2 Weeks

I can't believe it's already been 2 weeks, actually 2 weeks and 2 days.....crazy! She is my little angel....just as sweet as can be!

Our first night at home and daddy finally got some good snuggle time with Kinley. It seems like whenever he was at the hospital there were either visitors or he had the kiddos with him and they were Kinley hogs so he really didn't get to hold her a lot the first few days! 

Cuddling with their baby sister on her first morning at home, they sure do love her! The big kids didn't want to go to school but they had to. How has it been adjusting to a new baby at home? It just feels like she is where she belongs, it's been a pretty easy transition for me and the kids all seem to be handling it great.....she was just meant to be a part of our family! And I have amazed my husband with my ability breastfeed one handedly while up making lunches and packing book bags!

4 days old and looking like a little angel! The pictures just don't do justice on how teeny tiny she is, I loved my chunky little babies but it's been 10 years since I had one on the smaller side (Rylie was 7lbs 4 oz and the others were all close to 8 or 9 pounds) so i'm eating up her teeny tinyness!!!!



Day 5 she woke up with gunk in her right eye so we went to the pediatricians office and she had an eye infection. It got really red and swollen but the meds cleared it up right away. She weighed in at 6lbs 8 oz. so she was up from 6lbs 3 oz when we left the hospital! 

Safe and sound in Daddy's arms....is there really any safer place to be?

Daddy giving her her first bottle, she did great with it. My babies tend to reject the bottle so i'm starting her our early like I did with Evan so she is used to taking one!

One week old and lounging in her swing!

I'm used to chunky little legs and this sweet girl has chicken legs, she also has the longest fingers and toes. Her umbilical cord stump fell off when she was 10 days old.

9 days old....love this little outfit with the leg warmers, and her beautiful bright eyes!

11 days and I can only assume she is learning to block out all the noise from those crazy kids that keep wanting to hold her and kiss her and talk to her.....all. the. time.

One day shy of 2 weeks, hanging out in her crib for the first time watching her mobile. She has a little bed next to our bed which she will sleep in some but she often ends up cuddling up with mama to sleep (and yes I keep blankets away from her and am practicing safe co sleeping so she is safe).

Rylie took this pic of her smiling....she was very proud to capture this on camera.

My amazing, beautiful kiddos.....sometimes I think I need to pinch myself, how blessed am I that all 5 of these kiddos belong to me.....Chet and I create some amazing little people!!!!!

And see how sweet they look, well........

this may be a more accurate portrayal of them!!!! Goofy and crazy and perfect!

2 weeks old! Went in for her checkup and she was weighing 7lbs 2oz (25%) 20 in. long (50%) and her head was up to 14 in (50%) from 12 3/4 inches at birth. She does have a small umbilical cord hernia but will most likely outgrow it by age 2. Other than that she is doing great. They want them back to birth weight by 2 weeks and she was above so she must be getting all she needs from breastfeeding!

Kinley loves to be held (and maybe her mama loves to hold her too, like all. the. time.) so my moby wrap has come in handy so I can get some things done all while cuddling my girl!

Yesterday was a beautiful day so Kinley got to spend some time outside while the other kids played and daddy planted some trees!

Her mama sure is in love with her newest baby girl!

Exhausted after hanging out outside.

And today I (and the whole crew....Chet and kids) went to see Jeane. She says my incision looks great and I can begin increasing my activity. My weight is just 3 lbs above my pre pregnancy weight, so now I just need to lose the extra I had when I got pregnant! And she confirmed what I thought....Kinley, most likely, would not have survived a vaginal birth. I felt my eyes tear up when she said this....there are no words for how grateful I am that there are options such as a c-section for these kind of situations. Jeane told me again that it broke her heart she couldn't VBAC me especially since I have such awesome vaginal births and have been so successful in the past. But she said her cord was short plus being wrapped around her neck so tightly that they had to untangle it from around her neck before they could deliver her. So there just wasn't enough cord for her to come down and she would have probably been strangled had we not done the c-section.....so THANK YOU to modern medicine!!!!! I go back in 4 weeks for my regular check up and I have to drink the nasty glucose drink to verify the diabetes is gone and after that I will have to be checked for diabetes every 3-5years. I will miss seeing Jeane on a regular basis.....guess i'll just have to keep having these babies.....Just Kidding!  I am so in love with little Kinley and so grateful for my 5 beautiful healthy kids....who could ask for more?!?!?

