Day 13

The doctors did their rounds this morning and we were able to talk with them about Olivia's progress. He said that they were going to keep Olivia at the same volume for her feedings (so 25cc by bottle and 20cc by ng tube). However, the night nurse said that Olivia finished both bottles last night and the day nurse said that if she finished her bottles today, she would talk to the doctor about moving Olivia up to 30cc by bottle and 15cc by ng tube. So we're hoping when we get there tomorrow, she will have finished all of her feedings throughout today and tonight. During some feedings in the past few days, she would only drink half or so of her bottle. So she needs to be able to finish her bottles, and not rely on the ng tube to get in the rest of the feeding. 40cc is the magic number to be discharged so while it seems so close, it seems far away as well. But each day we're getting closer to just bottling 40cc, so hopefully in the next few days, we can possible talk with the docs about removing the tube.
In the past few days, the NICU had been getting a lot of new admissions and one of the nurses mentioned to us that a few babies would be moved to the overflow area in the castle (the Sanford children's hospital looks like a castle from the outside- it really is cool and as a kid, it would make me less intimidated and scared to go to the hospital). Well, this afternoon we got a call from the NICU care coordinator and she said that they were moving some babies who were closer to going home over to the overflow rooms. She asked if we would mind if Olivia was moved and we didn't have a problem. So tomorrow when we visit her, she'll be in a new room! Of course she moves as soon as we were able to navigate our way through that part of the hospital ;) 

For now, we continue to pray for Olivia's health and for her ability to drink all of her feedings. While we still have no discharge date, we know we are getting closer!

Day 12

Just thinking about what I'm going to do today

So, I'm going to skip a few days and fast-forward to the present day. I will back-track later and recount the ups and downs of the first week, but since so many of you are praying and sending such positive and wonderful messages for us, I wanted to keep you in the loop of Olivia's progress.

Pretty in pink!

Today, her weight is at 5 pounds 1 oz. She was moved up this morning to 45cc at every feeding (25 from bottle and 20 from her nasal gastric tube). Yesterday, she was at 35cc total (25 from bottle and 10 from ng), so we're continuing to progress. Yesterday was also a huge day because she got to stop her iv fluids!! They kept her line in, just in case (she was a very difficult stick). But this afternoon when we got here, they had taken that out as well, as they felt that she was healthy enough to not need any more iv's!
One of the first things they told us when she was brought here was that they won't give us a discharge date until about 24 hours before she is ready to go. I'm sure they don't want to give our hopes us, but with me being the planning person I am, I would really love to have a guesstimate. We do know that in order to get discharged, she has to eat 40cc by bottle at every feeding. And she also has to pass a car seat test, in which she sits in a car seat for 90 minutes and is able to keep her oxygen up for that time. So, I know what to look for, but I just don't know how long it will take to get there.
The baby across the hallway did her car seat test yesterday morning when we were here and she was gone today, so I think the car seat test is one of the last things to do before they give the all-clear to leave. Phil and I also have to watch a few videos on how to care for a preemie, so once they tell us to do those, I know I'll get even more excited to know the discharge date is close.
It's just such an emotional ride. I get so excited when she progresses with her feedings, but then get sad when I realize she still has some ways to go. But, I have to always remember, she is progressing. Each and every day we come, there is always something new and positive for us to be told by the doctors or nurses. And I have to remember, I'm getting an extra 4 weeks of loving in with her, since she technically wasn't supposed to be here for another month!
While we've spent 12 long days in the NICU, there are other babies here going on 20 or 30 days. We met a couple the other day who has been here for 47 days, and they were not close to being discharged. I continue to count my blessings and continually pray for all of the babies and parents here. I know she is closer today to being discharged than she was yesterday and that will continue to be true tomorrow and the day after. 
We appreciate all of the prayers and words of support and encouragement. Keep those prayers coming :)


Thumbs up dude!



Where our story begins...

