Love Truthfully

Where Transparency Breathes New Life

Never Miss an Update

  • Home
  • The Purpose
  • Wednesday Wife
  • Married Life
  • Pregnancy
  • Sex Talk
  • Our Travels

Our Birth Story: Welcoming Silas Graham

June 25, 2014 By: Shana2 Comments

Friday was a busy day for us as we wanted to wrap up decorating and setting up the house, plus spend some time with family. Casey’s brother, Rich, had a stopover in Nashville (he’s a pilot) so we met him for lunch at his hotel. Since Rich lives in Arizona, we don’t get to see him very often. We truly enjoyed catching up with him and discussing our future with Baby B. At this point in the day I was having minor cramps occasionally. They had started the day before, but they were few and far between and not at all painful so they were easy to ignore.

IMG_7916

It wasn’t too long after we returned home that my sister, Felicia, and Tailynn, my niece, arrived to pick up Ashlynne for her weekend with her mom. Tailynn was extremely excited to see the new house and was quickly exhausted from trudging up and down the stairs. Ashlynne was excited to show off her room. Even though she’s still lacking furniture, the bright blue/green walls are worth the trip upstairs to see them. IMG_7950Toward the end of their visit I noticed the cramps were a little stronger, but that wasn’t the main thing. I had an unpleasant visit to the bathroom which I had heard was a sign of labor. However, it could be days before labor starts and who knows that I didn’t just eat something bad. It did give me hope that I would be able to avoid the impending induction though.

Once Ashlynne hit the road, Casey went down the road to play basketball and take Minny for a walk While he was gone I thought I would get started on hanging things around the house. I wanted to complete as much as I could before Baby B arrived and by the grace of God, lots of hard work, and good friends, the only thing that was really remaining was hanging a few items that had a place. I was trying to hang a painting in our room when I decided I should time my cramps and felt like I needed to take a break on the bed. That’s where Casey found me when he got home. Contractions were about 11 minutes a part. I’ll let the video explain the what happened next.

 

Casey drove the whole way balancing the urge to fly down back roads and run red lights, the pain increasing, now 2-3 minutes apart. In between contractions we’d laugh as I would tell him to slow down so I wouldn’t puke and then just as quickly tell him to pass someone or approve his request to run a red light. We were headed into the ER by 11:15. The doctor on the phone had made this part sound so easy. “Check in at the ER and we will be right down to get you.” That was the complete opposite of how it went.

First we had to get through security. They checked each and everyone of those bags that we had brought while I curled over in agony. Casey scurried to empty his pockets so he could walk through the scanner, and I did my best to explain why I couldn’t go through it. After making it past security we stood in line to check in. You would think my moans, groans and large belly would queue the two visitors in line before us to move out of the way, but apparently that’s not how things work in the ER. We checked in and the lady at the desk confirmed that someone would be right down. They set me in a chair in the hallway across from the discharge lady. I’m sure she enjoyed my screams as she was trying to work. 10 minutes goes by and no one comes. Casey checks back in at front desk, but makes no progress. More time goes by, more contractions, and now tears as sympathetic passersby encourage me and reassure me that it will be okay. Fed up, the discharge lady heads to the front desk to get help and just a few moments later the triage nurse, apparently the only one on that night, is taking down my info as he coaches me through contractions. He left and a few minutes later we were on our way up to labor and delivery.

They took me up to a temporary room to check me, and I passed the test. They admitted me and quickly hooked me up to heart monitors and began blood draws.

Side Note: I have an undiagnosed condition that causes high potassium and muscle weakness during physical activity that is believed to be a rare condition called hypokalemic periodic paralysis which makes me a high-risk pregnancy.

The resident anesthesiologist began talking to me about the curvature in my spine as we prepared for the epidural. His concern and talk about narrow pathways had me super nervous. That plus the contractions had me begging for Casey to tell me stories for distraction, but he just kept asking me questions instead. The attending anesthesiologist with the fun accent stepped in with neat stories and helped me learn to “just blow it away,” the pain that is. It actually helped, but by the time I mastered it, the pain was gone.

