Thanksgiving in March?

Things have been crazy since last wednesday, some good some bad and some indifferent.

My sister finally got to move back into town, we are so excited to have her back now its car,job and apartment hunting time. She got to spend the night Friday I thought I would never get to hold Connor again she hadn't seen him since New Year's and was very excited to see him to say the least. 

Then this weekend was my first full weekend back to work, I have changed to part time but my boss let me have a short week my first week back then I got called off due to low census the next week so last weekend was my first full weekend. It was harder than I thought it would be the extra shift made such a difference. 

Monday we had thanksgiving dinner with my parents, they had purchased a Turkey for dinner last year but didn't do Thanksgiving then decided they would use it Christmas but Connor was in the hospital and my stepbrother didn't get to come home either. With him being here and my sister just moving and Connor finally being more mobile we had a small dinner on monday. It was nice. 

Then that night we had our first pump malfunction. It didn't stop infusing when his food ran out it just continued to infuse air. If our selected dose is ever less than what is in the bag it is supposed to stop infusing and alarm if there is no food. It didn't poor guy had an upset tummy too. I decompressed his stomach using a bolus tube and syringe something one of the nurses had verbally explained as a just in case. I have done this with adult patients at work before. I also gave him some gas drops and he seemed to do fine. But when we called our home care supplier they did not have the Entralite Infinity Orange pump like we use in the warehouse all they had was the regular Entralite Infinity (blue pump). Well the Lactation nurse had told us that the Orange was the only pump that would work with human milk but we were doubtful the only difference was one button and we were using the same bags as the blue pump anyway. When we started the blue pump up it kept alarming "no food" apparently it wasn't recognzing the milk. So we had to do formula instead. Luckily we have been supplementing his daily oral feeds with formula anyways so his tummy is used to some formula just not this much. They said it would be 1 week before they could get another Infinity Orange pump in so until then we are doing human milk during the day and formula by night. At least I will get my frozen supply back up. 

We are running out of the Mepilex sheets that the hospital provided us with to use under his button. His leaks since we aren't able to inflate the balloon completely due to his smaller stomach size. I looked online and that stuff is crazy expensive so I am now looking for alternative dressings. I have seen some cute fabric type ones that I am pretty insterested in maybe my creative side can help who knows?

Now for stitchy stuff.

I have made more progress on Starry night I really need to upload some photos..and I finally finished Connor's Birth Announcement. I have been working on a bookmark for a coworker she sketches and has made many pictures for me she loves reading so I thought I would return the favor. 

Also the lady I am now working with "used" to stitch so I am trying to get her back into the addition so I have someone to talk to about stitching and we can swap stash :P keeping my fingers crossed!!

Two days of appointments!

Well, we had a total of three appointments in the last few days. The surgeon was very optimistic and said that he isn't really concerned with the incisional hernia that Connor has in fact said that he would rather wait until we take out his g-tube (mic-key) to do the procedure. Sometimes the g-tube sites don't heal the way they want them to and that can mean a surgery to close the stoma, so he said we would wait that way IF he has to do a surgical closure, he can do the hernia then too and it will be only one procedure.

We also had an appointment we the Nurse Practioner to learn how to change the mic-key ourselves. Now if it comes out we can change it without having to go to the ER for a GI study yay!

We then had an appointment with his GI doctor the surgeon had reccomended a new feeding schedule and the GI doctor approved. We are now only feeding from 9pm to 9a with the feeding pump during the day he get bolus feedings of 2 ounces we try to give it all orally and whatever he doesn't take orally we do as a gravity bolus feed via the mic-key. So far he has taken all of the feeds by mouth with no spit up. Says a prayer it will continue this way.

The surgeon said he was surprised that we did not have more issues with the mic-key coming out since the balloon isn't completely filled d/t his smaler stomach size. He told us that we were "doing a great job"

OH and he weighs 10 pound 5 ounces now so he is def gaining weight!! So no need to fortify my breastmilk as of yet. Although I may have to supplement some formula since he is eating so much now!

Baby Connor is here!

Long overdue update, and a long update....

Okay, wow where to start?! First off hello again, hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Our baby boy Connor has arrived he was born Dec 4th.

I started having issues with my blood pressure and ended up being admitted to the hospital the day after Thanksgiving. While there they were doing once a shift fetal heart tone monitoring, baby boy had what they call a decel where his heart rate dropped into the 70's he recovered fine but this put me in the labor and delivery unit for 24 hour fetal and contraction monitoring where I was told I would stay until he was born.