36 weeks

Today I was supposed to be 36 weeks pregnant. I was supposed to be feeling huge and waddling and feeling exhausted. I was supposed to be telling Phil to go to the store to get me pickles and vanilla pudding so I could eat them together (yeah, not really, but I need an extreme example).  Instead I am now a mom. And I still feel exhausted. And I still am asking Phil to go to the store; however, this time it's for diapers or wipes. And there's no way in the world I would ever change that. While this is not the fairy tale that I had imagined it to be, it is pretty darn close. 
Some of you may have read the brief and scattered updates on facebook as to how we got to where we are today. For this post, I am going to go through the first little bit and let you know our story of how we became a family of 3.
As I mentioned in my last post, I had not been feeling well and had been experiencing high blood pressure for a week or two. On President's Day, I saw a doctor and did a round of labs, as well as a 24 hour urine collection. Those results came back on the normal end, although some labs were slightly elevated. When I went to my centering group on Thursday, my blood pressure was 161/100 and it stayed around that for a few other tries. The doctor ordered another round of labs and another 24 hour urine collection. I had the labs done on Friday morning and turned in my collection on Saturday and continued with my weekend. On Sunday, the swim club had a team lunch, so Phil and I went to that. After that, we had a relaxing afternoon and about 9pm, I started getting ready for the next morning. At 9:15, my phone rang and I recognized the number as the hospital in Sioux Falls. When I answered, it was my doctor from centering and she said that she saw my lab results and some of them were elevated, so I needed to come to the hospital. All I could do was hang up and sit on the stairs and cry. Phil helped calm me down, then we started to pack our bags for the hospital. Since I had no idea if I was going for observation, a long bed rest or what, we packed for a few days. The one hour drive to the hospital was full of phone calls, text messages, prayers and lots of worry.
I checked into the hospital around 11pm and they took me upstairs to labor and delivery. I knew something wasn't right when I had 2 nurses in the room and one immediately drew my labs and the other started filling out the necessary info. The doctor was soon in my room letting me know why I was there. A typical person's platelet count is around 140,000 and mine was 76,000 on Friday. Protein in the urine shouldn't be higher than 225 and mine on Saturday was 3900. So needless to say, I wasn't doing very well. I was quickly admitted and told that they were going to induce me. I don't think I had time to break down since it happened so quickly. My blood pressure was still pretty high (how could it not be?!?), so they started me on magnesium sulfate. That has a risk of seizures, so they told me that I would have to stay in bed for my whole labor. And since my platelet level was so low, the anesthesiologist did not feel comfortable doing an epidural on me. For those of you who know me, I am still the girl that passes out when I donate blood and who thinks that IV's are a painful experience. When I was told that I was only going to get a little pain med to help with pain, I knew that this was going to be a scary process.
The doctor started the pitocin at midnight and I began to have contractions pretty soon. At 3am, the doctor broke my water. I continued to have contractions as the morning went on. I don't remember much of what happened for the next few hours. I do remember hearing Phil sniffle at one point and asking him if he was crying. He told me he was sniffling because the room was so cold. One side effect of the magnesium is that I felt hot, so I guess I kept asking the nurses to turn down the temperature in the room. No one complained since the rule is that the mom controls the temperature. At one point, I guess I asked for it to be cooler again and a nurse recommended a fan. Phil said a lot of people were very thankful when they found the fan and that seemed to satisfy my hot flashes. I do remember crying, being in pain and asking them to please give me stronger pain meds. There was also a few requests to have a c-section and a few choice words (I was good during some points and uttered the phrase 'frickety-frick-frick' multiple times... but there were also times that I used another choice 'f' word). Tamra, my labor nurse, was absolutely amazing and between Phil and she, they were my all-star team. I could not have done it without their support and encouragement.

Happy family of 3!

So, at one point they told me I was getting close and moved me to a new position in bed and pretty soon, I was telling them I needed to push. Around noon, I began pushing and it felt like it was taking forever, yet moving so quickly at the same time. I do remember feeling the 'ring of fire' and then pushing some more and getting the biggest feeling of relief with the final pushes. Then our beautiful girl was born at 12:42pm on Monday, February 25!  Before she was born, the doctor said that since she was early, she may not cry and may have to be rushed to the NICU. But, our little girl came out, gave some little cries and weighed in at 5 pounds on the nose. The NICU team cleaned her up, put her in a blanket and Phil and I were able to get a quick family photo before she was taken to the NICU.
Phil and I had talked about names before she was born but hadn't decided on 'the one.' The choices were Madison Anne or Olivia Grace and as Phil was walking out the door with her, a doctor asked if we had a name. Phil looked back at me and we both said Olivia at the same time. So, that's where our adventure began!
Unfortunately, since I was on magnesium to control my blood pressure, I was told I was not able to get out of bed for at least 24 hours. While Phil juggled his time between Olivia's room and my room, I tried to rest and process the whole situation. My mom ended up driving through the night once I told her my lab results. She got there around 1:30pm. Phil's parents were there that morning, and my aunt also drove from Rochester and got there that afternoon.




