ONE WEEK OLD!

Nevaeh is one week old already and Courtney is back to school believe it or not!  Here is a picture of Nevaeh sleeping on Mommy while she is studying!

You can see that Mommy has a heating pad on her belly.  The air bubble build up from the c-section is killing her and her legs and feet are swelling......but she makes it to school each day thanks to heavy duty pain killers.  She is determined to finish this class.  If she drops this class, then she has to wait out a whole 6 months until this class rolls around again.  She needs this class in order to move onto the field work next month! Good thing Nevaeh is such a content baby, so Mommy can study!

6 DAYS OLD- FIRST VISIT TO PEDIATRICIAN

Nevaeh had her first visit to the Pediatrician.  We were a bit worried because she only has one or two dirty diapers per day and her skin color looks a bit jaundice.  He reassured us that Nevaeh is a healthy baby with no jaundice and one or two dirty diapers for a formula fed baby is normal!  Nevaeh has dropped another ounce....down to 7lbs. 2oz. but he said it is normal during the first week after birth.  From this point on, she should start gaining weight.   Here's the little papoose all swaddled up for the evening.  She is such a good baby!!!!

5 DAYS OLD

The first night home went pretty smooth!  Nevaeh is a VERY content baby.  Mommy and Daddy are very lucky.  Last night, she woke up twice.  She slept a 3 hour stint and a 4.5 hour stint last night.  During the day, we had to wake her in order to feed her every 4 hours.  If we didn't wake her, I am not sure how long it would take for her to wake up hungry!!!  We ventured out for her newborn pictures here are a few (I took a picture of a picture!)  Once the CD comes in, I will post the rest. 

4 Days Old- Home At Last!

Mommy and Nevaeh were discharged from the hospital this morning!  (Woot!)  Nevaeh is doing GREAT!  She left the hospital weighing in at 7lbs. 3oz. and has lost the swelling from the delivery.  So far, she is a calm baby with a sweet disposition.  She rarely cries, unless she is being poked at by the nurses, needs fed or has a dirty diaper.  Other than that, she sleeps or looks around with wonderment! She is taking about 2 oz. of lactose free formula for sensitive tummies.  The regular formula did not agree with her so the NICU nurses switched her after a few projectile spit ups!  Grandma (me) was the first one to get initiated and then daddy!  Mommy has to continue with her lovenox shots for 12 more days to ensure that she doesn't get a blood clot.  Then she has to take a low dose aspirin everyday for the rest of her life due to the MTHFR blood issues!  Here are some pictures of our day!

My favorite picture!!!

No, wait....this may be my favorite picture!

Tired Daddy!

4 Generations! Great Grandma Martin, Grandma Dason, Mommy and Nevaeh!

First visitors to hold Baby Vaeh!  Great Uncle Ajay and Great Aunt Magda

Your cousin, Adriana

3 DAYS OLD- HOSPITAL

3 DAYS OLD- Feeding tube was removed last night at the 9PM feeding. Nevaeh is in Mommy's room all day now!  The hospital did a car seat check and bath time training is at 5:30!  All signs point to going home tomorrow!!!  I think this picture looks like the 26 week ultrasound posted on the blog side bar.  What do you think?

First sleeper purchased and first "outfit" worn.  How appropriate not to mention simply adorable!

NICU DAY 2

Look at all that hair!

Happy Mommy.  Smiling through her pain!

Ahhhh, Daddy time!

Proud Great Grandma Martin

NICU VIDEO

BIRTH PICTURES!!!!

 

 One hour old. (Pictures taken from the NICU window)

 

12 hours old!  Look at those cheeks!  You can see the bruising on her hands in this picture.  She also has severe bruising on her feet.  The NICU nurses think it is due to being stuck in the birth canal and that it will heal just fine.  In just 12 hours, the bruising looks much better!  Today at 2:00, she may get her first bottle feeding.  With her fever breaking last night,  if other test results come back normal, and if she takes to the bottle feeding, she may get to come home when Mommy is discharged from the hospital in the next few days!  (Woot!)

