Couch Sleeping

Last night, I was convinced that Amélie would be able to return to school today. That all changed when she came into my room about 2AM and told me her stomach was hurting. I helped her back in bed (just as Mckenna was awakening for her breakfast) and turned to leave...she started vomiting again. So, like a good mommy, I held her hair back for her as she threw up in the bucket we had set beside her bed and I could hear Mckenna screaming from my bedroom (she is still in the bassinet next to our bed), my husband sleeping through the entire thing. Amélie finishes and I get her tucked back in, the bucket cleaned out, and her a fresh glass of water to sip on and put Mckenna's bottle in the warmer, returning to my bedroom to retrieve Mckenna, change her diaper and feed her.

This has been my life for the past three days...

Did I mention that Mckenna never goes back to sleep in her bassinet after her 2AM feeding? No. Why? I am not sure, but the only way I can get her to sleep is to lie on the couch with her tummy down on my chest. I was asked, "Why don't you try lying her down on her tummy in her bassinet?" Um, no. I am one of those moms who worry about SIDS. I make sure is on her back with a pacifier in her mouth. The only way she is sleeping on her tummy, is if she is on top of me so I can feel her every move. Because of this, I spend most nights...early mornings on the couch.

So, this morning, Amélie was very upset that she would be missing another day of school and Girl Scouts this afternoon. Thankfully, she has been feeling better and has kept down what she has eaten (so far *fingers crossed*). I made her drink Pedialyte in order to keep her hydrated, that which she didn't like, but I don't want her to end up in the hospital.

Anyway, Mckenna is crying. Past time for her to head to bed and Bo seems to be getting a little frustrated. If I want to get sleep tonight, I should get her down. I am starting my diet and exercise plan on Monday, I will be getting up earlier anyhow. Woot.

I Am Glad for Poopie Diapers...Not for Vomit.

Ahhh....temporary freedom (the hubby is holding the baby).

 I haven't updated in so long and I don't even know where to begin! So, I am just going to skip it all and start from today because that is all I can really do!

Amélie is sick. She isn't running a fever or have diarrhea, but vomits up everything she eats or drinks except water and saltine crackers. She has the doctor stumped. If she isn't better in two days, they want me to bring her back in. Poor kid is dying to go to school (it's Dr. Suess week), but I told her if she can't keep down her breakfast then she can't go to school.

Mckenna has pooped twice in two days after having to been taken to the ER on Thursday for severe constipation. They had to give her an enema, and I know she hated it, but I could tell she was relieved afterwards. Thankfully, she seems to be going number 2 just fine now. Guess maybe that switch to formula and cereal from straight breastmilk did a number on her...she just needed a little shove.

I had my postpartum check-up today. All seems well in that department. The doctor gave me the "okay" to start exercising again. Honestly, I am excited. I was an avid runner before I got pregnant and about six weeks into my pregnancy, the running motion just made me nauseated, so I stopped. I am pretty happy to get back into it again...I just have to pace myself because I know I can't just start in a full run...plus, now I have to do it in the time my hubby comes in from PT and work or figure out a way to make my jogging stroller work for Mckenna, who is honestly a little too small for it. I don't want to really put her in it until she is able to sit up on her own...maybe I should just settle for walking with her regular stroller until I can either A) come up with a better plan - like a sitter - or B) she gets big enough to sit in the jogger. Do they make infant adapters for those things???

At least I can get back into yoga...

Well, if I don't get the baby to sleep...I might not get any myself, so off I go. Good night!!

Jessi

It's Been Awhile

I want to apologize to my readers for being MIA for so long!! Lots of stuff went down. To sum it up:

January 11, 2012 I went into the hospital having a lot of pains and ended up delivering my daughter, Mckenna Isabella via c-section that evening because the doctor thought I had a silent placenta rupture. She was born 5 weeks early.

