Please Pray for Olive Hope

Rusty and Lynette Polinder have been working with the Akha Youth Development Center in Chiang Rai in Thailand as missionaries for the past couple of years and have been expecting their first child. Last Friday Lynette went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl 2.5 months premature. Olive Hope Polinder

This is a friends brother and sister-in-law they had their sweet baby girl Olive Hope at 28 weeks. As a mommy of a preemie I know their pain for first hand. I was lucky enough to carry both of my children closer to term than Lynette was. Being a preemie parent is the hardest things I have every done. Watching my children struggle in those first few weeks of life, is a pain I could NEVER explain. Watching a machine breath for them because their lungs are too weak. Only being able to touch my sweet baby's when I was told I could by a nurse. Not being able hold them because, they where to weak and sick. Is a pain no mother or father should ever go through. I have cried everyday for Lynette and Rusty. Even though I don't know them personally I feel close to them, I wish I could wrap my arms around both of them and hug them as tight as I could.

I found this prayer on Lynette sister blog, I thought it was a beautiful prayer and have been saying it myself all daylong. Please Pray for this Family. I know that prayer is what got John and I through Alana and Davis's NICU stays.

Carrie’s Prayer for Olive Hope

Olive Hope, The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

May the power and the blood of Jesus wash over your little body. Lord Jesus, I pray that you would surround Olive with the protective cushion of Your Spirit. I pray that you would wash healing all over her body, around her cells, through her organs, through her brain cells, renewing and restoring. Lord, restore the damage that has been happened with bleeding. Take it away and replace it with cells that are new, that are uninjured. Protect her body from bleeding – keep her cells tight and whole and immune to damage. Keep her from infection. Keep her vital signs stable. Protect her eyes. Protect her vision. I pray that her vision would be restored, and she will be able to look into the eyes of her mommy and see her. Wrap this little being in your presence, around and around with protection, comfort, and healing. Let the power of your kingdom be evident in her tiny body. Jesus. Mend Olive. Make her whole. Restore and protect her. Let her hear her mommy and daddy’s voice even when they are not with her. Let her rest and heal. Give Lynette and Rusty the strength and endurance they need. Give them words to pray, songs to sing. Hear the cries of our heart, Lord. Turn our tears into tears of rejoicing. Give Lynette and Rusty restorative sleep.

In the name of Jesus who died for us and brought us life and the light of your kingdom here on earth,

Amen.

Heavenly Days

Davis Daniel Horton

June 9, 2009

4lbs 5oz, 16 inches

Loving came home on

July 6, 2009 at 2:00pm

5lbs 4oz

28 long days in NICU

Welcome home Sweet Baby Davis. We love you more than you will ever know. You complete our family in more ways than one. You are truly our little miracle.

Bed Rest... 32 weeks TODAY!!!

It’s been 3 weeks and 3 days since I was placed on bed rest. I thought I would blog about my doctor appts to keep everyone informed. For those of you who don’t know why I am on bed rest I have Pregnancy Induced Hyperion (High Blood Pressure). I know crazy a marathon runner with high blood pressure. It’s even hard for the doctor to wrap his mind around. It just goes to  show you it can happen to anyone.

So here is some background this DID not happened out the clear blue, I have been running high since my first appt at 9 weeks. I don’t think anyone was super surprised since I had Alana 6 weeks early due to Pre-Eclampsia. After being monitor very close for a few weeks I was place on medicine for the high blood pressure. It seemed to help in the beginning bringing it down into a more normal range. At my 20 week appt it was getting a little higher but still in a good range, at that point the doctor was more concerned about my lack of weight gain. I was so sick for the first 22 weeks, at my 20 week appt I had only put on a half a pound. The baby looked great to me that’s all that matter. Once we got over the morning sickness I starting putting on weight and looking pregnant. We were back home and in normal life, to be honest life was prefect.

