Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Rowan and Clara


Amanda Payne and I have known each other pretty much our whole lives but we became close friends in high school. After high school, and Ryan's mission, she married our friend and her high school sweetheart, Ryan Parent in 2004. I don't know all of the details about their journey through fertility issues but I know it lasted for many years.

Thanksgiving of 2016, Amanda told me she was expecting a baby boy! Amanda had told me that she and Ryan had decided to check just one more time to see if they had any options to have a baby. The news wasn't very optimistic until she was lucky enough to be a part of an invitro study and even luckier because it was successful! When she told me this I started thinking that if she was brave enough to try one last time than I should too.

That, and a little nudge from Jake, gave me the courage to talk to the doctor about affordable options that might be available for me to try again to have a baby. It was January of 2017 and that very day I walked out with a $2 prescription to try and a possible procedure.

Unfortunately, the first round of medication didn't work at all and sounded like it may not be a medication that would work for me at all. But, I had already filled the next round of medicine and decided to take it anyway. Because of some terrible timing and schedule issues, the day I was supposed to have the follow up procedure wasn't going to work and I didn't have it. So, I decided to go for the third and final round of the medicine. Before starting the medication, I took the recommended pregnancy test and couldn't believe it. I didn't believe it. Within a week, I took five more tests. They all came back with the same results. All positive.

Because of Amanda and Ryan and their miracle baby, Rowan, Jake and I got our miracle Baby Clara.

Thanksgiving 2017


Grandma roasted the baby for Thanksgiving!



Noah was too big for the roaster but fit nicely in the fridge!

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Plain City Hansen's


I had to steal and add this picture Amber's sister took because it is so great to see those boys smile. I'm really happy we moved to Plain City and are neighbors (a few miles apart). It's not quite like the across the street cousins I grew up with but it's still pretty awesome.

Marlie - 14
James - 11
Jack - 9

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Clara's Newborn Pictures

Amber's sister, Mary Kay, came to our house to take Clara's newborn pictures. I think, of course, they turned out so beautiful. But, Clara wasn't the most cooperative baby. She doesn't like to curl up and be swaddled so it was really hard to pose her. Then, she got tired and grumpy, peed all over a bunch of blankets, but then she went to sleep and we got a few more good pictures.













Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Hospital Pictures and Visitors




Noah and Clara the morning after she was born.

Abbi and Clara the morning after she was born.

Our first family picture.


Grandma Hansen

Grandpa Hansen


Grandma Tracy

Aunt Amber

Uncle Jimmy

Aunt Anne Kay

Aunt Wendy

Brandon and Tammy Bills

Uncle Cody

Aunt Tiffani

The cow suit I was so excited for Clara to wear.

Cousin Alleson

Uncle Jeremy

Aunt Lilia



Middle of the night selfie.

Waiting for Dad to come take us home.

First time in the car seat.

Saturday, November 04, 2017

Clara Kay's Birth Story

After a few false alarms and being sent home from the hospital I was feeling very gun shy about going back until I knew for sure I was in labor. Lucky for me (I guess) my water broke at 2:22 a.m. on November 4th. I was 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I remember the time because I woke up wondering if the pain I had just felt was real or if I was dreaming. Since I was awake anyway, I figured I might as well take one of my dozen night-time trips to the bathroom.

It worked out really great that I was in the bathroom when my water broke. I could not believe what was happening. And, I'll always be so very happy that my water broke at home and not at work or anywhere else public! The water just kept coming so I tried to yell for Jake but I had closed both the bedroom and bathroom door because I didn't want to wake him up with the light. In our room, I knew the fan was running and he had on his c-pap machine. I couldn't keep yelling because I didn't want to wake up the kids. Finally, there was a break and I walked to the bedroom door and yelled for Jake to wake up. The water gushed again all over the hallway floor. Thankful for tile!

Jake came flying out of our room already halfway dressed. We cleaned up a little bit, I called my parents to come for the kids, and we headed to the hospital. Abbi was awake when Jake went down to tell her we were leaving because I guess she did hear me yelling for Jake.

We got to McKay Dee and I was checked in at 3 a.m. and even better, the nurse said they wouldn't send me home this time! I knew it was the real deal because they took me straight to a labor and delivery room. I had a few contractions since I woke up and was naive enough to think that was as bad as contractions were. So, I told Jake and the nurse it that's all it was then I maybe didn't want an epidural. The nurse laughed and then I had my first real contraction.

