Pictures of Lili

Our Baby #4. I think we finally got it right on the fourth try. I love that Izzy has a sister and the boys are just in love with her. She is lucky. She has so many people that love her. I couldn't be happier with the pics. I'm also enjoying the newborn stage. She eats ALL THE TIME and goes right back to sleep after waking for a feeding. This time will go by so quickly. Before I know it she will be running around the house saying "Basta!" I hope that is not too soon.

Lili Update

Liliana is home and we are enjoying her so much. It's been quite a trying time for our family and we are so thankful for all the prayers on her behalf. I am convinced she has already been blessed. My friend Lisa Rentz took some pics of little Lili the other day and I love these pictures so much. I need to figure out how to make these picstures bigger and then I'll post more.

Lili has been such a huge blessing in our lives. It has made me stop and think of the most important things in this life. I still struggle with her little eye, but I know she chose to come to our family under these conditions and she still picked our family and came to us. I love her for this and hope that we can give her all she will need in this life. Lili has coloboma and micropthalmia in her right eye, which means her eye didn't develop correctly, so doctors have told us she will not see out of that eye. We are blessed because so far her left eye looks normal and well. How greatful we are for this. Her condition is a red flag for other other health issues and so she has been undergoing test after test to make sure everything else developed correctly. So far, the doctors have found nothing other than a slight trachial malasia (this may be what caused her to turn blue that first night and also what may have caused her inability to eat for the first 3 to 4 days). Doctors believe she will outgrow this. We pray she does and also keep praying that she will continue to grow healthy and strong. I can't help but think that had she been born during pioneer times, she probably would not have lived. How blessed we are that she is with us!

We still have more testing to complete, but we are optimistic that nothing else will be found. We will keep praying for her and ask for you to do the same. I have felt the power of prayer through this whole experience and am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who hears our prayers and a Savior who suffered so much for us so that we can feel comfort in his sacrifice and also know that he has felt our pain and more. Again, thanks to everyone who has brought food, prayed, stopped by, brought gifts...we are so greatfull!

Suprise! She's home!

Doesn't she look like a little person already!! She is so beautiful!!! These pictures were taken only at a few days old.

Notice something different about me??? no more Oxygen!!

Lili seemed to progress rapidly. She was off of Oxegyn by the 16th and home by the 17th! Abu says Lili is such a peaceful baby, sleeping most of the day, yet waking every 3 hours to eat and go back to sleep. Everyone suspects Lili will soon out weigh Isabella! There is much that we don't know about Lili... In time we will find out. She will be tested for CHARGE syndrome. Carolina is as expected...very tired. She pumps every 3 hours, while Abu feeds Lili a bottle. Carolina and Lili recently had a consultation with the lactation specialist, as her oral anatomy and difficulty swallowing make breast feeding a challenge.

Thoughts from a sister....

In reflection, how grateful we all are for the gospel. It's times like these that really push us to regain our close relationship with our Heavenly Father. And it's times like these that reveal the purpose of the antonement and the power that Jesus Christ has to perfect us, and ease our burdens. The Lord loves Carolina and Jamie so much that he is trying to perfect them through Lili, and what an honor that truley is!!! Lili will teach these two more about Christ than anyone ever could or ever will. There is no doubt in my mind that these two parents have more than enough unconditional love and patience to meet Lili's emotional, physical and spiritual needs. They truley are amazing disciples.

Thank you for all of your prayers! Jamie and Caro...pressforward with a steadfastness in Christ. Let the atonement take care of the rest. You have many people praying for you, and waiting to offer their love and support. We love you!

A Better Day!

Yesterday Lili had a Naso Gastric (NG) tube placed because she has not yet perfected swallowing. The tube inserts at the nose and ends in her stomach. Carolina says her droop is getting better. Lili had to get a new IV placed in her head to continue receiving nutrition through her veing. For some reason Lili's sodium levels are low. The NG tube and IV nutrition are helping bring those up. The eye specialist has not yet seen Lili, hopefully he/she will come sometime this week. Lili had an Ultra Sound of her brain, and it looks like the brain is well developed, Carolia says "that's a big releif." The 48 hour blood work came back as negative, and the antibiotics were stopped, Yeah!! Carolina is doing well, she 's very grateful for all the love and support from friends and family! Thank you so much for your prayers and your thoughts!

A very special thanks to Katie Smith for scrubbing the house top to bottom! the second Carolina walked in the house and smelled the sentsy, she got very emotional. On her behalf I feel it safe to say she feels so blessed living near close friends who recognize her needs and who are so willing to help fulfill those needs. It's also comforting knowing that Elisa is there too! Carolina couldn't ask for a better sister (other than me, haha). Thanks for taking Isabella!

Liliana Sofia Townsend is here!!

