The Story Continues...

This morning Duke went back to the hospital to get his jaundice checked after a night on his "billy blanket. Which by the way is as loud as a vacuum and lights up half the room bright blue at night. After an agonizing two hour wait we found out that his count went down to 16.8. The doctor said that the was "guardedly optimistic", and that it was good enough for him to stay home another day. So, tomorrow we will return again to test him. Every time he is tested they have to poke him in the heal and squeeze his heal for drips of blood to fill up a little vial. Poor guy has had this test everyday since he was born and his little heals are so bruised now there is no more clean areas to test him.
Here are some photos of Duke after he was born and some pictures of him on his "billy blanket".

The Story of Duke

On Monday June 8th I had a doctor's appointment at 10:00 in the morning. At that appointment the doctor told me that I was now dilated to 3 cm and 75% effaced. At that time she "stripped my membranes". She told me that this usually doesn't put women in to labor, it just keeps them from going past their due date. So, after the appointment Jackson and I went home and went on a cleaning spree. I am not sure why because I honestly felt that the baby was not going to come for at least another 2 weeks. I cleaned all day and made dinner while Josh worked in the yard till about 8:30 because the weather was so nice. By bed time we were both so tired! I took a shower with Jackson and then got in bed around 9:00. Josh then took a shower, said his prayers and then reached to turn out the light. Literally the second after he turned out the light (he didn't even get to lay down) I said, "Turn on the light I think my water just broke!". Josh then reached back over to turn on the light as I hoped out of bed. The second I stood up there was a large gush of water. I couldn't believe it! We were both so exhausted and he wasn't supposed to come for another 3 weeks! That was 3 weeks of sleeping that I was going to miss...ahhhhhh. So then we called Nancy and Terry and they came down with Ashley to watch Jackson as we went to the hospital. When we got to the hospital I was still in no pain and my contractions weren't regular yet. They then told Josh and I to walk the halls for an hour to bring on the contractions. (I didn't know people still did that.) So as tired as we were we walked the halls from 11pm-12am. I then informed the nurse that I wasn't going to walk the halls anymore. Then they started the IV and the pitocin. They checked me around 6am and I was 5cm, then at 8am I was still 5cm and they said they thought that a part of the water bag was still around the baby's head keeping it from coming all the way down. They finished rupturing the rest of the bag and at 10:15am I was 10cm. I started to push and at 10:31am Duke James Perkins came in to this world. Oh! I forgot to tell the best part. The epidural worked this time and I pushed COMPLETELY PAIN FREE!!! I actually enjoyed pushing the baby out, it was just so easy this time! Everything went great at the hospital and we came home on Thursday afternoon.
THE NEXT CHAPTER...
When Duke and I were discharged from the hospital they were a little concerned about his weight loss and his jaundice which was at 9.3 (when we left). They let us go home but they said that I needed to make sure that he starts to gain weight and that we keep him in front of windows at much as we can to get rid of the jaundice. We then had to check in with the doctor on Friday.
FRIDAY...
At the doctor's office we found that Duke had lost even more weight and his jaundice had gone up to 14.3. They said I had one night to help him gain weight and we needed to return to have his weight checked on Saturday.
SATURDAY...
I went in exhausted from an all night feeding frenzy to fatten Duke up. It worked, he gained 1oz but that was enough to keep him. They decided to check his jaundice again and this time it went up again and it is now at 17.8. The doctor decided to send us home with a "billy blanket" that Duke has to sit in to get rid on the jaundice. Then we will have to return to the hospital on Sunday to get his levels checked again. If they have gone up then he will have to be admitted, if they have gone down then we will keep putting him on the blanket till he is okay. So we will see...tomarrow we might be separated for a while but we will come back together soon and everyone will be nice and healthy.
Please pray for our little Dukester.

Finally Head Down

Well, I know many of you were praying that the baby would move head down and he finally did! Tuesday I went to the OB and they did an ultrasound. The baby ended up being so far head down that they could barely get a picture of his face. It turns out that I am already 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced! I hope that means that it will be really soon. Josh and I have our last date night on Saturday so I am okay going in to labor any day after that. Next week I am just going to walk on the treadmill to try to push him out. As it turns out the court denied my request to be excused from jury duty. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?! So next Thursday I have to go to jury duty. Josh is hoping that I break my water right in the court room so I can say, "I told you so!" I on the other hand am hoping that doesn't happen because it is downtown and I don't think that I could drive my self all the way back to Scottsdale with out having the baby in the car. Needless to say now it is just a waiting game...

