Another Update

Baby Larva was (finally) allowed to come back to the Mother/Baby room. She's still a "NICU Baby" and has to wear a monitor while in the room, plus a NICU nurse will be visiting every 2 hours to take blood and check the monitor. If all goes well, we get to go home on Sunday - both of us!

The Caterpillars were able to come visit and hold their baby sister, which was wonderful. she has a touch of jaundice, but we are applying a few old school methods.

Baby monitor w/sensors

Please keep praying.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

24 Hours Later...

It's been 24 hours (or as I call it "8 feedings") since my last post. That's what time has been boiled down to - feedings.

I have OCD, which has quickly become both a blessing and a curse. It's been easy for us to memorize the procedure, but the frustrating repetitiveness is already painful... I cannot imagine having to do this for weeks at a time. I admire any parents/loved ones who go through this with no end in sight.

Basically, beginning from sitting down and feeding Baby Larva, we then start our 3 hour mark. It takes about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes to actually change her, take her temp and feed her. Then 10 minutes to get back to the room. At that point, I have to change back into my nightgown and I have an hour and a half before needing to leave for the NICU again (to begin the 15 minute entry to NICU procedure).

I've tried sleeping during that time, eating during that time, I did get a shower in today, plus my doctor has me walking to aid in my recovery and Hubby and I have had a few wonderful visitors today.

The good news is that her feedings have been mostly on-target and better than we could have hoped. The poor news is that her last feeding didn't go well at all. That's not correct - a 15 minute feeding for an average preemie is wonderful. Baby Larva has been doing much longer than that, so they were concerned.

They had actually taken her off the IV, but ended up putting her back on it - delaying her escape from the NICU by at least 3 hours.

I know I should be VERY grateful. Originally they told us Sunday at noon would be the earliest and I'm pouting at 9:45 pm on Friday. I just want her back to me ASAP.

If her next feeding (at 11 pm) is more "normal" (ie: "Baby Larva normal") - then it's very likely she'll be brought to us between midnight and 2 am to stay in our room. She'll still be NICU's baby, but that is more in terms of which nurse is responsible for her. We'll be able to hold her and feed her on our own schedule, not someone else's time.

Please keep us in your prayers and that no new developments crop up to spoil the plan.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

Praises!

Baby Larva had an incredible feeding at 9 pm!

Hubby and I went down to scrub in and then Hubby learned how to take her temperature and properly change her diaper (we have to save them for NICU to weigh - everything in or out is measured).

She then was unwrapped from her swaddle and handed to me in my wheelchair for Kangaroo Care. She immediately latched on and nursed excellently for 45 minutes! This is wonderful!

Mum (Cookie) and I will return every three hours tonight (midnight, 3 am, 6 am) to continue feeding her - or more often if she screams.

This was an incredible development, since she hasn't really eaten all day long. If she continues eating this well, we might actually see her leave the NICU before we're discharged from the hospital on Sunday!

Thank you for your continued prayers.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

(Also: a very special "Thank You" to Hubby's family - His Aunts and Uncles sent flowers and his Grandmother "D" brought a beautiful arrangement with her.)

Now the News...

Baby Larva is in the NICU, where she will remain for (likely) 72 hours. Her blood glucose level is low (we won't even go into the drama there), but to make a long story short, she's got a tiny little IV in her tiny little hand and I'm scrubbing in every 3 hours to nurse her.

The Handwashing Station, with sterile gowns and scrubby brushes

We're only allowed 4 names (other than immediate family) on the NICU list. Cookie came down with me today to help me get settled nursing her (I have to go in a wheelchair - the walk is very far). The Caterpillars are allowed to visit, but Hubby had to go by their doctor's office and pick up a current certified copy of their immunization records before they could be let in.

Cookie with Baby Larva in the NICU

Please keep us in your prayers. This isn't life-threatening, but it's scary - and it's horrid not having her with us to hold and love on. If all goes well, both Mummy and Baby Larva will be discharged from the hospital on Sunday.

Baby Larva in her NICU warmer

Updates as they are available.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

Finally, Pictures!

Cookie with Baby Larva right after she's born.

Mummy, Daddy and Baby Larva

Daddy changing his first newborn diaper.

She's got a set of LUNGS!

Finally sleeping peacefully with Mummy.

Daddy loving on his baby girl.

Mummy burping the Little Baby Larva.

Mummy and Baby Larva watching Jeopardy.

B10 holding his baby sister for the first time.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

YAY!

At 1:29 pm Baby Larva was born by C-section. She weighs 5 1/2 pounds, is 17 inches long, and is very healthy.

The one issue we were worried about was a possible blocked bowel. Her x-rays indicate that she should be okay, but I've nursed her and now she is going to spend 2 hours in the NICU to confirm.

The C-section was only a bit scary, I have to give credit to my anesthesiologist who was a total hoot and a half. He kept my mind off of much of the tugging and pulling going on in my innards. :D

Pictures will follow as soon as I get a USB cord (and I can take the stupid heart monitor off of my right index finger).

Thank you for all your prayers!