LABOR AND DELIVERY PICTURES!

Last belly picture!

Mommy and Daddy

Mommy, Grandma Dason and Great Grandma Martin (Aunt Haley in the background)

Mommy and Grandpa Dason

Nevaeh's birth date and time is very special because it falls on Great Grandpa Dason's birthday (3/9) and Great Grandma Richards' birthday (3/10).....How????  Kentucky is one hour behind Ohio, so when Nevaeh was born at 11:25pm Kentucky time, it was 12:25 am Ohio time!  HOW COOL IS THAT!?

Blog update:  I also found out that 3/9 and 3/10 are birthdays of your Great Great Grandma and Grandpa on Grandma (Paula) Baker's side!  (Your Grandma Baker's grandparents!)

36w4d- INDUCTION HAS BEGUN!

I will be updating this post throughout the induction so keep checking back:

3/09/10- Nevaeh should be full term measuring 37w5d according to ultrasounds.

2:15 am- Induction started with Cytotec to ripen the cervix and induce labor. The pill was broken into 4 pieces and one was placed next to her cervix.  This will happen every few hours until the cervix is ready for labor! Courtney is already 1cm dilated!  Next check may not be until 6:00 am.....time to get some rest.

5:15- 2nd cytoteck and almost 2 cm dilated.   Had bleeding time tests to determine if clotting properly due to blood thinner shots. Failed the test twice so far due to blood being too thin, almost 2 cm dilated good contractions shooting between 60 to 90

8:15 high risk for epidural due to thin blood, so they were ready to do a C-Section if she didn't clot properly.....Luckily all went well.

8:30- OB came in to break her water, but he said she WASN'T dilated????? (We think he has short, fat fingers!).   No luck breaking the water this time.  Contractions around 110 range and in a regular pattern about 2-3 minutes apart! Will try again around noon. This is going to be a LONG day!

9:00- Mommy was fingerprinted for the baby's birth certificate!

9:15 Oxytocin (Pitocin) started!  Let the big contractions begin!!

12:00- Completely thinned, 1 cm. dilated and baby is engaged at-2 station, OB broke her water!  Courtney's goal is to be 2cm at 3:00 and 4cm by 5:00 or he will start talking C-Section.  Pray for her and the baby!

3:00- Making progress  :-)  She is 2 to 3 cm. dilated (3 during contractions).  The baby is still at -2 station, but the cervix is coming down to anterior position.....which the nurse says is a good thing!  The nurse is happy with the progress this time and so is the OB!.  We do have a worry about Courtney's heart rate.  Her heart rate has been between 100-140 since the beginning of induction....could be the blood thinners or could be a potential heart problem for her to check if the rate does not go back to normal after birth. She would have to see a cardiologist.  We are hoping she is just stressed out over all of this! Next check is 5:00!

5:00- 4 cm. dilated and 100% effaced, -2 station!  Making slow but steady progress.  The nurse will check Courtney again at 7pm.

7:00 - 5 to 6 cm. (6 during a contraction and bearing down), -1 station!  Contractions shooting up to the 120s and 2-3 minutes apart! The epidural has numbed Courtney's belly and left leg, but not the right.  She can feel the contractions on the right side.  They gave her a booster.  Hopefully it will take hold on both sides.  Fever of 102 and given antibiotics.

8:30- Mucus plug is out. and  6.5 cm.  dilated.  The epidural is not working to its full effect even with an extra boost. Courtney is having a lot of pain during contractions.  Baby is at -1 station.  Fever down to 100.2.

