October 20, 2006
Since the last entry we've had 2 more children, Kaden Luis who was born Oct 8th 2004; at home unassisted in water and into daddy's hands. He weighed 8lbs 15oz, and Jaylen May who was born May 11, 2006; at home unassisted in water and into daddy's hands. She weighed 10lbs 9oz.
If you visit our family web-site you can read about their birth stories and see pictures of everyone as well.
We've also moved from our small 2 bedroom 1 bath house to a much bigger 4 bedroom 1½ bath house. We are so happy to have a bigger place to live and we are all doing well so far.
Changes have taken place within our family besides growing 4 times over, LOL. From my accounts in my March 2001 update, we decided against any hormonal birth control and are allowing our children to come whenever. We neither prevent nor actively try to conceive but have been blessed 4 times with children since my depo-provera injections. And we hope to be blessed 2 more times before all is said and done.
We are not quiverful, however. We do know that we want to stop after 8 children and since we have decided against hormonal birth control we did decide on a vasectomy for my husband when we are finished expanding our family. We feel this is the best option for us, at this time.
Other changes in our family and decisions has been that we have chosen to homeschool our children now as well. So Sariah and Rachel never made it into the public school setting and they have been doing a great job with their schoolings from home. This year we are incorporating Mason into some lesson plans.
So if you have the time you can check out my other personal links and keep up with my family that way.
I am also hoping you all like the new site layout and graphics that I made.
March 19, 2004
Well we were successful in bringing into this world another healthy baby boy on August 23rd, 2003. We named him Liam Joseph, he weighed 9 pounds even! It was another successful UBAC (unassisted Birth After Cesarean) with just my Dh and I in attendance.
I had a very difficult time in nursing him and ended up in the hospital at the end of January with a bad case of mastitis (a breast infection). About 4 weeks later we found out we are expecting yet another bundle of joy sometime in October. We have no LMP to base an EDD on as I never menstruated.
Sariah is now 5, Rachel is 4, Mason (our Depo-provera baby) is now 2, and Liam is now 7 months this month. To say I'll have my hands full will be an understatement.
The saving grace is that both of the girls will be able to go to school this year.
I get stories on almost a daily basis now and to find the time to post them can be hard. I apologize for not doing this sooner. Today I have updated a lot of the archives. I went from 2 pages to 8 pages in one day. I had over 200 stories to post! 99% of them horror stories and only a miniscule portion of them were to praise the positives of their experience of Depo-Provera.
What saddens me the most is getting the suicide stories or the ones that end in death in any form. I wish I could do more but I am only one woman with a very busy life of kids and family. I am sorry I can not help everyone.
Again Thank you everyone for e-mailing me all of your stories and experiences. They truly inspire a lot of other women.
April 30, 2003
Ok now this is bad, LOL. It has been over a year since I've updated. UGH! Can you say busy?! 3 Kids and counting! Yes that is right we are expecting baby #4 around Aug/Sept. Mason is over a year old now, and the girls are growing up just fine.
I have been getting a lot of stories from many women around the world. Class Action lawsuits are now being filed and started, so hopefully some good will happen with that. I am going to try and work on updating your stories this week, as I am about 6 months behind or so and have over 20 to add.
I get heart broken with everyone I read. I know many women don't start looking for answers until it is too late. I really wish the lies and conspiracy would stop, so women can stop being harmed.
As of right now I am 21 weeks pregnant and are doing a complete UBAC, and are doing our own prenatal care as well. (UBAC Unassisted Birth After Cesarean) If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me and I will try to respond as soon as I can. :)
April 26, 2002
Well On January 25th 2002 at 8:40pm in my upstairs bathtub, My son Mason Nicholas was born.
I am apologizing right now for any mix-ups in e-mail addresses and for my slow responses. I have been tied up with my family and we haven't had an internet connection for awhile, until this week. I am working hard on getting the e-mail address changed on this site, as well as posting some of your stories that you have sent me.
For those of you interested in reading my birth story you can find it GO HERE
I am doing okay right now. Mason is 3 months old and is thriving well. His sisters tend to maul him a little too much, but only out of love.
I am still nursing to the best of my ability, which is the longest I have gone so far out of all my kids.
Again thank you all for your understanding. Our one year anniversary for this site was more than I expected, and the number of you finding help here is growing each day.
Again Thank you all so much.
October 5, 2001
I guess I am busier than I have thought, LOL
We had our ultrasound done on Sept 20th. I wasn't going to get one originally, but because I was mesuring way bigger than what I should have we thought we should just really make sure there weren't 2 in there.