~Lone Butterfly )i(

It's Too Early In the Morning for This Kind of Drama

BooSheep is in the hospital for her induction - they began the medicine around 6 am, so hopefully I'll have another niece very soon.

While I was on the phone with her, hearing about how her labor was progressing - I began bleeding.

So I'm back in the hospital. Baby Larva has turned sideways and there is still some bleeding going on that the doctor hasn't been able to locate the source of. Bottom line is they've started me on antibiotics and they won't even let me have ice chips.

It looks like a C-section is very possible right now. And very possible today. Obviously - I've been a little freaked out, but Baby Larva has a very strong heartbeat, which is a wonderful sound to hear over the monitors.

Please keep all of us in your prayers. For BooSheep and Baby Sheep to have a successful and quick delivery and for Baby Larva to be healthy and come soon - in whichever way in necessary.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

Still No Baby Larva -

- but am I glad to be going home. FYI: A Labor and Delivery bed is NOT made for sleeping in. I've never been so uncomfortable and swollen.

4 bags of IV fluid (which is great-since I wasn't dehydrated in the first place) have left my toes looking like snausages. Vienna snausages. And I'm up to three pretty armbands (red, white, and blue - how patriotic of me).

The specialist came in to see me this morning (he was polite enough to wait until 6:30 am, the vampire who took my blood (very poorly I might add) woke me up at 4:30 am to do so). He's all for me going home, but indicated that he thought I would have Baby Larva anytime now.

Which is great, wonderful, I want her to come VERY soon.

But first I want to go home and shower. And sleep in a real bed for just a couple of hours.

Hubby and I are waiting for the regular doctor to come in and give permission for me to be discharged. Then I might just rip this IV line out myself....

Besides, the excitement isn't in my hospital for the next couple of days - Baby Sheep is due to arrive tomorrow! BooSheep has been scheduled for an induction tomorrow morning, so by tomorrow afternoon, we should have our Little Girl Sheep safe and sound in her Mummy's arms.

I wonder if Little Sheep knows today is his last day as the only Sheep Child?

~Lone Butterfly )i(

At Some Point, I'm Going to Lose My Sense of Humor

Last night the Caterpillars and I stayed over at BooSheep's house with her and Little Sheep. Around 1 am, I woke up to go to the bathroom and felt very cold. By 3 am I had asked B10 to wake up and heat my heating pad, because I couldn't stop shaking from the chills - and I was constantly hurting.

At 6 am I began throwing up everything I had eaten in the last 18 hours, plus - the contractions were coming very close together.

We went straight to the hosptial, where we discovered I had a 102 degree fever and Baby Larva's heartrate was at 190 (very high). I have been hooked up to IVs and they've been trying to figure out where the fever came from all day.

I'm at 3 cm, not progressing very quickly, but the contractions are much stronger and hurt a lot. Her heartrate has come down to the 160s - much better, the oxygen mask helped with that.

Also, they've ruled out dehydration, as when they inserted the IV I managed to spurt blood everywhere. (I mean EVERYWHERE - it was so gruesome I took a picture for B10 to see!)

Please keep praying that the doctors and nurses will be able to determine the cause of the fever this morning (it has dropped down to normal, but not knowing why is a concern). Also, I am growing very weary, the contractions aren't slowing down and are becoming more painful. It's tiring to feel as if no progress is being made.

Pictures when I have a cord to upload them. :)

~Lone Butterfly )i(

*Insert Deep Sigh Here*

So, contractions are currently 5-7 minutes apart - AND I'm 2-3 cm - AND all that other icky stuff like "50% effaced", "blah-blah-blah", "lots more doctor talk".

But, no baby.

I've eaten hospital food and been hooked up to monitors (more than once). In fact, I've been admitted and discharged twice in the last 24 hours. With instructions to "just keep coming back".

Delightful.

She's on her way, literally anytime now. Until then, I'm wandering around the county, walking and contracting.

Updates will come as they come. I will say this, though, the ice chips in Labor and Delivery are DELIGHTFUL! :D

~Lone Butterfly )i(

?????

Contractions are currently 8-10 minutes apart (and have been for almost 2.5 hours) - occasionally they are 5 minutes apart.

After three labors and deliveries I have no idea if this is actually Baby Larva's impending arrival or if my (very painful) "pre-labor" contractions are just being annoying this evening.

Please keep praying - either way...

She's currently at 34 weeks and 4 days by the "new" due date and 35 weeks and 5 days by the "original" due date.

Both Caterpillars were born at 35 weeks, so either one is pretty close to spot-on for my "normal" deliveries.

Right. Pray. Please. I'm a little nervous about going to the hospital too soon (they'll strap me down to monitors as soon as I get there, because she's premature), but nervous about waiting to long.

Updates and news as it comes.

~Lone Butterfly )i(

The Boys are Back in Town!

Cookie and I drove up to Chattanooga today to pick up the Caterpillars. It was wonderful to see them. I am so glad that that they are home! I could sing it again and again. We picked them up at a McDonald's and couldn't leave before having a bite to eat.

We leave early tomorrow morning to go on a Cub Scout Pack Trip to Warner Robins, Georgia. It will be a great time for us to be together, just being a family.

