Birthday with snow

Well, today is my birthday! Not only that, but it's my "golden" birthday, as I turned 30 on the 30th today. It's been a good day, not too out of the ordinary of our recent routine. The rest o' the fam had some surprises waiting for me when we got home from the hospital, though!

We have had quite a bit of snow this past week/weekend (thankfully not enough to make the roads terrible enough to keep us stranded anywhere!), and the kids spent some time yesterday building some fantastic snowmen (well, woman and little person, I guess!), and they were the biggest ones we've been able to make yet. I'm particularly fond of the repurposing of our Christmas tree for hair and an arm. They used Mr. Potato head pieces for the faces. Very nice!

Stella spent a lot of the afternoon helping Grandma Sue. They made crowns for everyone to wear, napkin rings for the table decorations, and prepared a coconut cream pie for my birthday "cake," or "Happy cake" as Ezra calls it. It was delicious! We had it after the yummy mulligitawny soup Grandma cooked for supper. (It's been a great couple nights for food! Thursday we went out for Greek food, last night to the Himalaya--Persian, Indian, Himalayan food--and tonight Indian. I'm spoiled!) When we were done having pie, Ezra piped up with, "Have chocolate cookie now? Have more Happy cake?" He's relentless!

It's been a wonderful birthday, what with spending time with dear friends last night after over a month of not having good time to just hang out! It was lovely to just relax and enjoy a meal and good conversation, not to mention DELICIOUS soft-centered chocolate puddings for dessert. They were SO rich and yummy. I should have gotten a picture of them! I'm thankful Titus is doing so well, especially, as it would have been much harder to relax and enjoy the day(s) so easily if he was not as stable. Thank you all for the birthday wishes and prayers. I'm so thankful for all of you.

Speaking of Titus, he's doing great still! He's at 4 lb. 15 ounces, JUST shy of 5 pounds, which is amazing to me. We gave him his first true bath (not just a sponge bath), which he didn't seem to mind too much at all. He wasn't screaming bloody murder, anyway. Come to think of it, he really doesn't cry very often or much at all. He seems to be a pretty content little guy, which is very nice and I sure hope it stays that way! He's doing well learning how to nurse, and is having an easier time daily. This is our last big step, and one that will probably take some time, as he has to continue gaining weight while solely getting food on his own before he can leave the hospital.

The only sad thing about this weekend is that Sue will be going back home tomorrow. We have been so blessed to have her here to help us with the kids, cooking, cleaning, etc. She has been an amazing help in a time that would be VERY hard to be on our own. We are so thankful for parents who are willing to drop everything and come help when they are needed, and to be eager to do so. So, Sue, thank you for everything you have done, seen and unseen, these past two weeks. We love you! And thank you, Gordy, for sparing your wife. She'll be home safe in a day or so! We love you guys

Titus' new digs

Well, when I walked into the NICU Wednesday, I was surprised to find Titus dressed in clothing instead of just a diaper. (The funny thing about that is he was starting to look so "big," and now with clothes on, he looks so small again as he is not even close to filling them out!) The Drs. had determined that he's ready to try regulating his temperature on his own, and had him dressed and turned the temp down in his isolette. He was able to maintain his temperature for the next day and a half (24 hours minimum), and so when I walked in this morning, the lid was off his bed. If he maintains his temp today, they will move him into a little crib. This is a big step! I can't believe he's already made so much progress, and can only thank God for hearing and answering the innumerable prayers that have been lifted on our behalf. One of the neonatologists called him the NICU rock star.

Titus is doing very well gaining weight, as well, and was up to 4 lbs. 10 oz. as of yesterday. His main goal now, and really the final hurdle before he gets to come home, is for him to learn how to eat on his own. He's doing a GREAT job so far, and I'm encouraged by his progress. He's able to latch very well, and it's taking him less time each feeding to do so. As he gets bigger, it will be easier and he won't have to work as hard. He's able to nurse for an average of about 10 minutes, off and on, before he tuckers out and falls asleep. Once I see he's given it his best effort, we hook up his feed to his gavage tube and give him the rest of his meal. The only problem has been getting him to wake up in the mornings to attempt to nurse. He's not a morning person, apparently! Please pray that he would start waking up on his own to be ready to eat so that we can practice as much as possible and work toward him being able to come home. Right now he's nowhere near getting enough to eat from nursing alone, so we've got a lot of work ahead of us. He's still taking steps each day, though. I will be thankful when he can sustain his weight from simply nursing, so I don't have to go pump milk in addition to "feeding" him. It takes a lot of time!

Stella and Ezra have been doing very well. They got to play in the snow earlier this week, and had a LOT of fun. Now, it's snowing again and is supposed to snow most of the weekend, so they should have ample opportunity for play. Yesterday Nick took both Ezra and Stella to the pool, and while Stella had her swim lesson Daddy played with Ezra. They stayed a while after her lesson, too, and had a great time going down the water slides. Then, later that night, one of our favorite baby-sitters came and watched the kiddos while we took Sue out for dinner. They had a great time, as did we. Tonight Grandma Sue is going to watch them so we can go out with a few friends to celebrate some birthdays (mine is tomorrow! The big 3-0!!). Stella is all excited about making cake, so I'm curious to see what she will come up with. I'm sure Ezra will get his fingers in it, too (probably literally!).

The NICU has changed a lot over the past couple weeks. Babies have come and gone, many with minor concerns post delivery that have left within hours or a few days. Baby Kennedy and Titus are still buddies and are progressing well. Baby Lily was transported back to the US today for access to more specialized treatment. LRMC has a fantastic NICU, but when there are more complicated issues and surgeries needed, they work very hard to stabilize babies so they can be transported to the experts who can help them most. Her mama got to go on the plane with her and the team of Drs. and nurses that will escort her to a facility in the States. Please pray that she will remain stable throughout the duration of the flight, and that they will be able to get her the help she needs. Mom seemed to be in good spirits when I told her good-bye, which is a good sign.

Here's our current prayer requests:
*For Titus to continue the amazing progress he's had so far, and specifically that he would be awake and alert and eager to nurse.
*For me as I am now able to drive myself to the hospital--safety in traveling (our weather is snowy and cold at the moment, and I'm thankful BOTH our cars have new tires now), and as much rest as I can get. I've been sleeping like a rock at night!
*For Stella and Ezra to continue in good spirits as they await Titus' homecoming and deal with Mommy not being at home during the day. I know they've been better since I've been home and with them at night for dinner and bed time and again in the morning when they wake and eat breakfast.
*For all of us to remain healthy and without colds or sicknesses.
*For our family as Sue will be returning home on Sunday (barring any weather issues), and we adjust to life without live-in babysitters! Nick has the whole of next week off, and will only be working one day a week for the next month or so. We have LOTS of offers of help, which we will be taking up soon!

Titus is two weeks old

Happy two week birthday, Titus!

