*Note: This post talks a lot about boobs. . . read at your own risk.
For a long time now, I have been wanting to share my story and feelings about formula feeding Kyler. It was a long and difficult road for us, and probably the hardest part about becoming a new mother for me.
When you are expecting a baby, you get all kinds of mixed messages from women about what breast-feeding will be like: "It is hard!" "I love it!" "It is painful!" "It's easy and just comes, natural." etc. I had always planned to breastfeed Kyler. That's just the way it was going to be, no doubts about it. And there was no way I was going to give my baby formula.
Shortly after giving birth, the nurse helped me get Kyler to latch on so he could breastfeed for the first time. This.took.for-ev-er! I don't know if that is normal or not, but we had a really hard time getting him to latch on, so we switched sides and had a little bit more luck. He slept almost his whole first day of his life and did not seem interested in eating. As a new mother, this freaked me out, and we kept asking the nurses about it, who assured us that everything was fine and normal. We had a nursing specialist come in once or twice to talk to us and help us out, and the nurses checked his blood sugar a couple times throughout the day to make sure he was still ok. Which he was.
We brought Kyler home the next day and the journey of parenthood began. I was very sleep-deprived and worried about what I had gotten myself into. You wonder how life is ever going to get back to "normal" again. Doing anything besides the basic shower, take care of the baby, and maybe get a bite to eat here and there seemed impossible. Simply doing a load of dishes was quite the accomplishment for me at that point.
Trying to breastfeed continued to be a struggle for Kyler and I. I wearily persisted, set on my baby being fed nothing other than breast milk. But it was a fight each time. He couldn't latch on properly. We spent most of our "feeding time" trying to get him to latch on. He only wanted to suck on the very tip of the nipple which is very painful for mom, and not very productive. It came to the point where I think we both dreaded feeding time (which came every couple hours).
I called the hospital and set up an appointment with another nursing specialist. I took Kyler out of the house on my own for the first time and made the trip up across town to the hospital. She watched me nurse and assured me that everything looked ok. I expressed my concerns about the suction noises that I would hear as he nursed and feared that he was just gulping in air. She said she had never heard anything like that before, but that it was nothing to worry about - probably just my milk coming in. She explained that I really had to force him to latch, to push his little face into my breast hard so that he could get a good latch. So I went home with more hope and tried what she had suggested.
But nursing continued to be a struggle. In fact, it may have even become worse. The more I tried to force and push his head, the more Kyler would push and fight back. I didn't want nursing to become this constant battle between us. I cried. I was tired and in pain, and I felt like I was failing as a mother. Not to mention that I was constantly worried that my baby was always hungry but never getting enough nutrients needed to sustain him and help him grow.
My doctor had a hard time nursing her baby as well, and when we went in for Kyler's 2-week appointment, she said that he was definitely hungry and suggested that I try pumping. Finally I had a solution and some hope. Kyler could still get breast milk, but we wouldn't have to fight and struggle, and I would know exactly how much he was getting. We immediately went to the medical supply store after my appointment to get a breast pump, but they were out of stock. We had to order one instead. I didn't know how much more my now-engorged breasts could take! The next day the pump came in and I was so anxious to get started. . . I got home and began pumping for the first time. I didn't like being hooked up to the pump. It felt de-humanizing. And it was very slow going. I thought I could sit down and pump for a few minutes, get a couple ounces, feed Kyler, and be good to go. But that was not to be. I pumped for about 30 minutes and got maybe 1/2 an ounce. There was no way I would ever pump enough to keep Kyler fed! Was there something wrong with the pump? Was there something wrong with me? Maybe it would just take time to work up to the necessary amount.
I continued to pump and slowly got more each time. But it would still take 30 minutes to get just a couple ounces. I was reduced to feeding Kyler formula in between the breast milk in order to sustain him. I was reluctant, but desperate. And so the process continued. I would pump for 30 minutes every 3 hours. My life was lived in 2 1/2 hour increments. I couldn't leave the house longer than that unless I planned to take the pump with me. I cried some more. Not because I was breast-feeding Kyler, but this time because I wasn't. I mourned at the loss of having that bonding experience between a mother and her child. There was no going back now. Kyler could eat much faster and easier from a bottle than from nursing, so he wouldn't really try. And to be honest, I didn't try very many times after that for fear of failure.
