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WELCOME, GUEST |
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(1 member)
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Patrick's_Mo…6 |
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ANNABELLE PLUS 1
erica23 |
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| Category: Home | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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OH NO!
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Feb 26, 2010 12:29am (EST)
My sister is about 35 weeks pregnant and her water just broke. The baby is breech and she's going in for a c-section. What is it with these little girl babies? First my sister, then Annabelle and now little Marley--all early.
I'm here because it's 1 am and I'm wide awake and not sure what to do to help my sister. She wasn't supposed to have a preemie! I shouldn't be planning to bring her a big bag of teensy little nub clothes--those should be way too small.
<sigh>
Since I'm here, I'll update on the kids.
Max is 97th percentile, 28lbs and 32in at one year. He's been walking since 10 months and amazes us with his skills. He recently pulled a hot cup of coffee off the table and scalded himself (1st degree and some 2nd degree burns healed in a week). It's terrifyingly normal to have him around and into everything.
Annabelle is really happy in preschool. She has been doing really well. She can take 10 independent steps and balances on her own. She has a walker with 4 wheels now, and she's fast. I wish I find that one magic thing to help her walk, but she's slowly getting there. Her right eye is weakening, so we're putting drops in her left eye to blur it. It's so much easier than patching and it seems to be helping. Both hips are going to need surgery, but probably not for a few more years. The docs think she'll need calf lengthening surgery, too. So far so good on her heart with it's leaky pulmonary valve--we hope that it might be okay for more than a few years.
She's bright and cheerful and happy. She's in a swim program for special needs kids and goes swimming once a week with a buddy. Her fine motor skills are still behind, but she is getting better and better.
(the photo is from Christmas)
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (5) | Permalink
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THE AMAZING FULL TERM BABY
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Jul 02, 2009 04:57am (EST)
We've been very busy lately. The past week we've had visitors, so we're just getting back to our routine. Annabelle is doing well, still not walking on her own. She'll be starting preschool in the fall and we're getting through all the doctor's appointments she needs before that. She's a cutie, so many things come out of her mouth that astound us.
The amazing full term baby is Max. He's doing so many things. He can track and see things better than Annabelle can now--it's so weird to me. At his 4 month checkup he was 90th percentile for head size, 95th for height and 97th for weight. He can stay sitting if you put him there. He can roll front to back and back to front. He found his tongue and his feet--both keep him entertained. He loves stuffed animals and anything cloth to chew on. We gave him rice cereal for the first time last night because he wants to eat food with everyone else. He's wearing 9-12month sized clothes and he's not even 5 months old yet.
He is an amazingly normal little baby. I want more babies! I want him to stop growing up so quickly. It wasn't like this with Annabelle, we were so worried about her and always waiting for her to reach milestones. I haven't cracked open a book or even looked at milestones with Max, he is always doing something new on his own.
Annabelle seems to like him. She's trying to protect him from things like the crib, the bath, and the mobile--it makes you sleepy.
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (3) | Permalink
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I GET IT
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Apr 13, 2009 05:40am (EST)
OMG It's all starting to make sense now. I used to feel really annoyed with Annabelle's OT. Annabelle couldn't track objects. Putting an object she wanted next to her wouldn't make her roll. They had so many ideas and expectations that just didn't work. Annabelle had messed up eyes. Really messed up eyes. The surgery to correct them was amazing and that was that.
Max is watching things. He can't track, but he's already figuring out how to find the object after it moved across his field of vision. He is a roly poly baby and I could see him going after things he wanted. He's only 2 months old and he's starting to coo, to watch and interact with the world.
It sucks! CP, prematurity, strabismus/amblyopia and open heart surgery screwed with Annabelle's development. Her life is harder than I ever imagined. When it was all I knew, the people with normal kids just didn't understand. Now I understand where they're coming from.
Max is amazing. I am loving this baby stage. I want more babies. If only pregnancy didn't make me miserable.
Annabelle is working very hard at walking. One of these days she's going to surprise us all and never stop. She likes to stand on her stepstool and dance, she sings, she says the strangest things. She's great and stubborn and ornery.