Baby's first bath



Bath time!

Mommy and Daddy help with bath time

During labor, my platelet count dropped to around 10,000. The doctor told me I had something called HELLP syndrome, which is a pretty severe thing. After delivering Olivia, many doctors and nurses commented on how extreme my labs were and how lucky I was to be doing as well as I was. It was a pretty scary situation and I'm glad they told me enough while I was in labor for me to understand that I needed to have the baby, but not enough to completely freak me out. In other posts, I'll let you know how the recovery went for the next week or so. But until then, we are loving our little girl and looking forward to the day that she comes home!

Even fairy tales have a villain

Phil and Warren painting

During this pregnancy, I have regularly commented on how much I love being pregnant and how special this time is. I love feeling the baby move. I love seeing Phil get excited about putting things together. I love the adorable clothes and cute accessories in the stores. And in the past 2 weeks, I have seen the continued and growing love that others have for this little girl. Last weekend, I had a swim meet in Watertown, so I was gone for about 7 hours on Saturday and another 7 hour on Sunday. On Saturday, my parents in-law came up and helped Phil paint the nursery. On Sunday, Phil tackled the crib and the dresser and made a room turn into a nursery. In the past few weeks, we have also received packages from family members with clothes, toys and cards full of well wishes. It's just amazing to have so much love for someone that only God has met.



Crib with bedding and curtain

However, in every fairy tale, there is always a dark cloud or villain that appears at some point in the story. For me, the villain of our story has come in the form of  insomnia, physical aches and pains as well as high blood pressure. Towards the end of pregnancy, I know there is going to be the typical aches from a growing baby and a not-so-growing body. Anyone that asked me how the pregnancy was going during the first 33 weeks would have received an honest, 'this is awesome!'I love being pregnant!' Enter the 33rd week and you now get the response of, 'yep, only 6 more weeks' with a half-hearted smile. It's as if this little girl didn't think that she would rule our world, so she wanted to make sure she put her stamp on things right off the bat. About 2 weeks ago, my blood pressure started to creep up, so the doctor has kept a close eye on that. About the same time, my feet started to balloon and not return to their normal size (in previous weeks, I had mild problems with swelling, but my feet would always return to their normal size after a few hours of rest). In the past week, I have not been able to sleep through the whole night due to abdominal pain that wakes me up. I sleep sitting up and about 3 hours after falling asleep, I get woken up with a sharp pain in my upper abdomen. I stay up for about 2-3 hours trying to get the pain to go down and relax and then go back to bed for another 2-3 hours. I have seen the doctor twice in the past week and have had multiple tests done. I'm waiting on some results that should be in tomorrow, so hopefully I'm able to have some relief. But if not, I have to find the silver lining and think about the prep that I'm getting for the next 6 weeks (because we all know after baby's born, I'll be excited to get 3 hours of continuous sleep)! And I have to keep reminding myself that pregnancy is something that a lot of women have gone through and each of us has our own story, so I'm just making sure mine is extra special :)

So, I am now 34 weeks- yikes! Baby girl is about 4.5 pounds (so the size of a cantaloupe) and she's about 18 inches long. I'm trying to rest as much as possible to help her grow and trying to stay on the healthy track, although my diet could be much better (as always). Still no weird cravings or making Phil do any late night runs... but there's still time for that!  Nothing really has changed in that department- I still like cheese, key lime yogurt, cheeseburgers, and fruit snacks. Oh, and tis the season for Girl Scout Cookies! (Thin Mints and the lemon ones are particularly delicious) :)

Only in pregnancy

During the past 32 weeks or so, there's been a few things that have happened or things that have been said to me where I think, 'only in pregnancy can this possibly happen.' In the beginning, it was the longer stares when people were trying to figure out if I had just gained some summer weight or if I was pregnant. Then it was the constant napping in the first trimester, which has re-occured in the third trimester (I will not enjoy giving up my naps once the baby is here)! Poor Phil, my mom and a few close friends got to experience the emotional outbursts, uncontrolled emotions and other mental things that my hormones have put me through. Recently, the simple acts of getting in and out of my car, sitting down to put on my shoes and putting on pants (along with some other things) have become a chore. Yes, I have been on the phone in the past week or two with people when I am getting out of my car and they have asked me if I was on a walk or working out. Bless this little girl for making my lungs feel smaller each day :)
The best things that have happened occured at the 32-week appointment on Friday. During the ultrasound, the tech told me that I have a 'cervix that's nice and long.' Again, only in pregnancy will I hear something like that. At the appointment, our doctor was looking at my vitals and talking about the results and without missing a beat, said 'can i get some urine?' and then continued on with the conversation. For those of you who have been 32 weeks, you know that you have to pee every 10 minutes anyway, so that wasn't a problem. But the fact that it was part of a normal conversation just made me smile and know 'only in pregnancy!'