My life revolved around pumping. And while Kyler was getting breast milk like I wanted, I could still not keep up. And I was miserable. My back ached from sitting at the couch for hours each day hunched over the breast pump. I tried to time it just right so I could pump and still be available for office hours for the apartments, but it was hard. Trying to stay hooked up to a pump and hold and soothe your fussing baby is nearly impossible. While it is perfectly acceptable for a mother to nurse in public with a blanket or other covering, it is not so with pumping. Was this what my life was going to be like for the next year?
Aside from the inconvenience of the whole thing, I was still in extreme pain. I thought once I stopped nursing and relieved the engorgement, the pain would stop. But it didn't. Every 30 minutes or so, I would experience sharp pain in my breasts. It felt like someone was pinching them as hard as they possibly could. Mothers out there . . . is this normal? My mother said no, but my doctor told me it was just my milk coming in. This continued for months. The pain, along with lack of sleep, was wearing me thin. I didn't know how much longer I could take it. But I was so opposed to formula feeding that I kept trying, and kept dealing with the pain.
Then came the breaking point. When I finally decided that the fight wasn't worth it anymore. I realized it would be better for Kyler to have a healthy, happy, pain-free mother even if this meant no more breast milk. I slowly started to wean myself from pumping. On Halloween, I stopped completely. This process was painful as well, but finally the pain ended. I was so relieved!
I am still not thrilled about having to formula-feed Kyler. When the first ingredient is something like "corn syrup solids" can you blame me? I also think that Kyler's immune system could be stronger had he received more breast milk. But it has kept my baby alive, and we have been better off. Life has been much easier.
Before my whole experience, I thought formula feeding was for mothers who were lazy, or who worked outside of the home, or who were uneducated and didn't realize all the benefits of nursing. But now I have a different perspective. I am still a little embarrassed in the grocery store when buying formula because I fear that other women are judging me in the same way I judged formula-feeding mothers in the past. I am afraid they will think I am copping out. Or that I am a bad mom.
This experience has been humbling for me. I only did the best that I could; just like other moms out there. I will no longer judge them, because now I know how hard it can be. I am hoping for more luck with nursing with my future child/children. We will see what happens. In the end, I am just grateful that I am able to bear children, and that I gave birth to a happy and healthy baby. Being a mother is the best thing that ever happened to me. Kyler is the perfect baby for me, and I know that he was sent to me by God.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Kyler's Birth Story
I am writing this story mainly for journaling purposes, but if you would like to hear my story, go ahead and read. I'll warn you right now that it's really long. I just want to be able to look back on it years from now and remember all the details . . . well, maybe not all the details. :)
On Thursday, August 29th, I had my weekly appointment with the doctor who checked me and said that I was dilated at a 1. Well, that was something at least. I was pretty uncomfortable and tired of being pregnant in the summer heat, so I was anxious for the baby to come, but of course very scared at the same time. I had feared the whole labor and delivery process my entire life. Those of you who know me know that I do not do well with needles, blood, hospitals, etc. And giving birth usually involves all of those things. Well, I left the doctor's not thinking much of the "1" because, after all, my due date wasn't for another 11 days. My doctor informed me that she might be going away for the weekend to visit her husband who was fighting fires up in Northern Idaho. I asked her to please not go in case I had the baby. I didn't want to risk her being gone and somebody else (like a male doctor) deliver the baby. She said she would think about it . . .
Friday at 2 am is when the contractions started. They weren't bad, in fact they were less painful than the cramps I was used to dealing with every month since I was 12-years-old. The problem was that they would come and go every 15 minutes pretty consistently, so just as I was about to fall asleep they would wake me up again. From here on out there would be no sleep for the next 33-ish hours. I didn't bother waking up Tom because I knew he needed his sleep. Plus, I also knew that there was no rush. These things take time, and I didn't want to spend any more time in the hospital than I absolutely had to.
Tom woke up around 5:45 am when his alarm went off for work that day. He was surprised to find me awake and then I told him I had been having contractions since 2 am. We didn't know how long the process would take, but we were pretty sure we were going to have a baby by the end of the day! We called in to the hospital and Tom talked to a nurse to see what her opinion was about whether or not we needed to come in to the hospital yet. She told us that unless the contractions were coming about 5 minutes apart, then we didn't need to worry about coming up to the hospital. Tom called in to work and told them he wouldn't be coming in that day.
