Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  Daxton had a big day today in preparation for his hopefully homecoming tomorrow.  He passed his car seat test and hearing test.  Dr. Campbell the Chief of Cardiac Services and Director of Children’s Sibley Heart Center stopped by for a visit today.  He said Daxton looked good to go home.  He had his RSV and Hep B shot and was circumcised this evening.  (poor baby!)  Mom and Dad had to watch a 30 minute snoozer of a video on car seat safety.  That is 30 minutes of our lives we’ll never get back.

We’ve been busy making last minute preparations and celebrating a little Halloween.  Dad carved a special pumpkin for Daxton and Mom made caramel apples.  Terry is making us all dinner tonight and Mouse is helping Jade tidy up the nursery for Dax. 

We’re very excited for tomorrow and hope he keeps up his appetite during the night so he continues to gain weight.  He weighed in at 5 lbs 10oz today and his billiruben is still going down. 

To our friends and family… thank you so much for all the well wishes.  Again, we are sorry we haven’t been able to personally respond to each one of you or post updates until now.  We can’t wait to introduce our bundle of joy to you, but please give him some time to come home from the hospital and get adjusted to his home.  The doctors have advised us not to have too many visitors at first, but we will let you know as soon as he is ready.  Thank you for your patience and understanding!  Thanks again to everyone!!!   

Due Date

Hard to believe today is/was Jade’s actually due date.  The 19^th seems like so long ago now.  Almost like a far away dream.  Great Uncle Don and Tammy came for a visit today.  We really appreciate them making the drive up and got some great pictures.  Daxton was raised to 8 bottles a day at 50 mL each and no longer has a feeding tube.  Yeah!   They also switched him from Similac Advanced to Similac NeoSure which has more calories.

Dr. Guttenberg, another neonatologist, called this afternoon and said Daxton could go home as early as Monday!  Hallelujah!!!  They have begun his discharge process and ordered the circumcision, hep B vaccine, hearing test, and RSV shot.   They also asked us to bring in a car seat so they could sit him in it and monitor his for an hour or so.  Mom and Dad are thrilled to bring him home soon!   

Thanks!

We want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support we have received.  We appreciate all the food, pep talks, prayers, flowers, etc. and feel truly blessed to have such a great group of friends and family.  Thank you all very much!  Bert and I could not do this without y’all!  We are sorry we have not been able to individually reply to each one of you at times.  Please understand that we are not trying to ignore you and that the best place to check for updates at this time is on this blog.  Feel free to leave comments.  We will be checking and updating often, but Jade may not be able to continue to keep up these daily updates so you may start to see a skipped day every now and then. 

Daxton had another fantastic day and we tried on a Halloween outfit.  It swallowed him, but at least he was in the spirit of the holiday.  He gained almost another whole ounce weighing in at 5 lbs 9.6 oz.  It was a team effort day as Terry took the 6am, Stella came to help Jade with the 9am, Mouse helped Jade with the 12pm, and Jade and Bert rounded out the last two feedings of the day at 6pm and 9pm with a nice dinner at Basil’s in between.  Jade even put on a high heel boot.  Of course, it’s nowhere near as snazzy as her air cast!  Dax crushed a bottle for Dad at the 6pm feeding in 10 mins flat.

Dr. Deepa said she will likely increase him from 6 to 8 bottles tomorrow.

What a Difference a Day Makes!

We all had a really good day today.  Daxton finished all of his bottles except for the 6 am feeding.  (He only had 30 of the 47 he is required.) His billiruben continues to go down and he now weighs 5 lbs. 8.7 oz.   Julie Duncan, the local lactation consultant performed some magic and got Dax to breastfeed very well at the 9am feeding.  A pediatric cardiologist from the Sibley Center by the name of Dr. McConnell stopped by at the noon feeding to examine Dax.  He is the co-director, of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic at Emory.  He said everything is looking well and he did not feel the need to perform an echo, nor does he think surgery is warranted at this time.  He also reassured us that babies who end up needing surgery before 3-6 months still do well and he has many elderly patients who have gone on to live long active lives without much problem.  As long as Daxton keeps improving we should be able to wait until he gets bigger.  Dr. Fyfe said 11 pounds is ideal, but Dr. McConnell said the surgeons will always say “just one more pound.”  Their hands are only so small.  Daxton is what they call a pink tet baby.  That is, he is getting too much blood flow to the lungs instead of not enough.  Apparently TOF runs a wide range and his VSD (hole between the left and right ventricle is causing him more stress than the narrow pulmonary which he actually has decent blood flow through.

