October 31, 2008

What an experience


Brand new Baby Wyatt was born on October 27 at 10:28 am. I had to wait till Mom posted the first picture before I did. It was not my plan to be in the room while he was born but Sarah said once I was there that I could stay if I wanted and if they would let me. So of course I made sure to stay out of mind and out of way. I am so glad that I got to be there. It was probably the most amazing thing I have ever been apart of. I have never seen a birth. I have just been the one having the babies. I had no idea all the emotions involved.



Sarah called me about 7:35 on the 26Th. Her water had broke. She was screaming on the phone. I was so excited with her but thought she was pulling a joke on me at first. She was so cute. I was in Owasso at my girls group. It took about 10 minutes of sitting there with my girls before I couldn't stand it any more. I had to go over there. My excuse was that Andy was the last one to paint her toes. You can't go to the hospital with bad toes! When I got there, Andy was bouncing around. Sarah was getting ready to leave. I went to talk to her and asked what she wanted me to help her with. I helped her get her room cleaned up and ready for Baby Wyatt to come home. Long story short, it was about 11:00 and they were headed to the hospital. I was so glad to be there with them during this time to answer all her questions and be supportive. It was cute to watch Andy pace and just be such an excited daddy to be!!



I went home from there and got her some things that I had that she needed. I asked for Momma Donna and Papa Daryl to come and pick me up so that Tim would have a car. I figured we were in for a long night. Boy was I right. Things started a little slow so they started her on patosin to get her contractions to pick up. We called Kelly, the most wonderful doula in the world. She has delivered 5 out of 6 of the Widney grandchildren. Shortly before she got there the contractions were starting to get intense. We spent most of time cracking jokes and enjoying the amazing situation. It was about 5 in the morning when there was no more joking and only concentration.



I just want to mention how amazing of a birth couch Andy was. He almost never left her side. He was always where she could see him. He was so supportive and understanding of what she was going through. He was incredible. Sometimes I would just look at them and start crying because of how beautiful the moment was. It was during this that I realized just how much Andy loves Sarah and that there was nothing that he would not do for her. I have a whole respect for him. I know with no doubt that he will be the most incredible daddy and even more important the most amazing husband to Sarah. Every time Sarah would cry with pain, Andy would cry in pain. He was so in tune with her. That really takes something special. So many marriages don't have that these days. I was so proud of you Andy!!



At about 7 am it got really bad. Wyatt was a little stuck. They were trying to find the Dr to come and help. She was doing one C-section after the other. At this point Sarah was not saying very nice words and Andy was really taking a beating during the contractions. I think I even remember her biting him at one or two points. He took it like a trooper. Never said a word. Good boy!! She might have choked you to death. Soon they were able to hunt down the doctor and she came in and did what doctors do and it was time to push. Everyone took position. I was trying to stay out of the way. Andy's mom was trying to hold one of her feet but Sarah kept getting out of her grip. I snuck up behind her and helped hold her foot without her knowing. Soon you could see his dark black hair. As soon as I said "You can see his hair", Andy abandoned his post and came where I was. I soon hurried back down to hold Sarah's head so that Andy could watch Wyatt come. It was about 5 pushed from there and he was here. He was BEAUTIFUL. He did not come out squished or anything. He was not blue. He was just beautiful. Tons of dark black hair. The room was bawling. Everyone backed up to let Sarah and Andy embrace with their brand new son that they had waited so long to get here. It was magical.



I don't think that anything in life can compare to being there to watch the magic of what God can do. How can you not believe in God when you see just how amazing something like a baby is. How our bodies work? How babies are formed to look just like us, even from birth? Thank you Sarah and Andy for letting me be involved in your moment. It is something I will never forget.



CONGRATS!!!!




October 30, 2008

Happy Birthday!!

Our friends went out with us last Saturday to help me and Tim celebrate our birthdays. We started out at PF Changs and then went bowling at the Riverlanes Bowling Alley. We laughed so hard and had a great time. I love our friends. They keep us young.

Sam and KellyMomma Donna and Papa DarylPoor Alan. He is not really drunk. But Brad did have to put on a show.
See my little crown in the pic below with the girlsSarah at the bowling alley. She spilled hot chocolate all over Kelly.Oops!


Jason (far left) Alan in the middle and Brad far right

Sam kicked everyones butt at bowling on the girls side

Whitney is going to kill me for posting this picture. It is so Funny!!!!

My gorgeous husband stricking a pose

Brad telling a wopper I am sure.

Thanks guys for coming with us to help us celebrate. It would not have been the same without you. Your friendships mean so much to use. Your family! Love you all.

Walkingstick Family Reunion 08

October 20th was the Walkingstick Family Reunion. It was good to see family that is not around very much. Our kids are really had a lot of fun and so did the big kids playing horse shoes. It was a beautiful day for it. Sunny and just the right temperature.