Once I was able to get comfortable, despite the web of wires I was hooked up to, I was able to join Casey who was already sound asleep. My sleep wouldn’t be as sound as I dealt with the constant squeeze of my blood pressure cuff and the cyclical visits from nurses and physicians. I wasn’t feeling contractions though, not even, the slightest cramp so I assumed the pain meds had slowed my labor, something the nurses would later confirm.

IMG_0045

They wouldn’t check me again until 5am. 8-9 cm 90% effaced. What? We were all shocked. 10 cm is pushing time. The nurse confirmed my contractions had slowed which increased their shock of my quick progress. Even still they expected it to be a few more hours before I was ready. Back to sleep. I wanted to get as much sleep as possible knowing baby would be here soon.

I woke up about 3 hours later feeling pretty lightheaded. I called the nurse asking for some apple juice, assuming my blood sugar was low. Before the juice arrived my blood pressure alarm went off and the cardiologist monitoring my telemetry monitor notified my nurse that my heart rhythms were out of sync. Next thing I know my room was full of anesthesiologists, nurses etc.
“Are the blood pressure drops associated with your contractions?”
“I wouldn’t know. Am I having contractions?”
They were shocked to find I hadn’t been feeling anything. They let me know I have a case of premature contractions with my heart which apparently aren’t that big of a deal. Finally some answers! That was helpful considering none of my blood work was showing anything.

They decided to go ahead and check me ahead of schedule since they were already in my room and I was awake.  “Your baby has a full head of hair” was the next thing I heard.
“Excuse me? You can see the baby!?”
“Yes, ma’am. This baby’s ready so you might want to wake up your husband.”
I woke Casey up. “Casey, baby will be here soon. Time to wake up.”

IMG_7924

As I was coaxing Casey from his slumber the nurse was calling for the room to be prepped for delivery. Before I knew it the room was shifting and my legs, which I could have swore weren’t attached, were by my ears.
“Okay, you’re going to push with your contractions.”
“Well you’re going to have to tell me when I’m having a contraction.”
Again, they were shocked that I couldn’t feel anything, not even pressure.
“Okay. Go ahead and push. Stop pushing!”
I didn’t even think I had started pushing before she was calling for the doctor to come in for delivery.

Next thing I knew my room was packed with med students, residents, and attendings. One of the residents would be “catching baby” under the supervision of the MFM physician. Casey positioned himself on my right leg and was soon fighting passing out at the sight of what was happening, but regained his composure. I reminded the doctors of my total lack of feeling so they could tell me when contractions were approaching. They had me push for 10 seconds, 3 times per contraction. Still no pain or even pressure. “Push” they’d say and “breathe” Casey would say. He probably hated seeing me not breathe, but I had to try hard to focus on the doctor’s commands, not his. Just 15 minutes or so and 3 contractions later I heard the squeal of our baby as the doctors placed him on my chest and Casey proudly proclaimed “It’s a boy!” with a huge smile on his face. I was in awe. It had all happened so fast, and there I was with my precious son on my chest.

IMG_0051

 

More post-delivery updates to come so stay-tuned! 

Welcome Silas Graham Bresnahan

June 23, 2014 By: Shana1 Comment

It’s 6:30 in the morning. The house, although full of family, is silent except for the slow sweet breaths and occasional squeak of MY SON. Pen in my right hand and my precious sleeping son in my left, this is what dreams are made of.

Silas Graham Bresnahan was born on Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 9:59 am in the morning. He weighed 6 lbs 2 oz and was 19 inches long. He is my little miracle and melts my heart with every coo and sigh.

welcome-silas-graham-bresnahan

I look forward to sharing our birth story with you later this week. In the meantime, join me in welcoming our son, Silas.

 

The Big Move – Part Two

June 20, 2014 By: Shana1 Comment

To see how we got to this point… read Part One here.