A few days in the hospital....

Since I had the c-section I had to stay 3 days instead of just 2! The first 24 hours was a bit rough because they wouldn't let me shower, stand or eat until I hit the 24 hour mark. I also had to leave in the IV and catheter until then too. Plus I was in a lot of pain so it was a little rough but I had lots of time to just look at and hold my new baby girl!

Welcome to the world Kinley!


Just a few hours old, love the little hat the nurses put on her!

A very proud Mama and Daddy!

Chet was going to bring the kiddos up to meet their sister on the day she was born but she got here much later than expected so they came up the next morning! She was in the nursery being checked out when they got there and Katelin had to go to her dental appointment before she got back in the room.

All but Katelin admiring the newest Farage kid!

My 3 brown headed kiddos!

They sure do love their new sister....it makes my heart happy!

The first picture of my 5 amazing and beautiful kids...

and our first family photo!

Grammy and Kinley.....sure do appreciate Grammy running herself ragged taking care of my kiddos while I was in the hospital.....not sure what we would do without her!

Amy and Kinley.....a big shout out to Amy for coming to the rescue twice when we needed someone to watch the kiddos. I had things all set up for the day I was supposed to be induced but when my water broke 3 days before that I wasn't prepared!

Mandy and Christopher posing with Kinley!

The Lazenby clan loving on my girl! Aunt Natty made her some really cute little tutu's!

It's always nice when Jeane comes to visit after the births of the babies, kinda get a chance to chit chat and reflect on the birth experience! I know she felt bad that I wasn't able to VBAC again but look at my beautiful healthy baby.....that's really all that matters, not how she got here!

Look at those sweet little smiles.....I sooo love her!

Ready to go home.....Daddy left work to come pick us up and take us home!

It's been 12 days since Kinley was born and she is just a perfect little angel! I am starting to feel better, it's hard not to be able to pick up the other kiddos or just do a lot of the normal everyday things. I've had about an inch of my incision that has really been bothering me but the past few days it seems to be feeling much better. I have permission to start driving again this coming week but with all my kiddos and all the stuff that has to get done.....I have driven a few times already but I think it was fine. I've pretty much quit taking all the pain meds. I've had a lot of comments from people who can't believe i'm up moving around so well after major surgery but with 5 kiddos it is kind of hard to slow down too much. It hasn't been to stressful to add a new family member, I know a lot of people find it a big adjustment but with all my babies it just felt natural when the new one came home, just like they are right where they belong!

Kinley's Birth Story!

Monday October 1st I woke up to get the kids ready for school like any normal morning when I started to feel some leakage. Went about my morning and started noticing the occasional gush as I walked and it was then that I was almost certain my water had broke. This was all new to me, i've never had my water break on it's own before. So after getting the kids off to school I spoke to Jeane's office and they told me to come in around 10:30. I had told Chet before he left what was going on but told him to go ahead and go to work and i'd call him. Well he kept calling me saying he didn't feel like he should be working so he got the guys set up and came home.

I was watching Brianna plus had Katelin and Evan so I had to find someone to watch them and thank goodness for Amy because she came over. My mom left work and picked up Rylie and Owen from school so we didn't have to worry about anyone having to pick them up.

Chet and I got to Jeane's office....I got weighed so final weight gain was about 18lbs, not too bad! Saw Jeane and my water definitely had broke so we were having a baby! I was only dilated to about 2 so we made a plan. I would head over to the hospital (actually they wheeled me over in a wheelchair per their policy I wasn't allowed to walk), and as long as Kinley was on the monitors for 20 minutes and looking good I could walk for 40 minutes at a time trying to get labor going. If needed we would start pitocin late afternoon so Jeane would be available to be there with me during my entire labor. This was about 11:00 so I figured I would have my baby in my arms by 5 or 6 at the latest!!!!

Getting hooked up and waiting for labor!


Well it all sounded good but Kinley kept having small heart decels on the monitor so I wasn't allowed to walk, I had to stay on the monitors. Jeane popped in several times between her office hours and a couple of c-sections she had and confirmed she wasn't comfortable having me off the monitors, the decels weren't bad but were enough that it had to be watched.

Getting up to change into my comfy clothes and use the restroom before getting pitocin started.

My delivery room crew!

Getting prepared to bring Miss Kinley into the world, started pitocin around 4 pm!

