How It All Started...

There is a very important part to our Emry story that I've not shared yet.  This is the part the Nick's parents have played that Kyla didn't have access to when she posted for me and that I wanted to save for it's own posting.  I have to laugh at how it all started!!  My month has been crazy (can you believe that Emry is a month old already?) but all the craziness actually started 2 weeks prior to her arrival :)  It's really all these guys fault... Nick and Glenn... because they were both born on September 11 and since my due date was the 17th, I thought it would be fun to try to have our baby on their birthdays!  That would be 3 generations!! 

Anyway, we knew it was a long shot but thought we'd try a few natural inducers to try to help me out... and nothing worked!  I took herbs, walked (even jogged) took castor oil... you name it and I did it... well almost :)  But God had other plans and our little Emry wanted her own birthday!  So instead of being in the hospital on Nick' s 30th birthday, we met up with his parents (who had Aubryn Keirah and Leif for a couple of days) and celebrated both his and Glenn's birthdays with some good ole' steak.  Suited me just fine! Who wouldn't choose steak over labor :)   We had a wonderful night!!  Here are the pics of our night together. 





Do you see this belly?  This was still 2 weeks out!  And this was the beginning of a 6 week whirlwind.  I had a hard time being patient for Emry to get here but I so clearly see that God had a plan for Emry and it wasn't to be born on her Daddy and Biggie's birthday. It was to stay cozy in my womb for a much needed 2 more weeks in order to get as much development in as possible.  Why do I doubt you God?  Why do I think I need to make my own plans?  I praise you for keeping her safe and for allowing her to grow more before entering our world.  I fully believe that though I waited 2 more weeks to meet her, we were spared 2 more weeks in the NICU.  

So we were at 41 weeks in my pregnancy and still no baby, and we were facing induction.  Glenn and Gwen came to keep the kids and we went to the hospital on Monday night the 22nd. Thankfully I went into labor that night and had Emry with out a full induction Tuesday morning.  It was really nice to have Hunny and Biggie there and not have to scramble for childcare when I went into labor.  They brought the kids to see their new baby sister by about 10 am on Tuesday, right after we had found out about her cleft palate.  It was such a blessing to have them come around us, pray for us and encourage us.  We are thankful for their presence that day.  

After my mom left (Emry was 2 weeks old) we were in limbo about whether or not to go to a conference that we had planned go attend before we knew of Emry's complications.  We waited until after the Dell specialist appointment before we decided that Emry would eat, sleep and poop whether we were in Atlanta or at home.  Also, Hunny and Biggie were glad to spend more time with Aubryn, Keirah and Leif and at that point, though I was ready to see what four would look like... life was easier in Atlanta with one than with all four!  We met up with Hunny, Biggie and Maury to let the older ones go.  Maury got to spend a few precious moments for the first time with her new niece and even got to try the art of feeding her too.

So while we were in Atlanta, the kids celebrated Keirah's 4th birthday with Hunny, Biggie and Mo, ate tacos in the park, roasted marshmallows on the fire pit and had a blast!  We had a great time too and were thankful for the bonding time spent with Emry that we somewhat missed out on in the hospital.  

So now you have the rest of the story... and how it all began... and whose fault it all was :)  So here ends the 6 weeks of chaos and here begins life at home with four as normal... whatever that is... :)  No really, I wanted to share how much of a blessing it has been to have our families here for us, helping us and loving on our children when we felt incapable of handling it all at once.  God, you are such a sweet Daddy to us, showing us what it looks like to love, and to take refuge in you.  May it be that way in our families as well.

An Update in Photos

Here are some pictures of our family from the past month.  We've had a lot happening, a lot of adjusting... and a lot of fun!  To read a more complete update on Emry, see the next post.  Or, just enjoy the photos!

Emry has beautiful big eyes.  Here she is showing them off!

This is me in my bed.  I don't sleep here yet, but it's

fun to look at all the pretty colors and mobile here. 

As soon as I am sleeping through the night, I'll get to 

stay in my room with Aubryn and Keirah!! 

