Surgery Update

In this post I mentioned I was having surgery to try and fix my uterus.  Not many people knew I was planning to have this procedure done.  Only Gordon, my parents, work and daycare knew.  I'd had a lot of anxiety about the entire situation so we figured it was better to keep to ourselves.  I still feel anxious about my body/pregnancy/uterus, but if this post can help someone else out I'm happy.  :)   
After I had William my doctor said we'd take a look at my uterus at my next annual checkup (since I didn't plan on getting pregnant anytime soon).  So, in June he took a look and confirmed that I had a bicornuate uterus which may or may not be fixable.  It all depended on if the separation in my uterus was caused by a piece of tissue or if it was the honest shape of my uterus. 
I had a second opinion with a fertility specialist here in Houston who agreed that there was a 80% chance I had a septum (tissue).  So, a little over 2 weeks ago I had the procedure done so we could tell once and for all what was going on.  My parents came into town to watch William and to help with anything else we might need.  The day before surgery I couldn't eat after lunch and had to do a fun bowel prep.  Good times. 

IV in....

Ready To Go!

On the way to the hospital on Friday morning I made sure Gordon knew what all my dying wishes were.  Dramatic?  Probably.  You can never be too sure of anything in my opinion.  I made sure to tell the doctors to not let me die....I told them Gordon would never feed William organically.  HAHA.  I may or may not have had some happy medicine.  :) 

When I woke up I immediately asked the nurse what time it was.  I guess I needed to know how long I "was out".  The procedure took longer than they expected.  It was already noon when I woke up!  I worried that G was worried.  Luckily, they immediately asked me if I wanted my husband to come join me in recovery.  YES please. :) 



Seeing these guys made my day!

G says I asked him the same question 100 times until I was fully awake.  I kept asking him if they were able to "fix me".  He said he just kept repeating the answers and showing me all the picture my doctor had given him (they are a bit graphic so I'll spare everyone those details).  My doctor found that it was a septum.  The septum basically separated my uterus into two halves.  They lasered/cut that tissue back some of the way.  They were able to open up lots more room, but they didn't cut the septum all the way.  The septum was more significant than they expected and they didn't want to risk putting a hole in the top of my uterus.  

Recovery wasn't too bad.  Since I had a hysteroscopy and laparoscopic (thru belly) I felt sore for several days and had bad back pain.  The worst part was not being able to pick up William.  It really is virtually impossible.  Having my parents here was great and Gordon had to do some extra picking up at daycare that first week.  We got to spent some time with the Wilson's one afternoon too.  Alison and Parker helped me with the little buddy since I couldn't pick him up and Gordon was at work.  William had a blast!

This is what happens when mom is out of commission.

I went back a week after the procedure to have another hysteroscopy so Dr. Z could see if the tissue was re-adhearing.  It was some, so he scraped it apart and put me on a high dose estrogen birth control pill to help thicken the lining of my uterus.  While they were doing this second hysteroscopy they put saline into my uterus to expand it so they could visualize the area better (I guess instead of using gas).  After he was done he told me that my cervix is abnormal.   This was pretty disappointing to hear since we were beginning to think we had fixed problem.  Dr. Z  said if I ever have another pregnancy I will have a cervical cerclage done around 12 weeks and will be monitored very closely so they know exactly where the baby is positioned. 
So, even though the septum could have been the reason for William's Intrauterine Growth Restriction my "incompetent cervix" probably is the main reason for it shortening at 29 weeks and in the long run delivering early.
To be honest, I have a lot of anxiety about it all....but it's not something I can worry about right now.  It's in God's hands.  If Gordon and I find out we have been blessed enough to be expecting a second baby we can face our fears then.  For now I'm just grateful that everything went well.  That my doctor knows more about what's going on with my body.  Knowledge is power and I feel like we know SO much more now.  All I can do is trust that God has a plan for my little family.  Like I've said in other posts.....we are lucky to just have William.  There could be much much worse.  Every baby is a miracle.  That I got pregnant so quickly with my "funny" shaped uterus and carried him as long as I did with my incompetent cervix is an even bigger miracle.  :)  So, all we can be is thankful.

