11 years ago
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Birth and first week stories
Here's the short story of Nathan's birth. It's not likely there will be a longer one, because the birth happened too quickly! But, it is a long post.
The next day, I felt like I was run over by a train. My back is super sore (though it wasn't at all in pain in labor), and I have some streaks on my arms where it looks like small blood vessels or capillaries burst. Since my epidural was not a continuous drip, it wore off very quickly. I never lost all feeling, and could always wiggle my toes and feel hot/cold sensations. I really liked this. Overall, I recovered much more quickly than with Camden in every way.
Nathan had a more difficult time. Because he had such a fast delivery, a lot of fluid stayed in his lungs and he couldn't breathe well. The doctor did several tests, one of which measures the likelihood of infections. A normal score is 0, a sick kid is usually around 2 or 3, and Nathan was at 8. There were a few causes: meningitis (which requires a 2 week IV antibiotic treatment) or another type of infection, which we would learn about from the blood cultures.
On Sunday, the pediatrician came in and did a spinal tap to see if he had meningitis. She stuck a needle into Nathan's spine to try and get the clear fluid out. After 4 failed attempts, she stopped. I was in the room, but the doctor and nurses blocked my view. The next step was to wait for the blood culture results. Each day, they checked a sample of Nate's blood to see if anything was growing in it. Thankfully, they didn't find anything. They did another chest x-ray and saw that his lungs were still murky. Then we learned he had pneumonia.
Over the next few days, Nate was on and off oxygen, but by Wednesday or Thursday, he was all the way off. We were looking forward to coming home on Saturday, even if we couldn't leave until 9:30 or 10:00, after his evening dose. I knew Camden was doing well with my mom, but still very confused about all that was happening. I wanted to come home. I was able to come home around dinner time, but it got harder for me to go back to the hospital each time.
On Saturday, I felt so excited that the day had finally arrived. When I went into the nursery, around 1:00 pm, I had taken about 2 steps through the door when the nurse told me they'd put him back on oxygen. I burst into tears because I knew he couldn't go home if he'd been on oxygen within 24 hours of his discharge time. They said that Nathan had been "desatting", which means his oxygen saturations dropped too low. I felt devastated. A different pediatrician said we needed to wait at least one day, possibly 3-4 days, or even longer. I felt exhausted and frustrated. After Brian came, I decided I needed to go home for a longer time. This really helped me to relax and enjoy my family at home.
I went back to the hospital that night. In the morning, a different pediatrician came into my room and said we could take Nathan home on oxygen. I asked him "when?" and he said "today." I felt all good emotions all at once. Do you remember the talk--I think Elder Wirthlin gave it--about how Sunday would come? How, after the darkness and anguish Christ suffered in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, the miracle of the resurrection occurred? This is how I felt. And, coincidentally, it was even Sunday. And, the sun was shining in my room.
Throughout this week, Nathan has been on oxygen. The monitor is a little annoying at night, but I'll take it any day over being in the hospital. He looked so much like Camden at first, but he's changing into his own little person. He's super sleepy still. He eats well and hardly ever cries, at least so far. :)
This post is quite long enough. New pictures will come in the next few days.
On Friday, there was a funeral in our ward that I had agreed to play the piano for, if the baby hadn't come yet. Since Camden so kindly waited to come until after my school choir performance at Abravanel Hall, I thought maybe Nathan would wait until after the funeral. Anyway, that's a little side note.
On Saturday morning, I noticed liquid leaking more than usual, but didn't think too much about it. I cut Brian's hair, went on a walk, and went to Home Depot. I noticed that the liquid was not stopping, so I told Brian that I thought my water had broken. There were no contractions, and I wasn't uncomfortable, so we just sort of went about our day. I did call my mom and let her know.
At about 12:30 or 12:45, I was in the living room watching Jungle Book with Brian and Camden, and I heard a pop and felt a bigger gush of fluid. I ran to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Within 10-15 minutes, I was having hard contractions. Brian told me they were 2-3 minutes apart, for about 45 seconds each. I felt miserable--hot and cold and weak, like when I pass out. The rest is quite a blur to me, at least as far as the timing. I know Brian put Camden in his bed and we had to use his cars towel for his blanket because his blanket was dirty. I know Brian called my dear friend Brittny to come watch Camden. Brian also called our doula, Angie, who happened to be 45 minutes away from our house. I know we drove to the hospital, and that contractions were quite terrible in the car. I had one contraction right before I got out of the car, one half way to the door, another in the elevator, and another right outside the elevator. With the last one, I got down on my hands and knees to see if it would help the pain. A nurse went to get a wheel chair, made Brian stay to do the paperwork, and took me past triage to a delivery room. My midwife was about 30 minutes away.
