Big Boy

Michael with his eyes open, breathing all on his own!

Another update on Michael...although there will probably be another one sometime tonight. I'm waiting for Dr. Chai to finish looking at his monitor data. He did have a couple of desats that were real (not false alarms) since he was off his oxygen, so they are deciding whether it is better to wait it out in the hospital or send him home with a monitor. He would need a foot attachment type monitor, which isn't normally the kind of monitor they need. He seems very healthy and strong, other than these darn desats...we are so eager to get him home. But, again...we definitely want him to be okay...so waiting is fine with us.

Mommy is a well-known face here at the hospital. Usually a mother has to ring a bell and get her id verified by saying her name before entering the maternity ward (to go to my guest room), but now the nurses know me so well that they just see me coming and ring me right in. It's great for those late night feedings! They moved me into a room right next to the doors, which also is very helpful since I don't have to walk as far down to the NICU...but still it's kinda a hike every time they call for a feeding...but anything for my Michael!!

I took some more pictures last night and this morning of Michael without his oxygen. He looks like such an angel, but is definitely more alert and active since he had the oxygen. I also took some video, but this family waiting room computer doesn't let me download it. :(

Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you to everyone who sends me emails and their best wishes. I truly appreciate hearing from everyone. Most of the day I am alone, except for when I go to feed Michael...that is our bonding time...which I cherish, of course. Other than that...I'm trying to grab a bite to eat before getting called on again to feed, or trying to get some much needed rest.

Enjoy the pics!

OMG...I love him so much!

My boys. The two loves of my life.

I love you, Michael!!!

Update on Michael

Michael last night sleeping after nursing

Michael is doing very well. Last night they started weaning him off the oxygen to see how he does. They started at 80%, then down to 60% and he did extremely well, so this morning they took him off completely.

He is continuing to do very well without the oxygen, breathing entirely on his own with no desats! They will download the monitor data from the last two days with him on oxygen and then compare it with the next few days with him off from it. If all goes well, and his desats stop, then they will talk about sending him home. But, for now they aren't talking about sending him home until they absolutely know his desats have stopped.

After his stay at St. Joseph's, we are most likely going to get a second opinion, probably be at University Children's Hospital, on Michael's condition. Better to be safe than sorry.

Below are some more pics I took with my camera phone last night:

Introducing Michael Edward Stern!

Michael Edward Stern
Born Monday, June 9th, 2008

7 lbs. 10 oz.
21 inches long

Dave and I are proud to annouce that Michael Edward Stern was born June 9th (his due date) at 4:54 AM and weighed in at 7 lbs. 10 oz at 21 inches long.

My water broke around 6:00 PM on Friday, June 8th. I called the Dr. and he told us to go to the hospital. Sure enough, they confirmed my water was broken and they admitted me. We were going to have a baby VERY soon!! Labor was about 10 1/2 hours, and went very smoothly for mommy and daddy. (As smoothly as labor and delivery can be, that is.) :)

As soon as Michael was born though, and Dave cut his cord, he was whisked away from us to a bunch of NICU nurses in the corner of the room. Michael was very pale and was having difficulty breathing, so they brought in extra help to check his vitals. After what seemed like eternity, they brought him over to us for our first good look at him since he was born. I got to hold him for a minute as Dave looked on, and then they whisked him away again to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit for further evaluation.



I was taken care of...given breakfast and moved into a recovery room. Dave stayed with me for a few hours, but then had to retreat home for back medicine and much needed sleep. All this time we were waiting for any word on Michael. A few hours later, Dr. Chai came in to visit me and told me that after he was born Michael had "forgotten to breathe" (they thought) and had turned a dusky grey/blue color. Since then they had to give him some oxygen to help him breathe, but didn't have to keep him on it. So, because of all of this they admitted him into the NICU for continuous monitoring.


