Over the past year I've learned one thing. Naptime is my time. Thank you daycare for training my little man to sleep nearly on command. His little internal clock goes off between 11:30 and 12pm and suddenly he goes from happy hyper 16 month old to a sleepy doodle.
Flynn is down to 1 nap a day and it ranges from 2 to 3 hours. It gives me a nice amount of time to get things done around the house. I can clean and do the dishes and still have time to watch some good ole tv such as Dawson's Creek and catch up on my computer things.
This morning before his naptime alarm went off I had a lot of fun having a little photo shoot of Flynn playing in his toy chest. I hope to have a post to share with you soon.
Last weekend we had our first night without Flynn. He slept over his Grandma's house so the hubby and I could celebrate our third anniversary. We went to Red Lobster and it was delicious! Not to mention it was great to be able to not have a little boy to handle in a restaurant or worry about getting home before it was too late. Although we were home by 7:30 so we could watch a scary movie together. We also stopped and picked up dessert and some more pumpkin spice blue moon to enjoy.
I do have to be honest though I didn't stop worrying about him till it was about 9pm. Grandma said she'd call if there was any issues getting him to bed. He apparently had no issues and slept for a whole 12 hours that night. I think it helped to have lots of family around him. His cousin's and his Uncle and Aunt were all over that night so he had lots of people to keep him company and make him happy and loved.
Sunday we spent all morning at Grandma's because it was fun. I have to admit I wanted to rush over there as soon as I was up but it was too early. So we waited until after we knew he was awake. This means we have a new option and I hope for many more date nights in the future.
The anniversary also cues the holiday season beginning. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We've been invited to multiple events so now we have to figure out which one to go to. Then there is planning Christmas. Chris always wants to ear mark Christmas Eve for his Mom's house but that is the night my family all goes to my Aunt's so we have to compromise and offer to host on Christmas day which I don't really want to do but will probably do anyway.
My Mom and I were talking about Christmas photos so its also time to book a session to get photos taken for Christmas cards, which leads also to christmas shopping. I keep seeing things I would love to get Flynn. I hope we can have a kick ass Christmas on a budget this year. We shall see!
Oh and it is great to be back!
Showing posts with label Flynn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flynn. Show all posts
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The New Adventures of Flynn
'Ello!
I took Flynn to the mall on Sunday with my mom. Chris and I are going to a wedding in October (yay!) and I needed a dress. So My mom and I met up at the Flatirons Mall and spent the morning shopping and had lunch. While I was getting a muffin my mom was visiting with Flynn and someone came up to her and mentioned he must be a new one and she told him he had been a preemie. The man pointed to one of his daughters and said she was too and that it didn't mean a thing. Haha!
For the most part the day was a success. I was able to buy a dress and some jewelry and Flynn only got upset once and that was when it was time for his bottle so he had his first trip to the ladies room where he was fed and changed. He does really well in restaurants too. The night before we'd gone to dinner with Chris's mom and step-dad and Flynn slept through the whole service. He did the same at lunch on Sunday with my Mom.
I was really proud of myself because I got him ready to go and the car packed up including the stroller all by myself. ^_^
Flynn has been sleeping in his own room now since Saturday night. He slept from 8:30pm to 4am that first night I was in shock. We checked on him at 3am because he'd been quiet all night. The next night he woke up at 1am and the next night at 2am and last nigh at 3am ahaha. If that trend continues I'd say 4am again tomorrow morning. We shall see.
When we go to the wedding my parents are going to baby sit Flynn. I hope they know what they are getting themselves into. The ceremony is at noon and the reception is at 4. Luckily since its all closer to our house they are just going to come here that will help them out since all his stuff is here. My dad can watch our big screen tv. Last time they babysat that is what he did haha.
So Flynn started smiling the other day too. I can't recall if I mentioned that? It takes coaxing but as long as he isn't upset he is smiling and yesterday I woke him up and he smiled at me like "Hello Momma!" It was a good start to a rough day yesterday. He spit up his first bottle that morning and just never felt right after that ended up in my arms most of the day. I'm glad he has slept so well last night. We shall see how today goes.
I have new photos to share with all of you!
Now for an extra treat a video of Flynn smiling!
I took Flynn to the mall on Sunday with my mom. Chris and I are going to a wedding in October (yay!) and I needed a dress. So My mom and I met up at the Flatirons Mall and spent the morning shopping and had lunch. While I was getting a muffin my mom was visiting with Flynn and someone came up to her and mentioned he must be a new one and she told him he had been a preemie. The man pointed to one of his daughters and said she was too and that it didn't mean a thing. Haha!
For the most part the day was a success. I was able to buy a dress and some jewelry and Flynn only got upset once and that was when it was time for his bottle so he had his first trip to the ladies room where he was fed and changed. He does really well in restaurants too. The night before we'd gone to dinner with Chris's mom and step-dad and Flynn slept through the whole service. He did the same at lunch on Sunday with my Mom.
I was really proud of myself because I got him ready to go and the car packed up including the stroller all by myself. ^_^
Flynn has been sleeping in his own room now since Saturday night. He slept from 8:30pm to 4am that first night I was in shock. We checked on him at 3am because he'd been quiet all night. The next night he woke up at 1am and the next night at 2am and last nigh at 3am ahaha. If that trend continues I'd say 4am again tomorrow morning. We shall see.
When we go to the wedding my parents are going to baby sit Flynn. I hope they know what they are getting themselves into. The ceremony is at noon and the reception is at 4. Luckily since its all closer to our house they are just going to come here that will help them out since all his stuff is here. My dad can watch our big screen tv. Last time they babysat that is what he did haha.
So Flynn started smiling the other day too. I can't recall if I mentioned that? It takes coaxing but as long as he isn't upset he is smiling and yesterday I woke him up and he smiled at me like "Hello Momma!" It was a good start to a rough day yesterday. He spit up his first bottle that morning and just never felt right after that ended up in my arms most of the day. I'm glad he has slept so well last night. We shall see how today goes.
I have new photos to share with all of you!
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| A new way of holding Flynn - apparently good for his tummy |
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| Daddy and Son |
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| Go Buffs! - College Football Kick-off weekend |
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| Tummy Time! |
Now for an extra treat a video of Flynn smiling!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Happy Unbirthday
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| Just about 2 months old now! |
August 15th.. that was my due date. So today is a big deal. Today is the day that Flynn could have been born. I can't believe he is already going to be 2 months old tomorrow. He is such a champ. I haven't fully wrapped my head around the how I feel about today. I have my last post OB visit this afternoon. It seems fitting its today. Since I'm not sure how I feel yet I'm going to share the "Unbirthday Song" with everyone:
Unbirthday Song from Alice and Wonderland:
A very merry
Unbirthday to you,
To you, A very merry
Unbirthday to you,
To you,
It's great to
Drink to someone ,
And I guess that
You will do,
A very merry
Unbirthday to you!
statistics prove that you've
one birthday
one birthday every year
but there are 364 un birthdays
that is why we are all gathered here
a very merry unbirthday to all
to all
a very merry unbirthday to all
to all
thats how we sing the day away
a verry merry unbirthday
to all
Unbirthday to you,
To you, A very merry
Unbirthday to you,
To you,
It's great to
Drink to someone ,
And I guess that
You will do,
A very merry
Unbirthday to you!
statistics prove that you've
one birthday
one birthday every year
but there are 364 un birthdays
that is why we are all gathered here
a very merry unbirthday to all
to all
a very merry unbirthday to all
to all
thats how we sing the day away
a verry merry unbirthday
to all
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Bugs Bunny Band Aids
Flynn had his 2 month check up yesterday. He will be 2 months old on Thursday. It is so crazy to believe that much time has gone by already then again 6 weeks in the NICU I guess will do that.
