Bad Belly :(

Little man had a bad belly day. He started fussing at lunch. He would be resting and suddenly start screaming and drawing his legs up. It got progressively worse over the next hour until his monitor was going off over and over for an elevated heart rate. He had a fever, which was probably from him screaming so loudly. After three hours of screaming I called the dr. He suggested Maalox. I questioned Mylicon gtts and he said sure! So, I gave him both and he had almost immediate results. Once he got comfortable he slept for almost 7 hours! Poor bub. He exhausted himself. The dr. said that this type of behaviour is not uncommon in babies that have reflux. He is already on pepcid. I had flashbacks of Lily as a baby. She cried all the time. I remember calling Todd at work, crying, because I couldn't get her to stop crying. At least I know what to expect this time. I feel much more equipped to deal with a colicky baby than I did with my first one. Maybe this was just an off day. I can always hope :).
The twins I have been praying for are still where they are supposed to be:). They are doing well. Mom is miserable but hoping to make it a bit further. Miles, is holding his own...home soon, I think? Lisa, still pregnant and completely uncomfortable. It's time for her but only God knows when!
I am so tired. Late night, little sleep. Hope for a little more tonight!

Kelly

All Grown Up

We were all at the mall, grabbing a bite to eat and shopping for a suit for Todd. Somehow, we ventured into a jewelry store and a conversation about earrings commenced. The next thing I know, Lily is saying she wants to get her ears pierced. We have had the conversation before but she has always had little interest in the pain associated with it. We watched an episode of Jon and Kate, where Maddie gets her ears pierced and that pretty much cured Lily of any thoughts of getting hers done. But....the time was now, as she proudly announced that she wanted to get her ears pierced. We headed to Claire's. We let Lily pick the earrings out on her own. She chose a very cute pair, pink and white stones in the shape of a daisy.
Then the prep started. I warned her that it would hurt, not for long, but to expect some pain. I still remember the pain and it was not pleasant. I requested that they do both ears at the same time. Todd was not sold on the idea so he stood outside the store while they got Lily ready. Lily has such a great smile on her face, excited in anticipation. Then "click", they pierced her ears. As you can see from the picture, she suddenly looked shocked, fearful, betrayed, all at once. She started to tear up and her lip quivered. We consoled her and focused on her new earrings and in no time she forgot the trauma, lol.
I thought it went pretty well. No tears, Todd didn't lose it, lol. Can't ask for much more than that :).
Late, late....good night!

Kelly

Another Checkup

Nathanael had a checkup with his pediatrician today. I was thinking this appt was going to be a little redundant but Nathanael has a slight cough so I was able to get it checked out. He has grown another lb since his last appt, which was only 9 days ago, woohoo!!! He is now weighing in at 7.10. He grew just a smidge in length. The cough, which never occurred at the appt, as usual, didn't seem to alarm the doc.
He got 3 immunizations at the appt, one oral, two IM (needles). Poor bub. He actually did really well. He barely cried. Now, the heel stick for bloodwork was another story. He screamed! And then he slept and slept and slept. He slept right through his feeding, by about 2 hours. He roused, ate, then went back to sleep, for another 6 1/2 hours. He wakes momentarily to let out a loud whimper then goes back to sleep. I feel so bad for him. I have never heard these sounds come out of him before. I just gave him some tylenol for a low grade fever. I think it's going to be a long night for him.
What a rotten way to spend his birthday. He is 2 months old today. Since he has been sleeping most of the day the only pictures I could choose from of him sleeping in various places, lol. He is just so darn cute!

Kelly

Not Quite As Planned

My plan was to get up early, get some errands ran and clean up the house. I got up late (although rested), and realized that I hadn't heard back from the pharmacy about Nathanael's heart med refill. I called from pharmacy to cardiologist several times before it got sorted out. Once the meds were sorted out we attempted to run some errands. The kids were restless before we left. That's never a good sign, lol. We grabbed a bite to eat, made a couple potty trips and headed to shop for Todd's b-day present. We struggled our way through the first store. Next, we headed to get b-day cards. Things went from bad to worse as Lily pulled card after card off the shelf and Nathanael started to cry. So, I abandoned the idea that I was going to get anything accomplished, threw everyone in the car and headed home.
The plan to hit Walmart and the grocery store on the way home crossed my mind but since Nathanael continued to cry and Alex fell asleep, I thought otherwise. I got three sleepy kids into the house where the chaos continued. Todd came home to three cranky kids, a burned out wife and no dinner. Thankfully he had a good day at his client site and took it all in stride.
I managed to get a few things done tonight. The house...well, let's say, I won't be having guests over anytime soon, LOL. All in all, the day was a little nutty but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Sidebar-I got a new converter for my memory card so I can now upload pics to my laptop :). I hope to post a daily pic. This one is of Lily, reading "Understanding Wallstreet", and talking on the phone, LOL. She is totally her father's daughter! Btw, the phone isn't even plugged in :). She's so darn cute!!

