Happy One Month Birthday!

Dearest Kaitlyn,

Today you are one month old. Your daddy and I cannot believe how quickly this day has come and at the same time it seems as though you have always been here with us.

Your entrance into our family has forever changed our lives. We are so blessed and happy to have you as our daughter. Everything about you intrigues us, from your beautiful eyes to your head full of hair, to your long feet and hands and your expanding belly. You are perfect!

It has certainly been an adjustment having you here at home with us. When we first brought you home, the only one getting any sleep was you! :o) Mommy and Daddy would stay awake or in a very light sleep waiting for you to cry out that you needed us. We were so nervous to take care of you and worried that we wouldn't know what to do. After a few weeks though, we are becoming ole' pros, although still sleep deprived. We have been very blessed to have a lot of help, as well. Your daddy was able to take two weeks off to spend with you and me. Being back at work has been hard for him, but I send him pictures everyday so that he can see how cute you are! And he calls every couples of hours to see what you are up to and ask how we are doing. Your grandma took a week off after Daddy went back to work to help me and spend time with you. And for the last two weeks, your great grandma has been staying with us and has been spoiling you as much as she can. Your grandpa calls from Afghanistan every single day to check on you and see how you are doing. He can't wait to come home and spoil you rotten! You have had so many visitors come to see you and love on you. You are such a good baby, too. You love to snuggle and don't wake or fuss when we pass you from our loving arms to the next.

You are finally settling into somewhat of a routine. You like to eat every two to three hours during the day and are eating about 20 ounces a day, usually in eight or nine meals. You have been sleeping a little bit longer during the night and wake up around 2am and 6am to eat. By 8 or 9am, you are ready to get up and face the day. You are a good sleeper, and you are not bothered by noises or lights. The only thing that bothers you are the pesky blankets that we try to keep you covered with. You grunt and squirm until your hands are free and your legs are uncovered. You HAVE to have your hands near your face and have managed to only scratch yourself once or twice.

Sleeping in your bassinet.

Napping on the couch with Daddy.

You like bath time for the most part and will lay quietly in the tub while we wash you down. You love to kick your legs to splash the water and flail your arms around. We definitely think that you are going to be a water baby (much like I was when I was little).

As time has passed, we have become better at and more brave to take you out for road trips. At first you didn't like getting in your car seat and would cry until the car had been moving for awhile. Now you only protest when we are first buckling you in. You have been many places already. We have taken you to the doctor for lab draws, to Tamara and Carmen's baby shower, restaurants, Grandma's house, and shopping. You seem to like being on the go and only get fussy when it is time to eat. You only cry when you are hungry or bored, and now occasionally when you need changed. Or when you realize no one is holding you anymore. :)

Getting ready to go to the Pediatrician's for a check-up!

In your party dress to go to Tamara's shower.

You are also becoming more alert and active during the day. You love to swing in your swing and play on the play mat for short periods of time. You are so strong too!! We are continuously amazed by all the things that you can do. You can:

-Focus on faces. You especially love to look at your Grandma's face. :o)

-Respond to a noise in some way, such as starting, crying or quieting. You become very quiet when you hear your daddy's face and you turn your head to find him. Usually noises startle you and not scare you to where you cry.

-Lift your head 45 degrees when you are on your stomach. Mainly you do this when you are laying on someone rather than on the play mat. Your neck muscles are so strong and you can even hold your head upright on your own for short periods of time.

-Bring both hands together. You like to put them next to your face, of course.

-Smile in response to a smile. Your great grandma gets lots of these in the mornings. You also smile spontaneously, but we are not too sure that you know why you are smiling. It's probably still from gas. :o)

-Vocalize in ways other than crying. You like to talk to your self already.

We are so proud of all that you have accomplished this month and we can't wait to see what all you conquer in the days ahead. We know that you are going to continue to grow bigger, stronger and smarter. You are such a blessing to our family and we thank God that he gave you to us to raise. You are the light of our life, Kaitlyn, and we love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Countdown to Katie

FIRST TRIMESTER
Week 1-4: 0 lbs
Week 5-8: -1 lb
Week 9-13: -4 lbs

SECOND TRIMESTER
Week 14-17: -3 lbs
Week 18-21: -1 lb
Week 22-26: +6 lbs

THIRD TRIMESTER
Week 27-30: +12 lbs
Week 31-35: +14.5 lbs
Week 36-37: +16.6 lbs

Two Weeks Postpartum: -0.6 lbs!!!