He did really well at the doctors office. He has grown! Almost a whole pound since he go home! He was growing faster in the NICU but he has just started eating closer to 3 ounces a meal now so he is readjusting his eating schedule. His pediatrician said at his age between 3 and 5 ounces is normal and I mean he is only 7lbs 9.5oz so I can't imagine him pulling off more than 3 ounces a go at this point.
I felt bad when he got his immunizations they were his first ever as they did not give him his first Hep shot in the hospital. The NICU would have done it but he was so close to his 2 month visit that they said they would let the Pediatrician do it so he wasn't having them so close together. He calmed down really quickly after his shots and has not seemed to have any kind of adverse reaction which makes me happy.
Flynn still isn't smiling at us yet which bums me out but since he is a Preemie there is more leeway for certain developments. He is following us with his eyes and moving his head, in tummy time which is still just him on my tummy he lifts his head to look at me. I'm so proud of this but I would really love a genuine smile. The cooing hasn't quite started yet either. We'll see hopefully before he is 3 months old these things will happen.
His next appointment is in October for his 4 month check up and next round of shots. I'm hoping it all goes as well as this past visit. I hope he wows everyone with how much he grows and how much he matures developmentally. Either way though I will always love my baby boy.
He did really well at the doctors office. He has grown! Almost a whole pound since he go home! He was growing faster in the NICU but he has just started eating closer to 3 ounces a meal now so he is readjusting his eating schedule. His pediatrician said at his age between 3 and 5 ounces is normal and I mean he is only 7lbs 9.5oz so I can't imagine him pulling off more than 3 ounces a go at this point.
I felt bad when he got his immunizations they were his first ever as they did not give him his first Hep shot in the hospital. The NICU would have done it but he was so close to his 2 month visit that they said they would let the Pediatrician do it so he wasn't having them so close together. He calmed down really quickly after his shots and has not seemed to have any kind of adverse reaction which makes me happy.
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| Chris and Flynn bonding a the Pediatrician's Office |
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| Bugs Bunny Band Aid for our Big Boy |
Flynn still isn't smiling at us yet which bums me out but since he is a Preemie there is more leeway for certain developments. He is following us with his eyes and moving his head, in tummy time which is still just him on my tummy he lifts his head to look at me. I'm so proud of this but I would really love a genuine smile. The cooing hasn't quite started yet either. We'll see hopefully before he is 3 months old these things will happen.
His next appointment is in October for his 4 month check up and next round of shots. I'm hoping it all goes as well as this past visit. I hope he wows everyone with how much he grows and how much he matures developmentally. Either way though I will always love my baby boy.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Nothing like coffee and a sleeping baby..
Yesterday was an adventure to say the least. Flynn did not want to sleep Tuesday night. He went the first 4 hour block great. He woke up like clock work at midnight. He did not finish his bottle though and was up again at 2 then he woke up again at 3am! By then it was just a matter of saying screw it and staying up. Chris had to get ready for work so I stayed up as well. It meant I was able to shower while he was still here.
Flynn and I both had Doctor appointments yesterday in Denver. I packed up both his diaper bags with formula, clothes, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, his baby monitor and a book for me haha. We headed to Children's Hospital around 6:30 to account for traffic and go down there at about a quarter to 8. We were needless to say about 45 minutes early when I parked the Jeep and that is when I realized I forgot his stroller. It wasn't that big a deal but I'm still building up my strength and his car seat gets heavy!
We made it inside fine. I found a family bathroom and Flynn had his first ever public building diaper change. Haha. So many silly firsts out there for us to experience together.
They took us at the Eye Clinic pretty quickly. I felt so bad for him. Preemies are prone to a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) which is caused due to the blood vessels to the retina developing abnormally. Anyway, in the NICU Flynn was cleared but had to have a follow-up because his retina blood vessels had not fully matured yet. I was not there when they did that initial exam. Yesterday I found it out they were really close to being mature at that point. Which had I known would have made me worry much less. He saw the same doctor at Children's as he did at UCH. Mainly because they are right next to each other they share a lot of physicians. The UCH NICU is a level 3 and Children's is a lvl 4. He could have gone over to Children's had he been in worse shape when he was born, that is where all the babies requiring extra care/surgeries go.
I know the eye exam didn't hurt him but it wasn't pleasant to watch. He cried his eyes out while the nurse put the eye drops in his eyes. First numbing ones and then dilation ones. I got to hold him for a while after that while the dilation ones set in. The whole exam felt like a normal eye visit. I've worn glasses since I was 8. I know what its like to go through dilation and all of that. I didn't think about how babies don't know how to look left and right on command this young or to keep their eyes open with the bright light in their face. I stayed for the whole thing, I wanted him to know I was there but I had trouble watching as they clamped his eyes open and she manually turned his eyes. I'm grateful the nurse held him while she did the exam. It was over quick and he was back in my arms. He was also cleared as she announced his retina vessels were fully mature! No more eye visits until next year. They said to come back between 6-12 months so I picked April as a good 8 month range. Preemies are more prone to need corrective lenses or have other eye issues as they get older. Not all preemies will, my husband Chris has fine eye sight, his twin brother wears glasses though, and as I mentioned I do too although I'm not a preemie.
After our visit to Children's and the great news we headed to my parents house and I fed Flynn and put him down for a nap. I tried to nap too but I realized I was starving at about 10 and Flynn woke up and wasn't happy (new place and eyes still dilated) not long after that so he hung out with me on their couch for a few hours before we had to go to my own doctors appointment.
My dad came with us so he could watch Flynn in the waiting room. I think he also wanted to hear what the doctors had to say. He was always very worried about me in the hospital. He's made it clear via my mom that he doesn't want Chris and I to risk having another baby, but that is another story. This visit was a great one. They said all my stats were fine and it was great how quickly I recovered. My appointment was a follow-up with the Renal Clinic. They said they would check my proteins because it had been awhile but with my blood pressure being okay again and all my other blood work normal they didn't think their be an issue. My creatinine was only a 0.8! I remember when it was a 9! I have one more OB Post visit next week and I'm finally done with doctors for awhile. Flynn has just begun his visits but the rest should all be routine every baby visits. On Monday he gets his 2 month immunizations. I'm so glad Chris will be there with me for that one.
Last night Flynn didn't want to sleep in the bassinet upstairs so I ended up sleeping on the couch so that Chris could sleep since he has to get up so early for work. Flynn had another similar night where he woke up at midnight and then 2am and 3am. This time he fell back to sleep though and is still sleeping so I didn't get up till 5 and can enjoy my coffee. Here is to hoping today is smoother. I plan on doing some much needed house work today and just relaxing otherwise.
Flynn and I both had Doctor appointments yesterday in Denver. I packed up both his diaper bags with formula, clothes, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, his baby monitor and a book for me haha. We headed to Children's Hospital around 6:30 to account for traffic and go down there at about a quarter to 8. We were needless to say about 45 minutes early when I parked the Jeep and that is when I realized I forgot his stroller. It wasn't that big a deal but I'm still building up my strength and his car seat gets heavy!
We made it inside fine. I found a family bathroom and Flynn had his first ever public building diaper change. Haha. So many silly firsts out there for us to experience together.
