Summer while Daddy worked

Sadly, after only having Johann home for a day once Leo was home, he went back to work. Thankfully, my mom was already done with the school year so she helped me a lot by taking care of basically all things dealing with meals, changing Thea etc. I tried really hard to lay low, but it was just not that easy to even with the help. So here are some of the things we did during the first part of our summer while Johann worked and I recovered. 

 We watched some Thea shows together. I took this and sent to Johann because it made me laugh, there was a kid on almost every portion of my body.

 I tried to do one activity with just Henry during Thea's nap time most days, even if it was just reading together. This was one of the pinterest things we tried-building with marshmallows and toothpicks. He liked it.

 Lots of dressing up.

Lots of sending the kids out to play in the sprinklers or with the hose. Thea got her towel one day and laid on it, Henry followed.

We tried another pin, the baking soda pie tin volcano. I don't feel it worked as well as I thought or it claimed but maybe my ratios were off. The kids had a messy good time none the less. 

 Visits from Grandpa and Abuela and trips to Freddy's for frozen custard.

Lots of building and playing with Zoobs-thanks Grammy! Henry found a small set in the target dollar sections and my mom liked them so much she got some for her class and for home. They are actually pretty fun building toys. 

Lots of drawing. Henry finally got a chance to sit down and use the books he'd gotten for his birthday. 

Plenty of adorable napping. 

Sneaking of Grammy's glasses and kindle. 

 There was also the Mini Mouse birthday party for friend, Lucy. The kids always have fun at her and her brother's parties. I was also pretty proud that I managed to survive with all three mostly solo (Johann had to leave for church stuff part way through), it helped that Leo slept the entire time and that Lucy's dad was able to unlock the bathroom Thea locked herself in at one point.

 We watched quite a bit of those chef competition shows on hulu and Henry started 'plating' everything.

 Annual kickball game started by friend Emily. The kids have so much fun!

Lots of little visits to Target for this and that. 

Orange juice making with oranges from Abuela and Grandpa's. 

 Ward picnic.

And Leo's blessing day after which daddy was finally going to be home!

The First Few Days

After we brought Leo home I was expecting it to be pretty crazy. Thankfully, Johann decided to take Monday off and we were able to have a nice day just snuggling little Leo. 

Father's Day

I have to admit I thought about just putting a bow on Leo and telling Johann 'Happy Father's day!' a few times but instead I can thank amazon for being 'amazon-ing!'.  Too lame?

If I haven't mentioned it before, I'll do it now: Johann is a big fan of hobbies. There is always some new hobby he wants to try. I think he has either kept up or dabbled a bit in- art, writing, bongos, long boarding, guitar, drums, surfing, swimming, singing, jazz, old school shaving, 60s music, rockets and most recently mandolin playing, cooking, thinking about gardening and blogging. So the kids and I decided to get him a book of some Beatles songs for Mandolin, a book about gardening, a cd, a shaving bar and a gift card. I'd say he made out well for Father's day!

I also made *ahem* toaster waffles and *ahem* microwavable sausage for breakfast that morning since meetings were canceled. 

I stayed home with Leo while he took the kids to church so I could get some rest. I'm sad I missed the kids singing but it was fun to see this survey Henry did about Johann:

My dad's name is: Johann
I love my dad because: he works hard for me
My dad and I like to: rest and watch soccer
My dad's favorite thing to do is: sleep
My dad is special because: he is a part of my family

We both laughed about the emphasis on sleep, but who doesn't love sleep? :)

I'm grateful for the dad Johann is to our children. I know he truly loves them and is always working towards being the best dad he can be and sets a good example of following the Savior and keeping the commandments. Happy Father's day, Johann!

Hospital Stay and Coming Home

The rest of the stay was thankfully uneventful. Just lots of me walking the halls, snuggling Leo and seeing the kids when my mom or Johann could bring them by. 

Henry seemed like he was pretty comfortable with this whole new baby thing, Dorothea was more interested in all the gadgets in my section of the room after 5 minutes of 'baby E-O'.

Grammy and Abuela and Grandpa all came by as well.

While getting in to the hospital was extremely slow, getting out was worse. My discharge started on Saturday night and I didn't get to go home until Sunday evening. Sunday was an extremely frustrating day. I had a nurse that was so, so, so nuts and I hate to sound ageist but I think she was just too old to do her job. I couldn't get her to bring me medicine or water yet had to get another nurse to explain to her that I could do a suppository without her assistance. Dear heavens thank you for sending that other nurse to get her off my case, I can't imagine what might have happened had I been subjected to that! 