I love holding Emry!! She feels so small and dainty in my 

arms. I have never had a baby that didn't feel 

like a chunk in 2 weeks!  This is a picture of her

apnea monitor we were sent home with from the NICU.

This is one of the few positions I can be in... on my side or 

on my tummy is preferable.  I just looked so relaxed that

my mommy had to take a picture!

Nana stayed almost two weeks with us to help while I 

ran back and forth to the NICU and then for our first week

home.  I don't know what I would have done without her here.

She got some sweet time with Emry while she was here.

Our family ventured out for a little while at the local Pumpkin

Patch.  We went to find Emry a little pumpkin, since Nana

had bought the other 3 pumpkins at Wal-Mart.  We had

a great time and got some good pictures.  I love fall!!

Nana got to carry Emry around the Pumpkin

Patch.  I think Emry was really impressed :)

Aubryn tried to find the biggest one she could pick up.

I like this one... or maybe this one... or this... one...

"Mama, this one's heavy."

 

This is Emry all dressed up for baby and 

parent dedication at church.

Isn't this a sweet picture!

Nana and Papa got to be here for Keirah's 4th birthday

celebration.  We invited 2 families and had a total of 10 kids here!

I really think Keirah enjoyed her birthday party... I think :)

Keirah got really upset when Kamden tried to get the first

bite of cake!

Aubryn and I went to school with Keirah on her birthday!

We took birthday muffins to her class and had a great time.

Aubryn and Keirah having fun together before 

going to Hunny and Biggie's house for a couple

of days.

Leif has had a major milestone lately... his first real

haircut!!  Daddy's been begging me to cut it and I've not

wanted to part with the curls, but when you have to 

spend as much time taming the boy's curls and you 

do the girl's, it's time to get a haircut!  He loves it 

and says, "I have a big boy haircut!"

Daddy loves the tummy time with Emry.

Emry spending sweet Daddy time and getting sleepy.

This is Leif sporting a black eye... we have no idea how it happened.  

He doesn't seem permanently damaged!

After Emry's bath... which she hates.

This is me at the sleep study... with out all the wires.

And again at Dell Children's hospital.  By the way, that is the 

coolest hospital.  I can't wait to take the other 3 on a tour!

Thanks Sena for this really cute brown outfit 

that is one of the only ones that fits me really well!

Emry Update

I know these post are few and far between, but I seem to have little time to do things like this these days... as if I felt like I had much before now :)  I know it is past time for an update on Emry Braylin, so here it is...

We went to the cleft pallet specialty team on Monday the 6th where we met the team that will be working with Emry through this process. There were about 6 doctors that were there that day and 2 others that we will have a relationship with that were not present.  It was a little overwhelming, but very neat to have all of them in one place rather than trying to go six different places.  The main one, Kelley, was great and explained that with Emry's airway issue, (called Pierre Robin Syndrome where her tongue obstructs her airway due to a recessed chin) we will likely wait until she is 18 months old to repair her palate.  This will give her more time to develop out of this syndrome before anything invasive is done.  Yesterday, the ENT that is also part of the team affirmed all of this, agreeing that her syndrome, though mild, is not something to ignore and that surgery later rather than at 12 months was preferable in her case.  

We were released from the NICU with a respiratory monitor that we were to have on her at all times indefinitely with instructions to see the Pulmonary specialists 2 weeks from dismissal.  Dr. Kelley, however, decided that he wanted a sleep study to be done on her in order for him to see more accurately what was going on with her respiration.  We were admitted into Dell Children's Hospital for 24 hours where she was hooked up to all kinds of monitors.  They made her lie on her back for 6 hours of the study which meant that I was hovering over her crib holding her pacifier in for about 5 out of 6 of those hours!! She did fine, even on her back, as long as her head was turned to one side or the other.  After the results were studied, the doctors dismissed us from the at home monitor saying that there was really no need for it!  YEAH! We are so glad to have a wireless baby. I can not tell you how many times one of the older children called for me and I about ripped the monitor out of the plug outlet... forgetting that I was on a short leash!  We will get the full report of the sleep study on Monday at the Pulmonologist (her respiratory doctor).  