While I was at the TCH Women's Pavilion I swung by the Bella Luna Boutique.  They hadn't opened yet when William was born. :(  I'm so sad they hadn't because they have the best stuff ever!!!  Not only do they have the normal bibs, pacis, cards and clothes....but they also have everything a pumping/breast feeding mother could ever need AND they have preemie clothes!!  I was so happy to see everything they had (because we had nothing for little William when he was born).  The day they told us William could finally wear clothes I was 100% unprepared.  So, he wore NB onesies that were ginormous on him.  Oh well.  That was the least of our worries.

Preemie Clothes

These little shirts from Itty Bitty Baby are beyond perfect.  Not only would they actually fit but you would have easy access to all their "cords" (EKG leads etc).  It's funny what can make a mom of a preemie smile.  I put my "tall" coffee cup next to the shirt so you could see just how small they are.  Here's a website with some preemie outfits if you know someone in need!

I've read other blogs about women with septums and they gave me encouragement.  So, I really hope this post helps someone too!

No Such Thing As Super Mom

I just got done reading a blog post from So Wonderful So Marvelous and let me just say she hit the nail on the head!  Everyone should read this post.  Mom or not.   This momma talks about not being super mom and says, "We all are making the best of our collective situations, but it doesn’t mean we have to be assholes to each other."  HOW TRUE IS THIS!  Each of us has our own story.  It's good to be different.  I think it's what makes the world go around.  Here's another great blog post about mom vs. mom.  The blogger from Loving My Lot says many of the same things about mothers judging other mothers. 
Here are a few of my thoughts on the situation.
I work full time.  At this very moment it's the only option for my family.  And guess what, I'm happy with this.  I choose to feed William organically when possible.  If you don't want to do the same that's okay!  I was lucky enough to be able to produce milk for William and I did it for 16 months.  Yep, that's right.  This past weekend was the last time I nursed my baby forever.   Unfortunately, I feel like people judge me for this.  I have friends that had a hard time producing milk and they felt judged for not breast feeding their baby.  Come on people....let's be nice to each other.  We are all doing the best we can.  The thing is....you just never know what someone is going through.  So, be careful before you judge.  I have no idea what anyone things of me.  Nor do I really care.  Years ago I probably would have cared but now I just have to do what's best for my family.  William is 100% dependent on us so a lot of what I do is for him.  I also try to take care of myself/my body, raise our child going to church and believing in God (as G and I were) and I try to keep a good healthy marriage.  No area gets 100%.  It's just not physically possible.  All I can do is try my best.  As long as William, Gordon and I are happy that's all that matters.

Here's a video that everyone should watch.   You can also go to You Tube and Search for "If We Could See Inside Others Hearts by the Cleveland Clinic"  It's AMAZING.  Being an oncology nurse I realize, maybe a little more than others, that everyone has "a story" (and a lot of them are very sad).  Gordon and I have had our own scary times.  I didn't have an "normal" pregnancy.  I left a lot of my doctors appointments in tears because our baby wasn't growing and they didn't know if he was getting everything he needed inside of me.  After he was born I had to leave the hospital without my baby.  I've gone into surgery not knowing what the outcome would be.  BUT, I'm grateful because I know there is someone out there with a story much worse than mine.  I wish I could hug them.  At least we have William.  He is our little miracle.  I've seen family and friends go through infertility and it's heartbreaking.  In This Wonderful Life  is another great blog that tells the story of a family that's been through much more heartache than I can fathom.  All I can do is count my blessings and pray!

If you could stand in someone else's shoes....

Hear what they hear.

See what they see.

Feel what they feel.

Would you treat them differently?

 

Don't worry if you're not super mom.  Nobody is.  Just be the best that you can be.  Do what's right for you and your family.  Be kind.  We are all fighting our own battle.  Hug your babies and your fellow mommies! 

 

Some of our scariest days

 

Sweet Baby Boy

 

 



15 months

I know I've said this before but this stage is so much fun too!  William just cracks us up.  He is so sweet and easy going.  He definitely keeps us running (more than ever before) but it's so fun.  He waves and says, "hi!" to everyone he comes into contact with.  Our home is full of lots of happy smiles!