At my 24 week appt my pressure was getting high again, so we upped my meds hoping that would help and it did for a short time. At this point I was seeing the doctor once a week for pressure checks. Things where going fine until my 28 week appt. I started running 160/105 again. I was placed on modified bed rest (6 hours a day of laying my left side) I just stared at him, the really crusher was NO MORE RUNNING. I was heart broken but I would do what ever I had to do to keep this little boy inside me. It didn’t hit me how serious this was until I was driving home. I was in total shock, if we didn’t get this under control my son would be here before he was ready. Thinking I’m super mom I thought I could do it all be on bed rest and take care of our 3 year old. It took John and my mom beating it in me for a few days before I realized that I needed help if I want to carry him longer. So, as many of you know my parents took Alana with them to Dallas for a week so that my mom could get things in order to move in with us until the baby is born. Watching them drive away was the hardest thing I have ever done, sending my daughter away so that my son can stay save inside me. It was a longest week of my life. I’ve NEVER been so happy to see my little girl.

 

That week at my doctor appt my pressure wasn’t much better, so he started me on steroids to get the baby’s lungs ready for delivery. Here I’m a not even 30 weeks pregnant getting steroid shots so my son lungs are ready. He also moved me from 6 hours a day of bed rest to 8 hours a day and upped my meds. Telling John and I this should get us to 32 weeks. When we walked out of there I was a mess. I did everything I could to hold it together. I walked around with a heavy heart, praying for God to give us more time. I already watched my daughter fight for her life in the beginning I couldn’t do it again with my son. I just couldn’t go through that again. I must have cried a 100 times that weekend. I know people talk about how amazing their husbands are all the time, well mine really is. He is so supportive and understanding. He really helped me get through that ruff patch. Reminding me that I am doing everything I can do to keep him inside me, that many things are working on my side. At the same time understanding why I felt the way I did and reminding me that it was OK, I had every right to be scared. He was just as scared as I was but felt we could get me to 32 weeks. The doctor let me call in my home blood pressure that week, in hopes that would be lower and THEY WHERE!! That meant the bed rest was working. I was getting some really good pressure it was answer to all of our prayers. My baby girl was home, screaming and running around like the crazy princess she is, my pressure where doing great and I was getting spend time with my mom. Life was so good that week. I even went to Circus with Alana and John, it was some well deserved FUN.

 

The silly, mommy I am I quit taken my pressure at home, afraid they where going up. I liked living in my prefect little Blood pressure world. Well, my fear was right as this past week went on my pressure where going back up. It makes me want to cry right now, they weren’t too bad but slowly getting higher. On Thursday, I got a 153/94 read I knew I the doctor was about to change things up again. If you wondering how I knew, the headaches. They haven’t been bad but the week that we got good reads I didn’t have a single one. Once, I got one I knew it was going up again.

 

So, on Friday at my now almost 32-week appt YAY!! 32 weeks!! WE MADE IT!! My pressure was 155/94, which for me was OK, not better but not worse. The baby looked GREAT weighting 3 lbs 7 oz, he has chubby checks just like his sister. (The joys of being high risk I get a 3D Ultra sound every visit). The doctor spent quite a bit of time with us, telling us what was ahead. Basically he told us that we have 30% chance of the high blood pressure affecting the baby. That at this point I could go at any time depending on how I’m doing and how Davis is doing. Then he told me the words every mother facing delivery 2 months early needs to hear YOUR BABY WILL BE FINE, if HE IS BORN. That everyday we get past here is gravy for us. The plan of action from here is that I will be seen twice a week to get Non-Stress test on the baby to make sure he is still doing OK. After, we where done talking to the doctor John and I walked to another room where they did the first Non-Stress test on Davis. Let me tell you, he DID not like that at all. He starting kicking the nurse before she could even get me hooked up. I have been telling John that we are in trouble with this little guy he NEVER stops moving, well he showed his daddy, the doctor and nurse that he was in control. He kicked the leads off twice. It’s just what I needed hearing his heart beating and feeling him kick me like crazy. I walked away with a smile as big as Texas on my face. I knew our son, was save in side me for a few more days.

 

I've had my moments over the last 24 hours that I feel like I could lose it any minute with all the stress. My mom and John keep telling me just feel it, be upset it’s OK. I know that this is in God hands. He knows what is best for Davis. A big pray was answer this week, I am 32 WEEKS today. 3 weeks ago I would have given anything to be here and now I am. My goal now is 34 weeks. I am going to take it 2 weeks at a time. I believe in my heart I can carry this little man until mid-July. As, long as I keep positive and know that it’s going to be 6 weeks of ups and downs.