The other vital part to my delivery room crew.....Jeane! I adore this woman so much. I met her 10 years ago during my pregnancy with Rylie right before she officially became a midwife and since then she has successfully VBAC'd me 3 times and tried so hard this time but got Kinley here safe and sound. I feel a special connection with Jeane and she's been there for me during some hard times and during some of the best times of my life when my babies were born.....really she feels more like an old friend to me than my ob/midwife.

This is when the contractions were beginning to kick in stronger and I was really having to breath through them but they weren't coming as close together as quickly as they had with my prior births. I had dialated to 6 when Jeane checked me a bit later I was still a 6 and then when she checked me again and didn't say anything.....I knew I was still a 6 and something wasn't going as it should. Typically I would go from 6 to 10 in about 10 minutes. About 8pm Jeane stopped pitocin, Kinley wasn't tolerating it and while my contractions were still coming they were getting less frequent without the pitocin.

They pulled out the oxygen and I think this is when I started getting scared. Jeane would push me way over to my side during contractions trying to keep her heartrate up. Jeane kept me informed on what exactly was going on. I guess the nurse asked Jeane why she was telling me so much....like she told her, she knows me well and knows how my mind works and if she didn't tell me what was going on then my mind would wander and worry! Another reason i'm grateful to have someone who does know me so well. I also had comfort knowing  Jeane wasn't going to let Kinley get to the point that she was in any real danger. She was hoping I would get to complete quickly and just be able to push her out in a couple of pushes but probably because of the cord being around her neck it just wasn't allowing her to come down which wasn't allowing me to dialate.

I think at this point we all knew what was coming, I was scared and teary eyed. Chet didn't leave my side after this, definitely helped me having him right there with me. Despite being scared I knew we'd be okay....like i've said before....there is noone I trust more than Jeane to take care of us!

She told me she was getting Dr. Proffitt (he did my last 2 VBAC consults) and that's when I really knew we were having a c-section, as soon as he came in Kinley's heartrate dropped to the 50's and the decision was made. I did not have an epidural so the anesthethiologist came in and as long as Kinley was doing okay they would give me a spinal but if not I would be put under and a breathing tube would be placed. Thank goodness she held out for the spinal! I didn't want a breathing tube but more than that I wanted/needed to be awake when my baby girl came into the world.

I remember crying and asking Jeane if she would be with me and she assured me she wasn't leaving me and would be assissting with the surgery. We weren't at emergency c-section status but we were at urgent status so they moved me pretty quickly to the O.R. It is kind of a scary place with the big bright lights but this was definitely calmer and more laid back than my emergency c- section with Rylie. I couldn't stop crying but I was able to move onto the o.r table and Jeane was with me while they gave me my spinal, they gave me the nasty drink and got me laid down with my arms to the sides. And before Chet got in there they started the surgery. I stared at the door until Chet got in there, it seemed like it took him forever to get in there...definitely needed him by my side. I felt nauseous so they gave me something for that, the anesthethiologist stayed nearby checking on me, she was very nice but had an overly cheerful voice that was a bit annoying.

I was so happy when he walked in the room, definitely needed my husband by my side. Very different from my first c-section which seemed chaotic with the midwife on top of the table to help get her out and pain from the pressure and I kept kinda going in and out of sleep. This time it was calm and laid back, Jeane was on one side and Dr. Proffitt on the other, I don't know what they were saying but I could tell they were just talking calm and casual. I think Kinley was out within 5 minutes, Dr. Proffitt held her up and said "here's your baby" I only saw her legs and butt and she was off to the nurses. She was born at 9:08 pm And of course....you just wait to hear that cry and I wasn't hearing it which was very scary.

Chet went over to Kinley, her heartrate was up in the 180's so she was in a bit of distress. I just kept listening for her to cry and she didn't. I know I started to pray for God to please let her be okay. Then I heard Chet talking and laughing with the nurses so I knew she must be fine. I asked Jeane what color her hair was and she told me it was brown. Chet brought the camera over to show me pics, he said they kept trying to get her to cry, she just wasn't a cryer....I think it had him a bit freaked out too. The nurses said they like for babies to cry but some just aren't cryers.

 

My smallest baby at 6lbs 11.3 oz. It's kind of ironic that my 2 smallest babies were my 2 c-sections. But her size lets me know that I controlled the gestational diabetes like I was supposed to and kept her from becoming too big which is often a problem with GD so i'm kind of proud of myself for that! It had it's challenges but it was so worth it.