They took us at the Eye Clinic pretty quickly. I felt so bad for him. Preemies are prone to a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) which is caused due to the blood vessels to the retina developing abnormally. Anyway, in the NICU Flynn was cleared but had to have a follow-up because his retina blood vessels had not fully matured yet. I was not there when they did that initial exam. Yesterday I found it out they were really close to being mature at that point. Which had I known would have made me worry much less. He saw the same doctor at Children's as he did at UCH. Mainly because they are right next to each other they share a lot of physicians. The UCH NICU is a level 3 and Children's is a lvl 4. He could have gone over to Children's had he been in worse shape when he was born, that is where all the babies requiring extra care/surgeries go.
I know the eye exam didn't hurt him but it wasn't pleasant to watch. He cried his eyes out while the nurse put the eye drops in his eyes. First numbing ones and then dilation ones. I got to hold him for a while after that while the dilation ones set in. The whole exam felt like a normal eye visit. I've worn glasses since I was 8. I know what its like to go through dilation and all of that. I didn't think about how babies don't know how to look left and right on command this young or to keep their eyes open with the bright light in their face. I stayed for the whole thing, I wanted him to know I was there but I had trouble watching as they clamped his eyes open and she manually turned his eyes. I'm grateful the nurse held him while she did the exam. It was over quick and he was back in my arms. He was also cleared as she announced his retina vessels were fully mature! No more eye visits until next year. They said to come back between 6-12 months so I picked April as a good 8 month range. Preemies are more prone to need corrective lenses or have other eye issues as they get older. Not all preemies will, my husband Chris has fine eye sight, his twin brother wears glasses though, and as I mentioned I do too although I'm not a preemie.
After our visit to Children's and the great news we headed to my parents house and I fed Flynn and put him down for a nap. I tried to nap too but I realized I was starving at about 10 and Flynn woke up and wasn't happy (new place and eyes still dilated) not long after that so he hung out with me on their couch for a few hours before we had to go to my own doctors appointment.
My dad came with us so he could watch Flynn in the waiting room. I think he also wanted to hear what the doctors had to say. He was always very worried about me in the hospital. He's made it clear via my mom that he doesn't want Chris and I to risk having another baby, but that is another story. This visit was a great one. They said all my stats were fine and it was great how quickly I recovered. My appointment was a follow-up with the Renal Clinic. They said they would check my proteins because it had been awhile but with my blood pressure being okay again and all my other blood work normal they didn't think their be an issue. My creatinine was only a 0.8! I remember when it was a 9! I have one more OB Post visit next week and I'm finally done with doctors for awhile. Flynn has just begun his visits but the rest should all be routine every baby visits. On Monday he gets his 2 month immunizations. I'm so glad Chris will be there with me for that one.
Last night Flynn didn't want to sleep in the bassinet upstairs so I ended up sleeping on the couch so that Chris could sleep since he has to get up so early for work. Flynn had another similar night where he woke up at midnight and then 2am and 3am. This time he fell back to sleep though and is still sleeping so I didn't get up till 5 and can enjoy my coffee. Here is to hoping today is smoother. I plan on doing some much needed house work today and just relaxing otherwise.
Friday, August 3, 2012
So much to remember..
I love my son and I want to share him with the world. If not I wouldn't be doing this right? Well people do not realize that as a preemie he isn't like a regular 7 week old baby. I have to remember my patience when dealing with family and friends.
I want them to see him but he just came home. In my opinion trying to limit how much we go out for now is completely acceptable. In fact the nurses at the NICU indicated we should try and keep him home more. I'm really nervous about his party on the 18th. I am prepared to have lots of hand sanitizer and make sure people are washing their hands and I am not afraid to tell people no but I do feel some guilt, I'm not ready to take our son to a lot of public places. Maybe in a few weeks but he is still so small and young. So for now no unnecessary trips.
I have to remember that not everyone is familiar with preemies. How at this point its not about how many ounces he eats but how many milliliters. Which is is doing better every day. Yesterday he took 210mLs (7oz) and last night about 165mL(5.5oz). We track in 12 hour chunks. The pediatrician told us to just slowly increase his feedings as he feels ready for them. He is only taking the 60mL (2oz) some of the time and we are dealing with that every so common spit up. His reflux is very mild which makes me happy and we've been burping him several times a feeding. The NICU nurses always said he was a good burper and he was even known for it in the NICU! The paperwork we were given by the Pediatrician also mentioned to help ease reflux and spit up to have him sit up for up to 30 minutes after feedings and to be honest its really working!
We took Flynn on his first walk yesterday. It went well. He is still so small that he slept the whole time. We plan on taking him again this evening. On the walk we stopped at a bakery in town. We live in a very small town. I'm talking one restaurant and now this bakery kind of small town. It was really nice and we had yummy gelato. ^_^ Still Flynn slept and I wasn't so worried being there because we were the only ones there aside from the girl working.
So far this morning he seems to be up every two hours. Although he did let us relax for a good 4 hours from about 4am to 8am. I know he isn't even two months old yet but I'm going to be happy when he sleeps later. We've been told for now to not let him sleep over 4 hours.
I want them to see him but he just came home. In my opinion trying to limit how much we go out for now is completely acceptable. In fact the nurses at the NICU indicated we should try and keep him home more. I'm really nervous about his party on the 18th. I am prepared to have lots of hand sanitizer and make sure people are washing their hands and I am not afraid to tell people no but I do feel some guilt, I'm not ready to take our son to a lot of public places. Maybe in a few weeks but he is still so small and young. So for now no unnecessary trips.
I have to remember that not everyone is familiar with preemies. How at this point its not about how many ounces he eats but how many milliliters. Which is is doing better every day. Yesterday he took 210mLs (7oz) and last night about 165mL(5.5oz). We track in 12 hour chunks. The pediatrician told us to just slowly increase his feedings as he feels ready for them. He is only taking the 60mL (2oz) some of the time and we are dealing with that every so common spit up. His reflux is very mild which makes me happy and we've been burping him several times a feeding. The NICU nurses always said he was a good burper and he was even known for it in the NICU! The paperwork we were given by the Pediatrician also mentioned to help ease reflux and spit up to have him sit up for up to 30 minutes after feedings and to be honest its really working!
We took Flynn on his first walk yesterday. It went well. He is still so small that he slept the whole time. We plan on taking him again this evening. On the walk we stopped at a bakery in town. We live in a very small town. I'm talking one restaurant and now this bakery kind of small town. It was really nice and we had yummy gelato. ^_^ Still Flynn slept and I wasn't so worried being there because we were the only ones there aside from the girl working.
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| Chris doing PT with Flynn |
Doing his physical therapy and getting him to take his vitamins gets easier with time. We even did a little tummy time yesterday. He lifted his head twice for me! I plan on doing it everyday. Hopefully he will like it better each day.
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| Flynn after a feeding but not yet sleepy |
I can't help but pick him up as well as photograph him. I love his expressions!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Settling In
Our first night with Flynn home was pretty rough. He was up every hour or so to eat or be changed. Yesterday he became a total rock star with his food though although he spit up a bit as the day went on (what baby doesn't?).
