Micah Joseph Givens

Praise God! Micah has arrived at a whopping 9 lbs 3 oz and a length of 20 inches. As you can see he has chubby pink cheeks and quite a bit of hair.
Denise has had a pretty rough day of it. She began to get a little queasy in the operating room and it got worse when she came out of recovery and in her room. To combat that, they had to give her a shot and it in turn made her very sleepy.
Micah started off with blood sugars a little low, then they began to drop off after each feeding so by this afternoon they had to return him to the nursery and hook him up to an IV until they can regulate his sugars. Hopefully by tomorrow he will be back in the room with Mommy and Daddy. As you can see below, Joe has his hands full. Noah and Jonah were both tired from playing when they made it to the hospital, so they were not really very impressed with their new brother. They did manage to sit still enough for a picture or two.
I'll try to get another picture or two in here so you can all see just how beautiful Micah is. All I can say is God is Good All the Time!

Nine Month Belly

For the last time ( don't know for how long ) here is a picture of a nine month belly about to give birth. This is Denise's Mom writing for her until she gets back on her feet after the baby arrives.

I will be posting pictures of the new baby ( and I hope he has a definite name before I post again ) along with the weight, length and all other important information.

I will post as soon as I possible can after Friday, just keep in mind Jimmie and I will become four for the next couple of nights and I don't know how time will be allocated!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Jonah sleeps every night all night in his crib. However, Noah is not as cooperative. I have been determined to get Noah to sleep in his bed before this new baby arrives. Up until now I have not had very much luck. He says that his room is too scary and instead sleeps on the couch until Joe leaves for work, then climbs into bed with me. Having him in bed with me is not going to be an option considering that I will be returning from the hosptial with staples holding me together.
Last night was a milestone for us. After trying everything in the world, Noah finally decided that it was time for him to sleep in his own bed. I read him a story, helped him say his prayers, tucked him in, and he was off to dream land in his own bed. He woke up at about 2:00 and tried to climb into my bed. I sent him back to his room with instructions not to get out of his bed until the sun was putting light through his window. Amazingly, he did what I told him! He did not wake up again until 7:00 this morning. Hopefully the next couple of nights will go as smoothly as last night.

Our Baby This Week

Our baby has really plumped up this past week. I am measuring a little large, so I think that this may be my biggest baby yet. Noah was 7 pounds 9 ounces and Jonah was a tiny 6 pounds 7 ounces. The baby center website says that our baby should weigh about 6.8 pounds and be over 19 1/2 inches long. His organs have matured and are now ready for life outside of the womb.
My NST went well this morning. I have to go back Thursday morning for my LAST ONE. Then Friday morning at 8:00, we will be welcoming our newest little boy into the world. That is of course if my body decides to cooperate and I don't do something crazy like go into labor before then. I really don't think that is going to happen, I feel too good right now. However, our bags are packed and we are ready to go whenever this baby is ready to come!

Contractions???

Nope, just a stomach virus! Wednesday night I thought I was going into labor. I was home by myself with the boys and started having horrible stomach pains. I called Joe who said he would not be home for about an hour, then called my Mom. She came and stayed with me until Joe got there and then took the boys home with her for the night in case we ended up at the hospital. Turns out I just had a stomach virus, no baby yet!
However, it was good practice for letting the boys spend the night somewhere without Joe or myself with them. They did just fine. It was exciting for them to get to spend the night with Grammy and Pa. They were both very willing participants.
Have I mentioned how great my Mom is? When she brought the boys home on Thursday, she stayed with me and helped me clean house and get more things ready for the baby to come home. Then she kept Jonah while Noah and I went to see my doctor Thursday afternoon. The NST showed the baby was doing just fine and once again, I am good to go for three more days. I have to be back at the office Monday morning for yet another NST. If this one goes well, then I will see the doctor on Thursday and we will have a baby on Friday.
Time sure has flown by. This is my last weekend with out an infant in the house! I am getting so excited. I have been having trouble sleeping anyway because I am huge and can't get comfortable, but now added to that, my mind is running in a million different directions. I guess the no sleep now is good preparation for the many sleepless nights to come!

Pappy

Noah thinks that my Dad is the smartest man in the world. Anytime he asks a question that Joe or myself do not have a ready anwer for, he says, "Well, I will just have to remember to ask Pappy." It doesn't bother me that he looks up to my Dad, but our conversation just the other day let me know where I ranked on his "smartness list".

