Our little glow worm

Kyle Henry

Kyle Henry Horner
4lb 11 ounces, 16 in. long
21 January 2012, 5:43 am

After hours of laboring by myself through the night because the doctors didn't think I was in active labor, I decided to call Jeremy and tell him to come to the hospital. I was done doing it by myself. Even if the doctors thought my contractions could stop, I didn't care who I inconvenienced (meaning my sister, who went to stay with the kids). I wanted Jeremy to come. I never actually got the chance to make that phone call. Things changed very quickly, and I delivered the baby in my room, not the OR as planned, with a team of frantic nurses trying to get a warmer and all the NICU stuff in my room for Kyle. About a minute before I delivered, I had a nurse call Jeremy to tell him to come. I couldn't make the call at that point.

This was my best view of the baby before they whisked him away to the NICU. He looks like he is really squawling, but he has the tiniest little cry.


Jeremy got to the hospital as fast as he could, but Kyle was already in the NICU. He waited with me while the medical team got me ready to relocate out of my room. Well, Jeremy didn't actually wait. He packed up 5 weeks of books and movies and kid drawings to put in the car. I was sad to leave my spacious room with closets. After we got settled, the nurses told us we could go to the NICU for a visit. I told Jeremy he could go. I was so exhausted. I'd been up over 24 hours without any sleep and delivered without an epidural...not my plan. I slept while Jeremy went to spend some quality time with Kyle.


After my nap, Jeremy wheeled me to the NICU where I got to hold Kyle for the first time. He is doing really well. They took out his feeding tube and he doesn't need oxygen. We hope he continues to grow and progress so we may take him home soon. Right now, the nurses think he will need about two weeks here.

Kyle even puckered up for a kiss.

Here he is in his little warmer, with his eyes open. He's very sleepy, but that was too be expected. They pushed some fentanyl in my IV and gave me a shot of phenergan to try and take the edge off my contractions about 10 minutes before he was born.
Jeremy and I are so grateful Kyle is here and arrived safely. We've worried throughout this whole pregnancy and are so happy to finally have him in our arms.

"Winter"

When it snows, people make snowmen...


When it snows in Portland, you scrape the whole driveway and still only get snowmen about 8 inches tall.

Just another day with Grandma

What's better than visiting Mom at the hosptial?

Riding on the train you built there.

Gratitude

This is my 26th day in the hospital. If all goes well, I have about 24 more days to go. That is one long hospital stay. My biggest concern in this whole matter has been my children. All three of them. Of course, the health and safety of the baby is primary, which is why I stay here when everything looks good. Because we know from experience that things can turn quickly and I need to have nurses and doctors standing by. But my other two children...I feel pretty helpless there. Jeremy works for wonderful people who have been very accommodating to our family's needs, but, obviously, he can't take 7 weeks off work. So, what becomes of my children who need childcare 12-13 hours a day for about a month?

That's where Grandma and Grandpa come in. Closer to the birth, Grandma Horner is joining us for a few weeks. And before them, my sisters and brother in the area helped. And the gaps that my family can't fill? Those gaps are plugged by wonderful friends. To me, it's something akin to a miracle. I know what it means to take extra children for a whole day. Or in my brother's case, many days and nights. I know it means extra planning and arranging to get Carolyn to school, or Blake to actually eat.

My children are cared for by people who love them. Blake especially needs to know that because he is struggling with our situation the most. He knows every home he is going to, and I know that if he struggles, he will find comfort from the people taking care of him.

Everyone who is helping is doing something that I cannot do for my own family right now. And I appreciate it more than words can express.

Happy new year from our family to yours!

This is our letter we had started before I landed myself in the hospital. Most of it is still good information:

Carolyn started kindergarten this year. She thinks it's the best thing ever and always comes home ready to do her homework immediately. Carolyn is also our big helper. She makes her bed, Blake's bed, and sometimes our bed every day. If she disappears at a friend's house, we will often find her cleaning up the bedrooms.

Blake turned three this month. He's recently taken a liking to coloring. We welcome this quiet activity. Most often he is jumping on the couch, or singing and dancing. He is counting down until his swim lessons and preschool start next year.

They both eagerly await the arrival of their little brother, due in March 2012. We haven't named him yet, but Blake is pushing for Paprika.

We cancelled any big trips due to Keren's pregnancy, but we enjoyed going out to the Oregon coast multiple times this year. Also, this meant Jeremy's vacation time was at home, and we were much more productive that way.

Jeremy changed jobs within his company, and this change allows him to be at home more. Next step, moving closer to Portland to cut the commute time. This next step will be years out, but Keren is looking forward to it.

We wish you all the best this holiday season.

