Katie Rose

KATIE ROSE VERNON

8 LBS 6.8 OZ

20 1/2 INCHES LONG

6:13 PM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009

My last post was October 23rd. That seems like so long ago and that so much has changed since then I hardly know where to begin. So I left off announcing Erin and Ashley's new babies and the fact that I was starting maternity leave 2 weeks early due to gestational hypertension...

Halloween weekend came and we went to Ben and Meredith's house for the evening. Ben's sister, her husband, and their 2 kids were there as well. Kids are walking petri dishes of germs and Meredith, Kelly, baby Emma and I all ended up with stomach flu Monday and Tuesday after Halloween. Note to parents: If you even SUSPECT your child may be sick, please let people around you know - ESPECIALLY pregnant people. Stomach flu is never fun, but at 38 weeks pregnant it's REALLY horrible.

I had a regular doctor appointment on Tuesday that I thought about cancelling due to the flu, but I figured because I had the flu I should go and I was right to do so. My blood pressure was extremely high and the doctor sent me immediately to labor and delivery. She wanted me to be prepared to be induced that night if they couldn't get my blood pressure to come back down. 3 hours I spent in L/D before my blood pressure resumed it's normal high state. They let me go home but scheduled me to come back Wednesday night to begin the induction process.

Robbie took the day off Wednesday and we spent the day doing little things around the house knowing that when we came back we would have our baby. We also layed in bed together and watched t.v. cherishing these last few hours of it being just us. We thought about what we wanted for our last meal and came up with nothing so we decided we would eat at the hospital cafeteria which is actually pretty good! Plus, I didn't feel much like eating anyway having had flu the day before.

We headed to the hospital around 4:30 because they told us to be in L/D by 6. I had a feeling before we left that I would see my doctor in the cafeteria and she would be mad that I was out doing something...sure enough we did see her, but she said it was ok since I was at the hospital. Dr. Augustyn and Dr. Chisdak tease me because when my blood pressure was so high I got paranoid about it and went to the grocery store to check it. When I called the doctor on call that night to report that even the grocery store monitor said it was high she asked me, "What are you doing at the grocery store?? You need to be lying down!" That incident later came up in the operating room.

The L/D rooms at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital are amazing! They redid the entire unit a year ago and we were all so impressed with the facilities and amenities in each room. My room was huge and had a couch and recliner in it. The bathroom was large with a jacuzzi tub and I cannot say enough positive things for the nursing staff. Wow. They inserted a drug called Cervadil to help soften my completely undilated cervix. Robbie stayed right by my side but I told him to go home and get some sleep because I needed him to be strong for me on Thursday. All night long I was extremely uncomfortable. Those beds are not meant to be used for very long. I slept as much as I could but it's hard with people checking on you every 15 minutes and having a blood pressure cuff squeeze your arm every 20 minutes and having monitors strapped around your belly.

Finally around 5 am I woke up having some pains that felt like real contractions. I timed them for 10 minutes and when they were happening every 3 I called the nurse in. As soon as she went to check me I knew my water had broken. That's a very uncomfortable event because every time I contracted, it "broke" a little more. I was a mess. I told the nurse I wanted the anesthesiologist to get there ASAP because I immediately started having contractions. I'm leaning on the wall, sitting on the toilet, leaning over the bed - anything I could do tolerate what was going on. After an hour and a half the anesth. showed up and I got my epidural. Ahhh, sweet relief. I felt great...for a while. Robbie and my parents arrived and all seemed calm in the world. I could still feel the contractions but it was so minimal compared to what it was that I thought, heck, if childbirth is like this, I could handle it.

I don't know why I'm making this face - probably because I didn't want my picture taken. This must have been before things got intense.

Sometimes though things don't go as planned. I was following a normal curve of dilating 1 cm an hour. When I got to 3 cm, I started feeling the contractions more severely and I could tell that feeling was returning to my lower half. The anesth. came back and gave me more drugs. That was fine for about a half hour. Then it came back, this time even worse. I endured that until the anesth. could get back to me to give me more drugs. This process kept going on and on getting worse each time the drugs wore off. For whatever reason the epidural was not working except when I got a big shot of it in my back. As the pain got worse, so did my blood pressure and as my blood pressure got higher so did Katie Rose's heart rate. The pain I was feeling in my left side was excruciating and I just cried and cried while the nurse and Robbie tried talking me (relaxation words) through each contraction. Robbie told me to think about Lima Peaks, and the Centennial Valley, and Ono Island and the beach.

