Caboose's Birth Story

Our little caboose was born five weeks ago, and it's time to document the event before I forget everything. This was such a quick experience, there really isn't much to tell.

The night of April 2 I was having fairly intense contractions, but they were ten minutes apart at least, and they quit after five hours. Losing five hours of sleep to contractions with nothing to show for it was intensely frustrating, but those babies and our bodies tend to do what they want without any regard for the consequences. Slight, irregular contractions followed all day on April 3 to the point where I gave our friend a head's up saying we might be calling her that day to come stay with the kids. I felt terrible for putting her on her toes when nothing happened by bed time that night. At about the same time as the night before, intense contractions began again. I didn't think much of it since nothing happened the previous night, but boy, were they painful. Finally, at 1am I sent a text to our friend to let her know we were going in since the pain was so bad even though the contractions were still about ten minutes apart. Right after she said she was on their way, the contractions came every five minutes, or sooner, and would last for a day and an age.

We got to the hospital and went through the process of being checked and officially admitted. Contractions were coming back to back already, and by the time I was completely settled at about 2 or 2:30am, the nurse was confident we weren't going to hold out for more than a couple of hours at the most. She immediately got me hooked up to an IV and found the anesthetist so we could get my epidural as fast as possible. The contractions continued coming back to back and often would not let up for several minutes at a time. The line on the monitor would disappear off the screen and stay there until I was convinced I was going to die. Then it would start to drop down for maybe five to ten seconds, and then shoot right back up to where it was to hang out for awhile. This was, by far, the worst part of bringing our caboose baby into the world.

The anesthetist came in pretty quickly and got through the process not a moment too soon. It takes some time for those epidurals to kick in, and the only thing keeping the baby in place was that the doctor had not broken my water yet. The room was all aflutter with people setting up for the doctor, the anesthetist setting my epidural, and nurses prepping the baby area. They gave my body just enough time to let the epidural kick in, and then the doctor came to break my water since I was already at a ten and just hanging out. The contractions continued to be a little painful because of the position of the baby on my pelvic bone, and so I was very ready to get to this point. As soon as my water broke and they cleaned it up, it was go time.

I pushed through two contractions, and with the baby being so close, the doctor said to keep pushing if I felt like it, so I did, and out she came with head of dark hair at 4:19am on 4/4/19. I got to snuggle her to my chest right away while they made her kick and cry and get some color in her. I got a small tear and had to hang out for awhile as the doctor wrapped everything up, but everything else was perfect. Our little girl was 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 21 in. long and ready to eat right away.

They had me stay in labor and delivery for quite some time because the epidural really settled into my right leg and I could not move it. They finally got some weird strap and a couple of nurses to get me out of the bed, into a wheelchair, and into the postpartum recovery room. Our sweet baby was exhausted and slept and slept, and I wish they would have let me do the same thing. Why do they send so many people in to a room where all is needed is sleep? And why do they always come in while the sleeping is taking place? Can't they come in while I'm eating or something? The car seat lady has to come in, the breastfeeding lady has to come in, the nurse comes in and tap, tap, taps on the computer for ages all hours of the night, and they come in to test the baby's hearing, and they come in to take her for a bath, and it never ends. All we need it sleep, people. Go away and let us sleep! They kept harassing me to get the baby to wake up and eat, but the baby didn't want to wake up and eat, and she was doing fine. Just go away. Anyways, we were released the following night and were so happy to be back home.

Her first week was rather rough. Our other newborns were so sleeyp that first week or two, and this little one was just mad. Just as she started to seem less angry, she became incredibly congested. After a week with no improvement, she started to struggle eating through the congestion, and I could see her using her neck and stomach muscles to breathe. I took her into Urgent Care, and the doctor said to get her to the ER. They suctioned a ton of crud out of her nose and tested it for RSV and the flu, and both came out positive. No wonder our poor baby was so miserable. Fortunately, her oxygen levels were still quite high, and so we did not have to be admitted to the hospital. We were prescribed a suction pump to use at home to stay on top of the congestion and told to follow-up with the doctor's office on Monday.

