In a hurry for Christmas!

Well, what is it about the holidays? I found myself in the hospital for contractions the day before Halloween, and now again right before Thanksgiving. This child is determined to be here for Christmas I think, but hopefully I am more stubborn than he is. I went to the hospital yesterday to be evaluated for frequent contractions again that my medication wasn't taking care of the way it usually does. When IV fluids, medication, and rest failed to stop them, they decided to keep me overnight. Contractions slowed down to about every 15 minutes overnight (from 3-5 minutes during the entire day), but then picked back up again after I woke up this morning, so they kept me longer. By 2pm, they had finally slowed down enough to make the doctor and staff comfortable with letting me go home. My cervix has not changed at all from last time, so that is very good news, but we all know that can change very very quickly. My previous "modified" bed rest has been upgraded to stict bed rest with bathroom priviledges only. I receieved the first of two steroid injections this morning to mature Luke's lungs in case he comes early. I'll get the second tomorrow. Isaac benefitted from these, I'm sure, so I'm thankful to get them for Luke. Through all of this, I wasn't able to see Isaac at all. Due to the H1N1 epidemic, children under the age of 12 who are not patients are not allowed in the hospital. This was the first night I've ever been away from him since he was born. That was the hardest part for me.

So, we are back to taking this one day at a time. I am 28 weeks today, and our goal is 34 weeks minimum (the point at which Isaac was born), but ideally 36 weeks or beyond.

So many times over the last 24 hours, I have thought about how difficult and frustrating this all is, especially around the holidays and with a 2 year old who wants his Mommy to play with him. Several people have commented to me lately that, after all of this, surely this is my last pregnancy. And honestly, I have voiced that very thing many times lately. At this point, there is very little I enjoy about pregnancy. I have just not had a very good experience with pregnacy this time or last. But then, I look at Isaac, and I think about little Lucas as he's wiggling around, already showing lots of personality. And I know that all of this is completely worth it in the end. A relatively short period of inconvenience and discomfort for me, but the result is wort it all and more. I know there are certainly risks involved, but I think the potential benefits ultimately outweigh the risks. And I am blessed to have wonderful doctors (I now have 4 great doctors from my clinic that I have made the rounds with and are familiar with me and looking after me), not to mention all the wonderful support and prayers from family and friends. I know we'll get through this pregnancy just as we did the last. And I am no where near ready to say that I know for certain that this will be my last. We'll just cross that bridge if or when it comes. Right now, my focus is on little Lucas only, and giving him the best chance possible of having a warm welcome to this world.

Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers that we continue to ask for.

26 Weeks!

Well, this is the week I started having problems in my pregnancy with Isaac and was put on bed rest. I can't believe it started so much earlier this time. I just hope that doesn't mean Luke will come earlier than Isaac did. Hopefully, my doctors and I am more aware of what's going on this time around and we can delay as long as possible. I think the boys must think this is some sort of race. Luke is already feeling the competition and wants to beat his older brother at something. I just hope he realizes that the goal is to bake longer than his brother did, not the other way around.

My doctor's appointment this week was pretty uneventful! I got there to find out that my regular doctor was sick, so they scheduled me with another. At first, I was disappointed, because I had really wanted to talk to my doctor about some things. But, then it turned out that they had scheduled me with the same doctor who had seen me at the hospital a couple weeks ago. This doctor was actually trained by my doctor who had delivered Isaac (she has since moved to South America), whom I adored. So, I feel incredibly priviledged to now have 2 wonderful doctors that know my case well and are keeping an eye on me. This is really important to me, because I was originally very distraut over having to find a new doctor when my old one moved away. So, anyway, she checked the status of my cervix once again, and there has been no change since my hospital visit. That is great news. She reminded me that I am not yet considered to be in pre-term labor, these are just pre-term contractions and they can be controlled. At the same time, she also pointed out that since my cervix is very weak at this point, I do need to be very aware and take it very easy. Since I doubled my medication, it has been working very well to hold off contractions. The side effects have lessened some, although I still experience severe dizziness and lightheadedness for an hour or two after taking it. But those side effects only continue to remind me that I need to be taking it easy. I also finally got vaccinated for H1N1 flu! I don't think I've ever been more excited about a shot in my life.

