How to melt a heart...

just look up and smile. This is what Melora does each and everytime she smiles. Those big brown eyes and that gummy smile. She truely is a delightful child. George and I are so lucky to have been chosen as her parents.

It was hard to go to work today after spending the weekend with her. I used to always want a snow day from work so I could sleep and relax, now I want one to spend more time with my family.

Thank you Lord for my wonderful, healthy, happy daughter. Thank you for her smile that can brighten anyone's day.

5 months and counting!

The old saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun." Whoever said that was so true! Hard to believe our little girl is 5 months old. George and I were reminicing today of the day we had her and how much she has changed our lives in the short time she has been here.

Melora and I joined my parents and my sister on a trip to Iowa City today. Someone took a nice long nap on the way. We went to see my great uncle Irvin Garber, his wife Betty and their daughter Jan and her husband Mike. Irvin's health is not good and we definitely wanted to see him before things get worse. It was so delightful to spend part of the afternoon with their family. We were all happy that we made the trip down.

Holding her tighter...

I like to visit the babycenter.com website. I have got to this website ever since I found out I was pregnant. It has been fun to see pictures of other babies that were born the same time as Melora, ask questions and find answers. It has been really helpful as a first time parent.

Recently while on the website I came across a post of two little girls battling for their lives. The first little girl is two month old Scarlett Grace. Her parents took her in for her well baby visiting thinking everything was fine and found out she has a brain tumor. I just can't imagine what her family is going through as they fight to save her life. Each time I read their blog I end up in tears as I think about our daughter and how blessed we are. Check out their website at http://www.brandiandchris.blogspot.com/

The second little girl, Cami as born with hydrocephalus, holoprosencephaly & a hole in her heart. Their blog chronicles the family's struggle with paying the bills and helping to save their daughter's life. How sad. Check out their blog at dailynewsofus.blogspot.com/

I know that these two little girls aren't the only sick babies that are out there in the world. It is so hard for me to read these and not get attached to the family. My heart aches for them. They can't always hold their little girl in their arms. This has made both George and I hold Melora a little tighter. We love our little girl and like these families we would be crushed if anything were to ever happen. Cami and Scarlett are sleeping in hospital beds and Melora is sleeping in her bed. Each night before bed we pray for our daughter and the sick girls. I just can't imagine.

Thank you God for air conditioning

We had another restful sleep, although George might beg to differ. We have been fighting over the air conditioning in the room. I am hot and he is cold. Glad to see nothing has changed! Dr. Olson came to see me today and said that I am looking really good. I was able to get my IV out (cath taken out yesterday) and finally a shower and real food. A new thing is LOTS of swelling in my legs and feet. It hurts for me to stand with my feet being so swollen. I feel like I could take a needle and pop them. The dr. says I must walk so yesterday and today I have been walkng the halls like crazy.

I was told the heat index is 105 today and there has been some flooding in Pomeroy due to the tornado and the heavy rain that came with it.

Visitors today were: Tera Peterson, Brittany Bush, Hope Bickmeier and dad.

Busy day

Today we had all sorts of visitors and phone calls. Those who visited were:

Nikki Jones

Kim Jackson

Sandi Buhl

Stan, Penny and Jake Lenz

Also visiting us today were Alissa King, Stacy Johnson and my mom. We received phone calls from Linda Zehr, Tera Peterson and Chris & Amy Garber.

Today was quite the day to remember as when Stacy Johnson (co-worker and friend) came to visit the tornado sirens went off and we were loaded up on an elevator to the basement. I was pushing my IV cart with my catheter and George was pushing Melora in the baby bed. They put us in a doctor's office on the first floor. Stacy stayed and talked to us during this time. While we were down there the nurses came to serve supper. Unfortunately, I was still on a liquid diet. Of course the nurse had to rub it in as they had an extra plate of food and offered it to George. How dare you give him real food, he didn't just have a baby! haha While he was eating his chicken nuggets, I was drinking my chicken broth. Yuck!

Stacy left after the nurses gave us the all clear and soon Sandi Buhl arrived. She had been stuck downstairs in another area during the tornado warning. Once Sandi left Penny, Stan and Jake came to visit. While they were visiting I was re-swaddling Melora in her blankets. Jake came over and said, "What's on her wiener?" It was so funny because he was pointing and everything but it was the security clip on her umbilical cord stump. haha He is so funny!