I called Dave immediately and let him know what Dr. Chai told me. It being very scary news, Dave rushed to the hospital to be with me as we waited to see Michael in the NICU. About 2 PM we were able to finally see our little boy. He moved up to be in a heated incubator to keep his body temperature up. Michael looked like this when we first saw him in the NICU:

It was very overwhelming taking in all the information the Dr. was telling us about Michael. Especially seeing his tiny body all hooked up to monitors and cords dangling everywhere. I started the adventure of learning how to nurse him, and Michael started to learn how to nurse at the same time.


Since Michael's birth he has been tested to all extremes trying to find an answer to his desaturation levels of oxygen in his blood. "Desats" as they call them...are any time his blood oxygen level dips below 90. Since he kept having these desats, they ran blood tests, an MRI, an EEG, and yesterday (June 17th) they did a heart sonogram, which I was able to be present for.

Michael and Mommy have been at the hospital now for 8 days. That makes Michael a little over a week old! Hard to believe! Since I was discharged on Wednesday, June 11th, I am able to stay as a guest here at the hospital so I can breastfeed Michael. The nurses and doctors have been extremely helpful and supportive of Dave, Michael and I. I was able to stay in a normal room until a few days ago, where they had to move me into the regular nursery's storage room where they have a couple of beds for guests when the normal rooms are filled up with patients. I don't mind that much, even with no tv, it's a place to sleep and I'm still able to be real close to Michael.

Waiting to hear the results from the heart sono...I'll update later on. I will also send out a link to more pictures of Michael that Dave and I took yesterday. Hope everyone is doing well.

Love to all...we're so happy Michael is finally here with us. Now we hope to bring him home, healthy and stable, soon.

Love,
Pam, Dave and Michael!

38 weeks & counting...

Wow, okay, so I haven't kept up on this...come on, you're not surprised. But who can blame me?! I've been one busy momma (well, almost momma)!

Between work, wedding photography, keeping the house clean, freelance work and finishing up the nursery...I'm just about beat! BUT--the nursery is complete!! My mom came up to help me put the finishing touches on it a couple weekends ago. She did much more than that tho...she went through our entire house and helped me clean, organize and put a nice touch to everything. I'm so grateful! Of course when she came I had to come down with a nasty head cold, so that, on top of me just being pregnant, was no fun. But, I was so thankful to have the help, that's for sure!

Now the nursery is complete, the house looks great, we got a new wagon (with the carseat already in it, of course), so I feel like I'm ready to go. I have my next dr. appointment tomorrow morning. I'm hoping I'll have made some progress, but who knows.

I'm a pretty patient person, but we're so anxious to meet Baby Michael! You can be sure once he's here that there will be so many pictures to look at...that's for sure! Dave and I are both so excited and can't wait to meet him!

I've attached a few pictures of the nursery, Dave as a baby, Dave and I up North in Port Leyden on Mother's Day, and a few more random ones. Hope everyone is doing well. My next post will probably be the announcement of Baby Michael! Here's hoping!!! :)

33 Weeks!

Baby Shower Pics

Thought I'd also post a few pictures from my recent baby shower in Port Leyden. It was fun and appreciate everything given to us. We missed everyone who couldn't make it!

Here is Baby Michael's most recent sonogram (at 30 weeks). It is hard to make out, but it is just of his face, looking sideways at you. :)

Love to all,
Pam

32 Weeks and Counting...

Wow, it's been a while since I've updated my Baby Stern blog! We can now tell you all that we are expecting a baby BOY. That's right, we couldn't hold out any longer.

Since my last post a LOT has happened. Dave had spine surgery to remove the hardware in his back and is now being treated through IV with antibiotics to get rid of the infection that is in there. It's not the most fun thing ever, but Dave is doing well and looking forward to getting rid of the infection and being back to his old self again.

I'm now 32 weeks pregnant and looking forward to Baby Michael's arrival. The nursery isn't done yet and I'm definitely in what they call the "nesting" stage. I always want everything to be ready NOW and have a hard time being patient for things to come. I found this neat baby "widget" and thought I'd post here.

Not too much else is new. I've started my labor prep classes. Have another one tomorrow night. I get tired more easily now and sleeping is an adventure in itself just to get comfortable. BUT--I'm not complaining! Hope everyone is well and I'll try to update this more often (try is the key word there). ;)