I received permission from my doctor to give my final presentation for a teaching class I have been taking this semester. I was given specific instructions to only go if I was having a good day with contractions, if I took my medicine right before leaving, if I had someone drive me, and if I promised to do nothing else prior or after. I was having a good day that day, so I got to complete the final assignment for the course. It went very well. But I do think it might have been a bit much for me, as contractions started up pretty heavy that evening and the next morning. This only served as a reminder of the importance of bed rest. However, after spending a couple hours at the spa yesterday, thanks to a good friend, getting a relaxing facial and pedicure, they seem to be under control once again.

Through all of this, I don't think Luke has a clue that anything in his world is out of order. He has been quite the active little boy this week. He has enjoyed spending the days, and nights, butting his head into my hip and kicking me in the stomach and ribs. He's also had the hiccups quite frequently. I have definitely noticed that he has grown quite a bit. His space is getting more and more cramped. So, he seems to be doing quite well.

Again, thank you for your continued prayers. We're getting closer and closer. Which reminds me, Christmas will be here before we know it! I better get on my online shopping!

25 Weeks!!

Yay, we made it to 25 weeks, and still holding steady, sort of. My new meds got doubled already yesterday because I was having very frequent contractions breaking through. The Nifedipine seems better than the Terbutaline so far, though it's not without it's side effects too, just not as severe. It is regularly prescribed as a treatment for angina. It causes a decrease in blood pressure, and I am feeling that. I get dizzy very easily when standing too quickly or doing much of anything. I get headaches and nausea occasionally. My gums bleed profusely when I brush my teeth - seriously, the sink looks like a blood bath when I'm through, it's quite disturbing. But I think my body will eventually adapt. The terbutaline was worse. But, as the doctors tell me, there is no perfect medicine. My doctor did recommend I get regular prenatal massages to help me relax - that sounds about as perfect a medicine as there is, so I think I'll take her up on that prescription. Today has been a somewhat decent day as far as contractions go. Still had plenty, but nothing like the last two days, since I increased my dosage. Though they do start acting up about an hour or so before my next 6-hour dose is due. I just wish my uterus could chill out already.

Our tv decided to go out today - blew a bulb or something like that. Of course, as soon as I end up on bed rest and can't leave the house, our only tv goes out. And Geek Squad can't get around to coming out here to look at it for a week, then have to order the part and wait on that (Amanda, think you can look into that for me? haha). So, that just gave Steve an excuse to go buy a brand new 23" computer monitor. Since the tv is normally hooked up to his computer anyway, and we watch tv through the media center on that, we just replaced the tv with the new monitor for the time being. He wanted a new monitor for hooking the laptop up to anyway, so now he just had an excuse to buy it sooner than later. It's remarkably smaller than our 50" screen, but it'll do. But it was a nice day with no tv today. I spent a good part of the day sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine watching Isaac play in the backyard - things like this I miss being at work everyday. I've spent much of the week working on a paper for work that will be submitted for publication tomorrow, so that has kept me quite busy. Darlene has been the best mother-in-law anyone could ask for. She has cooked, cleaned, done 10 loads of laundry in two days, done the dishes, changed diapers, fed Isaac, put him down for his nap, played with him, gotten him out of trouble numerous times, and kept me company. I don't know what I'd do without her. I can't figure out how I survived bed rest when I was pregnant with Isaac without her.

Thank you all for you prayers. I'm so thankful for another week!!

