Dear Baby,
We have survived our first weekend of being in the hospital. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We had a lot of visitors this weekend so that really helped time go by much faster. Also, your daddy was able to spend the night from Friday night til today. Unfortunately, your daddy had to go back home because he has some things he has to do to get prepared for this week at work. I was really sad to see him go, but understand that he had to get home for a little while. Hopefully he will be able to come back this week as often as I would like. I would also like to thank all my friends who have stopped by to see us this weekend. It is out of the way to get here and every visit was truly appreciated.
Everything is still looking good for us. Our stay in paradise just needs to continue on. All lab work and monitoring shows that we are still in good condition. Last night, the charge nurse from the NICU came by and took us on a tour of the NICU since most likely, you will be spending some time in there. I know that since I will be giving birth prematurely, a stay in the NICU is unavoidable. The nurse showed us one of the suites where babies are brought to. She showed us the different types of beds and we were able to see some of the current residents of the NICU. The babies there seem to be very well taken care of. It was shocking to see how tiny these babies were. There was one baby that was 2.5 pounds and was 35 days old. The nurse was optimistic when we told her that the doctor estimated your weight to already be at 3 pounds 12 ounces. I am hoping that you have grown some more over this past week. The bigger you are when you are born, the better your chances.
Today marks day 5 and a half and so far so good. There are moments when I start to lose it and get emotional. Ok, there are lots of moments when that happens. Its so saddening to know that I am sitting here waiting for things to get worse. I just have to keep telling myself that this is where I need to be for my health and for my baby's health and hope that I do not get any worse and I make it to the 34 week mark.
Another happy note. We have decided on a full name for you. Your daddy and I wanted you to have a lao middle name so that part of your heritage was included in your name. After much thinking, we have decided on Alexander Khamdy Garner. Khamdy is my grandpa's name on my mom's side of the family. He was a strong leader that was liked by many people and I hope that continues on with you. Well, I suppose this is all for now. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
May 29 - no news is good news
Dear Baby,
Well, we survived one more day in the hospital. As far as everyone is concerned, you are looking great on the monitors and on the ultrasound, you were doing great as well. My lab work came back looking good which is a good thing. I asked the doctor today what the lab worked checked for and he told me they checked for liver and kidney function and they checked my platelets. No new changes for us, so we just keep camping out here in lovely room 338 of labor and delivery.
We had three visitors today. My friend Amanda, Pam and her son Michael (who swears he is your big brother). Pam and Michael were here when the nurse checked your heart rate Michael was able to hear your heart beating and I think he really enjoyed it. How many 9 year olds get to hear the heartbeat of a baby while mommy is still pregnant.
This is going to be short, but that is only because there is no news to report. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
Well, we survived one more day in the hospital. As far as everyone is concerned, you are looking great on the monitors and on the ultrasound, you were doing great as well. My lab work came back looking good which is a good thing. I asked the doctor today what the lab worked checked for and he told me they checked for liver and kidney function and they checked my platelets. No new changes for us, so we just keep camping out here in lovely room 338 of labor and delivery.
We had three visitors today. My friend Amanda, Pam and her son Michael (who swears he is your big brother). Pam and Michael were here when the nurse checked your heart rate Michael was able to hear your heart beating and I think he really enjoyed it. How many 9 year olds get to hear the heartbeat of a baby while mommy is still pregnant.
This is going to be short, but that is only because there is no news to report. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
Thursday, May 28, 2009
May 28 - An average of 10 days?
Dear Baby,
Well, we have taken residence in our new home for a while. At least I am hoping it will be for a while. The high risk doctor came in today and he told me that he would love to see me make it all the way to 34 weeks, but with what he has seen, on average, once a woman has been admitted for severe preeclampsia, she usually delivers within 10 days. "on average" are the key words. I am planning on being above average for this case. As bored as I am going to be and as crazy as I might get, I want to stay here as long as I can. Each day I stay pregnant means one less day that you might have to stay in the NICU. As is, they predict you to go to the NICU anyways since you will be considered premature. Hopefully you will progress well enough to not have to stay as long as others. One day this weekend, they will take me and your daddy on a tour of the NICU and show us around and what we will be expecting. Its a good idea so that we will not be so shocked once you actually go over there.