At 9 am we called my doctor and told her about the situation. We made an appointment to come in and see her later that day. Apparently, she had decided not to leave town for the weekend! Good! We took our time getting up and ready that morning and finally made it in to the doctor's office where I was anxious to find out how much more I had dilated after having contractions for the past almost 12 hours. Come to find out I was dilated to about a 2.5. I was disappointed that I had made such little progress in all that time. Dr. Spaulding loosened things up a bit (ouch) in hopes of getting things moving a little faster. And then she suggested that I go hiking. Hiking? Seriously? I don't even like hiking when I feel good, let alone while I am having contractions! I don't think so!
Tom and I decided that since we were already in Rigby, we might as well go the rest of the way to Idaho Falls and do some shopping to stock up on groceries and other things before the baby arrived. Plus, hopefully the physical exertion of walking around the stores would help move things along a little faster. That's about as close to hiking as I could bring myself. Plus, Tom decided that he wanted to stop by work and take care of a few things - he said it would take maybe 30 minutes. We ended up being there a couple hours I think. I sat in the waiting room playing Boggle on our Kindle Fire while Tom worked. The contractions were more painful now, but still not coming as close together as we would have liked. After Tom got done at work we went to Sam's Club. My mom had purchased a year-long membership for me for my birthday and I had yet to go down and get my picture taken for my membership card. I figured this was as good a day as any. You can probably guess that it's not the best picture of me, but now every time I look at it I can remember that I was in labor while it was taken. :) After Sam's Club we went to WinCo. We walked around the stores, pausing every 8 or so minutes while I hunched over the shopping cart in pain. Tom faithfully stood by my side, comforted me, and timed how long each contraction lasted and how far apart they were.
After we got home, I laid on the couch trying to relax while Tom put all the groceries away and made dinner. I was tired from lack of sleep and the consistent pain. I had previously considered myself to be a person with a high pain tolerance, but this day humbled me and changed my mind. I talked to my mom on the phone who offered to let us come to her house where there was more room and air conditioning. We packed up our things (including our hospital bag) (the car seat had already been in the Mazda for weeks :)) and headed over. This was at about 8 pm. We weren't at my mom's house for more than a few minutes when the contractions started getting closer together. Tom called Dr. Spaulding (who was kind enough to give us her cell number) and told her that the contractions were coming about 5 minutes apart. She told us to get up to the hospital! So we headed up there and checked in around 9 pm. They put me in a hospital gown and hooked me up to a machine to monitor the contractions. The nurse asked me all these questions, and I couldn't even think straight enough to answer some of them correctly. At this point I was so tired of the pain, and nervous that this was all really happening. I think my body started going into shock, because I started shaking uncontrollably. Like intense shivering. The nurse checked me again and said that I was dilated to a 4. Still not very much progress. My options were to have the doctor come in and break my water to move things along, or they could send me home and wait for things to progress on their own. I didn't really like either of those options. I didn't want to continue in the pain I had been in all day long, but I was afraid of what might come next if they broke my water. I wasn't sure I wanted to do this anymore. The nurse was very sympathetic though saying something like, "Well, you are going to have this baby whether you like it or not, so what do you want to do?" Thanks a lot. I eventually consented to having the doctor come in to break my water. At this point, amidst contractions and emotional turmoil, Tom decided to take my picture. Thanks dear.
They moved me into the delivery room and prepared me for Dr. Spaulding to come in a break my water. Three nurses and four attempts later, they successfully got an IV in me. That was probably one of the worst parts of the whole experience.
The nurses assured me that as soon as my water was broke, that I could get the epidural. It was about 11:30 pm by now. I was tired of being in pain. I started saying things like "I was not made for this." and "I am never doing this again!" Leading up to this point I was more afraid of the epidural than anything else. (Remember my comment above about needles?) But at this point, I was so ready for it! The hardest part was holding still while having a contraction while they inserted the needle. After that, the numbness started to set it. It was so nice! It was hooked up like an IV drip system so there was a constant flow of anesthesia and I didn't have to worry about the epidural wearing off by the time I actually delivered the baby. There was even a button I could push to increase the release of anesthesia, but I never pushed it. I was actually so grateful that it was done this way. I could still feel pressure and tell when I was having contractions, but it wasn't painful.
My body was still shaking in shock, so the nurses brought me more blankets and then told me to try and sleep before the delivery. Dr. Spaulding announced that she was going home to rest and that she would come back in the morning when I was ready to deliver. Wait, you're just going to leave now? Is it really going to be that long until I have the baby? She explained that when in active labor, it is typical to dilate 1 cm every 2 hours. Ok, so if I was only at a 4 when she broke my water then we still have awhile.
