Loss of a Friend....

Whenever there is life there is death.
I am so so sad at the thought.
I have ALWAYS been a HUGE
animal lover!
I still remember my 2 cats that died
when I was 13.
My heart still aches for them.
I was lucky to have a dog in the first place.
Gregg swore we wouldn't have one.
Then as a birthday present the first year
we were married [15 years ago] he relented....
I got my pet!
Not a cat [Gregg would not be able to live in the house]
but the best compromise he could make.
A chihuahua.
YODA!!!
He was the best dog ANYONE could have ever
wanted. He LOVED EVERYONE.
He would lick you to death [if you wanted],
if you didn't like that he would just sit with you.
He would follow me around the house all day long.
He would be at my heals.
He would gently lick my babies on the head
when they came home from the hospital.
He would lay by me when I was sad.
He would play with the kids.
He loved to jump in the snow.
He watched out for us.
He cleaned my kitchen floor....daily! :)
But life is so bittersweet.
He was old.
He was sick.
He passed away 4 days after Ella came.
I will never forget Yoda.
I love you!

Pinewood Derby

Cub Scouts this year had the pinewood derby....WOW how intense. Actually I had to refrain A LOT!! I mean I am SO SO anal and I really had to stand back and remember it is Jaxon's derby NOT MINE! I mean I would have totally done things different....but he was proud and it was fun! He did okay....he didn't win or anything but he didn't loose every race he had either. I was pretty bummed I couldn't go as I stayed with our little sweetheart who was only 7 days old.
Nana and Papa came with Jaxon and the rest of the boys. Papa played a big role in Jaxon's derby car. I had envisioned Jaxon taking hours to meticulously draw out and plan, paint, polish and prepare his derby. Didn't quite happen that way. He did however spend a great deal of time planning and designing the look of the car. He drew it out at papas house. Papa was quite impressed as Jaxon even went to the detail as to draw out the extra parts papa would be cutting off the car block and how Jaxon would like those cut pieces re-used to make cool effects on his car.
I am pretty proud of him myself. He had a lot of fun. Kaden actually built and prepared a pinewood derby car too. He designed his own and got to 'race' it at the end of the real races.

Sweet Baby Girl

Seriously....do they get any sweeter than this?
1 Week old! I forget how small babies are. I forget how much they sleep. I forget how much I could just hold them forever. I forget how much they need you. I forget so much.....maybe that is why we keep having them? :) I think that is God's way of making sure we have more! :)
She is just so sweet. The boys love her. She hardly makes a peep only to be fed. She sleeps so sweet. She is so skinny. She hardly stays awake to be fed and is back to sleep. I think she is only awake maybe 1 hour out of the day right now. Oh how I love tiny babies.

She's Here

She is finally here!
5 lbs 8 oz. 18 1/2 inches

Ella MeKell Petersen

Gregg decided...(okay not really decided it was decided for him) to go out of town for a whole week roughly 2 weeks before I usually go into labor. At the time he booked the business trip we both thought it was totally fine. However, when things got closer we were both a little nervous. I was down right mad! I didn't want him to go, I was so nervous for him to leave. I thought for sure I would go into labor. With me having cesarean sections if I have the slightest bit of labor they usually take the baby. This would be my 4th c-section and I was certain I would go into labor when he was gone.
It was a Monday to Friday trip. By Thursday night I was sure I was having labor pains. I was so scared. I called Gregg at 1am on Friday morning telling him I was in labor and I was scared I didn't know what to do. I was 35 1/2 weeks along (usually have my babies at 37 weeks). Gregg was nervous as well. He asked if I wanted him to try to come home. I didn't want to force the issue as I was nervous it was a false alarm.....what to do. I waited until he got home on Friday night.
We went to labor and delivery and were sent home after monitoring us for roughly 3 hours. They hydrated me and said take it easy. Then on the following Monday I was in labor again. Off to Labor and delivery again. This time they had to give me two shots to stop the labor. They felt I needed to stay pregnant as long as I could. I was a little embarrassed and frankly ticked off. You would think after 4 babies I would know when I was in labor and when I was in labor the baby was going to come....why not let it happen? So Gregg sent me to bed and I was to take it easy.
The labor stopped with the shots and I was not going to do much that week. By Thursday night Gregg had worked his little toosh off and finished the baby's room. We were ready to move in the furniture. I was not going to help...much. But by 11pm I wanted to go to bed and decided I would help him put the crib together. Then when we got the layette in (ohh I love my layette) I just had to get the dresser in and call it good. But it was 12am and we didn't have anyone to help Gregg move in the dresser. So what the heck I helped. It wasn't that heavy, or so I thought.

We moved it in and sat and looked at all the hard work (and ridiculous amount of money) we put into the room and just smiled. It was done. She could come now any time and I would be okay. I wouldn't be as stressed and I could get some sleep knowing my little baby would have somewhere to go. I could get my house back in order......um yeah!
Well we went to be around 1am by 3am I was in LABOR!!! It came on so hard and strong I don't remember being in labor that strong since Jaxon 10 years ago....my only regular delivery. I got in the tub to relax and try to make it stop. It relaxed a bit. By 5am I could no longer sleep I was in so much pain. I got in the shower to try to make it stop. No luck there.
I started to do my hair and get a bag together because for sure this was the one. I started timing the contractions.....5 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes....OH MY GOSH! I have to get the kids to school before we go to the hospital, what am I going to do with Zeke. I know this is for sure the one. So much pain. Such hard contractions. I lay on the bed as Gregg frantically gets the boys ready (ready used loosely in this sentence) for school. HURRY GREGG HURRY.....
We dropped off the boys and took Zeke with us. Gregg's sweet parents were kind enough to come and pick him up from the hospital.
By the time we got to the hospital I was back to 6 minutes apart....what the heck is going on here? I questioned Gregg should I go in or not. After being sent home 2 times you start to question whether you are crazy or not. Gregg said I can drop you off. I said no I will walk. Park far away and I will see when we get to the doors what is going on. By the time we got to the doors they were back hard and strong.
We walked in at 8:30am. I was in my room and on monitors at 9am. By 9:30 they had bumped two other surgeries and moved me in....wwwheew! I do know what labor is. This is the last labor I will know and the last labor I will have to worry about. But for goodness sake could you please NOT try to put in an IV when I am having a contraction???? PLEASE!
Then I walked back to the OR. Walk? yes, I had to walk. Come on I am in serious pain here. No pain relief given yet!
They gave me the spinal and AAAHHHHH! relief!
Gregg in his true form........I had been complaining of being cold. As soon as they gave me the spinal it was as if a warm blanket was inserted into my veins. All comfy and kosy warm. Yet I was buck naked! Laying on the operating table. Wide open for both of the doctors to see and the three nurses and anesthesiologist who just happened to be staring at my nakedness.....along with Gregg. when Gregg bursts out, 'Carrie are you still cold now?' 'No' I replied. 'Well your buck naked for everyone'.....um, Thanks Gregg.....

She came and oh how small she was. So sweet. She must have been pushed up against my pelvis for some time because her little mouth was just as blue and bruised as can be. Looked like she wasn't breathing.

Gregg bathed her and she was ours! So glad she came to us!

She's Here!