The final decision!

It's pretty much impossible to get all 3 looking AND smiling!
I've resolved to taking what I can get! 

That picture is our complete family, as of now. Unless God has a sense of humor or drops a baby that needs a home into our lap. Which you never know what He is up to! The possibility is not out of the question.

We made the final decision! It's in the best interest of our family for Bobby to get a vasectomy. The emotional, reality that I do not carry babies well, lead to it. Thankfully, all our children survived and so did I. But each pregnancy is getting harder and each baby tries to come earlier. So we may not be so blessed next time. It's hard to feel complete when we WANT to have more babies. But the WANT and NEED of our family are completely different.

We are focused on the 3 little cuties in that picture! We are going to make the best life for them with the goal of making them in to great adults that love God and other people.

Family Surprise Trip

While I was on bed rest, Jeremy would ask to go places everyday. One day he said, "Ya know mom, I have never been on a hot air balloon ride!" Ha! I'm pretty sure 90% of people haven't! BUT I remembered Irvine had a free hot air balloon ride. Upon some research (I had so much time on my hands I welcomed an opportunity to research something!), I found that it was no longer free, $10 per person, the kids would be free. Still a good deal!

Jeremy also LOVES hotels that have breakfast in the morning! I tell ya, this kid is such a crack up! With all these plans he had, we put together a special surprise trip for Daddy and Capri, after the baby was born!

Our first stop was Starbucks:

First Family Picture! 

Then we headed to the Irvine Spectrum to ride the Merry Go Round:

But it was closed!
Oh Well. . . 

We ate lunch and headed to the Farris Wheel. They wouldn't let us take Heidi on the Ferris Wheel. They said everybody had to sit on their own, no lap children. That was kinda annoying!

LuLu eating pepper!
The bottom picture is on the Farris Wheel!
The kids LOVED it!

Time to check into the hotel and swim! 

The water was too cold! (Top Left)
The Jacuzzi was too Hot! (Top Right)
Bobby used a trash can to bucket cold water from the pool into the Jacuzzi
Then it was better (middle right) for about 15 minutes, until the heater kicked on!

Jeremy and I didn't really talk about dinner plans. We decided to go back to the Spectrum and go to Dave and Busters to play games:

We used the tickets on super cool bouncy balls!

Stopped at the park on the way out:

I didn't get a picture at breakfast. We headed to Great Park:

Left: Bobby teaching J about fossils!

UP, UP and AWAY!

It's hard to tell what they are doing. . ..
They are throwing their bouncy balls from last night up and down the runway!
The park is on an unused Marine Corps Base. 

We had so much fun!! Jeremy has been giving Bobby ideas on where He and Capri can take us for the next surprise trip!

Heidi Rae: NICU Day 2

Daddy talking to his girl! He did snuggle with her today but I didn't get a picture! Darn!

We got confirmation that Heidi-Rae has pneumonia based on her blood tests and chest X-ray. That means, at least, 7 days in the hospital. They will re-evualuate each day.

We still have not been able to try to nurse. With the CPAP machine they are worried she will aspirate milk. They moved her to a level 4, which is not much higher then a nasal canulla. If she tolerates it well, tomorrow they will take the machine off and switch to a nasal canulla, a clear tube in her nose that only gives her oxygen. And she will be able to nurse. In the meantime, pumping has picked up a scooch. Iam  filling the very bottom of the bottle, in my 20 minute, every 3 hour pump sessions. Every drop counts. Did you know my milk is making specific antibodies HER body needs to fight whatever she has going on?? God truely is amazing! I started taking fenugreek and blessed thistle to help increase my supply. I want to be ahead of the game. I asked the nurse to put in her chart that I don't want her to recieve ANY formula. So, When the time comes to start feeding her, if there isn't enough of my pumped milk, they will supplement with IV fluids. She is getting fluids through her IV right now, they are called TPN and. . . Oh no I forgot the other one. . . It's to help her keep weight on. This evening at 9pm she weighted 6lb, 6oz. It's normal for newborns to lose 10% of her body weight! We'll keep an eye to make sure she doesn't loose more then 10%.

Look at that tiny foot!

I was discharged today. There is something about leaving your baby at the hospital that isn't right. Babies and mommies belong together. The feeling is all too real, remembering Jeremy's 15 day hospital stay. But, I have to find rest and peace in that Heidi-Rae is in the BEST neonatal hospital we could ask for. That's why we choose to deliver at Loma Linda, in case something goes wrong. God is watching her and there are SO many people praying for her!

That being said, I came home to two bouncy, loving enterjetic children! They were so happy to see us! Thanks mom for taking such good care of them the past few days. They needed some time with us. I decided to stay home for the evening, have dinner and put them to bed. I'll go to see Heidi in the morning. A good night's rest, in my bed should do me good!

I'll be up early to go see my little girl and get in some good skin to skin time! 

It took us so long to figure out a name! And . . . we crossed it out a few times! But, we are so happy with our final decision! 

Heidi Rae: NICU Day 1

After spending 24 hours with our tiny angel, We have finally chosen a name:

Heidi-Rae Lauren Martens

As of today, her struggles are:

1. Transient Tachypnia of New Born TTNB: transient means that it comes and goes. Tachypnia means rapid breathing. A new norm respiratory rate should be 40-60 per minute, Heidi Rae is breathing 80+, and sometimes over 100 per minute.

2. Pulse rate is normal, but her oxygen saturation dips when her respiratory rate slows below 60.  Normal oxygen saturation is 99-100%, low saturation starts at 95% and goes down to 90%; any thing below that is cause for alarm and intervention (which usually consists of repositioning or increase the oxygen concentration for her. She is on a CPAP ( continuous positive air pressure) device that assists her in taking full breaths by blowing humidified, oxygenated, and lightly pressured air directly into her airway through her nose. She has an OG tube (oral gastric) that is taped to her chin. It runs down her Esophagus to the stomach to relive any bubble that might form in her stomach from the CPAP. 

3. Her white blood cell count is slightly elevated which gives rise to the suspicion of an infection. She has been on antibiotics since hour 2 and they will continue until hour 48. 

4. She has had chest X-rays every 12 hours to monitor the progress of the "foggy lungs", which they are concerned is pneumonia. 

Oddly, she is 24 hours old and hasn't eaten yet, the Staff thinks she cannot breath adequately to nurse without choking or de-satting (Oxygen saturation drop). We will find out if we will feed her by OG Tube soon. Kikis milk is coming in slowly as expected. Mommy and Heidi got to sit skin-to-skin today for 3 hours. Kiki couldn't have been happier. 

Jeremy and Capri came for a visit. They had a blast! Pushed around in a wheelchair, ate lunch with us, we bought them fun books as "big siblings" gifts, ate ice chips AND they got to video chat with the baby. 

Video chat and eating ice balls!

Going for a walk. . .Well, KiKi kinda waddled! 

Thank you Zia for the CUTE shirts!

 I'm sorry we can't respond to each text and phone call right now. We will keep you posted as we can on Facebook and here. Thank you everybody for your prayers!