We took Flynn to Walmart with us yesterday morning and it went well he stayed asleep during the trip and since Chris and I were exhausted we didn't stay out long. We ended up not getting the Diaper Genie but my Mother-in-law knew we were looking for one and went shopping on her lunch break with a co-worker who actually bought it for us as a baby gift. Its pretty nice. ^_^
Everything is getting easier for us and last night went much more smooth. Flynn took more food at each feeding and therefore slept for longer intervals and Chris and I got a little sleep! I could have partly been just because we were exhausted ourselves. We went to bed around 11pm after Flynn had fed one last time. He woke up around 1am and then again around 4am just taking over the minimum for the 12 hour period.
This morning Flynn had his first check visit with his pediatrician. She was really nice and said he is doing great. She said that they will try and see if the insurance company will cover the care for RSV but that since he was so healthy and will be a bit older by cold and flu season they may not cover the care. That is a bummer since that is when he will be in daycare but maybe they will cover the medication. We shall see how things go.
Flynn did not gain any weight but she said not to worry since the scale is different and he was still adjusting to his new surroundings. He has to go back in 2 weeks for his first immunizations and they will weigh him then and we will need to be concerned if he hasn't gained by then. Currently he is 6lbs 11oz.
Poor guy has to go to the pediatric opthamologist next week and then back to the pediatrician the following week for his first set of immunizations and a weight check.
Going to take him on his first walk in his stroller tonight. Can't wait to get out and stretch my legs its been a few days since I've taken a walk. I was doing really well getting a 45 minute walk in almost daily when I was staying in Denver during his time in the NICU. I need a new routine now. I hope when I go in for my last post par-tum appointment they clear me to start doing more exercise.
Alright I need to get some cleaning done while he is still asleep he'll be waking up soon I think.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Homecoming Photos!
Flynn's first day home. I couldn't help it he is so adorable and we were so happy to have him home with us!
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| Just got home! |
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| First time sleeping in his pack'n'play bassinet |
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| Seems happy to be home to me! |
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| Achilles checking out Flynn |
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| Taking one of his first bottles at home! |
Baby, I'm coming home..
On Friday when I went to the NICU Flynn no longer had his NG tube. He had pulled it out that morning and the Doctors decided to see what happened. He was put on on-demand feeding finally. He had not gained weight in a few days but he took what he needed to for the on-demand minumum that day. The next day I was at my cousin Emily's for her daughter's fourth birthday. While there I received a call from the hospital asking for consent to do the circumcision for Flynn. They do this when the baby is within a few days from coming home! I was so excited.
My poor boy was not happy when I got to the hospital later that night. I found out he had lost weight the night before as well which was not good. They upped his calorie intake to 24 cal per bottle and they told me he could be coming home by Monday if he gained weight.
Sunday I called the NICU for an update. My mom and I were trying to plan our day. We wanted to come to my home and do some cleaning to get ready for Flynn's homecoming if he was coming home. The nurse said he had gained and so it still looked possible and she asked if Chris and I would like to do the "rooming in" where we would stay in room with Flynn for the night at the hospital. Flynn would still be hooked up to all his monitors and we would be in charge of his care. Chris and I went for it. So that night we stayed with our boy for the first time. It was interesting staying. We did really well with his care and didn't really get much sleep though because it was in the hospital.
It took most of the morning on Monday but they finally discharged Flynn!! Our little boy finally came home! He did really well in the car which made me so happy. They told us it will take about a week for him to adjust to his new home and last night was a lot harder to feed him. He wouldn't take much of his bottles so he kept waking up a lot. Today we have to go to the store to pick up things we need like food and a hamper for Flynn, a diaper genie, and we may get a microwave bottle sterilizer. We were really funny to watch yesterday. We have no covered trash cans and we were not sure what to do with the diapers!
The only other concern I had before he came home was how our cat Higgins and dog Achilles were going to react but they have been great so far. Achilles is concerned every time Flynn fusses or cries, and Higgins hasn't made up his mind yet I think but neither is hostile. They both seem to know he is an infant and therefore need to be gentle.
Will post photos when I can. ^_^
Now that Flynn is home let the next chapter begin!
My poor boy was not happy when I got to the hospital later that night. I found out he had lost weight the night before as well which was not good. They upped his calorie intake to 24 cal per bottle and they told me he could be coming home by Monday if he gained weight.
Sunday I called the NICU for an update. My mom and I were trying to plan our day. We wanted to come to my home and do some cleaning to get ready for Flynn's homecoming if he was coming home. The nurse said he had gained and so it still looked possible and she asked if Chris and I would like to do the "rooming in" where we would stay in room with Flynn for the night at the hospital. Flynn would still be hooked up to all his monitors and we would be in charge of his care. Chris and I went for it. So that night we stayed with our boy for the first time. It was interesting staying. We did really well with his care and didn't really get much sleep though because it was in the hospital.
It took most of the morning on Monday but they finally discharged Flynn!! Our little boy finally came home! He did really well in the car which made me so happy. They told us it will take about a week for him to adjust to his new home and last night was a lot harder to feed him. He wouldn't take much of his bottles so he kept waking up a lot. Today we have to go to the store to pick up things we need like food and a hamper for Flynn, a diaper genie, and we may get a microwave bottle sterilizer. We were really funny to watch yesterday. We have no covered trash cans and we were not sure what to do with the diapers!
The only other concern I had before he came home was how our cat Higgins and dog Achilles were going to react but they have been great so far. Achilles is concerned every time Flynn fusses or cries, and Higgins hasn't made up his mind yet I think but neither is hostile. They both seem to know he is an infant and therefore need to be gentle.
Will post photos when I can. ^_^
Now that Flynn is home let the next chapter begin!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Articles
Here are some articles I found on The Bump about Preemies:
The Worst Things to Say to Moms of Preemies
NICU Cheat Sheet
Advice for Surviving the NICU
The first one has a lot of things I've heard.. and I have to agree with how they felt when they heard them. Like when my son was first born, when I saw how many people on facebook were saying how happy they were for us and congratulating us it felt like a double edged sword. I mean my son was 2 months early and in the NICU and I nearly died. It didn't feel very celebratory to me. Unless you've gone through it yourself I think its hard to understand. We've been one of the lucky ones though. The baby that had our area before us was born at 17 weeks and did not make it. We've had a pretty easy go of it although he is taking his dear sweet time with the bottle feeding.
Going to head to the hospital soon. I'll update you all on how is doing. I am hoping he will be home before Football season starts.. which for us is on August 9th with the Broncos playing the Bears.
The Worst Things to Say to Moms of Preemies
NICU Cheat Sheet
Advice for Surviving the NICU
The first one has a lot of things I've heard.. and I have to agree with how they felt when they heard them. Like when my son was first born, when I saw how many people on facebook were saying how happy they were for us and congratulating us it felt like a double edged sword. I mean my son was 2 months early and in the NICU and I nearly died. It didn't feel very celebratory to me. Unless you've gone through it yourself I think its hard to understand. We've been one of the lucky ones though. The baby that had our area before us was born at 17 weeks and did not make it. We've had a pretty easy go of it although he is taking his dear sweet time with the bottle feeding.
Going to head to the hospital soon. I'll update you all on how is doing. I am hoping he will be home before Football season starts.. which for us is on August 9th with the Broncos playing the Bears.
Care Times and Physical Therapy..
Yesterday I spent the longest I've ever spent in the NICU. After having spent 3 weeks as a patient and going through hell and back I honestly had problems staying for more than about 2-3 hours for a care time with Flynn. Yesterday though that all finally changed. I was there from 3pm to 7pm.
I was almost late for his 3pm care time! When I arrived he was finishing up his physical therapy. She was doing some tummy time with him and I was so proud of him. When he heard my voice he started lifting his head and of course grunting more. His little grunts amuse me.
