Playing Catch-Up (A little!)

I spaced out a little bit on doing yesterday's blog entry, but there wasn't a whole lot of excitement going on, so I'm combining the two for the entry today.  I guess it means that you get two pictures!

Sunday was a pretty typical one, going out for a car ride in the afternoon and all of that good stuff.  You didn't get to partake in the pool activities that your siblings did, but you were just as content to lounge in the comfort of the air conditioned house.

We'd set up the pack n play in our room, and attempted to get you to sleep in there...even after you'd gone to sleep in the swing, the transfer didn't last more than a half hour or so.  Perhaps it was because you were hungry...who knows.  We'll keep trying!

And for the daily picture...

And on to today, Monday.  You got to venture out with Kaitlyn and Mommy to lunch with Mommy's former co-workers!  You were so content, and people at the next table over kept commenting on what a chilled out little lady you are.  You enjoyed being passed around and smiling and cooing at everyone.

Not much of a nap today, so you were EXHAUSTED come about 7:30.  Tomorrow...daycare!  Not that I want you to be over tired, but sleeping better at night could be a potential bonus!

Today's picture now!

Happy Saturday!

Today was a pretty uneventful Saturday, like most Saturdays.  We haven't gone anywhere terribly exciting the past weekend or two, just because we're gearing up for vacation soon!  Actually, that's probably not entirely the reason, but it will do for now.

We went to Target today, and I wore you around.  You seemed to enjoy looking around at everyone (facing out in the carrier), but fussed a little when I wasn't moving.  We went for a ride up South Mountain, and you were wide awake, watching things go by but pretty content nonetheless.

You were pretty happy overall today.  Lots of giggling (some day I'll catch that giggle in a video!) and smiles.  We set up your pack-n-play to see if you'd like sleeping in there, but when we put you in there, you woke up pretty quickly.  It was still early, so you got a bath (with help from Kaitlyn) and all moisturized down before bed.  Not a bad way to end the evening!

Well, we'll see what's in store for tomorrow, and Monday is a big day, since we're going out to lunch with some of mommy's former co-workers!

Laurel's Happy Friday

Happy Friday!  This is day one of mommy's little blogging challenge (to post for each of the kids). Starting at the end and working up....so Daniel will be last tonight!

This week started off pretty well.  Monday we went to your followup doctor's appointment to check on your ear infection from earlier.  All cleared up!  You gained a whopping 0.5oz (I'm being goofy here) since you were last weighed (you were 12lbs, 3oz on May 6th...12lbs 3.5oz on May 16th).  No biggie!  At the earlier appointment, the doctor gave you a referral for physical therapy too, since she noticed that you lean to the right and the muscles on that side are super tight.  So we'll be getting into that soon (hopefully!).

The rest of the week was pretty good, too.  Daycare was Tuesday and Thursday, and when we picked you up on Thursday, you were happy as a clam doing some tummy time resting on a pillow.

Today was also the first day of your brothers' summer vacation, so all four of you were home today.  We'll have to figure out some fun things to do this summer!

In any case...here is your daily picture...snooooooozing away...

It's April!

As the title says, it's April!  And that means you are now two months old as of the 2nd day of the month!

I'll take a step back and make sure that I record (for all posterity) your stats when you were 1 month old...weighing in at 10lbs, 1oz!  At your two month checkup yesterday, you were 11lbs, 9oz!  I make it a point to mention this because last night I was going back into your siblings blogs and comparing their stats with yours.  All of you were very similar!  All in the 11lb range, going from 11lbs, 3oz (Kaitlyn) to 11lbs, 11oz (Daniel).  22 1/2 inches long...also comparable!

You took the four shots (and one oral vaccine) like a champ, only crying a little and settling right down after I picked you up.

Now stepping back even further to Easter...you got to meet your uncle Gary!  He came down from Reno right before Easter for a few days.  We got to go hang out at the mall a little bit with you, your daddy, Kaitlyn and mommy (me!).

