing my doctor said while she laid him on my belly was don't worry about his cleft palate, we can give him surgery and it'll be fine! That was very unexpected. I was so confused and exhausted that I couldn't believe that's what she said. It turned out to be a very busted and swollen lip that is in perfect working condition today. :) He came out very bruised from the forceps and had a bit of jaundice (Braylen did too). He had a rough delivery. He also didn't have a name for about 2 hours. We were very thankful to meet our new little boy, and I was very thankful that the delivery and the pain was over. I had no idea what the Lord had planned for us over the next few weeks.....

We were released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon, knowing that we had to come back on Tuesday to check his jaundice. We went to have him checked on Tuesday afternoon and my doctor called me three hours later, saying we needed to come up and stay overnight in the hospital for 3 days. Austin's bilirubin count was 21 and a very dangerous number for his "age" was 25. We stayed in the ICU in a small room for 3 days. Austin stayed under the lights the ENTIRE TIME. The only time he came out was when I nursed him, which was every 3 hours. I slept on a little fold out chair and Guy slept in the recliner. There were no showers (not even a community shower) and nothing to really assist mom's who just went through labor. My body was still healing and very, very sore. We made it through and Austin did awesome. He maybe cried once. It was so hard to see him in the little "box" and not be able to hold him or comfort him. 

We came home with Austin on Thursday night and met with my family. My sister and nephew were in town to be with us too. My mom told me that while we were in the hospital, she had been meeting with her doctor about the results of an ultrasound that she had. Mom had been having some very horrible pain in her lower stomach and her doctor thought it may be her gallbladder. It wasn't. And the ultrasound showed tumors and legions on and around her ovaries. 

2 weeks later, on April 10th, she had a total hysterectomy. We would find out while she was in recovery whether or not she had cancer. For 2 weeks I had been in constant prayer that the Lord would heal my mom. That she wouldn't have cancer. That he would protect her thoughts and keep the fear out of her mind. That he would lift her out of this pit and give her a firm place to stand. I had prayed so much that I really believed that she didn't have cancer. 

My friend Angie just wrote an incredible blog post about these life altering experiences that she refers to as game changers. These moments/words spoken to you that completely change your life in an instant. 

You are forgiven.

I love you. 

Will you marry me?

I'm breaking up with you.

You're fired.

I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Vince and I are moving to Charlotte.
You're pregnant.

It's a boy. 

Yes, it is cancer.

I'll never forgot the moment my mom's doctor said, yes it is cancer. It was the worst experience and pain that I have ever felt. Confused. Terrified. Angry. Breathless. At that moment, everything in my life had completely changed. All of us felt that way. Austin was turning a month old in just a few days and I felt like I had been completely robbed of joy of having a baby. 

The next few days and weeks have been a overwhelming mix of emotions. I feel torn between taking care of Austin, Braylen, my husband, my family and my mom. I want her to feel so overly supported and loved that she feels annoyed by it. But how do I balance everything? I'm nursing a baby every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I'm sleep deprived. My house looks like a tornado flew through it and my yard looks like a jungle. I haven't made dinner for my family in a month. Guy works full-time and is in school and his schedule is so demanding sometimes. My priorities have changed and things that seemed important have become less. 

My mom was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer.  I'm so angry that this is what the Lord has in store for us but at the same time I know that he is sovereign. There are many times in my day where I just have to stop and breathe and repeat scripture in my head. I need to remind myself that God is in control, that he is loving and powerful. There are times when I don't know what to pray because I am either angry or I just want to block everything out of my mind, and all I can say is His name. I picture Him lying near my mom, holding her hand or healing her body. I picture Him kneeling beside her, just loving her and comforting her. This is the hardest thing that I have ever dealt with. That any of us will ever deal with. 

There seems to never be "good news" when you are dealing with cancer, but my mom's doctor said that her case looks favorable and that he believes she will return to a normal way of life after the chemo. They first reported that her cancer cells were not aggressively spreading but came back to say that they are aggressively spreading. However, the chemo is designed to knock out those cells that are aggressive so he doesn't seem to be too concerned with it. Her cancer did not spread to her lymph nodes, which is a good thing. The fear is so present with this disease and there are so many statistics that literally make me sick if I read about it. But there is ONE who is bigger and more powerful than any cancer statistic and to HIM we hold tight. Through HIM and by HIM we are saved and have hope everlasting. My sweet mom is clinging tightly to his promises. 

Mom, I see Christ in you. I see his love radiating through your pain and struggles. I already see him transforming you to become more like Jesus. I see hope in the midst of this horrible trial and we will fight this with you and love you through it. 

We will continue to update our blog and use this as a way to support and love my mom, and hopefully add some more pictures of our family. Some of you have asked for her address-you can message me and I will send you their info. Mom starts chemo on Thursday. Please life her up in prayer!!