Mckenna - 3 days old

She spent one week in the NICU and another week in the children's ward of the hospital. Thankfully, she came home two weeks after birth and was healthy.

This is her today:

Mckenna - 6 weeks old

Right now, I have a sick six year old, so I just wanted to run in a quick update. Hopefully, I will be back posting this week regularly.

Jessi

Baby Update

My doctor's appointment yesterday went really well. In fact, there will be no baby this week delivered because of size reasons, which is a good thing. Today I am only 34 weeks along and it is still too early to have her if there is a way we can hold out. She needs to cook a little longer.

The doctor gave me peace of mind. She checked all the vitals and she is getting plenty of oxygen and blood flow. So a lot of my worries have been subsided. She thinks the main growth problem in the placenta is the lack of nutrients. I asked if it could be because of my gastric bypass and she said no, it was HIGHLY unlikely, but it was something that shouldn't be ruled out completely. She and my main OB think it is because of my blood pressure, which is probably what it is. My body doesn't like being pregnant and due to rising blood pressure with my first daughter, I developed pre-eclampsia.

Anyhow, the doctor estimated she gained about 5 ounces in a week, which was really good. Her growth is still behind, but instead of being behind 4 weeks, she is only behind 2 weeks in size...well, her body anyhow. Her head is the size it should be. But, they are going to keep a close watch on me anyhow. I go back on Monday and if she has continued to grow and they decide not to deliver then, they are going to schedule me for a c-section sometime the first week of February. They think that since I had a c-section with my daughter and because most gastric bypass patients end up having to have a c-section anyway, that I should probably not try for a VBAC. Plus, with the issues, it just might be the safer route. If I have a planned c-section, my husband can be in there with me...if I had to have an emergency one, he wouldn't be allowed, so maybe it is the right choice.

Last night I actually got a good night's sleep. Something I haven't had in awhile. I think a combination of peace of mind about the baby's situation and that she removed her feet from my lungs, I was able to actually get some rest. I even napped after my daughter went to school this morning for several more hours. It was really nice to be able to SLEEP. I feel that I have been lacking a lot in that department.

One problem I have been having lately is stomach cramps...not uterus, but actual stomach. I have found that if I have some No Sugar Added Carnation Instant Breakfast that my stomach seems to stop hurting almost instantly...and this seems the be the ONLY thing that calms the cramping. I don't know what it is, but I really have to stay stocked up in that stuff!!

Mixed Feelings

So Bo had CQ again today. It seems like he just had it. I really hate it that the MPs are so immature that they basically have to have a babysitter every night. What happened to demoting for poor behavior? Or even, now that they have "too many people in the military" just fire them! If they think going out and getting drunk and then sneaking women in their trunks onto post is a good idea, then they need a good reality check! Not making my husband stay 24 hours to babysit some morons who are old enough to know better!

Though...I suppose it is better than deployment.

Anyway, tomorrow is the day we find out if we are going to have a baby this week. I have total mixed feelings about the situation. I think it is a good idea for them to deliver her because the longer she stays in the more likely she is to develop cerebral palsy, but then on the other hand, the longer she stays in the more likely she is to develop her insides.

And just in case you didn't know (I didn't until I did research recently) what cerebral palsy is, here is the run down:

"Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills (the ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way). Cerebral palsy can also lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing, and speech problems, and learning disabilities. CP is usually caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a child's birth, or during the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life. There is no cure for CP, but treatment, therapy, special equipment, and, in some cases, surgery can help a child who is living with the condition." - www.kidshealth.org

Cerebral palsy is a life long condition, and the developments can occur outside the womb in the NICU, but who knows how long that will be and if that is even the healthier choice. Unfortunately, we won't know either way until it happens. It is so stressful.

Ugh.