I was so scared to have the epidural. I really don't think I've ever been that afraid before. Jake and the nurse did a great job trying to help me. I never looked at the doctor or his cart of materials. He came in, did his work, and was gone quickly. Having a contraction and an epidural at the same time is actually really awful. Really awful. But the epidural made my day. Oh, it was wonderful. And, we're so lucky we came to the hospital when we did because right after my epidural the two anesthesiologists were both taken into an emergency situation and were unavailable for the lady that came in after me. She was further along in her labor and there was no epidural available for her. Hearing her holler from down the hall made me very grateful.

My doctor, Dr. Davis, left for New York City to run the marathon the night before so my doctor was Dr. Johansson. She had six women in labor and delivery that day but her and the nurses expected I would deliver in the late afternoon because I progressed quickly after arriving at the hospital. We kept talking about all the good things I could choose to eat for a late lunch. But the day shift nurse came and left and I was back to my original night time nurse. My progress had really slowed down and they kept turning up the pitocin to keep my contractions strong and regular. 

At 9 p.m. I was ready to start pushing but the day had shown the baby had no intention of lowering for delivery. Neither of us were in distress so the doctor wanted to see what would happen if I tried pushing for 90 minutes. So I did. I was so exhausted from the day that I would nap in between every contraction and Jake would have to nudge me when it was time to push again. The epidural is amazing. I could nap in the middle of delivery. After 90 minutes, the baby hadn't moved down at all so I was prepped and taken into the operating room for a c-section.

I had always felt like the c-section was inevitable so I wasn't surprised or nervous about why I had to have one. While the nurses prepped me, Jake gave me a priesthood blessing and then we were whisked away. Jake had been dressed in some coveralls and a mask and they put a hat on me.

I saw very little in the operating room and things went really fast. It was a small, cramped room with lots of people. I was taken in at 11 p.m., Jake sat next to my head and tried to start my Pride and Prejudice sound track on his phone and a few seconds into the first song I heard a little squeak and got a peek of a baby over the curtain and they took her away. It took a minute to convince Jake to follow the baby because he was focused on helping me be calm. But, the anesthesiologist scooted up and visited with me while the doctor sewed me up.

After a minute, Jake and the baby were back right next to my head. I couldn't touch her because my arm was tied down but seeing her in Jake's arms was the best thing I've ever seen. Once I was moved onto my bed to be taken to recovery I got to hold little Clara. She was wide awake and it wasn't long before she was hungry. We fed her a little bottle, the nurse cleaned me up, and we got moved to our hospital room. I loved that I got to hold her while we got moved around.

It was daylight savings and the time changed which was really confusing for our new nurse. She was busy figuring out what time the medicine and other things had to happen while I just held the baby. I was so exhausted but I didn't want to send her away while she was still wide awake. But the nurses talked me into it after a while because Clara still needed her big bath. I asked to have her back when she was ready for her next bottle because there was no chance to really get good sleep. 

The next morning started all the exciting introductions for everyone. Abbi and Noah had a long day waiting for the baby to arrive and fell asleep before we could tell them she had arrived. It was the best to have us, all five, together first thing in the morning.

Jake filled out the loads of paperwork in the labor room. He also kept my water cup full and the Dum Dum suckers on hand.

Jake was by my side for everything I needed during labor. He handed me everything, reminded me to push the epidural button, held my hand when I was in pain or scared, turned me, sat me up, read to me, let me rest, took care of keeping everyone updated, he did everything.



Clara was cleaned up and wrapped in a room next to my operation room. I could kind of see through the window a little bit but I'm so glad Jake was able to go with her and take some pictures for me.
 
In my recovery room I was able to hold her and gave her her first bottle. She would have eaten the whole thing right up but the nurses said she could only have one ounce to start. 

Clara was wide awake for hours after birth. I was exhausted but didn't want to send her away while she was still awake. Luckily, the nurses talked me into it because Clara still needed a good bath in the nursery so they took her for a few hours so I could sleep. Yeah, sleep. I wish.

When the nurses brought her back for her next bottle, we were so surprised by how much hair she had! The little hat and matted hair didn't look like it was this much.