He's doing really well, still, for which we are incredibly thankful. He's up to 2030 grams (4 lbs 7 ounces!), and is really looking more filled out. His legs aren't as wrinkly and loose-skin looking, but more plump-ish. Not fat, yet, but I'm sure he'll get there at this rate! He's doing really well with starting to learn how to nurse, which is really encouraging. He's got to get stronger and bigger before we'll really be able to switch to complete breast feeding, but we're on the way for sure. They upped his feeding amount to 40 mL, and will continue to raise it at increments until he's breast feeding well, at which point they will begin to cut back on his gavage (feeding tube) amounts.

The NICU was very busy today, as there are now 6 babies there. Two are bigger, and most likely won't be staying too long. It was very different having so many people in there, as it's only been the two or three babies this whole two weeks. Personally, I like it a little quieter!

As for me, I'm doing well and feeling well. I can walk more comfortably now, though I'm definitely not ready to stop taking the little pain medication I'm still on. It gets a bit uncomfortable when I forget to take it, but thankfully not really bad at all, which is a good sign of healing.

We had some friends (former exchange student who Nick's parents hosted for a year) visit yesterday and today, which was great fun to have them come see us and our place and meet our newest addition. Hopefully we'll be able to go visit his family one more time before we leave. His mom makes the BEST spaetzle noodles I've ever had and I need to learn how to make them before we leave! The kids had a lot of fun with our visitors, and Stella got to have someone new walk her down to kindergarten. They played all sorts of games and puzzles, too, which is always fun for them.

Sue and I had a CRAZY morning, which was the only downfall of the day. When I woke up this morning, I didn't look out the window for about 30-40 minutes after I woke up, and was surprised to see 3-4 inches of fresh snow! I was excited, as it looked absolutely beautiful, but a little concerned with 1. getting to the hospital on time and 2. getting to the hospital at all, with the hills I knew would be an obstacle. The driveway got cleared just fine, and we got most of the way down our crazy hill just fine, until we hit one of the last sharp curves and the brakes were not doing anything at ALL. Sue handled the car as best as possible, and thankfully we banked off a wall that was covered thickly with bushes, so no damage to the wall and just scratching on our already scratched up bumper. We did just fine from there on the main roads, and then we turned off the road onto the one that takes us up to the hospital. See, our van does not have good traction, and I knew the tires were starting to get to the point where we need to replace them. We were going along well for a few blocks until someone pulled out from a side street and started spinning out in front of us. We had to come to a full stop, and I knew it was hopeless from there. (Oh, by the way, I'm not allowed to drive for 5 more days which is why Sue was driving our van and not me.) As there was no place for us to back into and turn around, we decided to just back down the hill, but there were three cars behind us a few blocks back. Since we still couldn't get traction or turn around, we went backwards around them in the other lane. See, the problem is one of them was a polizei (police car). They turned around and followed us down to the bottom of the hill. My thought : Oh, CRAP. and: all I want to do is get up the hill to the stupid hospital so I can see my baby! (Ya know, never get in between a mother and her baby. It's DANGEROUS.) They got out and asked if we had summer tires or what, and thankfully we have all-season, even if they're seasoned out at this point. If we had summer tires, we would have been facing a hefty fine. They talked to us for a few minutes, saying how BAD our tires are (see, I've been in the hospital for the past 4 weeks. I have NO IDEA what our tires look like, nor do I really care, as I have bigger problems on my mind), and telling us we cannot drive on them. Thankfully, as I was explaining how my baby is at the hospital, I was trying to go to see him, we are planning on replacing the tires anyway, etc., they were sympathetic. Hallelujah! They instructed us to go straight home (making sure it was on the main roads and not icy/slippery side streets), and get new tires immediately. Funny thing, too, is they asked about a scratch on our bumper and if it was from today. See, they asked about the scratch on the passenger side, and we scratched it today on the driver's side. I told them no, and was telling the truth. :) I was about ready to lose it, but as they were allowing us to leave with no fine, etc., I held it together. See, in Germany, if your tires are bad, and you get in an accident, even if you're not at fault (say someone pulls out right in front of you and you hit them), you can be responsible because your tires were bad. They could have fined us anyway, but had mercy and chose not to. I was thankful, because I would have shed a river of tears if they would have made us leave the car there, and I would have had to figure out how to get to the hospital some other way, or maybe not get there at all until way later. They would have been completely genuine tears, too, not manipulative at all. So we decided we'd go switch cars with Nick so I could get to the hospital and he could get tires ordered or what have you. They will be replaced Thursday. It definitely could have been worse, but as it was, it was still not a good way to start out the day. It's good to know our car will probably be able to handle much better once the tires are better, though, and were something to happen, we won't be inadvertently liable. *deep breath* Now I think it's time for me to go to bed!

Baby steps

Well, we're making progress! Titus is steadily gaining weight, which is FABulous. He was up to 1880 grams yesterday, 50 grams over his birth weight, and today is up to 1910 (4 lbs about 3 ounces). He's also showing signs of starting to maintain his own body temperature. They test this by slowly turning the regulated temp in the isolette down, and watching how he reacts. If he's able to maintain his body temp without losing weight (by burning too many calories trying to keep up his temp), they continue to lower it until it's around 29-30 deg C (84-86 F). Once he can maintain on his own there, they put him in an open crib for a trial period. If he struggles to continue keeping up on his own, they'll put him back in the isolette and try again later. When this might happen for us is still up in the air, of course, but the nurses think it will be pretty soon, perhaps even within a week. We're not letting our hopes get up, but are encouraged that the staff feels he is doing so well.

Another exciting thing is how well he's doing already with beginning nursing signs. He was able to latch on twice today for short periods of time, which was really big for Mama. Baby steps! He's definitely very interested, and knows what to do. It's really a matter of coordination and being a little stronger and bigger in general. Eventually we'll be combining nursing with gavage feedings until he's definitely getting enough just from Mama.

So far being home has been wonderful. The kids have really enjoyed having Mama home to eat dinner with and we've all been taking "turns" (as dictated by Stella) putting the kids to bed. Stella has also woken up early a few times and come to crawl in bed with Mama. It's been fun having a snuggly girl in the morning. The new routine seems to be going well, and not TOO stressful or confusing yet. It will be a little easier when I can drive myself, but it's been working out just fine so far. They kiddos get to bed later than they usually do, but that's okay. This will be over before we know it!

Some other fun news is that I got a chance to talk briefly with the Mom of the little baby in the NICU with us. She was born at 25 weeks (is now 26, I believe). Her name is Lily and has been pretty stable the past couple days, which is a big step for a baby that small. The nurses were training another staff person and were describing some of the differences in the babies, and mentioned how Titus is 1800 some grams, while Lily is only 585 or so. That's VERY SMALL, only 1 lb 4 ounces. Please keep little Lily in your prayers, as she's still in a very sensitive state. Pray for the mom as well, and that we could get some more opportunities to speak with her and find out any small way we can help her along in this difficult situation. I have not seen a father around yet, but she did have a ring on her finger. Dad could be deployed or something, I have no idea.

Baby Kennedy is also doing well, and is steadily making progress. We've had a good time talking with Mom and Dad, and sharing our daily steps forward. Thank you for praying for their family as well.

