Our smallest one yet...Violette

First shot without all the cords.  That paper bow was where the IV was put in

 Violette Lucienne was born at 10:25 in the morning on October 6th 2011.  She weighed in at meager 7lbs 6oz and 19.5 inches long and has dropped down below seven pounds giving me a tiny little six-and-change pounder to take care of which I have never had the pleasure to experience.  She is so tiny and delicate AND is the most content and wonderful baby we have ever had.  To quote Justin saying to his friends how it is being a father of four, "I don't even know if I've heard the baby cry yet!" Well, he hasn't because she rarely cries and sleeps for about 23 hours per day.

First family shot

As most of you know I have wild birth stories and this one is no exception.  at 1:30 in the morning I felt my water break slightly and since I had only been asleep for a couple hours I spent the next few hours in delirium and denial wondering if I was actually in labor and if my water had actually broken.  That day we were supposed to have spent the day in Logan interviewing so luckily we had a babysitter all lined up to stay two nights, so when I finally mustered up the courage to tell Justin I thought I was in labor around 4am we left our kids in our baby sitter's capable hands.  Arriving at the hospital around 5am and not really feeling contractions we got all set up in labor and delivery and now I was safely in the hospital I could relax and spent the next few hours sleeping while Justin researched minivans online.  Around 9am I could feel some more significant contractions coming on, but I was able to talk through them until my OB arrived at 9:45 to check me out and have a chat.  He said I was only dilated to a 7 or 8 and believed I still had at least 15 minutes left before I was ripe to deliver so he unwisely left around 10:15.  About five minutes after he left I had a very serious contraction, the kind I call the "why didn't I get an epidural?!!" kind of contraction and then I felt the pushing contraction and everyone who doesn't get an epidural knows it's impossible to "hold on" or "not push" because not pushing hurts significantly worse than pushing a baby out since that's the way nature intended it.  I had to push her out.  No one was scrubbed in, the nurse was frantically paging the doctor to get back here because baby was coming and Justin wasn't about to deliver her since his hands were also dirty.  Violette had the cord wrapped around her neck and because of that and because no one was helping pull her out, she started curving upwards, causing me to tear(I could totally feel that one) so I reached down and pulled her out in the right direction and basically delivered her myself.  The OB rushed in 15 seconds too late, sewed me up a little bit and it was finally over.

In the NICU

She looked remarkably like Henry with yellow/orange hair and strikingly similar features including long toes and fingers.  Perhaps she'll be one of my tall ones.  Violette let out a few little cries but the nurses noticed she was turning a little bit blue so they rushed her into the nursery to do some tests and found out she had amniotic fluid in her lungs, possibly because the cord was around her neck, causing her to breathe shallowly which also caused her heart rate to slow down.  They rushed her to the NICU where she spend the next three days being pumped full of fluids, and antibiotics and filled up with oxygen.  The amazing nurses took such good care of her and I spent a lot of time in there just holding her and trying to snuggle and nurse her, even though it was almost impossible with cords coming out of every direction, especially the IV coming out of her tiny little head which was heartbreaking.  Every time I moved her, an alarm would go off.  She was so calm and sweet and the nurses almost never called me to say she was crying or cranky. I spent a lot of time in my room listening to General Conference over again on the Mormon Channel.  I am now addicted to listening to the various programs on that application and it makes it easier to wake up for night feedings when I get to listen to Uchtdorf.  I usually wake up every morning tired, but uplifted by the spirit and I have to say that I feel so much support from the Lord and so blessed in every way.

Gotta get some oxygen little girl!

The day after I had the baby Justin called me to come outside and I met him in a new(used) white Toyota Sienna in almost perfect condition. He smiled and announced, "Happy Baby!".  It was definitely the best baby present I have ever gotten.  I thought I was spoiled when he got me the ipod shuffle after Henry was born.  haha.

All the kids on the couch.  Can you tell my kids were a bit neglected while I was gone?

We stayed in the hospital for an extra day and then Violette was able to come home.  I have had an extra swift recovery and I'm already up and out and about with the kids and the new baby doing all the fun fall things we love to do.  I have a helper staying with me just in case I need an extra set of hands while I get the milk flow going, which takes a lot of time sometimes but I feel confident that after next week I'll be able to do it on my own.

Someone's happy:)

Goodbye Baby Killer

I feel overwhelmed with joy and gratitude because of the wonderful blessings I have in my life and for my beautiful and wonderful children.  I feel the presence of the Lord in our house so strongly and I know he's sent us a special spirit who will be a sweet and calming presence in our home.  Thank you for coming into this world my darling little daughter.  Mommy loves you sweet one.