Gotta get some shut eye ;->
-Kelly

Memorial Day Weekend

We ventured out, very early (yawn), Saturday morning. Our destination, Poplar Bluff. On the way down, we detoured to Piedmont, to Geneva's family reunion. The kids played in the creek, peddled bikes, ate snow cones. They had a fabulous time. The adults ate lots of great food, played a bean bag toss game (Todd's team were the champs!) and sat around and enjoyed the company and great weather.
At the end of the day we heading to Grandma Scott's. Last year we celebrated Memorial Day weekend in Poplar Bluff, enjoyed ourselves and decided to do it again this year. Each year, Todd's grandmother, visits all the local cemetaries, placing flowers on all the graves of loved ones. We had the privilege to join her again. It's like a two hour family history lesson. We listen as she tells us how this person was related to that person and often, how each one passed on. There are many gravestones dated in the 1800's. It's very enlightning.
We stopped to visit Todd's grandfather, who was a veteran, and Todd's mom. I cried as Todd introduced Nathanael to Barb, while standing over her gravestone. I can't imagine how Todd's heart aches as he has had to introduce all three of our children this way. On the way home from the visiting we stopped at a house that used to be owned by Todd's other grandmother. Todd knocked on the door and asked the new owners if he could show his family "the rock" in the front yard. Todd spend many hours playing on this rock and was determined that his kids would get to as well. I got a great pic of Todd and the three kids on the rock. It's definitely gonna go on the wall somewhere!
It rained Sunday and Monday but Lily and Alex made the best of it. They enjoyed being at Grandma's. I think it was nice for them to go somewhere new and exciting for a change. Life has been a little dull around the house for them lately. The were a little bummed out that they didn't get to use their new frog pool that we purchased especially for the weekend.
At the end of the weekend we were all tired, well fed and full of great memories. I am so glad that we take the time to remember those that are gone. We really should do it more often. It's important to us that our kids know where we came from and who we have to thank for it.
Today was back to reality! I enjoy being away but am always happy to be home. There's nothing like my own bed to make me smile. Even if there's a little babe calling me from it through the night :). Here's to a good night sleep!!!
New prayer requests (in addition to old posts):
Julie: woman type stuff, probably too personal for me to post on my blog


Kelly

Recovery

As I drove over to a friend's house the other night I couldn't help but notice all the people out exercising. I watched a very fit guy biking his heart out, keeping up with the flow of cars. I then passed someone jogging down the road. I was taken back to the time when I was in shape. There was a time when I could leg press more than 200 lbs and ran at least 5 days a week. I used to have a personal trainer and took being in shape seriously.
I asked Todd the other day if he thought I could get my body back. Poor guy! He said yes, and I think he meant it. I am not a vain person. Being in shape is so much more than just a physical appearance thing. When I am working out and eating healthy I feel like a completely different person. I love the energy. My mind is more clear. Life seems better.
My recovery, as my doctor warned, is going slow. The worse part.....I didn't believe him. It's like I have hit a stand still. I am excited to get moving! I was invited to join a softball team and originally said that I would love to. I just can't do it. Even the slightest use of my abdominals makes me quite sore the next day. I will admit that it is discouraging but I know it will get better. It's just not on my time schedule, lol.
I trust God to see this journey through to the end. I hope I can remain trusting and PATIENT. I hope to slowly work my way back into some sort of exercise regime. My diet has gone, ummm, a little astray, lol. Food and I are good friends. We've spent a lot of time together over the years, lol.
Well, I'm gonna finish eating my snack, lol (just kidding) and get ready for bed.

