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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 - A Year End Review

What a crazy year 2013 has been!  The year started out just as any other year...a year of plans and resolutions.  While some resolutions were kept, our plans definitely had a mind of their own!  So, what did 2013 look like for us?

We started the year off with heartache in February with the passing of my Mamaw.  Words can't even express how much I miss that woman.  This picture is one of the few I have of her and Cameron and was taken a month before she passed.  Kids, grandkids, and great-grands were this woman's world (that and her little girl, Lucy...the Yorkie Adam and I got for her when we got Desmond).  I just wish Cameron and Evyn got to grow up knowing her.



In April, we received a huge surprise!  We found out we were pregnant...without any medical intervention!  We never in a million years would have thought that getting pregnant without doctors, tests, medication, and planned everything would happen for us...but, Surprise, it did!


In May, we announced to our families and made it "Facebook Official".


In July, the cake revealed what Baby E was going to be!  Adam's going to be living with a houseful of girls!


In September, Cameron turned 2!  How is it that she's already 2?


And finally, in December, we welcomed the final addition to our little family, Evyn!



Operation-Pay-Crap-Off has been a HUGE part of this year, and will remain a HUGE part of the upcoming year.  This year, we also managed to pay off a LOT of our debt, with the main chunk of it being credit card debt.  We started off the year with 5 credit cards and over the course of 2013, we have gotten it down to one card that will be paid off in either January or February.  Since starting OPCO on October 15, 2012, we have paid off a little over $40,000 in debt.  Still makes me wonder where our money went prior to OPCO...really does.

I look forward to what 2014 has in store for us!  Tomorrow, I'll post some resolutions for what I hope to be an awesome and successful 2014!






Monday, December 30, 2013

Introducing Evyn Myka!

After 7 years, 5 pregnancies, the worst heartbreak ever, and the most profound joy and love we could ever experience...our family is now complete.  Always missing one, but remembering her always.

On December 12, 2013 at 11:32 a.m., we welcomed the final addition to our family...a sweet rainbow baby girl, Evyn Myka.  This is her birth story.

Evyn was a scheduled repeat C-section.  Since Bailey was emergency C-section and Cameron was a repeat...that meant Evyn also would be arriving in the same fashion.  For my anxiety and sanity, we scheduled for her to be delivered at 37 weeks 2 days.  We also grow big babies here, so an early eviction was fine by us.  Her birthday had been scheduled for probably a couple of months, so it was just a hurry up and wait game.

Our C-section was scheduled for 8:30 a.m., so we had to be at the hospital by 6:30 to check-in and head on up to be prepped.  So, on the morning of the 12th, we got up, got ourselves ready to go, then we got Cameron up and ready, and we left the house for the last time as a little family of three.

We arrived at the hospital and everything went as scheduled...until it was time to go back.  By that time, my parents had arrived and Adam's mom had arrived.  They had taken Cameron out to the waiting room because we didn't expect for it to be long.  However, the surgery in front of us was taking longer than anticipated, so we ended up having to wait.  Another family came in for a scheduled 9:30 C-section and was able to go to the open operating room, because they were using a different doctor.  Once my Dr. was finished with the procedure ahead of ours, we had to wait for an operating room to be prepped so we could go.

FINALLY (after what seemed like ages), it was go time!  They took me in a wheelchair and we headed back.  We rolled in through the operating room doors at 11:05 a.m.  The anesthesiologist (who was AMAZING) came in and placed my spinal and the party started. 

Side note:  The anesthesiologist who we had this time (different than with Bailey and Cameron, who was the same) came in and introduced himself before the procedure (like normal).  What I was very impressed with is that he had reviewed my prior C-section notes and the first thing he asked me was "I see you had a LOT of meds last time...what happened?".  I explained to him that I felt more than I think I should have felt and was in pain when we delivered Cameron.  I told him I hung in there until I knew Cameron was out safe and sound and then they had to knock me out because they had maxed me out on the meds they were giving me.  I also explained that I felt more during my cerclage placement in July.  He told me his goal was to make sure this last C-section was the best experience  that I could have, so I could finish on a good note.  :)  He succeeded and I am so thankful.  I think he had to place either 2 or place a 2nd time (not really sure which), but the first time he was placing, I kept feeling pressure in my left hip, then he stuck me again, and that was that.  He explained everything to me as we were going through the process.  I told him I got super nauseated with both Bailey and Cameron's C-sections, so he watched that closely.  He explained to me that my nausea is directly related to a significant drop in my blood pressure.  Every time it dropped, I started feeling bad.  As soon as my blood pressure would start going back up, I would be fine.

Once the procedure started, my doctor, the anesthesiologist, the staff, and us were all chatting.  We talked about the weather, No-Shave November being over, what razors are the best, Christmas plans - all sorts of stuff.

And at 11:32 a.m., we heard the best noise ever...a cry.  Evyn was finally here!  With very little hair (compared to her sister...VERY little) and a loud set of lungs, she was finally here!  Weighing in at 9 pounds 2 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long, Evyn Myka Southerland joined the outside world and completed our little family.  Daddy went and helped and took pictures while they finished up with me.  Again, the small talk conversations continued, but I was awake and coherent throughout the entire procedure.  Painless and easy.

While my doctor was in there, she did tie my tubes.  This baby-making factory is closed.  We had already talked long and hard about this, and we had decided that should we decide we want more kids, we will go ahead and restart the adoption process and will add on to our family in that manner.

But, for now, our family of 4 is wonderful.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

One More Week!

One week to go!  I'm sooooo ready!  My arms, wrists, and hands have started aching again pretty badly, which is making it hard to sleep at night.  I would rather have a cute little baby keeping me up as opposed to my aching arms!

We are finally packed and ready to go.  I need to pack a few outfits for Evyn and pick out some bows, but other than that, we are ready!  I even went and got my pedicure (high priorities here) on Tuesday, so even my toes are ready to go!

Now, the main concern is this weekend.  We are preparing for winter weather (snow, sleet, ice) here in Oklahoma.  Now, in normal circumstances, that's no concern to me.  However, you add on the fact that we live at the bottom of a huge hill, and I'm 36w2d pregnant...now that does concern me, because most of the time we can't get out of our addition when the weather gets bad, because we own 2 cars.  So, we've been worrying just a bit on the "what do we do if I happen to go into labor?". 

The answer...go buy a big thing of kitty litter to throw down...just in case!  Or, we'll call 911...whichever works best.

People have commented saying "People deliver at home all the time...".  Yeah...if you've ever met my husband...HA!  And I have 2-3 stitches keeping my cervix closed, and I think that might hurt just a smidge!

I'm counting down the last few days of work and am so excited and can't wait until she gets here!

One more week...one more week...one more week....I can do this.