My sweet boy is here!

Edward Blanton Hudgens is here! Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow!
We got to the hospital and they were waiting on us, three of them. Supposedly, there weren't many girls in labor. They took us to our "room" if that's what you call it. It was just a bed with a curtain drawn around it. There they got us prepped and ready with IV's and gave me medications for a queasy stomach. I was so excited when our anetheisologist (sorry about the spelling) came in! He was the same one I had last time and SUCH a nice man! I was glad to see him again! But then we played the waiting game.
I was doing pretty well up until 12:30 hit. Then I started feeling really sick, mainly anxiety! And no, they can't give you anything. 1:00 - They rolled me into the OR and got things going. What a blessing it was when I asked if they were close to getting started and I saw my sweet baby boy! They swaddled him and I got to see him up close. This was much different from Reese....they held her up and then took her to the NICU (along with Greg). Ward got to stay for a few minutes and I got to give him a sweet kiss!
My recovery room experience was much better than the last. I didn't get the "shakes" in the RC and had a great team of nurses helping me! (Note to self, try to deliver again when no one else is)
But, that night, I got the "itches". The astromorph (I think that's right...a cousin of morphine) can make you itch! It wasn't so pleasant but the next day it was gone! I can't begin to tell you how great the experience was at Richland again this time! Everyone took such good care of us!

A bit of catching up to do......

May 4th 2010 - I can't believe we are about to become a family of 4! I have mixed emotions about this but know this is the Lord's plan. I am not sure I can put into words how much I LOVE my sweet little Reese. For the past 2 1/2 years, we have done almost everything together. She is with me all the time and I LOVE IT! I am a little bit nervous about having a little boy. I got this pink thing down and not sure if I'm going to be able to do the blue thing. Will I love him as much? This is a common thought I have.....I know, everyone has told me I will. But, it's just so hard to think you could love two of them SO much. So, as I sit here before we go to the hospital, I'm a little anxious about the whole C-section thing. Yes, this is my 2nd one but the first one just happened! I really didn't have much time to think about it nor did I ever read about one. I assumed I was healthy and would just deliver a baby! But now, I KNOW what goes on and just a little anxious. My C-section is scheduled to start at 1pm. We have to be there at 11am and then GAME ON! My prayer is that it will go smoothly as well as the transition at home. I pray she will just love and adore her little brother who she refers to as "baby lawwward". I try to tell her I'm not having the BABY LawwardD (sounds like baby lord) but BABY WARD! So, cheers to the end of a family of 3 and to a great beginning of a family of 4~!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
I am happy to see a new year come....there were so great moments in 2009 but I'm glad to see the new year!

One thing will come for sure .....our little baby BOY! We will be having a little baby BOY who will arrive either the 23rd or 27th of April!

I was inspired by a girl (actually a good friend of Greg's family) to "MAKE" New Year's Resolutions! She is much more creative than I am and is an amazing seamstress! So, I don't promise my creations will ever come close to hers but I'll try my hardest! With that being said, I spent two hours on the computer looking at sewing blogs the other night! CRAZY, I know but I've been sewing things ever since. I'll try to post some of the things I make along the way! (No promises!!) Some of those items will hopefully include - crib bumper, girl dresses, jon jons, maybe some smocked stuff, pillows for the house, curtains and who knows what else!

Christmas......

"Christ is Risen" ~ Growing up as one of four there was always someone around, someone to do something with! Those "somethings" weren't always positive....there were lots of fights but there were also lots of GREAT times! I always remember our house being full of people around the holidays. It was crazy and fun all at the same time. This Christmas made me realize how THANKFUL I am to be one of four! All those fights and times we "hated" each other....just went out the window. I can't imagine what it would have been like to sit at the table with just one other sibling! It was wonderful to be around a FULL table and able to remember those old Christmas'! Sure we all wish this wasn't our reality.....but it just makes me SOOO very thankful for the family I have! How wonderful is it that His ways are so much better than ours!!! The Lord is oh so good!

My sweet baby girl is 2!

I can't believe it's been 2 years! Just 2 short years ago, we were traveling back and forth to the NICU daily hoping that that day would be the one she would come home! Three weeks later, she came home.......the BEST Christmas present I could have ever received! Now, two years later it's amazing how far she has come. Developmentally, she is right on track.....just a little petite! She is ALL girl. She LOVES to play with her puzzles, color, take care of her baby dolls and put clothes on! Oh, and she talks all day...I mean ALL day! I guess we go to Target a little too much since she asks to go "shopping" and will proceed to tell me where she wants to shop. I never knew how much of a blessing one tiny little girl would be! Thank you Lord for allowing her to be my sweet baby!

A little to real......

This is a little bit of a longer story....just a warning! Yesterday I had to go visit with a specialist regarding some abnormal blood work. The abnormal blood work isn't anything new or too alarming right now. After Reese was born I was wanting to get on birth control but I was having headaches with loss of vision. Therefore, my doctor wouldn't put me on anything until I saw a neurologist due to the risk of stroke. So, I went to see the neurologist and he was the one who found the abnormal blood work. I then went to see a hematologist who told me I had a borderline blood clotting disorder but she didn't think I needed medication at this time. But she did inform me that I would need to be tested if I got pregnant again just to make sure there weren't any conflicts between development and the baby. So, that's how I ended up at the OB specialist!
I was a little nervous just given the circumstances and thinking that I didn't want to have another preemie that would have to stay in the NICU!
The doctor came in and ask about my first pregnancy and some of the details. I guess I didn't really think through the questions that would be asked at the time of the consultation but in hindsight I should have seen it coming.....it's only normal in the medical world. I did social work for a number of years and during our "assessments" we would ask the same types of questions SO I should have known this was coming!
He then asked about family history. I think this might have been the first time I've been asked this question since dad passed and boy did it seem so surreal! He proceeded to ask about my parents, "Are your parents living?" Wow, for the last 10 years the answer has been, "My dad is"! I was getting to the point were it wasn't as hard to say that.....to acknowledge that he was our only parent. The question asked out loud just seemed too real.....almost like it made it permanent. I know it IS permanent but I think our defensive mechanisms kick in and guard us from the finality of it all. I'm glad of this "mechanism" because I think it allows me to continue on living and dealing with grief day by day rather than flooding me all at one time.
I know this is reality and I know he is so much better off. I know he isn't suffering any longer......as someone put it death is so much harder for the living. The ones who have passed on are where we all want to be!
So I PRAY the Lord blesses someone else through this event or through me....in some way, somehow!
I guess I should also pray for health given my genes....I guess the doctor put it best when he stated the obvious....."Ummm, well, you don't have very good genes!" But God is good and so is His will!

BIG SISTER!!!!

Yes, that's right.....Reese is going to be a big sister come May!

I am 15 weeks so far and things are progressing as they should! Reese has a

little cousin Wade (my youngest sister's boy) and she LOVES to see him!

She also wants to "hold him" all the time. This is a little difficult given that he

weighs only 4 pounds less than she does! But I do get excited about her

being a big sister because of how excited she gets when she sees other babies!

I just keep praying that she will have the same excitement for her own brother or sister!

We are very excited and can't wait to find out what we are having!

So far Greg thinks it will be a girl while on the other hand I think it will be a boy.

Last time we both thought the same thing, well Greg was right!

Greg thinks he is going to have a house full of little girls!

I guess we will see here in a few weeks!