Another praise is that Nick got all his leave approved for the next two months, which is HUGE. He'll be taking a day off or two a week throughout, being able to be off work the majority of the time. I'm so thankful that his higher ups have been so supportive, and even their wives have approached us with offers of help with meals, cleaning, watching kids, shuttle service to/from the airport, etc. We are very blessed to have such a caring workplace!

P S...The photos were taken by a dear friend of ours, Krissie. Thank you!

I'm home!

Hello, everybody! I'm typing this from the comfort of our computer at HOME. I'm so thankful to be home and comfortable again. I officially left the hospital last night about dinner time. It was a mixed/pseudo good-bye, as we'll still be spending a LOT of time there, and it's really become kind of a second home. After 3 1/2 weeks, you get into a new kind of routine. Plus, the nursing staff has been so wonderful, and genuinely caring of our family that it was a little hard to leave. And, of COURSE, when you're baby is still there, all you want to do is be with him every moment. It's like living a double life at the moment, so we're trying to just take it day by day and be flexible, especially to the other kids as Titus is not as dependent on us absolutely being there all the time at the moment (he's fed via tube and not by me right now is the main thing). When we actually start nursing, that will change, but will hopefully be a shorter period of time and mean he's coming home soon. We are thankful for all the help we're getting; it's making this transition easier than it would be otherwise!

Little Titus is doing famously still. His nurse today mentioned that when they weighed him last night he had gained a whole quarter pound. Whether that is accurate or not, he was going to double check tonight, but apparently it's not exactly unheard of. He is eating very well, and when put to breast is a voracious little guy looking for his food. It's so surprising to me, seeing him so small and yet so vivacious! He will pick his head clear off my chest and slam it back down again. He is a strong little one.

This morning Grandma and Ezra drove me up to the hospital (about one more week until I can drive myself!) and stayed for a bit. Ezra got to touch his brother for the first time, and didn't seem to want to stop. He held his hand, touched his toes, patted his head, looked for all his facial features (got to make sure he has two ears!), and helped Mommy hold the feeding tube and syringe. He had a great time getting to know Titus a little more, and wanted to help any way he could. He asked to hold him, but that won't happen for a while!

Nick stopped in for a visit before he went to work this morning, and got some good Daddy time. This evening he came after work to pick me up, and got some more good snuggle time. I got to give Titus a bath for the first time (his first bath given by me, not the first ever), and finally washed off the awesome hair gel from his ultrasound. He looked like his hair was curly for a few days, which was cute. He did fairly well for the bath, not crying the whole time or anything. He fussed a bit, especially when I had to turn him on his side or what have you. He was comfortable, and didn't want to move! It's good to be able to be involved in the care of Titus so much, and not have the nurses doing everything all the time (One could get WAY to used to that...), as coming home could be much more difficult if you're used to someone else feeding, changing, bathing, etc. I'm thankful for a nursing staff that really encourages parent involvement wherever possible, especially when they are so supportive of all we try and patient with our questions.

One little exciting thing for me: I finished my first knitted item for Titus. His first hat made by Mama. I think it turned out perfect, although I don't think it will fit for too long!

Happy one week birthday, Titus!

Can you believe it's been a week already? I'm amazed, especially since I'm feeling so well after all that happened only one week ago. God is GOOD.

Today was a big day for Titus, too. His bili levels have fallen significantly, so he's permanently off the lights. Yeay! He's also almost up to his full feeding amount (33 mL this evening, and full tomorrow morning at 36mL), so his last IV line was pulled this afternoon. He's no longer getting supplemental food is what that means, only Mama's milk with a little fortifier in it. Praise the Lord! He is doing so well, especially only being a week since delivery and 32 weeks gestational age.

Today everyone came for a visit after lunch, and Stella got to hang out with Mommy for the afternoon. We were able to visit Titus twice in that time, and with Mama holding him she got to see him up close. She was so sweet and caring of him, putting the blanket back over him when he pulled it off, etc. She has such a tender, mothering heart for him already. She also enjoyed chatting it up with the nurses (surprise, surprise) and telling them all about everything. She got a good laugh, too, when Mommy changed Titus' diaper. I was cleaning him up when he blasted me with a load of poo. Yes, ALL OVER MY HAND. Somehow it only got on my hand and the diaper, and not all over his bedding, which I don't quite understand as it was traveling at a rocket-propelled speed out his little rear. I yelped, but maintained enough composure to laugh it off and get it cleaned up quickly, before he attempted another round. This kid is going to be our joker, I think.

So it's been a big day of great steps for us, for which I am immensely thankful. I'm looking at going home on Wednesday, though I have some trepidation about it. I'm so torn, having such a tiny and helpless one here, and the rest of my family at home. I wish I could split in two, and do both at the same time. Please pray for Nick and I as we try to figure out how this will work for us, visiting the hospital with two small ones at home. Eventually, when I'm able to nurse Titus, this will be even more challenging. I'm hopeful that once we figure out a new routine, things will be better. A big challenge at the moment is that I won't be able to drive for another week and a half. We've had many offers for shuttle service, though. It's just a matter of coordinating all that.

We also have gotten to know the family of Ezra's NICU buddy, Kennedy (a boy) a little more. They live only one village over from us and have two girls the same ages as ours. Please keep their family in your prayers as well, as we travel this road together.

On a sadder note, there was a new admission to the NICU yesterday evening. I don't know much about the baby/family, as I have yet to actually meet the mom, but I do know the baby is only 25 weeks gestational age (a MUCH more precarious situtation). PLEASE PRAY for this little one. My heart was very heavy (still is) for this precious little baby as while I was visiting Titus tonight, it seemed things were not going well at all. They had even pulled the crash cart over, which is a frightening thing to see. I left shortly thereafter, as it was not a good time to be in there. I did not see the mother as I left, and really wanted to pray with her right then and there. I have not seen a father around, either, so please lift them in your prayers. I can't even imagine how she must be feeling right now.

Thank you all, again, for all your love and support, notes of encouragement, meals, help with our children, I could go on and on. Know the Lord is working mightily through you, and we give Him all the glory and praise.

Officially discharged!