Nine Months Postpartum: +11 lbs!!!

Twelve Months Postpartum: +/- 0 lbs!!!

Kaitlyn's First Hospitalization (January 2-4, 2010)

...and hopefully our last.

While we were in the hospital for delivery, they checked Kaitlyn's bilirubin levels. They told us Thursday, December 31st, that her levels the previous evening were a little high, around 7 at 24 hours of life. Her level should have been around 4, and she was in a high risk category at the time. The pediatrician wanted to recheck her levels before we were discharged home, and if it had come down some, she would discharge us with a follow up with her on Monday.

They drew her labs around 11am, and it had gone down some, but was still elevated at 10.8 at 42 hours of life. Dr. H said that we could go home, but to bring Katie in for a re-check of her bili level on Saturday.

Paul and I got up first thing Saturday morning (January 2nd) and loaded the baby into the car. Unfortunately, the hospital staff was not very coordinated at all, and we ended up waiting in the ER waiting room from 11am to 12:30pm. By that time, it was time for Katie to eat, and Paul had complained enough that they put us in a triage room to wait.

They drew her lab at 2pm and sent us home. By the time we got home, though, Dr. H had already gotten the lab results and called to let us know. Her voicemail said to call her back "as soon as possible" and that it was "pretty urgent." I had a feeling we weren't in for good news.

Dr. H said her bili level had almost doubled and was 25.5. She needed to have photo light therapy for hyperbilirubinemia as soon as possible, and she had already called some of the local hospitals to schedule Kaitlyn's admission. She was waiting on confirmation from the Downtown Children's Hospital, and Paul and I packed up everything we could think of to take while we awaited her call. Around 4:30pm, Dr. H called and instructed us to head to the NICU downtown.

Walking into the NICU with my daughter was one of the scariest things that I have had to do. It is frightening to see all the machines, wires, tubes and tiny isolettes with premature and sick children in them. Kaitlyn had her own private room for isolation, Room 14, as she was newborn and had not been screened for the flu and RSV. They started her on IV fluids and Sarah, her nurse, fed her the 1 oz of breast milk that I was able to pump before arriving at the hospital. Her bili level at 19:47 was 19.5. She was placed on triple light therapy, with two overhead lights and a bili blanket underneath her. She looked so tiny in her bed, and was only 5 lbs and 5 oz upon admission.


Paul and I stayed with my mom until 10pm, when Grandparent visitation was over. We headed to the house, and I woke up every 3 hours to pump for Katie. Mom went to the hospital at 8am on Sunday to sit with Katie until we were able to arrive. Sabrina, the nurse overnight, said that Katie did well and kept trying to remove her sunglasses. Her bili level at midnight was 16.1 and 14.4 at 08:05am. Her nurse, Cat, removed one of the bili lights at 09:40, and they placed her in between two bili blankets around 11:00am so that we could hold her and I could try to nurse.


They re-checked her bili level at 2pm, and it was 12.9mg/dl. This meant that she only had to wear one bili blanket, and we were able to graduate from the NICU to the Step Down Nursery! :o) Around 5pm, we transported to the Special Nursery and met our nurse, Jennifer. Paul and I were not very impressed with the Special nursery to say the least. They were not very welcoming and friendly like the NICU nurses were, and they were definitely not supportive of breastfeeding. Neither of our nurses knew how to use the breast pump in the lactation room and the room was unkempt with trash overflowing from the trash can. Paul and mom were able to get the Lactation Consultants to come and visit with me a few times, however, and we made a little bit of progress with Katie.

On Monday afternoon, the Nurse Practitioner came by to see us and said that we could go home. Her bili level was 12.5mg/dl overnight and her color was already looking better. We were discharged home around 3pm that afternoon.