Friday

The 6am alarm came way too early. We were up wrapping up packing, pulling sheets from beds, throwing last-minute items into laundry baskets – just trying to beat the movers. Our work the night before had paid off. After we finished packing, Casey had time to run to Sonic for breakfast. We spent 30 wonderful minutes resting at the kitchen table together before the movers arrived. 3 Men and a Truck. It was supposed to be 2 men, but they threw in a bonus guy I guess. Casey had to go to work so I sat at the kitchen table and worked while I watched these guys load our treasures into the truck and occasionally answered their questions.

the-big-move-part-two-1

All was going well until I overheard them say they were running out of room in the truck. Despite them coming to the house to survey everything, they had underestimated and would need to make two trips (more $) or load the truck + trailer we were borrowing from a friend. Having no clue how to hook up the trailer much less drive the thing, I didn’t see that as an option. I was very thankful when Casey arrived home on his lunch break, just in time to solve the problem. He was able to get everything hooked up and loaded in time for all of us to make the trip to the new home (only 2.3 miles). The movers, arriving just after we did, had taken a lunch break. Casey heard a crutch which he thought was them driving over rocks then went down to greet them. When he got to the street, he found our car side view mirror in the road. The movers assured us they didn’t do it, but further investigation proved otherwise. There wasn’t any point in arguing with the guys so we tabled the issue until later.

the-big-move-part-two-4

The move was quite a difficult one for the guys with all the stairs and the narrow hallway. They were moving slow, but by God’s good provision, Casey was dismissed from work for the rest of the day and was there to help. Now 4 men + 2 trucks + trailer. With Casey’s help, they were able to finish 30 minutes ahead of schedule with minimal damage to the walls and furniture. More than I would like since I expected no dings and dents, but the movers were gone before Casey pointed out the damage to me. It wasn’t worth the trouble at that point, plus we were busy calling the company about our car and preparing to file an insurance claim.

Amazingly, we had made it through the move. We headed back to the old house for the final load. Casey and I loaded up the truck + trailer + my car. We made it back to the new house at about 7pm to meet our friends, Ryan and Pat, who were there to help. Ryan and Casey pushed hard to unload everything from the car + truck + trailer while Pat wiped down furniture and I vacuumed the furniture. Once all that was done we were too tired to unpack. We sent our friends home and that’s when we realized I hadn’t eaten, not good for a 9 month pregnant lady. We were on the hunt for peanut or almond butter so I could make a sandwich, but every kitchen box we opened proved to be the wrong one. Exhausted, I settled for a cup of applesauce, pudding and taking the spoon to the half gallon of sherbet. After I ate my wholesome dinner, we got cleaned up, Casey took an ice bath (the steps did a number on his legs), and we curled up in bed, half dead, for our first night in our new home. That’s when the smoke alarm started beeping. We did our best to fix it earlier that day and thought we had changed the batteries in the correct one, but apparently not, or the batteries died in another one. Unable to get it fixed and frankly, too tired to care. We slept through the beeping.

Saturday

I woke up Saturday morning to wide open windows and a beautiful view of the morning sun kissing the trees awake. I just laid there and stared at it until I knew I had to get us moving. Ryan and Susan were coming to help at 9am and I wanted us to have a breakfast date before then. We headed to Mama’s Java, snagged the two most comfortable chairs, enjoyed a delicious breakfast, good company, and some rest before the work began again.

the-big-move-part-two-2

 

We could have sat there all day since the burden of boxes wasn’t staring us in the face anymore, but knowing help was on the way, we headed home. Ryan and Susan were an incredible help to us all morning long. By lunch time, the entire kitchen was unpacked and incredibly organized. I gave Susan free rein to organize everything while I tackled the pantry. She did an incredible job. Casey and Ryan headed off to pick up McDougals for lunch while Susan and I moved to the master bed and bath. Jodi had a couple hours so she came to join us working in the bathroom and then tackled unpacking all the decorations. A friend from high school did an amazing job helping get the baby’s room in order. Everyone was gone by the afternoon.

