UpDate, August 09

Hello all!

After a few months of inactivity, I am proud to say that this is our update!

Caitlin is now 4 months old and just a joy to have around! She is smiling constantly and just loves her Daddy! She's just now starting to eat rice cereal, but she's mostly just breastfeeding still! I guess I never realized just how much time and energy go into breastfeeding... it is not for the faint of heart! She is getting her shots on Thursday and I'm not to excited. But I know she needs them.

We are doing well! I'm at home now with Caity and I love being a stay-at-home mom. I am getting more things done for the house. Which is always good! Spending is down to none... but I'm making due. Charles and I are completely in love and happy that we are now a family with a beautiful little girl!

Sorry this is so short, but I will post more soon! Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure! There are more at my facebook page!

We're HOME!

We're home now and have been since the second! Things are going well, we're tired but adjusting! Caitlin is a very mellow baby, so it's very very nice!

I've posted photos to my Facebook and MySpace for you all to see! Here are some for your viewing pleasure!

Good News!

Charles went home last night which was hard for me. But he told me before he left that he was going to be talking to his boss, Jeanie, about letting him come back and be with Caitlin and I. He asked me to answer him honestly about wether or not I could emotionally handle him being 2 hours away from Caitlin and I. I told him that I couldn't. Not yet. I'm still on a hormone rollercoaster.

I guess it wouldn't be a problem if I hadn't have just given birth under a week ago... but I did. The nurse told me that in order for Caitlin to go home, I might have to stay all night for a few nights in the hospital so that I can get up with her for her feedings. Not a problem for me. But a problem if I were to be alone.

Charles told me then that he was going to talk to Jeanie about him missing another week. If she said that it would be okay, then he would leave right then and there. If she said he was going to have to stay for work, he would leave right then and there... but he wouldn't have a job. So either way, Charles would be back with me by the next morning.

He called me at 7 and told me that Jeanie gave him the go-ahead to stay as long as needed. THANK GOODNESS!!! I cried out of relief! He still has a job and I get to be with him while we're here!

Caitlin has graduated to a crib! Her jaundice went up again, but only a few points, which is to be expected. But otherwise she's feeding as she should and we're making awesome progress with her! We look forward to getting out of here by Saturday! :D

Update!

So today I got a call to the place that Charles and I are staying. It's a free hospice home for parents of Children at the hospital. I hate it when the phone rings because usually they don't call you unless it's bad... but this was good!

Dr. Siedel called and wanted to update me on how my little angel did through the night. They took her off of the bili-light because her jaundice has gone down! And that also means they they are taking her out of her incubator and putting her in a crib! HUGE accomplishment! He said that it seems like she wants to go home! But I know it has a lot to do with the blessing Charles gave her before she went into the NICU!

When we first got into the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit), Dr. Siedel told us that the only way she will be able to go home is if she follows three simple things.

1) She has to be able to maintain a constant body temperature outside of an incubator, in a crib.

2) She has to maintain enough oxygen in her blood while breathing steadily. She has Respiratory Distress Syndrome, otherwise caused by premature lungs, so it's making her breathe very fast, but it has slowed down SOOO much since she first got there.

3) She has to be breastfeeding and maintaining a constant breathing pattern.

So far she is doing very well on maintaining a constant body temperature inside the incubator with the heat and air off. Her breathing is more steady now that her nose isn't as swollen from birth. And she is breastfeeding quite well! She doesn't like breathing out of her nose, but breastfeeding is helping her transition quite well. They tried moving her feeding tube from her mouth to her nose, and she wasn't having that! I have never heard her scream before! It was hard to watch...

For the most part, Dr. Siedel expects her to be able to go home this weekend! But we have to limit visitors due to the fact that she is premature and that she is very prone to getting over stimulated easily. But she's doing quite well!

She also go to wear clothes for the first time today! The nurse put on a onesie that says, "Hug Me, Hold Me, Kiss Me." It's nice to see my baby not so naked! (but I do love how soft her skin is!)

Charles is leaving me today to return to work and I'm having a tough time with it. I know he has to go back because we cannot afford for him to miss work while I'm on FMLA. But it's hard for me because I will be 2 hours away from my Husband. And he will be 2 hours away from me and Caitlin. He has cried many times dreading today... but we'll be okay. Heavenly Father is watching over Caity and I, and I know that she'll be out of here soon!

I've got to get back for her next feeding, but keep us in your prayers still, and know I love and miss you all!

Our Blessing From Heaven

Monday, March 23, 2009 started out like any other work-day. Got up way to early for my pregnant body, got Charles out of bed, got ready, grabbed our lunch and headed out the door... and we grabbed our overnight suitcase for when I go into labor. Not a bad thing considering we were heading into Council Bluffs for our regular 2 week prenatal check-up. The suitcase had been in the car for the last few weeks, but I went through and re-packed it the day before.

At work, everyone keeps talking about the possibility for tornadoes and storms all day and night. I worry because I HATE tornadoes. But my mind is elsewhere while the chatter goes on around me. Then I am waved at by a friend's mom who says, "Desiree is just sure you're going to have that baby today or tomorrow because of the storms bringing in the pressure change!" I laugh, and tell her, "Yeah right! I have a little over 4 weeks left!"