Today was pretty calm. I got another steroid shot to help develop your lungs. My magnesium sulfate IV was taken out. I was actually able to shower today and wash my hair. It was great. I felt like a new woman after my shower. The swelling of my feet has gone down tremendously. I guess this whole bed rest thing is a good thing after all. The highlight of my day involved your daddy taking me outside by wheelchair to the healing garden. It was only for half an hour, but it was one of the best half hours I have had here. It was so nice to get out of the room and get some sunlight. I am hoping this will be able to happen everyday when your daddy is here.
Well, I am off to try to get some sleep. The nurse will only be coming in to check on me every 4 hours tonight so I can get longer stretches of sleep. Woohoo. Until next time.
I will always love,
Your Mommy
Well, we have taken residence in our new home for a while. At least I am hoping it will be for a while. The high risk doctor came in today and he told me that he would love to see me make it all the way to 34 weeks, but with what he has seen, on average, once a woman has been admitted for severe preeclampsia, she usually delivers within 10 days. "on average" are the key words. I am planning on being above average for this case. As bored as I am going to be and as crazy as I might get, I want to stay here as long as I can. Each day I stay pregnant means one less day that you might have to stay in the NICU. As is, they predict you to go to the NICU anyways since you will be considered premature. Hopefully you will progress well enough to not have to stay as long as others. One day this weekend, they will take me and your daddy on a tour of the NICU and show us around and what we will be expecting. Its a good idea so that we will not be so shocked once you actually go over there.
Today was pretty calm. I got another steroid shot to help develop your lungs. My magnesium sulfate IV was taken out. I was actually able to shower today and wash my hair. It was great. I felt like a new woman after my shower. The swelling of my feet has gone down tremendously. I guess this whole bed rest thing is a good thing after all. The highlight of my day involved your daddy taking me outside by wheelchair to the healing garden. It was only for half an hour, but it was one of the best half hours I have had here. It was so nice to get out of the room and get some sunlight. I am hoping this will be able to happen everyday when your daddy is here.
Well, I am off to try to get some sleep. The nurse will only be coming in to check on me every 4 hours tonight so I can get longer stretches of sleep. Woohoo. Until next time.
I will always love,
Your Mommy
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
May 27 - hospital bed rest
Friends and Family -
This is just an update on me and the baby. Hope everyone is doing well. Some of you may know that I was diagnosed with mild preeclampsia. I went to my OB appt. on Tuesday and my blood pressure was really high (160/100). My doctor sent me straight to Labor and Delivery for overnight monitoring. He wanted to see if my blood pressure would go down and watch out for any other possible signs of severe preeclampsia.
When we first got to the hospital, I was hooked up to a fetal monitor for 30 minutes to make sure the baby was doing well and then hooked up to a blood pressure cuff that checked my blood pressure every 10 minutes or so for the first hour. Next was a round of blood work that needed to be done. That was a pain since it was so hard for my veins to cooperate. Then an ultrasound was done to measure the baby's movements and growth. According to the ultrasound, my baby is weighing in at 3 pounds 12 ounces right now. Pretty big baby I think because at 29 weeks, I should have about a 2.5 pound baby in there. Oh well. Everyone seemed to be pleased with what they saw so far. I was also started on what was supposed to be a 24 hour urine collection to check protein levels, but due to miscommunication, turned into a 12 hour urine collection.
I was monitored off and on through the night. Robert was a trooper and slept on the little pull out sleeper in the room. Did not look comfortable at all. The high risk OB came in the morning to talk to me and it looked like everything was set for me to go home today. All that we were waiting on was the result from the urine collection. Well right around 11am or so, the resident doctor on duty came in and broke the bad news. For a 12 hr collection, I had about 3-3.5 grams of protein in my urine which would mean a 24 hour collection would have produced about 7 grams or so. Anything above 5 jumps me into the severe category which warrants hospital bed rest.