Kelly

Today was the last MOPS meeting for the school year. They planned a day of testimonies and called it tea and testimony. I called it tears and testimony. We first hear from a woman who has dealt with some very personal, emotional issues over the past several months. She shed several tears as she talked about how the women of MOPS have helped her and cared for her throughout her journey.
I had, in the back of my head, that I needed to stand up and thank everyone as well. I had written my thought down in a card a couple of weeks ago, just incase I couldn't get up and talk in front of the group. Mostly, I was afraid of breaking down in front of all those women. But, with that being said, when I got there and found out the we were having a day of testimonies and sharing, I knew that God had set the stage. I was able to get up and thank everyone for all the love, support and especially their prayers throughout the entire pregnancy and post-partum. It's amazing how God works. I have a couple of very supportive friends that live miles and miles away that I know I can rely on at all times but none close by. When I was invited to MOPS, I had no idea what God had in store for me. I will be forever grateful to Him for having MOPS be a part of His plan. I am not sure I conveyed just much I appreciated everything the MOPS have done for me. If fact, with the nervousness and tears, I am not sure I made any sense, lol. Words never sum up such emotions anyway, do they?
I look forward to meeting up with many of the moms throughout the summer. They are asking for volunteers for next years MOPS team. I am considering it. Since there are small as well as big jobs, I think I could start small this year. I will have to pray and see where God leads me.
I am so thankful for God's love. It was so evident today in our meeting room. I don't think that there was a person there that hasn't been personally touching by Him. So many of the moms have been witnesses to me throughout my journey. What a blessing MOPS has been to me.
As I type, I hold a sick? baby. After his checkup yesterday, Nathanael was very sleepy. He had difficulty taking his bottles last night and has been sleeping a lot. The neonatologist told me to up his amount of formula so I equated the sleepiness to being tired out from the appt and the increase in food. But today he has been very sleepy and not eating well. He has had to be woken up to eat and has only been taking half of his normal amount of formula. Tonight he woke up, very hungry. Todd fed him close to 2 oz. He started gagging and brought up, maybe a 1/3 of it. He has had two watery stools. As far as I can tell he does not have a fever. Todd woke me at 2:40 am and said that he had taken 1 oz and was back to sleep. I tried to feed him a bit more. He ate very slow. He spit up for an hour afterwards. Everytime I lie him down he spits up. I tried putting him in his car seat but he didn't like that at all. So, I have been holding him on my chest for an hour. He is peacefully sleeping at the moment. I guess it will be a sleepless night for me. Sleep is overated anyway, isn't it?
Todd has to go to a client site tomorrow. Lily has her class end-of-year picnic. I was planning to take Nathanael to the park for the picnic. Maybe one day they will invent something that allows moms to split themselves in two :). Until then, one day at a time :).
Prayer requests:
*8 month old, Miles, who feel off the bed, bleeding in the brain. At Children's hospital.
*Kim, pregnant with twins. 32 weeks along, body wanting to deliver.
*Jennifer, pregnant with twins. Faced with a possible complicated pregnancy due to clotting factors.
*the MOPS moms and families. Protection and to feel God's love :).
*Lisa, pregnant, gestational diabetes. Safe delivery and healthy baby.
I could write pages of requests. I am just going to write the newest, most urgent, daily requests. Well, I should try to lie the babe down again so I can catch a few winks.