Since we have been home, Kaitlyn has continued to thrive. She is eating well and making dirty diapers for us to change. :o) Her skin color is almost back to normal with her face a tad bit darker than her body. She isn't nearly as sleepy, a result of high bili levels, and she is eating easier than she was. She is not interested in learning how to breastfeed, at all, which has been very hard for me. I was soooo determined to breastfeed my little girl for as long as I could, but true to character, Katie likes to set her own rules. At this time we are giving her expressed breast milk as often as we can.

During our follow-up with our pediatrician Tuesday (Jan 5th), her bili level was 13.9. The doctor said not worry, however, and to make sure that she continues to eat/pee/poop. Our next appointment will be January 13th for her two week check-up.

We appreciate all the love and support from our friends and family. Without this, I don't know how we would have made it through.

Kaitlyn's Birth Story

Warning: This is probably pretty long for most people. I wanted to record all the details. :o) Enjoy!


The induction was scheduled for 06:00 on December 29, 2009. I couldn't sleep at all before-hand. I tossed and turned, played solitaire, lied quietly in the darkness..I was wide awake until about 03:15. And the alarm went of at 04;30. Goodness, that is early.

Mom went with Paul and I to the hospital where we checked into Labor and Delivery. They were in the middle of shift change, and the shift before was really busy with 4 boys being born. I was weighed, +16.6 lbs, and taken back to my room, Labor Room 4, at 07:10. Kelly was my nurse for the induction, and she was also my nurse when I was sent home after my 24 hour observation. It was really nice to see a friendly face.

She brought mom and Paul back and started an IV for me. I was GBS positive so she needed to give me some antibiotics before Katie arrived. When she placed me on the monitor, my contractions were already 6 minutes apart and lasting about a minute and a half. I had no idea that I was even having contractions! I thought it was just Katie stretching out! WooHoo!

Dr. A was in the hospital delivering the 5th boy of the day, and she came in at 09:23 to break my bag of waters. They put a fetal scalp monitor on at that point to monitor Kaitlyn's heartbeat, and I was not able to get out of bed. That part was not so fun.... I was a "stretchy" 3cm, 50% effaced and station -3. Pretty much where I was at during my appointment the day before.

Denisse and Nomi showed up shortly there-after. Denisse picked up tacos and magazines for Paul along the way, and Noemi said it was sleeting/hailing when she arrived. Back in Oklahoma, they were experiencing a snow storm, much like the day when I was born.

Kelly started the Pitocin at 10:16 at 2ml/hr. I had already received a 2g and 1g bag of Ampicillin at that point and would get the last bag of 1g Ampicillin at 12:30pm. They increased the Pit to 4ml/hr at 10:57, 6ml/hr at 11:45 and to 8ml/hr at 12:11. I was able to breath through the contractions pretty well when the Pitocin was going at 6ml/hr and thought I could hold off on pain medication for awhile.

Tara arrived from Sinton, and Tamara and Elizabeth had made their way to L&D, as well. They were doing a good job keeping me preoccupied and distracting me from the pain. Mom would brush my hair, which I love, and Paul rubbed my back and gave me lots of encouragement and reassurance.

I remember being pretty nervous when they increased the Pitocin to 8ml/hr. I was worried that the contractions would become too painful, and I was trying to wait to get the epidural until I was closer to 6 or 7cm dilated. Papa called to check on us frequently via Skype, and I remember he told me I should just get the epidural because I was starting to tear up with all the pain.

After the fourth contraction on 8ml (12:27), I told mom "THEY REALLY HURT NOW," and asked my nurse how long I had to wait to get the epidural once I requested it. She said I was the only one laboring and anesthesia would be there right away. I decided to go ahead and have them come to place one. Dr. B did such a great job with my epidural and had it infusing by 12:45. She only had to attempt once, and the worst part was the sharp "bee sting" sensation when they injected the lidocaine. Paul stood in front of me and supported my shoulders while the epidural was being placed. The contractions were so painful and were getting closer together, around every three minutes.

With the epidural, my right leg went numb first, but I could still move my toes and bend my knee. My left leg pretty much went completely numb, and I had to have help to bend my leg or move it across the bed. But the pain was gone. I only knew I was having contractions because I would get a very mild tightening sensation in my stomach. Unfortunately, I was only at 4 1/2 - 5cm after the epidural was placed, but I was 80% effaced and -2 station. At this point, I was much more calm and Paul went to the cafeteria to get lunch with Tara and Denisse. Mom and Noemi stayed in the room with me, and Elizabeth and Tamara had gone home to rest.

