Life is a journey and it is bumpy, but a wonderful ride.

So it's been a long time since I put a post up, but a lot has happened so I figured I would put one up.

Our lives have changed so much since we first got married.  Let's see major surgery twice for me, and then I also had a baby...  So the last couple of years have been less than easy to say the least.  I don't want to focus on the surgery I had so much because it is hard to talk about.  To give you and idea of what happened I first had gallbladder surgery and then a year later the same month I had 4 inches of my small intestinal tract removed along with my appendix.  Then I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease after surgery.  Not to mention the day I had surgery was the day we lost a cousin, Brandon Wright.  So the last couple of years have been a huge emotional roller-coaster for our family.

I am lucky for a lot!  I am lucky first of all to be alive.  I am lucky to have the husband I do, and he really is the best anyone could ask for.  I am also lucky to have the little boy I do, he is so sweet.  I am lucky to have my life.  It may not be perfect, but it's mine and so it makes it perfect.

What I do want to focus on are my husband and my son.  First my husband, Jason Jerrold Stallings.  I love this man more than life it's self.  I have a hard time describing how I feel for this man because there is so much love I have for him it's hard to describe and put into words.  He is the love of my life, my best friend, my loyal companion, and the person I would choose over and over to have in my life and by my side.  I could not have married a better more perfect man!  I am so so so lucky to have him!  He is always there and works so hard.  I could go on and on about him.  He has been through a lot with me and probably more than he signed on to, but he stuck through it with me and we are stronger and better.  We are so in love and have never fallen out of it.  He is a kind, loving, patient, hardworking, funny, etc....  

Now for our son, Kaden Ben Stallings ( AKA:  El Guapo and Little Squirt).  Kaden is a sweet boy.  He was born on January 2nd, 2014.  Kaden was not ready to come yet and we weren't ready for him yet.  The doctors towards the last part of my pregnancy diagnosed me with preeclampsia.  This condition can be very dangerous if not managed and watched closely.  The only cure for it is to deliver the baby.  It is a combination of high blood pressure, protein in urine and some other scary side effects.  So the doctors decided to watch it.  Well with the group of doctors I went to there is not a primary doctor, there are several that share the work load.  They like you to try to meet each one before you deliver so you can get to know them because you don't know which doctor will deliver, you don't have a set one.    So every doc had a different opinion about the condition.  Some of the doctors wanted to send me to the hospital to deliver right away, but I was stubborn and said no.  We were waiting till the beginning of the new year for our new insurance plan to take affect and I wanted to avoid having a baby on the holidays.  So I kept telling the doctors that I didn't want to go into labor and delivery yet.  They said I could wait a couple of days, but not any longer.  Oh not to mention I had a bad urinary tract infection on Christmas day.  It makes you feel like you have to pee all the time, even when you don't have any urine left in your bladder, it burns to pee, and your bladder hurts/cramps.  Let's just say not fun, and not the way I wanted to spend my Christmas day.  I ended up going into labor and delivery to be monitored and get some anti-biotics.  Anyway after a very long day I got sent home and everything was fine.

On New Years Day I was partying (just eating yummy food and taking it easy) with my family and Jason was working.  Also monitoring my blood pressure.  Then I went into Labor and Delivery that night and they started me on a pill Cytotech, which caused really bad cramps or contractions to start or basically to put me into labor.  I was being induced.  So I couldn't eat, just drink water and ice chips and I was in a lot of pain for 24 hours.  I didn't sleep at all that night.  And Jason didn't get much sleep either, the bed he was on in the hospital was horrible so he tossed and turned all night long.  The next day they checked me and I had only dilated to a 1.  I was so disappointed, I thought I'd be further along.  Kaden nor my body were ready for labor.  Kaden was still positioned high and my labor was progressing very very slowly.....  so the doctor with very BIG hands came in and broke my water.  It hurt sooooooo bad.  Then the contractions started to hurt worse and come more often and they also put me on pitocin.  Then I asked for the epidural a couple of hours later and it was such a relief to have!  I started going completely numb, it was so nice not to feel ANYTHING!  I was sooooo tired too.  Then they just kept checking to see how far I had progressed.  My mom kept saying, "slow wined up fast pitch."  I was getting frustrated I just wanted it to be over with.  Well the epidural started to ware off on my right side and in order to fix this you need to be turned on your opposite side to let the medicine adjust.  Well because the cord was wrapped around Kaden's neck I couldn't stay on the side I needed to, to allow the medicine to adjust.  When I turned on that specific side it would compress the cord and make Kaden's heart rate slow down.  So I was finally ready to push and I only pushed for a half an hour and then he was here.  I was so glad it was all over with and so overwhelmed with joy and love and I was sooooooo tired.  Childbirth is not for the faint of heart and I have spared you some details, but I made it through.

Kaden was 5lbs 15 oz and 19.5 inches with lots of bright blonde/little bit of red hair.  We were all so surprised with the color and the amount of it.  He is such a cute baby!!  He has big blue eyes and an adorable smile.  He smiles all the time and I love it!  He is a momma's boy, but loves daddies singing.  He is sleeping through the night, which we are so lucky for!  And he is developing well.  He also seems to have a lot to say he talks to us all the time and it is cute!  He makes us laugh a lot and gives us so much joy and love.  He loves to bath with daddy.  He likes to eat and sleep.  We gave him the nick name "little squirt" when he was a little younger because he would squirt out poop right as we were changing his diaper. haha not so fun...  Jason also gave him the nick name "El Guapo", which in Spanish means "The Handsome."  He really is a good looking child, which I am thankful for.  Life wouldn't be the same without it, and he has made it that much better.

Motherhood does not come easy or naturally to me.  The first month was really really hard on me.  I had the "baby blues or postpartum.  The hormones were really messing with my head and the adjustment to motherhood from working full time and just being a wife was really hard on me.  After my body and mind adjusted it became easier and more enjoyable.  I still don't like breast feeding though lol.  But I sure do love my little boy.

Well ta ta for now, more of our story later.

-Bre