By this time, I was dilated to 8, 100% effaced. I needed to get my GBS antibiotics in asap, but the nurse kept telling me to not move. I tried, but the contractions were so fast and so strong. They kept telling me not to push, but it was out of my control. The anesthesiologist was able to get an epidural in, which really helped, even if it was for a short time. Someone said that it lengthened my labor by only 20 minutes. That time allowed the first dose of antibiotics to get in me. 12 minutes of pushing later, Nathan was born. From the pop of the water breaking to birth was just about 2.5 hours. What a day!
The next day, I felt like I was run over by a train. My back is super sore (though it wasn't at all in pain in labor), and I have some streaks on my arms where it looks like small blood vessels or capillaries burst. Since my epidural was not a continuous drip, it wore off very quickly. I never lost all feeling, and could always wiggle my toes and feel hot/cold sensations. I really liked this. Overall, I recovered much more quickly than with Camden in every way.
Nathan had a more difficult time. Because he had such a fast delivery, a lot of fluid stayed in his lungs and he couldn't breathe well. The doctor did several tests, one of which measures the likelihood of infections. A normal score is 0, a sick kid is usually around 2 or 3, and Nathan was at 8. There were a few causes: meningitis (which requires a 2 week IV antibiotic treatment) or another type of infection, which we would learn about from the blood cultures.
On Sunday, the pediatrician came in and did a spinal tap to see if he had meningitis. She stuck a needle into Nathan's spine to try and get the clear fluid out. After 4 failed attempts, she stopped. I was in the room, but the doctor and nurses blocked my view. The next step was to wait for the blood culture results. Each day, they checked a sample of Nate's blood to see if anything was growing in it. Thankfully, they didn't find anything. They did another chest x-ray and saw that his lungs were still murky. Then we learned he had pneumonia.
Over the next few days, Nate was on and off oxygen, but by Wednesday or Thursday, he was all the way off. We were looking forward to coming home on Saturday, even if we couldn't leave until 9:30 or 10:00, after his evening dose. I knew Camden was doing well with my mom, but still very confused about all that was happening. I wanted to come home. I was able to come home around dinner time, but it got harder for me to go back to the hospital each time.
On Saturday, I felt so excited that the day had finally arrived. When I went into the nursery, around 1:00 pm, I had taken about 2 steps through the door when the nurse told me they'd put him back on oxygen. I burst into tears because I knew he couldn't go home if he'd been on oxygen within 24 hours of his discharge time. They said that Nathan had been "desatting", which means his oxygen saturations dropped too low. I felt devastated. A different pediatrician said we needed to wait at least one day, possibly 3-4 days, or even longer. I felt exhausted and frustrated. After Brian came, I decided I needed to go home for a longer time. This really helped me to relax and enjoy my family at home.
I went back to the hospital that night. In the morning, a different pediatrician came into my room and said we could take Nathan home on oxygen. I asked him "when?" and he said "today." I felt all good emotions all at once. Do you remember the talk--I think Elder Wirthlin gave it--about how Sunday would come? How, after the darkness and anguish Christ suffered in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, the miracle of the resurrection occurred? This is how I felt. And, coincidentally, it was even Sunday. And, the sun was shining in my room.
Throughout this week, Nathan has been on oxygen. The monitor is a little annoying at night, but I'll take it any day over being in the hospital. He looked so much like Camden at first, but he's changing into his own little person. He's super sleepy still. He eats well and hardly ever cries, at least so far. :)
This post is quite long enough. New pictures will come in the next few days.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Pictures
We'll keep you updated on what's going on, but here are some pictures of our new little guy.
Coming home!
The doctor came in this morning, woke me up, and told me we get to come home today! Nathan will be on oxygen for at least a week. I couldn't have asked for a better way to wake up today!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Little poem.....
Here's a silly little limerick about an experience sometime last night or this morning. Enjoy!
I sit in the newborn nurs’ry
With my pneumonia baby
An IV in his arm
Now far from worst harm
He sleeps in his bed peacefully
Doc orders ‘wet diapers’ all day.
Feed, feed, feed him! Don’t just play!
I suddenly feel
Warm wetness that’s real
Down my stomach it makes its way
I laugh and I cheer for my boy
A change never brought me such joy
And when I am done
I hear ‘nother one
Clean blanket and diaper destroyed.
PS We get to go back off the IV fluids because, as one nurse said, "He's peeing like a racehorse!' (Which is exactly what we want.)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Dad and brothers
Here's a little update... Camden finally got to meet Nathan today! He climbed up on the bed and said "Nate". He didn't seem overly interested in the baby, but he did try to give him a drink of water. He liked to look at Nathan's toes and gave Nathan an eskimo kiss (except he touched Nathan's forehead).
Little guy is back in the nursery on IV fluids for now. The antibiotic he is on can be really hard on kidneys if he doesn't get enough fluids. So, even though he is eating pretty well for a 3 day old, he's not getting enough fluids to keep him extra-hydrated. But, he's been off oxygen since yesterday, and he is looking really good. Only 4 more days until we can come home! I feel so grateful for all your prayers, wonderful doctors and nurses, and my mom and my dear Brian.