Bert got to go out for some drinks with his business partners Chris and Nigel while Jade had dinner with her Mom and Terry at Brio.  It was a much needed break for both of us and Jade went a whole day without a meltdown!  We are praying that Dax continues to have more great days like today. 

Add Broken Foot to the Mix

It was not the best day.  Jade tried to breastfeed again by herself at 9am and it turned out to be a disaster.  Luckily Dax still ate a whole bottle afterwards.  We will try again tomorrow morning. 

The afternoon didn’t turn out much better.  Turns out not only is Jade’s heart broken because she can’t bring Daxton home just yet, but so is her right foot!  She was hoping it was just a stress fracture or swelling, but the doctor said she broke it clean through all from just 15 little extra pounds of pregnancy weight!  WTH?  Now she has to wear this sexy little piece of footwork which is really annoying because she has to take it off prior to driving and put it back on when she gets where she’s going. 

On the bright side, Daxton gained 2.1 oz!  They did not check his billiruben today, but will again tomorrow.

1 Week!

 It’s hard to believe it’s been 1 whole week already.  We celebrated by giving Daxton a new colorful toy.  Although he can’t do much with the rattle just yet, at least it provides something interesting to look at besides medical equipment. 

Dr. Deepa said this morning that all of his tests have come back normal and she has no plans to conduct any new ones at this point.  His billiruben continues to go down while his weighs goes up.  He currently weighs 5 5.9 oz.  She might call the pediatric cardiologist for another visit later this week if she feels it is necessary.  She also suggested I retry breastfeeding him once/day during the feeding which he is most alert which would be the 9am right now.  When pressed she said to mentally prepare for AT LEAST another 1-2 weeks although it could be longer.  They don’t like to give estimates/false hope around there, so we just have to be patient until Daxton tells us he is ready.

Grand Mouse came back for a visit today with lots of food from our friends Brette and Dawn. Thanks Brette and Dawn!  Junior and Hank were thrilled.  We’ve been neglecting the poor pups, but hope to make it up to them when things settle down.  We can’t wait to introduce Dax to them.

Bert went back to work for a little while today, but didn’t get much accomplished with everyone asking about Daxton! 

Rest and Sushi

We got much better rest at home last night, although the drive to the hospital this morning in rain and traffic wasn’t pleasant.  The morning started out strong again with 2 back to back complete 45 mL bottle feedings at 6am and 9am.  Dr. Deepa Ranganathan is worried 8 bottle feedings a day is too many for Dax’s little heart to handle at this point, so she’s changing his schedule to 6 bottles feedings/day plus 2 tube only feedings.  We requested the tube only feedings be at 3am and 3pm (or times when we are not there).  His billiruben numbers continue to go down and a urine test he had done late last week to test for CMV came back negative.  They want him to gain 15-20 grams a day (or about ½ to ¾ ounces).

Dad got “Christened,” if you know what I mean, but he really has no one to blame but himself considering he had just changed Dax’s diaper himself.  Gotta get those babies tight!  Bert also took Jade out for a great sushi dinner tonight at Taka in Buckhead.  (Sushi is what she missed the most during pregnancy.) 

Started Out Strong

We started the day out strong with a record 9am feeding of 38 mL in 22 mins followed by another record of 41 mL in 30 minutes during the noon feeding.  We think he was tryng to show off for his granddaddy and Wendy who came to visit this morning.  Jade’s milk supply cannot keep up and unfortunately we had to supplement some formula which he didn’t seem to like as much in the afternoon.  He only took 28 (the nurse cheated us and said 25) at the 6pm feeding.