I was dilated 8 cm when my blood pressure and KR's heart rate skyrocketed to the point that Dr. Augustyn said I was going to have a c-section. She said she wasn't sure why the baby's heart rate was so high, but she didn't like it and a decision had to be made. I responded OK, signed where I needed to which is really hard to do when you're in hard labor. As soon as they said I was having a c-section, darling Robbie got a nosebleed. Poor guy! They started prepping me for surgery and cleaning the room for the next patient. When we arrived Wednesday night there was no one else in L/D. By Thursday afternoon there were women overflowing into other units waiting for one of the 6 rooms. In 15 minutes I was prepped for surgery and got the spinal...ahh, relief! Robbie came in the OR and 15 minutes after that our baby was out and I could hear her scream. It was the sweetest sound I have ever heard. She wailed! They showed her to me and got her cleaned up. The first things the doctors said were, "Ohh, look, she has lots of hair! And 3 chins!" She scored an 8 on her APGAR test which I hear is a really good score. Robbie took her to the nursery while they stitched me up and vacuumed me out...a really odd sensation. They gave me a shot of Demerol and a pleasant calm came over me knowing my baby was out and we were all safe. When they pulled her out of me she was face up when she should have been face down. This could have been causing much more severe pain and back labor such that the epidural could not keep up without over medicating me. Dr. Augustyn said later that a c-section was probably inevitable due to her size and position and that the right decision was made.

I was taken to recovery where they have the best tasting ice chips I've ever had. I love Demerol. Robbie and Mom were able to come back there and tell me all about her. I had never felt so good in my life as I did right then. Robbie was my hero and I knew I had nothing to worry about.

Two New Arrivals

My friend Ashley McFarland and her husband Mike welcomed baby Caroline Grace this past September. Ashley is one of the "beach girls" (Ashley, Erin, and myself) I had mentioned in a post from my trip home to Mobile this past August. The 3 of us hung out at the beach during the summers and all 3 of us have had/are having babies nearly exactly 1 month apart. It has been so much fun trading pregnancy stories with these girls all year and it's hard to believe that we have to be the grown ups now. Welcome home Caroline Grace!

Erin and Troy Schwant welcomed home their newest arrival Charlie Thompson Schwant on October 16th. Welcome home Charlie!

At Home

At my regular check up this past Tuesday the doctor noted that my blood pressure was a little high and they were going to start monitoring it to watch for hypertension and/or preeclampsia. They told me to come back on Friday for a blood pressure check and told me what symptoms to watch for should things escalate.

On Wednesday afternoon my feet and hands puffed up tremendously. Even a coworker noted that my face looked puffy too which is not something a woman ever wants to hear but I had to take it as further validation that I really was not feeling well. I called the doctor's office and they said better to be safe than sorry - come on up and you can see the doctor that's in today. My blood pressure was higher than it had been the day before. They sent me to the lab to have blood drawn for a blood count and to give me a jug to collect ALL of my pee for 24 hours. Oh, and this jug has to be refrigerated. Yes, your vision is accurate: a jug of pee next to the gallon of milk and leftover lasagna. If this was Robbie's pee I would be totally grossed out and would insist that the garage was cool enough for him to keep it well out of my sight. I didn't really put it next to the milk or near any food but rather in the bottom door drawer which can be and has been removed and cleaned just in case. It was not in plain view. Hey, if Robbie can put dead ducks in the fridge, then what's a jug of pee? And may I add that returning the "specimen" to the lab is a bit humiliating. There's just something degrading to everyone involved when you set your giant jug of pee on the counter. You wonder what people are thinking watching you walk into the lab with a brown paper bag. It's not a bottle of beer, folks! But it's not a stool sample either. That might be the only thing worse.