Next steps: I was given a steroid shot that will help mature my baby's lungs. I will get another one 24 hours after the first and the effects will be seen 24 hours after the second shot. I am currently on a 24 hour IV drip of magnesium sulfate that will help prevent seizures. My blood pressure has been taken every hour, but now since it is night, it will be taken every 2 hours. I am supposed to be watching for signs of my pre-e progressing any more - vision changes (blurriness), severe stomach pains up high near my ribs, constant headache that won't go away and of course they will watch my blood pressure. I will have blood work done every morning and the baby will be placed on a monitor for at least half an hour in the morning. An ultrasound will be performed everyday as well. Can anyone say high hospital bill? It doesn't matter anyways. If this means a healthy baby, then I will do and pay whatever it takes.
They won't let me go pass 34 weeks, but realistically know that I will probably deliver before then. That's the reason for the steroid shot. 34 weeks is June 26th, so my August baby has now turned into a June baby.
I am going to be fine and will try to give everyone updates as much as I can. I know there are a lot of you out there who are concerned. You can always email me as well at msnoonoo@embarqmail.com if you want. Take care everyone!
This is just an update on me and the baby. Hope everyone is doing well. Some of you may know that I was diagnosed with mild preeclampsia. I went to my OB appt. on Tuesday and my blood pressure was really high (160/100). My doctor sent me straight to Labor and Delivery for overnight monitoring. He wanted to see if my blood pressure would go down and watch out for any other possible signs of severe preeclampsia.
When we first got to the hospital, I was hooked up to a fetal monitor for 30 minutes to make sure the baby was doing well and then hooked up to a blood pressure cuff that checked my blood pressure every 10 minutes or so for the first hour. Next was a round of blood work that needed to be done. That was a pain since it was so hard for my veins to cooperate. Then an ultrasound was done to measure the baby's movements and growth. According to the ultrasound, my baby is weighing in at 3 pounds 12 ounces right now. Pretty big baby I think because at 29 weeks, I should have about a 2.5 pound baby in there. Oh well. Everyone seemed to be pleased with what they saw so far. I was also started on what was supposed to be a 24 hour urine collection to check protein levels, but due to miscommunication, turned into a 12 hour urine collection.
I was monitored off and on through the night. Robert was a trooper and slept on the little pull out sleeper in the room. Did not look comfortable at all. The high risk OB came in the morning to talk to me and it looked like everything was set for me to go home today. All that we were waiting on was the result from the urine collection. Well right around 11am or so, the resident doctor on duty came in and broke the bad news. For a 12 hr collection, I had about 3-3.5 grams of protein in my urine which would mean a 24 hour collection would have produced about 7 grams or so. Anything above 5 jumps me into the severe category which warrants hospital bed rest.
Next steps: I was given a steroid shot that will help mature my baby's lungs. I will get another one 24 hours after the first and the effects will be seen 24 hours after the second shot. I am currently on a 24 hour IV drip of magnesium sulfate that will help prevent seizures. My blood pressure has been taken every hour, but now since it is night, it will be taken every 2 hours. I am supposed to be watching for signs of my pre-e progressing any more - vision changes (blurriness), severe stomach pains up high near my ribs, constant headache that won't go away and of course they will watch my blood pressure. I will have blood work done every morning and the baby will be placed on a monitor for at least half an hour in the morning. An ultrasound will be performed everyday as well. Can anyone say high hospital bill? It doesn't matter anyways. If this means a healthy baby, then I will do and pay whatever it takes.
They won't let me go pass 34 weeks, but realistically know that I will probably deliver before then. That's the reason for the steroid shot. 34 weeks is June 26th, so my August baby has now turned into a June baby.
I am going to be fine and will try to give everyone updates as much as I can. I know there are a lot of you out there who are concerned. You can always email me as well at msnoonoo@embarqmail.com if you want. Take care everyone!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
May 23 - possible hospital bed rest?
Dear Baby,
I might be seeing you a lot sooner than I thought I would. I am still hanging on for July 17th, but also know there is a possibility that you will be coming sooner than that. The doc called us last night to give us the results of my 24 urine collection. My first time around, there was 1-1.5 grams of protein in my urine. This time around, there was 2.5 grams of protein in my urine. Once you reach 5 grams, mild pre-eclampsia is considered severe. He told me that he sees me reaching the severe pre-eclampsia stage and that possibly by next week, I might be hospitalized.