Little guy is back in the nursery on IV fluids for now. The antibiotic he is on can be really hard on kidneys if he doesn't get enough fluids. So, even though he is eating pretty well for a 3 day old, he's not getting enough fluids to keep him extra-hydrated. But, he's been off oxygen since yesterday, and he is looking really good. Only 4 more days until we can come home! I feel so grateful for all your prayers, wonderful doctors and nurses, and my mom and my dear Brian.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Baby Nathan
Monday, May 9, 2011
Love at Home
Every year on Mothers' Day our ward gives all of the women the day off from their callings. Because of this, I usually spend some time in primary trying to figure out how children work, and, since I'm the only man that plays the organ in the ward, I always play the organ for sacrament meeting. For some reason we always sing the same opening and closing songs: Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth, and Love at Home.
The bad news is that Love at Home is one of my least favorite hymns in the hymn book. Sure, it has a great message, but it is usually abused. People use it to reprimand others for not acting they way they think they should, and it is usually sung slower than the low end tempo recommended in the hymn book. The worst part is the last half of the song. Those long notes can really just drag. Did you know there is not a single whole note in the entire song? Yet, for some reason, it is the only song that people actually sing an entire whole note. Even when it is written as a whole note in other songs, people always stop singing after 2 or 3 counts, but not on this one.
The good news? As long as it is considered a Mothers' Day song, we will most likely only sing it once a year. Also, as many of you know, the organist is completely in control of the tempo of congregational singing. Some say it's the chorister, but that's only if the organist follows the chorister. The congregation isn't going to fight against the organ no matter what the chorister's arm is doing. I always play the song close to the upper end of the listed tempo range, and if the chorister tries to slow it down, I keep going until I've established how stubborn I'm going to be about the whole thing. I'm not going too fast according to the listed tempo. I'm simply playing the song as it is supposed to be played. I feel I'm much better off than when it is played slower than the listed, low-end tempo. While rests are important in every song, they are crucial in this song. That's one of the things that makes the song drag. I observe all dotted half-notes and quarter rests. After the first few times of singing without the organ, people get the hint and stop singing whole notes.
I have found that, by doing this, I am no longer bothered by this song. Instead of focusing on the pain of music-induced lethargy, I can actually think about the message of the song and recognize the importance of it. I agree with and believe the message shared in this song, and I'm thankful I've been able to see it. I'm still not to the point that a slow or reprimanding rendition of the song won't override my focus on the message, but I'm honestly working on it.
I apologize to anyone in my ward that might think I'm rushing a beautiful song, but I really can't handle it any other way. I assure you I'm still not going as far as I would like to. Did you know this song is extremely beautiful in a minor key? I don't think I'll be doing that one in sacrament meeting, but I recommend trying it out. I think you'll be surprised how great it is.
The bad news is that Love at Home is one of my least favorite hymns in the hymn book. Sure, it has a great message, but it is usually abused. People use it to reprimand others for not acting they way they think they should, and it is usually sung slower than the low end tempo recommended in the hymn book. The worst part is the last half of the song. Those long notes can really just drag. Did you know there is not a single whole note in the entire song? Yet, for some reason, it is the only song that people actually sing an entire whole note. Even when it is written as a whole note in other songs, people always stop singing after 2 or 3 counts, but not on this one.
The good news? As long as it is considered a Mothers' Day song, we will most likely only sing it once a year. Also, as many of you know, the organist is completely in control of the tempo of congregational singing. Some say it's the chorister, but that's only if the organist follows the chorister. The congregation isn't going to fight against the organ no matter what the chorister's arm is doing. I always play the song close to the upper end of the listed tempo range, and if the chorister tries to slow it down, I keep going until I've established how stubborn I'm going to be about the whole thing. I'm not going too fast according to the listed tempo. I'm simply playing the song as it is supposed to be played. I feel I'm much better off than when it is played slower than the listed, low-end tempo. While rests are important in every song, they are crucial in this song. That's one of the things that makes the song drag. I observe all dotted half-notes and quarter rests. After the first few times of singing without the organ, people get the hint and stop singing whole notes.
I have found that, by doing this, I am no longer bothered by this song. Instead of focusing on the pain of music-induced lethargy, I can actually think about the message of the song and recognize the importance of it. I agree with and believe the message shared in this song, and I'm thankful I've been able to see it. I'm still not to the point that a slow or reprimanding rendition of the song won't override my focus on the message, but I'm honestly working on it.
I apologize to anyone in my ward that might think I'm rushing a beautiful song, but I really can't handle it any other way. I assure you I'm still not going as far as I would like to. Did you know this song is extremely beautiful in a minor key? I don't think I'll be doing that one in sacrament meeting, but I recommend trying it out. I think you'll be surprised how great it is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)