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (3) | Permalink
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ODDLY NORMAL
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Mar 28, 2009 03:42pm (EST)
I was thinking of all the strange things about having Max around. Things that only a preemie mom would understand.
1. He doesn't have an adjusted age. I can barely remember his age, does it really matter? I think he's 6 weeks + something, less than 2 months.... crap I have to schedule a pediatrician appointment.
2. It's okay that he's blue?! Oh wait, it's cold, he's naked and whoops there's the random pee shooting off.
(Can you tell I'm not used to boys?)
3. Poop. I can worry about the color, but he pretty much poops all the time. I picked up some poop worries from all the babies with NEC and other GI issues in the NICU with Annabelle.
4. Bottles? Pumping? We have yet to mix formula or wash a bottle. The few single serve formula bottles from the hospital are all we've used. I have pumped a couple times with a single hand pump and the milk expired before I thought of freezing it.
5. Weight? He's bigger than before because not all of his clothes fit. He eats. No weighing, no careful analysis of every droplet of milk.
6. Breastfeeding isn't lovely and sweet. I'm a food source, I feel used and sore. It is better than pumping, but I feel a little like a cow.
7. Germs? He's out and about. I think we went out to eat a few times the first week. I know I'll regret it if he gets sick, but the freedom is such fun.
8. Doctors? He has one. Not 5 or 6. He has been to the doctor once since the hospital.
9. I'm not lugging an oxygen tank around, I think he's breathing. I haven't checked more than once or twice.
10. I could slather him in vaseline. No oxygen tubes & such to cause a fire hazard. That was the reason not to slather Annabelle in vaseline, right?
11. Puke is puke, it's gonna happen when you don't burp him. No medicine is necessary, or worries about that.
12. He seems to be able to see. I can't remember if we've had that officially checked. Definitely stares at lights and such.
It's so great having him. It has helped me heal. I never realized how much time and energy I spent worrying about Annabelle and forgetting to enjoy her. We're just relaxing and enjoying being with Max.
IMG00400
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (3) | Permalink
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HOME!
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Feb 13, 2009 08:25pm (EST)
We brought our little one home today. It took forever to get through the discharge process, but we made it home. His glucose levels were lovely and his cultures were negative.
Now I'm feeling wiped out. Annabelle is a bit iffy about Max. She shows some interest in what he's doing, but doesn't like the attention he's getting. I'm not sure how this will all work out, but I'm happy to be home. It's a kick to have a 3 day old baby to love and snuggle.
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (6) | Permalink
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AND THE HELL BEGINS AGAIN
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Feb 11, 2009 06:24pm (EST)
Maddox came into this world yesterday around 7:30pm. My blood pressure had been rising and my ob decided 39 weeks was enough and had me induced.
They broke my water and gave me pitocin. The epidural was heavenly! It took around 6 hours total to get that little guy into this world.
He's cute, and big! 7lbs 15oz and 21inches long. We had a lovely night together and then it went bad.
Max has had low glucose levels and we were giving him formula and taking levels. It dropped too low so they took him to 'special care nursery' HA! The NICU! Add to that my least favorite neonatologist being there and you have a sucky situation! (This is the neonatologist who told me Annabelle would probably need a trach if she ever wanted to go home or eat)
It looks like he's recovering with the help of a glucose IV. They're giving him antibiotics in case it's an infection. I don't have a take home baby! He's probably stuck here until Friday at the earliest to give the cultures 48 hours. He'll only get to leave if his glucose levels are high enough to start weaning tomorrow.
I'm feeling okay about this situation, it sucks but I'm okay. I was contemplating running home to Annabelle and hiding from it all, but how could I leave my little one? He looks like Ziggy, big nose and round face.
I made it to FULL TERM!!!! and had to be induced. That in itself is awesome. I'm just afraid that we'll be stuck in the NICU again and end up on the preemie rollercoaster. But he's not a preemie is he? he has awesome sats, good heartrate, nice resps, he's breastfeeding fine. He's one of those loud screamers that end up getting kicked out quickly!
