Wonder Pets & Coloboma

Last night Addison decided she didn't want Alyssa in the bouncer & instead wanted her Wonder Pets can phone in there.  Well, in a split second Addison threw her phone & hit Alyssa in the head.  We inspected the damage & applied an Elmo ice pack right away.  Alyssa continued to eat, sleep, etc just fine for the next couple of hours.  While nursing Alyssa at bedtime, I noticed her left pupil was much different than the right.  I immediately showed her to Blake & Grams.  They both agreed that there was a striking difference. I called the pedi & we talked for a few minutes about how Alyssa was acting, etc & although she was acting fine, we decided to go ahead to the hospital.  

We arrived at the hospital & waited about 20 minutes before we were called back.  After going through triage, we were seen by the ER dr & he ordered a cat scan.  All of Alyssa's vitals were normal & the cat scan also came back normal.  Thank goodness!  But, there was still the question of what the heck was going on with her eye.  HERE is what it looks like.  The ER dr decided to consult with the ER dr at Texas Children's Hospital.  That conversation led to getting the pediatric ophthalmologist involved.  The preliminary diagnosis is a birth defect called iris coloboma.  We have an appointment next week for a complete evaluation at Texas Children's with the eye dr.  Please keep our little Alyssa in your prayers.  

Oh, Happy Day (yesterday)!!

What do you see?

Yesterday, I decided to put a warm, cozy outfit on Alyssa.  It was so pretty (didn't get a pic)!  Less than 30 minutes later Grams said she was certain Alyssa had a poopy diaper.  So, off I go to change her diaper.  When I unsnapped the outfit I was greeted with mustard-looking poop coming out of all sides of the diaper AND a rotten stump carelessly floating about in the outfit!  I was more grossed out by the rotten stump than the poop!  EWWWWWWW!!!!

This morning was Alyssa's first appointment with the pediatrician!  (I'll post a picture later) The timing of the cord stump falling off was perfect because I wanted the pedi to look at it & tell me it was okay.  She checked it over & used a silver nitrate stick to expedite the healing process & told me to put Neosporin on it for a couple of days to help with any irritation.

Alyssa weighs 8.2lbs (up from 6.9lbs when we left the hospital) & is 19 1/4" long.  My super-powered breastmilk is doing a great job!  After her appointment we had to go pay a visit to the hospital lab for the follow-up PKU test.  BOOOO!  Thank goodness it's just a little heel prick.  She was great the whole time!

Kaci came over & kept Addison while Grams drove us to the pedi.  Addison was SO excited to see her. Kaci commented on how much Addy has grown in just a few weeks since she last saw her.  It's true :(  I need to get more video of her doing all of the new things.  I just can't keep up!  LOL  Wonder how much I'll keep up now with TWO little darlings??  I was thinking how lucky I am to have 2 healthy little girls & how being a mom is the best job ever.  It's hard, very hard at times, but the good times certainly outweigh the bad times.

Here's an idea....

How about umbilical cords be treated the same as a circumcision?  You should be given the option to have the cord removed before leaving the hospital or just leave it alone & let it rot off naturally.  (Not saying that the penis will rot off, but you get the idea).  I'm sure many many folks would be willing to spend an extra $100 or so to have it removed!  I'm like a kid at Christmas each time I change Alyssa's diaper anticipating the rotten cord stump will be in her diaper or hiding out in her onesie!

Addison keeps getting my breast pad while I'm nursing Alyssa & putting it on her head as a hat!  LOL! 

Welcome Home

Bringing baby Alyssa home on my birthday was such a special treat.  

Addison & Buddy were anxious to check her out & see what the fuss was all about.  They both seem to be adjusting well with the new addition to the family.  Buddy would probably like to run out the front door & never look back.  LOL  Poor Bubba!  What in the world is he going to do with another little girl in the house??  Addison is throwing tantrums more lately, but it's hard to tell if it's 'Terrible Two's' or jealousy.  We are trying very hard to make sure she still gets our attention, but at the same time we try to incorporate Alyssa into our daily routine.  Recovery has been much harder for me this time around & finally I'm starting to get around better.  It kills me that I can't pick up Addison for another TWO weeks!  When the day comes I'm going to pick her up & NOT put her down (well, until Alyssa cries anyway)!

It's been difficult to get a picture of Addy & Alyssa together!  Addy is too busy & not very interested in 'Baby Lyssa'!  Our photographer is coming in 2 weeks to do newborn pictures at our house & hopefully we can squeeze in a family shot or two!

Alyssa had her first sponge bath at home & seemed to enjoy it.  Poor Addy didn't get immersed in water until she was a month old!  We were too scared to bathe her, so just kept doing sponge baths even though her cord was already off when she came home at a week old.  Thank you NICU!  I can't stand treating Alyssa's umbilical cord.  It freaks me out!  It can't fall off soon enough.  To make it worse, last night she had her first diaper blowout.  It was from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.  Gross little girl!  Not sure where all that poop came from - LOL.  Anyway, her cord was covered with poop!  UGH!  We cleaned it as best we could with the little alcohol wipes, but it's still poop-stained.  I called the pedi this morning to see if there was anything else we needed to do & was told to use a q-tip & alcohol to continue cleaning it.  If there's a discharge or funky smell then call back.  Alyssa's first appointment is Tuesday, so maybe they can just take it off then!