Some good news

Just got back from seeing my doctor for my follow-up from Friday. I had seen a different doctor while at the hospital, so it was nice to get to talk to my regular doctor. She checked my cervix and says it doesn't seem quite as bad to her as the other doctor and nurse who checked on Friday thought, though it is thinning out some. So, that's good. She said my bed rest doesn't have to be that strict. We'll call it a "modified" bed rest. I can't go to work, have to work from home (but I have plenty of writing to do), but I don't have to be strictly confined to bed. I just need to not do too much, and of course, if I'm contracting, I need to be doing whatever it takes to make that stop. I got permission to go to my once a week teaching class which only has 3 weeks to go, assuming I am not contracting and have not done too much already on those days. But she prefers me to stay home and take it easy as much as possible for now during the rest of the week. Also, the best part, she switched my prescription from Terbutaline to Nifedipine, which has fewer side effects. So, we'll see if that works for me. This morning I had yet another bad bout of frequent contractions because I forgot to take my medicine last night. I was able to get it to stop with 2 doses eventually, and have done fine since. So, it's good that I am responding to the medicine, and evident that I definitely do need it. Hopefully the new one will work just as well, without the negative side effects.

Halloween

This was Isaac's 3rd Halloween. I think he's grown quite a bit from that little 5-lb baby that fit inside the Jack-o-lantern back in 2007. This was his first year to go Trick-Or-Treating. Sadly, I didn't get to go around the block with him liked I'd hoped. I was planted in a chair in the driveway handing out candy, but Daddy took him. He wasn't sure what to think in the beginning. Being the shy little boy everyone knows he is, he was terrified of the idea of walking up to complete strangers in strange homes. The first house they hit was our neighbor across the street, and Isaac tried to run away screaming while Steve drug him up to the guy to get his little box of Nerds. After a couple of houses, he finally started realizing that these people weren't out to snatch him but were actually giving him candy!!! He finally got to the point of pushing the door bells himself and even taking candy from the giver's hand, though very cautiously. Then, at home, once he realized we were actually going to allow him to eat candy (a very rare and special treat around here), he wanted it all for himself. Anytime I tried handing out candy to any other kids, he'd come running up to me, grab my arm and scream, "No No No! Stop!"



Now, there's a story behind his Sherif's costume as well. Unfortunately, I waited until the last minute to think about his costume, but by Halloween day, all the toddler costumes were gone. And with me being in the hospital all day Friday, and on bed rest all day Saturdday, I couldn't get anything put together for him. We'd finally, by 6pm, decided he could just go in regular clothes, as we had nothing. BUT THEN, as I was searching his closet for something orange, I saw it!! Last month, on our visit to Kentucky, Isaac recieved lots of clothes as birthday gifts. Among them was this adorable Sheriff cowboy pajama set from PawPaw (Nanny Rebecca's daddy)! It is size 24 months, and that is usually way too big on him, but I knew I had to try. It was a little big, but worked perfectly! Along with a matching red bandana from Grandma, it was a complete costume (with the exception of cowboy boots). It was perfect for him, because he hates anything on his head or anything out of the ordinary pants and shirt. It did take a while for him to tolerate the bandana even. So, thank you PawPaw for saving us very last minute! It was the perfect costume. He was the most adorable Sheriff in town, in my opinion.



I also want to point out the incredible job Steve did on this year's pumpkin. He came across this design, and knew it was perfect. It looks just like Astro, doesn't it? Even Isaac recognized him instantly.

Lastly, and update on me and Luke: still having contractions off and on, but nothing concerning, as long as I'm taking my medicine. However, the medicine is making me crazy - racing heart, dizziness, breathlessness, etc. It's a miracle I'm able to put together a coherent sentence right now, but that's only because it's starting to wear off and time for another dose. I can't think straight, focus, or walk half the time, but I know eventually my body will get used to it like last time. I'm also hoping when I see my doctor tomorrow, we can talk about something different with less side effects, but there are very few options for this situation, unfortunately. But we'll survive. It's worth it to keep him baking a while longer.