Daxton is starting to gain his weight back.  He weighed 5 lbs 3.4oz at the midnight feeding last night and 5 lbs 4.1 oz at the weigh in tonight.  His billirubin (jaundice) levels are coming down too.  We got to change a really nasty diaper today and give him a bath as a team.  It’s going to be hard having to do this individually and without the direction of nurses soon!

 Mom’s swollen ankles are starting to go down and she got to see a nicer lactation consultant today and was given some homework to increase her milk supply.  (As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate!)  She also avoided any major breakdowns today, which was a big relief for everyone.  We got to eat breakfast out and a late lunch of baked fish at home. 

Bert and I decided to come home tonight and although we are happy to be in the comfort of home, it is bittersweet coming home without Daxton just yet.  It really breaks our hearts, but we feel like we can be of better assistance to him if we are more rested.  Now we have a new schedule to adjust to.

Holy Gigantic Boobs Batman!

 And they hurt like hell!  This breast pumping thing really “sucks!” 

We had another good day with the exception of a couple crying episodes.  Dax had to take the last few mL of a few of his feedings by syringe, but he got most of it on his own.  They upped his requirement to 35mL and will probably do so each day by 5mL so long as he is able to keep up.

We got to go out for breakfast again this morning and went home this afternoon for a great dinner Bert’s Mom Terry prepared.  Bert grilled steaks on the Big Green Egg… Jade ate a whole one she was so hungry.   

Hank and June have been spoiled and gotten fat while in the grandmothers’ care in less than a week.  We are wondering if this will be a trend when they keep Daxton in the future… maybe they can work their magic to pork him up now!

A lot of you have been asking how you can help.  Our friend Alison set us up a “Meal Train” which you can sign up for if you care to here.

World Record Night Cap

Today was an awesome day!  Dax and Jade both made GREAT progress.  Jade got more skin to skin time and is getting the hang of pumping.  She was finally able to obtain a lot more than just a few drops, which Dax sucked down within minutes at the 6pm feeding.  He also ate his whole bottle at the 9pm feeding. 

We were able to get out of the hospital for an awesome breakfast.  We felt like vampires… not having seen the sun in days hurt our eyes at first, but felt great and lifted our spirits.  We also were able to make a trip home for a few hours this afternoon to catch up on some things and visit with our fur-babies we miss so much.  They are anxiously awaiting Daxton’s homecoming  and sniffed us to death when they picked up on his scent.

Uncle Patrick came back for the noon feeding and Dax didn’t spit up all over him!  He was much more alert and was very curious about his uncle.  Jade changed Dax’s dirty diaper… which was her first in a VERY long time (probably since her highschool baby sitting days) which is still mostly meconium… a nasty tar-like substance.  Bert also changed his first dirty diaper this evening.  He was thrilled and can’t wait to do more!

Grandma Terry and her cousin Donna were able to come to the 6pm feeding with Bert so Jade could take a break and visit with her friend Stella who took her out for pizza this evening while Bert took a much needed nap.  He was in such a deep sleep when Jade returned she thought she’d never be able to wake him up.  The outing was great for Jade and she is in very good spirits this evening.  Needless to say Grandma was ecstatic!

Dax had a FANTASTIC midnight feeding.   15mL breast milk + 10mL formula in 16 minutes!  That’s a record!!!  If he keeps this up, maybe we can go home soon. 

Click here for more pics.

Uncle Patrick Arrives!

We had some good and bad feedings today, but are making progress.  Mom’s hormones are going nuts and she went a little crazy this morning, but Dax cheered her up with a sweet email that made her cry like a little baby.  We have yet to figure out where he hides his laptop!  Next thing you know he’ll be trading stock like the E-Trade baby!  So long as he saves up for college we’re okay with it. 

We are making slow and steady progress (that’s Dax’s style), but have come to realize that Daxton is setting the pace and he will let us know when he is ready to go home.  The neonatologist is giving us no estimates so although it is frustrating we are trying to stay positive and use this time to learn as much as we can about baby care from the nurses.

Uncle Patrick also arrived this afternoon!  YEAH!  He got to see and hold Dax at the 6pm feeding.  Unfortunately, Dax was so excited about meeting him for the first time he spit up ALL OVER Uncle P.  At least he’s not playing favorites considering he spit up on Alex yesterday.  There is plenty of love to go around!


