Snow Day

A Day at Children's

Yesterday we took Abby to Children's hospital in Birmingham for her yearly Neurosurgery check up.  Because she has been stable as far as her shunt goes for the past year she did not need a CT scan.  This turned out to be good, although we went 2 hours early b/c they had told us to come for the scan before her scheduled appointment.

It turned out we had plenty of time to eat lunch in a very crowded cafeteria and not feel rushed to make our appointment on time.  Eating has become very important for this pregnant momma.  It's been such a struggle for so long I've almost forgotten how to look forward to and enjoy a good meal.  It's slowly coming back

The doctor saw us and asked a bunch of questions about how she is doing over all, and how our family is dealing with her various health/developmental issues.  He was very nice and said that since she has not needed a shunt revision since her first VP shunt was placed in the NICU it would probably be safe to come back in 2 years!  He reminded me of the warning signs of a major problem, but said he feels like her shunt must be working fine.  (it's either working fine despite being disconnected, or she doesn't need the shunt anymore!)  

Mom made this trip so much more fun than it usually is!  Taking Josiah on wagon rides all over the hospital and keeping him occupied so Abby and I could actually "talk" to the doctor!  It's always nice to have someone to talk to on car trips too.

I tried to take a picture but my camera battery died and I was only able to get one sad little picture with my phone, that also promptly shut down on me after the picture.

One of the things the doctor had asked was how our son was coping with Abby's needs and how he fits in the family.  I thought this was an interesting question.  We have noticed that with the passage of time Josiah has become very sensitive to Abby and to our emotional responses to life... especially illness.  I shared this with the doc and he said that in most families with special needs children, the siblings do tend to become very compassionate and mature.

Patrick had a tooth that was bothering him the other day, and Josiah quickly picked up on it.  He asked Patrick if he could pray for him. 

    "Dear Lord, Daddy's feeling sick.  Please help him to feel better.  Amen." 

 The next day after Patrick had been to the dentist Josiah had not forgotten about the tooth and asked how he was feeling.  He seemed happy to hear that Daddy's tooth felt better and that nothing was wrong with it!  It was a fun moment.

He has also occasionally scolded me for getting up to help him with something, saying:

    "No mommy, you don't get up.  You're sick, you have a baby in your tummy!!"  I know he has been affected by the many weeks of my nausea/vomiting in addition to the bed rest.  Poor kid, he must be confused.

Just wanted to share our good news about Abby's hydrocephalus.  We are thrilled!

Problem Revealed

We went for our level II ultrasound at the UAB high risk clinic yesterday.  It was nice they got us in so quickly!

The u/s technician thoroughly scanned the baby and measured lots of different things... parts of his brain, details of his heart, kidneys, bladder, spine and more.  She spotted the bleed and told us where it was.  Then she got the perinatologist to come talk with us.

The peri did her own full scan of the baby, placenta and then the bleed.  She confirmed that the bleed is a Subchorionic Hemorrhage.  We got to see more clearly where the bleed is and how big it is.  She said it starts at the placenta and goes almost all the way around the baby's amniotic sac.  The sac has separated from the uterine wall where we could see the blood sitting behind it.  She said the placenta is still intact and connected to the uterus... a very good sign.

  The bleeding could have come from the placenta or possibly from when the sac separated from the wall.  Most likely the blood will reabsorb and not cause any further problems.  She also said the bleeding I had 1 week after my cerclage was not related to the procedure.

The bleeding does put us at higher risk for miscarriage and preterm labor.  Best case no more bleeding will happen.  She said we will just need to be more cautious about signs of preterm labor... which we already are.  She recommends follow up ultrasounds monthly to check the bleeding and see if it is being reabsorbed, but also to monitor the growth of the baby.

So this week things are good!  We are 20 weeks today.

Papa and Grandma are here, playing pirates with Josiah!  They brought some fun foam swords with which he loves to "fight" with!  It's fun to watch the three of them.

Thank you to all who are praying for us and for this baby!  We are really thankful to be this far along.

Oh BOY... Half Way There!

19 Weeks

(Face and chest... look close, you can see left eye lid & lips)

Today was our BIG ultrasound!  We've been looking forward to getting a longer look at our new little one.

