Introducing (Finally)...

...Evelyn Joyce Hafeman

Born on March 17th, 2009

at 5:34 pm

7 lbs, 5 oz ... 21 inches long...

I am so sorry that it has taken two weeks for me to update our blog. No good excuse, really, other than the fact that things have been a bit crazy around the Hafeman household as we are getting used to being a family of five! Thank you to those who have been checking in on us.

Evelyn is doing great... she loves to sleep during the day and eat all night, which has been so much fun for her mama! Lydia is LOVING being a (mom) big sister, and Will is slowly getting used to the fact that he's not the baby in the family any more. We were blessed to have Steve home with us for two weeks, which gave us some wonderful time together as a family before he had to head back to working both jobs this week.

Life is good. God is good. Our littlest addition is without a doubt a miracle. The journey was long to get her here safe and sound... but in the end it all seems like such a small blip on the radar. We will forever be thankful to our family for the huge amount support that was given to us over the last nine months... thank you!!! And thank you again to all of you who have been following our story and who have offered prayers, meals, love, and positive thoughts. We have never in our lives been so aware of how blessed we truly are!

March 17th, 2009...

Well, it looks like all of us Irish folk will have some extra celebrating to do this year.  In addition to being St. Patrick's Day, March 17th will also be the day that Evelyn Joyce makes her grand appearance!  The plan for now is to induce me the morning of the 17th-- I will be 38 weeks and 4 days at that point.  TWO WEEKS from tomorrow!  Unless, of course, our little "drama queen" decided to make her appearance earlier than that, which I suppose is always a possibility (especially given the stress that this little one seems to want to throw our way).  I have started dialating and have been having some pretty significant (although irregular) contractions, so I guess we'll see what happens...    :)

Thanks for the prayers and positive thoughts being sent our way!!

The Finish Line...

... is finally in sight.  Thank God!  These have officially been the L-O-N-G-E-S-T nine months of my life!!

Here's the update:  I had an appointment last week, and all is looking good!  Had another ultrasound, and Evelyn is measuring in at about five pounds now!  Lydia got to come with me (she's never been to an ultrasound appointment before), and she was honestly beaming throughout the whole scan.  It was too cute! 

My doctor told me that if I haven't gone into labor by the time I hit 39 weeks, she will plan to induce me at that time.  In her words, "we really don't need any more surprises from this little one".  Being that I will be 35 weeks on Friday, this means that at the MOST we only have four more weeks until Evelyn officially joins our family!!  I can SO do four weeks!!!  Still having contractions, but nothing too regular or painful at this point.  Blood pressure is still sneaking up, but again nothing to be overly concerned about as of yet.  Just things to keep an eye on.

We are getting settled in our new home (for those who didn't know, we moved last weekend). Although it was pretty crazy, I have to say it feels so wonderful to be getting settled here.  I have washed all of Evie's clothes and her crib is put together...  and now we're  just waiting for her to come home.  She will be sharing a bedroom with Lydia, who could not be any more excited to meet her little sister!

On a side note, Will has been pretty miserable today.  Took him to the doctor this morning and found out that he has pneumonia.  We're hoping he starts perking up and feeling better soon!

32 Weeks...

Wow... I can't believe how long it has been since I have last updated.  For those who have been checking in for news, I owe you an apology!  I honestly don't know where the last three weeks have gone.

The update:

I am now 32 weeks into this pregnancy, and am doing WELL!!  I am done with my weekly appointments (for now, at least), and have "graduated" from the high-risk clinic all together.  I have been adding some more activity into my day, which has been a great thing for my spirits. Still need to be watching my activity levels a bit, and am not supposed to be lifting at all... a little bit hard when caring for my 31-pound three year old who wants to be held by his Mama!  A newer concern at this point is the major swelling I've been experiencing in my feet over the last week or so.  My blood pressure is creeping up there, so we will be monitoring that and praying that I don't end up back on the couch (I had high BP with Will at the end of my pregnancy as well, and ended up on bedrest from 36 weeks on).  Trying to get as much done around here as I can in the meantime.

