1 amazing year!

7lbs, 7oz at 34 weeks!!! Maybe it's a good thing I didn't go full term.

She was a little glo-worm for several days.

Today was Eliza's 1st birthday!! How far we've come in 1 year... and how very fast it has flown. A year ago I had been on bedrest for almost 5 weeks. I woke up to contractions that just felt different. I had Bret take me to the IMC labor and delivery yet again (seemed like we were there a couple times a week). I was 5cm dilated and labor wasn't responding to any of the drugs to stop it. It was a cold dreary day. They got me my epidural and I was prepared to have Eliza within an hour... maybe two. She had other ideas. She was sunny side up and stuck against the balloon of my catheter. Finally around 6PM she made her entrance into this world. Much bigger than a 34 weeks preemie should be and almost perfectly healthy. My 7lb, 7oz baby had to go to the NICU for 9 days to adjust from my gestational diabetes and prove she could grow and eat by herself. This year has been full of ups and downs and growth and Eliza is the perfect little caboose for our family.

Oh, I cannot believe my last baby is 1 year old!!!! It is truly bittersweet. She is such a sweetie. She is a little shy and such a mama's girl. She is easily overwhelmed by a large group or loud noises. She loves being in nursery at church while Daddy and Mommy teach. She started crawling around 10 1/2 months and started "cruising" the furniture over the last couple of days. She can make herself heard over her siblings when she wants to, but mostly quietly observes.

Tonight we had a little birthday gathering for her and it was good for my mother's heart to see the love for my baby girl.

Happy Birthday Bret!!!!

Today is Bret's birthday. I'm so grateful that Bret was born. He is my perfect match. I couldn't ask for a better man to be my husband or to be the father of my children. He is so kind and caring. He adores me and thinks I'm beautiful (even after 9 years and 5 children). He loves our children more than life and would do ANYTHING for us. He loves to get on the floor and play with the girls or read a book with Christopher. Today he jumped on the trampoline with Xander and played a "make believe" game with him. At night, as I'm falling asleep, he'll scratch my back while he reads. He makes us laugh and holds me when I cry. He'll carry the weight of the world on his shoulders if I let him.

Bret you are my everything!! I'm so happy we found each other and now we have each other and our children for eternity. Happy Birthday!!!

1 Year of Type 1 Diabetes

A year ago today Darci was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I've been assaulted with so many memories of a year ago. Our wonderful endocrinologist, Michael Swinyard, has told us to have a big celebration today to honor her strength and bravery. He said Bret and I should celebrate us, too. Mostly I've been crying, though. I am far from "at peace" with this disease, but I'm getting there a little more everyday.

Darci is so brave and strong and she's my hero. Bret and I call her our "ray of sunshine" and "pure joy". In the last year we have had super high glucose numbers and scary, seizure inducing lows. Recently Darci has learned how to test her own blood. She can't even read the number on the meter, but she can put in the test strip and activate it and then she pokes her own finger and squeezes out the blood and applies it to it. If you've ever had to lancet your own finger then you know how hard it is to push that button. And it FREAKIN' HURTS!!!!!!!!

We filled 9- 2liter bottles and 1 small sharps container in 1 year of diabetes. We've estimated it to be about 2400 syringes. That's a lot of shots!!!

I, again, want to thank Nathan, Audra, Brady, and Elise for being a light in the dark through all of this. This past year would have been utter hell without you. Thank you for all the times you have been willing to babysit Darci for emergencies and dates and everything else under the sun.

Brady and Darci. Two of the strongest people I know.

Through the past year we have grown closer as a couple, as a family, and closer to our Savior as we have turned to him through trial and joy. I know one day I'll be able to look back and be grateful for these challenges that have molded my family to be better people.

For now we'll give Darci the most normal life possible; we'll continue to treat her daily and try our best to keep her numbers stable; and, AS ALWAYS, pray for a cure.

We love you, Orion.

Last night as Bret was getting home from work he heard a cat out on the yard somewhere pitifully crying. After more investigating we discovered it was ours. There were no signs of injury, but his entire back half was dead. I took him to a 24hr vet emergency care and found he had a clot in an important artery. Nothing could be done for him and he was going downhill. So I made the difficult decision to have him euthanized. I held him and cried for a long time before the vet tech did anything. And then I held him and cried some more when they gave the proper injections. He feel asleep peacefully in my arms around 10:45pm last night.

To some it might be silly to cry over a cat. But Orion was a special part of our family. We got him when we first moved into our house in Aug '03. He was a tiny kitten then. He has always done well with each child going through a phase of torturing him. He had a special bond with me through my pregnancies. He would lay protectively over my belly and glare at anyone who got close. He was a constant company during my bedrests. Lately he has had a unique bond with Darci. He liked to climb on her lap and Darci happily gave him all the pets and love he wanted.

His favorite spot when I'm on bedrest

This morning when I told the kids they went through different types of grief. Christopher cried and cried. Xander looked very sad and then brightened a little as he told me that now Orion was in heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus. Darci didn't quite get it, but keeps telling me that kitty is sick.

Darci and Orion 11/08

Thank you, Orion, for being a special part of our family for over 6 years.