It seems that I have hit the point of 'true pregnancy.' I have swollen ankles (or swankles as Phil refers to them), I can feel hungry and yet feel like I have no room in my abdominal area, have some nights where I wake up every 90 minutes or so and others where 8 hours seems like too little and of course the ever constant heart burn. Unfortunately, my blood pressure is a little on the high side, so that will continue to be monitored. But the best news is that my placenta has moved (I had placenta previa at the 20 week appointment), so we can continue as planned.
After the appointment, we took a little detour to Babies R Us to pick up a few items. So, gosh forbid, if this baby comes tomorrow, we at least have the pack and play, stroller, car seat, swing and bedding (with the crib and dresser being delivered in the next week). And tons of clothes :) So, while not totally prepared, we are at least on track of being prepared.

Our 32 week appointment was yesterday and it was wonderful again to see the little girl (yes, we got confirmation that it was a girl). She continues to measure on the smaller side and the measurements put her birth date at April 9 (expected due date is April 4), but only God knows when she'll be here!  She weighed in at 3 pounds 15 ounces and she's in the 45th percentile. Everything looks healthy and so now it's just the wait and see game!

The big 3-0h my!

We have turned the corner. As my dad told me when I freaked out on my 25th birthday, 'well you're closer to 30 than you are to 20 now' (thanks dad), we are now closer to 40 weeks and delivering this little girl. I look at my belly and how much it's grown in 30 weeks and cannot imagine how much bigger it's going to get in just 10 weeks. We are slowly but surely prepping for this little girl. Our registry is finally complete, the nursery is cleared out (well, our 'big kid' stuff is cleared out) and we are continuing with our pregnancy classes. Phil and I are doing Centering Pregnancy, which is a class that meets every few weeks. It sort of takes the place of going to our primary OB, although now that we're starting to go every 2 weeks, we'll do Centering once during the month and meet with our doctor once a month. Centering's been a great tool thus far, since we meet in a group with 7 or 8 other couples who are all due around the same time that we are. It's a time to talk with other people about the ups and downs of pregnancy. The group is lead by an OB that works in the same office as my primary OB, so we still get checked by a doctor every 2 weeks. Topics that we've covered thus far have been about the lovely preggo symptoms (from swelling feet to heartburn to insomnia) to nutrition during pregnancy and family decisions (including contraception, disciplining and child care). We've really enjoyed the classes thus far, and since all of us in the class are due in April and May, we have a reunion party at the end of May when all of us bring our babies and get to show them off :)
Also with classes... Phil and I took our pregnancy class last weekend. We did the full day class and the 7 hours went by really quickly! We got to tour the labor and delivery rooms as well as the recovery rooms and nursery. Then the typical relaxation techniques, delivery options and everything else. It makes things seem so real (as if this big belly doesn't remind me every day!), but gets us excited for what is to come.
With getting closer to deliver day comes some fun things as well. Over MLK weekend, my mom came up for a visit to see the belly (and Phil and I too!) and help with a few items. But the best part was the suprise baby shower that the coaches on the team planned! One of the coaches had contacted my mom a few weeks earlier (when my mom first planned her visit) and had set everything up for the shower. So on Sunday after church, I did my normal routine of getting into sweats and taking a nap :) I woke up and was debating with continuing my lazy day when my mom told me that she had a suprise for me. (Anyone who knows me knows I love suprises)! She said that as a late Christmas present, she had gotten me a belly photo shoot, so I needed to go put on makeup and curl my hair. We left the house and she told me to head towards our church. Once we got closer, I was expecting to turn a different direction, but she told me to go to the back of the church. I looked at her a little weird and when I turned the corner, I said,' that looks like Coach Kayleigh's car and Coach Wendy's car. And wait, is this a shower?!?' She just smiled and told me she had no idea, but we better go inside and check it out. The shower was tons of fun and this little girl will be the best dressed lady in Brookings for awhile!

