Home to Ontario

My mom brought Hattie over on Monday so that I could see her. Between feedings, we went to the Ronald McDonald House basement, which is full of toys. I was amazed how much she has changed during the two weeks I spent in Boise. She is talking so much more and loves to play with her cousins. We will definitely miss them when we return to Texas.

After 8 days in the NICU, Anna was released. She really has done wonderfully. She had no developmental delays - she breathed on her own from the beginning, never needed a feeding tube, and didn't have any problems nursing. Many premature babies have trouble sucking, so we have been very blessed. One of the nurses said that lots of babies born at 34 weeks are in the NICU for about three weeks, so we are glad our stay was so short. I stayed at the Ronald McDonald house Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, going to the hospital first thing in the morning and staying until 9 at night. It certainly made recovery from my c-section easier, since I simply sat around knitting or reading while I waited to feed her. Tuesday morning the doctors determined that she had gained weight consistantly for the last few days and we got to go home.

Hattie already loves Anna. Whenever she sees her, she squeals "Baby!" and runs to see her. So far she has been pretty gentle with her. And she loves to point out all of Anna's body parts - eyes, nose, fingers, toesies, head.

We'll stay here in Ontario for two more weeks, then travel to Utah for the wedding of Paul's brother. And finally we'll travel back to Lubbock with Paul. Although I wish we could be together with Paul already, I'm so glad to be back home with my parents and sisters and out of the hospital.

Together!

Yesterday Paul brought Hattie to see Anna. It was so nice to all be together. Hattie loved holding her. She kept giving her hugs (good thing she didn't have any food or else she would have tried to feed her) and didn't want us to put her back in the crib. Hopefully that is a good sign that she won't beat her up later!

It was our last time to be together for a few weeks - Paul left this afternoon to drive 20 hours back to Lubbock. School starts Monday. Gratefully, a room at the Ronald McDonald House opened up for me, so I am staying just a few blocks from the hospital, making Anna's time in the NICU a little bit more comfortable. Even though I have a room close, I still spend most of my time with her, even when she's sleeping. It's better to be close to her than in a bedroom by myself.

Here are a few more shots of our little one.

Photos

I thought I'd add a few more pictures now that things are settling down a bit. Anna really does look perfect; she's just so petite! They are working on weaning her off the IV, which has been supplying her extra glucose. As long as her blood sugar levels stay steady, she should have it out today or tomorrow. It's just nice to see some change and progress. She continues to eat well.

Her isolette...they moved her out of it yesterday into a regular bassinet

Being here in the NICU, I see a lot of other babies who are sick. Of course, I don't know the details of their condition, but judging from their size, number of cords attached, and how often their alarms go off, it's obvious that they are quite sick. I realize how lucky we are that Anna is so healthy, with no fear of long-term problems. It's heartbreaking to see new parents come in and not know if their child will be okay. I've never been so appreciative of good health.

I'll work on getting better pictures of Anna, but she's always so bundled up!

Anna Isabelle

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. Sorry to keep you all in suspense, but things got really busy for a while, on top of our computer having internet problems. So here's the story:

Saturday and Sunday in labor/delivery continued as normal - watching the baby's heart rate for any decelerations. Monday morning, July 27th, around 5:00 am, I starting having more consistent contractions (they had been irregular for the last week). I started getting excited after three hours that they were regular. Then they stopped for a few hours...then started up again. And it was starting to get quite uncomfortable for me. Around 3:00 pm the doctor decided to check my cervix to see if I was dilating at all, and therefore, truly in labor. If I was, then I could get an epidural and have the baby. Sadly, I was only dilated to 1/2 centimeter. But the doctor noted that he couldn't feel the baby's head pressing down on the cervix. So he ordered an ultrasound. Sure enough, during my week on bed rest, the baby had flipped and was now breech. Regardless of how long I labored, unless she flipped again in the next few hours, I wouldn't dilate very much and would have a hard time delivering. And because there was essentially no amniotic fluid left, trying to manipulate the baby to turn was out of the question. So it was off to the operating room with me again for another c-section. Everything went great and our daughter was born at 4:30 pm.