Here's the link to our Halloween Album

24 Weeks 3 Days

Well, since it looks like it has begun, I’m going to use this blog to keep you guys updated on everything going on with me and the little guy. Now that I’m on bed rest, I should have plenty of time to post, so check here weekly or every few days for an update. So, here’s the scoop on what’s been going on over the last couple of weeks.

Last week, as many of you know, we had to make the decision to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Astro. He was 15 years old, and had been in Steve’s life since he was a teenager. He was old, sick, and suffering, and we know we made the right decision. But it was very hard on us as a family, and the first time we’ve lost a part of our family together. I had been having mild contractions off and on for several weeks, which was expected with my history, but I wasn’t too concerned yet. After we lost Astro, the stress and emotional toil of it all got to me, and I started having much more frequent and painful contractions. I saw my doctor, she checked my cervix, and all looked good. So she told me to just continue taking it easy and minimize stress as much as possible. I had another rough day last week of frequent contractions, but I managed to get them to stop, and didn’t go in.

This week had been a really good week. Which probably made me feel more comfortable trying to get more things done, and I probably overdid it. Thursday night I had a rough bout of contractions every 3 minutes for a couple of hours, but no pain with them, and I got them to stop. Yesterday morning/afternoon, I had stayed home from work, and was just sitting around doing nothing when they started up again. This time, I thought I better call the doctor to be safe. My doctor was not in, so they sent me over to Christus St. John’s hospital to be evaluated and have my contractions monitored. The on-call doctor from my clinic was also on duty there at the time. I got there, fully thinking it was a complete waste of time because I wasn’t in pain, but contractions never did stop. After being monitored for an hour or so, they decided that contractions were coming to close for comfort, so they started me on IV fluids, which can sometimes help, and a dose of narcotics to help me relax, in hopes that would stop them. When that did nothing, they gave me a dose of terbutaline, the drug I took during my pregnancy with Isaac that helps relax smooth muscles and stop contractions. It has some unpleasant side effects though for me, including racing heart and trembling. My cervix was checked by several people (not a fun experience), and was found to be thinning, and very slightly dilated (less than 1 cm). This suggests that the contractions I am having are doing something, which is concerning. I received a second dose of terb when the first didn’t stop them completely. We got a sneak peak at the little guy when they did an ultrasound to check on how he was doing. He looks absolutely perfect, and is definitely all boy. He’s measuring about a week ahead, and seems perfectly happy in there. Finally, they brought me some food at this point. It had been 7 and half hours since I’d eaten anything but ice chips – there has to be a law about starving a pregnant woman.

After the second dose of terb, contractions had stopped, so they sent me home around 9pm last night with strict orders of bed rest and a prescription of terbutaline pills to take around the clock. If they start back up, it’s back to the hospital. Otherwise, I’ll see my doctor on Monday to check on things once again. I had a tough time sleeping last night, and did have some contractions this morning that were worrisome, but I think the terb has kicked in now.

At 24 weeks, the survival rate is 50%. But that jumps up to 70% next week , and 80% the week after. However, the risk of long term complications this early are high, and remain high for several more weeks, although decreasing with each week he stays in. Every day counts. So, your thoughts and prayers are very important at this time. You can watch our progress on the ticker at the top of this blog page. We are so appreciative to have such an incredible support system. Thank you all for your prayers and support, it means the world to us.

Lastly, we wanted to share the name we have chosen for this little guy with everyone, so you have a name to use in your prayers. His name is Lucas Vincent Bohannon. There’s still some talk as to whether or not we’ll call him Luke or Lucas (my vote is Luke, Steve’s is Lucas), so that’s still up in the air.

Thanks again. And feel free to post comments so I know you're reading!