I tried to get comfortable and get some sleep while we waited, but I could not rest. Between the constant shaking which was still not going away, the IV in my hand, the cuff around my arm taking my blood pressure every three minutes, the monitor beeping because my blood pressure was too low and the fear that I would fall asleep and the epidural would spread to my lungs and I would stop breathing and die, I could not fall asleep. My sweet nurse, Arleigh, (not the non-sympathetic nurse from earlier) told me that she would check on me in an hour or two. She said that when I was ready to deliver, it would feel like I was ready to have a bowel movement and need to push. I laid there for about 30 minutes trying desperately to get some sleep which I knew I really needed. And then the feeling came. Surely it was too soon though, so I laid in bed awhile longer. I couldn't ignore the feeling, so I woke up Tom who had just fallen asleep and told him what was happening. He went and got the nurse. I figured it was too soon to be ready but I wanted to tell her how I was feeling just in case. She checked me . . . and I was dilated to a 10! Whoa! That was fast! Let's get the doctor here ASAP! She probably just had time to get home and crawl into bed.
Arleigh decided that we should do a few practice pushes first. But I was afraid to try too hard. What if the baby came before the doctor arrived?! After a few practices, they called Dr. Spaulding (finally!) and then we waited. The nurses began prepping the room for the baby. Wow, I thought, this is really happening. The baby is coming!
Once the doctor arrived, we got to work. I didn't want to be stuck pushing for hours, so I tried really hard to get it done with as soon as possible. I don't know how long I was pushing, but it didn't seem that long. Again, the nice thing about being able to feel the pressure of the contractions was that I knew when I needed to push. When the baby's head started to crown Dr. Spaulding announced that the baby had lots of hair! This surprised me since neither Tom nor I had much hair when we were born. Since I wasn't completely numbed by the epidural, I was able to feel when our little boy come out. I'll never forget it when they immediately lifted him up and laid him on my chest. It was such an awesome experience. He had finally arrived and he was here in my arms! He was healthy. He was safe. He was mine. Kyler Thomas Muench arrived at 2:42 am Saturday morning, August 31, 2013; ten days before his due date.
Tom got to cut the cord, and then they began to measure Kyler, wash him, etc. while Dr. Spaulding sewed me up. This was also one of the worst parts of it all (again with the needles). I tried to ignore it though and kept my eyes on my baby.
After nursing him for the first time and getting cleaned up, they wheeled me into our new room where we all laid down to rest. Sleep was never more welcome.
On Thursday, August 29th, I had my weekly appointment with the doctor who checked me and said that I was dilated at a 1. Well, that was something at least. I was pretty uncomfortable and tired of being pregnant in the summer heat, so I was anxious for the baby to come, but of course very scared at the same time. I had feared the whole labor and delivery process my entire life. Those of you who know me know that I do not do well with needles, blood, hospitals, etc. And giving birth usually involves all of those things. Well, I left the doctor's not thinking much of the "1" because, after all, my due date wasn't for another 11 days. My doctor informed me that she might be going away for the weekend to visit her husband who was fighting fires up in Northern Idaho. I asked her to please not go in case I had the baby. I didn't want to risk her being gone and somebody else (like a male doctor) deliver the baby. She said she would think about it . . .
Friday at 2 am is when the contractions started. They weren't bad, in fact they were less painful than the cramps I was used to dealing with every month since I was 12-years-old. The problem was that they would come and go every 15 minutes pretty consistently, so just as I was about to fall asleep they would wake me up again. From here on out there would be no sleep for the next 33-ish hours. I didn't bother waking up Tom because I knew he needed his sleep. Plus, I also knew that there was no rush. These things take time, and I didn't want to spend any more time in the hospital than I absolutely had to.
Tom woke up around 5:45 am when his alarm went off for work that day. He was surprised to find me awake and then I told him I had been having contractions since 2 am. We didn't know how long the process would take, but we were pretty sure we were going to have a baby by the end of the day! We called in to the hospital and Tom talked to a nurse to see what her opinion was about whether or not we needed to come in to the hospital yet. She told us that unless the contractions were coming about 5 minutes apart, then we didn't need to worry about coming up to the hospital. Tom called in to work and told them he wouldn't be coming in that day.