Work ends, and we are off to the doctor's for my check-up. I have a few braxton-hicks, but nothing to worry about. Considering all the books say that if you cannot talk through a contraction, you're really in labor. I just sat there and sang along with the radio and chatted with my wonderful husband.

We get to the hospital and get in the room with Dr. Potter. I have my GBS test to do, so it's pants off! He swabs me, and I'm feeling all sorts of gross! Then he tells me to make fists with my hands so that I can place them under me so he can check my cervix and see if I'm possibly dilating. He then pauses, looks at me confused, and says, "Umm... have you been having contractions?!" I look at him, and say, "Well, just Braxton Hicks..."

He looks at me and tells me that I'm already dilated to 4cm and I need to go across the street to Mercy to be put on the fetal monitor. I look at Charles and he just stared back at me. We didn't know what to say. Dr. Potter continued with my ultrasound and sent us on our way.

We get outside to hear all the sirens going off. Tornado Warning. Awesome. We get over to the other side of the street and pray that if it hails, our Jeep would be okay. We get out of the car, and grab the suitcase. Thank goodness we grabbed it!

We get up to labor and delivery to find that everyone is out in the hallway for the tornado warning. I got to talk to some people and laugh about what Desiree had said earlier about the pressure change brining on my labor.

I got into the room and my contractions were about 1 - 2 min apart. I wasn't in pain, so I wasn't worried. I was checked to see if I was progressing and I was 5 cm and 80% effaced. Dr. Potter was called and he didn't want to stop the labor... so I was hit hard with the reality that Charles and I were going to be meeting our little girl really soon.

I stopped progressing at 6 cm. Was given pitocin to help on Dr's orders, but it just hurt me and didn't dilate me. He broke my water... nothing happened. I opted then for an epidural. I was exhausted from working on my feet all day, to being in labor all night. The nurse checked me soon after and I was at 7 cm. I told Dr. Potter I felt the need to bear down, and he checked me. He said, "Good thing you need to push... you're ready to go." I went from 7 cm to 10 cm in 2 minutes!

After just under 12 hours of labor and 13 minutes of pushing, I was looking at my beautiful little girl! Caitlin Nadine!! 6 lbs, 13 oz!! 20 1/2 inches long! I wasn't able to hold her right away. But after they cleaned her up, I got to hold her for just a minute. She was having difficulty breathing. I knew then that she would be taken to a different hospital. Which she was.

As of today, Caitlin is breathing on her own. She is doing really really well! She is getting ready to be converted from an incubator to a crib! And she is breastfeeding now! Her lungs are doing better! She has a small nasal passage, so she likes to breath out of her mouth, but breastfeeding is helping her to adjust to breathing through her nose. We plan on getting out of here within the next few days, but we'll see.

I'd post pictures, but we aren't allowed to do that here. Hospital rules. I cannot access Facebook, Myspace, or anything else really for that matter. But Charles will post some soon when he goes home to go back to work on Monday.

I will keep you updated otherwise. Pray for our little girl! She needs it!

P.S. Janelle, you are going to be taking our baby photos and family pictures! Just thought you should know ;) LOVE YOU!

Ch-ch-changes!

To update most of the world, I'M PREGNANT!

Charles and I found out the morning of our 1st Anniversary that our dream to become parents was becoming a reality! I'm not gonna lie, I took like 7 tests within the course of the next week or two just to be sure! And all were positive!

Now, dealing with my past miscarriages, we did not tell a soul about our pregnancy. Other than our mothers. I was excited, but scared at the same time. Right about when I was 12 weeks, the family went to a pumpkin patch/corn maze. It was fun! Until I started bleeding... scary. We got home and I layed down. The next day, I stayed home, and called the doctor. He wanted to see me in the very next day. I was put on bedrest. LAME.

The next day was a sigh of relief. I was still bleeding, but the baby was fine. I was not bleeding from the inside of my uterus. Thank goodness! My cervix was irritated, thus causing the bleeding. I have been fine ever since.

The weeks seem to have gone by so fast, but getting to this point has taken so long! Every Wednesday, I add a week onto my pregnancy! This past Wednesday, the 19th, was my 18th week! I can no longer fit into ANYTHING of mine! We found out at the last ultrasound that the doctor is about 75% sure it's a girl! So we're looking forward to her arrival on Apirl 22, 2009!! I will keep everyone updated on how things go! I will also be posting ultrasounds and belly shots! :D Things have been amazing! I can feel her moving every once in a while and it is nothing short of amazing! Keep us in your prayers! We miss and love you all!

P.S. Jenelle, you are SO taking all of our preggy pics!

It's been a while!

Wow, with moving in, remodleling, and everything else going on, we have not had time for anything! BLAH! We are getting internet sometime in the next few weeks! YAY! So I am using a friend's as of right now!

I have a lot to blog about and no time! So if you wanna catch up with me, CALL ME!

I love you!