Our doctor made it a fun visit, although she was about 2 hours late.  It turned out ok since Aunt Carolyn was here to play with the kids, and Patrick was with me. (Thanks Carolyn, what a big help that was!!)  We left to eat lunch together and returned for the scan.

After my 'trial' week of increased activity the doctor measured the cervix again and said it looked great!  I can continue moderate activity being careful to not "over do it".  

(Face/chest and both arms up by face... waving!)

The baby looked good.  All of his measurements were right on target!  He was moving a lot and we saw him waving his arms/hands near his face several times.  He even touched his hands together.  She focused on his face for us so we could watch him open and close his mouth... probably swallowing fluid or practicing his breathing.

(Close up of face/abdomen.  Hands up by face)

He's definitely a boy!  She got several clear shots.  We are excited to enjoy another son!  Abby remains our Princess.

The doctor did find a blood clot on/near the placenta.  She called it a Subchorionic Hematoma. There was no active blood flow to it, which she said was a good sign.  It's possible this is the reason for the bleeding several weeks ago.  Although most of these types of bleeds reabsorb on their own and don't cause further problems, it depends on the size of the clot and some other factors.  She is sending us to UAB in Birmingham for a Level II ultrasound.  A perinatologist will review this more detailed scan to give us a better understanding about the bleed.

 Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing more than something to be monitored periodically.

I told Abby and Josiah they were going to have a little brother.  J smiled big, looked at some of the pictures and said he "liked that."  Then he told me he liked the name 'Jonah.'  We haven't really thought about names much lately, but I suppose now would be a good time to start.

(Ankles crossed/ abdomen and cord insertion... future belly button)

I'm thankful to be having more good parts to my days.  The nausea still hits hard sometimes, but it's much more bearable with good moments in between!  Thank you Lord!!

I think we are finally entering the Fun part of pregnancy.

Good news

(silly pig tales!)

Yesterday was my first cervical ultrasound measurement, and it went great!  The doctor said everything looks perfect, the stitch is in good position and everything is closed!  That is exactly what I wanted to hear.

I even got a quick glimpse of the baby's head, ear and hand waving about.  So fun!  She told me I could get up and slowly increase my activity.  I go in for our Big (fetal survey) ultrasound on Friday when she will check the cervical length again to see how it performs under more pressure. 

 We are looking forward to this ultrasound.  It should tell us if this baby really is a boy or not!  She will also examine the baby more closely to check for problems... but hopefully all she will find is extreme cuteness!!

This last week has been tough.  I got pretty sick with a sinus infection that migrated to my chest and a sore throat that hurt like strep.  I don't remember the last time I felt that terrible.  I got a Rocephin shot and some Augmentin to take for the next 2 weeks.  This has bumped up my nausea quite a bit but I'm trying to just plunge through it to get rid of this crud.  yuck.

Mom has continued to be our life saver.  She has also become an expert at organizing our pantry, diaper changing, temperature taking, laundry folding and therapy follow through!  Even though Abby is (literally) almost as long as mom is, she is still able to get her in and out of our van.  It's no small feat when you've got the feeding tube attached and orthotics on, believe me.  As much as we appreciate her help, we've enjoyed her company just as much.

(Abby during speech therapy)

Hopefully we will have some better pictures of the new addition Friday after our appointment!

More of the same

Monday's doctor appointment went fine, just more orders for continued bed rest.  Our next appointment will include the first cervical length measurement.  This will hopefully set me free from my present confinement.  

Unlike many recent comments, bed rest is not fun or relaxing in the traditional sense of the word.  Not for the body or for the mind.  In the past three weeks my muscles have started wasting and I get dizzy from just standing.  My hips are sore and I perpetually look like I've forgotten how to dress myself.  Many other discomforts plague me that I will spare you from.

I don't mean to complain.  I would have Gladly and most thankfully done this for Abby before she was born if I could have.  This is continually at the fore front of my mind when I feel tired of the process.  I suppose this venue is a safe place to vent the reality of pregnancy after a preemie.

We have been overwhelmed by our family and friends who have jumped in to help!  Thank you Grandma and Papa!  Thank you Mom, for coming all the way from China to "work" in our house.  Thank you friends for meals, flowers, cards and encouragement.  It keeps us going.

I find myself going to look at pictures like these, reminding me of all the secret joys a full term baby brings.