I was also told to stay home from work Thursday until I talked to my doctor Thursday afternoon. Yesterday afternoon my blood pressure was still high and had been high all day, so the doctor told me I would not be returning to work. She also told me we would most likely have this baby around 38 weeks which is LESS THAN 2 WEEKS FROM NOW. We would have the baby next week if I have preeclampsia, but they called this morning to say I did not have enough protein in 24 hour's worth of urine to diagnose preE. That's good news.

The bad news is I am starting my maternity leave now instead of after baby arrives. The bad news - or good news, perhaps - is that I am limited on how much activity I can do. I may not: clean the garage, vacuum, do any housekeeping, cook, or go to the grocery store. I enjoy a leisure lifestyle without a doubt, but even I get anxious looking at all the things I could be doing with all this time I have now and can't. Whoever would have thought I would be dying to clean?? So please, anyone out there, send a message, send a text, send an email, comment on the blog, come over. Entertain me, please! Or come over and clean. You choose.

These pictures are just for fun. The first is Robbie putting together a storage thing for Katie Rose's closet. The second is proof that Robbie also lets Shuge get in the bed. It's not just me!

Visitors from the West

Thank goodness for my wonderful in-laws. I am so lucky to have such great in-laws who love us so dearly. Vickie and Arnold came over last weekend to visit bringing with them all sorts of gifts, goodies, and even dinner.

They arrived Thursday night with a ravioli casserole made just in time for Survivor. On Friday Arnold and Robbie went duck hunting - Arnold's first trip out for the season. Now that he has killed some ducks he says he can shave his face. These Vernon men have some attachment to their facial hair and only remove it when an animal has been slain. They didn't kill many ducks but they had a good time in the field with the dogs and just enjoying man time.

I wasn't feeling well on Friday so I stayed home all day and Vickie helped me sort through and wash all the newborn clothes and blankets I have, put liners in the drawers, and get me a little more organized. Those who know me know I need help with this stuff and cleaning and putting things away is not my forte. She was such a tremendous help. Vickie, along with her beading talent, has also taken up knitting caps. Katie Rose probably has 6 from Mama V already and I just bet she'll get more. She and I actually enjoyed going through Katie Rose's cute things and talking about when Robbie and Tawnya were born and what sort of nesting things she did. She told us that due to space and where they were at the time she didn't get to do much nesting or decorating of a nursery so to do those things with me was fun for her. Vickie also assembled the bouncer seat cousin Danyel sent us. It was a special time spent with Vickie and Arnold and it was bitter sweet when they left knowing that the next time we see them we'll have our baby!

Happy 30th Birthday Robbie!

The Centennial Valley

Happy birthday my dear, sweet, loving, and PATIENT husband. We have been together over 6 years now and I believe I have been with you on your birthday every year until this year. But readers, do not think this is me being neglectful or uncaring, and really and truly it has very little to do with me being pregnant. It has EVERYTHING to do with it being opening weekend of duck season. Robbie loves duck hunting almost more than life itself. He also loves big game hunting too, but the ducks and geese are his real passion.

Robbie's birthday wish was to go back to the Centennial Valley where he and I went opening weekend last year. Last year we took Mom and Dad's suburban and camped out in the vehicle in sleeping bags with the seats folded down. It was actually pretty cozy the two of us and a muddy dog. Suburbans make great campers. We had an awesome weekend last year and nearly limited out the first day. Unfortunately our computer crashed a few months ago and we lost our pictures. So sad.

Below is one picture I salvaged off MySpace, but it's compressed.

This year I was not up for the trip since I need 5 or more pillows and a nearby bathroom. I'm also not interested in ruining our daughter's hearing quite yet with shotgun blasts, and I know that this year would not compare to last year when we hung out by the river, shot ducks, missed geese, and drank beers while watching the sun set. I'm not sure we could recreate that experience, so the best thing I could do was just let him go. I felt bad sending him off by himself on his 30th birthday but it's what he wanted and I wasn't going to stop him.


He started packing his bags on Monday while listening to heavy rock man music on the computer. Once in a while he would make an appearance wearing some funny camo hat or raincoat and slippers (with no pants or at least it was long enough to cover his shorts) bearing his shotgun just so I would know how cool he was. How could I forget?? He also took care to pack some magazines and the pregnancy book just for good measure.