At midnight on Dec 4th they started the process of inducing, using a med called cytotec not the main IV med that they use to induce this is only supposed to "thin your cervix". I started having contractions and he started having decels again so while I rested my DH stayed awake pacing and watching the heart tone monitors. The next day when I woke up he was sleeping and my in laws were there visiting. I was having pretty regular contractions but they weren't what I expected. By the time they would start hurting they would go away. I did however have a horrible earache so the nurse gave me some IV pain medication. We were waiting for the doctor that we had requested to deliver us to be available (he wasn't on call and this was a sunday, he was doing stuff with family and was coming in to start the pitocin at 2) I rolled over in bed and felt what I thought was my water breaking we called the nurse in and at this point my FIL woke up my DH (he had wanted to all morning but I told him to let him rest b/c they had said it would be three days until I delievered, there was no point in him seeing every contraction.) when the nurse came in she told me that my water had not broke, but that she needed to check me anyways b/c they were about to start the pitocin, she did her thing and then said..."Oh my God, you are at an 8, did you want an epidural b/c we need to get it now!" so things progressed pretty quickly. After the epidural my bp dropped (back to normal but low for what it had been) so I felt a little off and Connor's heart rate started dropping again so they started doing internal stimulation which then broke my water. AT this point his heart rate dropped and did not return to normal so my doc decided we needed a C-section.

Well when the doctor started cutting I could feel everything, and they gave me more anithesia but I was still having crazy pain and they ended up having to "twilight" sleep me...that is the weirdest thing I don't remember a lot but my DH says Connor did not cry right off and that his cord was loosely around his neck. Everything seemed perfect.

That night I was still so out of it from the meds we decided to let him stay in the nursery, during the night his blood sugar was dropping and the next day they ended up having to put him in NICU to get IV sugar fluids to help maintain his blood sugar. That Thursday they d/c'd me but kept him, we went home to finish up nursery stuff...organization mainly and I got ready to take a nap, we had been home for about 3ish hours.

Then we get a call that we had 45 minutes to make it the hospital that our son was going to be transferred to a hospital 2 hours away for emergency surgery he had a bowel perforation and they did not know the prognosis.

When we finally arrived at the specialty hospital many hours later he was on a vent and very sedated the surgeon was awesome and put off so much confidence that the family and I relaxed. Well what was supposed to be a 2 hour procedure ended up being a 4.5 hour instead. Yet it didn't seem like that long because he had kept us so informed having a staff member call to the waiting room each hour to give us updates.
When the surgery was finally finished he came out it turned out that our son, had not had a bowel perf instead his stomach had essentially ruptured they had to remove what was thought at this point 2/3s of his stomach and he had a feeding tube in place he was also septic, he explained that this is a surgery he had only done twice (he is a surgery prof at Emory here is GA.)  He also said that we may never have a cause to the reason of the surgery and that our son would be in the hospital at LEAST a week and that he understood we both had jobs and not to feel guilty if we had to go back to work and leave our Son there alone eventually. That is how long he was expecting Connor to be in the hospital.
Many days and tests later our DS came off the vent and we even had answers apparently he was missing the muscular layer of his stomach and the doctor explained that it was like a weak spot in a tire when he ate it just ruptured. He asked permission to do a formal write up of the case and said that this is only the third case they have seen in the last ten years. He then assured us that Connor would not have a permanent disablility due to this although he would have to be on tube feedings for a long while to help stretch out his stomach at this point he told us a year.
We are now home, we have a tube called a "mic-key" in place that the doctor told us we would not be able to go home with, we were only in the hospital for a month and 3 days. they are already letting him consolidate his tube feedings and are now saying he may only be on the tube feedings for 6 months. The doctors have all told us how impressed they are with his progress how they all expected him to reach this point but not this fast.
The doctor also told us that our son almost died, he would have died had we been at home instead of the hospital and if the staff at our birth hospital hadn't acted appropriately. He then survived sepsis at 5 days old and also a condition called DIC that only about 10-50% of people survive (adults). He is our miracle child and I am very lucky to have him home he is my world!
I am trying to get in the habit of stitching some when he is napping if I'm not napping or cleaning myself! If I can get 30mins in a day I will feel very happy!

Just Some Updates!!

Here is a picture of my Starry Night, it is a mobile picture so the quality isn't the best.  I am almost finished with (my page one) I make working copies because I abuse my charts highlighters big X's when I finish a square etc, plus I increase the size some too so my page one isn't necessarily a page according to the kit. I am loving this but glad to be taking a break working on Connor's birth announcement. I didn't realize how the color changes were slowing me down so much.

Picture update # 4

Again sorry about the quality.

