I'm New to Blogging!

So this is my VERY first blog! I have been thinking about doing this for awhile, but then I thought, Who would want to read my rantings and raves about my two little munchins? Well, you are reading this, so I guess you do! We are not close to family, so they would probably likes to read up on what is going on in the kids lives and I have some friends who showed interest, if I were to start. Here we are, my very first blog :)

Not exactly sure were to start, so I guess I will start by introducing myself and past/current situation. I met my husband, at Weber State University, in 2003, where we both graduated with bachelor's degrees in Criminal Justice. Our senior year, 2007, we were pregnant with Alana Marie Kowalski. She was a BIG surprise. Joe and I were planning a future together, but it was never set in stone until after we knew we had a baby on the way. I had always planned to be with Joe forever, from the very beginning, but he was dragging his feet a little. Granted, we were young! And not everyone on either side of our family were exactly sure we were meant for each other, but in the end it was our decision to make and so we are happily in love and will be married 4 years next month and have been in a relationship for 7 years.

I had alot going on in my life while pregnant with Alana. I was working full time and going to school full time. We only had one car and didn't live close to school or work (not walking distance), we didn't have enough money in general,  I was overweight, I was hiding my pregnancy from family, I was taking 22 credits to graduate, getting ready to move and to top it all off, our future just was very uncertain. I had a very rough pregnancy and it only was progressively worse.  I had bad morning sickness in the morning and just felt sleepy all the time. After graduation, we moved in with Joe's parents in IL for a month. I was going to see my doctor regularly, but was trying to find another in the IL area when I started to not feel quite right.

Nobody would take me as a new patient so far along in my pregnancy in IL. I was six months pregnant and no one wanted to see me. I had my next appt. scheduled in Utah because we were going back to finish up one last class mid-summer. I remember having alot of swelling in my legs and face and my BP was going up when I would check it on the monitors at Target. But knew you had swelling when you pregnant and just dismissed that looming feeling. We drove down to Florida for my inlaw's 25th wedding anniversary and I really started to think I was having a problem. My legs were so swollen I could barely bend them to get up and down and I was sleeping SO much and was always tired. I know I didn't feel right, but also knew you felt crappy when you are pregnant, so once again I chalked it up to being prego.

We drove to NM from FL to see my family on the way back up to Utah and my doctor appt. As soon as I walked in the door, my family was just staring at me and started asking questions. I was so swollen by this point, I didn't even look like the same person. My mom immediately took my BP and it was something crazy like 200/190. She had me lay down for 30 mins and take it again, when it didn't go down, she rushed me to the E.R.

I was sent directly to Labor and Delivery. They kept me over night and pumped drugs into me to try and get my BP down. First thing in morning, I was medi-vaced to El Paso, TX because they could not deal with preemies at that hospital. I was only 29 weeks gestation. I was very sick in the helicopter and I threw up and they gave me meds and I don't remember much, I was blacking out. I remember them moving me into the ambulance from the helicopter. Then I was in the hospital, and I was so out of it. Next thing I know, Joe and my mom were with me and they were sticking needles into me to get an IV going. They couldn't get one in. I was so swollen and when they did get a vein, it would burst and they would have to try again. I swear, they tried 100x to get a needle in before one of the 5-6 people trying, got one to stick. It felt like torture.

Next thing I know, I am in the OR being sliced open to take Alana out of me ASAP so I wouldn't die. I didn't have my contacts or glasses and couldn't see a damn thing other than Joe and my mom by my head. It was sheer minutes before she was out of me and I could hear her little cry. I wish I could have seen her, but they rushed her off to NICU and myself to ICU.

I will save our NICU adventures for another blog :)

Story of Collin's birth coming soon!