 

Please keep us in your prayers, as I said before it’s going to be a lot of ups and downs. I now face that the baby could come at anytime. Lots of people have walked in my shoes before and they carried their babies to term. I pray that I can do that. To be honest I just want to carry him to the end of June. 

Alana Hospital Stay:(

Most of you know that Alana was in the hospital this past week but don’t know why. Well, it because she was throwing up blood, yes I said BLOOD. It all started on Tuesday when Alana woke up she was off but couldn’t tell me what was wrong. I went ahead and took her to school but she cried when I left (SHE HAS NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE). After coming home and running, I just couldn’t get her little face when I walked out of her class room off my mind so I jumped in the car and went and got her. As, I walked in she seem OK, her teacher told me that she wasn’t herself. I knew I was right in coming to get her early. She fell asleep in the car on the way home, I moved her to her bed, and about 45 minutes later I heard her crying. I went in to check on her and she said, I need BIG HIGSS and KISS and then turned her head and throw-up all over me the bed, wall, with some even making it across the room. It was VERY VIOLENT. That evening she wasn’t great but never throw-up again not until Wednesday morning around 4:30am. She started crying, when I went in her room. I could see spots of stuff on her sheets and stuff all over face. In my own sleepy state I ask her if she had pooped and she starting crying say NO mommy, then realized it was blood. At first I thought she had a bloody nose and went to get some thing to clean it up, once I got her clean, I laid with her and a few minutes later she started throwing up everywhere. I ran and turn the light on and all I could see is Alana sitting in a pool of blood. I called John who told me to call the doctor. Well, I didn’t have time by the time I got Alana changed and moved to the couch I was cleaning up blood again in the living room. This happened a few more times, before I was able to call John back and tell him that she had done it again. By, now it was close to 7am. He told me to call the doctor (he was trying to figure out what ER he wanted me to take her in the mean time) I was able to get her into the doctor 45 minutes later. From there we went to the local Children’s Hospital where she spent two days on IV fluids. What they think happened is she busted a blood vessel in her esophagus. Which caused her to throw up blood. Her labs came back all out of whack, she was VERY dehydrated. It took a little over 24 hours for Alana to pee, that is how dehydrated she was.

  Alana is doing so much better now. She is still sleeping a ton it will take some time for her little body to rebound. She has lost a few pounds, so her clothes are hanging on her, I am sure it will come back over the next few weeks.  I pray this NEVER happens again. Every time Alana gets a stomach virus I am going to be on pins and needles.

 I have a few pictures of her when she was so sick but they make me sad so I am going just post the ones of her feeling better.

This is on Thursday afternoon about 30 hours of IV fluids she started coming back into her own. Her cousin Emily sent her this HAT. She loved it. Thanks Cousin Emily!!! 

I love this picture!! This is a sign that Cousin Emily and Will made her. my mom helped her hang it in her room. My mom fly out on Wednesday, with John in Residency and on call, I spent Wednesday morning by myself and you could say I was an emotional train wreck. He was able to be with us, that afternoon but not on Thursday. It was a god sent having my mom there. Alana was a bit of handful on Thursday. 

The interviewing is over…. Now the wait begins!!

On Friday, Alana and I picked John up for the 15^th time in 2 months from the airport. On Tuesday he left for Canada for his last 2 out of 19 interviews. I am so glad that it’s OVER. It has been a very long two months. We spent most of the time he was gone interviewing in Denver. You could say, Alana and I where lonely we missed John and our friends so much. By the end of March when John left for a 4-day sweep of interviews Alana asked me “Mommy, why can’t we go home?” I said to her that daddy had to work in Denver for a few more days. Her responds was “But Daddy is never home, he keeps going on big trips.” (That is what we called the interviews to her).  I just smiled and thought poor baby, she can’t understand why she can’t have her house, friends or daddy. I am grateful that she is so young she won’t remember how little John is around, she will just remember the fun they had when he was. The hardest part of the last two months was when she would get sad and tell me “But mommy, I just miss my house and friends so much.” I would tell her they miss her too. It would break my heart because I missed them just has much as she did. Most, of you know that we have been traveling in and out of El Paso for the last year for John to do away rotations. The longest we came back for was 2 VERY SHORT months. I’m super glad John is done interview but even more glad that we ARE HOME for GOOD!! John will have to go back to Denver next year but we aren’t sure when or for how long. Something I don’t plan to put on my radar until next fall.

