An Update Finally!

OK, so I have been horrible with keeping this up! It seems like my schedule is so crazy with pumping and going to the hospital that the free time I have I just like to rest. I thought though, you might enjoy an update on our little man.

He is AMAZING! It is getting harder and harder to leave him. He is really changing and growing and just so much fun to stare at. He should be about 4lbs when I check today (I only ask his weight every other day. Sometimes he loses weight so if I ask every day it will drive me crazy.). He is doing well with the bottle. They had him on a bottle every other feeding and would give him the milk through his tube in his nose for the other feedings. Yesterday they switched him to a bottle as much as he will take it. Adam gave him his third bottle in a row yesterday. They say that after 2 or 3 he should get tired and not take one, but we will see. They switch him because he pulled out his feeding tube again Saturday night. He said "enough with this!"

Saturday late afternoon they took him out of his temperature regulated bed and put him in a "crib" (their version of a crib) since he is big enough to regulate his own temperature. Since he is in his big boy crib now, we got to dress him yesterday and he just looked too cute! Below are the adorable pictures of him! They took him off of his caffeine yesterday so we are praying he does well and remembers to breathe. They also took off his monitor that measure the oxygen in his blood. He had a big weekend.

I know you all keep asking about the time frame of when he gets to go home...it is very soon. We'll have a better idea towards the middle of the week. It really depends on him. We are praying he doesn't have any setbacks. As long as he keeps getting better with the bottle and keeps breathing and doesn't do anything too crazy, he'll get to come home shortly. I have seen a couple of babies have an episode the day before they were supposed to come home and have to stay another week. Jacob has just blown everyone's socks off. The nurses say that normally white boys do the worse (odd, but true) and white girls do the best and he is keeping up with the white girls and just amazing everyone. Please pray that he keeps it up. Our desire for him is to baffle the nurses and doctors. So far he has done that and we just want him to keep it up so that he can come home soon.

Enjoy the pictures. He already has such a personality...

And so the story continues...

Jacob's Story Part 4: Adam and I got up Wednesday morning early. Maybe around 530am or 6am. We both didn't sleep too well and were awake. My medicine had really kicked in and I don't remember too much from that day - it was kind of a blur. Stacy was working in labor and delivery and came in to check on me around 7am.

Side note - Stacy has 2 wonderful boys (Noah is 3 and Logan is almost 2) and I was there in the room for both of her deliveries. The plan was for her to be there for mine as well. We had talked and she was telling me that if she was working when I went into labor that she was going to "clock out". You see, they would let her have me as one of her patients, but if she had a more complicated patient she would have to spend the entire day with that mommy instead of me. So, God in all His wisdom, had her working that day, I was assigned to her as her patient and I was her most complicated case so she got to spend the day with me!

Right before Stacy came in, Adam and I had been talking about breakfast and I was excited about getting to eat the pancakes (they are really good!). Then came the bad news. The doctor and Stacy came in and told me I couldn't eat and I just could have ice chips. Oh the agony! The doctor also told me that my blood pressure hadn't gotten any better and I was getting worse. I had moved from mild to sever preclampsia. That put me and Jacob in danger and they were going to do the c-section about 3pm that day. At that moment I was still stuck on no breakfast and yet again just had a peace about everything that was going on. So, Adam got breakfast and I had my ice chips.

Adam started calling everyone and telling them the plan. We asked that no one come before 11am just so that we could have a slow morning and try and rest some. Stacy started to get me prepped for surgery (I'll spare you those details) and we were have a pretty good morning. I couldn't see the monitor so I couldn't see really how I was doing. They kept telling me I was really sick and I could see the worry on everyone's face, but besides feeling out of it from the medicine, I felt fine.

Sorry for the details, but this is what happened. Maybe around 11am Stacy started to put my catheter in (let me tell you how much fun that was) and as she was doing it she was watching mine and Jacob's monitors to see how we were doing. At that moment, all I knew is that something wasn't right with Jacob and Stacy and Adam were really nervous - you could see it all over their face. I just kept quiet and didn't ask what was going on. Stacy then finished putting my catheter in REALLY fast (which hurt REALLY bad, but was over quickly because she was going REALLY fast!). At that point, I kind of jumped off the bed in pain and my heart rate went up and so did Jacobs. What Adam and Stacy were watching was Jacob's heart rate dip down to 60 (they want it between 140 & 160) and that was dangerously low. Stacy went out of the room to talk with the doctor who then came in and talked to me. Jacob wasn't handling the medicine and I was getting worse and they were going to take me back for the c-section in 30min.

From that point on everything happened so fast. Adam got on the phone calling our family so that they could get there in time. I was able to stay awake for the c-section so because of that my family (or whomever I wanted) could watch through a window (which I was glad for). They put a fun hat on my head and got Adam in whatever he wore (I think it was a gown over his head and a hat - I don't know if they made him put on booties). Stacy was ready and they wheeled me out. My family got there just in time (Juli and Thomas literally got there right before they pushed me in the operating room and were able to see me briefly before I went back).