15 months old

Weight- 17 lbs 15 ounces (up 14 ounces in 3 months) ~12% on preemie chart and 0% on regular
Height- 29.25 inches (up 1 inch in 3 months) ~48% on preemie and 1% on regular
Head Circumference- 19.99 inches (same) ~25% on preemie and 60% on regular

Eating- This is the biggest area of change!!!  About 4 weeks ago William finally started being more interested in what we were eating than his pureed food.  This has helped me out tremendously!  I still nurse William in the morning when he wakes up and before he goes to bed.  Before we leave for school he eats some cheerios and once he's at school he has yogurt and bananas for breakfast.  I send 10 ounces of bmilk to school.   So, he drinks that and water from his sippy cup.  I've been mixing a little bit of whole milk in with the bmilk and so far he's done fine.  We have so much frozen milk there really isn't any reason to do whole milk quite yet but I figured it's good to get him used to the different taste.  At school, they have a morning snack that's usually puffs and for lunch he eats lunch meat or chicken, a some noodles/ravioli and cheese.  For snack time he has fruit and either cheerios or baby gold fish.  Dinner time is pretty much whatever we are having.  He loves chicken, black beans (any beans really), sweet potatoes, avacado and he's obsessed with bananas and cheese.  It is so nice to put him in his highchair, cut up some food and watch him feed himself.  :)  He can even feed himself with a fork and spoon (with close supervision of course).   
Sleeping- This area has also gotten easier!  He still wakes up around 2am some nights (maybe every third night) but puts himself back to sleep without us having to go in his room.  He takes one nap a day from 1-3.  Our morning starts at 6:00am.  On the weekends he'll usually lay in bed with us and sleep until 7:00 or 7:30.     
Development- We were able to answer YES to all the developmental questions this check up!  Well, all but one....he still isn't really walking.  He will take steps on his own but not very often.  He does imitate things we do, point to things he wants, can stack 2-3 blocks, says 3+ words (hi, bye, this, mama, dada and ball every once in a while).  He loves climbing up the stairs.  You have to keep your eye on him at all times (and keep all bathroom doors shut....otherwise he goes straight for the toilet bowl)!  Separation anxiety has finally fizzled out (thank goodness).  He is a friendly, happy little guy.   
Clothing size- Size 3 diapers. His PJs are 9 months but most everything else is 12 month.   
Things mommy loves- Hearing him talk and talk and talk cracks me up.  He will point his finger and shake his hand and tell you everything about his day.  When he's really happy he'll lean his head toward you to give you what we call "a head bump".  It's his way of saying "I Love You!"  He smiles really big while he's doing it...which makes it even cuter.  Yes, I melt every single time. 
Things WJG loves- He really is obsessed with bananas.  As soon as he sees me getting one he says, "ohhhhhhhhh".  He loves turning the bath tub facet handles and opening up cabinets.  Tickling him under his chin will make him laugh for hours and he loves to be chased around the house.  He will crawl as fast as he can and keep looking back to see how close you are to getting him.  He just laughs and laughs.  Gordon thinks the two of us are pretty silly.  We can just look at each other at start cracking up.  We. Are. Happy!   
Things WJG doesn't like- When baby boy wants down to play he wants down to play!  Of course, he doesn't like to be told to not do something but that's life.  He's still terrified of the sing and play puppy!   
Funny Dad Moments-  I've mentioned before that G doesn't do well with yucky smelling things.  Well, W can make some yucky diapers these days and the response I get from G is this....."CODE RED, CODE RED, come quick!"  Yep, I'm doomed.   
First time- W went to Top Golf for the first time last month, to Lake Houston and rode a jet ski.  He also had his first popsicle at daycare during the 4th of July Party and got his first kiss from sweet Britton (caught on camera even!). 
From the Doctor-  William got two shots at his 15 months check up.  Besides the flu shot he won't have to get any more until he's 4!  YIPPEEE.  Dr. Freedmen said there was no reason we had to give William eggs right now.  We'll try again soon....in the parking lot of the EC.  HAHA.  William still doesn't have any teeth but both my dentist and Dr. Freedmen aren't concerned at this point.  Gordon and I were both late bloomers so he's just following in our footsteps. 

