Laney's First Week

Day 1: Laney enters the NICU and gets all hooked up.

Day 2: First time in Mommy's arms.

Day 3: Birdie comes to visit.

Day 4: Still all hooked up to everything.

Day 5: First time in Daddy's arms.

Day 6: No more tubes on Laney's face! Plus she started wearing clothes and sleeping in an isolet. The bow was just on for the cute picture.

Day 7: First time to breastfeed. Not a huge success, but she did great for such a tiny little girl.

October 22, 2010

Here she is:
Delaney Ann
4lbs 8oz
17.5 inches


Spending some time with our girl...

Just so you can get an idea of how tiny Laney is...

First time in mom's arms...

Holding on to Scoops...

What?!

That was a small sliver of my reaction when they told me that they would be delivering Laney within the hour. Here's how the day went...
My doctor was on call all day and came and checked on me and said that my 24-hour urine sample was fine so she thought I should be okay throughout the weekend. She mentioned that she would be gone the following day because it was her birthday, so I couldn't have any problems because she wasn't going to be around. Why did she have to say that? Oh course that would mean there was bound to be problems. Dr. Irvin had finally granted me outside privileges (which I used the day before) and I decided I would go for a wheelchair ride in the afternoon when Brooks came to visit. Little did I know that my blood pressure would keep me indoors. I wasn't going to the bathroom enough plus my blood pressure was spiking so they were on me like crazy to drink plenty of water and really rest. Like I hadn't been resting? I was stuck in a cubicle/hospital room...what else was there to do? Things were calming down and looking better by the time Chad and Brooks came for their daily afternoon visit. We ate some yummy hospital food and watched a movie on the computer. It was nice and cozy on my twin sized bed. Chad took Brooks home for bed and my mom stayed to watch the Rangers game with me. I think that's when my blood pressure started to go up again, so they increased my meds and it came back down. My mom left in about the seventh inning so she could get home and watch the end of the game (Rangers were about to make it into the World Series for the first time). They were monitoring my blood pressure often, and it was starting to go back up. They gave me more meds....nothing. They gave me some meds in an IV...no change. All the while I was laying on my side and my blood pressure continued to be high. Finally the doctor (not my doctor - remember, she was out celebrating her birthday) came in and told me that it was time. Here's how the conversation went:
Doc: I'm recommending that we go ahead and deliver the baby since we can't seem to get your blood pressure under control and I don't want you to have a seizure.
Me: So, like, we'll be delivering tomorrow?
Doc: More like tonight.
Me: So, are you talking, like, in the next 3 hours or so?
Doc: I would say that we'll have the baby out in the next hour.
Me: Can we wait until my husband can get here...he's not here...I need to call him.
Doc: Of course, we won't deliver until he gets here.
Me: Okay. Well, we're going to have to wait until this inning is over.

I kid you not. The doctor sat on the edge of my bed and waited for the last two outs of the Ranger game so I could see them clench the pennant. Then it was mass chaos. I called Chad - he panicked and raced up to the hospital. Nurses were flying into my room. People were undressing me, shaving me (yep, I said it), hooking me up to IV's, taking my blood pressure, getting my catheter inserting, asking me questions and having me sign my life away...all at the same time...all before Chad and my mom had even arrived. They went ahead and started my magnesium drip to make sure that I didn't start having seizures. Of course my BP was sky high with all the "excitement" so I was shaking uncontrollably. I was terrified. Laney was only 34 weeks gestation - that's six weeks early! It seemed like forever before Chad and my mom arrived and someone was finally there to hold my hand. They wheeled me back in the room with the bright lights overhead.

I sat up and leaned forward so the anesthesiologist could do his thing. Now, of course, I didn't know I was having a c-section this particular night, so I had just eaten an ice cream sandwich (yum). I warned the nurse that I wasn't feeling good, but it was too late. I just started throwing up all over her and all over me. It was the lowest moment of my life. It was completely disgusting and completely embarrassing. It was short-lived and I was soon lying flat on the table waiting for them to cut me open and take out my precious baby. Things went smooth during the c-section and then came the best part...my baby girl's cry.

Oh - it was the most perfect sound. I was worried since she was so early, so hearing her cry made me feel a bit better. Chad went over to watch her with the nurses while the doctors sewed me up.

They brought her by my head for me to see her real quick before they took her to the NICU.

4 lbs 8 oz of pure beauty. I was instantly in love. Chad left with her again and met my mom in the NICU to watch over the nurses as they got Laney all hooked up and assessed.

What a trooper she was from the beginning. God has a special plan for this little girl.