Well, this morning the doc came in and said I'm free to be discharged. She came back a little while later to take my staples out (didn't hurt at all, just little pinches) and replaced them with little strips of tape. It's MUCH more comfortable this way. It's still weird to me to think that they stapled my tummy shut like I'm a stack of papers... I'm officially not a patient, but am able to stay at the hospital on boarder status. Basically it means that I'm responsible for my own meals and taking my medications, and the nursing staff doesn't check on me anymore. They are here if I need something, but won't be waking me up for vitals (YEAY!!), etc. They made sure I passed the "stair test," since they know our apartment is one floor up, and it was no big deal at all. Some friends were visiting at the time, and came with me to cheer me on. I really wanted to do the Rocky dance at the top, but thought jumping up and down would be taking things a *little* bit too far. No need to end a good thing with head trauma. :)

Titus is doing well, and eating like a fiend. He's up to 21 mL this evening and taking it like a champ. This morning after he ate, I was holding him on my skin on my chest and he started getting fussy, which is unusual when I hold him like that because he usually is perfectly content and snuggly. Then I felt the tell-tale bubbles in his diaper, and sure enough, after a few minutes of fussing, he unloaded. :) Both he and I have well-functioning GI tracts now, praise God! After I changed the diaper, he was WIDE awake and perfectly content. He was awake and alert for a good 10 or 15 minutes, which was really fun to see him looking around and taking in his surroundings. I have some video of it that I hope to get loaded on our youtube site this next week. He has so much personality in such a small package! One of the neonatologists was there while he was awake, and she was very impressed with how alert he was. She mentioned how well he's doing and said he's had two things in his favor: the steroids he received in utero right when I got to the hospital two 1/2 weeks ago (almost 3!), and she said when the water breaks early it puts the baby under a bit of stress (not distress), and kind of makes their systems kick it up a notch. Pretty cool. The only slight downer was that his bili levels are up a little bit again, so he's back to perfecting his tan. He's really going to make me look like a ghost now!

Nick's mom, Sue got here today, and got to meet Titus, which was a wonderful thing. Stella and Ezra are excited to see her, too, and they all came for dinner (thanks, Wendy!) at the hospital. Ezra got to meet his baby brother for the first time, and was mesmerized by him. He said, "Hi, baby Titus!" It was super cute. I have video of that, too. Then it was Stella's turn, and she got to hold Titus' hand and touch his really soft hair. She LOVED it and was talking to her baby brother a bit while she held his hand. It was very sweet. Then Grandma Sue got to go in and say good-night, and Ezra started crying because he wanted to see baby Titus again, too. :) There was no way I was telling him no.

I've had a great time visiting Titus and being able to get to know the nurses a bit as well. They come from all over the US and have been all over the world. There's also another baby, Titus' neighbor, who was born yesterday. The mom was also in the antepartum ward, so it will be fun to share our experiences together. They seem like a very nice family, and have two other children, girls ages 4 and 2 1/2.

I hope you're all having a wonderful (for some of you holiday) weekend and will keep you updated!

Titus has a tan

Well, good news! Titus' bili levels came down enough that they took him out from under the lights, praise God! He has a very nice tan :). Seriously, he's darker than me and must take after his daddy. What's really fun about that is we no longer have to limit the time we have to hold him. I'm trying to be there as often as I can when it's time to feed him, so that he starts to associate food with Mama. It should help when the time comes to actually be able to breastfeed. That won't be for another few weeks, as the reflexes on how to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing do not develop until somewhere around week 34 or 35. I don't mind the pumping, and am soaking up getting to hold him as much as I can while I am still at the hospital.

Yesterday Nick got to change Titus' diaper for the first time, which was fun for both of us. His little hiney is so TINY and skinny! The diapers they have are too big, but at least they stay on his little body. It's challenging to change a preemie in an isolette (I got the chance to do it today, as I was feeling much more able to stand for a period of time), as you put your hands in through the holes in the sides and have many wires to contend with. He has a knack for bending his legs up right when you want to mess with the tabs that stick the diaper on, effectively blocking you from doing anything easily. Who knew a 31 weeker could be ornery?

Also, with the lights being off he doesn't have to wear his stylish sunglasses anymore. That means we get to see his whole face, and all the sweet little expressions he makes. Don't worry, we'll have plenty of pictures. Today while I was holding him and he was wriggling around because he was hungry and awaiting his food, he was moving his arms around and fishhooked himself with one of his fingers, with one eye open. UNFORTUNATELY, we did not have the camera with us at that time. I'm so disappointed, because we were having quite the laugh and I would have loved to share it with you all. We'll have ample opportunity, I'm sure. He's smiled at us quite a few times, as well, which is just about more than my heart can handle. It's SOOOOO cute!

The nurses have been very encouraging, excited that I'm able to get a good quantity and quality of milk out (one commented on how fatty it is, and that he should be gaining weight well when the time comes), and helpful showing us ways that we can participate in his care. We can change his diaper and take his temperature before each feeding, which is really fun and feels more "normal" that our current circumstances. They were joking that we'll be able to do everything soon enough and they'll just sit back and watch. I don't mind, that's for sure!

I'm doing much better today, just feeling more sure on my feet and capable of walking to see Titus now, though slowly and carefully. I haven't had much dizziness, etc., and my blood count came back higher than it was previously, another praise! It should continue to get higher and higher as my body continues to replenish my blood cells on its own. I've also been feeling more hungry, etc., and able to eat food easily instead of feeling icky. Thank you all for praying fervently for us in all of these areas! We truly appreciate it.

Tonight my parents are coming to spend dinner time with me, as they will be leaving in the morning. I'm sad to see them go, but know we'll be together again soon. They have been INVALUABLE these past few weeks, and we are SO grateful to have had them here on such short notice. Thank you, Mom and Dad, we could not have had such a smooth time with the kids without you. I know they had a wonderful time playing with you. Thank you for taking such good care of them, Nick, and me.

Tonight Nick will be taking Stella on a Daddy/daughter date. They'll be having dinner and then going to see "The Sound of Music" musical on base. Stella is very excited to see the play, and mentioned that she won't be dancing just watching. :) She's so funny. Ezra will be going to a friend's birthday party. His buddy, Lydia, is turning 2. Should be fun!

Our prayer requests haven't changed much, except for the prayers that have been answered already. Thank you all, again, for dedicating yourselves to prayer on our behalf. Our Lord is faithful and has heard and answered.

One thing I did think of was for our kids, who have been struggling on and off with runny, icky noses and watery, itchy, red eyes. Please pray for them to get healthy so they can spend more time with Mommy and get to actually touch Titus for the first time. Stella was asking when she got to see him, but we were unwilling to let her hold his hand yet. Germ control is of the essence!

We'll check in again tomorrow or the next day. Take care!

I'm back online

Hello, everyone! It's Heather. I'm back to feeling more like my usual self, which is a huge answered prayer in and of itself! I'll try to fill you in on the past couple days as best as I can. (and, yes, I do remember them!)

The first day out of surgery I already mentioned in the previous post--lots of grogginess and basically feeling like I'd been hit by a truck (which is funny, because somehow at Nick's work the story was that I'd been in a car accident and that it was the cause of my water breaking. NOT true, but I sure felt like it!). The next day was MUCH better, just feeling a lot more clear headed after I was completely free of the remnants of anesthesia, including the difficulties breathing. I was able to get out of bed, with the loving assistance of my husband. His comment was that he helped me get into this mess, so he was going to be sure to help me all the way through it, too. :) They took me off the IVs (but left the ports in just in case), and the catheter, which helped with mobility. I started feeling a little queasy, and was having some really uncomfortable abdominal pains, but it was all from gassiness! I've never had any major problems in that area, but MAN will abdominal surgery bring them on with a vengeance! Thankfully, modern medication is wonderful in this arena, and I got some medication for both that helped tremendously. I have to be honest and say when you haven't let one rip for 3 or four days and are backing up because of it, I was praising God when the first toot squeaked out. Ha! After that was taken care of, I was able to walk down the hall once or twice on Wednesday. I'm still not completely sure-footed, as I did loose a LOT of blood, but am slowly getting there.

