Getting Better day by day

It is truly incredible how fast Jackson is getting better. The doctors said they have never had a baby that has gotten better so quickly in the unit, he is truly a miracle baby. My husband and I have learned that they do NOT like to give you a day when you will be bringing your baby home no matter how many times you ask them, but I can tell it is getting closer.

Jackson is breast feeding (which has been very difficult for me because I am not producing enough milk for him to eat and I have to supplement), being moved to an open air crib, scheduled for his circumcision, and we were asked to bring his car seat in for his breathing test. All NICU babies have to have a 2 hour test in their car seat to make sure they can breath with out strain before they are able to come home.

Here are some recent pictures of Jackson. As of today Jackson is on no IV fluids, foods, or medication of any kind.

The hardest thing I ever had to do...

On Wednesday 10/21/2009 I did the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I left my baby in the NICU as I was discharged and told to go home. I cannot explain how I felt that day...how hard it was to say good bye and kiss his head and know that I wouldn't see him again until the next day. Although I was ready to leave the hospital I was NOT ready to leave my baby.

As the days have gone by, it has gotten a little easier. I have learned that I cannot stay there all day because it will drain me and it will be even harder for me to heal if I do not take care of myself. All the same when I have to leave my heart is heavy as I kiss him good bye and tell him that mommy loves him.

GREAT NEWS

I just went to see Jackson at around 5:45 a.m. The nurses told me that he pulled his ventilator out at 3:30 this morning and he has been farting and pooping!! Like mother, like father, like son! YES!

The Surgery

The first picture is of Jackson right when he was born with his omphalocele (about 4.7 cm around). The picture underneath is Jackson right after surgery, the same day.

About an hour after Jackson's birth he was taken in to see Chris and I in my recovery room so we could hold him and kiss him, then he was off to surgery.

It took about 2-3 hours to complete everything but in that time the pediatric surgeon was able to put all the contents that were inside of his omphalocele into their rightful spot.

Jackson is doing great! He is breathing really well (so his ventilator will probably come out today unless he ripped it out of his mouth in the middle of the night last night) he is having the two IV's taken out and replaced with a central (pic) line, and he as been off of paralytic drugs and pain medication for approximately two days. Jackson's surgery incision looks better every time I see it and he loves to pee, move and kick, and it looks like he is trying to suck his thumb!

If the ventilator comes out today, we will be able to hold him for the first time since before the surgery...that is ALL I want to do, I want to hold him and hug him and kiss his beautiful hands and fingers and toes.

The doctor said we can expect Jackson to be here for about 2-6 weeks, we are basically waiting for his organs to understand that they are inside of the body now and begin to work on their own. We are anxiously awaiting a poop because that is a sure sign that his bowls, gut, and intestines are getting into their groove. The nurses yesterday said they heard sounds from the lower region of his abdomen, so it is now a waiting game. Everything else is fine on and inside of him as of now...in fact, I am going to go right now to see him!!

Welcome Jackson Christopher Harris!! (This may have TMI for some of you!)

Jackson was born on October 17, 2009 weighing in at 6 lbs 12 oz and 19.5 inches long. He is so adorable, incredible, and I cannot believe that he is ALL mine! What an incredible feeling it is to go into the NICU and see him and know that you made him for 9 and a half months in your belly...WOW, there are no words to describe it...just like there are NO words to describe what labor/c-section/spinal block feel like too.

At approximately 3:33 a.m. I awoke gas pains (or so I thought) and went to the bathroom to try and relieve myself of the dull pain. After going to the bathroom (YES, I mean having a BM) I went back to bed and tried to sleep some more, then to the bathroom again in hopes to feel better, then back to bed where I finally turned on the TV in hopes that I would fall asleep and wake up feeling better. That did not occur. At 5:50 a.m. I went upstairs to my husband (as many of you know I sleep on the couch now for comfort) and told him that we needed to call the doctor. I said, "Honey, I have been having these really uncomfortable gas pains for a little over two hours and nothing is working to get rid of them, can you call my doctor?" Then off I was to the bathroom to try and relieve my self again, NO HELP!!