We planned to head to our friend’s baby’s 1st birthday party, but the cry of the remaining boxes kept us at home. Casey tackled the office while I wrapped up the bedroom. Then we moved on to miscellaneous items as we searched every box for something we needed to complete the office. So far no luck on that front. By 7pm my feet were in severe pain as I had gone barefoot all day. I was anxious to take a good shower and dry my hair now that my hair dryer was unpacked (it had been packed for weeks), so we called it a night. I showered, snuggled up to the foot massager, ate my PBJ and Casey and I watched a movie. I should say I watched a movie and Casey watched part of it while he drifted off to sleep. In bed by 10:30pm. Not bad.

Sunday

I woke up again at 6am to my beautiful view and couldn’t resist to urge to get up and write. Although I was briefly distracted by laundry, I made it outside with my pen and journal after loading one load of laundry and our sink with bleach and a shower curtain. It’s now 8:30 and Minny and I are still on the deck enjoying the morning.

Can I stay here all day? The laundry and boxes awaiting me inside say no, but the birds chirping and sight of my neighbor’s beautiful garden lure me to keep writing.

the-big-move-part-two-3

Baby B seems to be enjoying the rest as well. I’m so thankful for his/her patince. It wasn’t just the move, but my doctor is out of town until Tuesday. Although I’m experiencing some new pains, I’m pretty sure those are just from the stress of all the work recently and Baby B is still patiently waiting for either my doctor to get back in town or his/her due date on Thursday.

Only 4 more days! It seems unreal. I’ve been doing so much to plan and prepare for the move, which I am very thankful for because it was all pretty uneventful, that I haven’t thought much about the fact that in less than 2 weeks I will hold my son/daughter in my arms. Maybe it’s because I’ve been so distracted by the move or maybe it’s just too abstract a thought for me to comprehend. Having all the babies here on Thursday had Baby B on my mind a lot more. I’m definitely ready to meet him or her, but I’m perfectly content waiting a little while longer until we are more settled in the house.

This time with just the two of us has really been nice. Although we’ve been busy we’ve gotten along really well considering the chaos. I think it’s partly because planning so well helped calm the storm and significantly reduce my stress, but also because Casey has been such as huge help and diligent worker. We haven’t been intentional about emotional connection per se, but we’ve been such good teammates that I have felt very supported and connected to Casey in the midst of all this.

Although it’s definitely for the best that Ashes is in GA for her graduation trip,  I miss her. I love seeing pictures and hearing how her trip is going. I know she is having an absolute blast, but I look forward to having her home and settled into the new house, hopefully before the baby comes.

Now that we are moved, I am really looking forward to this next phase in life in a new setting.

The Big Move – Part One

June 17, 2014 By: Shana1 Comment

We did it. It’s early Sunday morning. I woke up in our new house, calmed by the beautiful view out my window.

the-big-move-part-one

Waking up to the sight of trees makes me feel like I’m on vacation. I pray that feeling never goes away. This week has been emotionally and physically exhausting, but I’m thankful that we made it through the move and Baby B decided to stay inside. It’s only through the power of prayer and the grace of God that we didn’t have this baby. I definitely haven’t been resting. In fact, I’ve been going non-stop from morning until night, reaching the point where I physically can’t stand on my feet anymore because they feel bruised to the bone. Although we’ve been packing here and there for months and spent the last few Saturdays packing all day, there was still plenty to be done this week, on top of coaching Ashlynne through finals and Casey wrapping up the end of the school year.

Wednesday

Wednesday was a big day for all of us. We started off the morning with Ashlynne’s 8th grade graduation ceremony. I held back tears thinking about how far she has come and overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to be such a big part of her life these days. All went well for the ceremony other than the fact that it was way too long and hot to boot. This pregnant lady was quite uncomfortable on those bleachers for all that time. Casey was able to get someone to cover his class so he could be there for Ashes and pass along a beautiful bouquet of flowers to her. There was a little reception afterwards that Casey had to miss, but I attended. I almost didn’t because, in true teenager fashion, Ashlynne was going to bail on me for her friends, but a little hormonal pregnancy tears kept her by side. After the reception I hurried to the bank to write that painful down payment check and then was off to the school to pick up Ashes and Casey for the closing on our new home.