Going Strong

I'm still here! The latest results came in this morning and the doctor said that I am good to go a few more days (at least). We'll repeat the tests again for the weekend and get a new plan on Sunday. I'm really hoping we can hold off delivery until at least Tuesday, but obviously the ultimate goal is still November 9th. Tuesday I will be 35 weeks. A 35 week delivery means that Laney will only go into the NICU if she needs to. Anything before then would be an automatic ticket to the NICU. We did take a tour there, just in case, and the nurses were very information and comforting. We're just hoping that we still don't need to end up there. After 35 weeks she might pop in there for a check and then head on over to the nursery with all the other babies. My mom has been here through the whole waiting process, washing baby clothes and blankets, making meals at the house, helping with Brooks, etc. Tomorrow she'll be helping Chad paint Laney's room and hang up her wooden letters on the wall. I wish I could be there to help, but I know that between the two of them, everything is in good hands. Chad's mom will be joining us soon for an extra pair of hands. I'm almost "worried" that people are going to run of things to do around our house. What if Laney stays put for another 2 weeks?! What if this time is just like the time before with Brooks?! The doctor's don't seem to think so, but I'm starting to get more hope that this could go all the way until November 9th. Unfortunately, there are just so many "ifs" in the equation, and so many little things that can change in a day. My doctor seems to be gaining a little bit of confidence, however - she is now allowing me a 30 minute wheelchair ride to the courtyard daily! I think I'll wait and go with Brooks today. He usually comes up every afternoon after school to hang out with mommy. We usually color in bed or watch a cartoon and share some yummy hospital food together. I'd love to be able to go outside and watch him run around a bit. I miss those little things. I especially miss tucking him in at night and waking him up in the morning...those are his most cuddly times of day. I just keep telling myself that this is all temporary and all worth it.
I'll try and report on Sunday to give "the new plan". Keep praying for Laney to grow strong and have more time inside my belly.

In the hospital

Looks like preeclampsia is back with this pregnancy and I'm back on bedrest in the hospital. I'm 34 weeks, as of today, so I lasted a little bit longer before being sentenced to bedrest. Right now it's a day-by-day thing as to how long I can actually keep this girl growing inside me. We're shooting for November 9th, but the doctor doesn't seem to think we'll make it that far.
The good news:
> Preemie girls seem to do better than preemie boys.
> Preeclamptic babies' lungs seem to mature faster than other babies.
> The NICU nurse said that often babies born at 34 weeks only have to stay a week.
> Although we might have some health issues upfront, long-term health risks for Laney are minimal to none.
Be praying...
...for more time. Every one day in the womb is like 3 days living in the outside world. Each day counts.
...that my levels stay stable and amaze the doctors once more!
...for Delaney's growth. Lets hope she's growing strong inside so she can do well on the outside.
...for Chad and me. It's not an easy time imagining Laney so little and helpless.

Overall I feel a huge sense of peace with the whole situation. I know God is in control and He will see us through this. I feel so comforted by His presence with every new test result and doctor consultation. I'll do my best to keep things updated. They are running more tests everyday to try and stay on top of things.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I'm blessed to have such a great group of friends and family surrounding us...thank you.

No more Cast!

After 3 weeks in his cast, it was time for Brooks to get his leg back. That day at school we let his friends decorate his cast with sharpie.

At the doctor's office the nurse came in with the saw and got right to work. We brought the ipod for Brooks to watch a movie so he wouldn't be scared by the loud noise.


Brooks did great through the whole thing. They took some more x-rays to make sure everything was healing properly. We could still see the fracture on the x-ray, but the doctor also pointed out the new bone growing over the fracture. He mentioned Brooks might be stiff and hesitant to walk for a few days, not because of the fracture, but because of the stiffness from the cast. Man was he right! Walking is not top of Brooks' list right now. We carried him to the car and carried him into YoYo's for a special treat to celebrate and carried him into the house and straight into the bath. Chad tried cleaning his leg in the doctor's office, but the hand sanitizer, baby wipes, and soapy paper towels couldn't even get rid of the smell. We were definitely ready for a REAL bath. Thanks to new bath colors from Birdie, Brooks got to take a green bath.


I've never been so happy to bathe my son. After bath we tried some walking around, but all he wanted to do was crawl. This all took place on Tuesday, and since then he's gotten slightly better. He can bend and straighten his leg, but he's still hesitant to put weight on it. Yesterday he did tiptoe around a bit and held onto push toys to walk, but it's a slow process. He should have plenty of time to regain the strength in his leg to be ready for trick-or-treating!

32 weeks +

Important Note: Make sure you read this ENTIRE post!
Well...I made it! This time in my last pregnancy I was being admitted into the hospital for an extended 5 week stay. I have to say, I was slightly nervous heading into my appointment today. I felt alright, my feet looked pretty skinny, but I was still a tad nervous. Everything checked out great!

Here I am 32 weeks and counting with Cari (11 weeks preggo). I'm not a huge fan of taking pictures while I'm pregnant...so enjoy this belly picture because it might be the last one before D-Day.


