Saturday, August 28, 2010

Going Stir Crazy...

Going into this, I thought it might actually be nice to have a couple of weeks of relaxation - watching movies, catching up on things that get neglected due to daily duties, sleeping, etc.  However, after about hour number two of being confined, I quickly realized this would, in fact, be the longest three weeks I've ever endured.  There is only so much cable and internet one person can take.  Heck, I can't even shop on line because I can't find anything justifiable to purchase!!  I am facilitating Lane's nursery and arrival from a distance, but am confident it'll end nicely.

On Thursday, my mom gathered the rest of the necessities: bottles, a couple preemie gowns, some receiving blankets and the like.  She finished what could be done of his nursery: boxing up clothes 3+ months for when he's ready to wear them.  Less washing the things we received at our sprinkle and purchased since then, everything is ready for our little monster.

This weekend, I've been at my mom's, as Doug is in his cousin's wedding in Wisconsin.  Everyone keeps asking how I feel - and I feel great, with the exception of a really hurting back (which is to be expected at this stage of the game).  I'm scared, no doubt.  I'm trying to process the many ways this could play out when we go to have him - I could walk out with the most normal delivery possible, only a little earlier than would be expected.  I could walk out with a hysterectomy.  Realistically, I could not walk out at all, but I'm trying not to think of that option.  In the mean time, as we ready our lives for Lane, we are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our friends and family - it warms our hearts to know how loved we are, and our sweet baby boy is!  Thank you all so much!!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

How We Got To Today...

When deciding on a name for Lane, we were completely undecided.  We both thought he'd be like Cole, we'd name him once he arrived.  But, at the same time, it's hard to have a baby and not know what to call him, so we kept searching.  There were names that fell right into the "no" pile, and some fell into the "maybe" pile.  One night, I started watching 8 Seconds, a movie about a professional bull rider, who ultimately lost his life during a rodeo, named Lane Frost.  I fell in love with the name Lane.  I also loved that the name came after a person who was known for being tough, getting back in the saddle and overcoming obstacles, while being a great role model.  Doug liked the name Case, so it was decided: Lane Case.  I never knew how tough our Lane might have to be...

Due to spotting early in the second trimester, we were placed on pelvic rest and diagnosed with placenta previa.  What that means is the placenta covers the cervical opening/birth canal.  This can create several problems: firstly, the baby cannot be delivered vaginally, which wasn't an issue, as he was already a repeat c-section.  Secondly, as we later found out, the placenta can begin to bleed as the baby gets bigger and puts more weight on it, at a rate of 560cc's per minute, being life threatening to mom and baby.  At 32 weeks, it became a more immediate concern - baby was getting bigger and the placenta was still in place.  We were told that I had to be on strict bed rest and to call 911 if we saw any sign of spotting/bleeding.  However, Friday we went to maternal fetal medicine at Rockford Memorial Hospital who advised us the previa wasn't present and the placenta was 1.5"-2" from the cervical opening!

 After spending the weekend in confidence that our baby was going to be safe and we were without any further danger, we went for our 33 week appointment with our OB today.  She advised us that the placenta is 7mm from the cervical opening, which is considered partial previa, and we were by no means out of the woods.  She indicated that I would need to stay on strict bed rest until delivery.  Our delivery will be scheduled for 36 weeks (around September 15th) and Lane will likely spend some time in the NICU.  During delivery, we will be in the main operating room, they will have 7 pints of blood on hand in case I start to hemorrhage and there will be a team of doctors there for both Lane and I.

While this is definitely scary, we are praying that everything pans out fine.  We are resting on our faith in God, knowing that He has a plan for Lane and for our family and that His will will be done.  We know we have a strong baby and we are confident that in the end, everything will be fine.  Please keep us in your prayers, as we know God is listening and have seen Him work in our lives tremendously.

We'll try to keep everyone updated via this blog as much as we can.  Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers!!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Cole & Lane

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him." - 1 Samuel 1:27