the-big-move-part-one-3

Other than some hiccups on the drive there and an issue with our home insurance, closing was flawless. Emelyn’s (Ashlynne’s best friend) dad, John Cook, was our closing attorney so Ashes enjoyed watching him in his element. John was extremely helpful and the closing flew by. The next thing we knew we had keys in hand and were headed to our new home to meet the painter.

the-big-move-part-one-1

That afternoon we were busy getting the new house clean. Our friends, Pat, and the Baileys came over to help. We definitely couldn’t have done it without them. I definitely couldn’t have since Casey had to go back to work. By the end of the day we were exhausted, but the kitchen and most bathrooms were clean. The baseboards had been wiped down thanks to Ashes and I tackled the doors, door frames, and electrical/light switch plates throughout the house while Casey tackled the windows. Progress, but still much more to do!

Thursday

Thursday was the most chaotic of days. Casey spent the day at work so I was on my own in the morning trying to get Ashlynne to pack for her trip to GA and finish packing her room and bathroom for the move. Surprisingly, it was all done relatively close to the time I asked it to be done.

We headed to the house around 11 am to get started cleaning. Ashlynne tackled sweeping the deck and patios and even helped me finish cleaning the bathroom tub.

The rest of the day was this crazy combination of productivity and chaos. We had friends come to help – Emily, Annie, and Brittany. They did more than I could have imagined and pretty much tackled the remaining cleaning items. The chaotic part was the babies – 4 under the age of 20 months. Ashlynne did the best she could to watch them all, but it was nearly impossible for her to do on her own. I would help her in between cleaning and her friend, Madison, even came to help for a little bit. Our friend, Stan, also came over Thursday afternoon and spent an incredible amount of time outside in the heat. I’m not even sure what all he did, but I know that by the time he left my deck, patios and driveway were all more beautiful. By the afternoon, Ashlynne had left for GA and friends were heading home after a long day of sacrificial service.

Once work was done for Casey it was madness. The painter was finishing up just in time for the carpet cleaners to arrive. That’s when Casey showed up with about 3 students and a truck and trailer full of boxes. They started unloading into the dining room where I was sweeping and mopping. Once I saw Casey I let him know everything needed to go into the garage so it was out of the way for the movers. A little frustrating for all, but eventually all was unloaded in the right place.

Our friend, Ryan, showed up to help, but it was just in time for them all to pick up pizza and head back to the old home. I had been living off pizza since our kitchen was packed so I passed on that and stayed back at the new house by myself to finish up in prep for the big move on Friday. I planned to get a sandwich at the Feed Mill but showed up just a bit too late. I ended up back at sonic which was the only thing other than pizza that I had eaten recently. Not happy, I wanted to console myself with a strawberry shake. I headed back to the old home to eat and see what work the guys were doing, but showed up to find them all leisurely chatting on the front porch. Not pleased considering how long I had been working at the house. I filled my hands with my purse, food, and shake then set my shake down on the car as I spoke with Ryan. That’s when the final straw fell on the camel’s back. My shake, the strawberry shake that was going to be my 9 months pregnant indulgence after a tiring, frustrating days work, tipped over and poured down the front of the car. In tears, all I could get out was. “I’m just going to go in. I’m done.”

Seeing my emotional frailty, the boys and Ryan left, and Casey came in to comfort me. I vented about the exhausting chain of events and how hard I had been working etc. Although I was a wreck, Casey knew just what to do. He hugged me, apologized, offered to get me a new shake which I regretfully refused, and then Casey gave me the night off, well tried to at least.

the-big-move-part-one-2

 

With movers coming the next morning there was still plenty to pack – laundry room, closets, etc. Everything needed to be packed and organized for the movers’ 8am arrival. Casey set me by the foot massager with my computer and told me to watch New Girl episodes. Instead, I knocked out some client work, but being off my feet was rest enough. I could hear how hard Casey was working downstairs, which made me reluctant to disturb him, but I knew there had to be plenty more to do. We were up until 11:30… still more to do, but no energy for it. We took a brief moment to recognize that this would be our last night in the only house we’ve ever known together and then drifted off to sleep.