Boys playing horseshoes

Sarah Jo and baby Wyatt in the tummy

Serenity on the swings. She is so pretty!

Mommy and Triston swinging

Aunt Janet on swings

Gracie playing in the grass

Eli and Gracie. She did not want her foot to touch the ground. It was so funny.

Sarah, Lisa and Melissa

Eli loves to swing. He threw a fit when I took him out.

October 17, 2008

Eli is 1

Okay no more procrastinating. I will now post the pictures from Eli's birthday party. He actually had two birthday parties because Grandpa and Grandma Donna and Daryl could not be there, nor could Sarah and Andy. So we met with them on Sunday and had lunch to celebrate Donna Momma's birthday and Eli's Birthday. Eli was born on her birthday. He tore into that chocolate cake. We laughed so hard. We had to help Reni and Triston along with their cakes so I was so excited that he just went after it. Momma Donna has the pictures on her iphone and she can figure how to get them off. I will have to post them later.

On Monday the 29th of Sept we just had a small amount of friends and family come to help us celebrate. He did not tear that cake up as good but it was still funny and fun to watch. If was a really good party and I really like that it was so small. We could take the time to enjoy everyone and be involved in all the activities. I still can't believe he is one. It has gone so fast.


October 7, 2008

I AM an organ donor

I don't know how many die hard ER fans are out there but I have been one for years. I can not believe that this THE final season. I don't know what I am going to do.

The Thursday before last was the first one of the season. If you are a fan, you know what happened. They killed Pratt off. It was probably the hardest episode that I have ever watched on ER because it really hit home for me. I have been threw it. The episode really brought back a lot of feelings and I balded like a baby. It has also been very hard for me to get off my chest. I believe that I was very open with what I was going threw but think that people took my intentions very wrong. So here is the point I want to make.

Pratt, after he was pronounced brain dead, was lead through the hall to have his organs donated. You could tell that every one was having a hard time with it because he still looked alive. His brother on the show even said that he still felt warm. But he had made the decision himself before he died or even knew that he was going to die to be an organ donor. That means that no one can change that after they are gone.

Here is my personal story. First I will give you the down side of it. My mother had had a headache for a couple of days. Finally, not able to take it any more, turned to my step dad in the middle of the night and told him that if he did not call an ambulance quickly, she would not make it. We believe shortly after she arrived at the hospital she had an aneurysm. She started having trouble breathing on her own and was panicking. That is when they started helping her breath and sedated her so she would stop panicking. It was touch and go from this point. They did many test on her, including a CAT scan which confirmed the aneurysm. It had burst in a way to cover all of her brain. A 1 in like 3 million chance that it would burst like that. I stayed with her day and night for 3 days and 2 nights.

I had left the room so that others could go see her since she was in ICU. I was gone for a while. We were waiting for the doctor to come and do the second vitality test to check her brain activity. She had passed the first one. The way they do this is they turn the machine off and see if they try to take a breathe. She took a breath the day before. While we were waiting for the second set of results, I went to see her. I knew as soon as I walked in the room that it was not going to be good. I could feel that she was already gone. I touched her. Nothing. I tried praying for a miracle but nothing. I felt very very crept out. I know that sounds weird but that is how it felt to me. She just wasn't there any more. The doctor finally came and asked for John. They broke the news to him and left it to him to tell the rest of us. It was over.

Then came the time when they would let us know that she was on the donor list. She marked it on her drivers license. I don't think people really understand what that means when you mark that box. It is very real. We did not have an option on this or even a choice. She made that decision and that was that. They were just there to let us know what was going to happen and if we wanted to be involved in the process or not. OF course I wanted to. Me and my brothers. My aunts on the other hand were trying to fight it. Not an option, She checked the box. That was her decision.

I am soooooo glad that she checked that box. I think that if that decision would have been left up to me, I don't think that I could of done it. I honestly think that I would have felt like I killed her. It was so very hard to leave the hospital that night. I felt like I was abandoning her. She was still breathing, so it seemed. She was still pink in color. It still looked like her. It was very hard for my mind to understand that she was gone even though my heart already knew. I felt guilt over this for about a month.

The good side of marking the box on your license. Your family does not have to make that decision. One of the biggest comforts to me about it all is that there is still a little bit of my mother living some where out there. I don't know why but this brings comfort to me. Plus, I know that three lives were saved due to my mothers organs. I feel like they are incredibly blessed to have her in them. They have the touch of God, whether they wanted it or not. I like to sit back and think that they are incredible spirit warriors because they were touched by God through her organs. Silly, I know. I hope that I was able to make my point in all this. Sorry it is so long but I had to get it off my chest. I just hope that I can help others understand so that it is a little less painful for someone else. God Bless!