That's My Boy

I love this picture because Joey looks so in love with Jimi, and though you can't see it, Jimi, has the same look on his face.

I can start breast feeding tomorrow. They have him on .5 liters, so it won't be much longer now. They gave us info on infant CPR tonight, which Joey and I will take on Sunday. The nurse tonight seemed to think maybe by the first of the week sometime we could have our little boy home!

I will room in with him at the hospital the last day he is there so we get a chance to bond, and I will have a day of taking care of him while still under the watchful eye of the nurses. Now if I can just convince one them to come home with me to take care of Jimi. ;)

My 2 Angels

Kaya got to hold Jimi for the first time tonight. Not much to post. He is more alert, eating from a bottle, and his jaundice has come back, but that is treatable. We are still taking it day by day. They have weened him from 2 liters of oxygen to 1.5, now this evening to 1.

NICU Update

I went to see my little man twice yesterday. The first I got to change him for the first time, but his little eyes were covered now too because of the light to get rid of his jaundice is shining right on his face. So you could only see his little lips. His nurse had a hard morning with him because he had pulled out his feeding tube and they had to change IV spots and she couldn't get a vein to work. I didn't get to hold him like I wanted to, but she promised his number were good and there was a good possiblity that he could be taken off the cpap that afternoon.

I went back up in the evening and I could see his little face! The cpap is now off, and they have replaced it with a nasal canula. I got to hold him for almost an hour and it was heaven! He fell into such a restful sleep while I was holding him, I hated to let him go. Here is pic of my beautiful boy...underneath all the bandaids and bruising...that is.

Waiting to Exhale

My life has been a whirlwind since last Tuesday. I was flying high after my doctors visit and ultrasound, then immediately started have painful contractions, which come to find out later was the beginning of my labor. Thursday my water broke around 7:20 am with Kaya home and Joey at work. She was awesome while we waited for him to get home so we could go to the hospital.
Jimi was born after a day of laboring and was sent to the nursery for observation of his lungs...later to be transferred to NICU. I have only held him twice, can barely touch him because they tell me that anything other than a firm touch on his head or bottom will startle him and what he needs now is the utmost rest to grow that lung tissue.

He is on a cpap machine that allows his little lungs to stay open, and is being given oxygen and IVs full of protein and vitamins and antibiotics to keep him strong until he can start eating. I have been pumping every 3 hours and freezing my milk so when he could start eating, the supply would be readily available to put in his feeding tube, which started this morning as a matter of fact. From here if he tolerates the milk, he will continue for a few days being fed like that, then once he is off the cpap, I can start breastfeeding. I'm a little worried at that point because my milk has now come in full force and I'm not sure if he will be ready to take on all of that milk the first time he feeds.

I am sore and just a little tired, but so far handling everything ok. I know he is healthy, just needs the extra help to be ready to take on this crazy world. I am dying to hold him and feed him and actually see his full face. And mostly to bond with him. I'm worried ( I know for no good reason) that he will have trouble bonding with me since we haven't had that closeness like most mothers have with their babies.

What I'm waiting for is to exhale and enjoy my newborn at home where he belongs without the restraints of the NICU and masks. To have our family home together as a whole. I know it won't be too long, but I can't control this, which I think is the hardest part of all of this for me.

Jimi Cometh

Right after my last post, and I mean literally 30 seconds later, I sat on my couch to put on Kaya's shoe and my water broke! I will post my birth story later, but for now...

Jimi was born prematurely at 35 weeks 4 days on Thursday, March 20th at 4:56 PM. He was 6lbs 3 oz and 20 inches long. He has mild RDS (respiratory distress syndrome) meaning his lungs weren't quite fully ready to work on their own. He was given to me and then sent to the NICU so he could get stronger to come home with us. He should be home within the month, hopefully in 1-2 weeks.

There is so much I want to post, so many things I've thought about mentioning over the past few days. I haven't really organized any of it yet in my head. but for now, here are some beautiful pictures of our little man.

My trip back to the doctor

I came home from my 35 week appt on Tuesday, and started having pretty painful contractions. They certainly changed from all of the BH I was having up until then. They came every 7-14 minutes regularly until I went to bed. I woke up off and off with them too, but I didn't time those. This carried on all day yesterday, getting progressively more painful, getting to where I could still talk through them, but couldn't really move when they were happening. I called my OB and she said to come in to get checked out because she had late office hours. I soo didn't want to do that because I felt like it wasn't quite time yet, but in hindsight I'm glad I did.

Labor wasn't imminent, but I had dilated a tad more, and she gave me some Ambien to relax those muscles and get some sleep. More then anything it eased my mind to know exactly what was going on.

I got home and ended up taking 2 extra strength Tylenol...I'm funny about pills and didn't know how the ambien would effect me. The tylenol didn't help, but I finally fell asleep and actually sometime during the night they stopped. They drove me to distraction yesterday, not being able to hardly work, thank goodness this morning I've only had 2 in 2 hours, because I have a ton to get done at work. I hope I didn't speak too soon.

The doc said not much longer now.

My piggy bank thought of the day is...Love you so much! E can't wait to meet her new BFF!

35 week check up

I am continuing to pull an inspired thought from my piggy bank that was given to me at my shower. Today was some wonderful soul wishing me a full nights sleep. From you lips to Jimi's ears!

I had my check up and last ultrasound today. Jimi is still head down, but is now face up. I saw his little heart beating, and we got to watch him breathe for like 30 seconds...it was magical! They measured all the appropriate parts, and he is currently measuring at 6 lbs 12 oz! I know ultrasounds can be a little off, but still, Kaya was only 6, 2oz when she was born at 37 weeks! My doctor then performed my gbs screen and checked me out. I'm officially 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced and -1 station. That basically means, that my cervix is half way thinned out, and he is almost lying directly on my cervix.

