Hello all,
We thought we might dust off this blog space to accommodate a place to provide updates about my hospital bedrest and baby #2.
After a relatively uneventful second trimester, I woke up very early one morning last week to my waters breaking. I quickly woke Adam up and we called the on-call midwife at the hospital to find out what to do. We were advised to quickly get to Providence St. Vincent medical center which houses the largest high-level NICU in the state and specializes in high-risk pregnancy conditions. Adam roused our very sweet neighbor Marta who had agreed to be on-call to care for James if something happened in the middle of the night and we didn't have time to get family to the house. Actually, we didn't really have a solid plan yet for James because of course we thought we still had months to go and assumed I would be at the house for a least a few hours before heading the hospital when the time came. We are so lucky to have had friends who live close and Marta who had offered to step in. Marta came right over and gave me a hug, and was very reassuring. I was crying and trying to figure out what to bring besides my clothes, and quickly gave her a tour of the kitchen. She is one of the warmest, most welcoming people I've ever met and gave me a huge hug and told me how her son Daniel (who I've also met, and is a very healthy adult guy) was born premature and turned out great. James has spent lots of time with her and her grandsons and we knew he would be in good hands. I called my Dad who was already planning to come out from Redmond to have James for the day and let him know we were headed to the hospital and asked that he come as soon as possible. After trying his number four or five times, he finally answered and got right in his car to make the two and a half hour trip over.
Adam had kept calm while talking to the midwife on-call and she let us know that other NICUs close to our house were full, and strongly recommended that we go to Providence St. Vincent's medical center, which has the largest high-level NICU in the state and the kind of specialists we would need. By the due date the clinic had given me, I was supposed to have been 24 weeks along and was devastated when I realized there was a good chance I would need to deliver the baby. I've had some experience covering for a NICU social worker at an old job and remembered that 24 weeks was sort of the "magical" number for viability. All the way to the hospital I was crying thinking of the worst case scenarios. It was about 5:30am, and there was hardly any traffic so we made it pretty quickly despite the fact that this particular hospital is pretty far from our house.
We arrived and a team of nurses and doctors were around us. We confirmed that yes, my waters had broken - they have to test it to make sure its amniotic fluid but honestly, there was no question about what had happened. The first nurse who took care of me was very warm and helped calm me down; I was shaking and crying and very fearful. She shared that they had 24, 25 week babies in the NICU that very day and that many did well despite the odds. After a long morning of consults with high-risk specialists and speaking with neonatologist I was admitted to antepartum room with a plan to be on hospital bedrest. I was immediately started on two different IV antibiotics and later in the day received a steroid shot that would help prepare the baby's lungs for an early delivery if it needed to happen. The neonatologist shared statistics and we had a long conversation with him about how aggressively we'd want the baby's care should the baby arrive. The perinatologist looked through my records and after having a detailed ultrasound, decided that my due date was inaccurate (as I've strongly suspected all along) and instead said I was about 26 weeks along. This was great news for us since at this stage every week and every day really improves outcomes for babies born early. The ultrasound also showed other good news - the baby looks like it's doing well, is head down, and still has some pockets of fluid. Babies can survive without fluid but it helps their lungs and brain develop properly, so this was great to hear.
For the next two days I was pretty much continuously monitored and had IV meds and completed the course of steroids. We let our families and loved ones know what was happening and tried to come up with a plan for help with James so that Adam could spend some time with me at the hospital. We were pretty much reeling but grateful for every bit of hopeful information we'd received.
Today is officially day 6 of bedrest in the hospital. I still have an IV line in case of emergency but am now taking oral medications and only need to have the baby monitored a few times a day for an hour or so. I've "earned" the privilege of getting one 30-minute wheelchair ride per day. I am allowed to walk from my bed to the bathroom and take a shower, which makes me feel so much better after having to sit in bed all day. I've had two visits with James; both times were the highlight of my day but bittersweet when we had to say goodbye. I'm not sure how to explain or help him understand that I'm not coming home but we are telling him things on his level and trying to stay really positive and upbeat. My dad went home today and my mom and grandma also stopped by for a quick visit this evening. I also had some girlfriends visit last night and it is really nice to have people to talk to, especially to visit about non-hospital related things. I am adjusting to the reality that I won't be home again until after I have the baby and am here for an undetermined amount of time. The goal is for me to first make it another two weeks - 28 weeks is a big milestone for premature babies - and then hopefully to 30 and beyond. I have hardly wrapped my mind around the fact that I could be sitting in this bed for weeks but am just going to take things one day at a time.