9:30- The rest of the birth story is a bit of a blur because it happened sooooo fast.  The OB checked Courtney and she was complete and ready to push!  At 9:45 the practice pushing started, along with other things.  Courtney vomited about 6 times and had uncontrollable shakes and chills.  The nurses chalked it up to nerves and hormones and said it was normal.  Courtney's instincts took over and insisted that something was seriously wrong....but no one would listen to her even with a high heart rate and fever.  She tried her best to do the practice pushes, but found it very difficult to concentrate on the pushing while chilling and vomiting at the same time....not to mention she was exhausted by this point because the epidural had worn off several hours ago!  By 11:00 that evening the OB decided that Courtney needed help pushing the baby out so he put a head suction cup on Nevaeh to help pull her out of the birth canal.  After several unsuccessful attempts, he realized that the baby was stuck in the birth canal.....so an emergency c-section was preformed.  The OB actually had to put Courtney to sleep in order to get the job done quickly and Mike was only able to view behind a glass!  It was over an hour before we got to see Courtney in recovery and Nevaeh in the NICU.  Both Mommy and Baby had high fevers. Courtney 102 and Nevaeh 104.  The OB said it must have been from the UTI/Kidney infections that Courtney has been dealing with this whole pregnancy!

11:25 pm- Nevaeh Grace was born weighing in at 7lbs 8oz. and 18 inches long!  Other than the high fever, she is a healthy baby!!!!

36w3d- 6 HOURS TO GO!

In six hours, we will be calling the hospital before heading out to be sure a bed is available on the Labor and Delivery floor for the induction!  In my next post, I will start updating all of you on how she is doing once the induction starts.  I will keep revisiting the same post and adding updates until we have a sweet little baby in our arms!

Until then, pray for Mommy and Baby!

36w2d- LAST SHOT!

Here's Courtney taking her last Lovenox shot!  She was so excited about it that the shot didn't even sting!

In 24 hours we will be at the hospital!  WOOT!

36w1d- Labor and Delivery

Courtney had an OB visit... blood pressure is 100/62 and believe it or not, no weight gain again in the last 3 weeks!  Still holding at 17 lbs. total.  The belly keeps getting bigger, but Courtney seems to be losing in other places.  I think she looks thinner in her face and arms!  Lucky girl!

Courtney was very uncomfortable during the internal check that it brought tears to her eyes.  She is still having extreme back pain. The cervix is still thinning but not dilating and the baby's head is engaged.  The OB can feel the head down low!  He decided to have Courtney go to Labor and Delivery for a non-stress test.  If the baby was under any stress, he said he was going to take her (induce) this weekend rather than wait until Tuesday.  Courtney stopped her blood thinners just encase!  YIKES!  Needless to say, our 7 hour drive started a little sooner than we originally planned!

 

The car seat and baby bag is ready!

Such a trooper!

Contractions shooting up to the 60 and 70 marks- Due to an irritable uterus!!

Luckily, Nevaeh is not under any stress!  The heartbeat was ranging from 140s during rest up to 180s when trying to kick the monitors off the belly!  Since the baby is doing well, Courtney was given meds to calm the uterus and contractions.  He is hoping Courtney holds out until Tuesday's induction!  The longer Nevaeh stays in Mommy, the healthier she will be when she is born....even if it is only a few days!

Speaking of induction, Courtney will be admitted just after midnight on Monday, which is really Tuesday  morning at 12:01am.  This way, she gets a full day out of the hospital stay since they will be charged for a full day.  If she were admitted to the hospital at 11:57 pm on Monday night, they would be billed for Monday as well!  The kids have to call the hospital on Monday around 11PM to make sure there is a bed available before they head to the hospital!  The OB, said the chances are good that a bed will be available!  BETTER BE!  

Courtney had to start her Lovenox shots again.....Her last shot is Sunday night!  4 more days until the induction!

We love you baby Veah!

