Ashley was glad to finally get home from the hospital. I know Abigail and Nathaniel were glad to see her come home, too. So now the real journey begins...pray for us as we adapt and begin to raise Micah.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Welcome Home, Micah!
Well, we're home! Here are some pictures from our coming home yesterday. We killed the fatted calf last night to celebrate (well, okay our version didn't involve killing of anything - we just had lots of balloons and pizza!).
Ashley was glad to finally get home from the hospital. I know Abigail and Nathaniel were glad to see her come home, too. So now the real journey begins...pray for us as we adapt and begin to raise Micah.
Ashley was glad to finally get home from the hospital. I know Abigail and Nathaniel were glad to see her come home, too. So now the real journey begins...pray for us as we adapt and begin to raise Micah.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Rest of the Story
Well, now that I have a little bit more time, I can begin to share our story about how Micah came into the world the other day...
As some of you already know, we were told very early on about how Ashley may have to be induced because it seemed at one point that Micah just was not growing. So from about 30 weeks forward, it seemed like time hit the brakes and slowed down because we could have the baby sooner than expected. Well, that all changed as we got closer. We didn't need to induce. But what did NOT change was that the doctors kept telling Ashley, "Oh, you'll never make it to your due date." Or "Oh, you'll never make it to the end of the week." Well, we just got the point where we began to ignore it, because they were wrong every time.
Ashley and baby Micah made it to the due date, and then some. And as most of you know, we went to the hospital a couple of times and were sent home. Ashley was experiencing the same signs as she did with both Abigail and Nathaniel. With those two pregnancies, we only had to go in one time, and her labor signs were extremely mild. So we just were not sure any more what to look for as a clue to go in. I mean obviously immense pain would be a very clear sign, but Ashley's other labors were not so painful until about 20 mins before she had to push....I know what you ladies are thinking, "Blessed art thou among women," right?
So this past week, Tuesday night to be exact, Ashley's contractions were consistently every 7 to 8 mins and had been regular for several hours. They were showing no signs of going away. Her doctor had just told her the previous Friday that if she reaches this point to go ahead to the hospital and they will most likely induce her to speed things along since she was already past her due date.
SO, what did we do? At about 11:00 pm we headed out to Rex Hospital. And to our utter disappointment, they sent us home. What made us so angry was that Ashley's contractions were getting closer and a little more stronger. But the nurse had the audacity to tell Ashley that she was not experiencing pain. Well, to that nurse, all I have to say is, you were wrong. We were back at the hospital in only a few hours.
Ashley did not get any sleep. The contractions were definitely getting worse. To the point where she would could not function (talk, move, stand up...breathe!). So at about 8:30-9:00 Wednesday morning, we were back on the road to Rex. They didn't send us home this time. We were there to stay. And Micah entered the world outside the womb at 11:28. So, if we had waited only a couple more hours, I probably would have delivered the baby at home (which I think I could have done, but the kids would have been scared out of their whits).
So, after being told for months that Micah would come early, that he would come soon, and that Ashley would have to be induced, Micah came exactly when God wanted him to. We were in His hands and were working on His time table.
So, as Paul Harvey always put it...now you know the rest of the story.
As some of you already know, we were told very early on about how Ashley may have to be induced because it seemed at one point that Micah just was not growing. So from about 30 weeks forward, it seemed like time hit the brakes and slowed down because we could have the baby sooner than expected. Well, that all changed as we got closer. We didn't need to induce. But what did NOT change was that the doctors kept telling Ashley, "Oh, you'll never make it to your due date." Or "Oh, you'll never make it to the end of the week." Well, we just got the point where we began to ignore it, because they were wrong every time.
Ashley and baby Micah made it to the due date, and then some. And as most of you know, we went to the hospital a couple of times and were sent home. Ashley was experiencing the same signs as she did with both Abigail and Nathaniel. With those two pregnancies, we only had to go in one time, and her labor signs were extremely mild. So we just were not sure any more what to look for as a clue to go in. I mean obviously immense pain would be a very clear sign, but Ashley's other labors were not so painful until about 20 mins before she had to push....I know what you ladies are thinking, "Blessed art thou among women," right?
So this past week, Tuesday night to be exact, Ashley's contractions were consistently every 7 to 8 mins and had been regular for several hours. They were showing no signs of going away. Her doctor had just told her the previous Friday that if she reaches this point to go ahead to the hospital and they will most likely induce her to speed things along since she was already past her due date.
SO, what did we do? At about 11:00 pm we headed out to Rex Hospital. And to our utter disappointment, they sent us home. What made us so angry was that Ashley's contractions were getting closer and a little more stronger. But the nurse had the audacity to tell Ashley that she was not experiencing pain. Well, to that nurse, all I have to say is, you were wrong. We were back at the hospital in only a few hours.
