Carter 5lbs 13oz 19 1/2 inches long!!!

Carter arrived 3 weeks early!
(here's why...)

Last Thursday I went into the Labor and Delivery with what I thought was heartburn and maybe a gallbladder problem... and found out I had a rare complication in my pregnancy called HELLP syndrome. The short story is that this syndrome is where the body starts to attack it's own red blood cells and platelets causing elevate liver levels, my platelet count was 28,000 and a normal count would be 150,000- problematic because platelets allow your body to clot and in birth there is bleeding... the only cure for this is delivery, so I underwent an emergency C-section and we now have a beautiful baby boy named Carter Harrison Edwards! The risk was that because of the lack of platelets that the inscision would no be able to stop bleeding on the inside of my body causing a life threatening situation. We both came out of surgery, and although my body did continue to lose blood, platelets and cause dangerous liver levels on day one we rallied and because of 3 blood transfusions, 6 platelet transfusions and the God healing me I am here! (I never knew the importance of giving blood until now!) After 5 days in the hospital we are home and getting healthier by the day, Carter is slightly jaundiced but they set up his light treatment in our home- he's the cutest glowworm around! God was truly protecting our family, and I am still in awe of how he knows the plans for us and that he promises not to fail us but to protect us and give a hope and a future! Thank you for all your prayers and support, knowing that you are there loving us and praying for us means so much!

Here we are one happy family, 3 days at home
Shauna and baby are getting better
& it's our 3rd Anniversary! We couldn't
be more thankful!
(the stylish wrap Carter is wearing is his jaundice light)

Our sweet bright eyed baby boy!

Finally getting to cuddle with Carter!

Carter and I bonding after my 2 days in the ICU!

Nick loves being a dad, and he's
perfect at it already!

Getting to be with Carter for a short time!
The nursery nurse brought him to me in the ICU!

Carter 1 day old, and so so sweet!

The first time I was alert enough to try
and feed him!

Auntie Katy came to hospital to see him on day one before
they headed off to Malibu, I am so thankful for
her friendship!

My first time holding Carter, 5 hours after surgery!
I'm trying so hard to stay alert so I can remember
it- the anesthesia really messes you up

Nick with Carter in the NICU! They were
waiting for me to come out of surgery so they
got some quality bonding time!

Nick and I after making the decision to
have the C-section in order to save me and Carter!
It was definitely a hard couple of hours knowing that
the surgery was so high risk because of
how few platelets I had left, but needing to trust
God because the surgery was our only option!

2 showers, and a trip to the lake

August was a busy month, so here is the update of what happened with the
family edwards in the month of August!

My friends Melissa and Erin threw a fun shower for me!The diaper game- open the diaper, guess the candy...
I tried each one of course!

I know we are having a boy, this pink pretty thing is for me
to wear after Carter is born... we decided that I
should not wear it around Nick to prevent another
baby coming too soon!

Another game was guess how big the bump is by cutting
a piece of string and then checking it with my belly!

My mom enjoying the diaper game!

So many cute clothes for Carter! I'm going to have to change him
twice a day to fit them all in!

We went on a Camping trip to lake Wentachee!

It was so beautiful while we were there!

We took a small hike to a waterfall!

This was what we did ALOT! Just RELAX!

The cute, cute, cute cabin we stayed in~

I was dying to get in some water this day!

Our Family at the lake enjoying the sun
and the cool water!

My friends Darcy and Heidi threw me a shower
it was so sweet and there was even
a chocolate fountain!
My favorite part of the night was when they opened
it up for prayer, it made me realize how
lucky we are to have such an amazing community
around us who love us & Carter so so much!

This stuffed barn is a prize from Grandma Diane
she told us and Joe - Nick's brother that whoever got
pregnant 1st would get a prize- here it is!

Presents!

The breast pump- essential for post pregnancy relief!

Darcy and Heidi- holding the playdough babies that
everyone made, and I picked the winner!
Two of the sweetest girls around!

Carter at 8 months...