;) Kelly

Checkup

Nathanael had his first nursery followup at Cardinal Glennon today. The neonatologist, Dr. Walentik, checked his weight, length, head circumference, ears, gag reflex, muscle tone, etc... She was very pleased with his progress. She said if he didn't know his history she wouldn't know he is a preemie. That made me feel great!!! He weighs 6.10, almost a pound more than at discharge. According to his growth chart he is progressing as hoped. She was pleased with his growth and muscle tone. Nathanael is able to hold his head up and hold his extremities out when held in the air, showing good muscle tone. She said he is doing more than to be expected in regards to muscle tone. He had a head u/s but I do not have the results yet. He had electrolytes drawn to see if they can take him off of the sodium chloride.
She talked to me about sleeping and eating habits. She also told me what to expect in regards to followup appts. They will want to see him at 6 months (CGA-corrected gestational age), 15 months (CGA), and at 24 months. He will see a physiotherapist at his next appt. At age 2 he will have a developmental and cognitive screening to ensure he is up to par. The neonatologist isn't worried that Nathanael will have any problems but she said you can't tell for sure at this age how they will develop.
He will have to have heart monitor until about 43 weeks, which is mid to end of June. I was surprised to hear that he will have it for that long but I will comply with whatever they suggest. He has a cardiologist appt June 5th. They adjusted the monitor today because his heartrate has dropped due to being older and closer to term.
We talked about immunizations and routine checkups. It sounds like Nathanael will be very closely monitored for quite some time. I feel good knowing that should he fall behind on anything that it will likely be picked up asap.So, all is well. I wasn't concerned that they would find something wrong but what do I know, lol.
I stopped at Todd's office on the way home and picked up the other two munchkins. They had a good day at daddy's office. They haven't been there in a while. It is quite warm out today. I hope to get out with all three kiddos after dinner when it cools a bit. That's if I don't fall asleep before the kids, lol.
Good report, good day....

Kelly

Deja Vu?

Geneva (Grandpa's girlfriend) calls today and says that her daughter, who is 32 weeks along with twin boys has been put on bedrest at home. She then says "it's like deja vu". Is what happened to me and what is happening to her that close? She is 75% effaced and her doc feels like she could deliver anytime. They want to get her to 36 weeks.
I hope over time that I will forget about the whole pregnancy/hospitalization thing. You would think, now that it's all over, that I would be able to move on and forget what happened. But I can't. I don't dwell on it but it's very hard to think about. I hate feeling weak. I hate feeling vulnerable. I hate feeling fearful. I just want to forget about it. Sometimes just seeing a pregnant woman makes my stomach hurt. There's a bit of jealous as well.
Kinda hard to move on with the daily phone calls from providers asking for payment. My insurance company is "looking into it". Wonderful! It's gonna be hanging over our heads for months that the claim may be denied. You gotta love the EOBs that explain the $50k and the $91k bills. Woowee! I think this will be costing someone several hundred thousand. Hopefully it's not us!!!
It's strange to know that I don't have a choice as to whether I want more kids or not. It's like a right, the right to bare children, as many as I want, has been taken away. I know it's a crazy thought, since we have 3 children under 5, and well, I am older than the dr's like pregnant women to be....but...I always thought it would be my decision.
I have so, so many bins of baby clothes. It's sad thinking that they are sitting there, waiting to be put on some cutie baby. I need to have a huge garage sale and get rid of it all. Just get rid of it.
When I went to my 6 week checkup, my specialist told me that although I have no uterus, and will have no monthly cycle, that I will get all the symptoms that go with the monthly visitor. I will still get moody and cranky. And I won't even know when it's coming, lol. Well, thanks for that!! I have a feeling part of the reason this blog is such a downer has to do with hormones. At least, I sure hope so, LOL!
So, now that I have whined and complained... I'm gonna hold my sleeping baby and think of sweet things :).

Kelly

Yeah!!! Potty Trained?

So, three days ago I decided, no more diapers for Alex. We have been putting a diaper on at night only. The first day was, well, bad, with lots of accidents and he kept asking for his diaper. Day two, much better. And today, great success. He stayed dry all day and told me when he had to go...right up until bedtime, when he pooped and peed in his pull-up. I am very excited about his progress. He seems pretty pumped about it too :). Todd bought him a target to shoot at with his bow for trying so hard.
Nathanael is doing well. He is eating about 2 oz every 3 hours. He has a checkup on Tues. I am very excited to see how much weight he has gained. He is finally growing out of his preemie clothes. He is starting to have longer awake periods. His monitor has only gone off twice this past week. It appears as if he everything is moving right along, in the right direction.
The kids still love Nathanael and think he is pretty cool. Lily is especially smitten with him. She kisses him all the time. She wants to hold him and help with his bottles whenever she gets the chance. Alex is following Lily's lead. He kisses him too but is less interested in helping. He tries to help by thrusting the pacifier in his mouth, lol. I have to watch him closely.
The nights are getting longer and Todd and I are starting to get tired. I know that I have greatly increased my caffeine intake, lol. Todd, well, he naps on the couch, when he gets the chance. He is going back to the office tomorrow. I am having some anxiety over being home by myself. I am hoping after a couple of days alone I will feel better about things.
Today, after church, Todd had to do a demo for a new client. We all drove to St. Charles. The plan was to drop Todd off, kill time with the kids, then pick Todd back up. There was a Dairy Queen right across the road from where Todd was doing his demo. I got all three kids in, hit the bathroom first and headed to order food when I realized that I didn't bring my wallet. Interesting! Todd's meeting wasn't scheduled to start for 15 mins so I quickly called him. He walked across the road, paid for our food, and headed back. Lily and Alex sat and ate, while I fed Nathanael. I let everyone sit and take their time eating because I didn't have a wallet, therefore, no drivers license, therefore we would be stuck in the parking lot until Todd was done, lol! Once the kids got bored, we headed to the car. It seemed like no time before Todd returned. The moral of this story (well, besides, always take your wallet, lol) is that if I can take all three out by myself, I should be able to handle them at home :).
I am going to sign out as I have a rotten baby, spoiled rotten that is, that wants to be held :).