Weighing 7 lbs 2 ounces, 19 inches long Liliana Townsend arrived on september 11! Carolina is very excited not to be prego, and is doing well! Not too long after Lili was born she began experiencing a series of complications. Lili was a little bit fussy so Carolina held her most of the night trying to rock her to sleep. When morning came the nurse took Lili so Carolina could get some rest. While Lil was with the nurse she began having some respiratory distress and turned blue. Shortly after, Lili was taken to the NICU (New born Intensive Care Unit). The doctors suspect she may have inhaled meconium into her lungs because she had pooped inside the womb. Lili's right eye is smaller than her left eye. The iris is smaller and the pupil is smaller. Lili is also suspected to have facial nerve damage likely due to being born "sunny side up." Her L lip droops when she cries, and she has a hard time eating. Carolina has been feeding her about every 3 hours, but Lili gets most of her nutrition directly into her vein. Her heart is also bigger than normal. As of last night, Carollina says Lili seems to be doing better, she is breathing on her own, though she still requires oxygen. Carolina is able to hold her and give skin to skin care. Carolina says "Lili looks like Nico when he was a baby." There is an eye specialist coming to see Lili today.

Please refer to the blog or call Elisa Arthur for updates. Carolina, Jamie and Lili are very tired and would like to catch up on some lost sleep.

We are so excited to have Lili here! Carolina and Jamie already love her immensely. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated

pictures coming your way soon!

Labor Day Weekend

This is it. The final stretch for me. It is 11 days to my due date. Christian was 14 days early, so I keep thinking at any time now. Most everyone who I've spoken with to help out with kids (specially that midnight run to the hospital) will now be gone for labor day weekend. Good thing it is a weekend, so no school. But, with my luck, it will happen this weekend. If it doesn't, I will count my lucky stars. I have so much to complete before this baby comes. Here is a rundown of what I need to get done:

• Paint trim and doors for basement
• Have installers install trim and doors in basement
• Pick carpet
• Pick tile
• Have tile and carpet installed
• Move Boys to basement
• Re-paint the boys old room for new nursery
• Put crib in nursery
• Put baby stuff in nursery

Yup, this is not getting done in 11 days. I have come to grips with the fact that I may just not be done and that will be okay. Who needs a nursery when my babies sleep in their swings the first 2 months anyway? I figure I've got some time. I just wanted the dust and crap cleaned up a bit from all the construction in the basement. Not to mention how glorious is will be to have all that extra room and be able to park my car in the garage once again!

I have gained more weight this time around than with my other 3 babies and these are some of the things that come with the weight gain:

Swollen ankles and toes-hobbit feet, I am now convinced, were probably really pregnant ladies about to give birth.

Swollen hands-For the first time in 12 years of marriage, I can't wear my wedding ring. My watch is getting close to the same.

My right hand falls asleep-I wake up in the middle of the night unable to feel my right hand. Completely numb! How strange that feels.

Indigestion-this has been a curse for all 4 pregnancies.

Back pain-this also has been a curse for all 4 pregnancies, but this time I'm going to a chiropractor and it appears to help.

Dizzy spells-I tend to pass out when pregers. This is the worst because it is so debilitating, but I think the Chiro has been helping me a ton in this area because I am up and about this time around.

Broken Toe-Yeah! I can finally walk on my foot without pain. I think it has healed pretty well.

Scratch on left leg-Also healing, but still tender. It was pretty nasty!

Of course, I have the belly-by far my largest belly thus far. My belly button popped out. That has never happened before. What a funny thing to have happen.

I am just so thankful that this is my last time. I would almost be sad about it, but being pregnant isn't easy for me or anybody else who's around me. Poor Jamie has had to deal with my moody, crazy thinking self. He's a trooper and a keeper. So, keep posted, this weekend may be it!

Broken Toe and Some...

Last week I was busy trying to unload items from the car and putting them on my porch. As I turned back around to step down, I missed the step and went flying down 3 steps, scratched up my left leg from the ankle to the knee and broke my big right toe. It was a clean break, so no casting or surgery needed (thank goodness!). But I am in awe at the predicament that I am in. 34 weeks pregnant, my back hurts, indigestion, dizzy spells in the morning (already blacked out...hoping not to do it again), and now I have two legs that are so very sore. I have to say that as hard as this has been, I feel so blessed knowing that I am still able to keep myself together enough to get through the day and accomplish all my tasks. I can only say that Heavenly Father has been by my side and is daily helping me get through difficult situations. The sisters in my ward have been so kind and compassionate. They have watched my kids, brought me dinner, cooked for my kiddos the day I broke my toe, and drove me to the doc. I couldn't be in a better place and I feel so blessed. I couldn't have done it without them and it really makes me think that our Heavenly Father watches out for us even in our most difficult times. He blesses us with amazing people to help us and gives us the strength we need to keep it all together. This has reminded me of one of my seminary scripture mastery scriptures (yes, I actually remember one):

"I know that am I nothing, as to my strength I am week, therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God in whose strength I can do all things".

Unfortunately, I cannot find the reference or remember where it is ( I haven't looked to hard). The point is we can accomplish anything as long as we have Heavenly Father on our side, even getting through the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy.