Griffin's Story & Updates

Well since he has been here for over a week I figure its about time to post the how and why of his birth :)

Saturday Feb 14th:

The day started out well. The family visited and brought little rosies for our valentines lunch. I felt fine all day and then about 5pm started to feel some mild contractions. The on call doc decided to put me on Magnesium Sulfate. They on me on the 2.5 dose but I still had mild contractions so about 11pm they bumped it up to 3.

Sunday Feb 15th:

I felt like death. Once they bumped the Mag to 3, I couldn't talk, hold my head up, or hold my eyes open. I did stop contracting, but that is about all the good news I can give for that day. I started vomiting and no amount of medication could make me feel better. I felt so bad I banned all visitors from my room and made Zach stay close by because I felt things were going to get worse before they got better. About 10pm the contractions started back even though I was on the highest dose of the Mag. They also discovered they were going to have to lower it back to 2.5 because a blood test showed I had too much of it in my body. I got some extra terbutaline shots and labored through the night praying for morning when I would be able to see my doctor....and surely, have this baby.

Monday Feb 16th:

I woke up feeling much better although I was still contracting. The difference in the 2.5 and 3 dose of the Mag is unreal. I was hungry for the first time in 2 days but I refused to eat because I just had a feeling Dr.F was going to call it this morning and proceed with the csection. About 9am he came to the room with the Operating Room schedule in hand. He said he thinks we have hit a wall and its time to take the baby while we are still in control of the situation.

Thank goodness...we have an answer! Don't get me wrong. I would have spent another month in that room on that medicine if I needed to but everyone agreed that this was best for me and the baby.

Zach started making the phone calls to let everyone know we were going back for surgery in about 3 hours. Aubree came up to the hospital in her big sister shirt..SO EXCITED that Griffin would be here today. I, of course, started to get nervous about surgery, spinals, NICU, etc. Zach seemed to be pretty calm about it all but was super hungry because he refused to eat the hospital breakfast I ordered for him. :)

We rolled back to the OR a few minutes after noon and Griffin was born at 12:27...i think.

He cried when he was delivered and Zach was able to hold him going up the elevator to the NICU. He was put on a cpap machine for some light assistance breathing and showed no other signs of health problems. I was able to see him after the surgery was over and I had spent my hour in recovery. When I got to my room everyone was waiting there for me and eager for their chance to go to the NICU to see Griffin. I was not there when Aubree first got to see him but Zach says she just gasped and said, "Oh, I love him!" I hate that I missed that.

As far as my part of the surgery goes. Dr.Fiore was very vocal about how great our timing was. He said that my uterus was super thin under the placenta and that if I had continued to have contractions for another 12-48 hours we would have had an abruption which is deadly for both me and the baby. We can say with 100% certainty that we gave him all the time we could inside, which makes me feel better. We had also prepared for a large amount of blood loss on my part but we were lucky, again, and I didn't lose more blood than usual for a csection. I am recovering well..besides being allergic to the adhesive they used on my incision.

As far as Griffin goes he is doing great. He was breathing 100% on his own after 3 days. He moved to the progressive unit shortly after that. He is free of his IV and never showed any signs of infections. Now we are just waiting for him to take all feedings by bottle (rather than G tube) and continue to gain, rather than lose weight. As of this morning he has mastered one bottle...YAY! The nurse had removed the G tube and from my understanding is hoping not to put it back.

Some bad news is I have not been able to visit him in a while because Aubree has a stomach virus and Zach and I have both been exposed to her germs obviously. We don't want to take any chances in making him sick so we are just staying away.

I will keep updating daily now that I have got the whole story put on the blog. Here are some new pictures.

Here is Big Sister patiently waiting for baby Griffin.

Here is Mr.Griffin in the progressive nursery. The tube you see is how he gets his non bottle feedings.

This is one of my favorites, he found his thumb through his IV stuff. He was very happy :)

Griffin is here

here he is.

also, here is a link to a video of him awake last night..the dome is to help him not use so much energy to breathe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdfiLnRy5MQ

Someone is having a birthday......

I am having a csection sometime between now and noon. I will have Zach or mom post pictures asap and I will post the story of our LONNNG after I get over the surgery blah's. Pray for us all!

Dont Stop Believin'

Valentines Day from the hospital couldnt be any better!
I promise I have the greatest hubby ever. Last night he came to stay the night with me and brought Chicken Scallopine from Terranova's (which we quickly found that baby Griffin is a fan of). He also got me a journey CD because I had mentioned a few weeks ago that their music puts me in a great mood.
He also got Aubree the new Barbie movie to suprise her with this afternoon. I never ever could have imagined this man could be such an incredible father! The part that is most impressive is he doesnt have to call to see which ones she has. He is so involved with her he knows without asking.
I hope everyone is equally as happy as I am right now.
XOXO
Happy Valentines Day!

5 lbs!!!!!!

I am so happy! We had our ultrasound late this afternoon and the tech guessed Griffin's weight at 5lbs. There is about a 6oz margin of error either way BUT since we still have one week to go and babies gain 8oz-1lb per week its pretty safe to say that he will be at least 5 lbs when he gets here. Prayers are working folks. I cant wait until next Friday when I get to hold this little boy in my arms and know that he is here safe and sound. NICU time doesn't scare me anymore. I am just thankful that the NICU is available.
I still don't have a time for surgery. Maybe that will get scheduled tomorrow. I will post updates as I know them.

I have news...

Dr. Fiore came back from his trip today. HOORAY! After talking with him this morning he thinks that we should get to 34 weeks and be happy with it so if the OR schedule allows we will be having a baby on Friday the 20th. I am having an ultrasound today to see how big he is. Once I get a time for the surgery I will be sure to post an update. Until then, you know where to find me :)

What an awesome God...

I am sharing a story that happened in my family this week. My Aunt just sent me this email and I just felt like it was very powerful and should be shared. Enjoy. (Names are replaced with first initials)

This past Sunday, T and K (husband and wife) were getting ready for church. T was balancing his checkbook and I guess writing a check to the church. Anyway, he said a picture of K and O (grandchildren) was in his checkbook and it fell out. He never carries pics in his wallet but when he saw that pic, something lead him to go ahead and put it in his wallet. Anyway, they went to church. After he got to church, he said that for some reason, he got that pic out of his wallet and reached over to K and told her to hold onto the pic. Within minutes of this, our church service starting taking a direction in which it was very spirit filled, I was there so I can tell you, it was! Anyway, our pastor then got up and said that he had a sermon planned for the day but the spirit is just telling him that he needs to pray with all mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers and he invited anyone that felt like they had a burden or needed prayer for their children or grandchildren to go to the alter. Well, K had that pic that T had given her for some “strange” reason, but we know it was GOD and she was the first one to the alter! She prayed and people prayed with her. We all left church Sunday very blessed, let me just say that.

Well, the story does not end there, after they got home from church, KJ (son in law)called T and said that A (daughter) was “missing”. He had taken the kids to his dad and had been out looking for her but could not find her. He was wondering if she had came to hometown for some reason. T told him that they had not seen nor heard from her since her quick visit down here last week. Anyway, T told KJ to call the hospitals in case she had had a wreck or something. KJ called T back later in the day and told them that he found her, she had checked herself into the Shelby Medical Center around 11:00 am Sunday morning, told them that she was very depressed and needed help. This was the very time that we were all praying for her at church, she took herself to the hospital. What an awesome GOD! Anyway, she was released yesterday and will be seen as outpatient so now we can hope for the best that she will continue to see her doc and get the help she needs.

I know its a little confusing without names but I just felt that this story truly shows the power of prayer and just how we should always place our cares in God's hands.

So apparently, I am not a good mother....

Oh yea, I said it. Listen to my rant! Disclaimer--grammer is probably terrible. I am a little flustered.