I'm trying not to make you sit at your computer and read for an hour so I'll stop here. Here are some pictures of me before I was taken back for the surgery. You can see how swollen I was. (Believe or not, I got worse and looked even more like a beached whale!)

HE GREW!

Jacob Update: Well, Jacob is now 3lbs 1.5oz and I am so excited! He has further to go than what he has already gained, but we are just thrilled he reached 3+lbs! He is doing wonderful. He seemed stressed the other day so they did a chest x-ray and ran another test and everything was OK. I think it was because I am normally there to hold him at noon and we went at 3pm that day and he was confused and worried - or at least that is what he told me. He is quite the acrobat! He moves all over. One day last week the nurse looked in to check on him and couldn't find him. He had flipped the other ways (he lays horizontal and had flipped vertical) and had scooted to the end of his bed! His new favorite trick is to flip on his back when they put him on his belly. He really confused his nurse the first time he did it. She could have sworn she put him on his belly, but he was on his back so she flipped him over and then he flipped over again. He is the only one in there that can do that. Craziness! The nurse gave me some exciting news today - they are going to start trying a bottle for 1 feeding a day. I'm so proud. I thought he was ready, but I didn't think they would try it until later. It might be awhile before they increase that/before he gets the hang of it (the little girl next to him has been on 1 bottle a day for over a week now), but any progress is good. He is already famous - he had a story about him in the Apopka Chief (it helps when the editor is his grandfather! Thanks Papa John!). My little boy is just my favorite!

Mommy Update: I'm doing pretty well. Emotionally I have ups and downs. It hits me at night. In the morning I'm pumping and getting ready to see him so I'm ok. I spend all afternoon at the hospital so I'm great then and that sustains me when I get home. It is the nights that are rough - when I'm going to sleep. Sometimes I tear up and sometimes I cry really hard. It is hard to not be able to control my emotions, but at the same time I like feeling. When I was in the hospital, God was so faithful just to wash me in His peace and I was emotionally ok with everything - nothing really hit me. It was like I was just along for the ride. Now when Jacob was born and I saw him I lost it - and I cried every time I saw him after that. Anyway, I think I am getting out some of those emotions that didn't really come while I was in the hospital. Besides crying at night, I'm doing good. I just have to learn my limitations. I had to go the mall last week. I just went in 2 stores - I had to return something and get something. I wasn't there 30min, but it was too much. It is odd not to be able to do everything. So I rest and rest (and feel lazy) and slowly get stuff done. I keep reminding myself that this is my recovery time, it will take 6 full weeks for me to recover and I need to rest before Jacob comes home and keeps me awake!

Jacob's Story Part 3: This will be short. I just forgot a couple of things that happened on Tuesday. I was so relived when Adam and my mom got there. Still no tears over what was happening. I kept saying it was either the peace of God or I was in denial, but I was going with peace until proven otherwise. Sometime after my dad and brother got there, Adam and my brother left to run some errands and get some stuff from our house (once we realized we were in for the long hall we realized we needed some things. I gave Adam a list. I hadn't packed a bag or anything because we still had so much time. I figured I would have a doctors appointment and they would tell me I was dilated before I would pack my bag. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who got everything and didn't complain). I was most worried about my glasses. I knew I couldn't wear my contacts the entire time, but my glasses were at the eye doctor getting new lenses. Adam was going to stop by there and pay for them so that my brother could pick them up whenever they were done. No more than 30min after Adam left they eye doctor called and said that they were ready to be picked up. I was so relieved. Yes this was all unplanned and I like things planned, but God knows just exactly what He created and worked out the little details that I was worried about. I also was concerned about a camera. I didn't want all of this to happen without any pictures. We weren't prepared at all, but I didn't want to not be able to capture everything. I asked Adam to call his mom and ask her to bring us a camera to borrow. So, I waited at the hospital with my parents while Adam and Micah ran errands and got everything from the house (we forgot a couple of things and Adam's mom had to make 2 trips, I think, to the house to get stuff). Oh, before Adam left, we were trying to figure out what to do with Garnet (the 130lb 2-year-old horse...er...dog we have) and our friends John & Carrie so wonderfully offered to watch him at their house! We couldn't believe it. Miracles of all miracles - they still like us (we think) after having him for about a week! When Adam got back to the hospital he asked if I wanted my Christmas present. Kind of odd that he brought it, but ok. He pulled out my new Nikon camera that I REALLY wanted. I was so excited (but also very drugged so I didn't show much excitement!). He had ordered it online and it had come in and he drove all the way to the mall so that we could have it to capture all of the special memories. That is all of the story for now. Hopefully I'll post more tomorrow morning before I go to the hospital. I have lots of pictures from Wednesday on taken with my new fun camera. Off to pump...

Jacob is 2 weeks old - 1/3 of the way there!

