Week 4 and 5 in the Hospital

These are the things Charlie and Adella were up to during week 4 and 5 of me being in the hospital.

They had fun reading scriptures with Grandma and Grandpa

They ate nearly all the strawberries in the house and ketp asking for more!

Grandma found Charlies some suspenders so he could actually keep his pants up!  I was quite impressed that I actually got these two to stand in the same place at the same time and sort of look at me and smile! Charlie has recently also become obsessed with ties!  And especially this blue one, he actually cries when he has to take it off! 

They had fun shopping at IKEA with Grandma, Aunt Alisa and Maryn

Visiting Mommy

Another day excited to come see Mommy!

Playing Wheels on the bus with mommy

Helping Grandma pick up nuts

Discovering fun stuff at Costco

And being silly at Grandma's!

Miss Marilee, March 13, 2014

Here's our update for Miss Marilee.  She is seriously a superstar!   She came off her Oxygen on March 12 and her IV came off on March 13.  She is up to 16 ml per feeding.  They were going up every 9 hours by 1 ml but she is doing so well I think they will be increasing every 6 hours now.  Her max will be around 27-30ml and then will just increase as she continues to grow.   She is 12 lb 12 oz as of last night.   She gained an ounce Sunday, Monday and 2 oz on Tuesday but was down 2 oz last night - though it didn't seem to be much of a concern (plus she pooped literally right before we weighed her- I got to change that diaper!).   Here she is without her Oxygen tube!

Today when we visited, since her IV was out she had a cute little outfit on!  So fun to see my little girl all dressed up!   I held her skin to skin for a about an hour and a half then we put her back in her isolate.  I started changing her diaper and she decided to poop!  She must think I need to practice!

Feisty!

We've discovered that little Marilee is a bit feisty!  She's had a couple of great days.  She is of course connected to lots of tubes and things, but overall doing great.   She isn't on a ventilator but does get oxygen.  However, she is on the lowest level of oxygen they can give and they have even been able to lower the rate at which she receives it.   Her heart rate and pulse look good and her respiration rate is improving and when we've been in there is mostly in the normal range.

I got to have a real good snuggle with her yesterday morning.  When I went back in the afternoon she had been put under phototherapy.  Her labs for jaundice came back a little high, not worrisome high, but they are treating her so she doesn't get worse.   She doesn't seem to be a fan though, they have to keep her un-swaddled obviously so the light can get on her skin.   While I was in there she kept pulling on her oxygen nose piece and other cords.   Luckily she was still breathing fine without the oxygen in!  She gets to wear some pretty sweet shades too!

That night when Adam and I went over she had again pulled out the oxygen and had wrapped one arm around another tube.   The nurse came in and decided she needed to be re-taped because it was so loose from all her pulling and grabbing.  So since she was going to do that we got to help give her a 'bath'!  I didn't get any pictures of the actual bath since we were both helping and every time I picked up the camera I would have to go rewash my hands!   This is her holding onto Adam's finger.  She really likes to grasp things!

Adam holding her while the nurse changed out her bedding

We snagged a quick pic while she had no tubes on her face, she wasn't too happy because the nurse had to remove the old tape which you can imagine didn't feel great!

We are so thrilled that she is such a little fighter and love her so much!

Welcoming baby Marilee!

For those interested in the full birth story here ya go!

It's funny the things you say in jest that actually come true.   A few weeks ago one of my nurses mentioned wanting to move me rooms to give me one with a view, I joked and told her knowing my luck you would move me and I'd go into labor!   Last week a few of the nurses also told me to behave myself over the weekend because of the rain - they said the change in barometric pressure often causes contractions.  Honestly I did not think really think anything much of it when we moved me into a new room Saturday that had a view.  I could see the sky and the clouds moving in and the rain coming down.  The blinds sorta worked so I could get some natural light and it was great!   

That evening our little girl didn't behave so well on the monitors.   Every day I was here I would do a non stress test in the morning and evening for 20-30 minutes.  The monitoring measures her heart rate and to see if I am having any contractions.   During this test she did not have any accelerations.  Her baseline heart rate was good and wasn't dropping, but she wasn't being very active.   For a normal baby her age that is normal, but she has always looked better than a normal baby.  Even at 25 weeks the nurses told me she was behaving better than some of their 32 weekers!   The left me on for 90 minutes thinking she might be in  sleep cycle but she still wasn't active and I wasn't feeling her either.  They tried again a few hours late and again nothing.  I didn't feel her kick all night and the next morning we tried again and still nothing.  I also had gotten very nauseous Saturday night and ended up throwing up.  I was also midly cramping but I was sure it was just gas.     The monitors did not show I was having any contractions.

