Cooper doesn't sleep. We have taken him to the doctor three times already to try and determine what is wrong. He eats well, he is gaining weight, he doesn't cry a lot but he never fucking sleeps. Paul is taking him for me as much as he can but he got stuck working 12 hour days this week so there is only so much he can do. How long can a person go without sleep? Even when he does sleep it is only in my arms or Paul's arms and when we put him down he sleeps for 5 minutes and then wakes up pissed off. Suggestions? Help, please, I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I've had maybe 8 hours of sleep this entire week and that's probably a generous guess.
And do NOT tell me that this is normal newborn behaviour. It is not. Normal newborns average 16 hours of sleep per day, Cooper is averaging two.
26 June 2009
23 June 2009
Cooper Isaak
Hey Folks, I'm sorry that I haven't updated everyone. Cooper is two weeks old tolday, he has been home since last Wednesday and he appears to be doing very well. Unfortunately he is not a happy boy, the doctor thinks that he has really bad acid reflux and has started on medicine but it may be a few days before he feels better if that is indeed his problem. He is an adorable boy and we are totally in love but he is...difficult. Some days he sleeps nothing more than the odd catnap on our chests. Meanwhile I'm still trying to heal up and Paul is back at work - neither of which are easy when we get no sleep.
Anyway, we will update you as soon as we can but that is why we haven't been around in any way. Like I said, Cooper is a beautiful boy and appears to be recovering very nicely from his premature birth and stay in the NICU but things are extremely difficult around here due to the circumstances that I mentioned and the fact that we don't know anyone to help us at all here.
I hope this makes sense :p
Anyway, we will update you as soon as we can but that is why we haven't been around in any way. Like I said, Cooper is a beautiful boy and appears to be recovering very nicely from his premature birth and stay in the NICU but things are extremely difficult around here due to the circumstances that I mentioned and the fact that we don't know anyone to help us at all here.
I hope this makes sense :p
15 June 2009
15 days early but still perfect
On Tuesday June 9th at 9:25 pm I had an emergency C-section and Cooper Isaak was born into this world (Isaak was my paternal grandfather's name). He was 5 pounds 1 ounce and 17.5 inches. I was discharged from the hospital on Friday but our Cooper is still in the NICU. He appears to be doing fairly well but will need to stay there for a bit yet. We have lots of pictures but not much energy or time to get them from the camera to the computer. The NICU is 45 minutes away in good traffic so we spend the day with him and then go home and crash.
We are totally in love and all the pain and scariness and as-yet-unknown cost is so totally worth it. Being a mom is just as wonderful as I always knew it would be.
I will update lots more as my pain diminishes and once our boy is home. Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts!
We are totally in love and all the pain and scariness and as-yet-unknown cost is so totally worth it. Being a mom is just as wonderful as I always knew it would be.
I will update lots more as my pain diminishes and once our boy is home. Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts!
08 June 2009
Heading to the Hospital
Well, here we go. We went to the doctor today and my blood pressure was 150/90 and the baby is only in the 11th percentile of growth. Baby's head is normal size but his little body is two weeks behind his head which is an indicator that he is no longer getting what he needs, nutrient-wise. It is possible that the placenta has decided to slowly stop working here because of the placental hemorrhage that I had around Christmas - quite common apparently that women who get the hemorrhage have a weakened placenta.
Anyway, so far there is no particular indication that the baby has any serious health problems, although that is not necessarily a for sure (never is, really, though) and so it's not a 'let's get this baby out now' kind of thing but more of a 'let's get the ball rolling and see how he does' since I'm already considered full term and neither baby or I are doing the way we should.
We go in at around midnight to be induced but the baby has not dropped and I'm not dilated or anything so they expect the induction to be a slow process and thus a C-section is not impossible.
I'm kind of freaking out and my fingers are numb so I hope this all makes sense. Will post when I can.
Thanks for all of your support up until now!
Anyway, so far there is no particular indication that the baby has any serious health problems, although that is not necessarily a for sure (never is, really, though) and so it's not a 'let's get this baby out now' kind of thing but more of a 'let's get the ball rolling and see how he does' since I'm already considered full term and neither baby or I are doing the way we should.
We go in at around midnight to be induced but the baby has not dropped and I'm not dilated or anything so they expect the induction to be a slow process and thus a C-section is not impossible.
I'm kind of freaking out and my fingers are numb so I hope this all makes sense. Will post when I can.
Thanks for all of your support up until now!
02 June 2009
Yes, I'm still pregnant for God's sake.
I'm totally aware that I am not posting at least once a week. And, to be honest, I probably won't until the first few weeks of baby's life outside my uterus are over. The last month of pregnancy is very exciting but very tiring too. Let me answer a couple of questions though:
A) Baby is doing okay. We had a biophysical profile today (which is both a pain and pretty neat) and will have one every week until boy decides to come out or the doctor decides that he needs to come out. Baby boy is quite small and his body is not quite as well developed as his head so they are trying to determine exactly why that is and make sure that that does not mean that he is in jeopardy of any sort. As of today he was doing well. Just wee.