I was only able to get him to take 20ccs from his bottle at 3pm but and about 27cc at 6pm. The nurse said he took that at 9am and slept through the noon. I was told it really is up to him. That one day he will just suddenly be strong enough to feed out of the bottle all the time. I'm just waiting patiently for that to happen.
I was almost late for his 3pm care time! When I arrived he was finishing up his physical therapy. She was doing some tummy time with him and I was so proud of him. When he heard my voice he started lifting his head and of course grunting more. His little grunts amuse me.
I was only able to get him to take 20ccs from his bottle at 3pm but and about 27cc at 6pm. The nurse said he took that at 9am and slept through the noon. I was told it really is up to him. That one day he will just suddenly be strong enough to feed out of the bottle all the time. I'm just waiting patiently for that to happen.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
It is getting better all the time..
Tomorrow officially marks Flynn's gestational age at 37 weeks. The nurses are confident he will not be there past his due date. He is up to taking a bottle at nearly all feedings but its the amount he takes from the bottle that is the issue now. He needs to get a little stronger so he can start taking more of his bottles. He weighed in at 6lbs 6oz the other day so he is still growing.
When I saw him yesterday the had said he took 3 out of 4 bottles the night before. Not the whole bottle but something. He took his whole bottle at 9am yesterday and was awake when we got in at 10:15. It was so nice to spend time with him awake like that.
Flynn gets visited by physical therapy 3-4 times a week. We met with them yesterday at 11:30. The woman who came was the one that had gone over his Morgan test results last week for me. He for his age range had to get a 66 on the test and he scored just over a 67. So I was really happy for him. Yesterday she basically just reviewed the abdomen curls, and the hand exercises on his face with us as well as taught us an exercise to do on his feet. I learned that you don't want to poke them on the bottoms of their feet as this can result in making their feet too sensitive when they are trying to learn to walk. There are so many things I feel like I still need to learn. I guess that comes with the territory. The other exercises she taught us have to do with strengthening his neck. One has him sitting up in my lap and I support his head by holding onto his cheeks and then sliding him backwards, forwards, and side to side just a small amount and just for a minute or so so he can slowly build up his neck muscles. Then there is one where he is laying in my lap and I have to get him to follow my voice and face from side to side to help again with his neck but I think that also works on other senses too since he has to follow you.
I know I'm probably biased but everyone agrees he is adorable. Can you blame them?
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| 5 Weeks Old! |
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| Hello! |
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| Proud Momma |
Well I better get going so I can go see my little man today.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Big Boy Diapers
When I went to see my son Flynn yesterday in the NICU he was off the oxygen. I was so thrilled to see that. It also appears his neighbor may be leaving soon because they were giving him a circumcision. They told us that happens a few days before they leave. The nurse was also talking about formula with them.
Flynn has a new nurse everyday. They rotate so he has the same one more than once but typically it is a different one everyday. The nurse he had yesterday was very informative. She covered a lot of care tips for me for when he comes home. She went over signs of dehydration, and other problems. Also told me to clean his mouth twice a day which isn't just for cleaning but also to help with prepping him for a toothbrush when he has teeth.
The most interesting thing she taught me was that it is important to rock with him twice a day for 30 minutes. As a preemie he needs help with his brain development and apparently its been found to help with left and right brain function if you rock them. This should not be hard for Chris and I. Chris loves to rock. Just have to make sure he doesn't rock him while he eats or just after.
I spent part of yesterday working on the happier bits of his baby book. I really can't wait to bring my son home. I hate that I can only see him for short times.
Today when I went in he was still off oxygen which is great. They had told me yesterday he has mild lung disease which is actually the better end of what to expect with a preemie and the only way to fix it is for him to be off assisted oxygen for at least 30 consecutive days so it seems like today marked day 2. We shall see if he can stay like this.
The other big news today was that he is no longer in preemie sized diapers. The nurse he had today went ahead and moved him over to newborn size. He weighed in the other day at 5lbs 14oz so he is so close to 6lbs I can understand the move. Diapers go by weight after all. My son is almost 5 weeks old and finally fits in newborn diapers. He isn't long enough yet to fit in new born clothes but by the time he comes home he should be.
Before I go. Here are some of the photos from when he was little. This was after he had been there for over a week. I don't have any from earlier. Not available to share here. You can see how much he has grown in these.
Flynn has a new nurse everyday. They rotate so he has the same one more than once but typically it is a different one everyday. The nurse he had yesterday was very informative. She covered a lot of care tips for me for when he comes home. She went over signs of dehydration, and other problems. Also told me to clean his mouth twice a day which isn't just for cleaning but also to help with prepping him for a toothbrush when he has teeth.
The most interesting thing she taught me was that it is important to rock with him twice a day for 30 minutes. As a preemie he needs help with his brain development and apparently its been found to help with left and right brain function if you rock them. This should not be hard for Chris and I. Chris loves to rock. Just have to make sure he doesn't rock him while he eats or just after.
I spent part of yesterday working on the happier bits of his baby book. I really can't wait to bring my son home. I hate that I can only see him for short times.
Today when I went in he was still off oxygen which is great. They had told me yesterday he has mild lung disease which is actually the better end of what to expect with a preemie and the only way to fix it is for him to be off assisted oxygen for at least 30 consecutive days so it seems like today marked day 2. We shall see if he can stay like this.
The other big news today was that he is no longer in preemie sized diapers. The nurse he had today went ahead and moved him over to newborn size. He weighed in the other day at 5lbs 14oz so he is so close to 6lbs I can understand the move. Diapers go by weight after all. My son is almost 5 weeks old and finally fits in newborn diapers. He isn't long enough yet to fit in new born clothes but by the time he comes home he should be.
Before I go. Here are some of the photos from when he was little. This was after he had been there for over a week. I don't have any from earlier. Not available to share here. You can see how much he has grown in these.
I'm hoping the next time I share photos they wont be from the hospital. ^_^
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Life, or some kind of miracle: A summary of my pregnancy
I know I know it has been ages and I'm sure not many people are going to read this post but I need to write this down and I feel like this is a great place to do so. Maybe it will help someone?
Just after Christmas I found out I was pregnant. It was one of the most exciting things I've ever experienced. I was happy, scared and just about any other emotion you can think of. Everything went great. I found a great OB and the pregnancy was confirmed on my Birthday of all things. Chris and I found out the due date was August 15th based on our first ultrasound.
My morning sickness was never that bad so everyone was saying I was having a boy. At our 20 week ultrasound we found out that this was actually the case. Chris and I had been so excited about having a baby we had already been preparing names before we were half way through the pregnancy. We had picked Avery Helen for a girl and Flynn Jackson for a boy.
At my 20 week ultrasound there was a slight concern. The ultrasound tech and found an issue with the uterine notching. After the ultrasound I received a call from my dr. office stating they wanted me to go on a low dose aspirin and for me to come back for a 24 week ultrasound. The issues they had found we a potential early warning sign for a condition known as Preeclampsia. At the time there had been no real concern with my Blood Pressure at my Dr. visits. When I went back for the 24 week ultrasound they said everything was much better. In fact my little boy was now in the 90% tile and they guessed was about 1.2lbs already. I was very excited.
Around then I noticed that I was swelling a lot more. When I went in at 26 weeks for my next checkup they told me to try and put my feet up when I was at home. So that is what I did. It seemed to really help. I had to buy new shoes too.