So, what else are you doing...growing by leaps and bounds!  You went through the fussy witching hour, like your siblings, where you started screaming around 7 or 8pm and didn't settle for a while.  Baths helped to calm you down, and I think you're through that phase (whew!).  You are also smiling like CRAZY.  You've always been a smile-er (even in the womb!), but now you do it much more often and in response to seeing someone.

Well, that's about all for now.  It's a bit short, but it's an update to say the least...and we'll take what we can get!

One Month...and Hospital...

You're one month old now!  It's been just over a week since the last post, and so much has happened so fast.  I try to put the timeline together in my head, as I've had to repeat it so many times to the doctors and nurses, but it's hard!

Your dad and I geared up for your one month checkup with a few questions for the doctor.  Nothing major...just making sure the goopy eye was checked out, and making sure your digestive tract was OK (a little fussy there when the pipes aren't moving!).  You weighed in at 10lbs, 1oz and measured in at 20 inches.  Just one shot and we were on our way!

Backing up a day, Kaitlyn sprouted a fever at daycare on Tuesday afternoon, so that meant she was off school for Wednesday.  She woke up with a bloody nose, but otherwise a little better.  We all took a long nap in the afternoon after your appointment.  Wednesday night both you and Kaitlyn were up quite a bit, coughing and fussing.  Thursday Kaitlyn woke up seemingly better (no fever, etc) so all signs seemed to point to a return to daycare for her on Friday. 

Thursday night went from bad to worse with coughing and being awakened all night by the both of you.  Around 3, I took you downstairs to sleep in the recliner (fitfully... but more pleasantly and quietly than in your swing or carseat).  Come morning, your dad and I decided to get both of you checked out at the doctor.  The earliest appointment was 2pm, but you were much worse than the evening before... now panting and pulling skin into your ribs.  Daddy suggested urgent care of ER, so we made use of the brand-new freestanding ER near us.

We got there around 9:30 or so...a bit of a wait later (45 mins or so?) we get called back.  When the pulse ox reading came up, I thought it was either misplaced, just equilibrating or otherwise mistaken...readings were in the 80% range!  They went up and down in that range, and quickly put you on oxygen to see if that pulled you up.  It did...but as soon as it came off, your level went down again.  Still breathing really fast and having retractions, so all of the tests and other stuff quickly started.

Breathing treatment... check (no fussing during that...or the O2 mask...which was good).  Chest X-ray.  The doctor noted some crackling in your chest too.  IV started.  They tried to get a urine sample, but didn't get a lot...what they did get looked cloudy.  Antibiotics started in your IV along with fluid.  So far taking things well!

Then we got the official word that we were being transferred to Phoenix Children's at Mercy Gilbert.  It is a smaller branch, but still a good place to get helped out.  We took an ambulance ride there and got there about 4.  We went right to your room and they gave you a better O2 thing for your nose (vs the mask in the ER), suctioned you out (that helped a LOT!) and tried to get another urine sample and blood draw.  Two catheter attempts and they got about 1 1/2ml...good enough!  Blood didn't want to come out thru the IV(and they didn't want to blow it by forcing it too hard), and another regular jab didn't yield anything.

Your dad and siblings arrived (they couldn't  come to see you...had to stay outside the unit) and shortly after, the doctor made the call to have you transferred to the main campus of Phoenix Children's Hospital and into the PICU.  A second ambulance ride, and we settled in for the night.

But before that, they switched your O2 to include some humidity, which really helped to normalize breathing. They also put in a feeding tube to monitor intake and to let you rest instead of working hard to breathe/eat.

Things were OK overnight (both of us resting!) and they bumped down the O2 a bit this morning (so far so good!).  Still have a cough, but things appear to be on the mend!

Three Weeks!

So I'm posting on my phone right now as you sleep (hopefully!) in your swing right next to the bed.  I say that because I probably won't write as much as I'd like, having to peck out everything on a tiny keyboard with two fingers...

Anyway, you are three weeks old today!  It hardly seems possible, yet at the same time it seems like you've been here longer!

Here's the vitals:

Laurel Alexis Stone
February 2nd, 2016 @ 3:33a.m.
8lbs, 12oz and 19 inches long

You made it to 38 weeks and two days!  One day longer than Jared, 2 days earlier than Daniel.