By Monday her little eyes were incredibly goopy and looked like she had caught pink eye. The doctor checked her oxygen, said she was still good, and took a culture of her eye. A couple of days later when we went back to check her oxygen again, we were informed she had developed a secondary infection in her eyes called haemophilus. Poor, poor baby. She is now on antibiotics and should be reaching the end of her flu symptoms. We've been told the congestion could last for another week. Fingers crossed she kicks all the crud sooner rather than later so she can breathe and sleep and generally be happier.

It's been quite a ride these first five weeks, but I'm hoping it's all better from here! We look forward to watching her little personality grow and love watching her older siblings love on her. It really is so fun to have a tiny new baby at home, even if they are exhausting little things.

Here's the fun part: pictures!

Christmas 'Letter' 2018

Christmas letters didn't happen this year - thus, this post.

2018 is a big blur, but I think we are safe to say we've survived and are doing well. We are excited to be expecting baby #4, girl #3 in April. We might require prayers and miracles in order to reach an agreement on a name so we don't resort to drastic measures, but maybe we won't reach that point. Sabrina continues to work from home for Vacasa while Paul is an assistant captain of a fire engine for the USFS out of Burley. None of our kids will let us choose their outfits or do their hair, so they continuously look like homeless children, but we promise they are loved and cared for.

Caleb - Caleb is 6 years old and started kindergarten this fall. He absolutely loves it though Sabrina still isn't so sure. Regardless, we're all thrilled to see Caleb thriving now he's settled into a routine. He's becoming pretty slick at reading and is pretty good at math with his brain for memorization and patterns. He still makes friends easily and has a ready smile and greeting for anybody he meets whether they want to interact with him or not. He asks more questions in a day than we could possibly count and must be preparing for debate team in high school based on his current penchant for arguing.

Caleb Quote: I have a big decision to make when I grow up, Mom. Do I want to join the air force, become a pilot, or work in the temple?

Abigail - She is 3 years old and constantly asking when she gets to start school and dance. She loves to count things and is working on recognizing her letters. She has reached a definite "button-pushing" age, but will still be so sweet and cuddly when she's in the mood. She loves to play pretend, especially if it involves bossing around her little sister, and she is frequently found dancing and singing throughout the house. She has recently become fascinated with aging and reminds us frequently that she'll visit when we're old.

Abigail Quote: Ha! Funny me. I AM the funniest!

Eve - will be 2 in a few weeks, but she likes to act as though she's at least 6. She brings so much joy and absolute terror into our house - we never know what to expect, especially with her apparent love for mountain climbing. She has a very strong personality and does not tolerate much older sibling 'abuse.' She changes outfits multiple times a day for the sheer joy of it, and is constantly found marching around the house in anybody else's shoes but her own. She is the artist of the family as she has ruined the glider, several books, and marked every surface in the house. She is our best eater by far at this age, but she still makes sure to have leftovers to 'color' her tray with at the end of each meal.

Eve Quote: I go bug Mom now.

Sabrina - still thinks she's 22 and wonders what problems this will cause her in her old age. At this point her brain is so fried she can't even think of anything to say about herself.

Sabrina Quote - Is it bedtime yet?

Paul - can't remember how old he is...ever...yes, this is concerning. He is grateful to have some time at home this winter after a busy summer of fires. He's keeping busy training for the Spartan race in Boise next spring and helping hold down the fort while Sabrina works. He loves taking the kids to swim at the YMCA and getting us outdoors for family activities. He can often be found napping as well. 

Paul Quote: .....*snore*.......

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and appreciate all of you that have thought of us and sent us a Christmas card/letter. We hope to repay the favor next year!