We went for our checkup and the ultrasound tech had extra time
so she gave us some 3-D pictures of Carter....

In this one his hand is on his face and his foot
is in his mouth!

Here is the best face shot she could give us
isn't he so sweet! She said his nose may be
a little smashed causing it to look flat... I think
he has my nose...

Here is the typical profile shot, he's getting so big!

TAG

So I was tagged by Emilie last week but am a slow blogger so here it goes...

Here are the rules to the tag:
(1) Link back to the person who tagged you
(2) Post these rules on your blog
(3) Share 6 things about yourself
(4) Tag people at the end of your blog

6 things about Shauna
1. I really like cotton candy... so much that I secretly hope to go to events like Disney on Ice just so I can get some cotton candy.
2. I don't like being cold ... Darcy said this on her blog but I love getting into my car on a 90 degree day after being in a freezing cold building and just sitting there with the windows up in the pure heat... it feels so so good!
3. I have to be honest the idea of me having the baby freaks me out a bit... I don't know what to do and my mom keeps saying, "don't worry people in our family have fast labors" but I don't want to plan for this fast labor and end up in the hospital for 30 some hours... so what are we doing? Oh were taking a lamaze class on a DVD in our living room... nothing like being prepared!
4. I love a summer rain and lightening storm! I Billings it would downpour so hard that people wouldn't want their kids outside because they thought they'd get swept away, and then it would lightening for the next two hours and we'd sit on this ridge and watch it... that's one of the few things I like about Billings... and the smell after it rains oh it's so perfect!
5. Fall in Spokane is my favorite season... when we lived in MT I drove back for a weekend just to have fall here... it's perfect... with crisp smells and it's a little cold but you only need a light sweater,there's Greenbluff, when you go for a run the leaves crunch, & the smell of wood stoves with the cool air on your nose... like I said for a month and a half it's the perfect season... plus it's when Target puts out the mittens that I must have every year... Janny understands!
6. Ummm after all that about fall I can't think of anything else but fall so I guess my 6th is that I am quirky and weird and I love that Nick loves that about me!

I tag Julie Jones and Jessica Honcoop

The Parade of Pink...

Erin's Wedding Weekend!

This weekend at 7 months and a few days we were part
of Erin's wedding! The dresses were picked by Erin just so that the
baby bump would fit underneath! The wedding was beautiful and
so was Erin!

Erin and Jason- they are so happy together!
It just radiates from them!

Erin & I
I even wore the heels (although post ceremony I was
walking like a linebacker...)

With my amazing husband, and feeling much better
wearing flip flops! (You can kind of see the bump)

Melissa, me, Erin, Cassie, & Kayla... my
closest friends from growing up!

There we are... the parade of pink and
Erin the beautiful bride!

I just had to show these pink patent leather bags...

The best shot of Carter underneath the pink
ballerina dress- he was having a feisty day
kicking everywhere!

Really Poppin out (or so I've been told:)

Here comes Carter!

It all started on Hoopfest weekend- see picture below- Carter... our name
of choice began heeling me as I like to call it, basically it
feels like he is taking his heel and jamming it as hard as
he can just above my belly button, I'd later learn that this
is just the stretching of my skin but it truly feels like I am popping out
as of lately! I'm wearing a regular shirt so you can really get the jist of this thing!

Same old backside...

Yes,
I am wearing a Wilma Flintstone pink necklace...
I'm sure that's the 1st thing you noticed...

I just had to post a photo of the Hoopfest team! They
got 2nd place in 100 degree heat... it was Carters 1st experience
and I'm sure it won't be his last! (is it just me or was Nick sweating way more than
his team mates? overactive glands to blame I suppose...)

Camping...

Yep at 6 months pregnant we headed out for a camping trip to Priest Lake!

Ok so we know these aren't bump pictures exactly but we
had such a relaxing great time we had to post it!
Summer is the best when you're a teacher!

Couldn't get the bump in the photo because we were holding the camera...

Just relaxing by the creek...

The water was super cold so no swimming,
but we could have camp fires so that made up for the water temp!