Washing Machine Mishap

Ok, so today I was gathering laundry to do a load for Deagan and trying to pick up a little bit at the same time. My grandma brought over some of those disposable hospital pads from where my grandpa had heart surgery. Well, in those pads are cool absorbant "fluff", so we use them to change Deagan on top of so he doesn't ruin his changing pad cover if a blow-out occurs. Somehow (actually, it was completely my doing), it got thrown in the laundry basket mixed with a changing pad cover and I didn't notice it. I just threw the entire load in the washer and went about my day.

When I came back to put the clothes in the dryer there was this gel-like goo on everything. It was horrific! I started pulling stuff out and came across the blue and white disposable pad... followed by some choice explitives at myself. I figure the same absorbant stuff is in diapers too, so I googled "diaper in the washing machine" and luckily I'm not the only person in the world that this has happened to! I ended up letting it dry then taking our little shark vaccum and sucking all the little gooey boogers out of there. Then I ran it on the cleanse cycle with some bleach. The people on google said to just shake off the clothes and dry them, the absorbant goo would dry and most likely get caught in the lint trap.

They were right, they came out without so much as a spot on them, but I went ahead and rewashed them on the heavy duty cycle and dried then again. That was definately a mistake you only have to make once to learn your lesson. I guess I need to stop being so scatterbrained during my daily tasks. I'm just glad it didn't mess up the washer... I would've cried. Oh the joys of mommyhood.

Start Slow Liz...

That's what my dad told me last night (and I'm sure it's what my shins were screaming at me) after I tried to go right back into running. Not such a good idea with the extra pounds on my body and being on bedrest for 3 months straight. I had to do a walk/run combo. I think for at least the first month I'll stick to walking or the eliptical at the gym to get my leg muscles strong again. I'm definately gonna hit the weights when I start going back to the gym. I'm actually really excited about going back. One of my favorite feelings is walking out of the gym doors with my face all red and sweaty and feeling the cool air hit me like a ton of bricks. It reminds me of practicing in the wresting room with no windows and the doors closed and it was like 100 degrees in there. We'd practically be begging at the doors at the end of practice to get out. I just hope they have group classes that will fit into my schedule. I'll be posting my weight on Friday. I've already sneaked on the scale once this morning, but I'm going to try to not weigh myself until the end of each week. Well, off to play with Deagan, he's demanding some attention.

And it begins...

So today starts my "Biggest Loser via Blogspot" venture. My parents used to do weight watchers so I still have all the materials from that and I'll be counting points. I've tried to do it before, but I wasn't really serious about it... I was a cheater, lol. Then when I got pregnant I said screw it. So I'm letting it be known, I hope I can keep the will power this time.

I really want to be back to a weight I'm comfortable with. I saw a picture my dad took the other day and saw how large my legs were. I cried for a bit... Bobby, bless his heart, tried to cheer me up. I wasn't having it though. I know it's only been three weeks sinc giving birth, but I really shouldn't have gained so much in the first place. Now it's going to be ridiculously hard to work it off. At least I'll have time to go to the gym when I go back to work.

Deagan and I went for a walk around the neighborhood Saturday. There's a street down from us that has a large hill at the end. It was burning my thighs and calves pushing a stroller up it. I was like... Oooh, that hurts good! So I'll be going that route from now on.

Here's wha's new on the baby front: Deagan is eating so much. I've pretty much gone to all formula, I'm not getting to pump very often so when I do I only get enough for one feeding a day. I was pretty upset at first, but I've come to terms with it. Maybe it'll work out better with the next baby. We just upped his intake to 4 and 1/2 ounces yesterday. At night he's starting to make it to 4 hours before waking up hungry. So I'm enjoying the extra sleep, lol. Oh, and he's sleeping in his own room. I keep the monitor on the night stand next to my head. Bobby likes the TV on in the room while he sleeps and that was keeping Deagan up at night. So we decided to go ahead and let him get used to being in his own room. He seems to love his crib and sleeps like a log!

Gotta have it...

I went to Cafepress.com and did a search for 'professor' and I found the PERFECT onsie for Deagan! As soon as I go back to work and get a real paycheck I'm SO getting this! I LOVE it!