Continued… Read Part Two!

 

Originally written May 25, 2014

Let the Chaos Begin

June 16, 2014 By: Shana3 Comments

The week of chaos is finally here and surprisingly I feel a pretty strong peace and calm. We’ve done everything we can to plan for baby and the move. Weeks ago we made two long lists and we’ve slowly been tackling each item. We are as ready as we can be for baby. The essentials box is packed, hospital bags packed, there’s a plan for Minny and a plan for Ashlynne. We are ready for the move with almost everything packed. Movers, painters and carpet cleaners are all booked and everything is in line for closing. I’ve written down a master schedule with all the contact information needed so that if baby decides to come someone has the plans. The floor plans are in place and ready for the movers. Ashlynne’s new bed and dresser have been ordered. I’m so thankful for the progress we’ve made. I suppose that’s probably a big part of where my peace has come from, but ultimately with this much chaos, it has to come from the Lord.

Baby could come any day. I’m 38.5 weeks pregnant. Baby is due in just 11 days. We move in 6. Casey keeps trying to talk baby out. He’s anxious to meet his precious son or daughter. I am as well, but I’d much rather baby wait until after the move. We are also in the middle of exams for Ashlynne which is occupying quite a bit of time. You know, if only we could plan when baby will come.

I must say that this pregnancy seems to have gone on forever, but at the same time, I’m shocked that baby is going to be here in 3 weeks or less! Crazy how it can seem to take so long and come so fast all at the same time. I don’t think I’ve had much time to think about the fact that baby will be in my arms soon. The house and school for Ashes has been a major distraction. I know it has kept me from being anxious about delivery or over thinking motherhood, but I hope it hasn’t stolen my joy when it comes to anticipating baby. I really am beyond excited to meet our baby, but my mind is so wrapped up in the move. Plus the idea of having our baby in my arms soon seems so abstract. It just doesn’t seem real, even though it’s active in my belly and tangible in that way. It’s so fun to watch baby move around or hiccup in my belly, even though sometimes it can be quite painful. It’s just a miracle from the Lord and amazing how it all works.

Even with all the preparation and planning, all we can do is pray that God has grace in his timing, allowing us to get through the move before baby comes.

Originally written March 18, 2014. 
« Previous Page
Next Page »
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Meet the Wife

Hi! I'm a semi-newlywed living in a small town outside of Nashville with my husband, Casey, our baby boy, teen niece, and hyperactive dog, Minny. I'm a new mom and marketing consultant at BeEngaging.com that loves Jesus and won't eat anything with 4 legs. I talk about marriage, pregnancy, parenting and everything in between. I believe real growth only happens through transparency. Join me on the journey. Read More…

Featured Post

A Real Life Notebook Moment: Couple married 72 years dies holding hands

If you’ve seen the movie The Notebook, you’ll remember the couple eventually pass away in each others’ arms. It’s a scene that’s heartwarming enough to make even the most adamant skeptic believe in true love, but it’s not just a fairytale. The day after she graduated high school, Norma Stock promised to spend forever with […]

Recent Posts

  • Thoughts from a 5am Cuddle Session
  • Mine for a Moment
  • Silas Graham is 3 Months Old!

Archives

Connect on Instagram

Photo
Followers
Followings

Photo Life

    Connect on Twitter

    My Tweets

    Tags

    25 things at 25 anger anniversary ashlynne Bible birth book review celebration communication community conflict connection counseling culture date divorce failure faith family family life financial struggle fitness gifts for spouse God health holiday Home husband illness in-laws labor leadership mckelvy military miscarriage missions money moving parenting pregnancy sex silas submission wedding writing

    Looking for something?

    Categories

    Copyright © 2021 · Modern Blogger Pro Theme By, Pretty Darn Cute Design