Life is good.  We are happy.  Time is flying by.  So, I take pictures, pictures and more pictures.  I want to remember EVERY. SINGLE. THING.  It's all so special.  He's changing so fast and when he's 17 I'll need to remember these sweet, innocent days!!  :)

TCH Guest Blogger ~ Why We'll March

When my husband and I decided we were ready to start our family there were a lot of “what ifs?” that swirled around in my head. What if we had infertility problems? What if I miscarried? What if the baby had a heart defect? The list goes on and on. The one thing that didn’t cross my mind was prematurity. I had no idea that preterm birth was the leading cause of newborn death in the United States. At only 7 weeks pregnant, Gordon and I were told I had a bicornuate uterus and was at risk for preterm labor. That’s when my googling “preterm baby” obsession started. It intensified when I was put on bed rest at 29 weeks. The March of Dimes website became my new best friend. I wanted to know what to expect. Really, I wanted to hear positive stories from other families and read about the advances in treatment for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients.

After 24 days of bed rest, my water broke, and William made his debut 5 hours later at only 32 weeks gestation. He weighed in at 3 pounds 14 ounces and even gave us a little cry before being whisked away to one of the nation’s top neonatology units.
We spent the next 4 weeks in the NICU. Due to having difficulty breathing, William had to be intubated so he could receive surfactant. He was on cPAP for a week after that and had to receive nutrition through an IV. He spent 2 days on the bilirubin blanket, countless days in the incubator until he could regulate his own body temperature and it took him weeks to learn how to drink from a bottle. I stayed calm through it all and felt so confident with the care he was receiving. He was in good hands at Texas Children’s.
Being a nurse myself, I know that knowledge is power in the medical field. That’s why the March of Dimes is so near to my heart. Many of the treatments used in the NICU were developed through March of Dimes funded research. One of the treatments that stands out in my mind is surfactant. It is a medication that helps lung development in babies with respiratory distress. I hate to think of what could have happened had William not gotten this medication.
So, this year my husband and I will be walking in the March for Babies because we are thankful. Not a single day passes that we don’t remember those scary days in the NICU. So, we’ll walk for William and for all the other tiny babies fighting a battle in the NICU right now. We will walk every year in hopes that we can help educate one more person because like I said before, knowledge is power. The March of Dimes has been a great resource for me. They do a fabulous job educating expecting parents about everything from taking folic acid to prematurity research. They also help doctors across the country perfect the way they care for these tiny little babies.
Walking will be our family’s way of saying thank you, because just saying those 2 little words will never be enough. We will always have a place in our hearts for the fabulous doctors, nurses and researchers out there that helped us get our baby boy home!

**Houston friends:  This years walk will be on April 28, 2013 at the University of Houston!

William's first few minutes in this world!

...and NOW!!! 

Make sure to check out TCH's blog for more inspiring stories! 

November is Prematurity Awareness Month!

In my dreams I own a small baby boutique, bake all day (you could order cake balls, cupcakes and cookies from my boutique), do a little photography on the side (after being professionally trained) AND I'd write!  I'd love to write about being a mom, a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a nurse, a mom of a preemie, a mom with a weird uterus (haha) and everything in between!  But for now I'm a nurse....and I love it so I can't really complain!  I can still dream and until then I'll do this blogging thing and try to help other mom's out by blogging for Texas Children's Hospital!  I know reading other people's blogs helped me out so hopefully I'm helping someone out in return.

By guest blogger Lindsey Gooding

November is prematurity awareness month and I’m pretty positive I didn’t know this a year ago.  Boy oh boy do I now!  One in eight babies is born premature in the United States. In fact,it’s the leading killer of American newborns.  So, I ask myself how in the world did I not know more about this before becoming pregnant?  Women spend countless hours reading parenting books and researching how to become more fertile and how to track ovulation and yet most of us probably don’t know a lot about premature labor.

4/19/12 at 6:21 am, 3lbs 14 oz

In my last blog post I talked about life being ironic.  I guess I can continue on that same track.  I worked at M.D. Anderson for over six years and had no intention of ever leaving since I loved working with the pediatric oncology population.   When a friend mentioned that the Texas Children’s West Campus was opening,I took a leap of faith,applied for an opening in the cancer center,and got the job!   I’m a creature of habit so this big change was out of character for me.  If I hadn’t made this big move I wouldn’t have delivered our son, William, at the new Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.  Words can not express how extremely lucky we are that all these events fell into place as they did.  The Pavilion was such a blessing for our family.    