She also disappeared frequently and none of the other nurses knew where she went exactly. Part of me was glad because it meant she wouldn't come in right after Leo had peed though I changed him five minutes before and have her say something about 'whooping' me if I forget to change the baby; the other part was sad because it meant she was not working on the discharge paper work and it was more time in the hospital. 

Getting Leo ready to head home

Finally some other nurses helped her with the new computer system and we were free to go. My original nurse saw how she was trying to come with us out to the car and said she'd take over. Thank goodness!

He peed all through this one somehow so we had to change him right before leaving. 

As I mentioned earlier, we made it home Sunday evening safe and sound, even if a bit harassed feeling. 

I've never been so grateful to get home from the hospital as I was that day.

So happy to have brought baby Leo home as the newest member of our little family! 

Baby Leo Arrives

On June 5th around 10am Johann and I headed to St. Mary's Medical Center for round three of childbearing. 

Things were pretty slow once we checked in. There were about 6 other women in the initial check in at the same time as me and it took almost two hours to get into triage. 

I've felt like a jerk both times I've been in triage because aside from the normal 3rd trimesters complaints, I feel pretty good while the women all around me are moaning and in a lot of pain. I guess mine just comes later and maybe less audibly. 

Things were fine in triage except the hospital had just switched to a new computer system the day before and they were asking for all my information all over again, and yes, here comes a spoiler alert, it factors into me not being thrilled with my stay during the subsequent days.

Then the anesthesiologist came in. He was not like the one I had last time; he was completely rude, uncooperative and unhelpful. I actually considered unplugging myself from everything and leaving because I was sure he was going to over medicate me and kill me. This is actually a very real and genuine concern for me as the over medicating of my dad during an operation he had caused complications that led to his death.  They didn't factor in his clean living and sensitivity to medication with his size and since I'm none too thin, I worry about them doing the same thing to me. 

Already long story less long, I stayed and was finally taken into the operating room around 1pm. I listened to the doctor and anesthesiologist complain about nurse availability since it was so busy and how the hospital should fix it etc. It was delightful. Then my doctor told me this was the last caesarean he would perform on me because it was so annoying the other day to get through 20 minutes of scar tissue for this woman who was having her fourth child.  I think I said five words the entire time I was in the operating room. 

Finally everyone was in place and the anesthesia took hold. I felt horrible. My arms were strapped, (they weren't the previous times) and I started to feel like I was going to throw up and pass out all at once. I've never felt as physically out of it or sick as I did those few moments. I really felt like I wasn't going to stay with it then I remember saying in my head, "I am NOT letting that *insert unkind word I never say out loud* kill me. NO WAY. I WILL LIVE, YOU JERK." After a few more minutes I felt less awful and then the thing worth all of the awfulness came.

At 1:40pm Leo Frederick Wirthlin Simonds was born. 

So, so worth it.  

*See how I look like a crack head in this photo?

I'm still sad I couldn't be as 'present' for Leo's birth as I was for the others and I can only hope he doesn't hold it against me some day during a psychotherapy session. 

The nurses mentioned he was having some breathing issues as they stitched me up and then in recovery they tried to lay him on me but it didn't help his color or breathing and honestly I could not hold him or quite figure out what was going on. I remember her taking him and saying something about just in case and realizing he was going to the NICU with Johann. 

 Johann took this first one shortly after they took him to the NICU. 

Johann stayed with him while I was in recovery and I just remember the nurse poking me and talking very loudly to me and telling me to wake up. After I don't know how long, I felt mildly human again and they moved me to a room. Johann came in after a while and told me how Leo was doing and showed me some pictures. 

 After Leo had been in the NICU a while I saw the above picture of him and eventually cried my eyes out once Johann left. He looks so tired and haggard for a newborn, it broke my heart and I couldn't go to him or do anything to help him. 

When a new nurse came on for the night shift I convinced her I would be able to walk over to the NICU earlier than the doctor said. He said I could get out of bed the next morning, we decided 3am is technically morning so she helped me get ready to go over to the NICU before it closed down from 5am-7am so I could finally see my little man. I remember saying it felt like Christmas and it really, truly did. I had at least had Henry for a while before he had to go to the NICU and Thea I had with me right away. Being away was so hard and I was so, so happy to be with him finally. 

*Last visit to the NICU before he was later released. 

*Freshly delivered to the room! 

That next morning I went in two more times before the doctor came and said he could be moved to my room that afternoon. Almost exactly 24 hours after he was born, I got to really hold, snuggle and get to know our little Mr. Leo.