Julie

18 Month Appointment

Yes, Isaac will be 19 months old in a few days, but he just had his 18 month check up this week, and I thought I'd update all, because I know you are waiting on the edge of your seats wondering just how Perfect this kid is. And yes, confirming what we all know, he is perfect. Not to mention, unlike the 15 month appointment, he was a perfect angel this time, smiling and flirting with the nurses, med student, and doctor through the entire thing (with the exception of the final nurse carrying the poking instruments). He was first evaluated by a cute blonde 3rd year medical student, who I swear had to be like 22 years old. She looked so young. He sure did have eyes for her, but then again, she did look like a younger me (yes, I'm another year older since my last post, now putting me officially in my "late" 20s - I can hear 30 knockin'). She had him giggling and laughing in no time, but he still wouldn't give her a view of his teeth. Anytime she came near those lips, the clamped tight behind a sneaky little grin. His first dentist visit should be lots of fun.

Although he is technically perfect, there were a couple areas of concern yet again, things we just need to "keep an eye on". His lack of weight gain is rearing it's ugly head again. At 21.3 lbs he's only a few ounces heavier than his last visit 3 months ago. He's now officially fallen off the charts in weight. As far as height (22%tile) and head circumference (25%tile), he's fine. At least he doesn't have an above average head on a below average body and look like one of those bobble heads. But we need to get him to eat more. He's not a fan of food for some crazy reason. I cook for him daily, and I'm no frozen dinner, microwave, type mom/cook either, I cook the good stuff! Everyone loves my meals and typically walks away with an extra pound or two after a few of my meals, but not this kid. He will turn his nose up to anything - be it made from scratch sweet potato pancakes, homemade chicken soup, chicken marsala, balsalmic pork loin with real garlic mashed potatoes, he won't touch it unless he wants to, which isn't too often. If it's remotely close to the color green it's totally off limits - don't even get it near his tray or he'll have a meltdown and shove everything onto the floor and refuse to eat a bite of anything for days. Even sneaking the green in - hidden under his favorite pasta - his tongue will find it and push it out and won't sample another bite. He does love his milk though - be it from a cow or Mama, so the doc has suggested adding Carnation Instant Breakfast to his cup of milk he gets while I'm at work. However, this stuff is pure sugar! 20g of sugar in one packet and she wants him to have a whole packet everyday! Can you imagine what this kind of sugar high could do to an already hyper toddler? Of course, he loves the stuff, who wouldn't, it's like liquid candy. But, I've been doing some research, and I've decided I can make him high calorie smoothies that are much healthier using some healthy fatty foods such as peanut butter and avocados. So, on to experimenting with the smoothie maker - this should be a fun and tasty adventure, and will probably result in gaining a few extra pounds myself.

Additionally, the little guys lack of word power was a 'slight' concern, but nothing to panic about yet. He has about a 4 word vocabulary at this point - Mama, Dada, Joe, and dog (said with a significant hick twang to it - like 'dawwwg'). And he refuses to mimic sounds for some reason. This kid just has a mind of his own and wants to do things in his own time. If he doesn't want to say something, he isn't going to say it. But he sure can understand words. His favorite phrase is "Mama Milk" which is also his favorite treat, and you can say this to him in the middle of a huge hysterical meltdown and it brings instant smiles - but most be followed through on or then we're in for big trouble. He also knows the word "No" quite well, although often shows signs of selective hearing with this particular word. And he knows "outside" and "Bye-bye" pretty well too. So, it's not an issue of not hearing well or comprehending, it's an issue of stubborness I think. I'm sure in a month's time, I'll be begging him to shut up. We were concerned with the walking, but that sure has resolved itself - he's running everywhere now, and I know the same will hold true for the talking.

So, his next check-up shouldn't be until 2 years old, but they want to see him again in 2 months to check on his weight gain and vocab development, which I'm sure will be perfect by that time.
So, wish me luck in our eating and speaking adventures! I've just ordered the books "Deceptively Delicious," which has recipes for sneaking veggies into yummy meals to trick kids into eating them, and "Toddler Cafe" which promises to get even the pickiest toddler to eat healthy - I'll believe that when I see it.