Anna Isabelle weighed 5 lbs 1 oz, measured 17 3/4 inches long, and has some dark hair on her head. Besides her low weight, she is perfectly healthy. She is in the NICU right now, and they are watching her weight gain, as well as her blood sugar levels. As soon as she proves that she can eat well and gain weight, she can come home with us.

My mom continues to watch Hattie for us while I spend my days at the hospital to feed Anna - I couldn't ask for a better grandma for my children. And Paul is preparing to return to Texas since school starts this coming Monday. We pray that Anna is released soon so that we can be together again as a family. Thank you for all your support and prayers.

Day trip to antepartum

Yesterday we finally had a little change. I suppose it was a change because of the lack of change in the baby situation. Because the baby and I had both been stable on Wednesday and Thursday, they moved me Friday morning to antepartum. That's where they watch women who are on bed rest but stable, who don't require quite as much care as those who are in labor/delivery. So we thought it was a good move, since it meant that the baby was doing well and would likely gestate longer.

The rooms in antepartum are generally nicer...softer bed, larger bathroom, and quieter (no screaming women in labor nearby). They took me off continuous monitoring (those really uncomfortable elastic belts that watch contractions and baby's heart rate), so I definitely had a nicer sleep last night.

This morning they put the belts on to watch the baby for a bit. After a while, her heart rate dropped really low for 30 seconds or so, then went back to normal. That happened 4 or 5 times. Because of the low levels of amniotic fluid, the baby's cord can get smashed between the uterus and the baby. Obviously if that happens to much, it's dangerous for the baby. And because she is only 34 weeks, her umbilical cord isn't as strong as it would be at 40 weeks, so it is weaker under the pressure. So, they moved me back to labor/delivery and I'm being monitored constantly now. But since being back here, her heart rate hasn't acted up once. I guess she just likes being in labor/delivery more than antepartum. Although it is physically less comfortable here, I do like being able to constantly hear her heartbeat. It keeps me calm during moments of stress and worry.

Bed Rest

How can my body be so sore from doing nothing but sitting in bed? I'm actually quite amazed by how badly my back aches, considering that I haven't hardly moved in the last three days. My hat is off to my friends who have been on bed rest for much longer than 3 or 4 days. Gratefully I know that I only have to endure this for a maximum of 4 more days...it's nice having an end in sight.

There are some positive things about being on bed rest though. For one, we having been listening to our girl's heart beat for the last 3 days. There is something about the constant thump-thump that is strangely comforting. I find that hearing it helps me sleep better.

Also, I have a nurse and a husband at my side to do any thing I need...even paint my toenails! I am so grateful that Paul is not in school yet; otherwise I would spend my days alone.

I can take a nap whenever I want. It's often no more than 30 minutes, but that's more than I usually get at home with Hattie!

I have had some contractions. They will be regular for a few hours, then disappear completely. So we are still hopeful that she'll come on her own before Tuesday. Hopefully my body can kick into gear. We've got 4 full days before then.

The 34 week cut off

Nothing new for me or baby. We just sat around all day. The longer we are here waiting, the more we understand. So here is the current update.

I am understanding more the reason for a c-section, if it does come to that. For example, if a woman's water breaks at 25 weeks, the doctors will try to keep her pregnant until 34 weeks, even though there is a risk of infection. A baby delivered at 25 weeks will have a lot of developmental problems, and the risk of infection is less than the risk of delivering a baby at 25 weeks with developmental problems. But once a baby reaches 34 weeks, they are developed enough that they should be a relatively healthy premature baby. At that point the risk of infection outweights the risk of developmental problems. A NICU unit would prefer a baby born at 34 weeks who is not infected over an infected baby at 35 weeks. Hence the reason that they won't just let me lay here until I'm 40 weeks along. Plus, I am still leaking a little fluid and there is only about 1 centimeter of fluid surrounding her, sometimes causing her cord to get smashed between her and the uterus.

Like I said on the last post, we are hoping and praying to go into labor naturally before next Tuesday, which is the c-section cut off date. I would rather not be cut into again if I don't have to!

I figured I needed a picture of me with my belly since it has been a while. It is slightly smaller than it used to be because of the lose of fluid.

They let me shower today! It's good to be clean. And I get to order what I want to eat.


Here is Paul's bed for the next week. He certainly sleeps better than I do! And you can see his stash of candy on the floor...we need to get him on a better diet!