Where they hunted this year

Robbie's cousin David from Dillon joined him for part of the weekend. Robbie ultimately camped in the middle of nowhere near the river and was woken up at 2 am by headlights coming toward him. It was his friend Brian from Stevensville who had joined up with David to join him for the Saturday morning hunt. The guys ended up having a great weekend despite some gun malfunctions, a run-in with the game warden (not for something Robbie did), and only shooting a few ducks.

Elk crossing on the way home

Things That Make You Say Hmmm

I'm never quite sure how much I want to reveal on the blog. Some bloggers reveal everything and speak so candidly that I am embarrassed for them. I am a pretty open book but I realize others might not want to be privy to my openness all the time. That being said...


I had a startling change this week when I was in bed reading my Mayo Clinic pregnancy book. It was talking about breast changes when I noticed that my own showed the unmistakable evidence of being nearly a month ahead of schedule. I was shocked even though I know pregnancy does not necessarily follow a book and cannot be planned out like color-by-numbers. I screamed out, "OH MY GOSH!!!!" Robbie came to my rescue to find out what was wrong. I showed him and he kindly replied, "Wow, that's kind of cool." I started crying insisting that it was NOT cool and that that had never happened to me before and that being a woman you come to expect certain things, but THIS had never EVER happened before, and while I realized it was going to happen and that I wanted it to happen, I was not ready for it at that moment.

I got over the shock after telling a handful of my motherly or pregnant friends who assured me I was ok, but it does start to make you wonder what it could mean. My first thought is maybe she's coming early. My second, less-fortunate thought is it could mean I'll have enough nourishment to provide sustenance to a small country. My third thought is if #2 is the case, maybe there is a way I could make some money selling the stuff as an all natural coffee creamer with real antibodies and immune support! If you're interested, get in touch with me.

I've also been having what I believe to be Braxton Hicks contractions - also normal. I'm actually counting them right now because it seems there is more contraction activity today than other days. I believe I have counted 3 in less than an hour, but it could just be the baby pressing into the upper part of my uterus, or it could be any number of other pressurized disturbances that occur (regularly, I might add) in the abdominal region during pregnancy. I won't elaborate.

Baby also seems to be hanging out low when she's not sitting sideways, or so it feels sometimes. I blame this on me having such limited rental space for her. I can often wear jeans that are long though I am average height 5'6. My torso and waist are what's short. With limited space I believe she's putting additional pressure on my bones below and my bladder. So does this mean she's further down and getting close to being ready? Could she? Would she?

I've heard too many pregnant women say they are sure the baby is coming early for various reasons and I always think to myself that they're just tired of feeling uncomfortable. I can relate with this just like I now understand why I always thought pregnant women were mean, but I still believe a baby arrives neither early nor late but precisely when he means to just like Gandalf the Gray (I'm a total Lord of the Rings nerd). Alas, here I am wondering and saying the same thing countless other women have. The doctor's office has now called me back and said that unless things get significantly worse, I sound totally normal...so I'll just keep waiting.

With Fall and Baby Approaching...

We decided to take a trip to Yellowstone National Park last Saturday. It was just the 2 of us and often there is no better place to talk and visit than inside the car. We love going for drives to places we haven't been. We spent a whole afternoon one time in Clarkston and if you've ever been around Clarkston you know it's not exactly a destination hotspot.

We drove through Gallatin Canyon into West Yellowstone. It had been a long time since either of us had been that way and we forgot how beautiful it is. The national forest accesses were busy with bow hunters and the pull outs along the way were busy with anglers. It was such a perfect day and when we got to the park entrance it was a free pass day! Then we found out why. There was a bicycle trek going on and there were over 300 cyclists on the road which was very frustrating to Robbie who has bouts of road rage now and then. He kept yelling bravely from inside the car, "You people need to get cars!! What's wrong with cars??" We finally got past them at Old Faithful as we journeyed down to Yellowstone Lake and back north to Tower Junction along the Grand Canyon of YNP. We got out and walked some and I waded into the Firehole River.

We came out through the north entrance/exit at Gardiner. It was a low activity day for animals in the park, but we had a good time anyway and enjoyed spending one on one time together. Those days are numbered...

There were 3 different forest fires burning in the park. Here's the smoke plume from one.