Welcome Juliet Faith

My mom has been begging me to update the blog and I guess I should have a long time ago. Here is the update. I got pregnant in June of 2011. 

February 23rd, 2012 we had a baby!

She is a joy and a blessing! We are all in love with her.

Because I can't stand the thought of having this conversation over and over...

First off, let me say how grateful I am for all of the texts and visits and calls and emails and facebook comments. Although I was and am not ready to see anyone or respond to anyone or return any calls or messages, I have read/heard them and I love you for being so supportive.

Secondly, we are aware that this was an "unhealthy" pregnancy. I had a subchorionic hemorrhage which DOES NOT always result in a miscarriage, but it can and it did for us. If you read this article you will read what the worse case scenario can be and that was us to a T. I've had some sort of bleeding my entire pregnancy but nothing too scary or serious. Sunday evening I started to bleed blood clots and as the night went on they gradually got larger and I was in a lot of pain. By morning Joel and I were concerned enough that I made arrangements to go hear a heartbeat at my doctor's office. I was given the option for an ultrasound but knew I had to wait for an opening for that and understood as well that hearing a heartbeat was about as good of news as I could receive.

Monday morning we did hear a heartbeat and it was strong and active and not hard to find at all. I left the office feeling pretty confident however I was still in pain from all of the cramping and bleeding. I was told that I could take ibuprofen to relieve some of that pain as well as thin my blood so that the clots would not be so heavy and to try and get rid of the hematoma. Within one hour I twice had massive bleeding, both requiring a clothes change, shower and both occurring before I even took any sort of medication. At this point I opted to go in for the ultrasound to make sure there wasn't something that we missed.

At 2:30pm I had an ultrasound that showed no sign of any danger. We saw the baby, heard the heartbeat, saw that the hematoma had shrunken significantly and had all good news. I was assured that I could come in everyday, 5 times a day to hear a heartbeat and that 8 out of 10 women in my situation would carry their babies to term. HOWEVER, if you are reading this and have this issue, please note that I was bleeding heavier than a period for more than 24 hours. I was in a lot of pain due to cramping. My uterus was as hard as a rock. The warning signs for us were there but as long as there is a heartbeat the protocol is to wait and see. There was nothing we could have done to prevent this. I went home. I got in bed. I laid there doing NOTHING. Several hours later I had my first dose of ibuprofen for the pain and around 5:30pm I felt uncomfortable. I went to the bathroom and had more blood clots. I changed my sanitary items and started doing laundry since this was my 3rd clothes change for the day. Within minutes my water broke, I was already in labor, and I delivered a very tiny baby at home.

I went into momentary mental shock. I did NOT know this could happen. I was unprepared for this. I didn't know our baby was so big. I never thought that I would actually see, touch, feel our baby in the event of a miscarriage. I was not ready for this experience at all and I hope you will understand when I say, I don't want to talk about it. Joel and I were both traumatized by this and later that evening had our bishop come over to give us priesthood blessings for comfort.

YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING:
We brought the baby to the hospital with us. I don't know what they did with it. I was told that since I have had several successful pregnancies that it was unnecessary to do any testing or lab work. I was also told that they will tastefully take care of the body.
There was no gender. We were unable to determine whether or not it was male or female. It was simply too early. There was no birth certificate. This was classified as a miscarriage.
I did not have a D and C which stands for Dilation and Curettage. Even though I was already 13 weeks along, because I actually delivered the baby at home and later the placenta, sac and all that extra stuff at the ER it is unnecessary.
I did lose a lot of blood and have been very lightheaded. Yesterday I really couldn't stand for more than a couple of minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out. Today I am much better in that regards. I'm still very tired.
My mom flew in yesterday to help us and she will be here until Saturday. Joel has been working but is more than helpful when he is home. My sister in law has been a life saver helping with the twins and doing so much even though she is 37 weeks pregnant and I'm sure this is really hard for her emotionally as well.
Joel and I are doing good. We believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and do not question why God may have had us suffer this. We know that we can be healed from this. We are faithful. The hardest part for us is the actual experience and not the situation.
The kids are doing really well. Miles sometimes hugs and kisses me and says he misses our baby. He really wanted to see it, but I thought it would be too scary for him. He wants to talk about it, and I have no problems with anyone talking to him about it cause he might really enjoy it. He also wants to be the one to tell people it happened so if he mentions it to you, act like it's the first you've heard of it and I think that would give him pleasure. We haven't told Landyn but only because we haven't seen him yet.
While we do still want to further grow our family, currently I am not ready to think about getting pregnant again. I'm still quite exhausted from this last one.

I know many of you have had miscarriages and realize now that I may have been insensitive to your situation.