Basically right now, we are in a monitoring and waiting game as we allow her body to naturally grow and develop on it's own.  She will likely outgrow the Pierre Robin Syndrome within the first 3 years of life and hopefully we will see a big difference within the first year.  All of her doctors want us to report back between 6 weeks and 3 months for the first year to monitor her unless we encounter complications.  She already struggled with even the mildest of congestion, and since it is allergy season here, we've had plenty already. Her saliva gets thicker making eating, breathing and swallowing all at the same time very hard for her.  Her weight has fluctuated up and down in the 8lb range over the last 2  1/2 weeks.  We have never expeirenced a small, newborn like baby at one month old!  I always wanted a tiny baby :)  since I've had 2 that we like toddlers at 2 weeks :)  

Emry is such a good baby and is sleeping well.  I have to wake her often to feed her and she goes back down easily at night.  I am thankful for that!!  She is starting to coo a little and has given us a few precious social smiles! The other children absolutely love her and are all very good with her. We have been especially amazed at how gentle and motherly Keirah is with her.  They are all very affectionate with her.  They all seem to understand that Emry is a precious gift from God with a "special"  mouth.  With some exceptions, they have generally been very patient with me and the time spent feeding her or pumping for her.   

I feel like we are starting to adjust to life at home.  We've had some very encouraging days lately where I've felt productive at something other than pumping :)  Aubryn is doing school again at home on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays while Keirah is at her school.  Leif is LOVING the new playscape that my parents and grandparents bought for the kids' birthdays.  It has been a lifesaver for me lately!  I am still pumping 7 times a day and feeding her 8 or 9 times daily.  So far I'm still getting double the milk she needs so I'm about to have to invest in a deep freezer!  God has been good...

Really, I have to close this post to just praise Him for all of his goodness to our family. We look back and realize that, though this was all shocking and hard to absorb at first, we are so blessed! There are many of you reading this who have or are going through situations way harder than this.  I see the Lord showing me is power and strength daily and he's teaching me to laugh much more often :)  I see how beautiful of a gift Emry is and I would choose her over and over and over again.  I feel priviledged that God saw me fit to be her mother.  I know I will fail so many times in raising her and all of my kids, but I am honored that He has given them to me. I pray that I may steward them well.  We had the opportunity to dedicate Emry and ourselves to the Lord at our church already and prayed Psalm 139: 13-17 over her.  

"For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you (maybe us... but not Him) when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes say my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!"

Thank you God for my four precious children.  I know they are yours... and these days will pass so quickly.  Help me to remember this in the hard moments.  I want to honor you as I shepherd them towards you.  

The Shock family's latest addition!

Nick, Jada, Aubryn, Keirah, and Leif joyfully announce the arrival of their new daughter/baby sister!!  Emry Braylin Shock was born on Tuesday, September 23rd at 5:30 a.m.

She weighed in at 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 19" long, the smallest of all the Shock babies. :)
She is beautiful and looks a whole lot like her Momma!  Oh, by the way, this is Aunt Kyla speaking.  I thought I'd help out my very busy, super-mom sister!  

Little Emry is healthy and strong, but upon her arrival came the discovery that she has a cleft palate.  Here's the story from Jada's email sent Wednesday the 24th...