Thank you so, so much to everyone who has reached out to say hi and provide a supportive ear. It means a lot. I don't always have the emotional energy to talk every day but will plan to keep this space updated and stay in touch. Lots of love from us.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Lots and lots of favorite things!
Months-late blog post to jot down memories and remember favorite things from family life this summer. Mostly about my Sweet Pie baby James (baby no longer....*sniff*) but some about all of us.
Summer has been Awesome with a capital A this year. I've loved hanging outside with our active, busy little boy. The backyard is sort of "my" space that I get to myself in the house, and I've put in a lot of work into making a fun, happy space to be in. First of all, the garden is pretty off the chain this year. EIGHT tomato plants, currently in high season giving us more than we could hope to eat each day. Pumpkins - two big orange ones ready for October. Sweetmeat squash - meh - fickle plant she is, I still like her. Doesn't give much but if you've ever bit into the bright orange flesh of this minty green, bumpy ugly squash, you know why it's called SweetMeat. The best. For the second year in a row I've put in peppers that did practically nothing. Not necessarily their fault - I'm a lazy gardener and haven't done much homework on them - but still, we're talking like 5 pimentos all summer. It's not really their climate here. Green beans were a new addition and we've made short work of those...and of course, zucchini....always the abundance of zucchini. Much of this year's zucchini crop was repurposed into Christmas presents as jarred pickles. So I have a headstart on Christmas gifts. How amazing is that?
I tried my hand at canning for the first time, and had a fun time learning the basics, but am not sure I'd take up the hobby on my own. There's a lot that goes into it; I don't have the supplies nor the desire to spend much money on them. It's hot business in a summer kitchen and both my friend and I burnt ourselves, cracked three jars, and did some good sweating that night. It's pretty time consuming, and while I loved doing it to visit with a girlfriend, I wouldn't sacrifice hours of an evening alone for the cause. That said, I am interested in pickling green beans, canning some of my own spiced rhubarb sauce to give away, and doing peaches. I have tentative plans to do a big "can" of peaches next month. We'll see how it goes!
So that's the garden. In anticipation of long summer days outside, I acquired some great stuff for James off Craigslist one weekend last spring when I had my dad's truck available. We bought a great-condition slide/playstructure and a toddler picnic table. We also have multiple tricycles from James's Nana and my mom who are garage sale fiends, a toy car, and toy sprinkler attachments. And a turtle sandbox which hasn't yet been filled with sand so currently acting as a wading pool. Add in some camping chairs, and a firepit, and it's good living, I tell ya.
The other big change to the yard is that we've now fenced off part of the backyard that used to just be filled with moss and weeds, and turned into a chicken yard. I've always dreamt of raising chickens since it was something I loved growing up with as a little girl. My dad is a big chicken guy and helped me build a pretty swanky coop one weekend for my 30th birthday. We started with 4 chicks - small, manageable, but still enough to have a little flock. In a series of comical and random events, we ended up with 9. I did a lot of research and reading on the breeds I wanted to have and how I was going to set everything up. In the end, I think I overthought it. They are really very simple. We got out in the morning, open up the coop to let them out and sometimes give them new water. At the end of the day, they hop up into their roost about dusk, all on their own, just as nature tells them to do. We close up the coop and say goodnight. That's pretty much it. About every 3-4 days I add feed to their trough, or carry out kitchen scraps to supplement their diet when I remember. I add in extra pine shavings once a week, and once a month take it out and fill the coop with clean shavings. That task is dirty and unpleasant but actually only takes 20 minutes. We often spend time playing with them or watching and hanging out in the chicken yard, but only when we feel like it. I love how low maintenance they are. James is very interested in them (they in him, not so much) and I love teaching him how to care for them. We talk about how they need water, feed them extra zucchini, talk about being gentle when we pet them and put them to bed at night. As he grows I know he'll appreciate and learn a lot about the cycle of life, where our food comes from, and how to take care of animals. So far, no egg laying has happened yet but I expect we'll have some eggs before October. They probably won't lay at peak rates during the winter months but by this time next summer we could have as many as 2-3 dozen/week. Once friends and coworkers heard we were getting chicks they started saving up their egg cartons and I will be glad to finally put them to good use.