"Do not let your hearts be troubled; 

trust in God, trust also in me." John 14:1

Getting Ready for Baby

We have 9 days to go until the arrival of Baby Brother. We have a few names picked out but we cannot decide what his name should be! I think it might be kind of fun to wait to see what he looks like! Braylen keeps saying his name is Frosty Shoes. Goofball.

Braylen and I took a walk to the park this morning. It's climbing into the 60's today and I am hoping to walk this baby right out! Hasn't worked yet, but I did love my time with Braylen. We held hands the entire way. He said things like mom, you're my best friend. I love you so much! He also tried to protect me from the barking dogs of the neighborhood. He said you stay over here and I'll walk here because you don't like dogs and I do. ha! I just treasure this time with him! I wonder how bringing a new baby will change the dynamics of our family but I'm excited too. Bray says he is going to help change his diaper and teach him to play baseball.

We've been working these past few months around the house getting everything ready for the baby. Back in December we switched Braylen into Guy's office/guest bedroom and moved Guy's stuff down to the unfinished basement. Braylen's old room is the nursery again. Braylen's room is awesome! We finally have a place to store all of his toys and he loves playing up there. He spends at least an hour or so every few days just playing by himself. And he's sleeping in a twin size bed. He's so big!

The nursery is coming together. We have everything ready for him. Clothes washed, diapers and wipes ready, blankets folded.......Just waiting on his arrival. I still need to hang up some picture frames and buy a lamp. I found this really cute, very big picture frame from Babies R Us. It was originally $40 and marked down to $8! It was an FAO Schwartz theme so I just removed the weird picture and will add something of my own. The matting is a cute blue and white stripe. I decided on a yellow/gray theme for the nursery but really it's turning into whatever I have around the house and whatever I see in the store that is cute and cheap. There are some teals, light blues, and and navy's mixed in too. I recovered a few pillows in yellow and gray fabric, and I'm hoping to sew some curtains but I'm not going to worry about it. I still need to finish the ones for Braylen's room! I finally finished my nursing cover. I had bought the material from JoAnn's forever ago but since the store was closing, they weren't ordering more items and I needed some boning for around the neck. Hobby Lobby finally restocked their's and I was able to finish it. It's a little time consuming to make it but fairly easy! And since Baby Brother is due during the first round of NCAA tournament, I just had to make him a UK burp cloth. I've also packed a UK sleeper as his going away outfit. You can be sure that the game will be on if UK is playing while I am delivering. If the baby comes early, maybe I'll just decide to take him down to New Orleans next month for the Final Four. What do you think Guy???? :)

Pillows

Nursing cover

Burp cloth

I just finished a pinterest project that I've been wanting to work on. I love using Pinterest! It's awesome! I have saved so many DIY's and recipes, that I'll never get to them all. But this one caught my eye because Guy and I both grew up in different states. I thought it would be cute to have in our house. I think it turned out great! And Guy loves it! The pic is from my phone so it's a little blurry but you get the idea.

Happy Wednesday!

38 Weeks

In two days, I will be 38 weeks. These past nine months have gone by very quickly, but this last month has been slow. I've enjoyed lots of activities with my family which has made these last few weeks "bearable." My sister's family came into town last weekend for a visit and it was awesome to spend time with them. My super cute nephew, Kaleb, was so much fun to be around. I miss them so much! Jess and Kaleb will be up here for a whole right after the baby is born. Can't wait!

I know this is just my second time, but I just don't like it! You can seriously ask any one of my friends and family. I guess I complain about it, but I like to think I'm just being honest. Guy will say, how are you feeling today? And I'll tell him exactly how I feel. I'm tired, my back hurts, and I've had hearburn all day long. I'm not one of those mom's who totally bond with their baby right away either. I had a hard, unexpected pregnancy with Braylen and then it took me a good 4 weeks after he was born to really connect with him. I was over the moon to have a son, but the complete uproot of my life had me struggling. Being pregnant this time, however, I have been much more accepting of things. I knew the heartburn, back pains, swollen feet, restless nights, etc was inevitable. And I've been asking the Lord to prepare my heart for the drastic change once the baby gets here. I'm such a creature of comfort! I love "me time" which is so sinful but I always try to protect it. You definitely don't have any extra time on your hands with a baby! But, for the past few days, I'm actually starting to feel excited to hold our son, to see what he looks like, and to be a family of 4. I guess now is a good time to start feeling that way since he'll be here in 2 weeks. :) Thank you Lord for slowly changing my heart.

Movement:
He's still moving like crazy. It's been pretty painful at times. He's supposed to be around 7 pounds right now but I'm sure he's bigger. His head is in the right spot, so I've been feeling lots of kicks to the ribs.