They finally brought her over and put her in daddy's arms and nothing can compare to that moment when I could physically see her and feel her....she was absolutely beautiful! I think I just stared at her and touched her little face talking to Chet about how cute and tiny she was while they finished putting me back together. My bladder had adhered to my uterus from my first c-section so they had to repair that which included putting baby formula in my bladder to make sure there were no leaks. Weird, I know but it is sterile and discolored so it works to find leaks. See her little bottom lip sticking out....that's the famous pouty lip...all my babies have had it!

My beautiful, healthy baby girl....welcome to the world Kinley, you are one very loved little girl! This entire pregnancy had me worried, no particular reason, it was just different from the rest. Between the GD and the concern over her size....I just worried about her arriving healthy so what a relief it was to see, hear and feel her.

Chet and Kinley went back to the room while they finished me up and when I got in there I finally got to hold my baby girl!

I know Jeane feels bad she wasn't able to VBAC me, she's apologized several times but she shouldn't ....she got my baby girl here safe and healthy and in the end that is all that matters. She suspected a cord was around her neck from the beginning and she was right....it was tightly around her neck twice. Which is probably why I wasn't dialating any further than 6, the cord wasn't allowing her to come down.

I know Daddy was a little worried through the labor and c-section but he was such a great support to me.....I sure do love him and he is one proud daddy!!!

I've been asked if I am upset/ disappointed that I wasn't able to VBAC and had to have the c-section....No I am not upset about it at all, it was what had to be done to get Kinley here safely, but Yes I am a little disappointed....I wanted to VBAC again, to have that whole experience again but it is what it is and there is no reason to let it bother me because in the end everything worked out perfect....I have a healthy baby. I am so grateful that a c-section is an option because who knows what the outcome may have been if it were not. I am also grateful that I have been able to VBAC 3 times previously so I have been able to have that as a birth experience several times. So bottom line is.....it doesn't really matter to me how she got here just that she made it here safely and that she is healthy! Chet and Natalie told me after the fact that they had a conversation a few days prior that they both felt I would end up with a c-section. And I think in the back of my mind I felt that way also, so I think I was somewhat prepared for it.

Kinley Ryann Farage

She is here! She is healthy! She is perfect!
And we are completely and totally IN LOVE!



Born October 1, 2012
9:08 PM
6lbs 11.3oz 18.5 inches

Our sweet beautiful baby girl.....

she's already filling our lives with joy! I will be sharing her birth story in the next day or two!!!

38 Weeks

I hit the 36 week mark 2 weeks ago Tuesday and had my usual appointment on Wednesday. The perinatologist had upped my meds again so I am taking two glyburides at bedtime to help with my fasting levels and it does seem to be helping although I still have some lunch and dinner levels that shoot up. I figure I will have perfect levels the week before this little one is born. They also decided to do a sono in their office this week and baby girl was, according to the sono, measuring about 6 lbs still with a little head but the perinatologist said she wasn't too concerned but they may want to do one more sono in their office before she is born. I went from there to see Jeane and since I had the sono at the peri's office didn't have to have one there. I gained 2/10th  of a pound so no complaints there. I am just under a 20lb weight gain total and basically haven't gained any the last trimester so YAY! Not much at last weeks appointments, all was good, sono was just a bio physical and all was good there too. This Tuesday I hit 38 weeks and had my appointments yesterday. I had a growth sono at the perinatologist and it all looked good and baby is, according to the sono, weighing 6lbs 10oz and it shows my est. due date as the 18th so she is just a petite little thing! Went to see Jeane right after and I lost about a pound or so and we set a day!!!!! My due date is Oct. 9 but we will be inducing on Oct. 4 unless I go into labor before that but as history shows......I don't expect that to happen! We picked this day since Jeane doesn't have any appointments on Thursday mornings so she will be able to be there from start to finish, which I love.....it's nice having her there the entire time. So no more doctor appointments for me, I will get to the hospital at 7am on the 4th and Jeane will meet us there around 8:30 and break my water, start pit and we will all hang out until Kinley makes her appearance. I had Katelin about 5 hours after starting pit and Evan about 3 hours after so this little girl shouldn't take too long to get here!



