Technology---??? Want or NEED??

This is a rant...

I could go off forever on the evils/goods of technology. I basically took a course in college dedicated to just that topic!!

Today I am thinking about the wonderful blessings of technology...Mainly because we won't be having internet as of tomorrow and are trying to figure out what we should do about it ( our Internet source is moving...we worked out a deal with them).



Without technology---
--I am not sure I would be alive today. Technological advances in the medical field have made my life amazing and for sure will make me live longer. Because of new sources they have found to monitor diabetes, and keep under control...I believe that is how I had my little gals. God bless technology for that reason.
--The world we NOW live in is so dependent on technology. We are told in times of trial ( financial burden) , or just in general, to only buy our necessities...The things we need to survive--such as food, water, clothing, and shelter. Now, I fear, I am falling into a trap thinking technology is an essential.
It is how we pay and monitor our bills, how I make and keep appointments, find out where I am driving, apply for medical school and benefits, how we keep in contact with loved ones, do our taxes, how I make certain purchases, how I get ALL kinds of information!!

You can't even do some things without technology ( like apply for medical school, all online). Now-a days when I call a 1800 number for customer service, the first thing they ask/tell me is the internet site and how to go on and get information (if I wanted to do that I would NOT have called you in the first place).

You don't realize how much you use technology until the possibility of having it taken away from you is there...Then you begin to panic.

So, here is my question...This is posed as my hubby and I are debating if we should make a contract for the internet, or just use it on occasion at the library until we move in JULY. Is technology a want or a need?

Rodda J enters the world!!

This is our new little family....and here comes the story of just how baby Rodda J came into the world and how she got her unique name...



Feb 4th I had one of my biweekly doctors appointments in the morning. We discovered that I was dilated to a 4...My doctor told me if I had ANY contractions , or problems to just head straight to the hospital since once you are to a 4 it goes pretty fast from there (three days earlier I wasn't even dilated, we did lots of walking...)



My doctor also scheduled an induction for Monday, Feb. 8th. He told me to go into labor ( if only it were that easy)...

This is Grandma Judy holding her little Rodda Judy.

We got home from the docs, ate lunch, and I decided I needed a nap. I no sooner went to lay down then had a major contraction...I tried to lay down for an hour and had about five contractions. I go downstairs and tell my mom we need to go to the hospital---I didn't think I was in labor but just started thinking that I don't want to be on the freeway delivering a baby and just want to be safe ( the hospital is almost a half hour away).

I then call Steve and tell him to just get off work and come to the hospital...I know once I am there, they won't let me leave--being high risk and dilated so far, they will keep me for the duration.

We get to the hospital and I have absolutely NO contractions ( no surprise there)...

Me holding our little one for the first time---

I actually start to laugh at this point...I don't want to rush anything and was hoping I didn't jump the gun just cause I wanted her here. After about a half hour, my contractions start up again, and they go for a bit (they didn't really feel bad at all---just like cramping---after all, I was already dilated so far)

My doc gets there at five says I am at a 5, and that he is going to break my water...YIPPEE!!! He broke my water...nothing really happened for a bit after that... an hour later the nurse says "you ready for your epidural yet?" At this point I am thinking, "man, I wish I didn't need one"...(high risk, could have so many things, just better to have one)...cause I was doing fine. They said Mr Epi (my anesthesiologist I kept calling him Epi--he liked it) was ready.... So I guess now was the time.

Dadda holding his two precious little girls. They have him wrapped around there fingers!!

My epidural guy was awesome. He was joking the whole time! I LOVED my nurse, and was already thinking my doc is the best in the whole world. This was a big deal to me since I was unsure about the hospital I was delivering at...very small, made me nervous---especially with all the problems with delivering Andy. Turned out even better than I could hope for!

A few minutes after I got my epidural, I got really sick...I thought I was really low all of a sudden, I was so dizzy and the room was spinning. I yelled for someone to get me my meter... Turns out my diabetes was great, my blood pressure just dropped dramatically ( very typical after the epidural). It had risen to 90/40 and I started feeling better. It really was the weirdest sensation though. Such a weird concept too since with Andy I had the opposite problem--high blood pressure!

I wasn't progressing that far, so they hooked me up with petosin. This did a number on my blood sugar counts---and freaked me out just a little bit. I had to keep testing my blood, and adjusting. My doc got a little upset when I adjusted without telling him ( he is so protective of me).

Long story short---It felt really long...even after he broke my water!! At one point around 11 pm-ish I suddenly felt really low again...I was really dizzy and light headed. I screamed for my meter-My counts were fine, my blood pressure was fine. My doc came running in ( love that man, I swear he checked on me every 20 minutes---INCREDIBLE).

I turn to him and say I am nauseous. This is a new thing, even after taking meds that would make me nauseous with Andy I never did get sick. But with this little girl, I GOT REALLY SICK. I must have thrown up at least five times. It was weird.

I felt much better after that. The doc said me throwing up meant it was right around the corner. Good times! I only pushed for like 10 minutes, then our newest addition came at 11:55pm. Silly that 5 more minutes and she would have had a completely different birthday. It is the weirdest feeling when they say push and you have NO CLUE if you are doing it right or not since you can't feel a thing! My first push I did it in my face, and closed my eyes and everything went black. I almost passed out. Then I realized I needed to concentrate on what I was doing better.

So, baby Rodda came into the world at 38 weeks and 1 day (almost 2 days) They immediately called her a big baby, put her on the scale and she was 9 Pounds exactly! WOW. almost DOUBLE the size of Andy Bev. She is so beautiful...When everyone sees her they seem to comment that she is smaller than her pictures or what they thought and that her COLORING is beautiful! I agree!

I have the two most beautiful girls in the whole world. I am so incredibly blessed!

ABOUT HER NAME!!

--This is already the longest post ever...But for those of you who want to know about her interesting name...here it is.

-To be completely honest, we have wanted this name from the beginning, but I needed to see her before we made it official! Her name is actually pretty simple...

Rodda is one of my most favorite people in the world! She was my second mission companion, my momma, my hero. Rodda is, of course, her last name...but we say it so constantly it has felt like a first name.

-We considered giving Andy the name RODDA for a middle name, but it didn't fit...My entire family loves Rodda, especially my husband who has spent time with her and knows the influence her and her whole fam have had on my life.

-People have asked me how hard I had to pull Steve's hair to get him to agree.. The fact of the matter is that he was all for it. It was kind of his suggestion. We wanted something different, and we wanted her to be named for someone, something special.

-So, we put it over the top by giving her a middle name that is also my mother's name. I have always teased my mom about her name...but somehow, it just works. In fact, before we announced her name my mom was saying we should name her Judy, then turned around and said "wouldn't that be awful..what an awful name?" So, I responded, "ok, guess we won't be naming her that!"

--We realize it is very different name. It doesn't feel different to us at all, but to those who have never heard, they react a little funny! We hope she lives up to her namesakes...

We have gone back and forth with different things to call her. Her grandma Judy is calling her Rodda J. One of my siblings is calling her Jude or Rodda Jude...I have also liked RJ. Either way, we love it and we love her. Andy refuses to call her anything but SISTER. I think it is adorable!

I love my little family and hope I can be the best mom for them as possible!!

Baby Rodda Professional Pics link...

More about the Baby

I will be posting details about delivery and our beautiful little gal later...Just wanted to post this website so people can veiw the professional pics the hospital took of her! Just click on the words "MORE ABOUT THE BABY" at top!!