Ashley did not get any sleep. The contractions were definitely getting worse. To the point where she would could not function (talk, move, stand up...breathe!). So at about 8:30-9:00 Wednesday morning, we were back on the road to Rex. They didn't send us home this time. We were there to stay. And Micah entered the world outside the womb at 11:28. So, if we had waited only a couple more hours, I probably would have delivered the baby at home (which I think I could have done, but the kids would have been scared out of their whits).
So, after being told for months that Micah would come early, that he would come soon, and that Ashley would have to be induced, Micah came exactly when God wanted him to. We were in His hands and were working on His time table.
So, as Paul Harvey always put it...now you know the rest of the story.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Micah Allen Erdman
Well, the time has finally come for us to welcome little Micah into our hearts and lives. These pictures are hot off the press. Here are details...
Name: Micah Allen Erdman
Born: 1/28/2009 11:28 am
Size/Weight: 6 lbs 9 oz. 20.75 inches
The pictures are in reverse order chronologically.
Name: Micah Allen Erdman
Born: 1/28/2009 11:28 am
Size/Weight: 6 lbs 9 oz. 20.75 inches
The pictures are in reverse order chronologically.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
How We Prolong Naptimes
While I love my kids so very much, one of my least favorite times of day has to be at the end of naptime. I must confess, this is completely and totally selfish on my part. But those precious hours of freedom from childcare are always such a blessing, and Ashley and I both enjoy naptimes for that very reason. Our selfish freedom is immediately interrupted once one of the kids wakes up.
But, by some divine miraculous intervention, we have discovered a way to prolong "naptime" for Abigail. And, no, it does not involve Benadryl or any mild anesthetics (although, that's not a terribly bad idea). If Abigail wakes up while we are in the middle of something and feel that she should sleep a little longer (or at least rest quietly on her bed), we get about 10 books off the shelf and let her indulge herself in her books. And get this all my schoolteacher friends and relatives...SHE LOVES IT! In fact, she likes it soooo much she asks, "Can naptime last really long?" Ahhh, music to my ears. What super genius parents we are to have discovered a way to encourage our children to want naptime to last on and on!
Okay, all kidding aside, we really do love our children. While we do struggle with selfish desires when it comes to spending time with the kids, it is nice to have a break from time to time. And I'm not terribly disappointed when that break lasts several hours.
But, by some divine miraculous intervention, we have discovered a way to prolong "naptime" for Abigail. And, no, it does not involve Benadryl or any mild anesthetics (although, that's not a terribly bad idea). If Abigail wakes up while we are in the middle of something and feel that she should sleep a little longer (or at least rest quietly on her bed), we get about 10 books off the shelf and let her indulge herself in her books. And get this all my schoolteacher friends and relatives...SHE LOVES IT! In fact, she likes it soooo much she asks, "Can naptime last really long?" Ahhh, music to my ears. What super genius parents we are to have discovered a way to encourage our children to want naptime to last on and on!
Okay, all kidding aside, we really do love our children. While we do struggle with selfish desires when it comes to spending time with the kids, it is nice to have a break from time to time. And I'm not terribly disappointed when that break lasts several hours.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Competing with the Zebras
Well, no baby yet. We just learned today that Ashley's condition may be a permanent one. She may just carry this baby the rest of her life. Well, okay, not quite. But she is giving the Zebra some competition. Did you know that the gestational period of a baby Zebra is 12 months? This is another great testimony to God's amazing design. Much like the giraffe, antelope, and other easy prey, infant zebras must learn to move quickly very early on. I'm sure God designed the zebra's gestational time frame to be so lengthy so the baby will be able to run very soon after birth (about one hour postpartum in fact).So, while our baby is most likely not going to be easy prey to lions or other wild african beasts, Ashley is giving those four-legged mothers some good competition.
In all seriousness...we spoke with one of her Dr's today and they were extremely surprised that baby has not been born yet. Not alarmed, just suprised. They were not able to schedule an induction this week because the hospital was all booked up (imagine that...that's a whole other post). SO, the DR set her up for an ultrasound and fetal stress test (good thing this isn't a maternal stress test...she might not pass at this point) this Thursday to make sure the baby is doing okay. And she wants to induce Monday at the latest.
Yeah, well...as usual we'll keep you posted, but uh, don't hold your breath.
Lunch Guest
We had an unusual lunch guest today. He really got into the meal...
At least he had enough manners to say the blessing before he ate...either that, or he is performing the traditional Gray-Squirrel-bow to honor the hand which feeds him (not very likely, though)
At least he had enough manners to say the blessing before he ate...either that, or he is performing the traditional Gray-Squirrel-bow to honor the hand which feeds him (not very likely, though)
Have you ever eaten with one of those people who seem do nothing but watch you eat...yeah, well, this guy was sure we were watching him, but I think it was really the other way around.