Obviously there are a few changes. We are expecting this little boy in January, or early February if we get really lucky. Most days, my hospital bed rest isn't the worst thing in the world. Once they established I wasn't going into immediate labor, the doctors lifted most of my restrictions. But we've had a scare where they thought they would have to do an emergency c-section, and while those times were more stressful, I have never been so grateful for being in the hospital under constant supervision. We are back to hoping delivery is weeks away instead of hours, but we know that could change at any time. Jeremy and I are also aware that we are being cared for by family, friends, and Heavenly Father. We are grateful for all of the help we've received. It has made these last few weeks a lot easier to handle.

Merry Christmas!

You guys are so lucky that I am in the hospital. This has got to be the most attention I've paid my blog in months!

We did Christmas morning at the hospital this year. Well, the kids did breakfast and stockings at home, and then they, Jeremy, my parents, and Angelina and Wayne all came down to the hospital to open presents.
It is a little different look without the tree, but the kids really did not care one bit.

Jeremy got an Eagles throw blanket to replace the one Blake stole from him about a year ago. Thanks to my wonderful friend who brought my fabric and scissors to the hospital and proceeded to do all the cutting for me since I couldn't get down on the floor. Good friends are priceless.
And here's Carolyn with something she's been wanting for well over a year. Get ready, world. She's planning on being a rock star someday.


We wish all of you a very merry Christmas and hope you are all doing well!

Thank goodness for...

puzzles...

vaulted ceilings...

and a sister-in-law who takes care of business when I can't.

Blake proudly told me he didn't even cry.

Blake's birthday

By far, the hardest part of being in the hospital has been missing Blake's birthday. We had plans. After weeks of trying to decide, he settled on wanting a Max and Ruby birthday cake. We made plans to go to lunch while Carolyn was at school, just a Mommy-Blake date. He was excited about his presents that were gathering.

Then he woke up the morning of his birthday to find Angelina there, not Mom. He loves Angelina, but it's not the same.

The first thing he and Carolyn asked after was whether or not I had made the cake. I didn't. Carolyn harassed me the entire day before. I told her I had time. Besides, I was trying to get her teacher gift finished and go to a meeting and do a million other things.

Instead of baking his cake, I was stuck in the hospital trying not to feel horrible that all of our plans were shot. Not just for that day, but for weeks.

I convinced Jeremy to go on the lunch date for me. He didn't want to leave me here, but once Angelina said she would sit with me, he went. That was fantastic for both of them. I am very happy that when I couldn't make it, the plans became a Daddy-Blake date. They don't get enough of those.

Then we spent the afternoon trying to scrounge up a cake. I knew it wouldn't be what he pictured, or what I pictured, but we needed to find something. We settled on a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake that said "Happy Birthday Blake! From Max and Ruby."As you can tell, he was more than happy to eat his substitute cake. (This boy desperately needs a haircut.)

Jeremy also went home to do presents and cake with Blake. We wanted to use FaceTime so I could watch Blake open his presents, but the hospital wi-fi is not up to snuff. Instead, Angelina and Jeremy taped it, and I listened on speakerphone. It was fun to hear the joy in his voice as he opened his gifts.

Thanks to everyone who helped make Blake's 3rd birthday wonderful. I am sure that I felt worse about it than he did. How could he be sad?! He got this awesome kitchen!

Guess who lost her first tooth?!

Zoo lights 2011

I had a long list of things I wanted to do this Christmas season, and I was insistent that we get started as soon as possible. The Christmas tree had to be up early. We were going to attend Zoo Lights the first week it was open. I needed to have family pictures taken before the holidays, so that I could attempt to get a Christmas card out.

I was feeling happy with my progress and a little overwhelmed trying to get Blake's birthday taken care of by Dec. 15 before tackling the rest of my list. Then we ended up at the hospital in the wee hours of the morning on Dec. 15 because my waters broke. Labor didn't start and since I wasn't even 29 weeks yet, the doctors determined that I would stay at the hospital until I delivered, which we hope will be 6 or 7 weeks from now. (Sorry for the repeat information for those on Facebook.)

Those were things we were able to do. Of course, I still had a list a mile-long that has been snipped here and there as I adjust to a hospital room instead of my own house. I am so happy with the things we were able to get done before it all came to a stop.

Going to Zoo Lights without a memory card in your camera is stupid. Not only do you not get pictures, but you are still dragging around a camera bag. Also, iPods are not made for taking pictures in the dark. But I am so glad we have these few so that I remember we still had fun holiday activities this year.

This gingerbread house was my favorite light display. And it's the only one that semi-turned out in the pictures.

We took the kids around the zoo for the train ride. Blake and Carolyn loved seeing all the different animals lit up in lights.

We ended the night with dinner at Five Guys, trying to get Blake and Carolyn to eat before falling asleep.

Wishing you a little sugar mixed in with your Christmas

Pictures from a 5-year-old photographer

We are having another boy due at the beginning of March.

Carolyn ran in her school's fundraiser and did 9 laps that were 1/8 of a mile long in 20 minutes. She had so much fun. And thank you to everyone who sponsored her. It made her day. She was telling everyone, "I ran nine laps, and Mom told people I would only run eight."