Finding out I had a bicornuate uterus and being put on bed rest earned us extra doctor’s appointments.  Luckily, all these appointments were in one location….the Pavilion.  In a stressful time, this helped us become more familiar with where we would be delivering.   During one of our visits at the Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic we found out where to go when I went into labor.  I was only 29 weeks pregnant when I got put on bed rest.  We hoped baby boy wouldn’t come any time soon but knew we needed to be prepared.  Gordon knew the exact route to take to get to the hospital and what to do when it was time.  We had a plan. 

31 weeks preggo heading to The Pavilion

My water broke at 1 am.  We were at the hospital and checked in by 2:30am.  I’ve never been so calm in my life.  I knew I was in good hands.  There wasn’t a single moment that I worried about the care William would receive.  We were after all at the nations #2 Neonatology center!  Of course I was nervous to see how big William would be at only 32 weeks. .  I felt anxious about whether or not we’d get to hear him cry or if he’d be able to breathe on his own.  I always envisioned our families being there for the birth of William.  Instead, the room was filled with people I’d never met before, people who I will now love forever for helping our baby.  Everyone that touched William during his 30 days in the NICU loved him and took excellent care of him. 

A week old and off CPAP

When I finally got down to the NICU to see William five hours after he was born the nurse asked me if I wanted to change his diaper.  I was terrified.  I’ve changed a million diapers but he was so tiny and there were so many tubes and wires.  This is where the Pavilion’s excellent nursing care came in.  They helped me feel more comfortable.  They showed me where things were and taught me how to use the equipment.  They were always there to help me but at the same time they let me be his mom.  I got to know William and we had a routine for ourselves even though we weren’t at home.  Being able to stay in the same room with him was PRICELESS.  We got to have alone time, family time and bonding time.  The staff encouraged both me and Gordon to do skin-to-skin time with William.  They helped brand new parents feel comfortable during a frightening time.  Having a premature baby is stressful.  Many families would describe the NICU atmosphere as busy and hectic.  The words I would use for our NICU experience are far from hectic.  The words that come to mind are quiet and peaceful. 



Meeting William

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to explain the calmness that settled over me once I’d had William.  I just knew he was getting the best care.  Before I had him I could have guaranteed you that I’d be the kind of parent that wanted a copy of every report, but I wasn’t.  I never asked for a single copy of his lab results.  I just knew that he was being cared for by the best of the best.  During those four weeks I just needed to be a mom.  I needed to focus on loving him, feeding him, making food for him and spending time with our family.   Gordon and I were able to do all of these things and do them privately in our own room.  I could even shower right down the hall from his room in the parent “locker room” area.  At lunch time I could either walk down to the cafeteria or just step outside of his room to the Ronald McDonald House kitchen and eat leftovers from home.  The gift shop has everything a breastfeeding mom could ever need and the milk bank was just a hop, skip and a jump away to answer any questions I had.  I never had to be far from William.  I planned my days around morning rounds with the doctors, evening bath time and William’s every three hour feeding schedule.  I’m probably rambling now….all I can say is we are SO glad our baby boy was born at the Pavilion.  I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. 

Gordon and I were put into a situation that neither one of us ever dreamed of.  But you know what?  I wouldn’t change a thing about it!  We were treated so nicely and our baby boy is strong and healthy.  They taught me how to use a car seat the right way and all those other little things new moms and dads need to know.   I can only hope that hospitals across the nation adopt this new way of caring for NICU patients (and their parents!).



First Family Photo (6 days old)

Week 3 in the NICU

Saturday, May 5th:  To celebrate Cinco de Mayo Gordon and I went to Pappasitos for lunch.  YUM.  No margaritas for us this year.  I'm hoping to have an El Tiempo margarita very soon though!!  Two years ago today Gordon and I moved into our first home!  My oh my how things have changed in the last twenty four months. 
William did a great job eating today and seemed much more alert after his evening bottle. 
9am = 29 cc
6 pm = 30 cc
Weight = 4lb 4 oz

Wide awake after his bath

Sunday, May 6th:  We let daddy sleep in today while we did our normal morning routine.  After he finished his morning bottle I went home and picked Gordon up and we went and had a late breakfast at Barnaby's.  Since William did so well eating yesterday they decided he could have 3 bottles and went up from 36cc to 38cc.  He finished ALL three of his bottles (9am, 6pm, and midnight).  WAY TO GO BABY BOY!
Weight = 4lb 4.4oz

Monday, May 7th:  Dr. Hankins said we could give William a bottle at every feeding (if he acted interested) since he'd done so well with the three bottles.  The amount of milk he didn't finish at each feeding was given to him through his tube afterwards.  They increased the amount of milk from 38cc to 41cc and stopped the prolacta (which provided extra calories).  His bottles did contain 24 calories and now only have 20. 