We talked to the doctor, my husband told her I was just having a dull pain that didn't subside and that I thought it was gas...it didn't get worse, it didn't fluctuate, and my stomach wasn't tightening. Cris (mid wife) told me to take some mylanta or mylacon and go into the office at 9:00 a.m. and get put on the fetal heart monitor and contraction monitor just to look at what may be going on. No problem I thought...but I was also thinking, "How are they going to get rid of this gas for me? Are they going to have to pull out a lodged Lincoln log from my pooper and this gas pain will go away?" Needless to say the urge to have to poop really bad was still there so I went to the bathroom and actually did that AGAIN. From that point on, the pain began to intensify and I was having dull gas pains, then full on sharp pains. I looked at my husband and forcfully said, "I cannot wait two more hours to go to a doctor, can you call her back and tell her that the pains are starting off dull and then get strong and go back to dull?" With that phone call I was told to come into the hospital...and at that point the sharp pains began to be so intense that I was moaning through them, breathing heavy and shallowy and I was losing the ability to think straight. Chris was about to start brushing his teeth when I screamed, "WE do not have time for you to do that...we need to leave NOW!" Mind you I still thought I was having some sort of gas issue where a tube up my pooper at the hospital was going to fix this issue and off I would go.

We fired the GPS because yes folks, this weekend we were going to map out our route to the hospital and we were OFF. Chris was driving a little faster than normal he called my mom just to let her know what was going on and then we were on our way. I was breathing deep and hard and I began timing on my iPod the length of these "gas pains" just in case they really weren't that...because haven't you ever been moaning and screaming when you were constipated? : )

When we arrived at the hospital I was dropped off at the emergency room, Chris parked and we were up to labor and delivery, me in a wheelchair...YES folks I was still in denial.

Upon arriving they put me in the bathroom asked for a sample and gave me a gown. I had to moan through another gas pain to get it and then I saw blood in the urine. THAT is when it hit me, I looked at Chris and I said, you only have blood in your urine when you are going to have a baby.

The 5-8 incredible people nurses, anesthesiologist, doctors, mid wife, intake people began firing questions to both Chris and I. As this was going on they shaved me ( I did have an appointment that day to get my bikini line waxed) and checked my cervix. The nurse exclaimed, "She is 10 centimeters dilated and fully effaced!"
The anesthesiologist said, "I do not know if we are going to have time to give her a spinal, she may just need to be put under general."
Chris and I looked at each other and mouth "OMG!!" As more questions were fired and answered, the mid wife came in and checked my cervix, she said, "Ok we have a little time, she is 6 cm dilated and fully efaced, we need to work quickly."

We arrived at the hospital at around 7:34 a.m. and Jackson arrived at 8:46 a.m. The people nurses, Cris (my midwife) and Chris (my husband) were incredible, they helped me moan and breath through my contractions, tried to keep me calm, and kept me aware of everything was happening to me. I was able to have a spinal (THANK YOU anesthesiologist I wish I could remember your name) it didn't hurt...and we had our incredibly beautiful baby boy.

Work is offically OVER!

Baby Harris dropped during the night while I was sleeping on Saturday and ever since then I have been able to breathe a lot better but have been having intense heaviness in my pelvis. Ever since then the baby has been moving around A LOT!

Yesterday I went in to work to conference with my students, I really wanted to meet with all of my students personally before my last day on Friday. I sat most of the time and was really excited to see how well they were doing in writing their essays.

When I got up to go to a meeting I began feeling very sick to my stomach and just an all over uneasiness. I called my doctor and went in to see them right away. While I was there I began losing my mucus plug and after an exam I was told that I was dilated a little and my cervix was thinning out. I was put on the fetal heart monitor and the baby was doing great and I was not having any contractions. They told me to keep a watch out for how I am feeling and that if I have any contractions at all to call them ASAP.

With that being said, work was ended for me to rest and get ready to have our little boy. WOW, it feels really REAL right now! I cannot believe it!

Today I feel really well, but I haven't done anything but watch the second season of Dexter on Netflix...I guess rest really does do the body good!

Being 9 months pregnant is really a lot harder than I ever would have thought! You truly cannot understand unless you have been at this point!

37 Weeks today...

I cannot believe that I am 37 weeks today, it feels like this pregnancy went so quickly and now it is ambling at a speed slower than a snail travels. I have been told that at this point you are just ready to give birth and be done with being pregnant. I can safely say that I have mixed feelings about that...I am ready to have my body back and sleep in our bed on my stomach...but I also know what once he arrives we will be tossed into a storm of unknown. The unknown is the worst part, when will he have surgery, will he need more than one, what will insurance cover, when will be be able to bring him home? No one can answer any of these questions until he is here and that will be in 1 week and 6 days. I am very impatient but at the same time terrified to hear the answers to all he questions that are unanswered.

Rockland Baby Shower

What a great time was had on 9/19/09 at my Rockland baby shower. We had great food (thanks Mom), great people and great games (Thanks Danielle and Jill for everything). Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate Baby Harris and me...here are some pictures from the event!

Put a Fork in ME, I am DONE!

So nothing fits, I have terrible heartburn, and everything is annoying to me. Put a fork in me I am done...36 weeks and 1 day today...2 weeks and 5 days until Baby Harris is here!