Sunday, September 27, 2009

Chase Micheal Harrifeld

OUR NEW FAMILY!!!


It was a little scary...but our newest addition is finally here. Just when you think you are an old hand at something; you get thrown a curve ball! Chase's induction (my third) started out like all the other inductions. Cytotec times two the night before, Dr. breaks my water in the am, epidural in and the rest smooth sailing....WRONG! The Cytotec was right and my doctor did come in and break my water in the am; but after he broke the water Chase decided he did not want to go that way and moved up. When the doctor went to put the scalp electrode on his head the head was not reachable when it had been prior to breaking the water. Regardless of this, everything seemed to be going fine. Anesthesia came in to do the epidural, they sat me up to place it...went in without any problems. The nurse waited about 10 minutes for the epidural to take effect before she checked me again. I also had a resident in the room who wanted to check me to for the "experience"...got to love being a guinea pig!!!!! When the nurse started to check me she said "I am holding your baby's hand"...then the look of terror flushed over her face and I said "and you have cord don't you" She said "yes" I said "C-section" and she said "yes". The resident was still standing there gloved and ready to go...she looks at him and says "I'm not taking my hand out go get help and tell them to call Martin (my doctor) and Bejot (anesthesia). All this happened at around 9:10/9:15. I think that the cord prolapsed when they sat me up for the epidural. Next thing I know I am being rolled down the hall with the nurse lying on the bed with me. My mom had taken the kids out of the room while they were checking me and next thing she knows all these people are running into the room and then I am being wheeled out. Needless to say she was freaking. I was freaking a little too but not too bad because I knew it was necessary and I knew what was going on.

I was in the Operating Room at 9:19am...when they rolled me in Dr. Bejot said this will be general anesthesia (even though my epidural was in, it was not dosed high enough for a c-section and there was NO time to get it there). That's when I lost it. For one I have never had general anesthesia and even though I worked in the OR for 6 years and saw it done several times a day I still didn't want to go through it myself. Secondly, now everyone was going to know what I was having before I would...made me really wish I had found out what I was having. Anesthesia was induced at 9:24am, incision at 9:26am and Chase was born at 9:29am. This whole time my nurse was under the drapes holding on to the umbilical cord and reporting to my doctor Chase's heartrate and trying to keep his head off of the umbilical cord.

I can't say that I was really surprised by the events that happened since at my last ultrasound I asked the tech what is all that up by the head and she said umbilical cord. It looked to me like a ton of umbilical cord right in front of his face and then both hands were up in the face. I remember thinking during the ultrasound, I hope that cord moves or we could have problems...obviously it didn't.

Thank God for all the staff at BryanLGH. Thank God I had the baby there and not in Tecumseh because I wouldn't be holding a baby right now. Thank God I didn't have him at St. Elizabeth's because it would have taken my doctor a good 20 minutes to get there, I would still probably have a baby but he could have had some effects from the prolapsed cord. Instead the whole ordeal took less than 20 minutes, his Apgars were 8, 9, 9 and he is absolutely perfect.


What a miracle!

Monday, August 17, 2009

35 weeks-Can I make it?!?!?!?



Don't get me wrong...I love being pregnant!!! But working and being pregnant is not fun right now. My stress level is way to high; my patience is growing thin and I just have an overall bad attitude. I think I need to move to England so I can be on maternity leave already like Vicky! I know that if this baby comes before the due date it will be because of work. I never had any contractions with the other two kids...not really even braxton hicks (maybe a handful in the last week or so). This pregnancy I have had quite a few periods of contractions and painful ones at that. I notice they always hit if I have over done it or I am stressed by work. My dr. appt next week could be interesting as I have never dilated prior to going into the hospital and having medications to start me dilating. Literally never even a 1/2 or 1/4 of a centimeter!!! I have my group B strep test next week...I will be interested to see if I have dilated.

Just don't know how much longer I can hang in there and do both...something has got to give. I either need to stop working or have this baby!!!!

First Day of School!!!




Today was Madelyn's first day of Kindergarten and Christian's first day of Preschool (outside of the preschool he always had at daycare)!

Both kids had a wonderful time although when you ask them...all they did was play!!! Madelyn says her favorite part of school was recess. The playground was definitely not their friend as they both came home with scraps and bruises. Christian agrees with recess being his favorite and adds playing with his friend Austin!!! Austin and Christian are inseparable. They are best friends, they have gone to daycare together ever since we moved down here. They are quite rambunctious when they are together!!!! Austin's mom and I decided that after preschool together this year...they will never let them be in the same Kindergarten together next year.

When I asked the kids what you learned at school today, Madelyn said "the school rules". Christian said "I really didn't listen!!!!" God help that teacher!!!!!

Madelyn said she made a lot of new friends; Christian said "no, I just played with Austin, I don't need more friends!"

Well now I got to figure out what the kids are going to wear for school pictures...who has school pictures on the second day of school!?!?!?!?

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Twenty Weeks down...Twenty to go!!!!