By now we were planning for baby showers, daycare, and getting hand-me-downs from my cousin whose youngest was starting to grow out of his clothes. Everything still seemed okay. I was working out almost daily.
When you are pregnant there are lots of tests for your health as well as the babies. The Glucose test I had to take ended up coming back a little high so I had to go back for the 3 hour Glucose test. When I did that I was told one of my draws was abnormal and as a precaution they were going to send me to a Gestational Diabetes Clinic. I went and was told I had gestational diabetes. I told them I was told by my doctor that only one draw was abnormal. I guess this clinic had higher standards because they said all three were abnormal. They put me on a diabetic diet and gave me a blood glucose monitor. They told me this meant both myself and my son were prone to Type 2 Diabetes. I was admittedly very freaked out about this.
This was all at about 28 weeks. At my first visit with them my BP came back at 150/88. At this point I was pretty heavy too. I had gained a lot more weight than I had intended and it seemed like no matter what I did I kept gaining about 2-3lbs a week! The nurse I saw at the clinic said to take a shower when I got home and that could help with my BP. That was the highest my blood pressure had ever been. I went about life like normal well what I thought was my new normal until Flynn was born.
At 30 weeks we were going to start our birthing classes I was so excited. We were getting so much closer to August. The same day of our first class I got sick. I literally got sick in my garbage at work I was so embarassed. I almost went home but I figured since my class was at the hospital I may as well go. I thought my blood sugar was low and the nurse incharge of the class gave me some hard candy and I felt better.
I went home that night and ended up being sick most of the night and I had a fever. I already had 2 doctor appointments the next day and was actually feeling better by morning. My bp was in the 140 range at my OB visit. She told me to drink plenty of fluids and take a walk she said that would help. She felt I'd caught a stomach bug that had been going around. They said the same thing at my Gestational Diabetes appointment that afternoon. Although my BP was up again to 150/88. They told me to start cutting salt in my diet.
The next morning when I woke up I was sick again. My doctor had said to call if I was still sick and so I did just that. It was 4:30 in the morning so I had to wait to get a call back but she told me to go to the Birth Place, which is the maternity wing at the local hosipital. So we went to the emergency entrance. Something we had learned on our tour at the hospital due to the time. They took us up to the materinty wing. I was there in their triage room for 6 hours. My doctor came and she got all my results from the nurses and after about 6 hours I was released. I was put on modified bed rest, which means I could go to the rest room and shower, and told I had to go see my dr on monday. I spent a long boring weekend curled up on my couch during the day and in bed at night.
I was feeling a lot better that Monday. I thought I was going to get cleared to return to work. I went and saw a daycare with Chris that morning. We had finally found one we could afford and liked. We went to my OB. They took my BP it was in the 150s, they had me lay down on my side for about 5 minutes or so and when the nurse came back my BP had gone up. At this point I was once again sent to the hospital. Luckily it was literally next door.
They hooked me up to all the machines again and ran blood work and my Doctor showed up. She explained to me after I'd been there for about 2 hours. That they had found a high number of proteins in my blood work and combined with my BP being so high this was confirming that I had Severe Preeclampsia. This is a threat of seizures as well as other things you don't want. My local hospital was not equipped for my condition because it guarantees an early delivery. They had a helicopter pick me up and take me to Denver. The University of Colorado Hospital has a level 3 NICU and is one of the best hospitals in the country for my condition. They gave me steriod shots to speed up the lung development for Flynn. We were just under 31 weeks at this point into the pregnancy. It took over 48 hours to stabilize me.
That first night was scary. The stress of everything put me in preterm labor. I actually got to two centimeters dilation before it finally subsided. The third day I was there I was moved to a more long term hospital room. The goal was to keep me pregnant as long as possible. When you have Severe Preeclampsia you do not go past 34 weeks. At that point the pregnancy is too dangerous. They said typically when this condition becomes evident like it had with me they can keep the woman pregnant for about 7-10 days. The only cure for this condition is birth and its really not a cure it just seems to fix the problem.
Everything was going well until that Saturday. I had had been admitted on June 11th, on June 16th my Mom came to see me as she did everyday and she took me down in a wheelchair to get some fresh air in the garden outside the hospital. I was on modified bed rest at this point again. When she left my Dad came to visit and we played cards for awhile. It was almost dinner time when he left. I was talking to Chris via texts because he had gone back to work that day. It had been hard being separated he had been with me most of that week. But we knew he had to work since I wasn't working.
The next part is hard to explain but its what I really need to get down. I started feeling this discomfort right under my sternum. I called the nurse. They tried giving me tums and some other medicine for indigestion. I kept telling them that wasn't it but they said they had to try everything and the doctor on call was coming. The nurse admitted it sounded like it could be my liver was the issue but we had to wait and see. I was terrified. I told Chris I thought it was time, I told him to all my Mom as they live 10 minutes away and to get down here himself. Our house was about 45 minutes away. At first he was hesitant because he had to work early the next morning and I turned out fine by the time he got there it'd be a long night but he came, he realized I wouldn't have been acting like I was if it wasn't serious.
My parents got there when the doctors were trying to check my vitals. I couldn't stop moving and so they couldn't do everything they wanted. Anesthesia showed upped when they had finally made the call that I had to have a c-section. At first he was talking to me about an epidural but after assessing my state he changed his mind. He explained I'd have to be put under general anesthesia, They moved me to a gurney and took me to the OR. A nurse told me Chris had arrived but since I was in surgery I'd have to wait and see him afterwards but he was there. I remember having to wait to be put under because the surgeon was finishing up in the other OR. The next bit is vague.
I remember people. I remember Chris, and my parents, I remember my father-in-law was there. I remember my Mother-in-law and her husband were there. I also remember being wheeled by this tiny baby in an isolette.
I remember what was the next day, June 17th, and being told about when Flynn was born, the time and how big he was. My son was born on June 16th at 7:07pm and was about 3lbs 13oz when he was born. I remember having a morphine drip. I remember pain and the doctor pressing on my abdomen. I remember feeling the blood and being grateful I couldn't see it. I remember getting really itchy and they gave me benodryl in shots to my IV because I was breaking out in hives. I remember them saying it had to do with my liver. I remember having to be taken back to the OR and going back under.
I don't remember anything else until Tuesday June 19th. My parents and Chris were there. I was in a new room. I was in the SICU. The Surgery ICU. I was hooked up to all kinds of machines. My family explained to me that I had come down with a severe case of HELLP Syndrome. another complication of pregnancy. They had to take me back to the OR due to blood clotting issues. Luckily I did not need to be re-cut into.
I was told my organs had gone to sleep over the stress of being put under 2 days in a row. My kidneys and liver were not working. My liver came back first. My kidneys weren't working and I had a lot of water on my body and in my lungs. They had to insert a catheter in my neck and put me on dialysis. My first treatment they took 10 liters of fluid off me. My blood pressure was so high they could go that long. I had fallen asleep at this point. I'd been given something to calm me down as well and when I woke up I was on a respirator and had a feeding tube they removed the respiratory and put me on a different breathing apparatus. I can't remember the name. I also had too many doctors to describe here. I had to have dialysis the next day again, they took another 9 liters of fluid off me, and then again the next day. I was starting to feel better. They were able to take a day off and I got to sit in a chair.