Mouse has been helping out by taking care of the dogs and holding down the home fort for us.  She is leaving tomorrow for a weekend break.  We thank her so much for the help and can’t wait till she returns to help once Dax comes home.   Also, we want to say thanks to Stella and Tom for taking care of our pups on delivery day for us!

Jade was discharge from the maternity ward this evening and we moved from the Ritz Carlton to the Motel 6 (also locate inside the hospital).  It’s no Waters Pavilion, but it’s close to Dax which is all that matters… and Mom and Dad get to share a bed now. 

Click here for more pics.

Meeting the Family

Daxton ate like a rock star throughout the night (both breast and bottle), but had a difficult feeding at 9am this morning and had to be given a feeding tube which made mom cry. The neonatologist says he can’t go home till he starts eating well on his own without the assistance of a feeding tube. Mom had to give up breast feeding for now, but she rented a pump and is having fun figuring out how to work the silly contraption. She will try breast feeding
Close family got to see and hold him throughout various feedings today and we all enjoyed bonding with precious Dax. He is so laid back and very handsome. We just love all his hair!
Granddaddy is so proud

Uncle Alex at the noon feeding. Daxton spit up on him a little bit. Sorry about that Uncle Alex!

Grand Mouse (she was a natural… like riding a bicycle)

We don’t have a picture, but Terry got to see the afternoon feeding.  We will post one with Grandma as soon as we can.
Dad got Dax to take a whole bottle at the midnight feeding and Mom got to cradle him to sleep which was awesome!

Click here for more pictures.

Introducing Daxton Bond Betkowski

We are elated to introduce Daxton Bond Betkowski!  He arrived Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 7:31pm after 13 hours and 1 minute of labor.  Daxton weighed 5 lbs 4.8 ounces and was 18 inches at birth.  Below are some highlights from labor and delivery.  (skip over it if TMI for you!)  Mom, Dad, and Baby Daxton are doing well!   We want to say a HUGE thank you to all the family who drove so far to be with us today to cheer us on.  THANK YOU!!! 

We can’t even begin to describe our overwhelming happiness.  Daxton is precious, and we couldn’t be more proud!  Click here for more pictures.

Monday, Oct 18th

5pm check in

6pm cervidil administered; 1 cm dilated  

Tuesday, Oct 19th

6:30am pitocin (the devil’s drug ); 1 cm dilated

 8:40am water broke; 2 cm dilated

8:40-10:32am contractions became very painful and lower back pain became almost unbearable. A variety of positions tried (bed, cat, standing,  birthing ball, bathroom); lots of lower back pain; Bert tried to help by massaging lower back with hands and rolling pin

10:32am 1^st curse word (it was the “F” one)

10:38am epidural requested (6 minutes after 1^st curse word!)

10:38-11:50am   more positions tried unsuccessfully to relieve lower back pain

11:30am pitocin cut off (had gone up to 18 at highest)

11:45am Jade offered to pay anesthesiologist double to come faster (followed by a few more curse words)

11:50am anesthesiologist FINALLY arrived and epidural administered after some difficulty (Bert got very nervous trying to figure out what he would do if the doctor wasn’t successful and Jade thought this doctor better run for his life if he doesn’t get the thing to work)

12pm starting to feel back to old self again

 12:05pm 4 cm dilated; 90%; -1 position; contractions continuing on their own without Pitocin

12:10pm Atlanta Falcons players arrived, Jade wonders why she wasn’t notified ahead of time so she could have dressed more appropriately and put on makeup

12:15 – 1:15pm nap time / party time for family and friends in Waters Pavilion Suite

1:45pm 6cm dilated; 0 position

1:15-2pm visitors

2- 4pm nap time

4-6pm more visitors 

4:10pm 8 cm dilated; 0 position

4:30pm pitocin turned back on to 1ml/min to increase rate of contractions to 1 every 3 mins; Jade was asked to sit up and let gravity take effect

4:45pm “Hot Spots” began to develop and Jade had to recline again and get a little more epidural meds

5:30pm 9.5 cm dilated

6-6:15pm final visitors and well wishes

6:22pm started pushing

7:31pm Daxton Bond Betkowski was born 1 hr and 9 mins later! Followed by mass CELEBRATION!!! (it is important to note a pre-party had been carried out all day by family and friends in our room… did we mention they put away an 18-pack, 2 bottles of wine and several  bottles of champagne?)