What a mess! I guess the old saying is true, "It ain't good unless it's messy!"
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Moment of Silence
I know not everyone who will read this will be in agreement with me. But there is someone who must say something, and those who are affected by this decision literally have no voice in the matter...
As a nation, we stood up against those who felt people who have a darker skin complexion should have limited rights. We defeated that nonsense by being reminded that our Constitution declares that all men have inalienable rights because we have all been created equal.
As a nation, we defeated countless tyrants who have abused their powers to destroy the lives of innocent people simply because they were different (take the Jews and Naziism for example). Ironically the Germans were convinced that the Jews were less than human...the very same argument that justifies the irony which I am about to address.
Why can we not see the irony in the fact that we are allowing, and even supporting with our tax money, the revoke of those rights of innocent lives on our very own soil and call it a matter of choice? I'm talking about abortion.
Who gets the choice anyway? The one who is killed? Or the one whose life has been "inconvenienced?" I have heard all the arguments and I still conclude that there is NO justifiable reason for an abortion for this simple fact - it is punishing the life of the one who is completely innocent in the situation. The unborn child did not choose to be conceived, yet forfeits his or her life to "improve the quality of life" of those who should love and protect him most.
I'm sorry, President Obama, this is where our main difference lies...I am not ashamed to call the murder of innocent human beings wrong, and by that conclusion I will always stand. And as a side note, I cannot believe my hard earned tax dollars are going to be used to fund this sort of madness. What have we come to as a nation? Am I the only one who sees this irony?
I know this is a very touchy issue for all of my readers, but you must know where I stand on this issue. And please please please understand that I do not hate any woman who has had an abortion. That is the last thing I want any of you to think. I am only concerned for speaking up for those who have no voice in this matter...those who are not even around to defend themselves. I am speaking for them...will anyone else join me? Even if you don't, I will not stop speaking up for them.
Now, thanks to our new administration in the White House, it will be easier to have an abortion. How can anyone not see the irony in this. A moment of silence is in order.
As a nation, we stood up against those who felt people who have a darker skin complexion should have limited rights. We defeated that nonsense by being reminded that our Constitution declares that all men have inalienable rights because we have all been created equal.
As a nation, we defeated countless tyrants who have abused their powers to destroy the lives of innocent people simply because they were different (take the Jews and Naziism for example). Ironically the Germans were convinced that the Jews were less than human...the very same argument that justifies the irony which I am about to address.
Why can we not see the irony in the fact that we are allowing, and even supporting with our tax money, the revoke of those rights of innocent lives on our very own soil and call it a matter of choice? I'm talking about abortion.
Who gets the choice anyway? The one who is killed? Or the one whose life has been "inconvenienced?" I have heard all the arguments and I still conclude that there is NO justifiable reason for an abortion for this simple fact - it is punishing the life of the one who is completely innocent in the situation. The unborn child did not choose to be conceived, yet forfeits his or her life to "improve the quality of life" of those who should love and protect him most.
I'm sorry, President Obama, this is where our main difference lies...I am not ashamed to call the murder of innocent human beings wrong, and by that conclusion I will always stand. And as a side note, I cannot believe my hard earned tax dollars are going to be used to fund this sort of madness. What have we come to as a nation? Am I the only one who sees this irony?
I know this is a very touchy issue for all of my readers, but you must know where I stand on this issue. And please please please understand that I do not hate any woman who has had an abortion. That is the last thing I want any of you to think. I am only concerned for speaking up for those who have no voice in this matter...those who are not even around to defend themselves. I am speaking for them...will anyone else join me? Even if you don't, I will not stop speaking up for them.
Now, thanks to our new administration in the White House, it will be easier to have an abortion. How can anyone not see the irony in this. A moment of silence is in order.
Abigail's Observations
As most of you who know Abigail know, she is a very observant two-year-old. She is honestly a little too intelligent for her own good. But she has some of the funniest and cutest observations. The other day our neighbor Courtland was out in the yard with his dog, The Dude. They were about to head out and run some errands. Ashley and the kids were loading up the van for a WalMart run. As Abigail was getting in the van she said, "Ohhh, Courtland is wearing blue! That silly Courtland, I just love him."
Those were her words exactly, I kid you not. Oh, my Abigail...so far you will go to life's furthest shores, but close in my heart you will always be. Although I beg in vain for you not to grow up too fast, never forget how much your Dad loves you, and how he will always be your Dad where ever your ship lands.
Those were her words exactly, I kid you not. Oh, my Abigail...so far you will go to life's furthest shores, but close in my heart you will always be. Although I beg in vain for you not to grow up too fast, never forget how much your Dad loves you, and how he will always be your Dad where ever your ship lands.
Baby Update
Same old news...no baby yet. If there is not baby by tomorrow, then they will set up for Ashley to be induced some time this week. We'll keep you posted.
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