Weight Gain:
Up to 40 pounds. Bah. Most people have been so sweet to say that I look great for how far along I am. I try to take the compliment but I just hate being this big. It really sucks! I'm nervous that the weight won't come off as easily as the first time but I'll just need to kick butt in the gym.

Sleep:
I'm up and down constantly throughout the night. I usually just wake myself up from all of the snoring, drooling, and sweating. Oh and I burp every single time I roll over to my other side. I seriously do. Nothing glamourous about being pregnant. :)

What I Miss:
Wearing normal clothes, crossing my legs, working out, drinking Coke, sleeping on my back and stomach, riding roller coasters and jumping on trampolines. I don't really get to do the last two very often but I miss them anyways.

Cravings:
Lately it's been milk shakes. Anything chocolate-like the Chocolate Devotion from Cold Stone. I don't even like Cold Stone but that particular mixture is seriously amazing. Ice cubes, hummus and pretzels.

Symptoms:
Heartburn, back aches, swollen feet and fingers. I've actually been pretty light headed today but I've just tried to drink my water and have rested a bit more. And I don't want to jinx myself, but I think the baby has dropped a little more so I've had less heartburn!

Big Brother Sayings:
Braylen loves to hug and kiss his baby brother. When I ask him what he's going to look like, he says a big, scary monster. He also says that his name should be Frosty. Today, while I was resting on the bed, he asked to see my stomach and pretended to be the "doctor." He told me how big I was and that he could hear the heart beat. He tells me everyday that my stomach is "so big!" He's really going to be a great big brother. Praying that the two of them love each other and become great friends. :)

Life Lately

Valentine's Day party at school

Happy Mardi Gras! 

Baseball practice outside

The sock hop at preschool. It was "too loud" for Braylen

He's a dancing machine at home

Last weekend before a wedding

If Beyonce can wear heels while pregnant, so can I!

I wore flats. 

Stayed home from school the other day because he's been sick

Pretty soon we'll be a family of 4! Can't wait! 

33 Weeks Pregnant

I am right about 33 weeks pregnant! 7 more weeks to go. This pregnancy has really gone by quickly. I like being pregnant during the holidays because once you hit Labor Day in September there are so many things to look forward to. Family camping, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and all of our birthday's in January. In February and March, we have 2 weddings, a couple of showers/bachelorette parties, and a few other fun things. I feel like the baby's due date (March 16th) will just creep up on us in no time! The soon to be nursery is a disaster but I've finally decided to go with gray and yellow. I picked out a bumper from Target.com and went to buy it today and it's sold out online. Bummer.

Everyone says that we'll love having a spring baby! The weather is starting to warm up and we won't be cramped indoors with a newborn. I am really excited to meet our baby but super scared too! I'm hoping that the delivery goes smoothly and my epidural won't run out this time! :) Here are a few updates to keep track of how I've been feeling.

Movement: 

This little guy is quite the mover. He is constantly kicking, rolling, and poking me. Sometimes his little kicks really hurt! I've been trying to have Braylen feel the baby move and he has said that he can feel him but I'm not sure if he's just saying yes! He's had the hiccups a few times too. 

Weight Gain:

30 pounds. I gained almost 50 with Braylen so I'm assuming this will happen again. Bah!

Sleep:

I've never been the greatest sleeper but lately I have been feeling very rested. I like to drink more water during the night, rather than the day which doesn't help. Guy says that I am snoring like crazy but that doesn't bother me! :)

What I Miss:

Being able to sleep on my back and my stomach. Wearing normal clothes. Not having a chubby face! Being able to run and use the elliptical. I know some people are able to do those things, I just always feel so weird doing it. Being able to hold Braylen all the time. :( I know that he's 4 now! But I LOVE holding him. I still do sometimes (my doctor said that I can!). 

Cravings:

Ice cubes, chocolate, cottage cheese, and ice cream. I could actually eat just about anything right now. My first trimester, I had to force myself to walk into the grocery store. I couldn't stand food! And eating healthy? Forget about it. No grilled chicken, veggies, fruits, bread...I had a baked potato everyday for about 7 weeks. I am so thankful to be passed that stage! 

Symptoms:

Back pain, heartburn and indegstion, restless legs, and I'm starting to feel more swollen. Other than that, I've been feeling great! Oh, I do have a dose of "pregnancy brain." Last week Guy and I had a lunch date at Frisch's :) and after I used the restroom, I sat down at the table and told him about this email I read earlier that day. He said you literally just told me about that while we were walking into the restaurant. "I did?" He said yes, you just told me that story. "Oh........." I completely forgot that I already told him. Wow. I'm getting a double dose of memory loss because I'm pregnant AND tomorrow I'm turning 30. Fun!