Today has been an improvement as well, just feeling stronger and the pain of the surgery lessening. I was able to take a shower this morning, which made me feel like a whole new person. (seriously, it's the simple things...) Nick stayed the night with me again on Wed., and we both had a great night's sleep, since the nurses only had to check on me once or twice and my IVs weren't going off randomly, and we were pretty much exhausted to boot. I got a little nap in this afternoon, as well, which was great. I have been having some headaches off and on today, as well as a little dizzy/lightheadedness, so they're going to run a blood count again to make sure I'm okay, and if not they'll probably give me another unit of blood tomorrow. The intention is to have me be discharged tomorrow, but I will be able to stay at the hospital in the same room for a few days on a boarding status. This just means I stay in the room, but don't have nurses taking vitals all the time (unless something seems funny and I can call them in), and I don't get meals. I feel more comfortable staying on for a couple more days to gain strength in walking and doing things a *little* more independently. Wed don't have railings at our house for me to hold, AND we have stairs, so I want to make sure I'm a little stronger on my feet before I attempt that. Plus, it means I'm just right down the hall from Titus, which is much more convenient than a 25 minute drive.

Speaking of little man, he's still holding steady and doing great. I got to hold him for the first time on Wed. morning, and have been able to get my hands on him a couple times a day since. He's still under the bili lights, as his numbers have not improved much yet, so we have to limit the time we take him away from them. It's normal for the numbers to stay the same for a few days before improving, and it's always better than them getting higher. He's been able to eat my milk, and has been doing very well. They started him out at 3 mL, and have since increased now to 9 mL. They'll increase the amounts by 3 mL every 12 hours until he reaches 36 mL, and he'll stay there for a while, hopefully beginning to gain weight. They stopped his antibiotics, as he has shown no sign of infection. So far, things have been going REALLY well, and all the nurses and docs over there have been very impressed and greatly satisfied with his progress. We do still have a long way ahead of us, though.

Right now, we're just loving on Titus as much as possible. He fits absolutely perfectly right on your sternum, under your chin. He's really strong, too. When we transferred him from his bed to my chest, he got upset (as any comfortably sleeping baby does!), and was fussing and crying a bit as I got him settled and calm again, and he was able to pick his head up off my chest by himself! He's a little fighter. :) I love watching his facial expressions while he sleeps, and seeing his little arms and legs move around while he dreams. They are so skinny compared to Ezra, especially his feet.

I cannot finish this post without thanking my husband for the wonderful support he has been this week. He has stayed by my side literally and figuratively in so many ways. He has helped me by fetching anything and everything I've needed, feeding me, holding my cup of water with the straw to my mouth, getting me in and out of bed (talk about a rock to hold onto), rolling me over, assisting me to the bathroom, washing my back, and many more things. One fun thing we've shared this time around is getting my milk supply going. Usually this is something that's just kind of between mom and baby, but since Titus is separate from us right now, and pumping and hand expressing are a little tricky when you're feeling perfectly normal, I've needed a lot of help. Catching those first few drops in a syringe is tricky, and Nick has faithfully helped catch every last drop of gold for our Titus to eat. He has really enjoyed seeing the progress each pumping as my supply has increased. It has been a wonderful thing to be able to share together, and knowing that through our teamwork our little guy is getting food to make him stronger and continue to develop has been priceless. So honey, when you read this, know that I thank God for you daily, because I can't even imagine how impossible these past few weeks would have been without you. I love you!

The kids have been doing okay, but have had a little head cold, so weren't able to visit yesterday (Wednesday). Stella was doing better today, so she was able to come after her kindergarten (where she proudly brought a picture of her new brother), and her first swimming lesson, which Nick was able to take her to. She had a BLAST, and was excited to share all the details about it with me when she came to visit later that afternoon. THEN we got to take her down to see her new brother. She was fascinated by how little he is, and asked lots of questions about all the tubes and wires connected to him and what they are for. She really wanted to be able to touch him, but we told her she'll have to wait until tomorrow, just to be sure her germs are gone. Ezra still had a junky nose, so he'll have to wait until he's better as well, which is hard for me to not see him, but he seems to be enjoying having Gammy and Papa for entertainment enough.

I really want to post some more pictures with all this info, but the WiFi has been really slow and not allowing it! I will as soon as I can, but for now you can visit our flickr page to see them: www.flickr.com/photos/schultesingermany

Here's our current list of prayer requests:
*For protection against infection for both Heather and Titus
*For Titus to continue tolerating food well and be able to get to the point of starting to gain weight, and also for the jaundice to be cleared away
*For Heather's headaches and dizziness to go away, be it through more blood, or just her body being able to produce more blood cells to get her back to normal counts
*For Nick as he continues to have one foot in the hospital and the other at home
*For our kids, who have been doing wonderfully through this all, but Stella seems to be having a little harder time the past couple days
*For my parents and their continued care for our kids and us. They will be going back home on Saturday
*For Nick's mom to have safe travels to come be with us on Saturday and stay to the end of the month

Titus David Schulte enters the world with a BANG

Well, I have to say. I thought Ezra came into the world fast and furious, but Titus definitely has him beat! I have to warn you, my experience (though I was completely "under") is pretty intense, so if you continue reading, the paragraph denoted with *s is a little unsettling.

Monday morning at about 2:15 am I awoke to a contraction. Nothing major, just discomfort and tightness. I'd been having a contraction here or there, and one night had a few in a row, but they always just stopped (2 or 3 in the morning seems to be my trend for starting labor!). These kept on going, about every 15 minutes, so around 5 am I called the nurse to let her know, and called Nick around 5:30. They took me to labor and delivery so they could keep a closer eye on me (i.e. hook me up to all the machines again!), started and IV, and we just waited. Nothing really changed for a couple hours. My parents and the kiddos came for a short visit at about 10:30, staying for about an hour. Right before they were about to leave, I started feeling queasy, and my dad shuttled the kiddos out of the room before I lost it. I hadn't eaten since dinner, which is torturous in and of itself, so it wasn't too bad. I should have KNOWN then that things were moving along swiftly, since I've had it happen with both my previous labors. The nurses and doc were well aware of all that was going on, so I said bye to the kiddos, and about 30 minutes later things got crazy!

I started having faster contractions right as my parents were leaving, (3 min apart), a bit more intense than before. The doc had checked me a little earlier, and I was not dilated at ALL. After 20 min of more intense contractions, he came back and checked again, and said it was time to MOVE. I could feel baby moving lower, and the midwife on duty was right by my head telling me NOT TO PUSH. They wheeled me into the OR, and it was ALL I could do to not push. He was COMING! Unfortunately, he was still breech, and not at the preferred size/week for them to feel like a breech natural delivery was an option yet. Cesaerean was on the menu, so they got me on my side to get a spinal block in (with me, again, trying with all my might to NOT push, which is nearly impossible. Truly. He was about to come out anyway, and the doc was literally holding him in. They did not want him to come partly out and then have his head get stuck.) While they were injecting the spinal (which really didn't hurt bad at all, but at the same time there was so much else going on that I don't think I would have noticed anything anyway), I heard the doctor say we didn't have enough time to wait for the spinal to take effect (the anesthesiologist was pinching my belly to see if I could feel it, and I could), and before I knew it, they had a mask on my face and were telling me to breathe deeply. Breathe I did, because I knew they were going to cut ASAP, and I didn't want to remember that, let alone feel it. Thankfully, whatever I breathed in did it's magic, and I don't remember anything at all.

