Availeth Joy: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

November 21, 2011
If you haven't read Avey's birth story you can read it here.
Today we had a little girl. When we arrived at the hospital we were immediately hooked up to fetal monitoring and shortly thereafter were told that Avey was having some pretty massive heart decells. The hospital staff wasted no time. We were in and out of the OR within the hour. A few weeks before I went into labor I noticed decreased fetal movement but I thought that it was because sister was growing and because she was bigger she wasn't able to move around as much. I googled it and other mothers noted that they had decreased fetal movements in the last few months of pregnancy so I didn't think much of it.


I had a friend who went to the ER multiple times during her pregnancy for decreased fetal movement and it never amounted to anything. It was my greatest concern that I would be a bother. I didn't want to be that girl but looking back I wish I had been.





When Avey was born she was swimming in a big pile of meconium (a baby's first bowel movement) they theorized that she'd been in it for quite some time. Her umbilical cord was  stained dark green. The doctor said that she was stressed because my placenta was not functioning like it should have. It had weird purple, rubbery, lesions on it. The doctor said that it looked like swirls or waves. After 20 years in the medical field she had never seen anything like it.


During Avey's birth I remember her commenting "The placenta looks old." After having the placenta sent to the pathologist's lab they still were unable to determine what happened exactly. One thing is for sure-- sister was not getting the nutrition she needed. Which was why she was so small. 5 lbs 1 oz and term.


"They took Avey to the nicu because her blood sugar and temperature is low. I only got to see her for ten minutes today."


November 22, 2011
Brady and I received a phone call from the nicu this morning saying that I could try to give Avey a bottle for her 9am feeding if we made it down to the nicu in time. My nurse almost didn't let me go. They had just removed my epidural and my legs were still a little numb. It was hard to stand up and make it to the wheel chair but I was determined. I hadn't seen Avey in 18 hours.





We only stayed in the nicu for a short amount of time because my nurse told me not to overdue it. They told me I could come back for every feeding if I'd like to. 3,6,9,12. Avey's blood sugar and temperature are still low. They gave her an IV to boost her sugars. I just hope we can take her home when we leave Thursday. I might beg them to let me stay till Friday if they don't let her come home Thursday.


Avey had her first bath today. She is so beautiful and her little cry is so funny!


"I have the most incredible husband in the world. Can not believe how well he takes care of me. Avey Williams is blessed to have such a loving Daddy."




November 23, 2011
8:42am-- Things are looking good! They told us we may have be able to have in her in our room as early as tonight! "Thank you everyone for your kind and encouraging words. I am feeling much better and I'm getting around really well. Still very sore but the incision is healing well. Avey is a champ. Her blood sugar has been perfect for the last 24 hours and she is maintaining her body temp all by herself. We are so in love."






5:12pm-- Received some pretty devastating news. Aveys platelet count is very low. They never mentioned it. I guess they've been keeping an eye on it all this time. I was shocked when pediatrics told us that they were going to have to give her a transfusion. This isn't fair. They said that sometimes when two people who have different platelet types have a baby the baby inherits the dominant platelets, which sometimes belong to the Father. If the baby's platelets are different than the mothers than after 
birth the body attacks the foreign  platelets.


If this is what had happened it could take up to two weeks for her body to get rid of my platelets. I feel like this is all my fault.  




"Keep praying. Baby girl is having a platelet transfusion. She'll probably be in the NICU for awhile."




November 24, 2011
Happy first Thanksgiving baby girl!






"Meet Availeth Joy Williams. This is right after her feeding tube came out so she still has tape on her chin. The nurse was rushing to get the tube back in so the video is a little shaky. Baby girl is so brave. She is doing so well in the NICU."













I was overjoyed when they took the tubes out of her nose and put her under a humidity hood. No more stuffy nose for baby Avey!


Still no improvement in her platelet levels. Doctors still don't know what is causing this. 







November 25, 2011
Four days old and she is so alert! They were able to remove her feeding tube today she is eating all by herself now. All we are waiting on now is her platelet count which still remains very low. The doctors are a little baffled.









November 26, 2011
The doctors no longer believe that Avey and I have different platelet types. If we did the IV IG would have fixed the problem. They don't know what is causing this. 


I was discharged today. We stayed at the hospital in the nicu all day. I refused to go home. Around 8pm we went to Target to pick up a couple things. I broke down in the parking lot. I sat in the passenger side of Brady's truck and cried because things are so different then I thought they'd be. I am not supposed to leave the hospital without my full term baby. 


I wasn't suposed to have a c-section. 


I wasn't suposed to have to ask for permission to hold my baby and change her diaper. People were supposed to ask me. I'm jealous of the nurses that get to love on her all day. I'm jealous that they get to spend all night with her while I am sent home. This is not how things are supposed to be. 


10:26am-- "Availeth is off her humidity hood, feeding tube, and everything that was wrong is perfect now except for her platelet levels, that even though she had a transfusion and IV IG, continue to drop. Please keep praying. Brady and I left the hospital at 10 last night. Pumping and feedings are keeping us busy. I am at peace and on a mission. Baby girls gonna get better."






