A Smattering of Duehrings

I’ve got a new baby, so, granted, I’m not getting much sleep at night. That’s okay. I’ve been there, done that, and expected this time around to be no different. However, add to the new baby another baby with an ear infection (Eli, poor little guy) and a smoke detector with a dead battery, and things get quite a bit more unpleasant. We have the smoke detectors that are all wired to each other, throughout the house, so when an alarm goes off at 4:00 AM, they all go off. At 4:00 AM. That would be just a couple hours after the baby’s last feeding, in case you’re wondering. So, yeah, if you’re sleeping well these days, don’t take it for granted. I am quite envious.

The kids got home at around 9:00 last night. I met them at the door without Molly in my arms so I wouldn’t traumatize Eli. First thing they said is “Where is Molly?” They were ready to see her. Micah and Evan made it to the bassinett first and weren’t too sure about getting too close. Eli and Maggie were close behind and they all were so excited to see her. They all wanted to hold her. She is a very loved little girl.

First look at their sister

Maggie finally gets to hold her sister

Molly checking out her Gramma Neir

Sleeping Peacefully

We are home from the hospital so I thought I would fill you in on all the details of Molly’s birth day.

On the 21st when I was supposed to be induced, Damon had the day off so we went shopping and stopped at Nebraska Furniture Mart to check out some gliders. I had decided I needed another chair so I would not have to take Eli’s out of the nursery. After walking around in there for an hour I was hurting bad and had to sit down on a couch while Damon looked at the electronics section. I believe that is when my labor started. I started to feel nausious and just felt aweful. I couldn’t stay awake the whole way home and then continued to have contractions and pain all evening. We tried to watch a movie that night, but I couldn’t even sit on the couch I was hurting so badly. I was supposed to eat a good meal before bed since I couldn’t eat in the morning, but couldn’t stand the thought of food. During the night several times I about woke Damon up to tell him to take me in, but I kept putting it off and then at 3 am I fell asleep till 5:30 when the alarm went off.

We took off for the hospital at 6:30 as I was to be induced at 7:00 am. When we got there they told me I was indeed in labor and was having contractions every 3 minutes. By the time the doctor got there to break my water, I had gone from being dialated to 2 to a good 4. She went to break my waters, but found nothing to break. The baby’s head was very low and was holding all the water back behind her. When I was dilated to about 5 my contractions started to slow down.

At this point we had a scary situation. I started to feel really weird and I remember telling Damon I felt weird. Then Molly’s heart rate started to go down. It is supposed to be up above 120 and it fell down to 60. I saw the concern on Damon’s face and then a nurse came running into my room. They took my blood pressure and it was 70/20. They put oxygen on me and laid me down and right away Molly’s heartrate went back up into the 130’s. My blood pressure went back up to normal also.

I found out later that around that exact time my dad had sensed that Molly and I needed prayer and had a prayer meeting for us with my mom and our kids. If you ever feel a sense to pray for someone, you better do it right away. I believe it was very important that they prayed right then. Thank you, Daddy.

Since my contractions had started to slow down the doctor decided to give me a “wiff” of pitocin to get them going again. That is all it took and within the hour it was time to push. I pushed for 11 minutes and little Molly was born. Once again I can not describe the feeling that I get when it is all over. It is the most relieved, happy, relaxed feeling in the world. It is a definite high! All the pain of pregnancy and the pain of the delivery is suddenly erased.

Molly was doing so good at birth that they were able to put her right up on my belly for about 20 minutes before they even took her over to weigh her and check out her vitals. She was healthy and strong and ready to be born.

Damon is on his way right now to pick up her brothers and Maggie. I can’t wait for them to meet their little sister. They are so excited to see her. I miss them too and am ready for them all to be home. My mom said Eli was sitting in the van ready to leave and was just beaming. He is ready to come home.

Molly is checking out her new home and trying out her new bed. She looks pretty little in her bassinett. She has already had a blowout all over her new outfit. She is one eating and pooping machine already. My mom is coming back with Damon and the kids to stay with me for a week. That will be a big help in adjusting to having 5 kids.

Watch out Eli, cause your Mommy can move again! He won’t know what to do when I jump up off the couch and chase him down next time he is a stinker.

Nobody can ever say I don’t sacrifice for the sake of my family. For example: Look at the picture below. See the caption? Yes, that’s my bed. I didn’t take a picture of it, but next to it is June’s bed. They are world’s apart. I’m talking solar systems; universes. In comparing them, you might think a queen was to sleep next to a medieval torture device. Yes, it looks cute, possibly even comfortable. But let me dissuade you from such vulgar thoughts, for the reality of this elongated vinyl box of hate makes any kind thought vulgar indeed! Imagine, if you will, a concrete slab. A concrete slab, iced over by some freak winter storm. A concrete slab, cold as Pluto and hard as a goblin’s heart, from whence there is no escape. Are you imagining this? Well, if you are, you are coming close to understanding what I have to sleep on, if I can even call what I endure each night sleep. Maybe you could call it sleep if sleep meant an overlong period of intense, SLEEPLESS agony! And it’s all for my wife, for my new baby. Yes, when all you can think of is hurling yourself out the window of your third story room because that sounds more comfortable than staying put, now that’s sacrifice. That’s love, baby!

A quick update on the baby (I’m sure June will post more of her harrowing adventures in the delivery room later…):

Molly Rianne was born at 1:13 PM today. She weighed 8lbs 3oz, and was 19.5 inches long. Both she and June are doing awesome. Thanks to all for your prayers on this day–we were blessed mightily. She is a beautiful baby. Simply beautiful. I’m in love…