Journaling

This is a non-baby post - but sort of baby post - I have always kept a sort of journal since college. The past few years I haven't kept a written one but looking back through the blog this afternoon I am glad I started it because it reminds me of what has happened in the past few years. Especially this summer and my "shortened" preganacy. Back in May I was calling Ian a boy and I am glad my instincts were right. Then last week right before I had him I told Steven to bring the big bag from home because you never know when you will go into labor and have to pack up - well that night I went into labor. I'm keeping a written journal of all things Ian from the NICU that I write in each night - but this blog is so easy to keep up that when he is older I hope that I can save it somewhere so he can see all that we went through. Of course I also have a baby book that I've been keeping and will probably add another one to it - but this here gives a daily or weekly update on what we've been up to in daily life - sort of neat.

I'm breathing on my own completely!

And he pulled his feeding tube out at some point yesterday so we got to see him with no wires for a bit to his face. They they weighed him last night and he is 3 lbs 13 ounces - one ounce off his birth weight. He's going up to 10 ccs of milk every four hours and as long as he has no breathing events like apnenas he is off all the tubes to his nose. And if he is tolerating the food for a few more days they might not even have to give him a new IV when this one he has is done its time. But I think they will be on the safe side and get an IV in him (probably through his arm) just in case he needs something. I'm going up at 8 to read him a book - I think he likes it.

One week pictures

here are some good ones we took this week - Ian's made a new friend in the hospital too.

On Tuesday Night Ian made friends with someone who was smaller than him - hard to believe that something could be smaller than him!

Hey guys - what's this thing doing to me?
Daddy got diaper duty that night - Ian was nice to him - still no poop!

The St. Germains on Ian's one week birthday Wednesday Aug 29th - as you can see he was really excited - he celebrated by graduating down to the "big boy" room. He's the most stable baby and doesn't need as much specialized care especially with breathing. So he's moved rooms.

One Week Brithday Update

This morning Ian was doing great. The doctor is going to let him be off the CPAP thing all day and just stay on his smaller breathing tube and see how he tolerates it. He's gained a little weight back and is now 3 lbs 9 ozs. Still not pooping like a champ - but his belly is not distended and now that he's getting more breast milk pooping should happen soon. He's off the antibiotics today after seven days but will still be under the UV light because his jaundice isn't quite going away. The doctor said that as he gets more milk in him and through his system that should go away in a few days. Steven's parents are arriving today - so hopefully Mr. Ian will be wide awake to say hi - but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one - he was so wide awake this morning that he probably used up all his energy! We will have a photosession tonight for his one week birthday...

Pictures from Sunday

Here are some more Ian pictures for all of you to enjoy...

Finding his fingers...Sunday Morning with MommyFirst Story time - Peter RabbitUnder the blue light getting a tan - look at that hair!Ian's hand with Daddy's

Update on the St. Germains

Well you weren't going to get blog updates from Steven - he doesn't even read it - so now that I'm back online I can give you all the big update. Our little guy decided he had had enough of bed rest and in the evening on Aug 21st I started feeling cramping. Not realizing what was going on (I thought I ate too much at dinner) I went to bed but woke up about midnight really uncomfortable. Steven (who slept every night for two weeks with me at the hospital) made me call the nurse and the chief resident had me on the monitor for about an hour. The baby had dropped lower under my belly button and they couldn't pick up contractions but that was because I was still only 31 weeks so they were hard to find. They told me to try to relax and get some sleep but as the night went on the contractions got harder and harder so by 5 AM I think they were 5 minutes apart. They came in and I was brought over to Labor and Delivery by 6 AM and took my blood - it ended up that my white blood cell count went high so I might have had an infection so it was good that he decided to come early. I labored on for about another six hours until noon when they gave me an epidural which took a long time to put in - that is the worst part of the whole day in my opinion - I forgot to tell them I have a slight curve of the spine and once they realized that it went much better. After that I dialated really quickly since I was more relaxed. Steven was awesome through the whole thing. All morning he talked me through my contractions. The did put me on pitocin to speed them up when I was slowing down but they never got really any worse than they had been all night long.

Ian was quick to arrive. At 2 PM I was 7 CM and by 3 PM I was ready to push. After about 20 minutes of maybe 4-5 series of pushes he arrived screaming. Which was a good sign for a preemie. They let Steven cut the cord but wisked him over to the doctors who examined him. He got 8 and 8 on his APGARs and we got to hold him for a moment before they took him to the NICU. He's been there ever since. He weighed 3 lbs 14 oz and was 17 1/4 inches long. He was 31 weeks so he's going to be in the NICU until closer to his Oct 23 due date. We'll know more as each day progresses. I got to hold him first since I spent 2 weeks in a bed for him. Daddy got to do the first poopy diper later that day. I came home on Friday and we will get into a routine of going to see the baby each day.
For those of you that have been yelling for pictures - here is the best we can do. More will follow and those will show him with fewer cords and tubes - they have taken him off the CPAP (the big blue and white breathing tubes) while we hold him. He's not on oxygen it just helps him get more breathing in. He's still on antibiotics but they've started giving him 1 cc of my milk every four hours - that really isn't a lot I've realized!