Here is my birth announcement for Connor. Oh my the frog has visited so much and there are a few permanent mistakes but I have been able to "fix" them can you tell where they are?? Seriously if you can please let me know I'd rather know now than people point them out once it is finished and framed and hanging in his room haha.
I have realized that gridding is a life saver for me, I still do the counting like normal but...its more of a "okay I should be hitting a grid line" and if I am I know I am safe and if I'm not I know I need to recount. I know a lot of stitchers think its cheating...but it saves me heartache :)

I can't believe I will be 31 weeks this Sunday, time is flying by yet crawling so slow. I am so excited to meet my little boy, but so scared at the same time. I mean my choices can affect this child forever!!!
Whew. Alot is resting on our shoulders.


We got the pack 'n play, play yard put together LOL that was fun and then the stroller too. I just have to say the only word on the English instructions were "SNAP" with a digital drawing of the item but for the other languages there were like 30 words each diagram. Makes you wonder how many words it takes to say "snap" in french LOL

I have joined a yahoo group called "The stitch specialists" I am so excited. A designer "Abi" not sure of her last name or is she wants it posted on the internet so will refrain at this time. Has made a project- they used it as a SAL but I'm a little behind and will be working on it late but its called "tree of stitches" Its all about specialty and stitching on linen. The instructions provided are GREAT and the chart beautiful! I am so excited to start this! Going to finish the birth sampler before I start the TOS and gotta get some fabric too and maybe some new thread. We will see! I may just use some threads from my current collection.

I think this is all for now, hope you all are doing great!

Pictures!

Okay so I now have two posts today, I wrote the other one the other day...but it went to drafts instead of posting?! I am sure it was a user error *slaps forhead* anyways....here are some picture updates!

This is one of the face plate covers that I made thanks to a pin on pinterest. Pretty simple actually, it's just scrapbook paper modpodged onto the face plate and then covered to protected the paper.

These were a little more tedious. Wood letters covered with fabric. Took a while but love the finished look!!

A close up of the fabric! This time we had to trace the letters onto the back of the fabric...then cut them out along the lines and then use spray fabric adhesive to attach. Just a FYI fabric stretches LOL There are some imperfections if you look closely but to me that makes it more personal. Again I am pleased with the results. I am sure a bunch of you guys could do much better LOL.

I am now working on the "baby row" from bent creek designs- This picture is from 123stitch.com although I purchased from a local needle shop! A fellow cross stitcher and the shop owner helped me tweek the colors just a little to match my nursery more...but I am pretty excited. The chart is GREAT easy to read and pretty simple to stitch as well! I will def be doing more Bent Creek items!!


Enough pictures for you guys? LOL! Hope you all have a great week!

Wow Sorry it has been so long!

We have been so busy. I haven't had much time to post on here. We had a baby scare, long story short there was an increased nuchal fold and or cystic hygroma noticed on our gender ultra sound. After a lot of worry and fret and many visits to specialist. So far everything has come back NORMAL- amniocentesis, fetal echo...are both normal no we just wait till our little boy is born and see what God has blessed us with I am confident a very healthy boy will becoming to us in December.

We have been working on his room. I have gone craft crazy making faceplate covers and letters for over his crib. Going to enjoy a weekend with a fellow stitcher, and start stitching my baby announcement!! I am soo excited!!

Hope you guys are doing well! I will have some picture updates of Starry Night...Nursery...and Baby Sampler soon...and then...eventually pictures of baby!

Well Well :)

So I had mentioned before that I had an appt scheduled for monday since we had been trying to get pregnant for a while but hadn't been able to do so well, the day after my wonderful bday. Actually around 4:30 am wednesday I was at work and was convinced to take another pregnancy test by a parenting forum I joined and my coworkers. Told to get a name brand test and wait three hours from last trip to RR. Lookie what I got!

Granted this was not the first test this was the third, because one wasn't enough to convince me, I am still going to the doc tomorrow to find more about prenatal stuff. I am so excited. I don't really feel pregnant yet and its hard to wrap my head around. I do feel bloated and my hips are killing me all along my sciatic nerve on both sides, down to my knees. Not too much morning sickness either. My poor DH has been really nauseated the last few weeks though sounds like unknown sympathy pains haha.I will keep you guys posted as I go along. I will be much more relaxed after my 13th week as of now I am about 6 weeks along according to caculators online I will hopefully know more tomorrow!



Now for a Stitchy update, as you can imagine not a lot of progress this weekend to much time spent visiting family with good news and for Easter!

Going to close for now. Hope the Easter bunny was as good to you all as it was to me, Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a very healthy pregnacy and baby over the next months!