Rough Day

Today didn't start out too bad. Bobby had to close so we got to sleep in a little bit. Deagan and I laid in bed til about 9:30am when it was time to feed him again. This is when his feeding schedule got messed up. He didn't want to take the full 4 ounces, he only took 2 ounces. Well, he kept spitting up when I tried to keep him awake to eat more, so I figured he was full. He went to sleep for about 30 minutes and then woke up sucking on his hands, so I gave him the last 2 ounces. He fell asleep again, and so started a vicious cycle of 30 minute naps followed by eating 2 ounces at a time. Finally by 2:30pm I was on the phone with mom bawling because I couldn't even eat or pee because he wouldn't stop fussing and wouldn't fall asleep long enough for me to do anything. She left work an hour early to come home to rescue me. I was a mess... red eyed and snotty nose I told her I was a bad mom because I couldn't figure out how to keep him satisfied. She laughed at me. Laughed! Then she asked when the last time I ate was. I told her about 10:30am. She said, "Ok, first - go make you something to eat. Then when you're done with that, go take a shower. It'll make you feel human again."

We decided to switch from the Parent's Choice formula to the Similac to see if that would help with the spitting up. And she told me to not give him another bottle until 5pm, even if he fusses. We needed to get him back on a normal schedule. He ate from 5 to 5:30pm, then conked out for three hours. Three blissfully quiet hours... Anyway, mom assured me that he wasn't going to starve, so I shouldn't put a bottle in his mouth just because he's making hungry gestures. Keep him on the schedule and stick to it. So, needless to say it was a rough day, but in the end it worked out. I fed him from 8:30 to 9pm and he's been drifting in and out of sleep since. 12am is rounding the corner soon, so I'm going to try to get a nap in before that feeding.

Shh... The professor is sleeping!

He's always got his hands folded, lol... that's why we call him the professor.

Picture time!

Because I can't get enough of this cute little face...

My Own "Biggest Loser" Strategy via Blogspot

I feel determined to take care of myself. I don't wanna be one of those women that let themselves go just because they had a kid. In a couple of months I can't blame my expanded waistline on the "I just had a baby" excuse. When I go back to work, I'm also going to get back in the gym. We'll be sending Deagan to daycare 3 days a week. I usually get off work around 4pm, and I don't have to pick him up until 7pm. My plan is to go to the gym immediately after work, work out for about and hour and a half, and then pick up my little prince from daycare. I'm tired of not being able to wear shorts because I'm embarrassed of the amount of weight I've put on. Besides, that would require me to go out and BUY shorts. I'd rather just lose the weight and have a whole new wardrobe with my old clothes. I have tons of clothes that don't fit from before I was pregnant with Brent, almost 2 years ago.

I feel the urge to do this not just for my benefit, but for my son too. I remember when I was working out all the time I had more energy, a better attitude and I think with having a stressful job, working out after will alleviate some negativity I hold on to through out the day. I'd like to walk out of the gym refreshed and to come home and play with my baby boy! We plan to involve Deagan in sports as soon as possible. Not only for the physical benefits, but for social benefits as well. Bobby and I were both in team sports in high school. I was a cheerleader and swimmer, Bobby played baseball, basketball and tennis. I hope Deagan is as interested in sports as much as we were. I'm pretty sure his half of his clothing is either football or baseball related, lol.

So here's my goal... I want to be the size I was when I got married. That was 130lb. Before I gt pregnant with Deagan I was 146lb. The day I gave birth I was 185lb. I jumped on mom's scale a couple days after coming home from the hospital I was 168lb. So, I have 38lb. to lose as of right now. My other goal is to tone my legs. This used to be one of my best features. My legs have never been skinny, they've alway been athletic and fit. And they always looked great in shorts. I want that back... So here's my new journey. It won't be easy, but it is do-able. Every Friday I'll d a "weigh-in" and post my weight on here. I know Briana will keep me in the right frame of mind because she is a heath conscience gym-goer. So I'll be expecting some tips Bri! I figure by posting my weight it will keep me accountable and more inclined to stick with it.

Wish me luck!!

For Briana -

He looks like a little angel...

Gettin sleepy.

At the pediatrician for his weight check.

All wrapped up in his RockStar blanket.

