Mason

Update: Mason and Kelli are both doing well. Kelli's doctor let her go off the mag a little early and she is doing much better. She is able to eat again and is up and walking around. Best of all, she has been able to go up and see Mason. We have been together three times today. He is doing well. He is breathing on his own and seems to be doing a good job regulating his temperature. They have moved him to an isolet - a step between the first get-up he was in and an open crib. He is also eating pretty well. We have been able to give him a bottle twice and he guzzles it down. We hope that he will be able to get the IV out soon as a result. He also really likes the pacifier, which is one difference with his older brother. However, they look very much alike.

Thanks to all who have offered prayers and well wishes. We are so grateful that Kelli is on the mend and that Mason is doing so well. Our hearts break and sympathies go out to the parents of the babies in the NICU who are not doing as well.

Now for the fun part. Video of the first bottle Kelli got to give Mason.

And Second Time to the Rodeo Makes Four

Announcement:  We are now a family of four.  Mason Bryce Williams was born via c-section on Tuesday August 30, 2011 at 12:20 pm at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children.  His due date was October 6, so he is 5 weeks and 2 days early.  Nevertheless, he weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz and was 18 inches long.  Kelli developed preeclamspia again, so yet another early baby - hence our second time to the rodeo.  Lincoln was born at 36 weeks and weighed just five ounces more.

Mason is having a little bit tougher a time breathing than Lincoln did and is in the NICU.  We anticipate he will have a several days' stay there, where Lincoln did not.  He is making good progress, though.  The big downside is that we have to go to him for visits and cannot keep him in our room with us.  What is more, Kelli is on magnesium post-delivery for the high blood pressure.  This means staying in the bed and only liquids for 24 hours (until tomorrow afternoon).  As such, she cannot go see Mason until tomorrow.  They did let her stop by on the way back from recovery.  We are grateful that both Kelli and Mason are doing well and are excited to start our life as a family of four.

Mason is named for his grandfathers - indirectly.  His middle name, "Bryce," is a combination of Brian (Tyler's dad) and Bruce (Kelli's dad).  His first name, while continuing the historical theme, was also Papa Williams' nickname in high school.  This apparently had something to do with a 70s musician famous for a song called "Classical Gas."   Mason and Lincoln have wonderful grandfathers and Kelli and Tyler have amazing fathers.  We hope that both follow in the examples of Mason's namesakes.  

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and well wishes.  We would appreciate your continued prayers for Kelli's speedy recovery and for Mason's quick progress, so he can come home soon.

Now for some pictures.  These are all in the NICU.  The "bow" on his head is an IV.

Aunt Jana

My (Tyler's) Aunt Jana passed away this weekend after a several years battle with cancer. An obituary can be found here. Jana is my dad's older sister. They have a younger sister, Terri Lynn, who died from a brain tumor when she was a teenager. One sweet thought is that Jana and Terri have been reunited.

Jana was always a "good" aunt. She is a sweet, good-natured person, who was always kind. I can never remember a time when I thought she was mean or mad. She always had a smile and a kind word, even when you knew she wasn't feeling well. And she has an infectious laugh. It was always evident that she deeply loved her family, not only her husband, children and grandchildren, but her siblings, nieces, nephews and parents. Some of my earliest memories are of riding my big wheel from our house to hers (when I was very young we lived in the same neighborhood). I don't remember many details, but I remember that I liked the feeling of being there.

Jana was also a selfless person, often in the background quietly serving others. When Kelli and I got married, Jana had to miss the events because she needed emergency surgery to remove a tumor from her brain. As I recall things, this was when her cancer was discovered. Even though she was in the hospital, we still had a gathering that was planned for her house with my extended family and Kelli's family. The party went on and it was important to Jana that it still take place, and at her house. In spite of what she was going through, Jana was concerned that her situation not be a hamper on ours (mine and Kelli's) special day. I was touched by her concern at the time, and will always remember the kindness expressed, even though I did not get to see her on that trip to Utah.