They increased the Pitocin to 10ml/hr at 13:00 and my contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart. The fetal monitor wasn't picking all the contractions up, though, so mom wrote them down when I would tell her I felt the tightening or she saw them on the monitor screen. The nurses continued to increase the pit frequently; to 12ml/hr at 1:30, 14ml/hr at 1:56 and 16ml/hr at 2:36. They re-checked me at 1:56 and I was 5cm dilated, and 80% effaced.

At 3pm, Kelly went home and Jennifer took over my labor care. Apparently, Jennifer assisted with the delivery of the baby earlier that day, so we told her she was going to be our "good luck charm." She increased the pitocin to 18ml/hr at 3:10 and I remember thinking, "How high are they going to increase this drip?!" I was so glad that I couldn't feel anything. By this time, we were making more progress.

Jennifer checked me at 3:58, and I was 7cm, 90% effaced and the baby was at -2 station. I asked her what I could do to bring the baby down and she recommended changing positions (I was on my back) to my side. We started out on the right side first and Paul and Mom helped me turn to my left and back to my right every so often.

Eventually, I started having some pain in my right lower back that gradually got worse. Paul massaged my back, which worked initially. Eventually, the pain spread to my right pelvis and was more internal. Leslie and Noemi took turns with Paul rubbing my back as it hurt so bad. I finally asked my nurse about whether or not I should get a bolus for my epidural. I was hesitant because I didn't want to be so numb that I couldn't feel to push, but the pain got too intense to manage and they called Dr. B back. Jennifer decreased my pitocin to 14ml/hr, as well, and I received the bolus at4:41. This time my right and left sides were completely numb!

The next time Jennifer came in to check me, Dr. A came in, as well. They were planning to place an internal monitor to measure the contractions because the monitor was having a hard time keeping track of them. I was feeling the tightness and pain but the monitor wouldn't show a change in my TOCA score. At 5:35, Dr. A told me that I was "done and complete!" It took me a minute to process what she was saying. "You're done! We are gonna push!" She exclaimed. The baby was still a little high according to my nurse, so I asked if I could labor down more if the pushing wasn't working.

People moved very quickly at this point, bringing over supplies, turning on the warmer, disassembling the bed, etc. They told me that I needed to have those not staying to leave the room, and I asked if "five people was too many." :o) My nurse didn't answer me, but Noemi went to the waiting room since usually only 2 or 3 people can stay. Mom stood on my right side and Paul held my left leg. Tara took some pictures for us and Denisse cheered me on.

I started to push at 5;40. I was determined to make some good progress because I didn't want to be one of the mom's that pushed for 4 hours. My doctor kept telling me what a great job I was doing pushing and exclaimed that she could see Katie's hair after only one or two contractions. She even had Paul come and look and his face lit up with excitement when he saw her hair too.

I couldn't feel anything at all, and I didn't understand how she was already so far down the birth canal where they could see her hair. It didn't feel like what I thought it would when she was that low, but their faces of excitement and encouragement motivated me to keep on pushing hard. Dr. A had been trying to stretch me so that I wouldn't tear during the contractions, and she told me right before I delivered that she "was gonna cut just a little bit because you are gonna tear!" I remember feeling a light "pop" when Katie's head emerged and another "pop" when her legs and feet delivered. I opened my eyes to see her and thought "She looks just like Paul!" She was/is so beautiful and perfect!

Kaitlyn was born on December 29, 2009 at 6:04:26pm and weighed 6 lbs and 5 oz. She was 20.5 inches long with the most beautiful skin and round shaped head. She has such long arms and legs with long fingers and big feet. One of the girls told me "She definitely doesn't have your feet mom!" as my feet are small for being 5'6". We are so in love with our little angel and so thankful that she made it here safe and sound.

WE'RE HOME!!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that we are home, alive and breathing. :o) I will post pictures and the birth story soon. Paul and I look a little better than death warmed over today since mom stayed over last night to help with Katie.

She is sooo precious!!