Happy Birthday Alyssa Catherine!

What a beautiful day!  Ready to have a baby!

We arrived at the hospital early Wednesday morning on July 14 to settle in & get labor started.  Paperwork, labs, etc were all done &Pitocin was started around 7:45am.  

I was 2-3cm & my cervix was thick, but OB didn't feel Cervidil was needed.   My water was broken around 8:30am & I started feeling contractions right away.  I couldn't get the epi until my IV bag of fluid was empty.  This helps prevent a drop in blood pressure (or so they thought) immediately after getting the epi.  Finally around 9:15am it was time for the epi!  Thank goodness!  I was thrilled to hear that Blake could stay during the epi since it's commonly against hospital policy.  

While getting the epi I started feeling dizzy & like I was going to faint.  Remember the IV bag that is supposed to help prevent a drop in blood pressure?  Well, my blood pressure bottomed out - drastically.  They didn't want to give me any meds for the low pressure because it would impact baby Alyssa.  So, I was monitored closely & it leveled off, still low, but level.  I think the lowest it got was 80s/40s.  It wasn't a pleasant experience at all!  The epi hurt like hell along with the contractions!  Not sure which was worse.  Luckily, 45 seconds later I felt NO pain at all.  

Addison & Grams came to visit around 11:00am.  Addison wasn't too sure about me laying in the bed with all the cords & stuff around me.  They left around 12:10pm & I was glad because I was feeling really nauseous & didn't want Addy to see me get sick.  

At around 12:20pm the nurse came in & I told her I felt sick & also felt pressure.  She suspected something was going on from the readings on the monitor at the nurse's desk & came to check me..... 9 1/2cm..... ready to push!  This particular OB nurse was awesome, however, she kept mentioning that baby wasn't coming down enough & a C-section might be needed.  Well, that went in one ear & out the other.  I'm sure she wasn't trying scare me & just prepare me for the worst case scenario, but I didn't want to hear that!  At least let me push a few times & let the OB assess the situation.  Ha, the 'situation'.  Did I mention that Blake walked Addy & Grams out to the car???  So, Courtney, a dear friend & our photographer for the day, hurried & called him on the cell to let him know NOT to take his time getting back to the room!  LOL!

I started 'practice' pushing & everything went very fast from there.  The OB came in & immediately said he didn't like the way baby Alyssa's heart rate was reacting when I pushed & said she had to come out now.  I remember the nurse calling the NICU for back-up because of fetal distress & heard 'forceps'.  Forceps are steel utensils used to assist the baby through the birth canal quicker than the OB thinks I would deliver just by pushing alone.  Whoa!  I think there ended up being about 10 people in the room in case of an emergency.  I pushed a couple of times & then OB inserted the forceps.  After another push or two baby Alyssa was born!  Well, before she could come all the way out the cord had to be cut since it was around her neck & shoulder.  This is what was preventing her from coming on out!  Those dang umbilical cords!  

At 12:53pm Alyssa Catherine was born 6lbs 14.6oz & 18 1/2 inches long.  Alyssa's Apgar score was 8 & 9.

More to come...

TOMORROW is BIRTH day

I went to my last prenatal appointment this morning.  The OB wasn't there because a lady was in labor at the hospital, dilated to 8cm and refusing to push without an epidural.  It was too late for her to get an epi & the dr kept telling her to just give him 2 or 3 pushes & the baby would be out!  Finally, I guess she pushed & the dr was able to come back to the office.  I told the nurses if I'm in that situation to call & remind me of the waiting room full of patients waiting to be seen & JUST PUSH!  LOL

My blood pressure was slightly elevated this morning, however, baby Alyssa is doing great!  The NST was normal with movement & heart rate for Alyssa.  I've progressed farther than last week & the OB suggested we not worry about the blood pressure & go ahead for an induction in the morning.  SIGN ME UP!  I'm ready!  So, nothing to eat after midnight & be at the hospital L&D at 6:30am.  I have mixed emotions about being induced again, but it's time for her to come out since my BP is rising.  Stay tuned.....

First outing without a diaper!

Yesterday was our first trip out of the house without a diaper was a SUCCESS!  YAY!  We only went to Walmart for about an hour, but that's a pretty big deal!

Waiting on Grams to get back with breakfast!

Today was another successful day for Addy & the potty.  There was a little shop that we always went to for bows, blankies & other little specialty baby items that suddenly closed without notice!  UGH!  HELLO, I'm about to have a baby girl, I need YOUR STUFF!  Luckily, the shop has a booth at a local flea market once a month, so we decided to make the trip to see if they were still there.  Yippie!  The booth was there & we got all of the items ordered that we wanted/needed.  Personalized blankies, burp cloths, bloomers!  

Okay, so back to the potty info.  I decided to put Addy in a diaper for our outing since the flea market is about 30 minutes away.  We got there & walked around for a bit then Addy said she needed to potty.  I rushed & found the bathroom & much to my surprise her diaper was dry & she used the BIG potty.  She cried a little bit, but nonetheless used the BIG potty.  I think it was just being in a new place, public bathroom, etc & she didn't like it much.  So, I put another diaper on her & went back to shopping.  She never asked to go again while we were at the flea market.  When we got home she was ready though.  Again, diaper was dry!  I'm not sure when I'll be brave enough to leave her in panties for naps & bedtime, but I think she is ready for them when we leave the house from now on.