Owen finger update

Circulation is good, so it looks like he gets to keep his whole finger.

Frantic Friday

You know you should expect something to happen when you plan a weekend in advance.

Yesterday we had a packed day planned. A trip to the temple to watch a high school friend marry his sweetheart and then heading off to Flagstaff to pick up Jaxen and attend the graduation of a family member.

My SIL was to watch the kids for the hour or so it would take to attend the sealing. After the sealing, we start talking about what would be the fastest. Stop and get gas, then the kids, then start driving to Flag. We call my SIL to tell her the plan and that we would be there in a few minutes. We went into the store, purchased our drinks, and headed back to the van. I hear the phone ringing and we had missed a few calls. It was my SIL. I just assumed she wanted us to pick her up something on our way home. I call her and she says to get over there NOW.

My nephew had slammed Owen's finger in the door. She says it is bleeding all over and really bad. I figure she has to be exaggerating, people get their fingers slammed in the door all the time, right? A pinch, maybe a little bit of broken skin, something like that.

We get there, I take one look at it and knew we were headed for the hospital. I guess his finger got caught in the hinge, and to make matters worse he was pulling trying to get his finger out. My SIL had to open the door to free it.

Five hours later, we were ready to leave the hospital. Owen has a broken finger tip and stitches to close the gash that went all the way to the bone.

He was a trooper. He didn't cry at the hospital during the wait. He only cried when he got the IV put in for the medications. They had to put him under for the surgery. Something called conscious sedation. I had to have Shaun hold him because he is technically awake, but doesn't feel anything. His eyes are open and dart around. I couldn't watch so we went to get something to eat because we couldn't eat in front of Owen (he couldn't eat or drink) and I couldn't bring back food. So while they did the deep clean *shudder* and stitched him up we went to the hospital cafeteria. We thought it would take a while, but when we got back, he was awake. Still out of it, but awake. He slowly got the meds out of his system and was back to himself. He just wanted to take all the stuff off (pressure cuff, etc.) and go home.

He will need to see a hand specialist to make sure that the tendons and bone heal properly and doesn't need any therapy.

After we got out of the hospital, we drove to Walgreens to fill the prescription. Then picked up Ember and headed for Flagstaff. Owen passed out immediately, poor guy, and Ember watched a movie on the way up. So much for attending the Graduation. So much for attending the dinner afterward. We got there as they were cleaning up. We had dinner over at his Uncle's house at 9:00 PM and then turned around and started heading home at around 10:00 PM.

On the way home all the kids fell asleep, but then Owen woke up and just cried and cried. He kept holding up his hand and grabbed it every now and then. It was the longest 10 minutes to Camp Verde before we could even attempt to stop somewhere. We stopped in Camp Verde and the first service station didn't have infant Tylenol. What?! Who doesn't carry infant Tylenol? I was about ready to cry myself. We stopped at another service station, and thank heavens, they had some. At this point I would have paid $50 for a dose, but spent a measly $10 for a small bottle. (Worth every penny!) A gummy worm made going back in the car seat easier, and we were headed home. We got home at 1:00 AM. Worlds record for the longest and most eventful day in the Davis Family...at least in the last few months.

Owen is officially our first broken bone and stitches. Ember was our first serious burn. Jaxen was our first staple and Durabond kid. They each have their claim to fame.

It was great to see Jaxen again! He seems so much bigger, LOL.

Measuring Small

It never ceases to amaze me. I get all these wonderful comments about how small I am, how I am all belly, etc. etc. Don't get me wrong, I love these comments. It makes me stop thinking about the stretch marks that envelope my entire body from the belly button to my mid thigh. Not to mention those above. I wasn't exactly Pam Anderson before the birth of my first, so I had some "growing".

It also makes me stop thinking about my achy hand that hurts and tingles no matter what I do. Apparently carpel tunnel is common during pregnancy. Who knew I would get the pleasure of experiencing it during my fourth pregnancy. Who said they aren't all different? Let's not forget the swollen feet that have given more than one person a shock. At least my body is good for some laughs right now.

OK, I digress. Talking of measuring small. Every time you go in they take the measuring tape and measure you from your public bone to the top of your uterus. It is supposed to be the same number of inches as you are weeks pregnant. Follow me? I ALWAYS measure small, especially toward the end. This does lend itself toward some last minute ultrasounds to make sure the baby is still growing.

At 32 weeks this little one was approximately 4 pounds. At 36 weeks and 2 days (today), he is measuring at 7 pounds. Yeap, seven pounds. He has the cheeks to prove it (see below)! Guess who he gets those from? (I love you Shaunton!) If he stays in there and cooks, that puts him at about 8.5 to 9 pounds at birth. Right were I estimated him to be before even having the ultrasound. Oh, and he has hair.

Isn't he so cute!!!

Oh yea, he is still a boy. You know, had them check...just in case.