November 27, 2011
5:14pm--"Ok. So. Here's the deal. After another transfusion yesterday Avey's platelets are at 121. Great! Now. They are going to test her again tomorrow. If the count goes up... she comes home! :) If the count stays the same... she stays till she normalizes. :/ If the count goes down... they transfer her to Medical City. :( Prayers are being answered. She is doing so much better. believe with us and for us that our little girl is healed and coming home tomorrow!"

November 28, 2011
7:39am--"Happy One Week Birthday Baby Girl!!! We will be celebrating one week of life at Baylor Frisco. Her levels stayed the same. I am a happy momma."

November 29, 2011

7:15am--"Prayers have been answered! Avey is coming home today! On her due date!"

Avey's favorite nurse!

Her going home outfit was 2385713745 times too big!

Such a proud papa!

Putting the car seat class we took to good use!

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Hmmm... I wonder where I'm going?

We were so excited to get her home! I video taped the walk from the nicu to the car. 

I'm home!

Avey Joy

I love it when Avey wakes up from a nap and starts talking crazy to herself, rolling in the covers and sticking her little toes in her little mouth. She starts whispering because she sees me watching her and she rolls away to avoid breaking into a smile because girlfriend loves it when she gets someones attention with her jibberish.



Then all the sudden she realizes no one is holding her or sitting next to her and she decides that that is not okay. So she starts with the growling and the whining and the general misconduct of a... 5 month old (seriously?!) until I come and sit next to her.

Then she smiles and quickly realizes that that is not enough. Sister wants a cuddle and a nurse and who am I to deny her?




Sometimes when I'm in the middle of something and need one more minute I throw a pillow on her, she thinks it's funny and it occupies her for a good 3 minutes. Which usually gives me enough time to fly through whatever I was doing and rush to her side once more because she still wants that cuddle and a pillow is not her momma.



She likes to stick her little hands up and touch my mouth and I know exactly what she wants. I love to bite on her little hands. I curl my lips in over my teeth and make a deep "mmmmamamama" sound. Super attractive. Brady digs it. I've done it-- well-- since she was born and now she reaches her little hands up to my mouth and smiles like crazy when I bite on them. When I stop she does it again and I know we get each other.



She likes to sit in her bumbo chair and scream while griping the white pummel in the middle. She looks like an old, crazy, shirtless woman driving a car. She's awesome and she makes me laugh all the time. Like her daddy. I knew those two would be just alike!





Basically I have the coolest 5 month old (seriously?!) in the world and I have never been happier.

Sucked Up Like Dorothy

shred.
I put the shred on hold for a couple of days because my left knee started to really act up and per Brady's request-- instead of risking serious injury-- I took a break to let it heal up a bit. Today I begin once more. Which makes it day 14 or day 1. Haven't decided how I'm going to look at it yet.



I am still on Level 1-- I can make it all the way through every exercise without stopping except for push-ups, the static lunges with bicep curls, and the interior raises with side lunges. Which is a huge improvement from day 1 when I couldn't even make it eight minutes.

Weight loss has been gradual, like I knew it would be. This morning I weighed in at 211. Which means I've lost 9 lbs. Pre-pregnancy I was 209. That is a milestone I am really looking foreword to. I hope to be there by next Monday-- we'll see!


For the last week I've been having issues with my bm's which is something that has never happened to me before. Last weekend I was in so much pain I took a stool softener. I've read that when people begin a workout routine or change their eating habits its something that can happen but it wasn't something I was expecting. I'm trying to eat lots of fiber rich foods to get back on track. Hopefully it can all be resolved fairly quickly because I don't do well with stomach pain... or any pain for that matter.

baybay.
Sister is getting so big! She loves to sit up. Leave her on her back and she'll fuss but sit her up so she can look around the room and she's as happy as a clown.

 

On the 21'st of this month she'll be 5 months old and that to me is unreal. Our hospital stay seems like such a long time ago but it doesn't feel like we've had her for 4 1/2 months-- certainly not almost 1/2 a year.

We've retired all of her newborn clothes. It was easier than I thought it would be. I was excited to put her in something new. Excited to see that she's healthy and growing like she should be. We are in 0-3 month clothes now and this week I was able to put her in 3 month pants and they didn't fall off.


 

We have also had a run in with the big scary teething monster. It is so far from pretty. If she isn't being held with something in her mouth or nursed she is fussing and my brain can't handle it. It's super sad because I know she's not feeling well but by 8pm my sentiments are, "If you can't beat 'em-- join 'em." So that is what I do and then we both make Brady miserable. It's awesome.






lunch date.
At chipotle with my mother.





Then there was a Target stop for Easter presents and groceries.

 

Avey is fascinated with the way things look-- I guess it's because she's never seen any of it before. She was a model baby showing off how perfect she can be-- until the book fell on her head. Totally my fault.

I set a Dr. Seuss book on top of the diaper bag--it fell and gave her a little wap on the head.

Bad Mommy Moment.

Then I gave her the box of nursing pads and she was A-OK.