Meanwhile, Nick had gotted ready to come into the OR, but once they decided that they had to put me under general anesthesia, he was no longer allowed in the room. He had to wait back in the L&D room by himself for awhile. I know at some point my parents came, and our pastor and good friend Ben came to keep him company, and keep him from going crazy not knowing what was going on. They waited for 5 hours or so, I believe. Nick was sitting there, occasionally hearing announcements over the PA for more docs to come to the OR "STAT," which does nothing to help a husband's concern level for his wife and child! He did get a few updates now and again, but not enough to keep him from being very concerned. A c-section should only take about 45 minutes, but I was in surgery for over 5. That would definitely be concerning. He got word that our little baby was born (I was in the OR at 1:05, and he was born at 1:12! Now that's some fast work!), and doing well, but no one told him what the gender was for a while, either! I feel so bad for him! I, of course, had no idea what was going on, because I was completely unconscious. He got enough info to hear that I was okay, there were complications, but nothing life-threatening.

I awoke during transport to the recovery area, and Nick was with me. He told me we had a beautiful boy, and he was stable and doing well. I was very groggy, and tingly and slightly numb all over, and was having a little difficulty breathing (they intubate you while you're under general anesthesia, so it's pretty uncomfortable to breathe after that as your throat's really sore. Plus, I could feel junk in my throat/lungs, and couldn't cough it out easily due to the surgery.), but otherwise feeling okay. I asked what time it was and he said it was about 7 pm, which was very surprising to me. I was in recovery for an hour or so before they wheeled me off back to L&D where they would keep a close eye on me overnight. I felt okay, just really groggy and tingly all over as they had given me both a spinal and general anesthesia. Breathing was easier, but still not 100% easy. My parents came to check in on me, having taken our kiddos over to our dear friends' house to spend the night. Our night was okay, I was able to doze off and on, what with nurses coming in and out, and pain meds making my breathing slow, which makes your oxygen levels low, which causes the machines to beep and wake you up so you breathe more. Crazy!

The next morning we were up around 7, and I ate a little yogurt and eventually some oatmeal, too. Nick had roomed with me that night, for which I am thankful. I know he had quite a scary day, so it was comforting to both of us to be together. We had many visits from all the different doctors that were part of our surgery and recovery--two or three OBs, the high-risk OB, the NICU head neonatologist, the anesthesiologist, and multiple nurses. Everyone was glad to see me feeling okay, and many told me I gave them a bit more exciting day than they were planning! I worried some of the nurses, too. After all those docs, I got a much clearer picture of what exactly happened during surgery.

**Warning, some intense info to come in following paragraph**
Like I said before, Titus was breech, and not at a developmental stage recommended to do a natural birth. We agreed, and so knew we'd be going in for a c-section. With all that I described above of the things I remember while I was still awake, things progressed a lot more quickly than the staff was anticipating (or me, for that matter!), so it turned into a much more pressing situation. They got me under anesthesia very quickly, and started their incisions. Ideally, you have two horizontal incisions made in the low abdomen--one through external tissues (skin) and a little muscle, and then another incision in the uterus. They like to do the horizontal ones because they are usually smaller and less invasive. They also usually allow for the mom to try for a natural birth later on, in some cases anyways. They made my initial horizontal incision, and then discovered that a horizontal incision inside would not be possible due large vascular tissue (veins and such that they did not want to cut through as it would cause excessive bleeding). Instead, the doc made a vertical incision. Mind you, remember that Titus was trying to get OUT all the while. He was not still fully in utero, so it was essential to get him out fast, as his stats were falling (most likely due to the umbilical cord having pressure on it). While making the incision, little Titus got a small cut on his shoulder because the muscle of the uterus was thinner than expected. They got him out quickly, though, and handed him off to the neonatal doc and nurses to get him stabilized. Initially they had to intubate him, as he was starting to have some difficulties breathing on his own, but the tube came out within a few hours. After they got him out, the doc was still working on me, cleaning out everything that needs to come out. They discovered that the uterus and placenta were infected, which is why the muscle was thinner than expected, and why all of the early labor, etc., happened in the first place. How the infection started is still undetermined. It caused the uterus to be weaker, resulting in some tearing and more stitches for mom. That's why the surgery took so long, as they had a bit of repair work to do, and wanted to make sure all the infected tissues were removed, etc.
**graphic account concluded**

All that being said, things are not as bad as I'm sure Nick worst fears were while I was in surgery, and he didn't have hardly any information about what was going on and things took WAY longer than expected. The docs are all very positive and reassuring that my recovery will be good, I will be a little more uncomfortable than a "normal," planned c-section would be, but I will heal fully and be just fine.

Our little Titus is doing great! He was just over 4 lbs at birth, which is a GREAT weight for a 31 week old baby. He got the ventilator removed within a few hours post-delivery, and just had a nasal canula (the tubes that stick just up into your nose), but no extra oxygen, just regular air. That was removed yesterday (about 24 hrs post delivery), so now he's just breathing room air on his own. He had two lines going into his umblical cord, one to an artery and one to a vein, but the arterial one was removed as well. The one he has now is used for IV, and some nutrition. He has a bunch of monitering wires stuck in various places, and a feeding tube through his mouth into his stomach. (which he has already pulled out a few times! He's a feisty guy!) He looks great and is doing really really well. I got to see him last night for the first time, which was wonderful. I got to touch him and be able to comfort him while the nurses did a few things, and should be able to hold him today. He's eating pretty well, as much as I've been able to provide for him as well as some supplementals. He's definitely a tough little guy. We will be in for the long haul, though, as he won't be going home for at least 5-6 weeks, potentially longer if he has difficulties at some point. I should be able to go home by this weekend, but am not pushing to get home sooner than that! We'll keep you posted, don't worry! We're just thankful that both I and Titus are doing well, and praise God that things ARE so good, and that Titus got a couple more weeks in my tummy to grow and develop.

Prayer requests:
*For Heather's recovery to be as comfortable as possible so she can begin caring for Titus more
*For Titus to continue to grow and mature his lungs and other organs. Things have gone really well so far, but it's only day 2!
*For our family as a whole as we adjust to living half at home and half at the hospital. We still have no idea what this will quite look like yet. We do have help, though. My parents were able to meet little Titus the first night, and I know when Nick's mom gets here she is looking forward to being able to meet him, too. Stella and Ezra are both really excited, and looked at pictures and videos of their new little brother with rapture. They both have runny noses and gunky eyes, though, so their formal introduction will have to wait a little while. I know this is REALLY hard for Stella, especially. She seems to be handling it okay, though.