I've missed them, though I know they've had a wonderful time, I'm certainly happy to have them back. Of course, now we have to prepare for school again... :D

~Lone Butterfly )i(

Why I've Been Missing...

My Caterpillars are gone.

Three times a year my Caterpillars go to visit their dad and the house is quiet and I have nothing pressing to do every morning. One would imagine that this would leave me with all sorts of time.

However, I tend to use that time sleeping and wanting my children to come home. It amazes me that no matter how frustrated I get with my Caterpillars - or how much I think that have a couple of weeks vacation will be a good thing - it never takes more than 2 days to miss them terribly and want them back.

I've been very lucky to have great friends like Edelweiss, Queen and Mere who have met me for lunch and coffee. I have been able to spend some time with BooSheep (especially now that she is on bedrest), spending the night and taking her to a doctor's appointment. Then there have been my own doctor's appointments.

The rest of the time I spend lying in bed, trying to gain weight, snuggling with Bathsheba the fuzzy daughter and watching Seasons 1 & 2 of NCIS. Absolutely nothing else productive.

Except for when I managed to sign the Caterpillars up for 10 classes each at the local parks and recreation facility. They'll be taking swim lessons again, plus they've got an array of homeschooling classes this spring. In addition, each Caterpillar will attend 6 history classes and 3 art classes. The swim lessons were $50 each (and a gift from my Granddaddy for Christmas), while the other classes were only $30 all together. I would say that's a pretty good range of activites for $80 a Caterpillar!

There are some great things about living in our county. It has one of the best library and parks systems in the entire nation (and we have awards to prove it)!

But my point is that, overall, I've slept. Or laid on my side and watched Gibbs, Ducky and Abbey solve crimes. So there's been no blogging.

I will post a few pictures from the really exciting Christmas we had with Granddaddy and Minnie Mouse.

I hope your January has been fruitful!

~Lone Butterfly )i(

Bedresting BooSheep

While the Caterpillars were gone, I went out one night to spend with BooSheep and Little Sheep. He was headed to school the next day - and BooSheep was going to get the call that she was going on bedrest. :(

The night before, Little Sheep was already helping his Mummy by taking her bloodpressure - just like Hubby Sheep!

Then, this morning, he sat very quietly with me and we watched Blues Clues together while eating breakfast with Elmo.

I do so love Elmo and Blues Clues, I can't wait to get to watch it again regularly. I'm glad I got to spend a bit of time with BooSheep and with Little Sheep, before his Baby Sheep Sister comes. And I hope she gets to come soon, so BooSheep can get up and move again! :D

~Lone Butterfly )i(

Our Evil Plan Worked!

By allowing the Caterpillars to stay up until 2:30 am - we succeed in making this not near as stressful of a trip as it could have been.

Of course, I had to physically dress the Caterpillars at 7 am this morning...
They did end up sleeping until 11:45 - which took them all the way to lunch, then two short videos later Granddaddy and Minnie Mouse were dropping them off in Ohio at a rest stop with their Dad (he was taking them from there to New York State).

I am trying this again, the next time I need them to sleep in the car!

~Lone Butterfly )i(

New Header!

Check out my fancy new header!

Edelweiss must recieve all the credit for creating such an awesome (and SO VERY ME) header - a gift I adore.

THANK YOU Edelweiss!

~Lone Butterfly )i(

The Promised Shopping Trip

On New Year's Day we had a lovely dinner at a local Italian resturant. I had my favorite ravioli (it's meat - with no cheese - it'd DIVINE!), Granddaddy, Minnie Mouse, Hubby and B10 really enjoyed their dinner, also. CW refused to eat. Little did we all know this would be a trend for the next 24 hours...


We woke up early the next morning to head out to one of our local malls. We don't usually shop there - but it's where the Lego Store is and that is the number one stop for little Caterpillars in our house with cash!


I was really proud of them, though. They looked around the Lego Store, but didn't purchase anything - instead opting to go to the local GameStop and each bought their own Wii controller and nunchuck ($65 total) and a new game for themselves that we can play as a family (CW bought Mario Party 8 and B10 bought Lego Batman).


They did end up going back to the Lego Store and each purchased a couple of small items (I must confess, I did, too - I now have a small Lego Sean Connery to hang from my keychain...), but they made excellent choices of how to spend their money, and took their time deciding.

I wish I had gotten a picture of the adorable LSU birdhouse that Granddaddy purchased. (GEAUX LSU!)


We had lunch at a Johnny Rockets, disappointing, but still very edible. (Except for CW - who refused to eat.)


On the way out of the mall, we saw one of those bouncey things. Both Caterpillars wanted to try before we headed back to the house to play with the Legos. As you can see, they loved it!

The Legos at home were fun, too! (After CW woke up...) ;)



Since the Caterpillars had to ride in the car for HOURS on Saturday (they were going from Georgia to Ohio to New York State all in one day!), Hubby and I decided to let them stay up until 2:30 am playing their new Wii games.


Aren't we the best?


~Lone Butterfly )i(