 For now, I'm feeling pretty good. My heartburn continues, but that's the only major thing. This past weekend, I was at a meet for 13 hours and got my first experience with swollen ankles. I've never dealt with migraines, but in the past 4 weeks, I've had three of them, so that's been a bummer. I went to the doctor yesterday since I wasn't feeling well and all the tests turned out fine. I just need to listen to my body when I'm exhausted and not push too hard. Remember, I only have about 10 more weeks of saying, 'It's all about me!' before the little girl shows us who it's really all about :)

 

At 30 weeks, the baby is almost 16 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds. She can see about 20/400, so basically when she opens her eyes, she'll be able to make out objects a few inches from her face. The next few weeks will be full of a lot of growth and development, so that belly's only going to get bigger! We have another ultrasound on the 8th and we are looking forward to seeing her again.

Cha-cha-cha-changes!

The past few weeks have been full of changes. Physical. Emotional. Occupational. Familial-ish. (Yes, I'm pregnant and can make up words).

To start with the obvious, it is a new year. I feel that pregnancy allows me to be immune from any resolutions (read: I rarely make resolutions, so now I'm using this pregnancy as an excuse- whenever I can). With a new year comes new ideas, new behaviors and new attitudes. It also meant that I could finally say, 'I'm having a baby this year!'  Which then lead to a whole new freak-out, but that's another story (or two or three).  Seriously, I am 28 weeks pregnant, which means that I have approximately 12 weeks left. Yikes!

In regards to the physical changes, my belly is truly and utterly there. I have been swimming twice a week for the past year and in recent weeks, I have noticed that flip turns aren't as tight, butterfly is difficult to reach forward and my hips are continuing to sink during backstroke. But, I know swimming is a wonderful activity to do (during pregnancy and any other time), so I will continue to do it. My belly (and loose ligaments) have also put more strain on my back. I have scoliosis, so I see a chiropractor about every 6 weeks to get adjusted. Now, I'm on a 10-14 day track. And, I decided to treat myself to a massage every so often (gosh darn). 

Emotionally, I think things have remained the same as they were in the first trimester. I have up days and down days and days that I swear my mind doesn't belong to me. But, to say that I'm getting anxious with the upcoming events would be an understatement. However, I was able to put some of those feelings at ease since we registered this past weekend!  While we don't have everything, we do have a start. And, we're signed up for a birthing class, so we can check that off of the list as well.  Another item to check off: the glucose test.  It was completed at the beginning of this month and contrary to what everyone said, I did not think it was a 'beast' of a test. It was like drinking orange pop from a fast-food restaurant that didn't have any carbonation and had extra syrup added.  From here on out, I get to see a doctor every 2 weeks before we start making the weekly trip!

With the start of the new year comes the start of a new semester. Finally, I am in my last semester of school. Sorry friends, there will be no doctoral studies for this chick. I have two classes this semester (along with the one that I teach) and then I will have a $15,000 piece of paper to hang on my wall and stare at every day. Because why would I want to have any idea as to what I want to be when I get done with school in 4 months?!?  Thankfully, I will continue to coach, so I do have something in place (although it would be tempting to go and live rent-free with my parents again, like I did after undergrad...)!  I should be having another freak out with this, but with the new year came another new family change.  My dad took a leap and accepted a job as a math teacher!  After a few years getting all of the necessary paperwork together and courses completed, he returns to the classroom after an 18-year hiatus. He used to teach at the Air Force Academy, but stopped when he retired in 1995 and since then has been in the corporate world. He said he always wanted to go back and teach, and now, at the young age of 21 (plus some!), he's followed his heart! So, to all of you out there that feel forced to know what you're going to be when you grow up... it's okay if you don't know until your heart is ready to guide you.

In terms of little Baby Girl... she continues to put a smile on our faces. I think people think I have a medical problem because sometimes I just sit and stare at my belly. In the past few weeks, not only has there been an increase in movement, but now we can actually see the movements!  The best part of my day is laying in bed at night with Phil and seeing her move.  She's been really active (at the last appointment, our doctor had to check the heart beat a few times because she kept moving) and it truly is an amazing thing. At 28 weeks, she is about 2.5 pounds and almost 15 inches.  While I am far from a mild weight gain of just 2.5 pounds, everything continues to check out a-okay!