Daddy holding his boy.

Kyra was supposed to be getting Owen to sleep, not the other way around.

Poor little guy. He only gets to come out to eat. His billirubin count had went from 18.5 on yesterday when they put him under the lights to 15.2 this morning when we took him to the hospital. We have to take him again in the morning to have his level checked again. Hopefully, it will be low enough for him to get to come out. I really miss holding him just to cuddle.

Kyra loves being a big sister again. She’s really good at it. Just ask Owen!

Isn’t he precious?

This so totally sucks. We took Owen for his first doctor’s appointment today. Everything was good, except he is jaundiced. We spent all afternoon at the doc’s office and the hospital. His billirubin level was 18.5. The doc said that they put them under the lights at 15, and have to do other things in the hospital at 20. They brought the billi lights to our house, and Owen has to stay under them around the clock. He can only come out to eat and be changed. It sucks. I just want to cuddle him, but I can’t. He looks so pitiful in there. We went through the same thing with Elijah, but it still sucks. We have to have him back at the hospital at eight in the morning to have his billirubin level checked again. I hate when they stick him. They had to draw blood twice today, because they couldn’t get enough out of the first arm. He was so pitiful. Please pray that his levels will be down some tomorrow, and he won’t have to stay under the lights too long. I also have to go to the doctor tomorrow to have my staples removed. So, tomorrow should be an equally tiring day. I’m beat. I just hope that he is better soon.

We got to the hospital at about five a.m. on Monday. I was nervous and ready to get it all over with. After the initial prep, they gave me my epidural. I was really nervous about it. I don’t like needles. The anisthesioligist had trouble getting the epidural in. He got it in, but couldn’t thread the catheter through the end of the needle. This resulted in sharp, shooting pains down my left leg. Let me tell you, that hurt! He ended up having to take it out, and move up a space in my back. He got it in that space much easier. They said it could have been due to scar tissue from two previous epidurals with the other kids. It wasn’t too bad, but it made me really nervous.
Once they got the epidural in, it was nearly seven. They let Pastor Pallotta come in to pray with me, and, pretty much as soon as he said “amen”, they had me headed to the operating room. I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t get to see the kids before we headed back. My terribly sensitive husband, when I mentioned I wanted to see them before they took me back, said, “Why? In case you pass away?”. We thought that was pretty funny, but that just shows how warped we are. Anyway, they took me back, and things preceded very quickly. I was scared that they were going to cut me before I was numb, because I could still wiggle my toes. I thought that I had been more numb with the others. It was, of course, a silly fear, but I was shaking all over from a combination of nerves, fear, and the epidural. Everything went smoothly until they got to the part of actually pulling Owen out. He is his father’s child. He was being very stubborn, and did not want to come out. The anisthesioligst nurse, who was sitting by my head, making sure I was okay throughout the surgery, had to stand up and push down on the top of my belly. This felt like they were trying to break all my bones. I was hollering and making a lot of crazy yelps and gasps, and Chris’ face looked kind of freaked out. I felt what they called “referred” pain in my right shoulder. It hurt pretty bad, but it really didn’t last all that long. With the nurse pushing down from the top, and Dr. Schwarz pulling from the bottom with the help of a vacuum…they finally got the little guy out, kicking and screaming. He was not happy about being “evicted”. As they took him past the curtain and I got my first look at him, I thought, “He looks just like Chris!”. The rest of the surgery was uneventful. They put me all together again, and Owen was out and healthy. He weighed seven pounds even, was nineteen inches long, and had a little bit of dark hair. Everyone thinks he looks like Chris, and a few have also said that he looks like Elijah, too. Ms Tammy thinks he looks like Kyra. My initial reaction hasn’t changed. Everytime I look at him, I see Chris.
After all of that excitement, everything else has been smooth sailing. He’s a good, content baby so far. He nurses well. I am doing just as well as I possibly could. Neither of us has had any problems. Owen is a little bit jaundiced. I have him in the window right now. I’m hoping that sunlight might start bringing down his billirubin, and it won’t get so high that he needs to be under the lights, like Elijah did.
We are happy to be home. We got home this afternoon. I was so glad to see Kyra and Elijah again. I missed them. They were happy to see us, too, I think.
So far, tonight has been really low key. Chris’ wonderful mom, grandma, and aunt watched the kids today, and they cleaned for me while I was gone. It smelled so nice and clean when I walked in. They had did things that I hadn’t been able to do well in months. It was such a wonderful suprise. They left shortly after we got home, and we just have laid around and rested all evening. The kids are all asleep right now. It’s terribly peaceful at the moment.
Tomorrow, we take Owen to the doctor at ten till three. Hopefully, his billirubin count will have went down some. I hate the thought of having another jaundiced baby. Friday morning, I am supposed to go to have my staples out. My incision is longer this time. I think it’s because they had a hard time getting him out. I had Chris count my staples, and I think he said I had fifteen. It always feels better after they remove the staples. After all that pushing and shoving they did on me, I have been pretty sore. I’ve also had killer cramps when I nurse him, so I don’t think I’ll be giving up my pain meds anytime soon. All in all, though, I can’t complain. I’m getting around pretty well, and Owen has been a little angel.
I am a very blessed woman.
There are a bunch of pics here if you haven’t already checked them out.