I just really had no idea what a miscarriage could entail. I hope that if you felt I was ever less than tactful that you will forgive me. I now know how scary and heartbreaking this can be.

foot and hand prints

the baby was about 4 inches long and fit inside this



update on the pregnancy

Yesterday was my first official pre-natal appointment for this pregnancy. I started out the day bleeding which is scary for any pregnant woman. It was a lot and I was sure this time we were having a miscarriage. I went in for my appointment after an awkward and painful morning. The ultrasound showed this little baby with a heartbeat in the 170s. It also showed another subchorionic hemorrage. Basically, we were told 1 in 4 pregnancies are accompanied with bleeding. This can happen and it doesn't mean that we're gonna lose the baby. I was told to expect to have bleeding up until and even possibly after week 20 of the pregnancy. There is nothing I can do about it. I'm still on "pelvic rest" and am told to stay off of my feet, not lift heavy items, and to not do anything that I recognize as something that causes me to bleed. :) So just when I thought I could enjoy 9 months of not dealing with that femine issue, I'm dealing with it. The good news is that I'm still not sick. I have days when I'm more tired than others, but I haven't had any food or smell aversions, or been completely out of commission because of pregnancy nausea. The unfortunate part of that is I'm eating way more than I usually do and it's starting to show. Not a lot, but I can definitely feel it. :) Not a bad trade off. Anyway, the due date is Sept 11th and we're right on track!

the twins turn 2!

yesterday morning i woke up with Isaac in my bed snuggling. when he saw me he said, "MOMMA!" i immediately began recounting the story of what happened two years ago today (yesterday). joel and i sang happy birthday to him and he was all smiles. when Scarlett woke up we sang happy birthday to her. at 4:13p i told them 2 years ago today (yesterday) Scarlett had just been delivered and Isaac was only minutes away. again we sang happy birthday and they loved every minute of it. they were perfect angels yesterday. we spent the evening at Chuck E. Cheese where the twins had a blast eating pizza and cake and playing games.  it's amazing how much they've grown from even just last year.

all those days and nights spent holding and nursing these two little infants!! now they're these walking, talking, adorable little people with the sweetest personalities. these two rock my world! they are so cute and so fun and so good. they really make my world a better place. i'm so lucky to have them in my life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCARLETT EVE AND ISAAC ROBERT! i love you so much, your mommy xoxox 

truly sarah giveaway!

Giveaway {coin and key necklace}

Hello Lovelies! I am giving away the "charm"ing little coin and key necklace—har har har! Oh aren't I witty? Anyway, this dainty little necklace features a cool antiqued coin and skeleton key, a lovely amazonite gemstone, and a hand-twisted clasp!

Go here to enter.

kdbuggie giveaway!

i really wanna win this!!

check out her blog here

i'm not complaining...

I'm just saying, this pregnancy is soooo different from my last two. I'm not sick, at all. Not even a little, not even kind of. I get headaches every once in a while but that's no different from any other normal day. I don't wake up in the middle of the night to pee (which both of my last pregnancies consisted of 2-3 times a night from day one till the end of the 1st trimester). I'm getting bigger faster, gaining weight quicker. I can eat any and every thing in sight. Usually it's so hard for me to even come up with something that sounds good and even then I don't want it after 2-3 bites. I've got tons of energy. I stay up late. I don't have the annoying side effect of excess saliva. I mean, nothing is familiar this time around. I feel like it's the same old story, different song and dance.

My theory: in a week or less all that yucky pregnant stuff is gonna kick in and I'll eat my words OR...it's a girl. It's the only different factor. I've never been pregnant with just a girl. In which case, this whole being pregnant thing is AWESOME!!! Although, I will admit the 6 lbs and 5 inches in my abdomen that I have gained in just 3 weeks is freaking me out. What if this is my "big fat" pregnancy? gagggg! Here's hopin' some things never change. ;)

here and now

 Getting back to blogging. I can't believe it's been so long. The problem I think, is that Facebook is just too easy and then I don't have to deal with trying to upload pictures and stuff cause you can upload a million on facebook in 5 minutes. Anyway, here it goes...December was a blast. We had Joel's parents out here for awhile and that is always fun. We went on our first real vacation as a couple and our first cruise (same trip in case you're confused) and it was sooooo much fun. We went on the Western Caribbean Carnival Cruise on the Valor ship if you wanna look it up. We left from Miami, stopped in Cayman Islands (too cold for snorkling and too windy to even get in the water), Cozumel (gorgeous, sunny and so fun), Belize (zipline and cave tubing and THE best shopping on the tour), Roatan Honduras (fun, relaxing and tons of shopping). We got stuck in Minnesota which was not a hassle at all considering we got to meet Baby Mason and see Kayla, Grumpy and Derek. Paul and Jane watched the kids (along with daycare at our friend's) and Miles spent a couple of days in California with Grandma. Landyn was with his mom which was nothing unusual for him. At the end of the month my mom and Dana came out to celebrate Christmas with the family. We spent Christmas Eve with the McClures and Christmas Evening with the LaClaires.

The news for this year is that we are expecting again. We did have an ultrasound and it looks like there's just one. Of course they will check again in February just to be sure but I don't think we're having twins again. At 6 wks I had some bleeding which was scary. I had an ultrasound at a clinic in Salt Lake which I had made very early on cause I didn't want to wait to see if I was having twins and they discovered a "mass" and sent me to me doctor. My doctor diagnosed the mass as a SUBCHORIONIC HEMATOMA. Google it if you wanna know. But I'm on a pelvic rest and no exercise (like I ever do that) and will get another ultrasound in February but for now we were told, "all is well, and not to worry".