Good Mommy Moment.
 


tornado.
Tuesday morning I was taking pictures of the rain, getting ready to write a post, and I opened up my laptop to see people freaking out about a tornado. Que phone call from Brady. He gave me the how-to  on making a shelter in the bathtub because I'm from California and all they teach you there is how to brace yourself in a doorway--thanks a lot California that does me a lot of good now.



I ran around the house collecting blankets, pillows, and chair cushions while Avey chilled in her bath seat.



Then I built a fort that looked way cooler when you were in it than outside of it.
 

We chilled out until we got the all clear from Brady. I feel like I should get Avey a t-shirt that says "I survived my first tornado."

Honestly, I'm just glad that everyone survived. Tornado in Dallas. I didn't expect to hear that it didn't claim any lives. I hoped but I didn't expect it.

Grateful to know that the Lord is in control.

 

Baby Kicks and The Bachelorette Season Finale

Availeth has been busy today! She has the cutest little hiccups. I say little because she's only 1 lb but really its enough to shake my whole tummy and anyone who has seen this tummy lately knows it's anything but little.

She started this new thing a few weeks ago where sometimes when she's kicking it feels like she's trying to tunnel her way out of my "downstairs" if you catch my drift. It feels rather odd and uncomfortable. Like a pap smear but I feel it "down there" and in my tummy too. I don't know what that means. Unfortunately my baby book says nothing so any Moms that had any similar feelings I would relish your thoughts on the matter.

Baby was really excited for the season finale of the Bachelorette! My sister felt her move during tonights episode and so did Brady. I think my girl likes the drama. I wont bore you with all my thoughts on this season. Though Ashley was not my favorite Bachelorette she definitely picked the best guy in the end.

Well Brady is pestering me about getting to bed so I'm going to sign off! Please give me your feedback Mommas!

Love you all!

19 Weeks Pregnant

I don't know how single moms get through pregnancy. Pregnancy is hard enough with two people I can't imagine how it would be without a partner.

For the first three months I was useless. I didn't move from the couch for two solid months. Brady was there to do laundry, clean the kitchen, make dinner, work full time to support us, give massages, cool me down with a cold rag, say kind words, and give me all the attention I could ever dream of while reassuring me that I wasn't going to die or feel that sick forever. While Brady was at work I had my Mom, Dad, and siblings on call just in case I needed anything. My parents made sure our fridge was stocked full of Ginger Ale and made sure I had plenty of Preggy Pops and Ginger Candy. Being pregnant is a team effort.   

After our trip to Kentucky, around month 4, all of the sickness started to fade and I started to feel like I was able to function again.

Month 5 is now here and it comes with its own set of issues. Thy name is reflex. My Grandma Sharon and I were having a nice lunch at Chili's last Friday and as I started to inhale my House Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing my throat started to feel funny. Before I knew it I had tossed that Salad all over the booth, my lap, and hair. Word to the wise: YOU CANT EAT FAST WHEN YOU'RE PREGNANT. 

That little incident got me thinking about all the little things that happened to my body once I got pregnant and I started to wonder why no one had ever warned me? I grew up with this idea that pregnancy was going to be wonderful. I would have a cute little baby belly and then a cute little baby. No one ever told me that it would actually be quite inconvenient. Not that I would ever trade the end result in order to rid myself of all these little inconveniences but I just think that there is another side to pregnancy that we aren't told about. 

1. Your new favorite place to sleep will be the bathroom so make sure to wash the rugs and Pine-Sol the floor because you're going to be on that floor whether it's clean or not.

2. Your tummy is not the only place that stretch marks will appear.

3. Shaving you legs is a battle. Shaving your "down stairs" is impossible. 

4. I never got headaches until I got pregnant. Tylenol PM makes it all better.

5. Ginger Candy is not candy, it's poison. 

6. Your boobs will get bigger no matter how massive they already are. And no Victoria Secret does not sell that size. 

7. They say you pee less when the second trimester rolls around. Lie. I still have to pee 250,000 times a day. 

8. Your boobs will hurt like you're having a heart attack but don't worry! It's just your milk ducts coming in. 

9. Fried food WILL give you terrible heartburn so if you don't want it stay away from the chicken, red sauces, and onion rings. 

10. Even though you are no longer having periods your going to become a leaky faucet so keep panty liners handy!

11. You use up more energy laying on the couch while you're pregnant than your husband would while training with a professional body builder at the gym. It's okay to take lots of naps.

12. Your going to be freezing or sweating where ever you go so dress in layers and pack a sweater. 

13. Don't move fast! It's dangerous. 

14. Because the ligaments in your body become all loose to accommodate the child you're growing your feet might grow a size or two.

15. Don't stay seated for too long because your toes will swell up like little sausages. 

16. If you've never had allergies before you may acquire some new ones. 

17. Burping and farting can not be avoided. Sorry newlyweds!

18. There is a whole list of foods you're not allowed to eat while your pregnant. Like: bacon, hot dogs, tuna, packaged lunch meat etc...

19. Make sure you have someone around to help you get up if you decide to sit on the floor. It's just easier that way. 

Everyones pregnancy is different and some of these things may be things that are entirely unique to me and my pregnancy. I just had to get it all out somewhere! Thanks for reading!