Lillian Claire

I know I have been very bad about not posting.  I almost have my routine down (managing 2 toddlers, a newborn, laundry, meals, etc.) to where I can update on a regular basis now.  Our amazing photographer, Erica Hartzog, photographed Lillian and posted some pictures for us as a "sneak peek."  She does amazing work if anyone would like to use her. 

Big Sissies, Meet Little Sissy

Allie and Olivia met Lillian today. This was the most special moment of our lives other than any of them being born. My Mom stuck by my side over night while Justin went home to sleep after working the night before and being up for 30+ hours. Justin got up Friday morning with the girls and got them ready for the day. As soon as Mary Ann got to the house at 7, he picked us up breakfast and headed to the hospital. Justin's parents picked up Mary Ann and the girls and got to the hospital around 10. We were so excited about this. We have been preparing for this since the day we found out Lillian was coming. It was awesome.

They walked in and saw me sitting in the rocker with Lillian, aka the "boppy." We are trying to say baby better but it's too cute the way they say it. Allie immediately walked over and saw Lillian and put her finger to her mouth and said, "shhhh, boppy night, night." It was the most adorable thing ever. Olivia was a little more stand-offish. I showed them how to kiss baby sister but they weren't ready for that yet. Before they left today, the girls warmed up to Lillian and were very interested in her, especially when she started crying before it was time for her to eat. They watched Mrs. Darlene change Lillian's diaper in amazement. Before they left, we gave them each a present. We gave them new "lovies." These are their animal blankets. Their old ones are WORN slap out. They were very excited and are getting barbies tomorrow when we get home.

We are so ready to go home and are thrilled at how well Lillian is doing. Thank you all for your phone calls, flowers, cards, prayers, visits, and emails. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. A special thanks to our families for helping us with the girls while Mommy and Daddy can't be there with them. Another special thanks to Mary Ann for working overtime and keeping our beautiful Allie and Olivia.

We are hopefully being discharged Saturday afternoon and will be able to go home to our own bed and be together as a family. stay tuned for pictures!

Surprise! Lillian Claire Armstrong is here!

We have had a very rough week this week.  We kept this very quiet this past week, other than informing immediate family.  It all started Monday (Jan. 30) when I went to the doctor for my 38 week check up.  A normal start the the day with the girls and a normal day in the life of a teacher.  I first off noticed that Lillian was not moving very much throughout the day.  I just thought it was because she has run out of room to move.  When my nurse, Tracy, called me back to her station I went through the normal routine:  Went to the restroom, got on the scale (FUN!), checked my bp, and answered the normal questions. 

• Are you having any problems?
• Any contractions?
• Bleeding?
• Are you feeling the baby move?

I answered all of the questions and passed my check-up with flying colors.  I told Tracy about the decrease in movement and she told Dr. G.  I moved back to the room and waited for Dr. G.  When he came in, we chatted like we normally do and he asked me about the decrease in her movement.  I laid back and he got out the Doppler to check her heart beat.  He had trouble finding her heart beat at first.  He told me that it could be the fluid that was "obstructing" the sound.  He moved it all around.  He could hear something but it was not consistent enough or clear enough.  Dr. G and I think on the same page all the time, so when I watched him as he listened for her heartbeat, it bothered me.  Though, he was trying to keep me calm and assured, I was still not satisfied.  I got up and went with him to his office.  He told me that he wanted me to go over to maternity eval and get hooked up to the monitor for them to get a better reading of her heart rate and beat.  He is amazing.  He not only made all of the arrangements personally (which his nurse normally does), but he called over there into my room and checked in on me after his shift was over.  I am so lucky to have him as a friend and doctor. 

Anyway, after I got there, I called Justin to meet me there.  He left the girls in the care of our wonderful nanny, Mary Ann, and rushed to my side.  A long enough story later, the doctor on call did not do what Dr. G thought she should have done.  Dr. G called me at home that night to tell me that.  What doctor does that?  Like I said, I am so lucky to have him as a friend and doctor.  He told me that she has an arrhythmia and wants to get a better look at her heart rate, beat, chambers, etc.  This is the first we have ever heard of anything like this with her.  So, the next day my nurse calls me to tell me we are scheduled to go to the Sacred Heart Hospital Perinatal Unit in Destin asap.  We got the closest appointment which was yesterday at 9:30 this morning. 

After they did the ultrasound and found everything to be normal, the doctor informed us of the good news. Then came the shocker. He told us that my amniotic fluid was too low to go any longer and we were to deliver TODAY! Luckily Dr. g was on call and we rushed back to Dothan, grabbed our things, and headed to the hospital.

Lillian Claire Armstrong was born at 3:33 pm, weighing in at 7 lbs, 4 oz, and 20 inches long. She is doing great and is healthy as can be. She has 100 percent oxygen saturation, scored 9 and 10 on her Apgar scales, and her murmur is slowing going away. She is nursing like a champ and has not wanted to stop eating yet. We are so very blessed and want to thank our families for rushing down here without even skipping a beat.

Also, I want to thank our very special nurse, Andrea. She stuck my my side when I called her to tell her we were coming in today. Andrea was our child birth teacher with the girls ans has remained a close friend ever since.

Needless to say, it has been a rough week of waiting, praying, and not knowing what to expect.  Please pray that everything continues to go smoothly.

Pictures coming soon! Stay tuned..................