Our August adventures

It is end of August. I told myself I would not let this month pass without posting about our families adventure. Cutting it close 3 hours left in August.

We started the month celebrating a birthday. My sweetie Ella. She turned 6.

So a Strawberry shortcake themed party and miniature golf with a few friends was in order.

To round out the day, a family friend took both of our girls to a church carnival.

A few days later Mike and I woke in the wee hours of the morning to check-in for my scheduled c-section. We got there at 5:30 am. And if you know me you know that I am not a morning person.

So the morning started off good. I had some great nurses. Than came the part that I don't like. The IV! I don't like needles. 37 years old and I break out in a sweat when I think about them. The first attempt was excruciatingly painful and did not thread properly. I don't care what they say, the numbing medication does not work! My husband of course found this quite amusing, (and I shall remind him of this the next time he needs stitches). Anyway a call was placed to IV therapy and the wait begins. And we waited a long time. Over an hour! Well the team was ready, my doctor was hanging out chatting, ( I just love her) I saw the anesthesiologist, had the nasty stomach neutralizing medication. I just could not take the waiting any longer so I finally took a nap. I woke to another attempt by a nurse and no it did not thread. I had two huge bruises and one more was coming ( and it was a big one)! Now IV therapy did a great job. It did not even hurt and she did not use that numbing stuff. But she freaked me out, the needle was huge! But it was in and not going anywhere, short of duct tape she secured that thing in place. Praise God!

Mikes parents arrived just in time to say a prayer and I was out the door. In goes the spinal,which was a breeze, and bam your down. Try as you might those toes are not going to wiggle. Now for those of you that have not had a baby, let alone a c-section let me warn you; if your self conscious your going to get over it real quick! At any given moment you can look up and see not just your doctor, nurse and husband, but the entire cast of labor and delivery at your feet. The first time it is a little disturbing/confusing. Doctor, nurse, husband and push....look up. 10 more people quickly and quietly have appeared. Well this time they were all there, introducing themselves. At first I started to count the voices and than I realized there were a lot more people in the room than there was a minute ago. Sure enough when I lifted my head and looked around there was a whole group of other doctors and nurses hanging out waiting for the baby to be born. I just had to sigh. Really what more can you do? Your naked and paralyzed and your not going anywhere!

The sheets go up your spouse comes in and it's time to continue the baby birthing party. Lots of talking, counting, a few questions and a brief drop in blood pressure, than my husband and I hear ooo she has a lot of hair and a long tongue. Our third daughter and fourth child is born. Weighing in at 7lbs 14oz and 21 inches long. She is screaming. Loud. Louder than any of our other kids. And she is perfect.

A long 20 minutes of stitching and to the recovery room we go. Where I get to hold my little girl. She is so little. It was kind of startling, even though she was bigger than my two older girls. Chaise and Ella were a pound light and 2 inches smaller. But Owen was a bigger! Apparently I was just use to holding him. We were only ones in the recovery room so Mike and Jackie (my husbands parents) were able to join us and they got to hold their 8th grandchild just under and hour old.

I spent the rest of the day sitting in bed, being taken care of by excellent nurses while the littlest member of the family was being oohed and awed over. The older girls came later that night to visit. They loved their sister, but were not to thrilled to see all machines I was hooked up to. I did not see Owen till the next day, it really made my heart hurt. He was looking for me, but the worse was when they left.  It was heart wrenching. I love my babies.

So this is not the hardest recovery I have had. Recovering from Owen was horrible, I felt gross, but this one had something special.  A stitched nerve.  It was excruciating. I could hardly stand for more than 5 minutes and I needed everyone of those pain medications!  Good thing she is the last. 3 weeks later I feel so much better, I can move with minimal pain. I give thanks to all my wonderful friends for bringing us dinner, and Mike and Jackie for taking care of the kids and the house.  We would have had a hard time without all of you. God has blessed us with this awesome network of family and friends.

We made it home a few days later and Mike and I celebrated 12 years together.  Well celebrate is the wrong word. We watched it come and go.  Mike was working days back than and I was living on my go home pain drugs.  But he did get me flowers, pink and purple roses. It was funny. He ordered them and forget to pick them up on his way home. Than he disappears and he sneaks them into the house. (Silly boy the drugs are not that good), and says a rose for every year we have been married.  I laugh and remind him that is how they sell them.

That is August for the Burrell's.  We are officially a family of 6 now.

Tomorrow is September.  School is starting soon and no I am not ready.  I just got use to being home with 4 kids and the pain from surgery is mostly gone. Now I have to figure out school, ballet, possible basketball and rocksalt. Not to mention volunteering and whatever else comes down the pike. Most of this happens when the husband is at work. I am officially in to deep. But I will love every moment of it, because I know it will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Bring on September. But please time slow down. I want to keep them young as long as possible.