Kelly

A Stormy Day

According to the weather man, it was supposed to rain all week. Mon and Tues were beautiful, warm and windy. So...I washed the durango, and voila, it is now raining, lol. The storms started last night. I love thunderstorms. Although I don't panic when I hear the word tornado anymore, I can do without the warnings.
When it storms I worry about the power because Nathanael's monitor battery only lasts about 12 hours, fully charged. I have grown to rely on the monitor to let me know if anything is wrong. It's a comfortable feeling to know that we will be alerted if anything changes with his respirations or heartrate.
Today has been an indoor lazy day for the kids because of the weather. I caught up on some much needed cleaning, such as scraping the paint off the floor from the new kitchen cabinet remodelling. I feel like the house is finally getting back in order.
Well, it's dinner time. I better get cracking! I am out of here.

Kelly

Another busy day. Another great day. After I dropped Lily off at preschool I was able to get some errands done and spend some much needed 1:1 with Alex. Todd watched Nathanael while Alex and I went to the park and had a picnic. It was a beautiful day. It was sunny but not too hot. I could have many more days like this!
Tonight I watched the finale of Biggest Loser while contemplating what to eat, lol. I haven't been able to get to the gym and am finding it harder and harder to eat right. I have to keep at it though.
The apnea monitor went kaputs (is that how you spell it??) tonight. The screeching alarm went off and wouldn't stop. The entire unit had to be replaced. Some poor girl had to drive an hour to come and bring us a new one. It was nice not to have wires attached to Nathanael but I found myself watching him very close and wondering if his heart was ok.
Our health insurance is giving us a hard time. They keep telling the providers that they will not cover the claim as they do not cover normal pregnancy claims. Hello!!!! What was normal about it? Now they are researching my history, trying to find a way to deny our claims. They want a physicians signature, stating I wasn't pregnant at the beginning of August, when we got this insurance. I guess this is just the way they work. I am not sure how people would deal with this if the illness was ongoing. I am not concerned, just annoyed. It is in our contract that complications of pregnancy are covered 100%. Can't get anymore clear than that!
Oh well, on that note...I better go to bed before I get too annoyed! Looking forward to tomorrow.

Kelly

A Good Report.

I had a wonderful day today. I had my 6 weeks post-partum checkup. I got a good report. All is well so I got the go ahead to resume all "normal" activities. Although, I was warned to take it slow and listen to my body. He mentioned that my incision could be "adjusted". I said, "like surgery?". He said "yes" and I said "no way, no how". They will have to drag me kicking and screaming to surgery in the future. I am not vain enough to care about an area that only a few will see. It's not like I will be wearing a bikini, lol. I am happy to have a good final report and be discharged from his care but I was sad to say goodbye to my specialist. I thanked him and his team for the wonderful care throughout this process. And now the new adventure of getting my body back into shape begins!
I spent the rest of the day outside, with the family. We went to Pop's and planted more veggies. Lily and Alex ran around while I shared a blanket with Nathanael. The neighbour came over with Alex's b-day gift and something for Nathanael. Then we all headed to Culvers for some yummy, fried food. I have been so good with my eating that I splurged. I didn't eat dessert but I sure enjoyed the butterburger and onion rings, LOL. Guess I'll have to work that off asap!
I love the sounds at night when the house is silent. I can hear the occasional car drive past our open window. I can hear Todd and the baby breathing, ever so softly. What a great day. Thank you Lord :).