Boy was that depressing to hear. I really don't want to be hospitalized. Nobody really wants to. I want to stay at home on bedrest, but know that if I need to go to the hospital, then I will. All that matters is that you are safe. I go back to see the doctor on Tuesday and he will monitor me through the week. I am not sure what other tests he will perform, but he will decide if I need to be hospitalized or not.
I don't know what is going to happen, but I will do what the doctor tells me I need to do. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
I might be seeing you a lot sooner than I thought I would. I am still hanging on for July 17th, but also know there is a possibility that you will be coming sooner than that. The doc called us last night to give us the results of my 24 urine collection. My first time around, there was 1-1.5 grams of protein in my urine. This time around, there was 2.5 grams of protein in my urine. Once you reach 5 grams, mild pre-eclampsia is considered severe. He told me that he sees me reaching the severe pre-eclampsia stage and that possibly by next week, I might be hospitalized.
Boy was that depressing to hear. I really don't want to be hospitalized. Nobody really wants to. I want to stay at home on bedrest, but know that if I need to go to the hospital, then I will. All that matters is that you are safe. I go back to see the doctor on Tuesday and he will monitor me through the week. I am not sure what other tests he will perform, but he will decide if I need to be hospitalized or not.
I don't know what is going to happen, but I will do what the doctor tells me I need to do. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
Friday, May 22, 2009
May 22 - Day 3 of Bedrest
Dear Baby,
I went in to see the doctor on Tuesday and he placed me on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. He diagnosed me with mild pre-eclampsia which means I have an elevated blood pressure and high levels of protein in my urine. I also have some excess swelling, which could also explain the carpal tunnel that I was talking about in my last post. My doctor wants to be on the safe side so that is why he put me on bed rest. He doesn't want this to turn into anything severe. If it does become severe then I will have to be on hospital bed rest and that is not something I want to do, but if it comes down to it, then that is just something we will have to deal with.
My doctor said that if my condition doesn't change, then he will not let you get pass 37 weeks. If we make it that far, then he will induce me and you will be born shortly after that. Our new target date is now July 17th. It seems like its so much earlier than before, but its only 3 weeks. Its going to take a lot of getting used to, but I think I will be fine. I am not on strict bed rest where I have to stay in bed the whole time. I can still get up and move around, but he just doesn't want me to do anything to place any strain/stress on my body. That means no housework! yay! Your daddy wasn't too thrilled to hear it was all going to be on him now to keep the house clean, but he is a good sport and I know he will do whatever it takes to make sure you and I are healthy.
Even though I am supposed to be on bedrest, I have had to go somewhere each day so far. Day 1 involved getting things settled at work and filling out paperwork for my leave time. Day 2 involved getting another 1 hour glucose test done and today I had to drive nearly an hour to the hospital to turn in my 24 hour urine collection to the lab so the results would come back sooner. I haven't really felt like I have been on bedrest yet. Tomorrow will be my first day where I won't have anywhere to go, so maybe it will hit me then. We shall see.
Ok, I am getting sleepy now and I think its time for a nap. I guess with all my free time, I will have more time to post on the blog, so get ready for more updates. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
I went in to see the doctor on Tuesday and he placed me on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. He diagnosed me with mild pre-eclampsia which means I have an elevated blood pressure and high levels of protein in my urine. I also have some excess swelling, which could also explain the carpal tunnel that I was talking about in my last post. My doctor wants to be on the safe side so that is why he put me on bed rest. He doesn't want this to turn into anything severe. If it does become severe then I will have to be on hospital bed rest and that is not something I want to do, but if it comes down to it, then that is just something we will have to deal with.
My doctor said that if my condition doesn't change, then he will not let you get pass 37 weeks. If we make it that far, then he will induce me and you will be born shortly after that. Our new target date is now July 17th. It seems like its so much earlier than before, but its only 3 weeks. Its going to take a lot of getting used to, but I think I will be fine. I am not on strict bed rest where I have to stay in bed the whole time. I can still get up and move around, but he just doesn't want me to do anything to place any strain/stress on my body. That means no housework! yay! Your daddy wasn't too thrilled to hear it was all going to be on him now to keep the house clean, but he is a good sport and I know he will do whatever it takes to make sure you and I are healthy.