Summer has been Awesome with a capital A this year. I've loved hanging outside with our active, busy little boy. The backyard is sort of "my" space that I get to myself in the house, and I've put in a lot of work into making a fun, happy space to be in. First of all, the garden is pretty off the chain this year. EIGHT tomato plants, currently in high season giving us more than we could hope to eat each day. Pumpkins - two big orange ones ready for October. Sweetmeat squash - meh - fickle plant she is, I still like her. Doesn't give much but if you've ever bit into the bright orange flesh of this minty green, bumpy ugly squash, you know why it's called SweetMeat. The best. For the second year in a row I've put in peppers that did practically nothing. Not necessarily their fault - I'm a lazy gardener and haven't done much homework on them - but still, we're talking like 5 pimentos all summer. It's not really their climate here. Green beans were a new addition and we've made short work of those...and of course, zucchini....always the abundance of zucchini. Much of this year's zucchini crop was repurposed into Christmas presents as jarred pickles. So I have a headstart on Christmas gifts. How amazing is that?
I tried my hand at canning for the first time, and had a fun time learning the basics, but am not sure I'd take up the hobby on my own. There's a lot that goes into it; I don't have the supplies nor the desire to spend much money on them. It's hot business in a summer kitchen and both my friend and I burnt ourselves, cracked three jars, and did some good sweating that night. It's pretty time consuming, and while I loved doing it to visit with a girlfriend, I wouldn't sacrifice hours of an evening alone for the cause. That said, I am interested in pickling green beans, canning some of my own spiced rhubarb sauce to give away, and doing peaches. I have tentative plans to do a big "can" of peaches next month. We'll see how it goes!
So that's the garden. In anticipation of long summer days outside, I acquired some great stuff for James off Craigslist one weekend last spring when I had my dad's truck available. We bought a great-condition slide/playstructure and a toddler picnic table. We also have multiple tricycles from James's Nana and my mom who are garage sale fiends, a toy car, and toy sprinkler attachments. And a turtle sandbox which hasn't yet been filled with sand so currently acting as a wading pool. Add in some camping chairs, and a firepit, and it's good living, I tell ya.
The other big change to the yard is that we've now fenced off part of the backyard that used to just be filled with moss and weeds, and turned into a chicken yard. I've always dreamt of raising chickens since it was something I loved growing up with as a little girl. My dad is a big chicken guy and helped me build a pretty swanky coop one weekend for my 30th birthday. We started with 4 chicks - small, manageable, but still enough to have a little flock. In a series of comical and random events, we ended up with 9. I did a lot of research and reading on the breeds I wanted to have and how I was going to set everything up. In the end, I think I overthought it. They are really very simple. We got out in the morning, open up the coop to let them out and sometimes give them new water. At the end of the day, they hop up into their roost about dusk, all on their own, just as nature tells them to do. We close up the coop and say goodnight. That's pretty much it. About every 3-4 days I add feed to their trough, or carry out kitchen scraps to supplement their diet when I remember. I add in extra pine shavings once a week, and once a month take it out and fill the coop with clean shavings. That task is dirty and unpleasant but actually only takes 20 minutes. We often spend time playing with them or watching and hanging out in the chicken yard, but only when we feel like it. I love how low maintenance they are. James is very interested in them (they in him, not so much) and I love teaching him how to care for them. We talk about how they need water, feed them extra zucchini, talk about being gentle when we pet them and put them to bed at night. As he grows I know he'll appreciate and learn a lot about the cycle of life, where our food comes from, and how to take care of animals. So far, no egg laying has happened yet but I expect we'll have some eggs before October. They probably won't lay at peak rates during the winter months but by this time next summer we could have as many as 2-3 dozen/week. Once friends and coworkers heard we were getting chicks they started saving up their egg cartons and I will be glad to finally put them to good use.
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