Kelly

Happy Mother's Day!

What a wonderful Mother's Day it is!!! I am so blessed( x3). I woke up to a small voice saying "Happy Mother's Day". Alex was to my right, Lily to my left and Nathanael, in Todd's arm at the end of the bed. They brought me cards and breakfast in bed. It was so sweet. We spent the day together and went to Ponderosa for dinner. I got to shop for a few items on Friday evening for Mother's Day. I love new clothes :). All in all, the day was fabulous!
Everyone here is doing well. Nathanael is such a sweetie. He has been cracking me up. He can be completely asleep one minute and screeching the next. I think he doesn't realize he can be awake and not be eating. It's kinda funny and cute. He has this little tiny voice. He tries so hard to make enough noise to be noticed when it's actually just a funny screech. The only real awake period he is having lasts a couple hours off and on. Unfortunately it's usually between 1am and 3am. Bummer! Lucky for me, Todd has been getting up and feeding him around that time.
Lily and Alex still think Nathanael is pretty cool. I am glad that the novelty of a new brother hasn't worn off yet. Todd and I are trying hard to spend extra time with them, letting them know that most things are the same around the house.
LOL, I am wondering why I went to the gym on Thursday. I was finally pain free. My body has been aching ever since. But, I need to keep at it. I have a dr's appt tomorrow. I am looking forward to the go-ahead to resume all normal activities. I am thinking bootcamp again but that may be too much for me right now. We'll see..... I am determined to get back in shape, cardio wise, etc. I don't care too much about the weight right now. I just want to get my stamina and energy back.
It's been a great day. I am beat and ready for bed. So, I am off....

Kelly

Family Time

Family time, all the time these days. It's so great!! I have, somehow managed to spread my time around so that no one has been left out. Todd took Lily on a field trip today, leaving some good bonding time for me and the baby. (Alex was at children's day out). I am so grateful for Todd this week. He is working from home, allowing me to keep up with everything.
Nathanael is just now starting to have some awake periods. They only last a few mins and usually lead into hunger, but it's nice to make eye contact. I can tell he knows my voice because he seems to search for me when I speak. He also looks around when the other kids are around. He is starting to hold up his head when I have him on my chest. I can't wait for that first smile. He is going to be grown before I know it. And he isn't even supposed to be born yet!!
I am working hard on myself these days. I have lost 30 lbs :). I am fasting sweets for one month, which has helped a lot. I went to the gym today. First time since....well, I can't remember when...opps :). And I didn't die, lol. The cardio wasn't too bad but the weights...I am a little weak. So, that means, take it sloooow.
It's supposed to thunderstorm tonight. I love night thunderstorms. What an awesome sound. I love the really hard rain. So, here's to a "stormy" sleep...

Kelly

It's So Nice!

It is soooo nice to have Nathanael home. It is amazing how "normal" life is now. I am physically feeling about 90% and everyone is here, all together! What else can I ask for??
Nathanael is such a sweetie. I love being able to hold me anytime I want to. Last night I sat on the couch after everyone else went to bed and held him for almost 3 hours. I had so many other things to do but I have a lot of catching up to do with Nathanael. His skin is so soft. And I can't get over his blonde hair. He is still sleeping a lot. He wakes up about 10 mins before he needs to eat, makes a mini-fuss, eats and goes back to sleep, LOL! What a life. His only issue is that he seems to have a little belly problem. He often fusses and pulls his knees after eating. Poor bub! Right now he is snoozing next to me in his car seat. He seems to like to sit up a little after he eats. I had laundry to change over and lunches to make so I popped him in his car seat. He looks so cozy. Sleeping like a baby....hehe, I couldn't resist the pun :).
Lily and Alex love him. So far I haven't seen any jealousy. I worried a lot about how Alex would do with some competition but so far, so good. Both kids want to touch him and help out all the time. They race to see who can get his blanket first. It's really cute.
Todd has been working from home this week. It's been a huge help. I can call on him to help with little things throughout the day. And he has been taking "the night shift", he calls it. He has been getting up at 3am and 6am to feed Nathanael. I think Todd and I are finally getting back on track too!
I have been able to catch up on some much needed housework. I got out all my summer clothes from last year and they fit!!! The house looks better than it has in a while. Who would've thought bring home a new baby would be less work than having one at the hospital. It's so nice to have him home.
Well, since I am the only one awake I should be using my free time wisely. Laundry calls...