Even though I am supposed to be on bedrest, I have had to go somewhere each day so far. Day 1 involved getting things settled at work and filling out paperwork for my leave time. Day 2 involved getting another 1 hour glucose test done and today I had to drive nearly an hour to the hospital to turn in my 24 hour urine collection to the lab so the results would come back sooner. I haven't really felt like I have been on bedrest yet. Tomorrow will be my first day where I won't have anywhere to go, so maybe it will hit me then. We shall see.
Ok, I am getting sleepy now and I think its time for a nap. I guess with all my free time, I will have more time to post on the blog, so get ready for more updates. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
Sunday, May 10, 2009
May 10, 2009 - Happy Mother's Day!
Dear Baby,
Your daddy and I just finished the mural that is going to be in your room. It took a long time, but I think you are really going to like it. It is super cute. At least I think so anyways. Now that the mural is done, we can start putting the finishing touches on the rest of the nursery. I am so excited!
Besides finishing the mural, today is another important day. Today is Mother's day! This time last year, I was feeling so sorry for myself because I never thought that I would be a mom. Now, this year, I am just three months shy of becoming a mom. This is such a miracle that I will always be greatful for. I am so thankful for every moment of this pregnancy and I can't wait until you join us in the world.
Another important tidbit - I am officially in my third trimester. Yep, that's right. You are more than 2/3 of the way done baking. I still am shocked sometimes that I am still pregnant. It just seems like yesterday that I was taking pregnancy test after pregnancy test just to convince myself that I was really pregnant. Things are progressing well. You are moving around a lot and your daddy says that he can see you move on the outside of my belly, but I unfortunately I can't because I just can't bend my body in that direction because you seem to move at the very bottom of my belly.
The only thing I am concerned about is the possibility that I have carpal tunnel syndrome. Last week I started having numbing feelings in my arm and hand (mostly the left side). Its that feeling you get when you have slept on your arm all night and you wake up to the feelings of pins and needles. Well for me, the feeling does not go away during the day. I called the doctor's office and it was suggested to me that I wear a brace to bed that is designed for carpal tunnel. It hasn't seemed to help yet, but I am hoping that after a few more days I can see some type of improvement. Let's hope anyways.
Just a few more months and you will be here. I can't wait. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
Your daddy and I just finished the mural that is going to be in your room. It took a long time, but I think you are really going to like it. It is super cute. At least I think so anyways. Now that the mural is done, we can start putting the finishing touches on the rest of the nursery. I am so excited!
Besides finishing the mural, today is another important day. Today is Mother's day! This time last year, I was feeling so sorry for myself because I never thought that I would be a mom. Now, this year, I am just three months shy of becoming a mom. This is such a miracle that I will always be greatful for. I am so thankful for every moment of this pregnancy and I can't wait until you join us in the world.Another important tidbit - I am officially in my third trimester. Yep, that's right. You are more than 2/3 of the way done baking. I still am shocked sometimes that I am still pregnant. It just seems like yesterday that I was taking pregnancy test after pregnancy test just to convince myself that I was really pregnant. Things are progressing well. You are moving around a lot and your daddy says that he can see you move on the outside of my belly, but I unfortunately I can't because I just can't bend my body in that direction because you seem to move at the very bottom of my belly.
The only thing I am concerned about is the possibility that I have carpal tunnel syndrome. Last week I started having numbing feelings in my arm and hand (mostly the left side). Its that feeling you get when you have slept on your arm all night and you wake up to the feelings of pins and needles. Well for me, the feeling does not go away during the day. I called the doctor's office and it was suggested to me that I wear a brace to bed that is designed for carpal tunnel. It hasn't seemed to help yet, but I am hoping that after a few more days I can see some type of improvement. Let's hope anyways.
Just a few more months and you will be here. I can't wait. Until next time.
I will always love you,
Your Mommy
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