So Much to be Thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!! I am so thankful today! Tori Elizabeth Berrett was born last week on November 14th at 4:55pm. She weighed 5lbs. 10 oz., 17 1/2 inches long. She is a tiny little miracle!!

A MIRACLE TOOK PLACE:

On Wednesday November 14th we went in at 2:00pm to prep for the cesearan. They absolutely could not find my veins and I was poked about 6 times before they had the doctor come in and get 2 IVs in to prepare for the c-section surgery. Things weren't going so well, but I could still smile for a picture.

Because of the placenta previa and placement of the placenta, the C-section was tough. I had to recieve 2 units of blood, but they were able to sew things up and it seemed to be ok. I got to the recovery room around 7pm and sent Nathan to get the kids so we could show them the baby before their bedtime.

The kids came in - so excited to see their baby sister, when all of a sudden I started blacking out and bleeding. The kids were quickly escorted out and I went right back into surgery. They removed my uterus to control the bleeding. I should not be alive today. I lost so much blood that I had a total of 10 units of blood transfussed, platelets and plasma. After a long 3 hours of torment for Nathan I came out of surgery. I was put completely out for that surgery and so I had a tough time coming out of the sleep. I tried for a day to understand what had happened - each day as I learned more - I became increasingly aware at how close to death I truly was. It was because of a great blessing from the Lord that I am here today - to spend more time with my family and raise my children. I am so thankful for your prayers and well wishes. I know that between the power of the priesthood, prayers from you who put your heart and trust in the Lord and by His grace to me and my family I am here. I stayed in ICU for a few days and could not be with my new baby girl. They brought her down one day for me to see her - wow was she beautiful!! She looked right at me and smiled - the nurse and I were so surprised - we didn't catch it on camera - but you can see here - she is still looking at me! I had never seen a newborn do that! I know it was just for me - to let me know everything was alright!

So, I was in ICU and didn't get to see her again for 2 more days. Then, I was transfered up to Labor and Delivery where I stayed for a few more days. However, even though I got to be closer and see her daily now, she could not leave the Special Care Nursery because she started having sleep apnea and they had to now keep her on monitors. The kids all came to visit me each day and they could only see their new baby sister through the window. They were so excited to have a new baby and were so sad to find out they wouldn't be able to really hold and touch her.

I was in the hospital for a total of one week exactly. The baby and I were both able to come home yesterday morning! I was starting to go crazy in the hospital for that long and was so happy to finally get home! Things are going so well. We have had a wonderful time enjoying, holding and loving on our new baby girl.

I hope this wasn't too much information, but I just wanted you all to know how much your thoughts, prayers, love and concern have meant to me over the last week. I cannot explain how blessed I feel. Please for those of you who have been praying for us, tell your children that their prayers worked! Tell them how I could feel the spirit and felt comforted when I was afraid.

And to those who have written, called or come to visit in the hospital - I want to thank you too! We received so many awesome gifts and well wishes I just want to also post some pictures of the beautiful things we received:

I want to conclude with a scripture that I keep feeling applies so well to how I feel:

Mosiah 2:21 (straight from the LDS.org website scriptures)
I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

who the heck has time for this?

I don't know how ya'll do it, but i have seen some way cute blogs out there and I just can't find the time to be up to date on all this computery stuff. Nevertheless, I am going to try and get something rolling for my family. I know we are the only Berrett's not in CA or UT so Grandma Berrett feels left out of our life at times - so this whole thing is dedicated to you Grandma B.

It may be good too - so that at Christmas all I have to do is send a card or email to all my friends that just says hi and log on to my blog and see what we are up to.

I have totally enjoyed reading everyone else's blogs, but I just don't feel like I have as much to say. I rarely have a camera on hand so pictures may be few and far between too. I just feel like I need to keep up with the Jones' and get a blog. Ha Ha...

So, the idea here now would be to tell something that is going on --- we got a new dog - her name is Lucy and she is a Shih Tzu. We like her and she seems to be a pretty good little doggy!




(She looks dead - but she is just sleeping... right by the trash can. its a sweet picture - cuz the clock and all that other stuff is just randomly laying there and she stretched out and took a snooze while i am on the computer! ha ha)




Collin is going to be one in March and he started walking already! Adorable baby, but high maintenance! This is picture is crazy - it was taken after his eye surgery -kinda creepy. He had a stint put in the eye so that it would drain properly





Kimball is 3 and likes to build stuff. He builds rockets, robots and cars. He is a little stud muffin!






So, Whitney turned 5 back in Nov and is way cute! She really has a fun personality. She goes to preschool and loves it, but what is hilarious is that it is the same woman that was my preschool teacher and in the same house I went to! She is good at what she does what can I say!?



(Whitney just chillin in her new hat!)


Poor - Abby! When she was a baby I took tons of pictures of her - now I hardly have any! So, this is just a picture we took of the kids when we went to Hot Springs, Arkansas last summer. The kids had a blast feeding those huge fish! Abby is so awesome with the kids! She is getting so excited for her baptism in April!! I can't believe I am the mother of an almost 8 year old!






And of course last, but not least... Nathan and I were able to take a little trip to Cancun with my sister Donna and her husband and his brothers and wives! It was amazing - so here are a few pics.