And the miracles of a micro-preemie...

Bed Rest Continued...

(15 weeks- face, feet, hands)

This past week has been more involved than we had expected.

I meant to update the blog and just didn't get to it until today.  (Warning: long and personal post)

It all started last Thursday night.  After being a "good girl" for 4 full days after the cerclage procedure (1-9-09), and staying on the couch except for bathroom trips, we felt like everything looked good.  Even our doc was encouraged when she checked on Monday (last).  So we went back to life as normal for the most part.   I took Abby to therapy but tried to minimize lifting at home. Patrick and I went out to dinner Wed. night for our date and did a little shopping.

Turned out a little lifting and shopping was too much.  Thursday night I just felt bad.  I couldn't pin down what exactly wasn't feeling good, but I figured I feel bad most days anyway and the nausea is usually to blame.  Went to bed early after having a little spotting.  The next morning there was enough bleeding for me to be worried.  We called the doc who told us to go to L&D to get checked out.

(15 weeks- profile; hand touching face)

Baby's heart rate sounded good.  But the bleeding got worse.  The doc checked things to make sure my water wasn't broken, and that the bleeding was from the cerclage site.  It was, so she admitted me for 24 hr complete bed rest.  'Complete' meaning: IV fluids, antibiotics, pain meds (for cramping), nausea meds, catheter, TED hose and pumps for my legs.  It was less than pleasant.  She said she wanted to make sure the inflammation/bleeding didn't cause my water to break or for labor to start.  This made us really nervous.

(not an attractive shot, but part of the memory non the less)

She also did an ultrasound to check for the health of the baby, placenta placement etc.  Everything looked ok.  (She even thinks it's a boy!)  We got a few pictures.

Saturday went ok with minimal bleeding.  The first time I really sat up to eat, I knew I had made a mistake.  The nurse checked and seemed concerned.  She called the doc who then ordered for me to stay another night to give the surgical site more quiet healing time.  So, I endured another night of minimal movement, eating/drinking on my side (not as easy as it looks) and some cramping.  Patrick stayed with me and helped me, which made the little sleep I did get more peaceful.

Sunday was a good day.  Very little bleeding and I slowly was freed from all the tubes, tape, wires and obnoxious pumping stockings!  We were home before supper.

The doc had ordered for continued bed rest this week to make SURE the cerclage site was healed up and that no more problems would arise.  

My wonderful sister came to our rescue Saturday night and kept our kids, cleaned our house, fixed us meals, made us laugh and just encouraged our socks off!  Despite the unpleasant circumstances, the Lord always shows His compassion in the perfect way.  He knew I needed my sis!  She brought her 3 month old son Jack with her, and of course he was such a joy.  It gave us a sweet reminder of what we are hoping to enjoy 5 months from now.

To top it off, she made us laugh till our sides hurt while I was trying to give my first P-17 (17 Alpha Hydroxyprogesterone) shot.  It was quite a site!

Thanks Chris and Jack!!  You'll never know how much you saved us!

Now Grandma is here from TN to save the day... and just in time too.  Early this morning the bleeding started up again.  After having several good days of hopeful healing, this was a big surprise.  Plus the fact that I've been on my back, except for bathroom breaks.  It was still dark out so I thought I'd give it some time before calling the doc.  At around 7 am it was worse and the cramping was back, so I called.  They told us to go to L&D at the hospital again.  My heart really sank.  I didn't want another experience like last weekend!

Fortunately things calmed down and the baby sounded great.  We bonded with our nurse who ended up praying with us while holding our hands.  The Lord touched us through her.  I got two sticks and an IV but didn't keep it long.  I only had a little bleeding while we were there so we got to go home around lunch time.  

So, as you can imagine I'm BACK IN BED.  Not on the couch, but in bed.  The kids are both sick.  Abby has a fever and runny nose.  Josiah has green gunk coming out of his eyes, and a runny nose.  Thank goodness for loving family!!  (we miss you Papa)

My mom is coming back from China on Monday.  She just went back after a long visit here in the States, but is turning around to help us.  We will certainly need it.

Thanks to all the friends who have brought meals, come for a visit and prayed for our baby during this crazy time.  I'm enjoying some beautiful flowers too!

We are so blessed.