 

We find out about Fellowship in May. We both have prayed and believe that if this is God’s will then, it will happen. We feel it’s in God’s hands now. John has done the best he can. I ask that you pray for John, that no matter what the decision is in May that John finds peace in it. We know that the first year of applying is a long shot.

 

For those of you who don’t’ know John will start his last year of Residency on July 1^st!! Yes, we still have one more year but after 5 years we are taking this year head ON!! Besides, it will be one of the best years of our lives, Davis will join us and complete our family. 

Davis and I at 25 weeks!!

Well, tons of people have asked again so here you go! My sweet little boy has finally popped out!! It only took 24 weeks! I love it!! I think I am finally passed the morning sickness well for me it was ALL DAY SICKNESS! It’s been a week since I last got sick, I am starting to branch out on what I eat. Praying it won’t come back up, and it hasn’t THANK GOD!! As, I posted before he is a mover, the little man never stops he wakes me up at night kicking me. Once, I move he stops I am telling you he is going to be just as strong willed as his sister. He’s not even here and controlling what I do. John and I feel so blessed to have both of them. I think me being pregnant again is starting to hit John. He came home on Monday from work, and jumped back when he saw me. Then, he smiled and said “YOU HAVE A BELLY”. I just smile and said yea, there is a kid in there. He smiled and said, “I know, I know but you have a belly.” That made my week. I can’t hide Davis anymore you can see him in everything I wear.

 

This is me with Davis at 25 weeks….

This is me with Alana at 25 weeks…..

Davis's and I at 23 weeks!

OK, so lot's of people have asked me how big I am... Since, we aren't home or near any family. I thought I would post a picture of us. In the last month I have doubled in size. John and I think I am showing BIG TIME but people who don't know me say I just look like I ate too much. You can judge for yourself. I am way bigger at this point with him than I was with Alana. When we look at the pictures of me from Alana's pregnancy we both laugh, we thought I was big with her.  He is a mover way more than Alana, he lets me know if he doesn't like the way I am laying or pants I'm wearing. I had to put away my favorite pair of jeans because he would kick me so much in them. They didn't feel tight to me but he sure didn't LIKE THEM.  

Davis's Bedding

Here is a picture of the bedding we got Davis!! I LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to get it and paint his room. We also got him a new crib, it's cherry wood, so it won't be as dark!! Yep, I'm going all BLUE!!

Is Alana going to have a baby Brother or Sister?

On Valentines Day John, Alana and I went to have an ultra sound. Due to work John can’t be at my 20-week sono and we didn’t want him to miss out on finding out the sex of the baby. What a wonderful way to spend our Valentines, John says it’s the best one he has ever had. I have to agree!!

We are proud to say that Alana Marie is going to have a BABY BROTHER!! She is so excited to meet him, kissing and hugging him all the time. Telling him that she is here. So cute!! She had been telling us that it was a baby sister, I was worried how she would take the news but she has run with it. I mean RUN with it, tells everyone. At the museum the other day she walked into story time and announced that she was having a baby brother. I am so glad that she as taken it so well. Asking me if we can go to Costco and buy him some clothes (her favorite place). Her and I are going shopping this weekend while John is in Houston for him. Not at Costco but I plan to stock up on BLUE!! Since, I went all PINK with our princess we are going to have to re-buy everything. John says I would have re-brought everything anyways boy or girl, he is probably right.  

John and I are beyond excited most of you know that medical I shouldn’t have anymore children now I feel like my family is complete. I always wanted four kids but was willing to settle with three but now I think two will be fine. John says lets give it a couple of years before we make a final decision. I know he had his heart set on three as well. I will leave this up to God for now, time will tell.

My pregnancy is coming along I am much bigger than I was with Alana but still not huge just a small baby bump, if you know me you would see it immediately but to people up here in Denver I am showing at all. I think I am just hiding it well. I have already hit a bump in the road at my 15-week appt I was put on blood pressure medicine, it running kind of high. The doctor tells me there is nothing I can do, I am in great shape, small and listening to him. He hasn’t taken running or anything from me. He says we will talk about it more in a few months. I am fine for now. The only thing he told was, watch the weight gain the more I gain the higher blood pressure will go. Then followed that with I feel like I should tell you to gain more, you are so skinny. I only gained 18 with Alana and I wasn’t watching it, so I am not worried about that AT ALL.

