Reason to Rejoice

February 27, 2009 That was the day that I went to my doctor's appointment and did not go home. I went to the hospital and stayed...for 14 long days and nights...with lousy hospital food...no outside world...UNTIL... My friend and coworker BLD came to the rescue!!!! Bless her heart!! She was wonderful to me! She brought me Dr. Peppers and EXTRA lunches from the cafeteria when this pregnant girl (who was pregnant with 9+ lbs of baby...who cares if I didn't know how big she was...I KNEW HOW HUNGRY I WAS!!), and when I was allowed my 15 minutes a day once a day outings in my wheelchair...who wheeled me out....YEP, you guessed it....BLD herself! She even left me to be stung by bees one day!!! That's a whole nother post for another day!! Anyway, she deserves the "best friend/co-worker award" because she was so good to me while I was laid up in the hospital this day and so many more a year ago. I will never forget those days. How I longed to see my baby's f...

I feel compelled tonight to write about a precious blogger friend that I have been reading about, "talking" to, and praying about for a long time now. Many of you that read my blog may read Katie's blog too. She has a precious little boy named Zach and a few short months ago had a beautiful baby girl named Reese who only lived a short time and is now in Heaven with Jesus. I started reading Katie's blog while she was pregnant with Reese and her loss just hit me like a ton of bricks because Katie is just precious. PRECIOUS! I just cannot say it enough. It is a small world because she actually is from the same area that my husband and I are from and her brother went to school with my husband as they are a little closer to the same age. I have communicated with Katie through email and regular mail and have sent her a few things. I did a name for Reese's name gallery and I never saw it on Katie's page (I probably just missed it) but it was Reese's name ...

I am so excited about Lauren's birthday!!! I think that plans are finally starting to come together. I have FINALLY created the invitation and it is being printed and will hopefully be here soon so I can mail them out. I did put a Facebook invite out so that people actually will get invited and know there is a party to come to! I have made a food list (for my husband to start thinking about)! I have a decorations list that is actually already almost complete. I am excited about this part because I have a very talented friend from church that made a birthday banner from scrapbook paper (I kinda stole *clears throat* borrowed an idea from Kelly ). She did a great one for Harper's birthday and my friend Leah created one for Lauren's birthday and gave it to me tonight and it is ADORABLE!!!! I LOVE IT and I am so excited to use it!! I also ordered a hand painted canvas from a girl that painted one for Harper (I read Kelly's blog everyday). The one I ordered for Laur...

So, I would like to go back to the...."What Was I Doing A Year Ago From Today Game" again....please...just go with me...it will be over soon. If you are tired of it...don't read.... I have to back up a few days and recap because I missed a few important days.... 2009 Feb. 15th - FABULOUS baby shower at church Feb. 16th - Dr. appointment...unscheduled...swelling, headache BP 149/99 - trip to L&D triage - blood work - normal - home - complete bed rest until baby comes. Another dr. appt scheduled for Wednesday (2 days from now with sono) Feb. 18th - Dr. appointment with sono - BP BAD (can't remember)!!! - amniotic fluid was low. Back to hospital for overnight stay. Blood work was fine again. BP was GREAT while I was at the hospital. Baby measured 3 weeks ahead and at 34 weeks, 5 days was estimated to weigh 7 lbs, 4 oz and 20 inches!!!! Feb. 19th - discharged home still on bedrest to follow up on Monday (this was Thursday) with dr. and another sono So....today is...

It's sort of ironic that I just posted about this yesterday but today at Kelly's Korner she is posting about different ministries. My post is going to be a little different because mine is my actual "day job" so to speak. What I mean is that I get paid to do my ministry. I really feel called to do my occupation. As I stated yesterday, some of what I do everyday is mundane and boring but the bulk of my job is working with women who have delivered babies or infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. I am the social worker for women's services at a local hospital. Like I said yesterday I work with many different types of people but a lot of what I do deals with death and helping women and families cope with the loss of infants - miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death. I have lost a baby and I am not going to discuss that right now but I have. I know how it feels. It is painful. End of discussion. I also help parents when they receive news that is ha...

I frequently get asked the question, "So, you are a social worker at a hospital? So, what do you do?" I try not to talk much about work on here for several reasons. Sure, I could give you my job description as it would be handed to you if you were to apply for a position as a social worker at my place of employment but is that really 'what I do??' I don't think that it would cover a 1/4 of what I actually do. I'm not trying to 'toot my own horn' but seriously, it would take more than those couple of pieces of paper. I can give you a short synopsis of the last couple of weeks.....WARNING....some of this may not be pleasant.... Talked to about a million (okay, probably not quite that many but it kinda felt like it) patients about discharge plans - home health, inpatient rehabs, nursing homes, etc....(what I consider the easy part of my job). Talked to just about as many (if not more) about why the county hospital in our area is FABULOUS (another...