I look a little scared of him here - but I've always been nervous around little babies!

Here is Ian in the NICU just after they hooked him up to all the monitors.The next day (Thursday) I got to hold him for the first time - he looks a little uncomfortable but trust me he zonked right out and had a good nap.Here is Daddy with Ian - again - slept through the whole thing on Friday afternoon - didn't even realize I had left the hospital!

1/2 a banana

that was supposed to be my snack this afternoon - Dietary is getting kooky around here... obviously I will suplement with some of the milk I have in my fridge...

I know where the kink is at Danbury Hospital

OK - so you've all been following that my sugar levels are getting more under control. Well - when I was first admitted the dietitian met with me and gave me the outline of how many carb portions I could eat throughout the day, what counts as a carb, and size of the portions. They also said that if I ordered anything on my meal menu that went over the count I am allowed they would automatically drop off my order and not come up on my tray. Makes you think that what they send up on your tray would be exactly the amount I could eat. Well - that is not the case. Last week I found that things I could eat didn't come on the tray and I got less than I was supposed to. Fine. But yesterday it got hilarious. I got things that I wasn't even supposed to eat. It started with my three packages of peanut butter crackers in the morning - when one is all I would be allowed for my morning snack. Then at dinner they sent up my snack on the tray for later that night- pudding and an 8 oz milk. THEN a couple hours later the nurse comes back with a black bag with another pudding and FOUR 4 oz milks. So - I now have more milk and pudding than I know what to do with. That is what I will be offering my guests whenever anyone stops by.

Monday happenings

I am finding a little routine here which is good. The mornings are pretty quiet - perfect to do some work before I get going with the day - monitoring the baby, entertaining visitors, that kind of thing. Today I got monitored early - about 9. I then got another ultrasound about 11 - the baby had more fluid around him and was actually drinking it - you could see him open his mouth and close it while moving his hands around his face. The little boy parts were easier to see today as well and I could actually see what I was looking at. My mom and Auntie Kathy got here as the girl was finishing my ultrasound but she gave them a peak at him. They got to see his face and arms moving around as well as his spine and legs. My fluid is about at a 7 - better than last tues when it was a 6.4 and about where it wsa when they admitted me. The sugars are still annoying me. It was high last night before dinner but I've since found out that grapes are the worst thing for me to eat and that was my snack yesterday afternoon. Today they have been better and I've eaten less carbs. My primary doctor is back from vacation and stopped by to see me - tomorrow will be more of an appointment with her - but today she just wanted to make sure I was alright. My mom had met her before too so we joked around a bit with her. I'm glad I have her as a doctor. She said the fact I've made it these two weeks is great and the baby has developed so much more than when I was first admitted. That makes you feel good. Anyway - i've got to go finish a couple things before dinner and when I turn the computer off for the night.

no change is good

That is the news from here - no changes - Baby Stgermain has a good strong heart beat and is really responsive when they monitor him. The only complaint I have from here is the dietary office - they were 45 minutes late with my breakfast yesterday, threw my sugars off all day but I was still below 100 which is my mark I have to hit. Today though I was 58 before lunch - pretty low and so I had an extra carb at lunch. Then they messed up my menus and still haven't picked up my menu for tomorrow yet. I've had more visitors and started doing some work here from my hospital bed so the days aren't passing as slow as I thought. Plus the fact that tennis is on every afternoon helps! Oh - so Tues night was when we were supposed to go to the Pilot Pen and James Blake is confirmed as playing that night - I can't believe it! And Blake's on a roll this week at another tournament that I've been watching. Well - my task today is to go finally pick out the car seat and stroller combo - I have some ideas and just need Steven to help me pick.

251 years old

So Ken nicely pointed out that my Blogger profile says I am 251. I went to investigage and my birthday was listed as Aug 7, 1756. Well I always liked the colonal period - just didn't think I was born then. Not sure why the glitch but its fixed now and I should only be 32 now...

New England Baby Gear

So I went on line this morning and if anyone has an inkling to set this kid up with his New England team's outfits you can find infant clothing on patriots.com, redsox.com and the like. And of course Maine hockey. Hey - this baby might be born while the Red Sox are still playing this fall, the Patriots have started up and Maine is beginning practice games. There will be absoultely no NY team clothing allowed! Don't even try it! Other than that - quiet day so far - only one doctor's visit, one nurse, and they pretty much leave you alone. I've finished three books this week from the library and now will start of the stack of others that people brought this weekend. Just had my morning snack and have to monitor the baby in a bit. He's moving around in there this morning. I requested diabetic gummy bears and the Big Guy came through and mom mailed them off to me this morning.

afternoon update

Finally- they let me shower! Knew you all would want to know that important piece of news... now back to sitting around...