Grandma Dason

36 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Nevaeh,

Mommy is 36 weeks pregnant but you are still measuring ahead....closer to 37 weeks.  According to babycenter.com you are close to being full term! This means that if you arrive now, your lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb! We are guessing you weigh 6 3/4 pounds and measure a bit over 19 inches, head to heel. You should have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long!  We can see it in your ultrasounds! We wonder what color it will be.  Mommy has dark hair and Daddy had light blond hair when he was little.  5 more days until you are born due to an induction!!!!  WOW!!!!

Here's Mommy at 36 weeks pregnant!

Love,

Grandma Dason

35w3d- MORE LIKE 36w4d (According to Ultrasound)

Dear Nevaeh,

One week from today, Mommy will be induced!!!!  By then, since you are measuring ahead, you should be 37w4d........I AM HAVING A HARD TIME CONCENTRATING AT WORK JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU! 

Love you! 
Grandma Dason

35w3d-TABLE?

Look....No Hands! LOL

35w2d- A 100 YEAR RECORD BROKEN!

Dear Nevaeh,

As I write this, February 2010 is coming to a close, while breaking a 100 year record for snow amounts in one month.  30.1 inches of snow fell with storm after snow storm in central Ohio!  I am sooooo tired of the snow!

It brings a smile to my face to think that tomorrow is MARCH!  I have waited 9 long months for MARCH and here it is! And soon YOU will be here toooooo!-----9 MORE DAYS!

Love,
Grandma Dason

35w1d- DAYDREAMING!

Dear Nevaeh,

One week from today, G.G. Martin and I will be driving the long 7 hour trip to see your Mommy and Daddy!  We will be helping them get ready for your arrival!!!  Only 10 more days until the induction!  I stare at your ultrasound pictures all the time.  I am totally in love with you already.....You are a beautiful baby....I can't wait to kiss that cute little face of yours!  So far, you remind me of your Mommy!

By the way, yesterday was Grandpa Dason's 46th birthday.   He can't wait to hold you and SPOIL you!

Love, Grandma Dason

35 WEEKS- BARE BELLY PICTURE!

I added the 33 week belly picture for comparison.  Courtney only gained 1 lb. over the two week period....Nevaeh is packing on the weight.....just look at the difference in the belly!

 Here's a side view of the belly at 35 weeks.  Please excuse the stretch marks!!  (Darn genetics.....Courtney can blame me!)  The belly button has not popped yet!  Luckily all 17 lbs. gained so far has gone straight to the belly.  From behind, you can't tell she is pregnant!  Courtney also wanted me to point out that these are her pre-pregnancy jeans that still fit up over her bottom and around her waist!

35 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!! OMG!!!

Dear Nevaeh,

Your Mommy is 35 weeks pregnant now, but you are measuring 36 weeks!  Even though the doctor moved up your induction date by one week, I haven't changed the pregnancy ticker date, and I am not sure why?! You should still be packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. I bet you weigh over 6 lbs. to 6 1/2 lbs. by now and are more than 18 1/2 inches long! You are shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered your body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected your skin during these several months!  You are swallowing both of these substances, along with other secretions, which will result in a blackish mixture, called meconium....this will form the contents of your first bowel movement.  Speaking of this, Grandma has a confession....we are buying diapers weekly to help Mommy and Daddy out when you arrive......However, having the diapers here was simply tooooo much of a temptation.  I actually opened a pack of diapers, stared, touched and even sniffed them......yes, that's right, I actually sniffed the diapers.  Ahhh what a sweet baby smell!  Your Aunt Caitlin and Grandpa Dason think I am pathetic!  LOL!  I would rather think the waiting is getting the better of me!

You are in a head-down position and telling Mommy you are ready.....she is thinning out and has inconsistent braxton hicks contractions (more in her back!). Yesterday some of them hit the 60 mark when monitored while Mommy was in the Labor and Delivery unit for the stress test.  At the end of this week, you will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Please stay put until I get there next weekend....then you have my permission to come anytime, but I really want to be there and witness this miracle!

Mommy will send me a belly picture tomorrow!

Love, Grandma Dason