August 9, 2010

We arrived at the hospital at 7am on Monday, August 9, 2010 to be induced...again! We went through the same routine as last time. I was still only dialated to a 2 and 50% efaced. The nurses put me on pitocin again and Dr. Olson attempted to break my water. She wasn't quite sure if she got it or not, only time would tell.

This time I brought a book to read, the lap top, and a tutu to work on. I wasn't going to get bored like last time. George brought a few things to work on too and also was going to leave for a bit.

We were up walking the halls again and George and I were both talking about how we wish my water would just break and things would start happening. The second we finished saying that...my water broke in the hallway! We were excited that things were finally going to start for us. The nurses continued to up my pitocin drip throughout the day. I was starting to get contractions and used the yoga ball and squats to help. George was so awesome as he would massage my back too.

Mom came to visit us during the day too. She stayed with me while George ran some errands.

By 5:45pm I was dialated to a 3 which was still not much progress but the pain of the contractions was bothering me. I received and epidural for the pain which helped me to dialate to a 4 and 70% efaced. Dr. Olson came to check on me again and said that the baby's head was beginning to mold. It was now time for a c-section. I told mom to call dad, Penny and Chris and let them all know what was happening.

I was nervous for a c-section, but I didn't care anymore. I was ready to meet our little girl. The doctors and nurses were coming in to talk to me as they preped me for surgery. I started to get the shakes but they said that was normal and soon I began to itch from the eipidural too.

They took me to the operating room and soon George would join me. He didn't want to get very close to me as he was afraid he would contaminate things so he sat 5 feet behind me! I had asked if I could have a mirror to watch and they said no but that I might be able to see the reflection in the lights. I did look and could see the reflection in the lights...until they put the curtain up. Darn it! I joked with the doctor and nurses about them getting a workout as they had to lift me to the surgery table and later asked if they had sliced me open yet. I'm pretty sure at this point they were wishing they had knocked me out as I talked the ENTIRE time! ha ha The last thing I asked the doctor was if she could take out some extra fat while she was already inside. You know, two for the price of one! But she declined all three times I asked.

As Dr. Olson was opening me up she kept saying what a big baby. Since she kept saying that I was certain that Melora would be at least 9 or 10lbs.

Melora Selase Osai was born at 9:34pm on August 9, 2010 (8/9/10) weighing 7lbs 12ozs 17 1/2 inches long.

She is perfect! I couldn't believe our little girl was finally here. We were both so excited. I was quite surprised at how white she was but George reassured me that she would get darker. The nurses took Melora to a different room to clean her up and George went with. In the meantime, my doctor was closing the incision and getting me ready to meet...my daughter.

When I finally got to the recovery room George, mom, and Penny were there taking pictures of our newest family member. It was so great to have their support on the biggest day of my life.

Meet our family

Nana meeting Melora for the first time.

Aunt Penny and Melora

Papa came to visit as fast as he could too!

It was such a long day but so rewarding. George was so proud to show off our daughter to everyone that came to see us and check in that night. We were so exhausted that we had Melora sleep in the nursery that evening and the nurses would bring her to me for feedings throughout the evenings.

Fully cooked

George had to work this weekend so mom came to spend the weekend with me. I feel like I am being babysat, but I know that she had good intensions. She wants to be here just in case my water would break and I go in to labor. No such luck.

Sunday evening the weather got really bad. I was kinda happy mom was here as I don't like to be home alone when storms happen. We were trying to relax and watch t.v. when we lost power at 9:30pm. I thought it would be back on shortly, but boy was I wrong. It got way too hot in our house at 80 degrees. This pregnant lady was fully cooked! I was sweating up a storm and at this point there was no way I was going to get any sleep.

I was so uncomfortable that I had mom drive me around Fort Dodge just so the air conditioning in the car could help cool me down. George worked a short shift at the hospital and came home to be with me the rest of the evening and mom returned to her house. I still couldn't sleep so I went for another drive around 2:50am. George called me panicking wanting me to get home. Of course he is from Ghana and the heat doesn't bother him one bit. I came back to the house and finally at 5:15am the electricity came back on just in time for me to start getting ready for the hospital.