While I know that she had reached the point in her illness that death was a mercy, she will be missed. I will miss her. I know her sweet family will. I also know that, for her, the separation will be brief until her family joins her, and she will await that time in a place of peace and rest. I know that, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all live eternally with God and with our families. He is the resurrection and the life and those that believe in Him, though they are dead, yet shall they live (John 11:25). I am grateful for the example and love of people like Jana that I have been blessed to have in my life, and more grateful for the peace that comes from knowing that the separation imposed by death is a temporary one.

Further Proof, My Friends

I got great feedback on my last post. It appears that juxtaposing religious material with fashion (and a distinct lack thereof) really makes people wonder. I'll try to do it more often. :)

But I digress. The further proof that March (the bad month, remember) is REALLY over is that I went to the dentist today, and I did not have even ONE cavity! You have to understand that from the time I was little-little (side note: words are cooler when repeated, such as sing-sing, a little somethin-somethin, and bling-bling), I ALWAYS had 2 cavities when we went to the dentist. It did not matter how little or much I brushed, flossed, rinsed, used fluoride, etc, etc, (notice that repeat?), I ALWAYS had 2 cavities. So, this morning I expected to need about 3 root canals. But no, my friends, I triumphed. I think that's happened perhaps once before, maybe twice. And I was especially surprised because while I was preggo I was REALLY bad about not brushing my teeth after having a midnight snack. Or three. So the question is, does this reinforce good behavior or bad behavior? Bad behavior. Not good. On the other hand, when we look at the bigger picture, the one that involves more than just my midnight snacks and cavities, we realize that even one tiny cavity might have finally been the straw that broke the camel's back. It was a tender mercy, for which I'm most grateful.

Welcome to April, My Weekend Plans, and Shoes and Socks

I kid you not, March was cursed. I'm not sure EXACTLY who had it in for me (though I could make some guesses...), but I feel confident it only lasted one month, so April is going to be MUCH better. For instance, Lincoln slept for SIX hours last night. Blessed child. It was especially nice because Tyler and I are both pretty sick. Sick to the point where I would have just stayed in bed and moaned all day if I hadn't taken so many days off earlier in the week because of Lincoln being sick (we've covered that I exaggerate as a defense mechanism, right? Good.).

So, I've had a lot of random thoughts in my head lately. A little neuroses, of course, and trying to problem solve. Remember my post about the possible solutions, and then I/we remembered the most obvious one? Well, most of you know that we're members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe that the Church that Jesus Christ organized when he was on the earth has been restored, and we believe that there is a Prophet and Apostles who lead and guide our Church.

But, make no mistake, we believe the Jesus Christ is the head of that Church. I mention this not to be preachy, but because twice a year we have the privilege to hear from these inspired leaders what the Lord would have us be taught at this time. I consider it a great blessing in my life. As I mentioned, it's twice a year, and this weekend is one of these General Conferences. If you're just curious, you can tune in for a talk (sessions are Sat and Sun at 10 and 2 MST) or more. But I testify that whether you are LDS (Mormon) or not, it will be an opportunity for you to feel the Holy Ghost testify to you of the divinity of our Savior. If you're in Huntsville and you have Knology, it will be on channel 11. If you have Comcast or you live outside of Huntsville, and you're interested, let me know, and I'll see if I can find out. If nothing else, you can listen/watch on the internet. I believe that no matter which church you are a member of, it is a blessing from our Heavenly Father when we have an opportunity to feel the Holy Ghost testify of His love for us. And, in March, I really struggled with that (being comforted), as you may have noticed from my whining. But I'm excited about the weekend. In conclusion, if you want to learn more about our Church, I invite you check out this site.

But like I said (did I say it?), I wasn't trying to be preachy. I just wanted to share that with you all. On a lighter note, let's talk about shoes. I'm breaking in a new pair of black flats, and I've decided that they definitely look better with lighter socks. Why is that? And that reminds me that from the time I was in grade school, I always tried to match my socks to my shirt, and I was WAY behind the curve when I realized that when you grow up, you're supposed to match your socks to either your shoes or your pants. What is that? And how is it fun AT ALL? I like striped and polka-dotted socks in outrageous colors, but I draw the line at striped and polka-dotted pants in outrageous colors. Who makes these rules, anyway? It reminds me of a Jem song (points if you get the reference, as usual). More ramblings later.