As everyone on earth knows, I am in the hospital on bedrest until at least next Wednesday, right? Well, last night it was discovered that Aubree has an ear infection. Yay, fun! I told Zach that I would call the doctor today and take care of getting her an appointment.

This morning, I call the office and finally got an answer after they took their phones off of the machines 30 MINUTES LATE and I held for 30 minutes to speak with a nurse. Well a nurse finally picks up and I explained our situation: I am in the hospital until at least next week and her dad HAS to be at work today, it would greatly help if they can just call in the antibiotics and I would gladly pay a copay over the phone. Please ask Dr.Johnson if that is ok and let me know. Otherwise I will try to find someone to bring her in this afternoon. Well, the day rolls on and I dont get a phone call. I woke up from a nap and discovered it was 4:00 so I call the office back and here is the conversation I have with the "head nurse":

Nurse: Dr. Johnson said no, he has to diagnose an illness to dispense medicine and plus if someone can go to the pharmacy to get medicine they can bring her to the office.
Me: Well, the pharmacy is 24 hours and its a little easier for her 74 year old great grandmother to go through the pharmacy drive through than it is for her to bring a sick 3 year old to the office, BUT now that you have not called me back all day I now have 30 minutes until your last appointment to find someone to pick her up and get her to your office today...that is just not gonna happen. I guess my kid doesnt get to see her doctor today (yes, i was sassy)
Nurse: Well I guess you just arent a very good mother then.
Me: are you KIDDING ME. I am in the hospital 31 weeks pregnant trying not to have a baby and because I cant hop out of the bed and get her there in the 30 minutes you have given me I am a bad mother.

Needless to say I was hysterical. My blood pressure shot up to 164/91. I called Zach and he was irate. He tried to call the office and the nurse in question would not answer his call. They said they didnt know who he was talking about. I am sure he calmly (chuckle) told them it was the woman who just told my pregnant bedridden wife that she was a bad mother. Then my mom made it to the hospital and she was MAD too. She tried to call and after about 20 minutes of holding finally got the lady on the phone. She says that first of all, they tried calling me all day long and that she made the "bad mother" remark because I was being unreasonable, and that she said the doctors would stay late to see Aubree. Ok. first of all...I had my phone beside me all day long. It was fully charged, full signal and not a SINGLE missed call. Second of all, I was not unreasonable. I understand not calling in the rx without an office visit. It was worth a try to help the people in our lives who are already bending over backwards to help us as it is. I just wanted to know why nobody bothered to call to tell me that was the case and I was upset that now Aubree wouldnt make it there before they closed, and never ONCE did she say they would stay late and see her.

Regardless, I see no reason for her to make that comment in any situation. I am lucky that our cousin Brittany works with a trusted group of Pediatricians and she asked them to accept my kids as patients and they agreed. Zach is going tomorrow to pick up Aubree's medical records and we will never go there again. I hate it because I love Dr.Johnson and Cornerstone Pediatrics is where I went when I was little but the support staff is just as important as the doctor you see and they are severly lacking in that area. I do plan on sending Dr. Johnson a letter and letting him know that I made my decision based on his staff and he may want to re-evaluate them.

Home away from home....

the hospital....It sounds better when I call it that!
I am currently in Labor and Delivery, but hopefully moving to Antepartum soon.
Same old story this time as well. Dr.Fiore came in yesterday and checked me and did an ultrasound. Everything still looks fine. The placenta and baby both appear healthy. He said he is going out of town from Friday the 5th-Wednesday the 10th. He wants me here while he is gone and said we should consider taking the baby when he gets back. That would put me at 33 weeks.
NICU time would be almost guaranteed but possibly only a week or two.
Prayers Prayers Prayers...they're working so far!!!

Favorite Thing Alert!

Ok, I haven't technically tried this one yet, but as soon as I have this baby and come off bedrest I am going STRAIGHT to Home Depot for one of these babies.

Its the Black and Decker Accu Mark Level

I looks like a God send for people who are horrible at hanging things...me! If anyone has actually tried using one let me know. I seriously doubt I will be disappointed though...whats not to love??