Thank you ALL for your prayer and support. We will let you know if there are any other practical ways you can help while we're adjusting to our new life this next couple weeks. Nick will be able to have a lot of time off work, thankfully, so that is a huge blessing in and of itself.

Meeting with the high-risk OB

Nick and I got a chance to meet with the high-risk OB that works here at the hospital this morning. She spent a good 30-40 minutes with an ultrasound wand on my belly, checking baby inside and out. Growth-wise, baby looks good, and content. She saw signs of fetal lung movements, and a great heartbeat. Right now she estimates baby is about 3 pounds and 3-4 ounces. Not too bad for size! I do wish I had some ultrasound pics to show you, but apparently when the amnio fluid is gone, you can't see much definition because you don't have the contrast (space, really, that it fills between the uterine wall and baby), so the pictures aren't distinguishable (because they're SO easy to see anyway!). You'll get to see him or her soon enough!

Baby is still in a breech position (I think earlier it wasn't in a full transverse position, just partial), and will MOST likely not be changing. Doc said it would be nothing short of a miracle without having any amniotic fluid to move in. They would not attempt any kind of manipulation to encourage baby to flip, either, as this could be traumatic and dangerous. What that means, then, is I'm looking at a very very high likelyhood of having a c-section, which, to be perfectly honest, kind of freaks me out. I know many MANY people have had them and they've been perfectly fine, and I'm not really concerned about complications from surgery per se. I think it's mostly a mental hurdle of "this is so NOT what I pictured ever needing to happen," as both of my previous births have been as hands-off, no medical intervention, etc. (i.e. no drugs). A c-section is basically the complete opposite of that, recovery is totally different, and it's just completely out of my range of knowledge and experience. So, all you readers out there, anything you can suggest, I'm open for! Nick is bringing the pregnancy book we have so I can read up on it (since I completely skipped that section for my previous pregnancies!).

What is comforting to me right now is knowing that the Drs. here are very skilled, and over all of that, God is in control. A verse that has been running through my mind the past few days is from Isaiah 46:3-4, "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save." It gives me chills!

So that's basically the news for now. Nick and my dad are going to be coming in a little while to watch the re-play of the championship football game last night (even though they know who won already!). Should be a relaxed Friday evening. AND I hear it's supposed to snow pretty substantially tonight/this weekend, so hopefully they can get out with the kiddos and PLAY. I know they could use it! Hope you all have a great weekend and we'll keep you posted!

Daily life in a hospital bed

Well, things are still stable for the moment. Baby is doing well, still, and I'm feeling good. I thought it might be fun to give you a snapshot of what a day here looks like. (It's really not too exciting!)

Here's a few shots of my little (and I mean little!) room:

The door on the left goes out to the hallway, middle is the closet and right is the bathroom.

To my left in this shot is my window. Right now there's a few snowflakes floating around outside.

The staff usually gets breakfast to me around 7 or 7:30 (a couple mornings it was 6:30! I just let it sit while I caught another hour of sleep. I mean, really!). The nurses come around for vital checks, making sure we're all still alive and well. I alarmed a nurse one morning when my BP was in the 90s/40s. A bit low, but, seriously, I was half asleep. Obviously I was not having any invigorating dreams that morning! A vitamin and a good-ole Colace (keeps ya regular!), and we're off for the day.

I have shower privileges, so I usually get one in the morning before too long. Thankfully the shower room is just across the hall (I have private bathroom in my room, but not the shower), so I don't have to walk far (it's just such a hassle, ya know? All that walking...). It's amazing how refreshing a simple hot shower can be when you sit on your butt all day. Makes you feel like a real person again.

At some point in the morning, I get to take my most exciting excursion of the day--a trip to Labor and Delivery for my non-stress test. They take BP and pulse/oxygen levels, and moniter baby and belly for heartrate and any contractions for about 20 minutes. One thing that is kind of fun is that on the moniter screen you can see all the other moniters in the other rooms of L&D, so you can see the status of other moms in labor. Lots of high peaks usually means a baby is on the way pretty soon. Simple entertainment.

Back in my room again, I usually get some emailing or blog posting done, and then spend the rest of the morning reading or watching something (if there's anything worth watching) on TV while knitting. I might have a visitor or two stop by, too, which is always a good time. I must say, I really enjoy my quiet mornings. It's oceans away from one or two boistrous children, though I do miss them terribly! The only thing that would make it better is a cup of GOOD coffee. I do have good tea available, though, so it's not so bad.


Next up is lunch. My parents usually visit with the kids for lunch time, and I end up with both kids on the bed, mild chaos, and crumbs absolutely everywhere, but it's a fun time. The hang out for about an hour and a half or two hours, and then take Ezra home for a nap (we've found 2 hours is about all he can handle being cooped up here. After that, the buttons that move my bed up and down and that big, fat, glowing red call-the-nurse button are just more than he can resist anymore. You should see the look on his face when he checks to see if I'm watching him...it's priceless! He has found great entertainment from the big tube from the "hospital hooka." He turns it into a trumpet of sorts and strolls around the room tooting it with all his might. Quite funny. I'll have to get a video of it.) Stella has been able to hang out with me a couple afternoons, and other times has gone home. It's been very good for both her and I to have some one-on-one time together. We draw or color, watch some BBC kids shows (some great ones out there!), paint our toenails, read books, etc. It's been fun.

Throughout the day nurses poke their heads in periodically to take vitals or read fetal hear tones, etc. I've had a great time getting to know some of the nurses on the floor. I'm grateful to say that there's not been one crabby or mean or disgruntled one yet. Most are very friendly and kind, and are in good spirits. We have a friend that works the floor, too, so she's been my nurse a few times.

Then, Nick comes as soon as he can after work. We eat dinner together and hang out for a while, sometimes watching a movie. It's been nice to have some down time together, as it doesn't happen often enough when we're at home.

After he leaves, I usually stay up for a while, either on email or reading, etc. again. I try not to stay up too late, even though it seems like it would be fun. I know I need my rest, too, for baby's sake.

Like I said, not terribly interesting, but it makes the days go by fairly quickly. I'm on day 10 now, which is hard to believe! It seems like I just got here yesterday.

One important thing that happened today in particular is that I got to meet the high-risk OB. We had a great conversation detailing my situation, and what to look out for. She gave me a few worst-case scenarios (definitely a little sobering and scary, but hopefully will not be our situation), and what to look out for. Basically at this point, we wait. If nothing happens for the next two weeks (I'm at 30 now), great! At 32 weeks they'll start monitering for signs of mature lung development. Once they see signs of that, or I reach 34 weeks, they will induce. She said that after 34 weeks the risks associated with infection are higher than the risks associated with a 34 week preemie, so that's why they would induce rather than wait any longer. So, sometime between now and the first week of February, we'll have a baby! (Maybe for my birthday?) I'll be going down to the high-risk OB's clinic this week sometime for her to do a full ultrasound (4D, too!) and check-up to see how baby is growing, etc. One thing she did mention is that with a baby in transverse position, like this one was last we checked, is that there is some risk of the cord being delivered first. That is a BAD thing, as it would tend to cut off the circulation of the cord, which means baby is getting no oxygen. Hopefully, again, this will not be our case. I'm eager to get another ultrasound (especially the 4D ones-they're so cool!), and get to see a visual of baby again. We should have a picture to post after that, too. Assuming baby's cooperative, of course. This one has liked to hide.