Noah: What did Pappy used to be?
Me: I don't know what you mean.
Noah: What did he used to do? Was he a scientist or something?
Me: No, he has never been a scientist.
Noah: Well then how did he get so smart?
Me: Pappy went to school and he reads a lot of books.
Noah: Did he go to school for a long time?
Me: Yes, he went to school for a good many years.
Noah: Well, I figured he must have gone a lot longer than you!

Nothing like an honest five year old to crush your ego.

One Year Of Blogging

Hard to believe that I wrote my first blog post one year ago today. I never thought that I would be able to keep up with it, but it sounded like such a neat idea that I just had to try. The thing is, I have really enjoyed writing and it has not taken nearly as much time as I thought that it would. It helps that my boys give me plenty of ideas to write about!

I really enjoy reading the comments that everyone leaves. So at my one year anniversary, I would like to know what you like and dislike about my blog. What would you like to read more of, less of, etc.

The main complaint that I have heard over the past year is that I tend to write more about my boys and husband than I do about myself. Hello? My life pretty much revolves around them, and that was sort of the point of my blog in the first place, but I am going to try to post all about me today. Maybe you will learn something about me that you did not know, maybe not. Anyway, I saw this on my friend Melissa's blog, thought it was neat and decided to try it out.

You might be proud to know that I... ALWAYS write thank you notes.

You might be suprised to know that I... usually forget to mail the thank you notes I have written.

You might already know that I... have a really messy house.

You should probably know that I... think it is more important (and more fun) to play with my children than pick up toys.

You may not believe it when I tell you that... thirteen years ago today is the very first time that Joe kissed me. Typical guy that he is, he can't even remember it!

You might have always wondered why I... am deathly afraid of birds. I couldn't tell you. I have always wondered it myself!

You might think "it figures" when you consider that I... am no longer allowed to take the trash can to the road. This is partly because I am very pregnant but mostly because Joe does not want to have to purchase another one!

You might wonder about my sanity if you knew that I... would love to have a dozen children.

You might think I'm wierd if you knew that I... eat pickles on my grilled cheese sandwich.

You might laugh to know that I... eat pickles on my grilled cheese even when I am not pregnant.

You might roll your eyes when you know that I... refuse to drink out of the bathroom sink. What if the pipes get confused and I end up drinking toilet water? Gross!

So there it is, all about me. It was harder than I thought. Hope you have enjoyed reading this past year. We will see how much I will be able to post with three kids in the house soon!

Our Baby This Week

Our baby should weigh about six and a half pounds and measure a little over nineteen inches from head to heel. I'm not sure if he is going to have hair or not, I have had quite a bit of heartburn, but that could just be an old wives tale. I am having Braxton Hicks contractions much more frequently...especially at night. The baby is still as active as ever. Today at my appointment for the NST they had a hard time finding the heartbeat because the baby kept squirming around. Dr. Cannon still has hopes that I am going to hold out for the 27th of February. I feel really good today, so I just might make it. I go back to see him on Thursday and of course he will re-check everything and go from there.
I think everything here is just about ready for the baby. It's a good thing too, because this baby is just about ready for us! Mom came by last week and helped me get all the clothes ready. I have plenty of diapers and the milk has already arrived. I know, TMI! The only thing I have left to do is finish packing the bag for the hospital. I hope to finish that tonight. I just realized that I have to pack bags for Noah and Jonah as well. This is going to be Jonah's first night away from us. I really should have prepared myself for this. Hopefully I will not be in the hospital but for two nights.