B) I am doing fine. I'm struggling to work for as long as I can (we're 37 weeks on Wednesday 6/3) since I get no actual maternity leave and we need every cent that we can get, Lord knows. I feel generally okay though except for extreme fatigue, which is very normal and the carpal tunnel syndrome which makes me sort of a slave to the sensation level I'm getting in my fingers. Poor Paul has to open all bottles and things like that for me. When he's not here I'm somewhat helpless in regards to anything that requires fine motor skills. And he's stuck covering someone else's vacation this week so he's working 4-midnight which means we barely see each other and I'm pretty much pathetic. It could be worse though, a lot of my other normal symptoms sort of come and go but are not constant which makes them bearable. Oh, and it's 100 degrees (like...35 ish is my best guess without bothering to look it up) outside which is the extreme suck.
C) The to-do list is very slightly smaller than it was although I still cannot imagine getting it done. I'm trying not to panic about getting it all done, but when I do manage to slow down the panic about that then I start panicking about the pain of labor and delivery. This is all normal, though, I know!
D) If any of you have any suggestions for things that helped you in these last few weeks or things that you wish you would have avoided or things that you really appreciated having at the hospital or anything like that I would love to hear them!
A) Baby is doing okay. We had a biophysical profile today (which is both a pain and pretty neat) and will have one every week until boy decides to come out or the doctor decides that he needs to come out. Baby boy is quite small and his body is not quite as well developed as his head so they are trying to determine exactly why that is and make sure that that does not mean that he is in jeopardy of any sort. As of today he was doing well. Just wee.
B) I am doing fine. I'm struggling to work for as long as I can (we're 37 weeks on Wednesday 6/3) since I get no actual maternity leave and we need every cent that we can get, Lord knows. I feel generally okay though except for extreme fatigue, which is very normal and the carpal tunnel syndrome which makes me sort of a slave to the sensation level I'm getting in my fingers. Poor Paul has to open all bottles and things like that for me. When he's not here I'm somewhat helpless in regards to anything that requires fine motor skills. And he's stuck covering someone else's vacation this week so he's working 4-midnight which means we barely see each other and I'm pretty much pathetic. It could be worse though, a lot of my other normal symptoms sort of come and go but are not constant which makes them bearable. Oh, and it's 100 degrees (like...35 ish is my best guess without bothering to look it up) outside which is the extreme suck.
C) The to-do list is very slightly smaller than it was although I still cannot imagine getting it done. I'm trying not to panic about getting it all done, but when I do manage to slow down the panic about that then I start panicking about the pain of labor and delivery. This is all normal, though, I know!
D) If any of you have any suggestions for things that helped you in these last few weeks or things that you wish you would have avoided or things that you really appreciated having at the hospital or anything like that I would love to hear them!
25 May 2009
Current Top Pregnancy Symptoms: Numb hands, Sore neck and Severe Need to Nest
Yikes, I'm supposed to update at least once a week here, but holy moly there is so much to do and I'm still at the tail end of my cold or flu or whatever it is, we're only 4 1/2 weeks away and my pregnancy induced carpal tunnel makes typing really painful. I'm freaking out a little, I must admit.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is our 36 week ultrasound and we are hoping and praying that the baby is not actually transverse as has been suspected. We also take Smeagol in for yet another lime-sulfur dip and have to go renew the tags on the cars and have other errands to do and then more baby prep to do when we get home and that's the way every day goes around here these days. We realize that there will be a whole different level of busy-ness after the baby is born but right now it's like there is this firm, scary deadline to get to and everything has to be in place before it arrives and that is kind of terrifying.
Things are progressing though, if slowly. Much baby prep is done already though, my immigration paperwork has been received at USDHS, Smeagol's spay is done and the to-do list is getting smaller...that's the good news.
Friday we get a baby shower too! Paul's work has decided to throw a shower for he and I and I'm very excited - although nervous because I haven't even met most of these people. I'm really touched though that they are doing this because they genuinely like my hubby and want the best for him, and hey, some cake and a few gifts will be appreciated too.
Hands numb...later.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is our 36 week ultrasound and we are hoping and praying that the baby is not actually transverse as has been suspected. We also take Smeagol in for yet another lime-sulfur dip and have to go renew the tags on the cars and have other errands to do and then more baby prep to do when we get home and that's the way every day goes around here these days. We realize that there will be a whole different level of busy-ness after the baby is born but right now it's like there is this firm, scary deadline to get to and everything has to be in place before it arrives and that is kind of terrifying.
Things are progressing though, if slowly. Much baby prep is done already though, my immigration paperwork has been received at USDHS, Smeagol's spay is done and the to-do list is getting smaller...that's the good news.
Friday we get a baby shower too! Paul's work has decided to throw a shower for he and I and I'm very excited - although nervous because I haven't even met most of these people. I'm really touched though that they are doing this because they genuinely like my hubby and want the best for him, and hey, some cake and a few gifts will be appreciated too.
Hands numb...later.
14 May 2009
Hey, women who have been or are pregnant, answer a question for me, k?
This cold or flu thing or whatever it is that I have is getting maybe a bit better but I have this wracking cough that's painful and dry. It's only been for like 3 days so far so I don't want to fret about it and I wouldn't even think of it except for the 34 week old kid inside of me. I'll call my OB if I have to but I was hoping you all might have some advice or opinions...does my coughing hurt or bother baby? is there anything I can do to soothe the cough since I'm not supposed to take cough candy or decongestants or anything really?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