THE TIME HAS COME!!!

I'm in the hospital!!! The baby measured only 5 lbs 6 oz this AM, so they decided to induce. I start pitocin at 6am tomorrow! I won't lie, I'm nervous as hell, but also super excited. This will probably be my last post for awhile, but Bert will be providing updates tomorrow. About to take an Ambien so hopefully I can sleep some. Wish us luck!!!

Hospital Checklist

I'm 2 weeks away from my due date and STILL have not packed my hospital bags which is ironic considering I created a hospital checklist within the first month of pregnancy.  That's how much I was looking forward to the big day.  Now I think I'm just nervous... like packing the bag is the last step and will make me go into labor or something.  Anyway, I put a lot of thought into this checklist and asked a lot of moms for advice so I thought I'd share it in the hopes it might come in handy for other future moms.  Don't laugh at how detailed it is.  I wanted to be sure I didn't forget ANYTHING we might need in case of an emergency situation in the middle of the night.

3 Pounds in 1 Week

I guess those milkshakes are finally catching up to me!  I'll find out Monday if any of those 3 pounds went to Baby B and not just my bootie!!!

A lot of people have asked me how much I've gained.  If you speak to my housekeeper you'd think I'd gained 100 pounds.  I personally think it is no one's business, but if you must know, I gained 15 pounds from when I started and 22 from my lowest point.  I'm damn proud to say I stayed within my goal of 20-25 pounds thus far.  I just hope it all comes off with the baby!

My fetal non-stress test was normal today and Baby B actually moved a lot!  Dr. McSwain also informed me that I am 1 cm dilated and 20% effaced.  20% sounds like a lot to me!  She said that is ideal for a potential induction next week.  Aye yi yi!!!  I got her call schedule for the next two weeks.  She's on this Tuesday (Oct 19th) and the last weekend of the month (Oct 29th-31st) which covers my due date.  I'm hoping if I have to be induced, they put me in the night of the 28th so I can deliver on the 29th.  I doubt they schedule inductions on weekends.  Bert is betting they induce this week.  We'll find out Monday morning when they measure Baby B! 

I'm just hoping I'll get to go to my podiatrist appointment Tuesday morning at least.  McSwain said my pain could be from just swelling or it might be a stress fracture.  I'd really just like some good drugs, but I don't think that's an option right now. Tylenol just doesn't cut it so I don't even bother.      

  

Nurse & Nurture

Last night during the Moms On Call event, I met a lady named Kristin Tepas who started her own night nursing business.  They aren't cheap, but I think it's nice to have their contact information just in case!  $25/hr seems to be the going rate in Atlanta with a one time $150 placement fee.  Ouch!!!  Luckily, my friend Anna won a waiver of the initial placement fee during a raffle last night and was kind enough to pass it along to me.  Thanks Anna! 

Moms on Call / Izzy Maternity

My friend Anna and I attended a Moms on Call workshop put on by Izzy Maternity.  We had both read the book and watched the DVD early on in our pregnancies, but it was nice to have a refresher course and meet the authors.   I have a lot of friends who swear by this book.  I hope it works as well for us.  I'll let you know how it goes soon!  

Izzy Maternity is a great resource and puts on a lot of cool events like this.  You can sign up for notifications via email on their website.  We got 20% off our entire purchase during the event last night!

Baby Connect

Check out this awesome baby app I found for iPhone and iPad!

Bought Another Week

Looks like I'll be able to make it to at least one more GT football game unless my ailing foot totally gives out on me.  First my car died last Friday afternoon and now my right foot has been giving me fits!  It began hurting about 2 weeks ago and has progressively gotten worse.  I think either swelling is aggravating old injuries or I have broken/fractured some new bones.  Either way, I can barely walk and this is certainly the most inopportune time for these crises to crop up.  