Fruit Loops

I don't eat Fruit Loops, just the idea of sweetened artificially flavored circles getting soggy in milk makes my stomach turn. My kids don't eat them either. We are more grits or oatmeal people than cold cereal. Joe on the other hand will every now and then have a craving for a bowl of Fruit Loops with milk. So if you ever come to my house and look in my pantry you will find a box of Fruit Loops... top shelf - right hand side.
When we first got married, I NEVER bought Fruit Loops. I had what I thought were several good reasons: they were too expensive, they had way too much sugar, I thought they were disgusting, and I really couldn't see the point in keeping them in the house when Joe only wanted a bowl of them every couple of months or so.
The night of December 28th, 2004 was one of those nights that Joe wanted a bowl of Fruit Loops. I gave him my reasons why we didn't have any in the house and why as long as I was doing the grocery shopping we would not have them in the house. I don't remember if we argued, I just remember that I knew I was right. Fruit Loops were wasteful. The very next morning, I woke up to the phone ringing. It is a phone call that I will never forget. Joe's mother was on the line frantically telling me that I needed to get to the scene of an accident right away. While making a turn, the brakes had failed on the log trailer Joe was pulling and he ended up turning his truck over and rolling down an embankment. Honestly, my first thought was, "I should have bought the Fruit Loops." Due to poor communication, it was about an hour before I found out that he was going to be okay. Even then as relieved as I was, the Fruit Loop conversation kept running through my head. That afternoon, when all the excitement had died down, I went straight to the grocery store and bought the biggest box of Fruit Loops they had. I must have offered Joe Fruit Loops every night for a week! So since that time, there has always been a box of Fruit Loops in my pantry... top shelf - right hand side.
There have been many times that I have had to throw out the box and replace it with a new one because it had been there so long that they were stale. I have also been known to make a special trip to town to buy Fruit Loops because we were out of them for more than 24 hours. The thing is, I don't even think that Joe realizes how frantic I get about having Fruit Loops in the house. I do it more for me than for him. It is my way of showing him that I love him and although I may not understand or share his desires, I will always do my best to meet them. I do it so that every couple of months when he asks if we have any Fruit Loops; I can say, "Look in the pantry... top shelf - right hand side".
This Valentine's Day, with a struggling economy and a new baby joining us at any time, we have decided not to do anything big for each other. However, I will be going out and buying a fresh box of Fruit Loops and placing them in the pantry... top shelf - right hand side.
Happy Valentine's Day Joseph! I LOVE YOU!

Three Days At A Time

I saw the Doctor again today for another NST. Things seem to be going very well with the baby this week. For now we are still set for the 27th of February for delivery, but Dr. Cannon says we are going to take this three days at a time. I am still going twice a week for the NST. My next one is scheduled for Monday morning at 11:15. If things have changed with the baby then my delivery date will change, but right now I have at least three more days to go!

No Respect!

This is the conversation I overheard while I was typing that last post.

Noah: Daddy, I can't get the scales to work. I think they are broke!

Joe: They aren't broken, they probably just need to be re-set.

Noah: No, they must be broke. I saw Momma step on them earlier. She must have broke them. I just don't think they are made for that kind of weight.

AAAK! Are you kidding me? Did I really just hear what I thought I heard? Is that the sound of my husband laughing uncontrollably? Whatever happened to respect in this house?

Our Baby This Week

Our baby is still packing on the pounds - at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost six pounds. The baby center website says that is like a crenshaw melon, whatever that is. He should be more than 18 1/2 inches long. At the end of this week our baby will be considered full term. Most likely he is in a head down position, but it doesn't really matter if he isn't because I will be having a c-section anyway.
My NST went much better today than it did on Thursday. The baby was active and the doctor seemed pleased. My due date is still set for the 27th of February, but that is still subject to change. I have my next NST this Thursday.
I can't believe how time has flown by. The idea of bringing home another baby in just 18 days is really starting to scare me. Yikes! How am I going to handle having three children? I know that it will all come together, but right now with it looming ahead of me, things seem a bit daunting.

PaPa Tracks

Because of hip problems, Joe's dad has walked with crutches every since I can remember. This week while visiting at Joe's parents house, Noah and I were outside looking for animal tracks. This is his newest favorite pastime. He loves to find a track and try to figure out what type of animal it came from. We saw the chicken tracks, duck tracks, dog tracks, a beaver track, and something that he claimed was a worm track (not so sure about that one). Next we found these little round marks in the ground about the size of a half dollar. Noah got very excited because he had never seen this type of track before. He followed the trail as it went around the shed, over to the tractor, up to the four wheeler and then to the back door. All of a sudden Noah stopped, looked up at me and said, "I figured it out...Those are PaPa tracks!"