9am = 28 cc
Noon = 30 cc
3pm = 22 cc
6pm = got through tube
9pm = we tried breast feeding and then he got his food through the tube
MN = 30 cc
3am = 41cc

He started desating after he finished eating in the afternoon so we gave the 6pm feeding through the tube.  It seemed like he was just so tired from all the eating and was forgetting to breath enough.  He also has a hard time pacing himself when he's drinking a bottle.  That usually leads to him coughing or gagging which then makes his heart rate drop.  Feeding a preemie can be a bit unnerving! 

Weight = 4lb 7oz
Height = 17 1/4 inches

Tuesday, May 8th:  Gordon and I attended an infant CPR class at lunch time today.  It was different than a CPR class for nurses....simple and clear cut.  They emphasize assessing the baby's breathing frequently and not just looking at their color.  You are more likely to find your baby not breathing but with a pulse versus not breathing and no pulse.  They say you rarely find an infant without a heartbeat (which is comforting).  The instructor said RSV and pneumonia are what you have to watch out for with preemies once they are discharged from the hospital.  She encouraged the parents to have anyone that will be around the baby often to get the Tdap shot since pertussis, or whooping cough, is also a culprit.  I received my shot 2 days after I had William.  Now we have to find a place for Gordon to go and get the shot.
Other than CPR class things were pretty uneventful.  Just working on this bottle thing.  Sucking, swallowing, breathing and not choking takes a lot of work!!

6am = 30 cc
9am = 30 cc
Noon = via tube
3pm = 41 cc
6pm = 37 cc
9pm = 29 cc
MN = 29 cc 
3am = tube
Weight = 4lb 8oz

Last day to sleep on my "gel mattress"

Wednesday, May 9th:  Since William had continued to have some issues with his heart rate and oxygen saturations during feeding time and the hour afterwards I asked if occupational therapy could see him.  I just wanted to make sure he was sucking the way he should and there wasn't anything else we could be doing for him.  She came by during the noon feeding and watched him eat.  She also placed him in different positions to see what he did with his arms and legs.  He passed with flying colors!  She said he's doing everything he should be doing and there is no need for OT to see him.  This is good news!  We have to remember that William is only 35 weeks gestationally so he's not going to do the things a full term baby can do.  Gotta give the guy a break....he should still be inside of me and I should still be on bed rest.  :) 
We always look forward to Wednesday and Saturday bath night.  He loves getting his head washed and I love the way a clean baby smells!  Tonight was an exceptionally big night.  Dr. Arnold from The Little Couple was the doctor on call.  She stopped by at the end of William's bath to introduce herself and to let us know she was on call.  When she saw how happy he was getting his bath she said he was too cute to not film and asked if we would mind.  SO, little William may be on TV.  We will let everyone know if and when the episode airs. 

6am = 41 cc (finished in 15 minutes!)
9am = 31 cc
Noon = 34 cc
3 pm = via tube
6 pm = 41 cc
9 pm = 29 cc
MN = 30 cc
3 am = via tube
Weight = 4 lb 7 oz

My favorite way to sleep!

Thursday, May 10th:  Today was a hard day for Mama Gooding.  William's monitor seemed to be constantly beeping.  His O2 sats kept dropping while he was sleeping and then his heart rate would randomly go up to 200-210.  They think he has reflux so I'm making sure to hold him in an upright position (usually laying on my chest) for at least 30 minutes after he eats.  I had spent the last 4 nights at the hospital so I think a lot of it had to do with being really tired.  He also got a little rash on his neck that they started putting powder on.  Dr. Hankins is no longer on service so we started with a new attending, Dr. Welty, today.  Alison saw Dr. Hankins out at West Campus at a nursing week breakfast and he told everyone that William and I were a good fit.  He teased my boss and said I was an excellent mama and may never come back to work.  haha!  Gordon and I really hope that one day I can work part time.  I can't say I'd want to be a stay at home mom at this point but working part time would be great.   
Along with the nurse I decided that we needed to cut back on how many times William took a bottle.  I felt like he was just too tired.  We would love to go home but we are in NO hurry.  We want to do what's best for him and at this point I think he needs some time.  There's no point in stressing him out and in the end causing more problems.  So, we went from 6 bottles a day to 5. 