Weighing in...

I took Deagan to the pediatrician today for his weight check. He was 5lb. 15oz. at birth, 5lb. 8oz. at his first pediatric visit, and now he's 6lb. 5oz! So he gained almost a pound in one week. The nurse said that that was wonderful and he must be getting enough to eat, which was something I was concerned about. I wasn't sure if I was making enough milk to satisfy him. But apparently I'm doing pretty good.

Being a mom is so different than I thought it would be... I didn't realize that I would spend half of my day kissing my son and just looking at him. Memorizing all of his faces and what they mean. Everything I do, I do with him in mind. I can't even imagine life without him anymore. Time flies by SOOO fast with a newborn! I don't want these next 4 weeks to fly by that fast, I can't imagine waking up and taking him to daycare. I know that's what I'll have to do soon, but I don't wanna!! Lol.

It was Bobby's first day back at work since April 2nd, when I went to the hospital. I know leaving this morning was hard. He kissed us goodbye but I know he wanted to crawl back in bed with us. His employees surprised him with decorating the breakroom and store with balloons and baby decor. They had a sign coming in the doors with Bobby and Deagan's picture with Deagan's name, weight and birthday. It was really sweet of them. Oh and Bobby got me a little refrigerator so I don't have to keep going downstairs to get/store milk. Yay!

Professor Milkface

Mastitis on Easter Sunday

Yep, that's right. I ended up with mastitis in my left breast. I tried to clear it up on my own with hot showers, hot baths, heating pads, hand expressing, pumping, regular breastfeeding. Nothing was working. Sunday it got worse, I felt like my boob was the size of a beach ball and growing by the minute. I couldn't for the life of me get the milk to release. It got so bad that walking hurt and I was shaking from the intense pain, so we headed to the ER. I couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't too bad of a wait I'm sure, but when your breast is throbbing it feels like hours. Anyway, we left with some antibiotics and pain meds. When I got home I took both, waited for the pain meds to kick in and got in the bath to hand express. I had my pump with me so that helped out too. Since then it feels better, but it's really sore from where I had to hand express and massage the milk out. When I was talking to the doc she said the only way to get rid of mastitis was to empty the breast, I told her I tried everything. Her response? Try harder. She told me she had it too with her son and it was also on a holiday, Christmas. How horrible... I'm pretty sure I had the coolest RN ever. He was a character, to say the least... Told me to take my hydrcodone with a case of beer and I'd be "feeling about right". Lol. At least Bobby got me some ice cream out of the whole ordeal... :o)

Easter Picture

So Adorable!

My beautiful sleepy boys...

Chifferobe Project

This has actually been done for a few weeks, but given all the excitement around here I didn't get to post a blog about it until now. Deagster is down sleeping in his Uncle Ronnie's arms so I got a little break, lol. Here's some before and afters of the chifferobe.

Before: We had to sand it because it had a cheap vinyl "wood" laminate finish.

Before: Doors - took off the old hardware and going to put knobs on to match the changing table.

Before: FYI, sanding by hand hurts your back after about 10 minutes. (Ask my dad.)

In Progress: Starting to come together.

In Progress: It's amazing what a little black paint can do...

In Progress: Doors.

After: It looks brand new! Not bad for $5 at a yard sale huh?

After: Dad did such a good job!!

Welcome Home Deagan!

We FINALLY got to bring our little man home from the Crawford Long NICU. Five days felt like an entire year in that place... I hope no one else ever has to experience that emotional rollercoaster. Yesterday was our first day at home and it was great. We stayed in the hospital on Tuesday night to "room-in" with Deagan. They brought him from the nursery to our room so we could change and feed him that day and night. The WHOLE time they kept saying he could go home either Wednesday or Thursday. I was seriously going to punch someone in the face if they couldn't give me a definate answer. And the room... oh my goodness. It was probably the size of a jail cell with a tiny bed and the most uncomfortable recliner I've EVER sat in. We couldn't get up and walk around with Deagan because he was still hooked up to monitors, so all in all it was a pretty stressful experience. To go eat we had to call the nurse to come get him and take him back to the nursery... it literally felt like prison. It made us want to bust little Deagan out even more! Just make a run for it... Lol. But we finally were told on Wednesday around 2pm that they were working on our discharge paperwork and we had to wait on all the copies of the paperwork. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely greatful to all the staff, they were all super nice and helpful. I just wanted to take my little boy home so bad, I'm sure I wasn't a ray of sunshine.Our first night home was great, we actually got to sleep in between feeding, diaper changes are getting better and we are just absolutely and completely in love with Deagan!!