Ah well, I'm off to give that little one some love.
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (3) | Permalink
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OVERWHELMING MORNING
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Nov 14, 2008 11:50am (EST)
Annabelle had her yearly cardiac check today. Her heart is the same--good news. The doctor asked some of the usual stressful questions all relating to why. Why does she has CP? Do they know what caused it? I just don't know. I've never known why she ended up with CP, ToF or TEF/EA. The only explanation I got was that the TEF/EA caused excess fluid buildup and PROM, leading to her prematurity. I'm sure it's interesting to them, but I just don't have any answers. I barely remember being told her apgars at birth, and I didn't get a good look at her before they took her away. As far as I know, my prenatal care was fine, maybe not the best. They didn't catch any of the defects before she was born and they didn't notice my excess fluid buildup.
It's the story of Annabelle's life and I don't have any answers. Does it even matter? Blaming someone or something won't help my little girl walk. She's going to have to live with wonky legs, tricky esophagus and a busted heart.
I'm feeling guilty about getting better care for Max. I know more now, because of Annabelle. Max has been carefully watched--he's benefitting from Annabelle's difficulties. It looks like he'll be a healthy little one. He's getting superb care and he'll probably end up full term, healthy and able to walk. I hope so.
I just wish I could fix everything for Annabelle. She gets so frustrated with every fall and inability to stand or walk without help. She screams if you try to remove her shoes & AFOs --what kid hates being barefoot? Everything is just so hard for her. She shouldn't be afraid of the paper on the exam table or of people touching her feet.
Bah, I'm making very little sense. I'm just upset over the unfairness that is Annabelle's life. I want Max to have it easier. I feel guilty that I hope he's 'normal', for his and my own sake. I wonder how Annabelle will feel when faced with a healthy little brother. Or how Max will feel when Annabelle gets all the extra attention.
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (2) | Permalink
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TWO
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Nov 11, 2008 03:54pm (EST)
Ahhh, to be two. I took Annabelle in for her 3 month eye check. She has been free of the eye patch for 3 months! Her eyes checked out okay, we'll go back in 4 months for another check. The eye doctor is the worst for waiting. We had a 5-10 min check after a 45-50 min wait. Today there seemed to be a lot of little kids waiting on their eyes to dialate.
Annabelle is working on saying some of the strangest things. She understands so much, but she ignores part of the question.
When asked, "How are you?" She says, "two!"
She tricked us last night when I asked "How -old- are you?" she said, "three!"
We were looking at the sink and I asked, "What comes out of the sink?" She said, "Pam". (Pam is her physical therapist who 'comes' on Wednesdays)
Just to make things weird, I've been wearing a red t-shirt today and she keeps calling me 'Murray'. She watches the Wiggles waaaaay too much.
Preggo-wise everything is about the same. I caught a 24 hour stomach bug and I'm still trying to get my energy back. Max is very big on kicking my bladder, my stomach or anything he can reach if I try to settle down and relax.
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (1) | Permalink
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NOT MUCH HAPPENING
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Nov 04, 2008 08:10am (EST)
Things have mellowed out. My sister is handling things well and I feel comfortable keeping her updated on the baby stuff.
Neil took a 5 day weekend to work on cleaning up the basement to move our office down there and make a new baby room. He ended up getting puked on most of Sunday and Monday. I can't believe we made it this long without a barfy baby. Annabelle is recovering nicely, but she kept us from getting much done.
I've been keeping track of my blood pressure at home. If I'm relaxing and spending time sitting, it's usually under 120/75 in the 110s. If I'm more active it goes up to as high as 135/85, then drops back down. If my machine is accurate, then it's probably a good thing I'm not on meds.
I'm not feeling the mood swings of the progesterone as much, either. I accidently bought a total of 6lbs of cheese at the grocery store, so I won't be crying about running out of cheese anytime soon.
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Posted by erica23 | Comments: (1) | Permalink
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