"Hi friends and family~ We wanted to send out an email with some of the details that many of you are asking about on the delivery and birth of our sweet baby Emry!  We came in Monday night at 8:30 pm for the beginning of our "induction" which I was not very excited about to say the least.  They inserted a cervix cream at 9:30 and by 10:30 or 11, I was in labor!!! Yeah! I had really prayed to go into labor on my own and was hoping the cervidel was all I would have to have.  I started progressing pretty quickly so they took the cervidel out at about 3 am.  I was at a 5-6 at about 5 am and was very discouraged b/c I knew I was not going to make it much longer on my pain tolerance.  She was born at 5:30!!  The doctor walked in after the baby had already crowned... it was all so fast.  Praise God!!!  I feel great today- just tired from loosing a night's sleep Monday and sleeping little since. Ok, so the rest of the story is... Emry has a cleft palate.  We didn't realize this immediately, but the pediatrician came in and told us at about 9 am.  She had not nursed well at delivery and had acted frustrated about trying to swallow.  We thought that maybe her tongue needed clipped, but had not suspected the pallet.  We then had a whirlwind of emotion, questions, and specialists in our room.  There is a specialists from Dell Children's hospital that met with us today and explained that it is a genetic disorder that occurred at about 12 wks gestation.  We don't know of any cleft palates in either of our families.  The palate can be corrected at about 1 year of age and this will protect the facial features that are still developing from being altered.  Some say that it can be repaired around 6 months, but most agree on 1 year.  We will look into this.  The #1 effect right now is that I will not be able to nurse her.  She is physically incapable of sucking and taking in enough nutrients by breast.  I will be pumping about 8 times a day, for 15-20 minuets, and then feeding her by a special bottle that I can squeeze into her mouth to help her take in milk.  Her chin is recessed a little and this too offers challenges.  It makes her tongue set back in her mouth a little and blocks her throat making swallowing hard. Funny how that she has to be on her tummy (a big no no around here :)  The gravity of it makes it easier for her to breath and helps her not to choke on her tongue and saliva.  She will learn how to swallow better on her own, but right now with excess saliva, mucus and milk, feeding has been hard.  Emry is in the NICU where she might be for up to a couple of weeks.  She is loosing oxygen levels when she tries to eat to the point that she is now on oxygen through the nose.   She is a trooper and did well at her last feeding.  We are having to learn how to feed her sitting completely upright to allow the best airways possible for her. I am doing ok, but it has been a very hard two days.  I am tired and very emotional.  Most of my grieving is over not being able to nurse and the fact that I'm not going to be able to take her home with us. No one else other than Nick, myself and our parents can even see Emry while she is in NICU.  This makes me so sad for our other children who so much want to be around her.  The job of keeping by milk pumped and then getting it here to the hospital, coming to spend time with her, mothering our other 3 and homeschooling Aubryn seems impossible to me right now.  I am overwhelmed right now, but trusting the Lord for His grace and strength to be mommy to Emry.  He has entrusted us with a precious gift and we are truly thankful.  We know that she is fearfully and wonderfully made and that God was not surprised by her situation.  Please pray for God to sustain her oxygen levels especially during feedings so that she may go home soon.  We love you all and are thankful for your prayers." Blessings, Jada

Well, a lot of good things have happened since Jada wrote that email!  Despite the obvious disappointment of Emry not being home yet, we all got to spend some good family time at the Shock's house and celebrate mom's 50th b-day at the Main St. Grill.  It was fun to all be together and help out in any way that we could.  

God is so faithful!!  Emry exceeded the doctors' expectations with her eating and breathing and was able to come home this past Tuesday morning, Sept. 30th!  She will be connected to a monitor for (maybe) 2 weeks just to be able to document her breathing and to give us and the doctors a peace of mind.  We are praying that she does so well in the first week home that they can get rid of the thing and be wire free!  She is getting stronger and more able to control the placement of her tongue, and is really loving to eat from her special bottle.  You can see from the pictures that she's already getting a double-chin!

The kids were soooo excited about meeting their baby sister!  Leif was the lucky one and got to hold her first.  He was happy.
Then, it was Aubryn's turn and Momma took his baby away... he was not happy.  In fact, we think it was at this point that he realized he is no longer the baby and took a moment to grieve.....for the next several hours. :)
Aubryn also could not wait to hold Emry!  She is a pro now at being a big sister.
Emry is looking at her future baby-sitter, advice-giver, and chauffeur. 
Keirah was so excited about her baby sister coming home she almost couldn't stand it!  She FINALLY got to hold her and did such a good job.  
She loved putting her finger down the center of Emry's pacifier and feeling her try to suck on it.  Keirah is going to be such a fun big sister to Emry!
Aubryn and Keirah decided to go in for a kiss at the same time. :)
Family picture time!  Poor Leif. 
Okay, one more time.  That's a little better!  - I'm sure we'll be posting more pictures and updates soon.  Until next time, keep little Emry and the rest of the Shock family in your prayers!