Current prayer concerns:
*For baby to stay well and stay in my belly until lung development can occur.
*For baby to turn head DOWN and enable a natural delivery.
*For none of the major complications to be in our future.
*For Nick, as he's getting some resistance from his higher-ups about his leave status last week when he wasn't at work because I was here and incapacitated.
*For the kids to hang in there while Mommy is away.
*For my parents who are caring for the kids to have lots and lots of patience and lots of FUN with the kiddos.
*For my own sanity. (Believe me, in this area, your prayers are working so far! It is not of my own strength that I have been so calm throughout this whole ordeal, and knowing there's more to come. I have not given over to fear or anxiety, but rest knowing that I am well cared for by a God who loves me more than I can imagine.)

I'm free!

I’m free!

Well, free from all cords, tubes, and wires anyway. Last night I got my last dose of IV antibiotics and they took out my IV port. Now I don’t have to be quite so careful about having the kiddos up on the bed with me and such, which is nice. They have been very sweet and careful with their Mommy so far! Ezra only knocked me once, and that was my fault since I was tickling him. I can’t resist tickling that boy! His laugh is infectious! The only thing I'm hooked up to occasionally is my lovely calf massagers (Yeay! Free massages!). They help keep your blood from pooling and forming clots when you're bed-ridden.

The past two days have been uneventful as far as baby status goes. Everything is remaining steady and calm for now. I have a contraction every once in a while, but nothing consistent or concerning. Baby is kicking away and has a strong heartbeat every time they check, so that’s also a good thing. I’m closing in on 30 weeks, another huge praise. Every day is a gift.

I’ve had lots of visitors to keep me company and keep things interesting and moving along. Our pastor and elders stopped by yesterday (Sunday) since I could not attend church, and brought a mini church service to me, complete with communion. Our pastor has this really cool communion travel kit and we put it to good use. I’m thankful for them and their commitment to the people of our congregation and carrying out what God has given them to do in such caring and thoughtful ways.

Nick came and hung out for the afternoon as well. We had a nice, quiet time. He got to catch a nap and I was working on some knitting. We have quite a few friends who have had babies in recent weeks!

Yesterday Nick and I got to go tour the NICU in preparation for what is most likely to come at some point. It is highly unlikely that I will go full-term, so we wanted to have a look and be a little more prepared for what time in the NICU (and potentially LOTS of time) would look like. Our tour guide was one of the nurses that works the ward. He was VERY knowledgeable, kind-hearted and passionate about his job. All things I would hope and pray for in NICU staff. It was amazing to see all the high-tech stuff they have and do there. At times, it was overwhelming. They have a bed (isolette) prepared for our baby when he or she makes their grand appearance. Seeing all the bottles, tubes, wires, medications, etc., sitting there on the table was a little intense, but it comforted me to know that all that knowledge and care will be with our baby. Again, I am SO THANKFUL that we have American facilities right here by our home, as there really is a difference, especially when it comes to very delicate and serious health issues. The staff is highly trained and up to current standards. We saw a wall of former NICU residents who have “graduated” and are now grown children. One of them was only 10.7 ounces when she was born! What a miracle. We got a lot of our questions answered, which helps ease our minds a bit. It’s very reassuring knowing that our baby will be in very good hands.

Stella is going to hang out with Mommy this afternoon for some good alone time, which will be fun. I think we’ll paint our fingernails. J Ezra seems to be doing just fine. Apparently he has mastered Stella’s bouncy ball (the kind with handles on it that you sit and bounce on). I wish they could bring it here so I could see it, but I’m sure he’d end up knocking something important (and expensive!) over if he did. He’s much more reckless and daring than his sister! Things he enjoys while visiting—graham crackers, ice water (hospitals have the BEST ice), and pushing Mommy in the wheel chair when I need to go somewhere. He’s quite the little helper.

Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Nick went back to work today for the first time in two weeks, which is an adjustment, for sure, especially without me at home. Our “normal” life is gearing up again, but with a different twist. Stella went back to kindergarten today, too. It should be good for her to be back to her school with her friends and things around to play with.

Current prayer requests:
*For baby to turn the rest of the way and be head down, instead of somewhat sideways as it is now.
*For continued protection against infection, or other complications that could send us in to an emergency situation.
*For Nick as he balances work and a changed home-life, and being able to see me as much as possible.
*For our kids, as Mommy is just not present at home at all. They’ve been doing very well, but I know it’s hard for them. Stella has asked multiple times if she can spend the night with me, but it’s against the hospital’s policy.
*For my parents, as they care for our kids and home, and Nick as well. It can be stressful at times with two young children.
*For me—to not go stir-crazy! I’ve been doing great so far, and have started settling into a pseudo routine, which helps. I have plenty of reading material and knitting to keep me busy and feeling productive and not just a huge slob.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm glad to say that our baby will be born in 2010 and no earlier. Our New Year's was very nice--lots of visitors, my Mom and Dad arrived, and Nick hung out to ring in 2010 with me. We played some Scrabble (I just barely won--that silly Q!) and watched Pirates of the Carribbean 2. He brought some sparkling juices that we shared with the staff as we counted down the last minute. It was as fun as being in the hospital on a holiday can be.

I got a decent night's sleep, even with the fireworks going off around town (can sound like a war zone if you're right down in it--the Germans sure like their New Year's fireworks!). This morning they took me up for monitering again and everything looks good so far. The Dr. did an ultrasound to check amnio fluid levels, which are still very low. The good news is that baby is in more of a transverse position (sitting across my belly) instead of right-side-up. We're making progress! Another 1/4 turn and we should be sitting good, whenever delivery should happen. Doc also said he'd put an order in so the staff won't be waking me up in the middle of the night to take my stats anymore, so I can rest more easily. My bed here in the Mother/Baby ward is much more comfortable than the one upstairs, for which I am very thankful. Baby is still having strong heartbeat readings, and moving about a lot, which is also very good.

As I mentioned before, my parents arrived yesterday afternoon. Our kids will now be able to be at home most of the time, which will help them have more of a "normal" time with Mommy being gone. Both kids, when they left yesterday, asked why I wasn't coming home, too, which just breaks my heart. They seem to be holding up well, though. I'm sure being at home and sleeping in their own beds will help a lot. Thank you to all our friends who helped out with them this week! I know they had a blast.

Other than that, it's pretty much the same. I'm thankful for all of you who have taken time to come and visit--it keeps my mind from wandering and wishing I wasn't here. It's good to know what's going on "on the outside."

I hope you all had a fun New Year's Eve, and pray blessings for the next year. It's going to be an eventful one for us, that's for sure!