At 9 am we called my doctor and told her about the situation. We made an appointment to come in and see her later that day. Apparently, she had decided not to leave town for the weekend! Good! We took our time getting up and ready that morning and finally made it in to the doctor's office where I was anxious to find out how much more I had dilated after having contractions for the past almost 12 hours. Come to find out I was dilated to about a 2.5. I was disappointed that I had made such little progress in all that time. Dr. Spaulding loosened things up a bit (ouch) in hopes of getting things moving a little faster. And then she suggested that I go hiking. Hiking? Seriously? I don't even like hiking when I feel good, let alone while I am having contractions! I don't think so!
Tom and I decided that since we were already in Rigby, we might as well go the rest of the way to Idaho Falls and do some shopping to stock up on groceries and other things before the baby arrived. Plus, hopefully the physical exertion of walking around the stores would help move things along a little faster. That's about as close to hiking as I could bring myself. Plus, Tom decided that he wanted to stop by work and take care of a few things - he said it would take maybe 30 minutes. We ended up being there a couple hours I think. I sat in the waiting room playing Boggle on our Kindle Fire while Tom worked. The contractions were more painful now, but still not coming as close together as we would have liked. After Tom got done at work we went to Sam's Club. My mom had purchased a year-long membership for me for my birthday and I had yet to go down and get my picture taken for my membership card. I figured this was as good a day as any. You can probably guess that it's not the best picture of me, but now every time I look at it I can remember that I was in labor while it was taken. :) After Sam's Club we went to WinCo. We walked around the stores, pausing every 8 or so minutes while I hunched over the shopping cart in pain. Tom faithfully stood by my side, comforted me, and timed how long each contraction lasted and how far apart they were.
After we got home, I laid on the couch trying to relax while Tom put all the groceries away and made dinner. I was tired from lack of sleep and the consistent pain. I had previously considered myself to be a person with a high pain tolerance, but this day humbled me and changed my mind. I talked to my mom on the phone who offered to let us come to her house where there was more room and air conditioning. We packed up our things (including our hospital bag) (the car seat had already been in the Mazda for weeks :)) and headed over. This was at about 8 pm. We weren't at my mom's house for more than a few minutes when the contractions started getting closer together. Tom called Dr. Spaulding (who was kind enough to give us her cell number) and told her that the contractions were coming about 5 minutes apart. She told us to get up to the hospital! So we headed up there and checked in around 9 pm. They put me in a hospital gown and hooked me up to a machine to monitor the contractions. The nurse asked me all these questions, and I couldn't even think straight enough to answer some of them correctly. At this point I was so tired of the pain, and nervous that this was all really happening. I think my body started going into shock, because I started shaking uncontrollably. Like intense shivering. The nurse checked me again and said that I was dilated to a 4. Still not very much progress. My options were to have the doctor come in and break my water to move things along, or they could send me home and wait for things to progress on their own. I didn't really like either of those options. I didn't want to continue in the pain I had been in all day long, but I was afraid of what might come next if they broke my water. I wasn't sure I wanted to do this anymore. The nurse was very sympathetic though saying something like, "Well, you are going to have this baby whether you like it or not, so what do you want to do?" Thanks a lot. I eventually consented to having the doctor come in to break my water. At this point, amidst contractions and emotional turmoil, Tom decided to take my picture. Thanks dear.
They moved me into the delivery room and prepared me for Dr. Spaulding to come in a break my water. Three nurses and four attempts later, they successfully got an IV in me. That was probably one of the worst parts of the whole experience.
The nurses assured me that as soon as my water was broke, that I could get the epidural. It was about 11:30 pm by now. I was tired of being in pain. I started saying things like "I was not made for this." and "I am never doing this again!" Leading up to this point I was more afraid of the epidural than anything else. (Remember my comment above about needles?) But at this point, I was so ready for it! The hardest part was holding still while having a contraction while they inserted the needle. After that, the numbness started to set it. It was so nice! It was hooked up like an IV drip system so there was a constant flow of anesthesia and I didn't have to worry about the epidural wearing off by the time I actually delivered the baby. There was even a button I could push to increase the release of anesthesia, but I never pushed it. I was actually so grateful that it was done this way. I could still feel pressure and tell when I was having contractions, but it wasn't painful.
My body was still shaking in shock, so the nurses brought me more blankets and then told me to try and sleep before the delivery. Dr. Spaulding announced that she was going home to rest and that she would come back in the morning when I was ready to deliver. Wait, you're just going to leave now? Is it really going to be that long until I have the baby? She explained that when in active labor, it is typical to dilate 1 cm every 2 hours. Ok, so if I was only at a 4 when she broke my water then we still have awhile.