First ER Trip

Back on January 20th, we had quite a scare. Our night started off as normal, but at about 12:15am, Noah woke up gasping for breath. He had another loose tooth and I thought that maybe it had fallen out and he was choking on it. After looking in his mouth, I discovered that the tooth was still in place, he just could not breathe. Noah was starting to turn blue, so I woke Joe and we put Noah in a steamy bathroom, which helped him get enough breath in so that the blue coloring started to fade. Needless to say, I was freaked out. Noah was fine when he went to sleep and he had NEVER had any breathing problems before. Even though he was breathing better at that point, I knew there was no way I was getting any sleep that night wondering if it would happen again, so we loaded up in the car and headed to the hospital. While on our way to the hospital it happened again. We pulled over at the manned EMS station at Bells and I beat on the door until the paramedics woke up and let us in. By the time they had come to the door, Noah was once again breathing much better, (turns out the cold night air allowed him to get his breath) but the paramedics said they could hear a "croupy" sound in his chest and that he needed to go on to the hospital.
When we got to the hospital at 1:00am, they took him right back and the Doctor diagnosed him with croup. Croup is a virus that causes inflamation in the bronchial tubes just below the vocal chords. Anyone can get this virus, but it effects children much worse than adults because thier breathing passages are much smaller and more prone to closing. This is why he seemed to get better every time he was outside in the cold air. Cold air reduces inflamation, therefore allowing air to pass more easily.
Noah got a cool mist nebulizer treatment and then two steriod shots. I'm glad he got the treatment before the shots, because he got so upset by the shots, he had another attack of croup. Thankfully, this was the last one! They also ordered chest x-rays to rule out any other serious problems. Noah thought it was great because they took him over to the x-ray department in a wheelchair. They kept him all night to monitor the oxygen levels in his blood, but about 5:00am, they let us bring him home.
We took Noah to se his regular doctor that afternoon and he prescribed oral steroids for about a week to make sure there were no re-occurances. He also warned us that since it was viral, Jonah would probably get it and it would be worse on him since he was so much smaller. Just what every parent wants to hear! Thankfully, Jonah never showed any signs of getting the virus and I think enough time has passed that we no longer have to worry.
I surely do not ever want a repeat of that night, but I think the fact that Noah was five years old before we had to make our first trip to the emergency room is pretty good. Although I hate to admit it, I have a feeling that with raising what is soon to be three boys, this may have been our first trip to the ER, but it certainly won't be our last!

Our Baby This Week

I have missed a couple of weeks about our baby's development, but right now at week 34, our baby weighs about four pounds and is about eighteen inches long. His fat layers are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well.
As for me...I am SO uncomfortable! Sleeping has become a chore. As tired as I am, I still lay awake at night just waiting for daylight so the night will be over. The doctor had to put me on insulin injections about two weeks ago. I had hoped to avoid that this time around, but at least I lasted a lot longer without them this pregnancy than I did with Jonah.
Today my NST did not go as well as it had been going. The baby seems to be showing a few signs of stress, so I will now be having the NST done twice a week to monitor exactly how the baby is doing. I now have a due date. If everything goes well, I will be having a c-section on Friday, February 27th. However, that date is subject to change if my NST tests show that the condition of my placenta is deteriorating enough to cause harm to the baby. It is sort of a balancing act right now. The doctors want to give the baby enough time in the womb to develop fully, but at the same time, if my placenta is deteriorating quickly because of the diabetes, the baby would be better off outside. Please keep me, the baby, and our doctors in your prayers.
Many of you have asked me what I need for this baby, or what you can get for me. The truth is, I am still set up from Jonah, so I really don't NEED anything! For those of you who would still like to do something, I would appreciate some help after the baby comes. A meal for my family or some time spent here helping out with the baby so that I can have one on one time with each of my other boys would be great. Mom has volunteered to keep up with a schedule of everything so that I will not have to worry about having a dozen people show up to watch the boys or bring dinner in one night, so if you would like to help, you can call her and set up something that is convenient for you.

Getting Back On Track

I know, I know...I have been slack on posting lately. We have had quite an interesting few weeks combined with some computer problems and I just have not gotten around to posting anything. So much time has passed since I did this that I am not even sure how to begin, but I will try to post several times this evening and get everyone caught up on what has been going on in our lives. For right now, I will start with our name the baby poll. It seems that my favorite pick is the winner, but we still have not officially decided on a name. Joe still has not relented to Micah Joseph, and I just can not tolerate the names that come from truck parts. That being said, I would love to have suggestions about how to actually choose a name that we both can agree on.