 These cute boys are still growing and it's crazy. Landyn is about 63 lbs and 48 inches. He grew almost a full inch in one month!! He loves TOYS!! He did NOT get enough at Christmas. :) He is very good at math and coloring and can spell almost any 3 letter word. He is very smart and so much fun to be around.

Miles is about 56 lbs and 49 inches tall. He loves movies and video games and I'm pretty sure he will end up working in television and fullfilling his life long dream of moving back to California. He is Landyn's polar opposite. He enjoys climbing to the top of the tree and riding his 20" bike. He is fast and athletic and loves roller blading, ice skating and skiing. He is not afraid of falling down and trying again and that makes up for his lack of interest in all things studious. :)

 The twins turn 2 this week! What? When did that happen? They are finally somewhere in the 20-30th %tile for height. Isaac is a full 2 inches taller than his sister at 34 and a 1/4 inches. He weighs in at 25 lbs while she is a tiny 23 lbs. They both still love their pacifiers and I'm afraid we are going to be paying for it in dental bills. :( They are sharing a bed now and love it. They hated sleeping apart. Scarlett is talking up a storm and just can't say enough, while Isaac is still a mumbler. They are both really smart and very good at puzzles. They love cell phones and dancing and watching "moomies" on the wii netflix. Miles has them addicted to Scooby-Doo. 

We truly feel blessed and can't believe how fortunate we are. Heavenly Father has given us so much and we are so grateful for the blessings which we receive.

twrightphotography.com

let's start with my youngest, Isaac aka "isee". literally 2 days after i tell joel that is not my favorite nickname and i want to stop using it, scarlett starts calling him "isee". what are you gonna do? it's so cute when she says it. he is 19 months and 21lbs. he wears a lot of 12 & 18 month stuff but can still fit into 3-6m shorts. he's got the cutest little bum! he loves to give kisses and snuggle mama. he loves to read and go down the slide. he shoves all of his food in his mouth and eats just about everything we feed him. he's a mischievious little boy and likes to run away from his mama when he gets the chance. i love him to pieces.

scarlett bean is also 19 months ;) and about 20 lbs. i put her in a 0-3 m dress the other day and called it a shirt. she looked adorable but it was a little snug when I was taking it off. so today she's wearing a 6-9 month shirt. she is a cutie who is really starting to talk. she also loves to kiss and snuggle. she is really helpful too. she brings mama just about anything i ask for. she has the most infectious laugh and she can shake it on the dance floor. she is very good at sharing and when she brings you something she says, "dain doo" aka thank you! she is slightly more well behaved but only slightly. her favorite place to play is in the middle of the road which is very annoying! luckily we're on a cul de sac so we get very little traffic.

miles is 5!!! and i can't believe it. he is taller than ever 49 inches i think. and weighs about 50 lbs. he's in size 6 stuff mostly. he's one of the tallest kids in his class. he's my big boy helper. he is so great with the twins and when he comes home from his dad's he's always picking the twins up saying, "who's my baby girl? who's my baby boy?" i love it!! he is currently in karate and is obsessed with his sensei. he loves it and is so excited to go every time he has class. our neighbor across the street is in miles' class at school. they play together 2 or 3 times a week after school. he is great with the kitty and is very cautious since xander got his "nuts cut off" last week. he's a man in a childs body cause everything he wants needs to be "adult". he wants books with no pictures, and glass not plastic, he doesn't care much for his toys (unless someone else wants them), he still loves his veggies and even asked for brussel sprouts last time we were at the grocery store and we still check every time to see if they have "pomegramitts" yet.

landyn is the big boy in the house. at about 48 inches and 60 lbs i can barely pick him up. i don't know how his mom does it cause she still carries him all of the time. he is fascinated with toys and puzzles. he could play for hours in his room with his toys which is pretty typical i guess, but so different from miles. he LOVES his dad and always wants to spend time with him. he enjoys camping too! he calls himself an eating machine and that's no joke. he could eat all day long until you bring out the veggies that are green. :D also very typical for his age. we still get to see quite a bit of landyn even though he has also started kindergarten. the afternoon schedule has definitely gone in our favor. he's great with numbers and i can totally see this kid being an accountant one day.

then there's us. not much new. joel is still doing carpet and enjoying it. i'm still a stay at home mom and never want to quit. we are in our new house 724 N. 480 W. Orem 84057. we've got fruit trees and plenty of room for the dogs. we have a room for everyone, even uncle spencer who we love having in our home. joel is scout master in our ward and you know he loves that! i'm the compassionate service leader. setting up dinners for all the preggies and sickies. ;)

Audra Mei Mitchell

this beautiful baby girl was born at 9:12a on July 17th to Joel & Weedle Mitchell

she is very tiny, only 6 lbs 5 oz at birth at a little less by the time they brought her home

Mom and baby are healthy and doing well!

Congratulations to my brother and his wife on their 3rd child in 3 years!