36 Weeks!

 

While I really do love being pregnant, i'm ready to meet this little girl! I love all the kicks and movements, watching my belly like there is a little alien in there and the hiccups and this little one has those all the time. I'd say at least once a day and often 2 or 3 times a day! Since my placenta is in the back i've really gotten to see and feel a lot of her movement.....she likes to stick her butt out so my belly is lopsided a lot.....it's pretty funny and she pokes her little knees out a lot (the only reason I know they are her kness is because Jeane told me they were).

 

You notice how lopsided my belly is....that's my girl sticking her booty out!

 

 

On the other side.....this pregnancy has been rough. I'm not complaining just expressing the negative. I want to document all aspects of this pregnancy but first I will share what i'm grateful for.......I have happy healthy children and for that I could never be more grateful. I am, obviously, rather fertile and that is something that I do not take for granted. All I ever wanted was to be a mommy and I couldn't imagine the pain of not being able to fulfill that dream. I also am grateful to have been able to successfully VBAC 3 times now and hopefully a fourth time. I really owe that to Jeane, they had my bed unhooked from the wall, they had me drink the nasty drink and they had me shaved ready to wheel me off for a c-section with Owen when Jeane yelled "everybody stop" and preceded to explain that we were going to try to get his heartrate back up and even though I had to keep rotating from side to side to keep it up.....we were able to and I had my first successful VBAC. Had I not I would probably have had all c-sections with the rest. And while that wouldn't have been a horrible thing I actually enjoy the entire birthing process (I know that seems crazy to lots of people) and am so grateful to have experienced vaginal births.

 

Some belly fun during "girls night in"

 

 

I know a lot of people have horrible, miserable pregnancies and i'm grateful that I have never experienced that. I've had some pretty miserable first trimesters but I survived. This pregnancy has definitely been the one with the most struggles, definitely not horrible just lots of struggles. The GD has been a whole new experience. The diet isn't all that bad it's just that you can't really deviate from it and I am sooooo tired of eating the same things all the time. I'm not a big "sweets" eater but when you can't really have any......man do they all look soooo good. Plus you have to eat basically every 2 to 3 hours even if you don't really want to, your basically on the same feeding schedule your little one will be on except you don't have to eat during the night. And then there has been the struggles with my levels. My understanding is that most women are able to control GD with their diet......well not me. I went on the glyburide and have still had trouble even though I have been strict with the diet. It makes you feel like your doing something wrong and failing to keep your baby as healthy as she can be. I've heard of people with GD who don't seem to think it's a big deal and they cheat on their diet and just don't take it too seriously. I'm not one of those, I never realized how serious it can be if you don't control it and i'm not willing to chance my little girl's health. And it can actually have some pretty bad effects on my health too if it's not controlled. Even though I have some high numbers, I am controlling it overall pretty good so I fully expect a beautiful healthy baby girl next week.

 

There are lots of foods that I miss......like cereal, casey's ice cream, french fries, blueberry muffins,  and of course....I miss pepsi but not near as much as I did in the beginning of this whole thing. I really should avoid the bakery sections in grocery stores.....everything looks and smells sooooo good. So while I look foward to being able to have my foods again.... I would, of course, do it all over again in a heartbeat for my baby! I plan on sticking to some of the things i've learned, I see now how much changing a few habits can effect your weight but it will be nice not to be sooo restricted.

 

My view

 

 

So i'm super excited to meet this little girl and hold her in my arms. She will share a birthday with her Uncle Stephen and also with my lifelong friend Meredith. It is looking like she will be my smallest baby yet so kinda anxious to see how much she will weigh, i've had some pretty decent sized babies so i'm good with her being on the small side.

 

38 Weeks!

 

 

I've never done a birth plan and don't have one this time. Never really felt the need for one and obviously with my first birth ending an an emergency c-section, i've known from the beginning of my journey into motherhood that each birth is different and anything can happen. I, of course, have an idea of how I hope it will go but if things change.....i'm pretty good with going with the flow. My biggest thing is having Jeane there to deliver and I do plan on going unmedicated again. I know from the last two natural labors that when I get to the point that I don't think I can handle the pain anymore then it is probably time to push! It is a little scary going into natural labor having done it before because I know how bad the pain can get but I also know that I have done it before and I can do it again. And I tend to be a worrier but I have to say this has probably been the worse. This whole pregnancy has been so different from my others....and while i'm sure she is perfect and healthy.....I just won't be completely content until I hear her, see her, touch her and am holding her in my arms knowing she is healthy and happy!