So, recap, just because we look small, doesn't mean we aren't packing the pounds on or that our babies will be tiny. (I have gained 32 pounds to date.) But, we still love the complements!

Grandma's House

Jaxen just needed to let it all out I suppose. He hasn't cried since the one time on Sunday. He called this morning at 5:30 (6:30 Grandma's time) to talk. I guess they are out doing their morning exercises. Jaxen ran around the cornfield 5 times. He said he is getting faster. They do morning exercises every day.

They go and clean the churches throughout the week. The wards/branches are so small, that it is easier to pay someone to come and clean them then to have members clean them I suppose. It involves a lot of driving to get to them.

Last week Jaxen said that he and TJ had to chase a cow off the lawn of one of the churches. So it wouldn't eat all the grass. Definitely not something he would have to do here. He talks about the lambs being born and watching westerns when they do get a night to watch a movie. Herding sheep isn't so easy with tired little lambs that want to sleep and big sheep that want to keep going to get to the good stuff.

He calls for family prayer each night (unless he falls asleep first), and I read him a story that he picks out the night before. Something we do every night when he is at home. I guess the familiarity makes it easier.

I am so proud of him. As he and his cousins (and uncle) get bigger they will be an even bigger help to their grandma.

Jaxen update

He cried today. He said he is doesn't think he can stay for two weeks because he is home sick. I want to go get him right now...

On His Own

We went up north this weekend to shear the sheep. Something we do every year on Memorial Day weekend. The only thing different is that we left our oldest up there.

We gave him a choice on whether he wanted to stay with Grandma with the Horses or take swim lessons this summer, he chose to stay at Grandma's for two weeks. It has already started as the longest two weeks of my life. I have never been away from him for so long (or such a great distance).

He didn't cry when we left, he didn't cry when he called last night. We did a family prayer over the phone and I read him parts of a book. (He asked if I would read to him, which I do every night, and he said he just knows he won't see the pictures.)
I spent part of the night crying my eyes out in the shower and putting it all back together when he called so that I didn't upset him. He is with his Uncle TJ (10) and his cousin Jaiden (8), so I am sure along with the sheep herding there will be a lot of fun mixed in.

I bought him the Magic Tree House series off of Craigslist and he took several of those with him...but I don't think the seven he packed will last past the next few days.

I hope he can hang in there....and I hope I can too.

Jaxen Greyhair

My baby turns 7 today. I can't believe how big he is getting.

It seems like just yesterday (or at least not that long ago) that I had this little monkey.

I went in on a Friday to get induced at 42 weeks. They tried Cervadil, which my body hyper-reacted to. They said they have read about that happening, but had never seen it happen. Let me be the first to introduce you to it. They pumped me full of IV fluid and decided to start with pitocin the next day. After 23 1/2 hours of labor my cone-headed, full head of hair baby boy was born. (I pushed for like 3-4 hours...hence the cone head.)

I remember asking Shaunton what his first reaction was to seeing his son, and he said, "He sure has a pointy head. It's not going to stay like that, is it?" Umm...I guess I was looking for something more profound.

We brought little man home, only to take him right back. He was running a very high fever and they kept him for another 4 days. At that time, it was the hardest thing I had ever experienced, not knowing what was wrong. He had gone to the bathroom while in utero, so maybe that had something to do with it?

Jaxen had the, uh, luck, to be my first born. I had no clue what I was doing, even at 23. Sometimes I look back and feel so bad, because I know that there are things I would do differently now (and did do differently with the subsequent children). I call him my practice baby. He seemed to turn out alright. I try not to ponder to hard on my mistakes and figure I learned from them, and Heavenly Father sent me a child who was willing to work with a previously inexperienced mother.

I watched him grow, and freaked out most of the time. I mean, where in the manual did they say kids started walking at 9 months? Where did that balance come from? He could "walk the snake" at Fiesta Mall before he was 12 months.

I watched him sort crayons by color instead of coloring with them. Line up cars the same direction, and catching the ones mom tried to flip opposite. All the time wondering if my child was OCD. It doesn't run in the family or anything...

We have had our fair share of blood and stitches (trampoline+sprinkler incident and a tumbling can of hairspray), and he is only seven. We have also seen him lose his first two teeth this year.

We have seen the days years of the dinosaurs, and have watched them become extinct. We have seen the superhero obsession, and the wain.

We have entered a new era (and galaxy... far, far away). Our son is Star Wars obsessed. I am a little worried that he has taken such a liking to the Dark Side, but always point out that Darth Vader turned back to the Light Side in the end. Although he did mention today that maybe his shirts (the bad guy ones) don't help him make good choices all the time. Nice try...but not a good excuse.

Where does the time go?

Now he is a school going, science fair winning, chapter book reading, stunt attempting, trampoline forward-flip jumping, Star Wars loving, video game playing, long hair growing seven year old.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAXEN, WE LOVE YOU!!!