Evelyn is doing great!  I had an ultrasound yesterday, and she is now up to FOUR pounds!  Her movements are getting so strong... this little one will definitely give us a run for our money, I can tell that already.  But even so, what a true blessing she will be!

On a side note, Will had surgery on his adenoids and had new ear tubes put in on Tuesday.  He did great!  Day one was a bit miserable, day two a little better, and by yesterday he was full of energy and back to daycare.  

Thanks again to all of you who have been following this journey and who have been holding us close to your hearts in prayer.  We are blessed to have you! 

 

"Baby Girl"...

As you know if you've been following our story, Steve and I are expecting a little girl.  We found out way back at our 16 week ultrasound, and then got confirmation after our amnio.  I realized the other day that I refer to her as "baby girl" in all of my posts.  Well, she will be called "baby girl" no longer, because she officially has a name!  We would like to share it with you.  This little girl will officially be named:

"Evelyn Joyce Hafeman"

"Evelyn", or "Evie" for short, is a name that Steve and I have both fallen in love with.  It means "light", which we feel is perfect for her.  Thanks to some digging on my brother's end, we also found that it is a family name from my Father's side in the 1900's.  Being that we are big fans of family names, this is a definite bonus!

As for her middle name... "Joyce" is Steve's Grandmother's name.  She is a strong and caring woman who raised a beautiful family of four children, and we have so much respect and admiration for her.  Her faith is unwavering, and she is one of the warmest and most loving women I know.  We are honored to have our little girl carry her name.

So there you have it!  Now on with the update...

I had my weekly testing done yesterday, and Evelyn is looking beautiful as ever! She is practicing breathing and is still moving around like crazy!  Her fluid levels still look great, and she continues to "thrive" in her environment.  As for me, I had some more bleeding again last week.  Still not sure where that is coming from or why it is happening.  Any time there is bleeding, I will need to be back on the couch for a good few days after it has stopped to help ensure that it doesn't start back up again.  In between these "episodes", though, I will be able to start adding some activity to my day.  In fact, I went to TARGET yesterday and didn't even have to drive around in the scooter.  Nothing beats an afternoon trip to Target when it comes to a mom that's been stuck on the couch for nine weeks!!  It was heaven!

Next week, another ultrasound to measure Evelyn's growth and another round of testing.  I'm 28 and half weeks now, so I have made it out of the "danger zone" of 23-28 weeks.  Not that it wouldn't be a long road if she decided to make her appearance anytime soon, but her chances of surviving (and having minimal long-term problems) are much greater after the 28-week mark.  

Thanks so much for all of the prayers and positive thoughts!  We appreciate them more than you know! 

Christmas 2008

Just thought I'd share a few (OK, more than a few) Christmas pictures from the Hafeman family!

We had a truly blessed Christmas filled with family and joy! Hope you all had the same!

Off to Church...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Had my appointment yesterday, and things went pretty well.  Baby girl still looks great... we even got to take a peek at her with a 3-D ultrasound!  It was amazing- she looks a lot like Lydia already!  Doctor said that the fluid looks great, and since it has been a week and a half since I've had any leaking of amniotic fluid, she feels pretty confident that the leak has HEALED!  Prayers have been answered!

Over one hurdle, on to another...

I spent the afternoon/evening in the hospital on Saturday because I started bleeding and cramping early that morning.  They couldn't find an obvious reason for the bleeding, but gave me a shot of something to stop the cramping.  The doctor yesterday said that because of the continued, sporadic bleeding I've experienced through this pregnancy, that she really couldn't let me off of bedrest at this point.  BUT, I asked her if I could please go to church with my family today to celebrate Christmas Eve, and she said YES!  I am also able to go shopping for small amounts of time IF someone will push me in a wheelchair.  Any takers?? :)

I will continue with weekly appointments for the next month to make sure that all continues to be well with our little one.  I'll keep you all posted.

Take Care, and I hope you all enjoy this holiday season!