I saw Dr. Dian Fogle today who is a partner of doctor Mann's and my cousin Brittany's regular perinatologist.  She was very nice and told me early induction will all depend upon the rate of growth Dr. Mann sees next Monday, October 18th.  She did not check the growth today for some reason, but did take a close look at the heart and blood flow through both it and the umbilical cord.  She advised I pack my bags "just in case" which is something I never got around to doing this past weekend.  (Add it to the list.)  Oh yeah... she also reconfirmed the gender.  Good to know since we're done with the nursery and there's no time to turn back now.  I hope you all have your bets in. 

Now I have to decide if I can hold out until the podiatrist appointment I made for next Tuesday.  Hopefully it won't be too late, or I may be carting Baby B around in a wheelchair! 
PS- I'm not giving up on going to the Miami game just yet.  Keeping my options open.   

Fetal Non-Stress Test

My OBGYN performed a fetal non-stress test (NST) today.  The test involved attaching one belt to my abdomen to measure fetal heart rate and another belt to measure contractions. Movement, heart rate and “reactivity” of heart rate to movement was measured for 20-30 minutes. I was given a button to press every time I felt the baby move.  Baby B is definitely NOT a morning person.  I experienced some movement at first, but that quickly subsided so the doctor tried to use a small “buzzer” to wake the baby for the remainder of the test.  When that didn't work, I was given a brownie and some ice water.  (How sugar from a brownie is supposed to absorb into the baby's system that fast is beyond me, but I wasn't arguing... I'm used to getting stuck with needles so the brownie was a real treat for a change!)

The machine spit out paper with graphs that looked similar to what is pictured below.  The top is the baby's heart rate and the bottom is contractions.  Those dark plus shaped tick marks on the bottom of the upper graph represent each time the button was pressed.  They like to see the baby's heart rate jump around which is what occur during my test, and the fact that they sent me home meant they saw no cause for concern at this point even though Baby B was mostly sleeping.  Baby is a night owl I tell ya!   

Dr. McSwain also checked my cervix and said I was not dilated or effaced, but did inform me the baby had dropped some.  My next appointment with the OBGYN is scheduled for Friday, October 15th.

So Much for Going to Bed Early

Bert and I decided it would be nice to go to bed early for once last night.  It sounded like a good idea until we both lied wide awake at 4am this morning thinking simultaneously, "I can't sleep!"  Sheesh. The dogs must have thought we were crazy for getting out of bed that early, but I can't stand to just lay around for hours doing nothing.  At least I will have the luxury of taking a nap this afternoon if I get tired.  Now the dogs are laying in a king-size bed all to themselves.  So spoiled!   

In this Corner, Weighing in at 4lbs 15oz...

Baby B gained a whoppin’ pound in 2 weeks!  That doesn’t sound like much, but that’s better than the 1/3 pound per week we’ve been averaging recently.  Dr. Mann said that the baby looks great and we have more time, but she wants to monitor the placenta function weekly to be sure it’s still delivering enough nutrients.  She asked me to come in every week as well, so that’s 2 doctors appointments per week from here on out.  My next 3 appointments (assuming I make all 3) are 10/11, 10/18, and 10/25.

Whew!  I was so afraid she was going to tell us to pack our bags today.  Which, by the way, I still need to do just in case!  Now I get to go to Homecoming at least so long as this baby doesn't pull any surprises.   

Best Dressed Pumpkin

So I know this is wishful thinking on my part, and I have a bizillion clothes for the baby already, but I just couldn’t help myself.  On the off chance this baby really is here in time for Halloween, I have 2 adorable outfits prepared just in case.  These will probably swallow our tiny baby, but oh well.  In fact, the only thing that is sparing our child from having to wear a cheesy costume this year is the fact that they don’t make them that small.  Just wait till next year.  I’m going all out!  

   

Done With Rounds

I’m done with my group rounds and back to my primary doc (Helen McSwain)finally.  I gained 2 since the 15th which is in line with my usual 1 pound per week.  These protein shakes and bars don’t seem to be working.  Time to start the all-I-can-eat-cookie-and-ice-cream diet.  Maybe more chocolate milk shakes with whole milk instead of 2%.  