Well halfway through the pregnancy and I made it. It has definitely been a struggle with the nausea and heart palpitations. But the nausea is 100% gone and now that the cardiologist has listened to me the heart palpitations are gone too. The anticipation is killing me this pregnancy, I can't remember wanting the pregnancy to be over and the baby to be here with the other two as badly as I do with this one. Although with the stress of work lately...not sure if its the maternity leave that is making the anticipation that much more real!!!!

Even though there really wasn't anything that I HAD TO HAVE for this baby (except maybe the baby book)...I can't resist shopping for the wee one! My biggest purchase has been a rocker recliner, with the other two kids my legs would fall asleep at 2am when I was up nursing on the sofa with my feet propped up on the coffee table (they fell asleep because I would fall asleep and wake up an hour later, with a sleeping baby and the inability to walk safely).

One of the nurses that works for me bought me the cutest teddy bear for the crib...it straps to the bars and plays womb sounds for 40 minutes. Hopefully we won't have sleeping problems with this baby...like we did with Christian...but if we do, hopefully the bear helps.

I have my second ultrasound of many (because of the heart medication I am on I have to have ultrasounds every 4-6 weeks from now on) on Friday. I am really excited to see the baby and all the development that has gone on the last 10 weeks. Of course this is the ultrasound that we could find out the sex, but once again we won't be finding out. It was way to much fun not knowing with Christian!!!! The only time I waiver is when I am out shopping and see the cutest little outfits...that I can't buy unless I want to return it all later. With all the extra ultrasounds and the possibility of a 3D ultrasound, it may be difficult to keep it a secret from us...but we'll try.

I took a quiz online to see what the baby was according to old wives' tales...it said 50% chance boy, 50% chance girl...REALLY!?!?!?!? Some aspects of the pregnancy make me think boy...like the heart palpitations (because I did not have them with Madelyn's pregnancy). But then the condition of my skin and the babies lack of activity reminds me of Madelyn's pregnancy..so I think Girl. Christian was a constant mover and shaker, he did flips constantly...I could feel him moving from 15 weeks on whether I was sitting still or running down the halls at work. Madelyn...I had to be sitting, concentrating usually to feel her move...or I had to put pressure on my belly and she would kick (don't know if she hated/liked the warmth or pressure...but she always kicked and pushed at it). This baby is the same way...I rarely feel movement unless I am relaxed and sitting. So we'll see!

The kids are hoping for a girl. Madelyn wants a sister desperately...I think Christian wants a girl so then he doesn't have to share his room. Because until one of the kids are old enough for a basement bedroom they will have to share. I want a girl only because I can't imagine life without my sister, but I will be blessed either way. I told the kids..."it doesn't matter as long as its healthy"...then Madelyn whispered "but it would be better if it was a healthy girl right mom"!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Christmas Photos!





Why on earth do I put myself through the torture of Christmas Card pictures. Every year (except maybe when Madelyn was only a month old) they have been an absolute nightmare. Scott and I have never gotten so mad at each other as we have over Family or Kid Christmas Card pictures. ***This year I did learn a lesson and didn't ask for Scott's help!***

So I wasn't going to do it this year and some CRAZY voice inside of me said.."they're a year older...just try"! Big mistake! All I can say is Thank God for digital and if you only knew how many closed eye photos I deleted.

Getting pics alone was fairly easy...together impossible.






Nothing worked...bribery, begging, pleading, crying, threats...nothing!!! So once again..I am saying never again...but I know as well as everyone else...that I will still try again next year. One day it will work...it just may take 10 more years!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Priceless!

Airfare to Vegas......$300
Hotel.................$90
Food, Drinks & Taxi...$400
Souveniors............$100
Cost of New Vacuum....$200
Spending Time with the Girls........................PRICELESS!!!!

Being the good husband Scott is, he decided to clean the house before I got home from Vegas. While vacuuming he pushed the vacuum under Christian's bed. Any mom/wife knows....you never vacuum under a bed until you look under there first. Its amazing how things collect under there. Well a pair of Christian's PJs were under his. I got home and found a burnt pair of PJs and a vacuum that smelled like it was on fire every time you turned it on. He gets an E for Effort!!!

I do love my new vacuum though!!!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Trick or Treat?!?!?!?


Christian as Spiderman


Madelyn as Ariel the Little Mermaid

There is no way to describe how much better holidays are when you have kids!

Mom and I took the kids trick or treating at the nursing home we work at. Its a great activity for the residents and the kids love it. I love it because...I know exactly where the candy came from (I bought it), it takes less than an hour and its a warm place unlike door to door (although this year...that wasn't an issue). After we finished there we went to our assisted living for a Halloween carnival. The kids had a blast playing games and winning little prizes. They also had a haunted hayrack ride that the kids insisted on going on. Madelyn screamed a lot and Christian's eyes got really big! I figured we would be sleeping in a bed with 4, but NO nightmares, so that's good.

Madelyn also decided that she is going to be something next year that has the same hair color as her. We had to shampoo her hair 5 times to get the red out!!!