Blessings

This morning when I woke up, Tyler mentioned that Lincoln had developed a cough overnight that didn't sound good. We googled it (of course) and pretty much everyone said take the baby to the doctor. So, Tyler had a deposition 2 hours away, so I got to take my precious baby into the doctor and hold him while he cried when they drew blood. So, so sad. I might have cried, too. But when the doctor came back in, he said it's definitely a virile infection and contagious, which sucks because it means we need to work our schedules so we can work at home as much as possible for the next 7 to 10 days.

While I was in the area, I decided to pop in at Roper Automotive and see how genuine the VW estimate of needing my battery replaced ASAP was. Turns out, I'm good for a few more weeks at least. Yay! And blessings on Jeff's head for fitting me in.

Now the reason for the title of the post. Blessings. While I was in the waiting room, I had 3 bags (my purse, the diaper bag, and my catch-all bag), and my purse spilled out and everything went rolling across the floor. This was pretty much par for the course, so I didn't freak out or anything, but it did get me talking to the lady next to me about all that's been going on. And I mentioned that in church yesterday, I'd started a list of all the things that have gone wrong in the last month, and my husband asked if I was masochistic. This good woman's response humbled me exceedingly: "At least you have a husband that goes to church with you to sit next to you." Oh, I do. I have a wonderful husband and a wonderful life. I have (and Tyler has) a good job where our bosses are understanding and sympathetic, and we can make liberal use of the leave we have. I have amazing friends who (apparently) are just waiting for me to say the word so they can help with whatever they can. I have insurance and a home warranty, which has saved us a fair bit. We have a credit card, which though we don't LIKE to use it, we CAN use for emergencies. We have wonderful families who love and support us. There's so much to be grateful for, and while I tend to be overwhelmed by all this junk happening at once (I mean, seriously, the AC, the water heater, the washer/dryer, the dishwasher, hail damage on the roof, a leaking skylight, AND a pressure relief valve? not to mention my sick baby and my own neuroses), I'm grateful for the reminders in life that it could be oh-so-worse. I'm excited for next month when my husband will bless our baby. I'm excited for ALL the family that will come (can you say par-TAY?).

And I leave you with this picture of my adorable son. I pray God's blessings on you, and that you'll recognize them when they come. And if you can't recognize them, that he'll help you see them as often as you need (I need that help a lot!).

We Are a Happy Family!

Finally! After three full days of trying, Lincoln Shapiro Williams was born by Cesarean section at 10:10 PM on January 28, 2009. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. Because he was 4 weeks early, we was taken straight up to the NICU to transition. We were told he may only be there for 4 hours or a few days depending how that transition period went. At about 3:00 this morning they brought him down to us, so he should be able to go home when we do. His doctor came to see him today and said he is doing well. He is a beautiful little baby and we are so excited to finally have him here. We want to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers.

Kelli has had a rougher time of it. She is my hero. She hasn't eaten since Monday night and hasn't slept much (none at all last night). Because of the high blood pressure, she had to stay on the magnesium for 24 hours post-delivery. That meant another day of nausea, staying in the bed, and not eating. Her doctor just came and said she could go off it early, so she should be improving soon. Continued prayers on her behalf are appreciated. Other than the side-effects of the magnesium, she is doing well and has been such a strong trooper. I'm so proud of her and grateful for her and all she did to bring our son to us. And, now, after witnessing childbirth first hand I am so amazed by the women that do it and so grateful for my mom, grandmothers, mother-in-law, and every other women who has brought someone that I care about into this world. It is an amazing process. And I'm grateful to God for all of my blessings and for my new little family.

Now for some pictures -- what everyone has been waiting for:

Kelli's "9 month" Picture (Lincoln was born at exactly 36 weeks).

6 pounds, 15 ounces

Talking to mom before heading to the NICU

Transitioning in the NICU

Lincoln and Mom visiting in the NICU after Kelli's recovery

Chilling in Mom's room

Welcome to the world, Lincoln!!! We're happy to have you here.