Kelly

All Under One Roof!

Yesterday was a little busy so I didn't get to update....but...

Nathanael came home!! We headed up to the hospital around 9am. All four of us, for the first time, were symptom free and able to enter the NICU together. Nathanael's nurse ran through some of the regular baby discharge stuff such as this is how you wash a baby, this is how you dress a baby, lol. I think they have to make sure they tell you everything before you leave so you can't come back.
We then had about an hour training with the apnea, heart monitor. It was a little overwhelming and I could feel the anxiety starting. I was trying to feed Nathanael when the verbal part of the training was going on so I wasn't quite engaged in what the trainer was saying. Thankfully, the trainer was very thorough and took his time going over things, several times, with Todd. There is a lot more to the monitor then I originally thought. It's not a complicated thing, just a lot of little things to remember about it. Anyway....
After the monitor training, the nurse told us to go grab some lunch while they drew up the discharge papers. I guess the nurse practitioner was very busy with some sick babies and was a little behind on the paperwork. So, we grabbed a snack. It gave Todd and I some time to talk about the monitor and take a moment to breathe :).
Soon, we were all ready to go. We popped Nathanael into the wagon. Todd pulled and the kids pushed. I followed closely behind, thanking God for this day. I hope I don't have to see the inside of a hospital for a very long time. We made one quick pit stop then headed home.
So far we have only had one alarm with the monitor that concerned us. While sleeping, the heart rate monitor went off, indicating that his heart rate was less than 80. Indeed, he was not breathing when Todd walked over to him. With a little stimulation he resumed breathing and the alarmed silenced on it's own. His dr reassured us that these A and B (apnic and bradycardia) episodes with probably resolve themselves in about two weeks. He is doing well with his feedings. He is waking about every three hours, wanting to eat. He is taking 50ish ccs at a time. I think he had a belly ache last night. He had a hard time settling after his late night feeding and groaned for a while. He is on pepcid for reflux. I remember Lily...oh, she has such bad belly aches. She cried a lot! I'm hoping he is just adjusting to the formula and environment change.
Today was beautiful. After running some errands with the older two, we headed outside. Nathanael slept peacefully in the stroller while Lily and Alex played with some of the new b-day toys. Then the four of us went for a walk to the end of the street and back. No one was interested in napping (except me), so we settled for some quiet time instead.
Jessie stopped by for a quick visit. The kids love her! I think they heard her voice and came downstairs. Todd ordered chinese for dinner. After Jessie left, Lily and I headed outside to try out her new bike. After a couple mini-wipeouts, so quit. I think she got scared, poor thing! Alex, eventually joined us. We played in the yard with one of the new neighbours kids.
Lily and Alex went to bed early. Too many late nights with no naps. As I type, all is quiet. Todd is working on the couch and all three kids are asleep :). I am hoping for a quiet night.
Tomorrow Alex has his three year check-up and Nathanael has a follow-up appt. I think the days are going to be busy for a while but at least it's all happening under one roof!!!

Kelly

Mama, mama, I'm coming home.

I am still pouting but I think I can put things aside long enough to act like a grown up for a little while...
The nurse called today to tell us that Nathanael has been officially discharged home tomorrow!!! The last couple of days he has been taking bottles (only) well. He pulled his NG out last evening and they left it out. What a smart boy! We have to do the monitor training tomorrow and get a few last min well baby instructions but then we can bring him home. Yippee! I am very happy and relieved. I know it's going to be crazy around here now, but at least we are all here as a family together.
And today is Alex's third birthday. I don't think I have seen him this excited before! We took him to Toys R Us last night to pick out a bike. He is loving it. It's so nice to see him so excited!! We celebrated with family and friends at The Incredible Pizza Place. Poor Bub didn't really get a party because we didn't know if Nathanael would be home but thankfully he's only 3 and is easy to please. He is into spiderman this year, so that was the theme.
It's been a really great day with Lily and Alex. Hopefully the transition to family of 4 to 5 is easy on them. I am worried about Alex.
I have a few more things to do before I can go to bed....all baby stuff:). So, I am out of here.

Kelly