Catch-Up 2017-2018

Some people say they are flying by the seat of their pants, but I feel more like my pants are flying me and I have zero control over where we're going or how fast or what we do on our way. Can you relate? Please tell me it's not just me.

So, I'll try and do a quick chronological update on our family since I haven't said anything since our eldest turned five. The other kids are going to think they're not loved when they read through these in ten years. Parent guilt is so strong. Must fight it.

Let's start with our littlest. She turned one; started walking at about 13/14 months; has lots of teeth, including a few molars; says quite a few words including mama, dada, all done, good girl, there you go, hi, bye, yogurt (gogo), and probably more I can't think of; she is a big time climber and is frequently found on top of the kitchen table and sometimes in the kitchen sink; loves to be read to; adores being outside, especially if someone will push her in the swing; loves to shriek when she doesn't get her way. Please enjoy one picture a month since the last update in September.

Our middle child is such a character that I don't even know where to begin. She loves to dress up as girly as possible and then go be a villain and murder her siblings, all while rocking pearls and heels. She turned three and has been speaking like a pro since before she was two. We used to get comments on it all the time, but I guess she's finally at an age where it's not surprising for her to talk so well. She recently had her tonsils out due to sleep apnea and an inability to eat well. (You can also read that as her tonsils were so enormous they were almost touching.) She also loves to be read to and enjoys puzzles. She likes playing mommy to her dolls and animals and being sidekick to her brother as she runs around willy-nilly with a lightsaber.

And, last, but not least, our oldest munchkin. He finished preschool this spring and was heartbroken, but he is looking forward to kindergarten. His social skills have improved so much (unless we have company over - then he's just an animal), and he loves being a helper. He's becoming a much more adventurous eater and is willing to try almost anything at least once unless it's going to be spicy. He still loves pirates, but he's also moved on to dragons. We have read the entire Wings of Fire series (10 books), and he's anxiously waiting for the next one to come out this month. He loves finding the librarians and asking for book recommendations. He still wants to be a pilot when he grows up and has decided he's joining the Air Force. He lost his first tooth and has a second one loose as well.

I'm out of steam, so I'm stopping there. Maybe I'll be better about posting in the future? Fat chance, as life continues to get busier, but there's still a chance.

Sprout Turns 5

Sprout turned 5. He was looking forward to it for months, and when the day finally he arrived he kept asking, "Am I really 5?" It was so hard for him to believe. He requested an Octonauts party, and I did my best to deliver.

I'm not sure where the 3 came from...but Sprout didn't care. 

Happy birthday to our favorite boy!

Mitchells Take McCall 2017

Paul and I haven't been on vacation since the fall of 2013. Every time we travel it's to visit family or for a family event. I was rather insistent a true vacation happen this year. Since the baby's still breastfeeding we decided to make it a family one and bring all of the kids. Overall, the vacation was a hit. We had a great time. I'm sharing the pictures from the camera since I haven't had a chance to get pictures off phones yet.

Our greeting party at our cabin. This deer was not afraid at all. He stayed right there the entire time we unloaded.
We had a deer in our yard every morning and sometimes in the afternoon.

Hiking what I believe is the East Fork or Lake Fork Trail. It was great for the kids.

We played a lot of Hi-Ho! Cherry-O and Uno Attack while in the cabin.

We rented a kayak a couple of days. 

She had mixed feelings about the sand.

This boy was in his element.

Touring the lake on The Idaho. 

S'mores night at the fire pit.

They enjoyed the wagon on the property. 

The downer part of the trip? Our driver's side window broke. While we were driving out for our hike Mr. Mitchell rolled down the window to enjoy the breeze, and it fell down with a thump of finality. We could not get the window back up. We drove from McCall to Boise with the window down. It was cold and loud. In Boise we tried to get the dealership to help us get the window up, but they wanted a chunk of money just for a diagnostic. Mr. Mitchell ended up taping a bunch of plastic to the window so we could survive the interstate home. It will still very loud, but we weren't as cold. Besides this event, we had a great time.