6am = 32 cc
9am = via tube
Noon = 36 cc
3 pm = via tube
6pm = 38 cc
9pm = 39 cc (fed by daddy)
MN = via tube
3 am = 41 cc
Weight = 4lb 7oz

Friday, May 11th:  Today was a much better day!  William had very few episodes of bradycardia and desaturations.  When he does have them they improve almost immediately on their own with no intervention needed.  He's also done much better with pacing himself when he eats.  We've also changed how we hold him when he eats.  We now hold him in a side lying position and this seems to be helping with the choking/coughing.  Dr. Welty thinks we'll be going home in the next 10 days.  He said that everything he is doing is normal for a preemie and not to worry or read too much into any of it.  So we will keep doing what we are doing!  Maybe we'll try 6 bottles again sometime this weekend and by Tuesday be up to 7 and then 8 by the end of next week!  Next Friday we have his car seat test at 10:00.  Our car seat is made for babies 5lbs and up.  Hopefully by then he will be close to this.  If he doesn't pass the test in the car seat we have there are a few out there for babies that weigh <5lbs....Babies R Us here we come if that's the case. 

Question: What is the Car Seat Test for Preemies?

Answer: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a car seat test, or car seat challenge, for all babies born before 37 weeks gestation. The car seat test makes sure that premature babies are able to sit in a car seat safely, without any episodes of desaturation, apnea, or bradycardia.

6am = via tube

9am = 37 cc

Noon = 38 cc

3pm = via tube

6pm = 41 cc

9pm = 41 cc

MN = via tube

3am = 43 cc

Weight = 4lb 8.5oz

Mom, I don't wanna burp

Week One in the NICU

My oh my how time flies by!!  I'm still shocked that William is here and that I'm not pregnant anymore.  Words can't explain how in love I am with our little guy.  I could just stare at him for twenty four hours a day.  But, I do feel a little sad to not be carrying him inside of me anymore.  I guess I'm one of those weird people that really really loved being pregnant.  Besides the stress of my uterus problems I couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy.  I loved being able to feel him move around in there and knew I would miss having him with me ALL the time. 
Things here in the NICU have gone better than we could have hoped for.  William is a tough little guy and has done a great job so far.  Gordon and I are really pleased at his progress and pray he continues to do as well as he has. 

Here's a day to day recap of his first week of life.

Thursday, April 19th:  Taken to NICU immediately after being born.  Started on CPAP.  Mommy held him for the first time around noon. A PIV (peripheral IV) was placed to give him TPN and lipids (nutrition and hydration) as well as an OG tube for feeds.  He received 4 cc of breast milk every three hours until the next morning.
Visitors = Kami, The Wilson Family, Jacquie Aylmer, NANA, Vince Zito, Rachel, Grant and Emily.

Friday, April 20th:  William started requiring more oxygen and overnight had some oxygen desaturations.  He was diagnosed with hyaline membrane disease so they decided to intubate him that afternoon.  He was given surfactant at 9pm that night and 2am the next morning.  He was NPO (nothing by mouth) in preparation for the intubation so the OG tube was removed in the morning and again replaced at 6pm.  They had some problems getting him intubated and ended up calling the anesthesiologist to do it (who did an excellent job after giving the little guy some pain and relaxation medication).  Friday was a busy day!  This is the only day I didn't get to hold him.
Visitors = Anna, Stacy, Whitney & Chris Barteau.

Flowers from The Hanover Company

Saturday, April 21st:  I woke up feeling really yuck.  I was so nauseated.  After eating a little breakfast we visited William in the NICU.  I held him for about 45 minutes and then had to go back to the room to lay down.  I think a lot of the nausea was exhaustion and my milk coming in (woo hoo).  Gordon and my mom took turns staying with the baby while I rested.  I took some zofran and received my TDAP shot.  William was extubated at 4pm and put back on CPAP.  Gordon and I had a romantic (haha) celebration dinner that the hospital provides with sparkling grape juice and a birthday cake.  I was discharged from the hospital that evening.  That night we helped give William his first bath! 