I got tested for group B strep today.  Not sure what that is and pretty sure I don’t want to find out.  They said they’d wait until my next appointment to test my iron again.  I’ve been asked to return weekly from here on out.  More doctor appointments.  Just great.  Next one is Friday 10/8.  

McSwain said the heart rate was normal (130) and after I told her Dr. Mann was considering inducing me early, she said she’d like to get me to at least 37 weeks.  That’s what she said to my cousin too and we all know how well that turned out!  Apparently she also wants to start checking my cervix at that time... oh joy.

I picked up a Cord Blood Registry kit while in the office.  From best I can tell, CBR and ViaCord are the top two companies.  I hope it is worth it, then again, it’s kind of like insurance... you get it in the hopes you never have to use it.  

Apparently nothing can be done about my constant tinnitus.  It’s probably just fluid and usually goes away after delivery McSwain said.  Just yet another joy of pregnancy I was never forewarned about.  Thanks all my mommy friends for nothing.

A Little White Lie Never Hurt Anybody

My post was so long yesterday I decided not to include this, but it made me so happy, I just had to share.. an employee at the Publix checkout line last night made my day.  She said I looked so good for 34 weeks I could be on the cover of one of those pregnancy magazines.  Tameka at the Publix near my house... you are my favorite cashier EVER.  I will always choose your lane no matter how long the line.  My housekeeper could learn a thing on two from you... even if you were lying!  :)

Support Group

I went to my first fetal cardiology support group meeting at the Sibley Heart Center tonight.  I don’t believe I’ve ever participated in any sort of support group whatsoever, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was fairly certain it would involve a circle of some sort and maybe 12 steps.  Turns out I was right about the first part at least.  I started out disappointed when our small circle appeared to be only me, the social worker (Christin), and Dr. Stauffer (the pediatric cardiologist who 1st diagnosed us), but was pleasantly surprised when 2 other families walked in a little late.  Turns out they provided better support than any doctor or nurse yet.  

The first couple (Rachel and Todd) have a baby due December 16th who was just diagnosed with TGA and Taussig-Bing.  Needless to say that the wife was still very emotional and my heart went out to her remembering how hard those first few days were when everything came to a stand still and our world came crashing down around us.  You struggle to keep your head barely above water figuring out this strange new language, dissecting exactly what the problem is, and what can be done about it; not to mention, nearly cause your head to explode seeking out and crunching various statistics in a way that portrays you as having better odds than you really do.  I know she probably doesn’t believe me, but I tried to tell her it does get a little easier once you’ve had time to digest and let things sink in.  Touring the hospital and meeting the surgeon helps too, which they told me they are doing soon.  I’m sure Rachel wanted to slap me when I advise her to just focus on the positive and try to stay busy, but I don’t blame her.  

On the other end of the spectrum, a second couple (Jennifer and Clint) walked in along with their mother to tell us about their 8 week old son Wyatt who doesn’t have a hole defect but rather some kind of issue with heart function... a valve I think, but don’t quote me on that.  Here I am feeling sorry for myself and come to find out this poor couple has been in the hospital for 8 weeks, didn’t have any forewarning of their child’s condition prior to birth (in fact, Wyatt was not diagnosed until 3 days after), and they just found out yesterday that the only cure for their son is a heart transplant.  They looked like walking zombies.  Devoid of all life/emotion.  The topic of tonights group was “coping strategies and stress/anxiety reduction.”  Now you tell me how you’re supposed to cope with that kind of news after 8 weeks of living hell in the hospital???  I couldn’t think of a damn thing to say to these people without sounding stupid, yet they somehow managed to provide m, Rachel and Todd with all sorts of really great advice.  I guess when you can’t help yourself, helping others at least makes you feel productive.  I know I felt better trying to help Rachel and Todd, by just sharing my emotions and experiences thus far.  I wish I could have been of more/some help to Jennifer and Clint, but nothing short of finding a transplant for their child will bring them any real comfort at this time.  I’m hoping that just listening intently somehow provided them some kind of outlet for their agony.  Just goes to show you that as bad as you think things might be for you, there's almost always someone out there who's got it worse.

I’ve listed some of Rachel and Todd’s suggestions below in hopes they might help someone else in a similar situation.