During all of this Chris and I talked to the lactation nurses and I decided not to try and pump milk to breast feed. I felt like I was being selfish but really I needed to focus on healing. One night my nurse wheeled my bed up to the NICU so I could see Flynn without the anesthesia wearing off. He was so tiny but I promised him I'd keep getting better if he did too. We have both kept that promise so far.
I spent a week in the SICU. I was then moved up Sunday June 24th I was finally moved back to the women's clinic so I was on the same floor as Flynn. Monday the 25th they took me down for dialysis it ended up being my last time. They only took 5 liters. Over that week I'd had 5 treatments and they had taken over 30 liters of fluid off my body. People said I looked like a different person. From when I was admitted to when I was released I lost almost 50lbs. Part of that was the birth but most of it was sheer water retention from the Preeclampsia.
It wasn't until the end of that week that I was finally starting to show signs of my kidneys waking up. My blood work didn't finally start showing true improvement until Saturday. The Renal department, or as we all called them the Kidney Doctors, said I had to show drops of creatinine two days in a row. To give you and idea, my Creatinine was over 9ml on Friday June 29th, an average female adult should have between .06 to 1.1ml in their blood. Saturday that number dropped to 8. Sunday to 7. on Sunday they took my dialysis catheter out. During my stay due to my lungs and being in bed so long I was being treated for pnuemonia as well and so I had to stay in the hospital until I finished my antibiotics. I was released on July 2nd. I had been in the hospital for 3 weeks.
My son is still there. He is getting stronger and bigger everyday. He wont be there longer than his original due date but I'm hoping he will be coming home sooner. I've been staying with my parents in Denver. Since I'm still not working and wont be until Flynn can go to daycare which is not until the end of Sept. I am not sure I'll have a job to go back to. We will have to see what happens. I'm waiting to hear back from them again about that exact issue.
Chris and I are making it work as best we can right now knowing this is all only temporary. My blood work as an out patient has been great my last creatinine level which was drawn on July 9th was 1.7.. I have my outpatient Renal appointment on August 8th. I have to get one more blood draw before then I plan on doing it in the next 2 weeks. I'm only on blood pressure medicine at this point as my blood pressure still has not returned to normal. I was told it could do so quickly or take a few months. I am excepting it may never go back to normal but hoping it does.
It is all a waiting game now. When Flynn is released I will go home for good. He has to be able to drink from a bottle at every feeding and take the minimum amount of calories as well as not start losing weight. He has to not have a bradycardia or apnea incident for at least 5 days and sadly yesterday he had a brady again. That is when his heart rate drops significantly as a premie it should be around 150 bpm but it dropped to 77 while I was holding him. It went back up on his own but it still reset the clock.
I go see him everyday. I am going to go get ready to do that now actually. Since I'm almost unemployed I'll keep updating more. Now I have something to talk about again. My son and my new experience as not just a mother but a mother of a premie. It really does change things. I'll share photos tomorrow. My last bit is to say he is like a very tiny baby. He isn't made of glass and he is getting bigger every day. As of two nights ago he weighed in at 5lbs 11.9oz
Just after Christmas I found out I was pregnant. It was one of the most exciting things I've ever experienced. I was happy, scared and just about any other emotion you can think of. Everything went great. I found a great OB and the pregnancy was confirmed on my Birthday of all things. Chris and I found out the due date was August 15th based on our first ultrasound.
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| 2-27-2012 - 15w 5days |
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| 3-10-2012 - 17w 3days |
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| 3-17-2012 - 18w 3days |
My morning sickness was never that bad so everyone was saying I was having a boy. At our 20 week ultrasound we found out that this was actually the case. Chris and I had been so excited about having a baby we had already been preparing names before we were half way through the pregnancy. We had picked Avery Helen for a girl and Flynn Jackson for a boy.
At my 20 week ultrasound there was a slight concern. The ultrasound tech and found an issue with the uterine notching. After the ultrasound I received a call from my dr. office stating they wanted me to go on a low dose aspirin and for me to come back for a 24 week ultrasound. The issues they had found we a potential early warning sign for a condition known as Preeclampsia. At the time there had been no real concern with my Blood Pressure at my Dr. visits. When I went back for the 24 week ultrasound they said everything was much better. In fact my little boy was now in the 90% tile and they guessed was about 1.2lbs already. I was very excited.
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| Mom, Me, Baby Seth - 4-28-2012 |
Around then I noticed that I was swelling a lot more. When I went in at 26 weeks for my next checkup they told me to try and put my feet up when I was at home. So that is what I did. It seemed to really help. I had to buy new shoes too.
By now we were planning for baby showers, daycare, and getting hand-me-downs from my cousin whose youngest was starting to grow out of his clothes. Everything still seemed okay. I was working out almost daily.
 |
| 5-20-2012 - Dallas and Christine's Wedding my last big outing |
When you are pregnant there are lots of tests for your health as well as the babies. The Glucose test I had to take ended up coming back a little high so I had to go back for the 3 hour Glucose test. When I did that I was told one of my draws was abnormal and as a precaution they were going to send me to a Gestational Diabetes Clinic. I went and was told I had gestational diabetes. I told them I was told by my doctor that only one draw was abnormal. I guess this clinic had higher standards because they said all three were abnormal. They put me on a diabetic diet and gave me a blood glucose monitor. They told me this meant both myself and my son were prone to Type 2 Diabetes. I was admittedly very freaked out about this.
This was all at about 28 weeks. At my first visit with them my BP came back at 150/88. At this point I was pretty heavy too. I had gained a lot more weight than I had intended and it seemed like no matter what I did I kept gaining about 2-3lbs a week! The nurse I saw at the clinic said to take a shower when I got home and that could help with my BP. That was the highest my blood pressure had ever been. I went about life like normal well what I thought was my new normal until Flynn was born.
At 30 weeks we were going to start our birthing classes I was so excited. We were getting so much closer to August. The same day of our first class I got sick. I literally got sick in my garbage at work I was so embarassed. I almost went home but I figured since my class was at the hospital I may as well go. I thought my blood sugar was low and the nurse incharge of the class gave me some hard candy and I felt better.
I went home that night and ended up being sick most of the night and I had a fever. I already had 2 doctor appointments the next day and was actually feeling better by morning. My bp was in the 140 range at my OB visit. She told me to drink plenty of fluids and take a walk she said that would help. She felt I'd caught a stomach bug that had been going around. They said the same thing at my Gestational Diabetes appointment that afternoon. Although my BP was up again to 150/88. They told me to start cutting salt in my diet.
The next morning when I woke up I was sick again. My doctor had said to call if I was still sick and so I did just that. It was 4:30 in the morning so I had to wait to get a call back but she told me to go to the Birth Place, which is the maternity wing at the local hosipital. So we went to the emergency entrance. Something we had learned on our tour at the hospital due to the time. They took us up to the materinty wing. I was there in their triage room for 6 hours. My doctor came and she got all my results from the nurses and after about 6 hours I was released. I was put on modified bed rest, which means I could go to the rest room and shower, and told I had to go see my dr on monday. I spent a long boring weekend curled up on my couch during the day and in bed at night.
I was feeling a lot better that Monday. I thought I was going to get cleared to return to work. I went and saw a daycare with Chris that morning. We had finally found one we could afford and liked. We went to my OB. They took my BP it was in the 150s, they had me lay down on my side for about 5 minutes or so and when the nurse came back my BP had gone up. At this point I was once again sent to the hospital. Luckily it was literally next door.