First Bath

Happy Birthday

Sunday, April 22nd:  William got to meet Gordon's parents today and his feeds were restarted at noon (4cc of breast milk every three hours).  He was also put under the bili lights due to an increase in his bilirubin level that morning.  He wasn't a fan of the "sunglasses".

Monday, April 23rd:  Feeds were increased to 8 cc every three hours and the bili light was changed to just the bili blanket.  The VAT team came by to assess him for a possible PICC line.  Since he was still getting the TPN/lipids they thought he may need a better line than just a PIV.  Being a nurse that works with the VAT team myself I completely understood....but deep down I really didn't want him to get a PICC.  Luckily, sextuplets were born at the hospital that day and they needed PICC lines more than William so he got bumped to the next day. I spent the night at the hospital and got about zero sleep.
Visitors = Tina

Tuesday, April 24th:  Daddy had to go back to work but the good news is the bili blanket was stopped today!  William was super glad to have the glasses off and I was able to hold him more often which makes for a happy momma and baby.  His feeds were increased to 13cc every three hours.  Since he was doing so well with the feeds they said we could hold off on the PICC line since his TPN would most likely be stopped the next day.  He did have to have another PIV placed that evening because the original one started leaking.  :(  He actually did really well with the poke.  I think he hates having his temperature taken under his arm more!  My dad or PAPA got into town Tuesday evening. 
Weight = 3lb 10oz

Holding Daddy's finger

Wednesday, April 25th:  Today was a BIG day....no more CPAP!!  It was so great to finally get to see the little guys face without that big contraption.  I know he really loved having it off too.  He was so glad to get rid of the CPAP that he decided to pull out his OG tube as well.  He actually did that twice that day.  Poor guy doesn't understand why he needs that thing.  His feeds were increased twice that day to 18 cc every 3 hours and 22 cc every 3 hours starting that evening.  Tonight was bath night and Gordon's first time to hold William.  So sweet!
Weight = 3lb 9.8oz

Look at that precious face!

First time to be held by my dad

Thursday, April 26th:  I brought some socks from home to put on his hands so he wouldn't be able to pull out the tube so easily.  Mittens are too big but the socks seem to do the trick.  The OG tube was changed to a NG tube, his feeds were increased again twice in one day (22cc and 27cc), his TPN was stopped (NO more PIV) and he got to do some "practice" breast feeding.   They have him do this so he kinda gets the idea of what to do.  I pump before we practice since the goal isn't to feed him just get him used to the feel of it all.  At 34 weeks gestation (Sunday) we will try out a bottle.
My dad, Grant and Gordon did some skeet shooting in the evening.  I think it was good for Gordon to get out and get some fresh air!  I stayed at the hospital overnight.  Little man is quite the night owl.  There was little sleeping done between 2-6am and then I spend most of the day holding him while we do practice feeding and then while he gets his tube feedings.  We try to not move him around too much during the feeding and for 30-60 mintues after. 
Little William is going to be famous!  The attending on service this month, Dr. Speer, asked me if he could record us for a video.  I'm hoping they send us the final product once it's done. 
Weight = 3lb 10.4oz

My little snuggler

Friday, April 27th:  Today was a sad day....my parents headed back to Midland.  My mom was such a great help!!  She ran lots of errands and was able to help take care of Gus when Gordon and I were at the hospital over night. William's feeds were increased to 31 cc every 3 hours and that evening to 36cc.  He vomited up quite a bit of his noon feeding.  :(  The doctor came by to take a look at him after this and he seemed to be feeling fine.  No crying when she felt his belly and he had good bowel sounds.  We are hoping this was a one time deal because he really needs all the calories (and hydration) he can get!  We did some more practice nursing and lots of cuddling.  He LOVES to be held so I usually do skin to skin so he stays nice and warm.   

So, there you go!  One busy week for the Gooding family.  Gordon and I couldn't have done it without the help of our amazing families and friends.  We're keeping our fingers crossed that we get to go home in the next 2 weeks.  What a great Mother's Day present that would be.  So for now, we are just hoping he can gain weight, start drinking from a bottle next week and at 35 weeks gestation (May 6th) leave the incubator and transition to a crib.