Dear Pregancy

Dear Pregnancy,
Well, it has been nine long months now and I can't decide if I love you or hate you. In the beginning you made me so sick I definitely hated you. Toward the middle I began to like you a little more. I was able to move around and I didn't feel so sick. Then just when I was warming up to you, you hit me with all you had. I have to say that I am sick of not sleeping though the night. I hate that I am constantly sweating because I can not get cool enough to stop. I hate that I can not see (or touch) my toes. My back hurts, I pee every five seconds, the nausea is back, my ankles take the definition of cankels to a whole new level, and I am as big as a whale! Most days I can't wait for you to leave ...but then for seconds, split moments I think that I might miss you. Not all the bad stuff but the few good things. There is something truly amazing about feeling a baby grow inside of you. You bond in a way that I can't put in to words. When the baby kicks me in the morning I usually say, "Good Morning". The kicking can become very annoying at times but if I go an hour or so with no kicks I will start poking my belly to feel him kick just to know that everything is okay. I do like laying in bed at the end of the day and lovingly stroking my belly and thinking about the little boy that is inside. Will he look like his brother? Will he sleep good? (Please yes!) Will he be strong and smart and love his Heavenly Father? So many questions, so much love. So in the end, I guess for the most part I will be happy to feel like my self again soon. But then again, I will miss always having a little friend with me, saying hello every once in a while and the excitement of wondering what is to come.
Till we meet again, (hopefully not too soon),
Candace

Bath Time

Jackson has been having a hard time taking baths so daddy made up a song and now they sing it together in the tub! Sooooo cute! Enjoy!

Josh's Graduation!!!

So, I don't know if you know this but my husband, well, he is kind of a big deal. Josh has now graduated with his masters in accounting. Many people yesterday asked him how long it has taken him and it has been 7 LONG years (2 years part-time and 5 years full-time). WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF HIM!!! (Me most of all, I have no doubt that I am his biggest fan). Josh had is convocation ceremony yesterday. Commencement was on Wednesday (that is when that President guy spoke, you can imagine that we SOMEHOW found something better to do). I will choose to stop my comments there because this entry is about Josh and not about how much I thought that man's speech was a slap in the face to Josh's hard work. Anyway...we woke up bright and early to get to the stadium by 8:oo am. The ceremony started at 9:00. As I sat in the stadium with Jackson before the ceremony started, I cried. (I hoped that people just thought it was a hormones). I was just overwhelmed by what it had taken Josh and I to get to this day and I was so happy. For just a molment I will really brag about Josh because; I am his biggest fan, and he would never tell you himself; he did awsome in all his classes. Josh didn't just do the master's program he threw it down! Over the past year Josh has gotten amazing grades in addition to working as a plumber and dealing with a two year old and a hormonal pregnant wife. I took video of Josh walking, it is far away and kind of hard to hear but for those who couldn't be there I thought it would be nice to see.

Here are some photos taken in the blazing Arizona sun...why do we live here?
Here is our little family. (I thought I was looking pretty good for being due in 5 weeks, but this picture shows that I am clearly mistaken).
This is the whole family that went to the graduation and endured the two hours of names being called just to hear the one that was the best. Go Joshua Adam Perkins!!!Of course, Josh's parents, they may think they are Josh's biggest fans. They can join Josh's fan club but I still get to be president.

Josh and I are so thankful to all that showed up to show thier support yesturday. Many of you have helped us get through the last 7 years to get where we are now and we thank you all!

Still Transverse

Well, I had another OB visit and yes the baby is still transverse. I am convinced that he just likes where he is. I have to say that I am now starting to get a little nervous. I really don't want to have a c-section. I guess we don't always get what we want though. There are some days that I think, "Oh, my goodness I have soooo much longer" and then other days I think, "I am so scared the baby is going to be here so soon and I still have so much to do." At least I will be busy...really busy. Josh graduates in two weeks! With that comes a lot of busy work. Then we need to get the new nursery ready and Jackson's room put together with his new big boy furniture. So I guess whether I want it or not it will be here soon, or not soon enough.