It was revealed that I was right all along. One BOY. We are still naming him Mason Nicholas. Sariah and Rachel are getting really excited about the baby as well. They look in the bassinet to see if "Mason" is in there yet. Sariah likes to have us feel here baby in her tummy as well. It is so cute to see them all mother-like.
We are really starting to prepare now! We have received our cord clamps, and infant resuscitator (hoping we won't need to use it!), our protective padding, extra towels, and other stuff. With every little item we get, the more excited we are! All we need now is Mason to come. LOL
August 7, 2001
Okay, so I know it has been almost 2 months since I have updated, but pregnancy has definately taken it's toll. My hcg count was fine and the bleeding stopped a few days later.
We were supposed to have our first doctor's appointment on July 20th, but thw office manager gave us heck over insurance. I will cut this off here because it is a very long story and not one I wish to mention again at this point. We have rescheduled our appointment now for August 24th I will be 16 weeks by that time. But now we have hit another snag! About a week ago my husband lost his job and we are again jobless and now have no insurance.
As we have stated before we are planning a home birth. I have a midwife friend and a friend who is a doula so through them I am now planning on having my prenantal care done by them as well as my husband and I. So far this pregnancy has caused me to lose 10 of those pesky depo pounds.
My headaches have increased and because of the headaches I get nauseous. I am in a big catch 22 with this pregnancy. The m/s seemed to last 24/7 from the last time I updated. this has helped to confim to me that this is a good healthy pregnancy.
Another good milestone is that we have felt this little one move. Joe and I both have confirmed the movements which have really gotten me excited more about this pregnancy. Even more so, within the last couple of days I have been able to feel the little one move without Joe's help or without applied pressure. Yippee!!
All in all besides the nasty on going morning sickness, we are just trudging along taking things one thing at a time. Thanks for keeping up with us.
June 14, 1001
Well, we had a little scare yesterday. I started bleeding. I went to the doctor's and had some blood drawn for an hcg count. I go back tomorrow for the second draw and we will know Monday if everything is fine.
The bleeding wasn't very much, and is now down to a very minimal spotting if any which is very good. I attribute the spotting to me forgetting to take my progesterone cream. I have since kept up with it, and Joe won't let me forget it now. He wants his son here soon so he isn't as out numbered.
Joe also took yesterday and today off to help me. I am on semi bedrest and am not allowed to do lifting. With a 2 year old and a 1 year old that is almost impossible, LOL. With Joe around I have been able to get a lot of extra sleep in, which has been really nice.
I will let you know what is going on when I hear back from the doctor's.
June 4, 2001
You know how I was saying my
temps were erratic?! Well, as it turns out it was because I was pregnant!! I, We, can hardly believe it. My temps were going up and down like that because of implantation drops.
This is the story on how we found out!
I have been charting my Basal Body Temperature now since February, so we could determine when Depo-Provera would be out of my system and to also try and become pregnant.
We were hoping to be pregnant before March, but my body had other plans. I struggled with watching my friends all become pregnant around me and others giving birth. I had become depressed.
Around the end of April and the beginning of May I had a neat experience. I was out on the patio with the girls helping them pick up toys when I started to do a head a count. I swore someone was missing, and I began looking for that missing person. I soon realized I was looking for someone who did not exist, yet! I soon became comforted in knowing it would not be long before we would be pregnant again and that I should not worry. A few days later I was out in the living room and at one point Sariah and Rachel were running toward me for a hug, and I unmistakably saw the third running with them, again reaffirming in my heart it would be soon. I did not know how soon though.
I thought it would be at least a few more months.
My chart for May was an odd one too. I didn't ovulate when I thought I would, and we really weren't completely "trying". As 13 days post ovulation (which was Monday June 4th) came around, my friend begged me to go and get a pregnancy test done. I wanted to do a HPT but we didn't have the money for one, and I am uncomfortable in going to clinics for fear I might not be pregnant. But she convinced me to go to the clinic, and I was semi excited about it. The nurse looked at my LMP date and kind of scolded in saying that their pregnancy test don't usually work until you are 7 days past when your period should start. I said okay, but I was still going to do it anyways. I don't think she thought it would work.
Later I was called back and told it was positive. She sounded and looked shocked a little and even said it usually doesn't work this early (which scares me that it might be more than one). I even asked if she was sure it was positive, and she said yes every time I asked, LOL. I went back out to my friend who seemed more excited than me and we hugged. I was smiling so big on the way home it hurt.