Day 4 in the NICU

We headed to Atlanta yesterday to visit our little warrior. As soon as we got there the top to the incubator was lifted up. Nurse Vicky said that he was keeping his own body temperature so they didn't need to keep the heat lamps on him anymore. YAY! He was sleeping when we got there, and as soon as he woke up we took his temperature. She said as long as it was above 36.5C then he could be put in a regular nursery crib. We watched the numbers rise on the thermometer and kept cheering him on as the number got higher. At 36.4 I thought my heart would burst if the thermometer beeped before it got to 36.5. It finally went up and even went to 36.6 before beeping! YAY! I'm so proud of my little Deagan!

After that we changed and fed him. I decided to wait until his IVs are out to attempt breastfeeding again. But I've been pumping every 3 hours in the day and every 4 hours at night. His biliruben level went from 9 to 11, which still isn't high enough for the phototherapy. Nurse Vicky doesn't think he'll need it unless his numbers today are above 16. She said at midnight he should be moving to the nursery if the kid that was in that spot would ever go home. Apparently that baby is a fickle one and likes to pop up with a new issue every day keeping him from going home. But she did say that if someone else needed a NICU bed he could be moved right then. So after we held him for about 2 hours we put him in his nursery crib. They just rolled it in the same room. She showed us how to get to the nursery he'd be in today if we walked in the NICU and he was already moved.

Depending on his biliruben levels today we'll see if the IV can come out. I hope they can because that mean we could possibly bring him home today or tomorrow! We have to bring in our carseat and base so they can do a carseat test. Bascically he has to be in the carseat for twice the amount of time it takes to get home. So he's got to sit in there for two hours without any problems to pass. They also will figure out which position the base needs to be that would best suit him when riding.

After we left Bobby and I decided that we needed to do something fun to relieve some built up stress from the past week. We went to eat at our favorite place in Kennesaw and then went to see Fast & Furious. (If you're a fan of these movies then I strongly suggest you go see it!) It was nice to just get lost in something other than my own thoughts and worries for a while. However, this little date night had a price... I made the mistake of not pumping for 2 sessions. I skipped my 4pm and 7pm sessions. NOT A GOOD IDEA!! Never again... but the time we were almost home I was in the passenger seat holding my rock hard boobs and sobbing. I had to get in the shower and let them drain a little before attempting to pump again. I'm sure Bobby enjoyed it just a little bit, even though I was in pain. He said that I had "porn star boobs". Lol. I filled up an entire 80ml container just from one boob. Ouch... I had to keep stopping to massage then go again. I usually do 10 minutes each side, but last night I kept going until the flow slowed. I think I probably did 15-20 minutes each side. All I can say is - never again. You only have to experience that once to kick your butt into gear.

Day 3 in the NICU and Pics

Yesterday Bobby and I headed down to the hospital around 2pm. The nurse updated us on how he was doing. His vitals are improving by the hour, he's starting to be weened off of the IV and increasing his bottle intake, and his biliruben level was at a 9 (higher than before but not enough for phototherapy yet). They are hoping he will be completely off the IV very soon. In that case, as long as he can maintain his body temperature by himself then he can be moved to the regular nursery. Everytime we ask when he can come home, it's always a different response that usually starts with "Well, depending on how he does..." The nurse said he just keeps surprising her. She'll come in after the night shift and he'll be doing much better than when she left the night before. She said he's a funny little guy... if she said two days, it would be a week, if she said a week it would be two days. She thinks he's out to prove her wrong no matter what, lol.

Oh.... and I'm not the ONLY one he likes to pee on, it's everyone, lol. We got to hold him quite a bit. From his 5pm feeding until his 8pm feeding he was in either mine or Bobby's arms. The nurse also said that his endurance level needs some improvement. As soon as he gets a bottle down he's tired out until the next feeding. They did say that since he's the most stable baby they have, if they got another baby that needed a NICU bed, then he would be able to go to the nursery. He still needs some help, but so far he is just flying by all the medical team's expectations.

