Monthly Archives: February 2022

Wowza. I am one lucky lady. This past Saturday, some ladies hosted a blessing way for Amos and me. I sat in the middle of the group as they took turns anointing my body with oil, speaking scriptures and truth, and praying over my family. The shower was at Pam’s gorgeous home, and many women threw in their collective talents to make it meaningful and pretty.

This blessingway is held dear to my heart as the exact words were spoken over me before Simon and Hank were born. I surprisingly wasn’t grieved that this time was/is different than the other two times. Previously, the prayers of a successful nursing bond or a beautiful labor experience had held so much value. This time around, I’m carrying a baby that may never nurse, and his very life is my prayer.  As I sat in the white chair, I laughed, thinking, wow, I am on a different coast in a different city surrounded by women I met only six months ago. However, I felt deep in my soul God’s love for me with the change. God knew I would be here and now for such a time as this. 

I have less than one week until Amos comes into the world. I feel excited and a little anxious and nervous. I’m trying my best to spend as much quality time with the boys as possible, reading them an extra story, playing an extra game, and snuggling them a little tighter when I put them to bed. 

Thirty-seven weeks pregnant, and what an eventful week it has been! Our family drove in from the lodge early Tuesday morning dropped Hank off at school (he was dying to get back and convinced that his literacy partner was missing him terribly). Tyler dropped me off at my doctor’s appointment, and I saw Dr. Chang for my last echocardiogram, a BPP, and a regular prenatal check-up and got my TDAP shot. Believe it or not, my brother Van and I had appointments simultaneously. Unfortunately, for both of us, we received less than ideal news.
His scan showed that the mechanical valve put in 3 years ago was/is covered in vegetation. He has been on endless rounds of antibiotics since his last open-heart surgery to keep infection around his heart at bay. We hoped that this scan would show that he could taper back those meds and start feeling more like himself. Alas, the opposite was true. He was admitted into Vandy, and plans of a third OHS were underway. The details are still being ironed out, and the weekend will be a long one for him as he anticipates another risky surgery. Of course, he is in great spirits, but I know this is so far from easy for him, and my heart aches that he will have to go through all of this once again. I am also sad that I won’t have the option of going this time as I have in the past.
As for Amos, his growth is right on track. Those rolls on his arms are still going strong, and he is getting larger every minute that passes. His Cisterna magna is still measuring a bit large, and I still have a mild case of Polyhydramnios. Chang reviewed his D-TGA diagnosis and found a hypo-plastic aortic arch. Bit of a tongue twister! An HAA is similar to the more common coarctation of the aorta but slightly different. Essentially it means that his aortic arch is underdeveloped and needs extra tissue to help it function to its best ability. During his arterial switch operation, they will address this and create a patch where needed. From my limited understanding, this will mean a longer time on bypass, a higher risk of inflammation/swelling, bleeding, and long-term concern of high blood pressure. After surgery, they will keep his chest open for some time so that swelling can go down. I don’t wholly know what this entails, and my questions are on hold for the time being. I am sure I will have plenty of time (the rest of my life) digging into every detail of his diagnosis. We continue to trust God knowing He has a plan for Van and for Amos.

     Despite much heartache, winter has graced us with many bright patches. Before our babymoon, Bridgetown had a Holy Spirit conference. We hosted Sam, Liv, and Jess, and we lived like we were in a college compound for a week. It was fun. We had other guests from the UK in PDX, and I believe it was a massive blessing to our church. 

     Tyler and I planned a big trip to Palm Springs for our last (I promise) very last babymoon. We rented a beautiful 70’s ranch-style house with a pool, firepit, and a backdrop of the mountains. It was beyond picturesque. I had an appointment a few days prior, and our desert mountain dreams came to a halt when they said that it was just too far in case of an emergency. They confirmed that no place in the desert could accommodate what we needed. We would be at best 2 hours from LA or San Diego if something happened. Reluctantly, I scrambled to make plan-b and, we left one day later for sunny San Diego. The temps were lower than desired, but we still got some good time together. Tyler chef’d it up and cooked our meals; we had time on the beach, finished a book in the Narnia series, and spent countless hours throwing a football. 

     We returned home and only a day later popped up to Mt. Hood. The getaway was my birthday present from Tyler, and we knew we had to cash it in before the baby came. Timberline Lodge is a snow-capped wonderland just an hour-ish outside Portland. The boys tried skiing for the first time; we snow-tubed, drank hot chocolate, played Candyland ping pong, and enjoyed the hot tub. This trip will def be a yearly tradition. I feel incredibly grateful to have been able to get away before this crazy season gets a little crazier. Tyler has worked so hard to make time away possible, which means a lot to me. 

I am 35ish weeks pregnant. My body feels stretched, strained, and more and more like a wobbly whale. I have a feeling this babe might tip the scales around 9lbs, but who knows?! Time is ticking, and this baby doesn’t have much longer until he is in the world.
Amos is lightyears more active than the other two; my sleep has become less and less as my heartburn occurs more and more. The joys!
After the holiday, Tyler went on an epic elk hunting trip, and the boys and I finished the room for Amos. It feels a bit extreme to have an entire room for a tiny baby, but we have never had the square footage, so it’s a fun change. Eventually, I plan to put all the boys in one room and designate one room for guests.

Soon a third Staton boy will be here, and we couldn’t be more excited! Sadly, our black jenny lind crib was broken during our move, but we snagged a free one as well as a new dresser from craigslist. Simon and I gave the dresser a new paint job and filled it with tiny diapers, a few swaddles, and clothes Simon and Hank previously wore.