Three Little Harmons!

We got to the hospital at about five a.m. on Monday. I was nervous and ready to get it all over with. After the initial prep, they gave me my epidural. I was really nervous about it. I don’t like needles. The anisthesioligist had trouble getting the epidural in. He got it in, but couldn’t thread the catheter through the end of the needle. This resulted in sharp, shooting pains down my left leg. Let me tell you, that hurt! He ended up having to take it out, and move up a space in my back. He got it in that space much easier. They said it could have been due to scar tissue from two previous epidurals with the other kids. It wasn’t too bad, but it made me really nervous.
Once they got the epidural in, it was nearly seven. They let Pastor Pallotta come in to pray with me, and, pretty much as soon as he said “amen”, they had me headed to the operating room. I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t get to see the kids before we headed back. My terribly sensitive husband, when I mentioned I wanted to see them before they took me back, said, “Why? In case you pass away?”. We thought that was pretty funny, but that just shows how warped we are. Anyway, they took me back, and things preceded very quickly. I was scared that they were going to cut me before I was numb, because I could still wiggle my toes. I thought that I had been more numb with the others. It was, of course, a silly fear, but I was shaking all over from a combination of nerves, fear, and the epidural. Everything went smoothly until they got to the part of actually pulling Owen out. He is his father’s child. He was being very stubborn, and did not want to come out. The anisthesioligst nurse, who was sitting by my head, making sure I was okay throughout the surgery, had to stand up and push down on the top of my belly. This felt like they were trying to break all my bones. I was hollering and making a lot of crazy yelps and gasps, and Chris’ face looked kind of freaked out. I felt what they called “referred” pain in my right shoulder. It hurt pretty bad, but it really didn’t last all that long. With the nurse pushing down from the top, and Dr. Schwarz pulling from the bottom with the help of a vacuum…they finally got the little guy out, kicking and screaming. He was not happy about being “evicted”. As they took him past the curtain and I got my first look at him, I thought, “He looks just like Chris!”. The rest of the surgery was uneventful. They put me all together again, and Owen was out and healthy. He weighed seven pounds even, was nineteen inches long, and had a little bit of dark hair. Everyone thinks he looks like Chris, and a few have also said that he looks like Elijah, too. Ms Tammy thinks he looks like Kyra. My initial reaction hasn’t changed. Everytime I look at him, I see Chris.
After all of that excitement, everything else has been smooth sailing. He’s a good, content baby so far. He nurses well. I am doing just as well as I possibly could. Neither of us has had any problems. Owen is a little bit jaundiced. I have him in the window right now. I’m hoping that sunlight might start bringing down his billirubin, and it won’t get so high that he needs to be under the lights, like Elijah did.
We are happy to be home. We got home this afternoon. I was so glad to see Kyra and Elijah again. I missed them. They were happy to see us, too, I think.
So, Owen is here, and things couldn’t be better. Just one more chapter in a year in the life, and I finally get to kiss all of my three little Harmons. Life is great!

Owen Shane Harmon arrived at 7:19 AM on June 26th at Parkwest Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. He weighed 7 pounds even and was 19 inches long.
Owen takes his first look at the world.

Elijah greets his new little brother.
Kyra gives little Brother a kiss.

The family.

“Here is a little mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mothers heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, to her most tender cares, to her life-long prayers! Oh how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!”
~ Elizabeth Prentiss’ Stepping Heavenward