By Sunday afternoon she did start kicking a little and by that night she looked great on the monitors again.  Monday morning I was cramping again but once again assumed it was gas.  I showed no sign of contractions on the monitors and she looked great again on the monitors.   My cramping was low and my uterus wasn't tightening so no one seemed to worried.  I cramped off and on all day long, but nothing too major.   That evening all of a sudden the cramping was alwful, I still didn't know what it was and thought maybe I was constipated (I know sounds ridiculous now, but remember I had no contractions with the twins so I had no idea what was going on).   I called out to the nurses and they all came running in because I never complained so they thought something must be wrong. It was about 7 and right at shift change so things were a little crazy.    My nurse checked me and still couldn't see that I was having contractions.  The cramping was down really low and only on one side - the side she was hanging out on.    They put me on the monitors but still saw nothing.  After a bit I couldn't handle laying there and tried to get up and go to the bathroom and it started to get really bad.  I started crying it hurt so bad.   The aide came in for vitals and I told her I wasn't doing good.  Adam at one point even went out to get a nurse, once she came in and actually saw me she was shocked.  She said is it really that bad!  I said yes!!  She called the Dr who asked if the monitors showed I was in labor, she said no but if you look at her she looks like she is in labor!   They started bringing in all sorts of people.  They tried to put an IV in, the first one my vein blew as I started having a contraction in the middle of it.  The next one was in OK, but when they started to move me the cord got caught and it snagged enough to cause it to come loose and not work.  The Dr checked me and I was only dilated to a one.  At this point contractions were super intense and less than 2 minutes apart.  She said you know you did awesome keeping her in for 5 weeks past but I think it might just be time to go ahead, I couldn't have agreed more based on the pain!

When they got me to labor and delivery they started getting me prepped, the anesthesiologist came in and tried to redo the IV, his first shot the vein blew out in the middle of a contraction.  He moved up my arm further and FINALLY got it in so we could FINALLY move to the operating room and get closer to getting an epidural.  I have major props to those who can do all this without drugs, but I'm apparently not that tough!    Maybe it's just that I wasn't really prepared mentally for all this and maybe that by now the contractions were like 30 seconds apart and since I was not hardly dilated there was no light at the end of the tunnel.    They moved me down the hall to the OR and I had at least 2 contractions moving down the hall and they kept bumping into things which was killer!  We got in the OR and they continued to prep me and after several more contractions I finally got the epidural and had relief.   The surgery seemed to take longer than with the twins but I wasn't as miserable as then.  I still threw up on the table, but I was pretty relaxed and calm over all.  I almost fell asleep as they were stitching me up.

Adam was able to cut the cord and get a few pics before they whisked her away to the NICU.   

Her official stats were 3 lbs 3 oz and 15 in.     She is a numbers girl as she was born at 30 weeks, on 3-3, weight 3 lbs 3 oz and is the 3rd kid.   She is the 11th grandchild on Adam's side and was born at 11:11 pm. 

 

I spend a couple hours in recovery and then got to be wheeled in to see her before heading back to my room.   She is perfectly tiny but beautiful with dark hair and a dark complexion.  She is on the lowest level of oxygen they can give, her heart rate is great as is her oxygen levels.  Her respiratory rate is higher than they would like but has improved and the neonatologist isn't too concerned as long as she doesn't need to increase her oxygen.

I was able to hold her last night for the first time.   She was very upset at them taking her out of her nice warm bed but calmed down once she was nice and cuddled up against me with warm blankets over her. 

As you can tell I was still very exhausted at this point as I hadn't slept much in the past 48 hours, today I feel much better as I was finally able to sleep last night!

Her name, Marilee Ann is a combination of my middle name, Marie and both my parents middle names, Lee. Ann is a pretty common name in both sides of our families.  Thank you for all your continued prayers!  We can't wait to bring her home!

Week 3 of Hospitalization

Charlie and Adella are still enjoying time at Grandma's!  They are sleeping well (even better than at home for whatever reason!)  One funny story for this week (I think, or may have been the week before).  Grandma had gone outside real quick to get something from the garage, while she was gone Charlie managed to lock both back doors.  Not only that, but he had then climbed up into his seat, and while he can climb in, he can't climb out by himself so he was stuck!  Adella wasn't tall enough to reach the locks and Grandma's phone was inside.  Aunt Alisa had a key but also was not home.  Luckily Grandma found the front door still unlocked and was able to get in!  Little stinker!  I'm sure he didn't really know what he was doing!

They helped Grandpa plant some trees

Visited Mommy in hospital and got a little more comfortable with the situation

Adella had lots of fun putting stickers everywhere she could!

They rode the glass elevators at the hospital

Adella had more fun with the hat

And tried to climb higher and higher! Grandma and Aunt Alisa had to convince her not to go any higher!

Had story time with Aunt Rachel and Maryn

Charlie discovered that Snap Peas are DELICIOUS!

I finished up a few crochet projects, this blanket is so soft and cuddly!  Love it!

Ruffly diaper cover!

And went to church where Adella was in Heaven with stickers and fruit snacks!

And Charlie was happy with snacks in his train

Then visited Mommy in the hospital.  Grandma Button found this dress for Adella as she was growing out of her old ones, its so cute! Charlie has also grown VERY fond of ties the last couple weeks and demands one every Sunday.  He's grown out of his white shirt though, so that made for a rather interesting outfit!

Then they went to the Johnsons to play so Adam could come eat dinner with me.  They were treated with more stickers!

 

This picture cracks me up!  Charlie is looking at Adella like what are they doing to us!