LAUREN ELIZABETH HESTER!!!!!! YOU ARE ELEVEN MONTHS OLD!!!! WOW!!! In one short month, you will be 1. That's nutso! I cannot believe it has almost been a year. I have really been gearing up for this one. I have been thinking about what I was doing a year ago from today. It was almost a year ago that I started my weekly trips to the hospital only to stay there not too long from now. February was an exciting month for us! We thought you would be born in February! Thankfully, you weren't....Mommy stabilized and you were born right.on.time...a little early but big and healthy! Let's see....you are probably right at 22 pounds and probably 30+ inches long if I had to guess. You just went to size 4 diapers which are quite big on you but the size 3s were getting tight on those thighs! =) You are almost completely finished with the bottle...only taking a night bottle. You take 2 sippy cups with formula - one in the middle of the day and one in the morning and then the bo...

We got A FOOT of snow this past Thursday!!!! It was crazy!! I headed out to work on Thursday morning and it had already started snowing. It snowed all the way to work and did not stop until midnight that next night. All day long at work we watched it snow. Many people went home early but I actually stayed late because there was talk that the temperature would drop below freezing Thursday night/Friday morning and the roads would be bad the next morning. I wanted to get everything wrapped up in case I wasn't able to make it to work Friday morning. Good thing because I wasn't. When I got home around 7:30 on Thursday evening I wasn't even able to pull into my driveway...there was too much snow. On Friday, we all stayed home. Brice did some work from home and honestly, it was the best day I have had in a long time. It was nice to not have to go to the grocery store or do anything but I got so much accomplished around the house. I got dishes done, clothes washed and t...

Some stuff about Rachel.... She has been taking dance since I think October, maybe??? She started out at one place and then they closed so she had to go to another place which we like SO. MUCH. BETTER. God is good, isn't He!!?? Anyway, we go every Monday night at 5:30. It has been a little more difficult trying to get there after work but I have arranged my work schedule so that I go to work early on Monday so that I get leave early to get her there on time...sometimes we get there on time...sometimes we don't! She has a recital in June. They will be doing a dance to the song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Hot Dog." They posted pictures of what her costume will look like this past week. It was also observation week so the parents could watch for the last 15 minutes. I took some pictures. Here are those pictures. A Funny... Yesterday morning Rachel was laying with Brice and we were all still in our pajamas. She pulled down the top of his t-shirt and this is ho...

Why I have been so nostalgic lately...with posting all of the pics from a year ago. The pregnancy pics, the ultrasound pics, etc....well, I just remember when I was pregnant with Rachel I was MISERABLE!!! Everything about being pregnant with her was hard. The beginning was hard because I was SO incredibly nervous. I frankly couldn't believe that I was pregnant. I could not believe that God would bless me and give me such a gift. I was not worthy of a baby and I knew that something had to be wrong with the baby all of the time! If you are thinking that I need Beth Moore's new book, 1. you are absolutely right and 2. I have gotten a little better about that since then!!!! After I had gotten over thinking there was always something wrong with the baby and could actually start feeling her move, I wanted her to move all of the time. If she didn't move, I wasn't happy. I mean, something was wrong!!! I know, it wore me out too....my poor husband. Then, I got past t...

To show you a picture from exactly 1 year ago today... It wasn't too long after this that I was bound to the bed and then to the hospital bed...stay tuned for the long awaited birth story and then Lauren's birthday posts.

...for why I haven't blogged lately.... there are a ton but the main one is that I don't have a lot time and I don't have the time to blog about how I don't have the time to blog..... That was a little confusing!!! Let's see.... I can't even remember what I last blogged about....Lauren is better, I think. She had a little breathing scare but is better. Rachel was up all night one night which meant...so was I. I have had two migraines in the past week...both from lack of sleep, I am sure of it. The sun has not been out in...I can't even remember when. I have been grouchy and I have been so. incredibly. busy. at. work!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have decided that there should be some kind of law against having sex before a certain age. SERIOUSLY!! This week has been the week of pregnant teenagers. In all seriousness, it is frightening...I have two girls at home, remember! One of the OB/GYNs that I work with said the other day, "When my girls even get a hint o...