I'll write more details later, but so far you've been pretty healthy and happy, eating, sleeping and doing all of the things babies do.

Your siblings adore you, each in their own way. 

I'm reminded of how we (me and your dad) hit a wall about this time...tiredness sets in.  More fussy time when we would rather be resting.  Do we're tired, but it will pass...you'll get your days and nights figured out, and eventually everyone will sleep better.

In any case, welcome to the world!!!

Still Cookin'...

A more timely update...while you're still cooking!  The biggest news is that you hit the 36 week mark on Sunday...yay!

Here's the updated stats though:

Trips to the hospital (OB triage):  6
Hospital admissions:  3
Days in antepartum:  7
Rounds of magnesium sulfate:  2 (24 hours each)
Steroid shots:  4 total (2 sets/rounds)
Terbutaline:  4 shots
Doctor's appointments:  many!

So week 36 is "big" for a few reasons.  First is that you are quasi-term (not term, term, but more free to come out).  Apparently they DEFINITELY won't stop labor or anything like that (no more terb).  This also came with having to stop taking nifedipine and progesterone.  So we've gone two days without.  36 weeks marks the start of more tests each week...amniotic fluid levels, a growth ultrasound and 2 NSTs a week.

Backing up a little, your grandma got here on January 10th (Sunday).  On Friday the 15th, we launched into more contractions and went to OB triage again.  At least your siblings didn't have to get up for that one.  I grossly underestimated the number of contractions that I was having, and was clocking them at around every 2 minutes in triage.  The nurse joked "you aren't really in labor, right?", and I wanted to agree.  At first, she seemed to think that I wasn't going home, and wondered if I'd (or me and your dad) would be devastated if we had a baby that night.  I simply mentioned that I preferred if I could get a terb shot and go home.  My wish came true, and right after midnight I got the shot, it flatlined contractions and we went home (with some Ambien to help me sleep).

Yesterday was MLK day, so your brothers were off (Kaitlyn still went to school), and to the doctor's appointment we went.  They needed to reschedule your growth ultrasound/AFI, so that will be tomorrow.  Doctor's appointment was OK (nothing new to report), still hanging out at around 4-5cm dilated (I believe the "official" was 5cm, 90% effaced and about to fall out).  Then to the NST.  Which you were soundly sleeping through.  Which meant it was technically "non-reactive" because your heart rate did nothing...because you weren't moving (they want to see it go up at least twice or so).  It wasn't anything concerning, just sigh worthy because it didn't show anything one way or the other (despite the nurses best try to wake you up!).

So that is things so far!  The people at work are "hoping" you come out in 2 weeks...I really don't know when it could be.  I'm kind of content to let you hang out for a little while longer, even if it isn't the most comfortable thing in the world :)

Long Overdue...

Well...this post is long over due, so it's bound to be extra long...right?

With your brothers and sister, I did a pretty good job of having pregnancy updates, but this time around I've slacked a bit.  Not that I haven't thought about it, but I just didn't do it (procrastination...ha!).

So now is the time for catch up...while you're still cooking!  I'm still amazed that I've only put ONE post up on your blog so far!

Let's see...so we found out you were a girl (yay!) in August, not long after we got back from Las Vegas (your dad's 40th birthday!).  This is by FAR the earliest, at just about 12 weeks along!  This was confirmed later on with your "regular" mid-pregnancy ultrasound...but I guess sometimes you can trust genetics over visuals.  In any case, we were thrilled that you are a girl, as you even the score with a total of 3 boys and 3 girls in the house (including me and your dad, of course!).

So we got through the early phases just fine.  Morning sickness...check.  Little bit of bleeding/maybe sub-chorionic hemorrhage (had that with Kaitlyn)...check.  Next came the suggestion from the doctor's office to try and get me on progesterone injections.  THAT was a whole mess.  To spare the details, everything seemed to be approved to start injections at 16 weeks, but just as everything was about to be ready to go, the insurance company denied everything...no injections.  More than one doctor mentioned that they could go to regret that decision, as even though the medication is a bit pricey, hospital stays could be pricier.