I know you are wondering what he is name is going to be… Well, I am not 100% sold on his name but Alana and John are. After, the sono we gave her a few names to pick from and she picked Davis, and hasn’t let go of it yet. When I tell her that it might be Grant or Reid she gets upset and says “NO, IT”S DAVIS”. So, he name is going to be:

Davis Daniel Horton 

The Daniel is after his Daddy and his Ho Ho (John’s Dad).

Happy 3rd Birthday Alana!

Three years ago today a prefect little girl enter our life. Thinking back all I remember is how scared John and I where that she was coming early but excited to finally meet our daughter. I only got to see her for a second before they took her away. I didn’t know at the time how sick she was, it was only a few hours later when I asked for the 100th time could I see my daughter. When the doctor came and told us that she had to be placed on a vent, but she was a fighter. My heart sank, as any mothers would. I love her beyond words at that moment but the love I have for her now is so much stronger. It’s funny how our love for our children counties to grow with them. Alana is a fighter the doctor knew what he was talking about. It still amazes me how her strong willed nature showed at 1 day old, when she pulled her vent out. It was a long 5 days before I could hold my precious baby. I remember the feeling I had when they put her in my arms. It’s a moment no mother or father should wait 5 days for. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about how hard it was not to touch or hold my baby. It a feeling you can’t understand unless you have been there. People gave me such a hard time for holding her all time in the beginning but they had no ideal what it felt like to not hold your child or really even touch her until she was 5 days old and even then it was very limited. John and I held her non-stop for the first 6 months, we would fight over who was going to hold her or wear her. It’s funny, to think about it now.

Alana is one strong willed child, as I said before she has been since the day she was born. When she was 18 months old, it really started to come out. I smile to myself thinking of the head butting I did with my 18 month old. I would say to John, man we are in for it, she is only 18 months old. He would smile and say, it’s good to be strong-willed she will be the leader of the pack not the follower. He was just trying to make himself feel better. I showed her who was boss, well I pretend I was but knowing all long that she was the BOSS.

When Alana turned two, she was still VERY strong willed and very mommy depended. That is was is so amazing about a year in a child life how much they change. A year ago she was still a baby in every sense of the way.

Over the last year our baby has become a BIG girl. To think just yesterday she was 2 and today she is 3! She is very proud to be 3 like her cousin William. She has told me at least 10 times today “Now I am 3 like Will”. She just wants to be like her cousins. Here are some things Alana has learned over the last year that has taken her from beginning our baby to our BIG girl.

In March she spent her first week away from Mommy (harder on Mommy than Alana)
In May she learned to spell her Name.

In June she told me “I not wear diapers anymore, I wear panties.” She has been wearing them ever since.

This summer she learned all 26 Letters and most of their sounds. (Now she knows them all)

She can count to 20.

She knows her colors and shapes.

She can buckle herself into her car seat.

She can get herself dressed, if she is in the right mood.

She can put her shoes on. don’t tell her if they are the wrong feet because she will tell you no there not

She knows her right from left (most of the time)

The most important one of all to Alana… She is going to be a big sister in July.

Wow, what a difference the last year as made in her life. I can’t believe it myself she is a little person now. Over the last few months, life with her has really gotten a lot easier she knows the rules more important she follows the rules most of the time. I’ve heard 3 was harder than 2 but for us I think 3 she is going to be much easier. Guess time will tell…
Here are a few pictures from her day. She had a party at school and a party with John and I. Her favorite part was that she got 2 cakes today. Her friend party is at the end of the month.

Christmas!!

I know it’s been a few weeks but I’m getting there. We had a wonderful Christmas. We made it back to El Paso just in time to celebrate it. Alana had a blast Christmas morning, she open the present in record time. We spent the day with our close friend The Hansen’s and Smith’s. The kids run round and played but Alana couldn’t get back home fast enough to ride her new bike that Santa got her. Here are some pictures!!

We woke her up!
Alana not really sure what is going on.
Her new Bike... It's all she wanted for Chritmas!

Her new doll house!

Taken OFF!!

She loves Tea Parties!!

Still more to go!!

Lovin her New Princess Bike!!

She loves her new desk, because she has to work.

What a mess!

Alana's new baby, she is going to make a wonderful big sister!