I try to make these updates as positive as possible, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared and sometimes angry. I hate that I have to drive an hour to see my son, I hate that our carseat is empty on the way back from every trip. I can't wait for the day when all I have to do to see my baby is go to his room, or look down in my arms. It's been a rough road, but hopefully it's almost over and we can bring him home.

Sleepy little boy...

The piece my heart that I have to leave every day. :o(

Daddy and Deagan

Lunch time.

Day 2 in the NICU

Yesterday we spent a good portion of the day getting the rooms (mine and the nursery) ready. We hadn't even built the changing table, so that got done. My mom and I cleaned and disinfected just about anything and everything. We headed down to see Deagan around 3pm. We walked in and he had the breathing tube out and is now 100% on his own. We are SOOO proud of our little guy. He's doing so much better in just the 18 hours we were away! I got to feed him with a bottle yesterday and we also got to give him some of my colostrum with a syringe. I only managed about 3.5cc, but that's half a feeding for him. I'm starting to get more and more every time I pump, so that's a great sign.

I changed my VERY FIRST diaper too! And got peed on! Lol. I thought he was done and once I pulled the old diaper away he went at it again. How can something that tiny pee so much?! Lol. The nurse said that he may be able to go to a regular nursery today, YAY! I would be ecstatic if he was making that leap in progress already. Depending on how all his feedings went last night we're going to see if he'll tolerate me feeding him from my breast today. He was having some issues learning the suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time, so we'll see how it goes. He was taking a pacifier beautifully though. His respiration count didn't even go down when we put it in. We were concerned that he would be relying on breathing through his mouth too much, but like always, he did wonderful! They also said he might need some phototherapy since he was looking like he was starting to get jaundice-y.

I can't wait to bring my little man home and be able to hold him and kiss him any time I want! He is just the cutest kid, and I love him SOOOO much! Briana - I totally get the heart swelling up and bursting with love thing now... We'll be going back up today, not sure exactly when, but I'm sure I'll either update again later today or tomorrow morning.

Labor Pics

Bobby cutting the cord.

My adorable baby boy!

The Walden Family

Gettin a suntan.

Breathing treatments in the NICU.

Happy Birth Day Deagan!!

Hey guys, well it's been an eventful couple of days since Thursday morning. I promise I will have the entire story on here when I get some time. Here's the gist of it:

Deagan was born on Thursday, April 2nd at 7:51pm. He weighs 5lb and 15oz and was 4 weeks early. He's having some respiratory system issues, but nothing that a little bit of therapy can't fix. He had to be transferred early Friday morning to Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta to the NICU since Cartersville Medical Center doesn't have the proper equipment to treat him. He is a little fighter and is kicking this treatment's ass every hour he's there. I'll post more about his condition when I get some more time. We've been getting the house ready for him to come home, so time is something I don't have a whole lot of. We're going back to the hospital tonight to check on our little man.

BBQ Time!

Bobby and I are off to his former boss' house for BBQ. I had a big breakfast around 11:30 this morning. I made pancakes, and I actually did pretty good! But nothing since, so I'm starving! I can;t wait to eat some good food. Tara's an excellent cook. And she's had 3 boys and 1 girl so I totally plan on asking her every question in the book about labor and newborns. Her little girl was born in November, and her youngest boy the year before that. Well... we're off. :o)

Kay

I figured it out... wow. That was scary... maybe I won't try that again. Myspace is so much easier.

Ok, I guess I need to start over...

I'm trying to change my background so bare with me...

Uh-Oh

I think I messed up and lost my entire blog... I'm gonna have to fgure this out.

YAY!

Our changing table/dresser is here!! Well, technically it's still on the front porch because there's NO WAY I could even attempt to move it. But just as I suspected, the FedEx guy just dropped it off and hopped in the truck and left. I heard the truck and tried to make my way downstairs so maybe I could get him to put it in the garage, but he was back to the truck by the time I got to the door. I did get a wave though... thanks dick. Anyway, I'm just glad it's here so Bobby can put it together tomorrow while he's off.