• Bring sweaters and comfortable shoes.  The hospital is always cold and you are on your feet a lot.
• For continuity, try to communicate with the same doctor/nurse whenever possible.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions... sometimes over and over again until you get an answer you clearly understand.
• Always trust your intuition.  You’ll find you’re right more often than not and besides, you are the one paying the most/closest attention to your baby.  
• You are your baby’s best advocate.  If you cannot be present always have someone there you trust on your baby’s behalf.
• Be sure to attend and put into practice the infant massage class available at the Sibley Center.  With your baby getting poked and prodded with needles constantly, it’s important that your baby doesn’t learn to associate all touch as bad. (I thought this was an especially good piece of advice.  The thought of our baby cringing and screaming with every touch just makes me want to burst out in tears.) 
• Don’t be afraid to accept and asked for help... if possible have a close friend or family member coordinate those who want to lend a hand to prepare meals and shop for basic groceries/essentials for you.  (Someone remind this control freak of this one please.) 
• Think of the the step-down unit as a home simulation exercise to get you comfortable with taking care of the baby on your own without actually leaving the safety of the hospital just yet.

Part Deux

I have to post twice today and it’s only fitting because my cousin Brittany gave birth to twin boys!!!  I just got back from the hospital and let me tell you, man was that a reality check.  It was amazing to get a sneak peek into what it’s going to be like and also experience waiting on the other side all in the same day though, so Brittany... thanks for going first - my hat is off to you!  Congrats to both you and Trip!!!  

PS- I hope to post pics of the precious boys here when I get some, but for the record their names are Stonewall Henry Reynolds (born at 6:57pm) and Gray Wilton Reynolds (born at 6:58pm).  

Come again???

Dr. Eminem (Marcy Mann) dropped another bomb on us during our perinatal appointment today, only I’m somewhat excited about this one yet freaked out all at the same time.  Because the baby is measuring small, she said she may choose to induce in 3-4 weeks.  (Insert your favorite expression of surprise/panic here.)  She said she will most definitely not let us go past the due date which is fine and dandy by me... I want a pumpkin, not a turkey after all.  Anyway, nothing is set in stone, but that’s her gut feeling as of right now.  We go back in 2 weeks to monitor the baby’s progress.  Gotta fatten this pumpkin up... bring on more protein! And maybe a few more milkshakes!!! :)
Below is another ultrasound for your viewing pleasure.  Apparently the technician did not think our last name was long/confusing enough so she decided to throw a "Q" in there.  "Bet-kow-q-ski" has a nice ring to it, but I'm not waiting in the SS and DMV offices again.

Cravings

Bert says I would eat Mexican every day if he let me.  I beg to differ.  In fact, I would argue that my Mexican craving has subsided somewhat since becoming pregnant.  It’s been replaced by a more powerful one.  Behold my new weakness...

Yeah, you know you want one.

I'm not sure Bert has much room to be talking about cravings since his goal this week is to try every flavor at the Ben & Jerry's across the street from our condo.  This involves trekking across multiple times daily I might add.

1st Ultrasound

We had our 1st OBGYN appointment with Dr. Helen McSwain of Peachtree Women’s Specialists today.  I have been going to her for some years now based on my cousin Brittany’s recommendation and love her.  We found out we are a little over 8 weeks and were given a due date of October 30th!  Halloween is my favorite holiday so I’d love it if our little pumpkin arrived around then!!!  I will deliver at Piedmont Hospital.

We also got the 1st ultrasound pics today.  Doesn't really look like much now!

BFP!!!

Today we found out our life as we know it will change drastically (for the better we hope!) a little less than nine months from now!  We are so excited and can’t wait to eventually share the news with our family and friends.  I feel like I need to have a drink to celebrate, but I guess that’s not an option now!  :)  It’s funny... our expressions keep changing from that of pure elation to “holy schnikes, what have we gotten ourselves into?”  I think Bert and I are up for the new challenge though.  We can’t seem to wipe the silly grins off of our faces! 
PS- In case you don’t know, BFP stands for "Big Fat Positive."  Apparently, this is just one of many things I will come to learn over the course of the next nine months.