If I am on bedrest why do they wake me up so early?

That is the question of the day. Why do they come in and wake me up at 6:30 when I'm supposed to rest? Doesn't make any sense. Well - yesterday was a big day - if you can't tell by the color of this font - we are having a baby boy! Remember - we are not telling you the baby's name yet - only our family knows because we thought that it would help last week when we weren't sure what was happening. But rest assured Baby Stergmain has a name already. you'll all like it I promise. Lets see - I know take my sugar before each meal and at bedtime which is much better than before. But now they told me that I am going to have to have blood drawn every day to check my white blood cell count. My arms already feel like pin cushions so this should be interesting. Fluid looks ok - still low but not in the danger zone. Oh - and they are going to monitor me twice a day on the monitors rather than once a day. I've completed 30 weeeks and am working on 31. The frustrating part is that I can't do anything at all. Can't take care of Steven and feel like I'm nagging him when I tell him to go home, check the mail, go to the market etc. I know he can take care of himself but he works long hours and I was the one that worked less hours when I was home. I've almost finished one book, didn't watch Mean Girls yet, but plan to take a nap today. Whooo Hooo - exciting around here huh?

Today's agenda

So up early again - but no breakfast until 8 - still don't like being on someone else's schedule for food. They adjusted late last night when I need to check my sugars. So now I check before each meal and at night before bed so only four times which is much better than the eight or nine I was doing. Still no shower yet - but i don't stink since I haven't been running any races. Thanks Ken for the movies - I might watch Mean Girls later today (you didn't strike me as a Mean Girls fan.... :) other big things to look forward to today - lunch, ultrasound, snack around 2 and dinner at 5. My friends Maryia and Paul are coming to visit after work and last night we had our neighbor Angel the doula come give us some techniques for the birth- Steven has to work on his counting and until he can master it this kid will stay in! I'm finding that early morning is best to get online since its quiet - later in the day I have all sorts of people in and about - I'm getting to be one of the more popular people in here I think and already have my connections to learn all the gossip. Imagine if i was on bed rest at home - would probably be worse than being here! At least I have people coming and going all day long. Everyone comments on my flowers - And I promise KP and Greg I can keep the daisies alive as long as i am here - that is my goal!

Early morning

So I am finding that I am up early here in the hospital. And I have very full days - have to keep watching my sugar, making sure i eat at the right time, and then test that darn sugar again. The six am check was kinda low this morning - I think that last night the nurse gave me my insulin too late. They might let me give my own at some point and I will like that because as you all know I like to keep on a schedule Steven said this is the perfect complication for me because of all the charting and note taking. Everyone left me yesterday - like they had to - I did beat them all at 90s Trival Pursuit and no one was making concessions for the bedrest lady - I won fair and square. Breakfast isn't for another forty five minutes - its killing me because at home you eat when you want. Steven is still sleeping here every night but I am trying to convince him to sleep at home a bit. Baby still seems great - strong heartbeat and movement. Today the high risk doctor will be by - and my ultrasound might happen again today or tomorrow.

update

hi everyone- by now you probably have heard that i am in Danbury hospital because my water broke early on tuesday morning- so becausee of risk of infection (and for you nurses (tina!) i am fully ruptured) I will be here until the baby comes. they want to get me to 34 weeks at least so that is 4-5 weeks from now. i just got online today so that is fun but I have to watch it according to steven so I don't overdo it like i know that i'd want to. my direct phone number at the hospital is 203-739-4343. I will update you as things progress. but no news is good news. the worst part is that the same day I was admitted they found out i am a gestational diabetic. They have been having problems with my diet and sugars all week but its getting better after about 8 shots a day!

Summer's finally here

Most people's summer begins once school is out. Mine begins when people are starting to go back to school. I finished the last commitment I had this summer and now don't have any work trips or meetings between now and when the baby is born. So my summer will be August to October. And the weather will probably be much better than it was lately. Hot and humid still around here. Yesterday was nice and maybe this week will be ok. In other news... Steven went fishing and lost his Alaska hat from our honeymoon - he was really torn up about it. Today I went for my three hour glucose test. Yes I really sat there for three hours this morning and they took my blood four times. I did the candy bar thing the past three days - two regular size candy bars. Only on Sunday did I realize that maybe I didn't need to eat chocolate - that I could have done a serving of gummy bears, or licorice, something I would have enjoyed more than the chocolate which left me feeling sort of sick.