With all the pressure I've felt since last Thurs, I had hoped that I was imagining my body starting to change. I just knew something was happening, but was scared the doctor would tell me nothing had changed yet.

Going into labor is not an exact science. I could hold out till my due date, but my doctor's best guess was within the next 2 weeks...

words of wisdom

" May peace and joy be with you and your family always!"

Don't know who wrote this little tidbit...a nice thought for everyone.

Happy Thoughts

At my shower yesterday, I was also given little words of wisdom/happy thoughts from some of the guests and they were put into a cute piggy bank painted by a great friend. I'm supposed to read one a day up until I give birth. They are for my eyes only, but after reading my first one today, I just can't resist sharing my thought of the day with you. I will not post the author.

Sunday, March 16th: Wishing you a quick and easy labor...soon!

What a great wish to share with me. Thanks!

Taking requests

I had another wonderful shower yesterday. I'm overwhelmed at all the wonderful things that I've gotten for our baby. I feel completely ready to have him, I've only said that a million times in the last week. The way I'm going, I'm likely to jinx myself right into a past the due date induction.

One of the many great things that were given to me at one of my showers were little slips of paper with guesses as to when Jimi is coming and what he will weigh. I'm going to post all of these "requests" and if you haven't given me your guess, please feel free to add it in the comments! Keep in mind my actual due date is 4/20, and that I had my first child 3 weeks early.

Me: March 21st, 7 lbs, 1 oz
Becky: March 27th, 7 lbs 6 oz
Christel: March 29th, 7lbs, 9 oz
Rachel: March 30th, 8 lbs, 2 oz
Shannon: March 31st, 6 lbs, 5 oz
Suzy: April 1st, 6 lbs
Bonnie: April 2nd 6 lbs, 7 oz
Kaya: April 3rd, 10 lbs (Yeesh!)
Joey: April 3rd, 8 lbs, 10 oz
Chrissy: April 8th, 7 lbs, 2 oz
Georgia: April 10th, 6 lbs, 10 oz
Jordan: April 12th, 7lbs, 8 oz
Heather: April 16th, 7 lbs, 2 oz
Lauren: April 18th, 7 lbs, 9 oz

Friday!

It's going to be a beautiful day outside! I LOVE SPRING!!! I had a wonderful baby shower last weekend. I got a ton of stuff off of my registry, and got to see my family. My sister and neice even came up and spent the night with us. Good times!

The last reserves of my energy pittered out this week. I was going strong up through about Tuesday, and came home after work feeling tired, and really uncomfortable. Go figure at 34/35 weeks! That has transitioned to a lot of low pressure and pain/discomfort while standing, walking. I feel like I'm oozing all the time after starting to become unplugged the end of last week. My Braxton Hicks Contractions come 4-5 per hour consistantly with at least 1 or 2 of them being crampy, like the one I'm currently having. I hope I don't have 5 more weeks of this!

So, I've been finishing the last few things on my to do list, as I feel that Jimi will be coming sooner rather than later. I'm sure I just totally jinxed myself by posting that and he will come at 41 weeks. Anyway, I got my music together for my mp3 player, and put together part of my hospital bag. I have the clothes together I will take for Jimi, and I still need to buy a couple of nursing bras and pack a bag for Kaya. I still am trying to figure out who will take her when I go into labor. My cleaning person is coming today to clean for another shower this weekend being thrown by my awesome friends.

Things are going great at Joey's work, he really loves it, and as for Kaya, she is testing us a bit with the whole listening thing, but we are working through it. I have my temp starting Monday and I am not ready to train her. I still have so much of my own to finish, without taking time out to train her. And my boss gave me a list of projects just yesterday that she wants me to do...before I leave.

I go in Tuesday for my check up and can't wait to see my little man again on ultrasound, but I'm really excited to see if I've dilated...I can't see how I couldn't have by now with the pressure I'm having, but who knows!

Attack of the Super Nesting Pregnant Woman

I am a little over 33 weeks pregnant. I went to my check up today and all is well. I have all the normal signs of a pregnant woman. I go back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound, my GBS screening and my first "exam" of how things are shaping up down there.

The biggest symptom that I currently suffer from is nesting. I just had to get my nursery done early. I've cleaned out all of our closets and had Joey clean off the deck. I have thrown out, donated, sold on Craigslist anything that I can possibly put my hands on that we haven't used in over a year. I've been rationalizing all of this saying it was because I am having 2 baby showers thrown at my house on my behalf, and I want everything looking nice. Now, although he is in agreement, I think Joey finally has come to the realization that I have gone off the deep end. My newest target is...our pool...I want it gone!

I've been considering it for almost a year now, the fact that we are so busy in the summer and we use it so rarely. How Joey complains every time he has to put chemicals in it, vacuum it or find a hole to patch. How our back yard is only used 5 months out of the year because the other 7 it is really unattractive with a huge 24 foot round black tarp covering the pool. We spend to much money on opening and closing it every season, not to mention the cost of chemicals and increase in water bill. Joey is in complete agreement, after all, when we bought this house 3 years ago, it wasn't exactly a selling point for either of us.

If you know me at all, you know that when I decide to do something, I do it immediately. So after asking Joey what he thought about it, I posted an ad on Craigslist trying to sell or just have someone come take it away. I've already had one deck contractor to our house to give me an estimate on adding on to our deck where the pool was. This is probably the exact wrong time to do any of this since I could give birth in a matter of weeks, but it is almost pool season and I want it gone!

So I'm sorry to all of my friends' kids. No pool parties at our house this year if I can help it. We are going to buy Kaya and Jimi a swing set instead.

Thankfully, I will give birth soon and all of this madness can end!