Okay...that was the post that I had written and saved last week. Things have drastically changed since then. Well, I did make it to 32 weeks without being put in the hospital, but I didn't make it to 33 weeks. At my 32 week appointment my blood pressure was pretty high, so I told the doctor I'd monitor my blood pressure with the nurse at school. I went in a few times and it was always in the 140/100 range. I called and left a message with my doctor on Friday morning to report my blood pressures, they called back and told me to come in ASAP. Great. Chad and I went in and my blood pressure was still high along with a trace of protein in my urine (one of the symptoms of preeclampsia). They sent me right over to the hospital and warned that based on further test I might not be going home. Well, luckily my blood work came back okay so they sent me home on bed rest. I had another appointment on Monday, a sonogram on Tuesday and another appointment on Wednesday. My doctor was out of town so the Wednesday appointment was the first time I was going to be able to hear things from her. Turns out I have mild preeclampsia. My levels are about the same as they were with Brooks at 32 weeks. In case you've forgotten my post back in May 2008 when I explained preeclampsia, here's another definition:
Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.
It goes on to give more details, but I'll spare you the rest.
So, here's the plan:
> Bed rest at home unless my levels continue to increase. Depending on how high they go we're talking another hospital stay or delivery.
> Frequent doctors visits and sonograms. We're talking 3-4 times a week I'll be going in for blood and urine tests.
> 1-2 24 hour urine collections a week. That's right - I get to collect my urine in a huge orange juice looking jug to get a more accurate read on my protein levels.
> We'll go as long as we can up until 37 weeks, and then we will go in for a c-section. At that time the risk to me becomes too high and the benefit for Delaney isn't high enough. See, the only "cure" for preeclampsia is giving birth.

So go ahead and put November 9th in your head. That's the date we're shooting for. That's the date I'm asking you to pray for, please. On top of that, we're praying for a healthy delivery and a healthy baby. Brooks was born at 37 weeks and was 4lbs 15oz so I'm expecting Laney to be of similar size but hopefully bigger. I truly believe that the power of prayer helped us get to 37 weeks with Brooks so I expect that God can pull us through this again. I'll keep everyone updated as the doctors appointments continue.
Thanks for your prayers and support.

Family Time..."and Bobo?"

(These should have been posted sooner, but Brooks' broken leg took some priority in the blogging world. Better late than never!)

Let me explain the title:
Every time I tell Brooks that we are going to visit with family he always asks, "...and Bobo?" So the conversation might go like this:
Mom: Hey Brooks - we get to see Bryan and Dawson and Megan today?
Brooks: And Bobo?
Mom: No, Bobo is at his house. But Birdie and Aunt Joy will be there.
Brooks: And Bobo be there, too?
The poor kid just thinks that Brodie (Bobo) should be at every family event.
Well...we were so lucky to go up to Dallas to visit with family (Aunt Jill, Uncle Kyle AND Bobo). We saw some baseball, watched some soccer, and just had fun hanging out.
The weekend started off with a bang at the Rangers vs Yankees game on Friday night. Extra innings and all - the Rangers pulled off a tremendous win.

Saturday morning was Brodie's first soccer game. It was so entertaining watching four and five-year-olds play soccer. And I'm not exaggerating at all when I saw that Brodie was the BEST on the team. He was always chasing the ball! He can even maneuver the ball to kick it where he wants it to go.
He's a star...really!

The boys celebrating after the game.

One of Brooks' favorite things to do is to tackle. Here's a classic example...only for these two it led to a big bear hug!

Brodie got this adorable "shaving" kit for his birthday. He loves to go out with a "clean shave", and he even taught Brooks how to get rid of his peach fuzz, too. It was the cutest thing watching Brodie shave himself and then shave Brooks. See how Brodie is holding the mirror up so Brooks won't miss a spot?
Bath time is never boring with these two.

Like Father, Like Son

Brooks has really been enjoying some quality Dad/Son time lately. Mostly because Chad is such an amazing Father that he really makes sure to take time out everyday to spend playing and having fun with Brooks. The fact that I'm getting bigger and more uncomfortable by the day seems to give the boys more time together, too. The other night they laid in bed together watching a movie and they told me: "Boys only, Mom!" Good thing I have a girl coming to balance the scale a bit!
I took these pictures last month, and they are seriously my favorite pictures of these two guys. Chad is quite the "cleaner" when it comes to...well...everything, but especially when it comes to his truck. I walked outside on afternoon to see what the boys were up to and this is what I found:


Can you see the resemblance or what?


Here are some more random pictures of my boys from this past month:
Dad and Brooks playing at the Park.

Cheering on the RoundRock Express together.

Brooks climbed into this bag and of course Dad dragged him all around the house in it...typical boys!