That prophecy sort of came true, in that the contractions started coming earlier than they had with your siblings (perhaps...I know I was having what I thought were Braxton-Hicks contractions with Jared sort of early on...they were never very frequent though).  The triage nurse suggested taking ibuprofen on October 17th and to let the office know that Monday if I had to take it through the weekend.  As soon as the iburpofen would wear off, contractions came back, and on Monday the 19th they suggested I come into the doctor.  You were 23 weeks and 1 day along.  Ultrasound showed a little bit of a shortening cervix (about 2.2cm) and 1-2cm dilated.  The doctor sent us to the hospital for quick monitoring (or so he thought!) and hopefully a perinatology consult that would result in maybe getting vaginal progesterone and nifedipine.  I ended up staying the night (guess I wasn't going home so quickly after all!) and getting magnesium sulfate and the two additional aforementioned prescriptions.  You were still too "young" to get steroid injections, and it was a bit scary to think that the outcome wouldn't be good if you were to be born right then and there.

Moving right along, our 24 week appointment was the next week, which also involved the 1-hour glucose test.  Some sort of weirdo non-communication at the doctors office and hospital showed NO RECORD of me having been admitted (I had to call and chase things down) and no other followup on anything.  Ended up going to OB triage AGAIN that Wednesday (the 28th), but VERY luckily I only needed a shot of terbutaline, another ultrasound and then I was sent home.  Oh...and I also found out the next day that I failed the 1 hour glucose test, so ended up doing the 3 hour the day before Halloween.  As soon as the doctor's office realized that my cervix should probably be monitored, I had another ultrasound scheduled the week after.  That one was fine, in that there was no change in length from the hospital (still sitting at around 2-2.2cm).

Everything seemed (sort of) good until Veteran's Day.  You were 26 weeks, 3 days along.  Your dad was off with the boys, and I had to work.  And of course the contractions kept coming.  I had asked the doctor's office if I could take nifedipine and ibuprofen at the same time, to which the nurse told me that I shouldn't, since it could cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure (I later learned that this was crap information).  I was REALLY hoping that I could just go over to triage and get another shot of terbutaline on my lunch hour.  That ended up being another hospital stay.  Fetal fibronectin came back POSITIVE, so we were loaded up with a round of steroids and 2 more nights in the hospital.  After that...I haven't been into work (working from home).

Now for a brief period of "good"...I had doctor's appointments lined up each week, and each week seemed to be pretty tame.  We counted the weeks...and weeks without incedent...27...28...29...30...31...32.  Good milestones for development and for not having too many problems if born this early.  Managed to squeeze the "fun" 3D/4D ultrasound in there as well.  But I also had to stop taking ibuprofen then.  Two days later, back to the hospital.  On December 23rd, I got admitted AGAIN, 3-4cm dilated and earning a little more magnesium and another set of steroid shots (that was a new one...two rounds!).  We got to go home on Christmas Eve night...32 weeks and 4 days along!

Week 33 was decent (week of New Years), still 3-4cm at the doctor's office with a little bleeding.  Start of week 34 came, and everyone was back to school.  With it came a few more contractions.  Jared was home sick on Tuesday and Wednesday, Kaitlyn threw up at school on Wednesday and had to stay home Thursday (yesterday).  Just before putting everyone to bed, contractions started up again...every 5 minutes.  Your dad made the call to haul everyone to the hospital, where I was more than thrilled that they were able to stop contractions with terbutaline and IV fluids and I could go home again!  Long night, but here's to not having to stay!

In summary...we've had some similarities and some differences between your belly-dwelling time and Kaitlyn's.  Pre-term labor started earlier, they put me on progesterone, and they gave me nifedipine earlier.  So far, 5 trips to the hospital (3 that resulted in being admitted), so a grand total of 7 days of hospital admission.  2 rounds of magnesium sulfate (a total of around 48 hours), 2 rounds of steroids. Three shots of terbutaline.  ZERO stays in a delivery room.

On to week 35 here coming up!