Joe is just as excited, and Sariah already can tell us "where" the baby is, while pointing to mommy's tummy. Rachel I think, still being as young as she is at this point, is kind of catching on with pointing out "where" the baby is too. So we are all excited about this news.
So I guess you are now wondering when this new addition will be arriving? Well I have had several due dates presented to me. But we have been sticking to February 15, 2002. We are also planning on meeting this baby probably at the end of January, just because I tend to go early.
I know this one is a boy, and have already been calling him Mason. His full name is Mason Nicholas, Nicholas is a derivative of Nicole or vice versa so he will have part of my middle name, and Mason because we like it, LOL.
We are also planning a HomeBirth with this baby. I have my best friend Sue Ellen who will be there by my side as a doula, and maybe a few others who are a bit more informed than I, to help with the birth. I will be seeing my OB on a regular basis as well.
We will keep you up to date as much as possible now, on how things are progressing.
We are so happy!!
May 31, 2001
Well, this month has been a hectic one. We
moved this past month, just seven miles from our old place. It is bigger, has washer and dryer hook ups, and we are paying less.
Through all of the moving my temps have been erratic. I have been told it is probably due to low progesterone levels, and that my adrenal glands are what is causing this problem. It is easily fixed with either time, or herbal remedies.
We are all happy to be in the new place, as there is no more yelling at the girls to be quiet, or for them to stop jumping. (((sigh of relief)))
April 10, 2001
Well I am happy to report that as of April 8th AF has decided to visit me again. It was a lengthy cycle but I have been encouraged by some of the boards that I am on that this is normal and it will soon start to balance out.
I am also happy to report that I ovulated last months as well. As my charts indicate my temperature rose above the cover line and stayed there for a week and a half. So I was really excited. I had a lot of breast tenderness and pain as well as lower back aches which made me think I was pregnant. But I am not.
Joseph lost his job very recently but was able to secure a better job within less than 30 hours after. He gets paid more to do less and he will be home more. We are really pleased with this. It has however made it a little difficult with the pay checks coming in at odd time this month. We will not be seeing a pay check for a good 3 weeks, which is forcing us to budgets a little more.
All in all we are doing fine. I feel like I am getting better day by day. My strep/mono took a month before finally dissipating. I have another cold but it is not a bad one. Mostly a cough and runny nose. Sariah, on the other hand, is now covered with a rash. I can't take her to a doctor because we won't and don't have insurance for the time being and we can't afford to pay out of pocket. :(
March 2001
Well it is almost St. Patrick's Day, and we were hoping to be pregnant by now, but with all of the complications we have been having it has proven impossible. I guess we weren't meant to have another baby just yet. I know we will again someday. As long as things go well, we plan to start TTC again possibly in July.
Begining in February I started to chart my tempratures to see if I was ovulating or not and to try and conceive before the end of March at the latest. I'm not ovulating nor are my mentrual cycles even remotely regular yet, and sadly I am not pregnant.
I had what I would call my first period after my last depo injection on February 25th which was a monumental mile stone for me. My head started to become less foggy and a whole lot more clearer. My libido was starting to return, and I didn't feel as depressed anymore as well. At that point I thought things were getting back to "normal", and that I might have a chance to conceive before the end of March like we wanted. That was until March 10th when I started to bleed again. I thought it was another period but it only lasted 2 days. From what I am told by other women, this can be a normal occurance comming off depo and could happen a few more times. We won't be sure until it happens again. LOL
I had another kidney infection at the begining of February again. This time I caught it in time and was able to fight it off with antibiotics from my dentist. Also, as of about February 20th I have been fighting a nasty case of strep throat. I didn't know it was strep until after we came back from vacation in NM, about February 27th. Since about that time I have been on amoxicillin. I started myself on the amoxicillin my dentist gave me so I wouldn't have to go to the doctor's right away. It helped for the little while that I needed it too, until it flared up again with a vengance. I then retreated to the doctor's where he gave me the same prescription, and sent me on my way. They couldn't test for strep because I had been on antibiotics, and decided that if this course of antibiotics didn't clear things up that I should come back for a mono test. Which would be on March 20th if I am still not better.
Joe and I have decided to wait at least 4 months before starting to try and conceive again. We have also decided to for go the birth contol pill treatment. We decided it would be best to give my body a rest from any unnatural hormons for awhile. We are both starting to really crave another addition to our family, especially after we found and watched our second daughter's birth tape. It is hard to believe she was EVER that small. They grow up so, so, so, fast. We would also, really love to see a son added to our family.
We hope to hear from some of you, and I will keep you up to date as much as possible.