They hooked me up to all the machines again and ran blood work and my Doctor showed up. She explained to me after I'd been there for about 2 hours. That they had found a high number of proteins in my blood work and combined with my BP being so high this was confirming that I had Severe Preeclampsia. This is a threat of seizures as well as other things you don't want. My local hospital was not equipped for my condition because it guarantees an early delivery. They had a helicopter pick me up and take me to Denver. The University of Colorado Hospital has a level 3 NICU and is one of the best hospitals in the country for my condition. They gave me steriod shots to speed up the lung development for Flynn. We were just under 31 weeks at this point into the pregnancy. It took over 48 hours to stabilize me.
That first night was scary. The stress of everything put me in preterm labor. I actually got to two centimeters dilation before it finally subsided. The third day I was there I was moved to a more long term hospital room. The goal was to keep me pregnant as long as possible. When you have Severe Preeclampsia you do not go past 34 weeks. At that point the pregnancy is too dangerous. They said typically when this condition becomes evident like it had with me they can keep the woman pregnant for about 7-10 days. The only cure for this condition is birth and its really not a cure it just seems to fix the problem.
Everything was going well until that Saturday. I had had been admitted on June 11th, on June 16th my Mom came to see me as she did everyday and she took me down in a wheelchair to get some fresh air in the garden outside the hospital. I was on modified bed rest at this point again. When she left my Dad came to visit and we played cards for awhile. It was almost dinner time when he left. I was talking to Chris via texts because he had gone back to work that day. It had been hard being separated he had been with me most of that week. But we knew he had to work since I wasn't working.
The next part is hard to explain but its what I really need to get down. I started feeling this discomfort right under my sternum. I called the nurse. They tried giving me tums and some other medicine for indigestion. I kept telling them that wasn't it but they said they had to try everything and the doctor on call was coming. The nurse admitted it sounded like it could be my liver was the issue but we had to wait and see. I was terrified. I told Chris I thought it was time, I told him to all my Mom as they live 10 minutes away and to get down here himself. Our house was about 45 minutes away. At first he was hesitant because he had to work early the next morning and I turned out fine by the time he got there it'd be a long night but he came, he realized I wouldn't have been acting like I was if it wasn't serious.
My parents got there when the doctors were trying to check my vitals. I couldn't stop moving and so they couldn't do everything they wanted. Anesthesia showed upped when they had finally made the call that I had to have a c-section. At first he was talking to me about an epidural but after assessing my state he changed his mind. He explained I'd have to be put under general anesthesia, They moved me to a gurney and took me to the OR. A nurse told me Chris had arrived but since I was in surgery I'd have to wait and see him afterwards but he was there. I remember having to wait to be put under because the surgeon was finishing up in the other OR. The next bit is vague.
I remember people. I remember Chris, and my parents, I remember my father-in-law was there. I remember my Mother-in-law and her husband were there. I also remember being wheeled by this tiny baby in an isolette.
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| Born 6-16-2012 at 7:07pm 3lbs 13oz |
I remember what was the next day, June 17th, and being told about when Flynn was born, the time and how big he was. My son was born on June 16th at 7:07pm and was about 3lbs 13oz when he was born. I remember having a morphine drip. I remember pain and the doctor pressing on my abdomen. I remember feeling the blood and being grateful I couldn't see it. I remember getting really itchy and they gave me benodryl in shots to my IV because I was breaking out in hives. I remember them saying it had to do with my liver. I remember having to be taken back to the OR and going back under.
I don't remember anything else until Tuesday June 19th. My parents and Chris were there. I was in a new room. I was in the SICU. The Surgery ICU. I was hooked up to all kinds of machines. My family explained to me that I had come down with a severe case of HELLP Syndrome. another complication of pregnancy. They had to take me back to the OR due to blood clotting issues. Luckily I did not need to be re-cut into.
I was told my organs had gone to sleep over the stress of being put under 2 days in a row. My kidneys and liver were not working. My liver came back first. My kidneys weren't working and I had a lot of water on my body and in my lungs. They had to insert a catheter in my neck and put me on dialysis. My first treatment they took 10 liters of fluid off me. My blood pressure was so high they could go that long. I had fallen asleep at this point. I'd been given something to calm me down as well and when I woke up I was on a respirator and had a feeding tube they removed the respiratory and put me on a different breathing apparatus. I can't remember the name. I also had too many doctors to describe here. I had to have dialysis the next day again, they took another 9 liters of fluid off me, and then again the next day. I was starting to feel better. They were able to take a day off and I got to sit in a chair.
During all of this Chris and I talked to the lactation nurses and I decided not to try and pump milk to breast feed. I felt like I was being selfish but really I needed to focus on healing. One night my nurse wheeled my bed up to the NICU so I could see Flynn without the anesthesia wearing off. He was so tiny but I promised him I'd keep getting better if he did too. We have both kept that promise so far.
I spent a week in the SICU. I was then moved up Sunday June 24th I was finally moved back to the women's clinic so I was on the same floor as Flynn. Monday the 25th they took me down for dialysis it ended up being my last time. They only took 5 liters. Over that week I'd had 5 treatments and they had taken over 30 liters of fluid off my body. People said I looked like a different person. From when I was admitted to when I was released I lost almost 50lbs. Part of that was the birth but most of it was sheer water retention from the Preeclampsia.
It wasn't until the end of that week that I was finally starting to show signs of my kidneys waking up. My blood work didn't finally start showing true improvement until Saturday. The Renal department, or as we all called them the Kidney Doctors, said I had to show drops of creatinine two days in a row. To give you and idea, my Creatinine was over 9ml on Friday June 29th, an average female adult should have between .06 to 1.1ml in their blood. Saturday that number dropped to 8. Sunday to 7. on Sunday they took my dialysis catheter out. During my stay due to my lungs and being in bed so long I was being treated for pnuemonia as well and so I had to stay in the hospital until I finished my antibiotics. I was released on July 2nd. I had been in the hospital for 3 weeks.
My son is still there. He is getting stronger and bigger everyday. He wont be there longer than his original due date but I'm hoping he will be coming home sooner. I've been staying with my parents in Denver. Since I'm still not working and wont be until Flynn can go to daycare which is not until the end of Sept. I am not sure I'll have a job to go back to. We will have to see what happens. I'm waiting to hear back from them again about that exact issue.
Chris and I are making it work as best we can right now knowing this is all only temporary. My blood work as an out patient has been great my last creatinine level which was drawn on July 9th was 1.7.. I have my outpatient Renal appointment on August 8th. I have to get one more blood draw before then I plan on doing it in the next 2 weeks. I'm only on blood pressure medicine at this point as my blood pressure still has not returned to normal. I was told it could do so quickly or take a few months. I am excepting it may never go back to normal but hoping it does.
It is all a waiting game now. When Flynn is released I will go home for good. He has to be able to drink from a bottle at every feeding and take the minimum amount of calories as well as not start losing weight. He has to not have a bradycardia or apnea incident for at least 5 days and sadly yesterday he had a brady again. That is when his heart rate drops significantly as a premie it should be around 150 bpm but it dropped to 77 while I was holding him. It went back up on his own but it still reset the clock.
I go see him everyday. I am going to go get ready to do that now actually. Since I'm almost unemployed I'll keep updating more. Now I have something to talk about again. My son and my new experience as not just a mother but a mother of a premie. It really does change things. I'll share photos tomorrow. My last bit is to say he is like a very tiny baby. He isn't made of glass and he is getting bigger every day. As of two nights ago he weighed in at 5lbs 11.9oz
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