I tried to get comfortable and get some sleep while we waited, but I could not rest. Between the constant shaking which was still not going away, the IV in my hand, the cuff around my arm taking my blood pressure every three minutes, the monitor beeping because my blood pressure was too low and the fear that I would fall asleep and the epidural would spread to my lungs and I would stop breathing and die, I could not fall asleep. My sweet nurse, Arleigh, (not the non-sympathetic nurse from earlier) told me that she would check on me in an hour or two. She said that when I was ready to deliver, it would feel like I was ready to have a bowel movement and need to push. I laid there for about 30 minutes trying desperately to get some sleep which I knew I really needed. And then the feeling came. Surely it was too soon though, so I laid in bed awhile longer. I couldn't ignore the feeling, so I woke up Tom who had just fallen asleep and told him what was happening. He went and got the nurse. I figured it was too soon to be ready but I wanted to tell her how I was feeling just in case. She checked me . . . and I was dilated to a 10! Whoa! That was fast! Let's get the doctor here ASAP! She probably just had time to get home and crawl into bed.
Arleigh decided that we should do a few practice pushes first. But I was afraid to try too hard. What if the baby came before the doctor arrived?! After a few practices, they called Dr. Spaulding (finally!) and then we waited. The nurses began prepping the room for the baby. Wow, I thought, this is really happening. The baby is coming!
Once the doctor arrived, we got to work. I didn't want to be stuck pushing for hours, so I tried really hard to get it done with as soon as possible. I don't know how long I was pushing, but it didn't seem that long. Again, the nice thing about being able to feel the pressure of the contractions was that I knew when I needed to push. When the baby's head started to crown Dr. Spaulding announced that the baby had lots of hair! This surprised me since neither Tom nor I had much hair when we were born. Since I wasn't completely numbed by the epidural, I was able to feel when our little boy come out. I'll never forget it when they immediately lifted him up and laid him on my chest. It was such an awesome experience. He had finally arrived and he was here in my arms! He was healthy. He was safe. He was mine. Kyler Thomas Muench arrived at 2:42 am Saturday morning, August 31, 2013; ten days before his due date.
Tom got to cut the cord, and then they began to measure Kyler, wash him, etc. while Dr. Spaulding sewed me up. This was also one of the worst parts of it all (again with the needles). I tried to ignore it though and kept my eyes on my baby.
Dr. Spaulding checking Kyler
Our happy little family
Friday, January 3, 2014
hello again
Today is the first time I have checked my blog since August! Whoa.
2013 was quite the whirlwind of a year for us. Lots of exciting things, lots of changes in our lives, and lots of blessing received! There has been plenty to write about, but little time or motivation to do it. Sorry.
Biggest news of the year - I had a baby! He is the sweetest little boy ever and Tom and I are so blessed to have him in our lives. Sometimes I look back and can't believe I actually did it. Having a baby has proven to me that I can do hard things. It was quite the challenge at first, especially with my nursing woes (another story for another day), but I feel like now I have adjusted quite well. I absolutely love being a mom!
I am going to cheat and copy our Christmas letter here onto this post to give you an update on what's happened in our lives over the past year. And I'll add in some pictures, cause I know that's what everybody wants! Happy New Year everyone!
Over the 4th of July weekend, Tom and Kimberly were in charge of the Beard Family Reunion up in Driggs, Idaho. It turned out really well except for the rain!
Tom graduated (finally!) from BYU-Idaho on July 23rd with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and a minor in Medical Assisting. He was so sick that day that he barely made it through the commencement ceremony and skipped out on his convocation. Tom was fortunate enough to acquire a job as a Medical Assistant in Idaho Falls a few weeks before even graduating! He continues to work there part-time for an ear, nose and throat doctor while he builds up enough hours of clinical experience to meet the requirements for Physician Assisting School.
In July, Tom and Kimberly also got a job managing Camden Apartments in Rexburg. This has proven to be a huge blessing for the family as it provides free housing and additional income. Kimberly is also able to work from home and be with the baby. Due to these changes, Tom and Kimberly down-sized and moved into their new one-bedroom apartment at the end of July. Kimberly quit her job as a secretary for the Forsberg Law Offices in order to manage the apartments and be a stay-at-home mom, although she does work a few hours each week as a Teacher’s Aid for Anatomy and Physiology at the Rexburg College of Massage Therapy.