Jacob update: He is doing great! I don't have any new pictures so the picture below is his Christmas picture. Isn't he cute?!? Today was a big day for him...they took him off his IV! He was getting a combination of breast milk (I pump and take it to the hospital - it has become my least favorite part of this. I feel like a cow being milked and don't get any bonding time with my little boy.) and IV fluids. As they increase his food they decrease his IV and today they completely took him off of it and removed the IV line in his arm. He is 2lbs 14oz. He had a big poop and lost a little weight. He is handling his food well. They are increasing it every 6 hours now. He still can't take a bottle yet. Hopefully next week they will start trying. He had an episode where he stopped breathing Monday because he was sucking too hard on his pacifier. His brain isn't quite developed enough to suck and breathe or even sleep and breathe sometimes. They say on average they stay in the NICU 6 weeks, so that is why we are 1/3 of the way there. He is still beautiful and such a fun little man!

Mommy update: I'm doing well. I went to the doctors today and my blood pressure is normal and I lost 35lbs! I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight. This was the best diet, but I think next time I'll do it the old fashion way. Now I just have to rest. It is hard because I have things I want to do (like clean out the cabinets and organize Jacob's clothes) and I just have to remember to take baby steps with it. I get to drive now and am looking forward to driving myself to the hospital tomorrow. I'm normally there everyday from noon until about 2 or 3. If you want to come visit you can while I'm there, just give me a call (407-421-8944) and let me know when you want to come (I normally have my cell off while I'm there).

Jacob's story part 2: I went to my doctors appointment again just thinking that I would get some medicine for my itching. When they took my blood pressure the top number was 141 which is high, but it has been high. I then had protein in my urine and of course had all of the swelling and had gain a good amount of weight since I had been there last. The doctor checked me out and decided to put me on bed rest (she even gave me a note for work) and that made me cry as I realized how sick I really was and said she wanted me to go to the hospital 2 times a week and get monitored for 30 min (they would monitor Jacob's heartbeat and mine and my blood pressure) and then come back every 2 weeks for another doctor's visit. She wanted me to head over to the hospital then to get monitored and have more blood work done. While I was still there, she called over to triage and told them that I was coming. As soon as I stepped out the door I had a call from Stacy (my cousin who is a labor and delivery nurse). She was working in triage that day. I was so glad since I was alone that she would be with me.

Once I got to the hospital, Stacy hooked me up to all kinds of monitors and I called my mom to update her. Before I finished that phone call completely Stacy had an update for me and I knew it wasn't too good so I got off the phone. When I was at the doctors, she did tell me that if the hospital didn't like my blood pressure, they might keep me overnight to monitor me longer. Stacy had the pleasure of telling me that she had to admit me. My blood pressure had gotten as high as 160/110. Also, I was told that they might have to do a C-section soon. I definitely had preclampsia, it was a mild case, but bad enough for them to keep me.

So, we headed over to labor and delivery and I was given a room. Stacy called my mom and Adam for me as I was just slowly taking in everything. At that point, I wasn't convinced that they would take Jacob so early. Once I was in the room, the doctor came in and said that basically if my blood pressure didn't go down soon, they would be doing a C-section and even if it did go down, they were keeping me in the hospital until I had the baby. They started me on this IV medicine to lower my blood pressure. It first made me feel like I was on top of a volcano. I felt hot all over. That lasted about an hour. Oh, did I mentioned that I hadn't eaten anything since the morning and they wouldn't let me eat anything. They had admitted me around noon and I was hungry and not too satisfied with just ice chips. Anyway, then the medicine made my muscles relax and made me just feel a little out of it.

I had some visitors which was nice to keep my mind off of everything. Adam and my mom got there soon after I was admitted. Everyone was nervous about what was happening to me, but I wasn't too bad yet. Stacy gave me a steroid shot that would help Jacob's lungs develop quickly. It hurt like crazy! She gave it to me around 2pm and it is a series of 2 shots, 24 hours apart and then they like to wait at least 12 hours before doing the C-section, but any amount of time that the shot is in me is helpful.

They left me on the blood pressure medicine, but told me that they couldn't leave me on that too longer because it would start to affect Jacob and his heart rate would drop and that would be dangerous for him. Stacy kept popping in and out, checking on me and answering questions. It was so wonderful to have her there and have her be the one to break all of the bad news to me. They did let me eat dinner that night - the food probably wasn't that good, but to me it was the best. The doctor checked on me one more time before we went to bed (me in the bed you normally give birth in - not too comfortable - and Adam in the recliner - again, not too comfortable), and said I was looking pretty good and it might be even Friday or Saturday before they did the C-section. I was glad about that as every moment Jacob was in me gave him a better chance. So we went to sleep...well kind of. I didn't sleep at all that night. I itched and itched. I couldn't go to the bathroom without help because I couldn't stand by myself (the medicine relaxed my muscles too much and I just sunk down). My blood pressure was taken on the hour and the nurse came in on the half hour. So, that was my Tuesday excitement!

All in all I was in good spirits. It was only the grace of God that kept me calm and not really thinking about all of the scary possibilities. I know I had everyone worried, especially Adam. To be continued...