My New Year's Resolutions 2012

1. Get back to the size I was before I became pregnant.
2. Be a better person than I was in 2011.
3. Love myself more.
4. Put my family first.
5. Raise two healthy, happy daughters.
6. To go running at least 5 days a week (post pregnancy of course).
7. Read at least 12 books (children's books don't count).
8. Keep up with my blogger.
9. Learn 12 new family recipes.
10. Polish up on my German (after all, I will be living here for awhile).
11. Get back into yoga.
12. Go back to school.
13. Take more pictures.
14. Write my great grandmother a hand-written letter every month.
15. To be more understanding of my husband's strange obsession with working on the car.
16. Breastfeed...for an entire year.

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." - Abraham Lincoln

It's Been Awhile

So, the first post of the new year.

I want to first apologize to those who actually read my blog about not posting in two months. Since we moved out of the hotel, we have been on an internet card and the bandwidth was just not enough to support blogger and I was unable to post updates. So here is what has happened since my last post:

We got our place!! Hurray! It's a very nice 3 bedroom 2 bathroom 1st floor apartment here on one of the local posts. I really like the fact that I only have to climb a total of ten stairs to get to my front door and not 20 stairs or more, especially having a dog, a child, and a baby on the way. The first floor is the most practical. Anyway, the place is very nice. Much more spacious than we had originally anticipated. My only complaint is that my bathroom window faces the main road and the glass only "blurs" out what you can see on the inside, so after a lovely shower you can see everything. We had to get a curtain for the bathroom window, which wasn't so bad, but the only shelving in the bathroom is the large window ledge so that is a bit annoying. But, it is something I can definitely live with.

Amélie had her birthday party the Saturday before Thanksgiving. She had a blast. Quite a few kids showed up from her class and they all had fun. It was a bit strenuous, but as long as my baby girl had a good birthday, it was worth it.

Thanksgiving was nice. We went over to hubby's co-workers place and had dinner there. It was nice to be able to spend Thanksgiving with others and plus, I didn't have to cook, which didn't hurt my feelings.

On December 14 I was admitted into the hospital. I spent a total of 13 days there...including Christmas. I was allowed to go home a few days, for a few hours, but I was under strict monitoring. My blood pressure was pretty high and they were trying to get it under control. While I was in the hospital, I learned that I have placenta inefficiency, which basically means that the placenta isn't providing enough nutrients and/or oxygen to the baby in order to help her grow...so she is exceptionally small with some obvious growth problems. Her head is growing at a normal gestational rate, but her body is behind. The doctor believes that it has to do with my rising and dropping blood pressure, but I have a feeling it has something to do with my gastric bypass surgery I had in 2009. I can't provide proper nutrients for myself, so how would I be able to provide for a baby too? I keep wondering this and I am going to bring it up to my doctor at my next appointment. Anyway, long story short, I ended up having to get a series of steroid shots to help the baby's lung develop faster so if she has to be delivered early, her lungs will be more mature. At my last ultrasound, (December 27...that is also the day they let me come home) the baby had grown a little, but nowhere like she should be. I have an appointment this Tuesday which will determine if they want to go ahead and deliver her or if they think she is safe for another two weeks inside. I asked the doctor what he thought personally and he replied, "At this point, we really don't know until one or the other is done". Not really reassuring. Wednesday I will be 34 weeks pregnant and in what they consider a "safe zone". So we shall see what has happened in a week. I am pretty nervous because one of the leading causes of cerebral palsy is this placenta insufficiency. Apparently it is caused because of the lack of oxygen getting to the baby's brain while they are in utero. I mean, if they baby has it, she has it and there is nothing we can do, but it still worries the crap out of me that I could have caused this by getting pregnant after having gastric bypass. But, there is no point in worrying myself silly. What happens will happen...what is done is done...and I can't change the past, only hope for the best outcome.

BTW -  here is my 33 week pregnancy picture -

Got a little bigger since the last picture, huh? LoL

Anyway, now I am home...five days later...and on bedrest, which is driving me crazy...but if it is for the health of my baby then it is worth driving me crazy.