Tom and Kimberly enjoyed the last few weeks of summer by going camping and taking a day trip through Yellowstone just weeks before having the baby!
Kyler Thomas Muench was born 10 days early (but happy and
healthy) on August 31st! He weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and was 18
inches long. Parenting has proven to be the most difficult, but most rewarding
thing Tom and Kimberly have ever done!
Toward the end of October, the family took a spontaneous vacation to Santa Cruz, California to visit family and help Kim’s sister, Amber, move her things out there. It was a very long drive, but Kyler did surprisingly well. He got to meet more of his aunts and uncles and enjoyed his first trip to the beach!
Kyler is now 3 ½ months old! He enjoys taking baths, watching television (Sponge Bob and Curious George), and listening to the funny noises his dad makes. He loves his stuffed elephant “Mr. Crinkles”, as well as sleeping, eating, and standing (with the help of mom and dad of course). He is such a blessing to his parents and brings them joy every day with his contagious smiles and laughter!
2013 was quite the whirlwind of a year for us. Lots of exciting things, lots of changes in our lives, and lots of blessing received! There has been plenty to write about, but little time or motivation to do it. Sorry.
Biggest news of the year - I had a baby! He is the sweetest little boy ever and Tom and I are so blessed to have him in our lives. Sometimes I look back and can't believe I actually did it. Having a baby has proven to me that I can do hard things. It was quite the challenge at first, especially with my nursing woes (another story for another day), but I feel like now I have adjusted quite well. I absolutely love being a mom!
I am going to cheat and copy our Christmas letter here onto this post to give you an update on what's happened in our lives over the past year. And I'll add in some pictures, cause I know that's what everybody wants! Happy New Year everyone!
2013 was a year of change for the Muench Family! Tom left on
New Year’s Eve for Oregon where he lived with his brother, Ryan, and his family
while completing a two-month externship. Tom was able to meet great people and
gain a lot of experience in the medical field. Three days after Tom left, they
found out that Kimberly was pregnant! It was a long two months for both of
them!
In April, Kimberly’s boss treated the whole office and their
spouses to a week-long trip to Hawaii! Tom and Kimberly got to visit the Laie
Temple, went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, visited Pearl Harbor and the
Pineapple Plantation, and enjoyed hiking, snorkeling, and spending hours on the
beach! It was so beautiful and absolutely amazing. They can’t wait to visit
Hawaii again sometime!
Over the 4th of July weekend, Tom and Kimberly were in charge of the Beard Family Reunion up in Driggs, Idaho. It turned out really well except for the rain!
Tom graduated (finally!) from BYU-Idaho on July 23rd with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and a minor in Medical Assisting. He was so sick that day that he barely made it through the commencement ceremony and skipped out on his convocation. Tom was fortunate enough to acquire a job as a Medical Assistant in Idaho Falls a few weeks before even graduating! He continues to work there part-time for an ear, nose and throat doctor while he builds up enough hours of clinical experience to meet the requirements for Physician Assisting School.
In July, Tom and Kimberly also got a job managing Camden Apartments in Rexburg. This has proven to be a huge blessing for the family as it provides free housing and additional income. Kimberly is also able to work from home and be with the baby. Due to these changes, Tom and Kimberly down-sized and moved into their new one-bedroom apartment at the end of July. Kimberly quit her job as a secretary for the Forsberg Law Offices in order to manage the apartments and be a stay-at-home mom, although she does work a few hours each week as a Teacher’s Aid for Anatomy and Physiology at the Rexburg College of Massage Therapy.
Tom and Kimberly enjoyed the last few weeks of summer by going camping and taking a day trip through Yellowstone just weeks before having the baby!
Toward the end of October, the family took a spontaneous vacation to Santa Cruz, California to visit family and help Kim’s sister, Amber, move her things out there. It was a very long drive, but Kyler did surprisingly well. He got to meet more of his aunts and uncles and enjoyed his first trip to the beach!
Kyler is now 3 ½ months old! He enjoys taking baths, watching television (Sponge Bob and Curious George), and listening to the funny noises his dad makes. He loves his stuffed elephant “Mr. Crinkles”, as well as sleeping, eating, and standing (with the help of mom and dad of course). He is such a blessing to his parents and brings them joy every day with his contagious smiles and laughter!
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