Quinn's Birth Story

Our little girl made quite the little journey into the world (and she took mommy for a bit of a wild ride as well). Quinn started giving mommy trouble way back at 8 weeks in utero when she decided that morning sickness should last all day and for the first 6 months of her pregnancy. Mom got to enjoy a few great weeks before being diagnosed with gestational diabetes and shortly thereafter pre-eclampsia (putting mommy on bedrest at 32 weeks). One thing that Quinn can not quite take credit for was the kidney stones that decided to come all in the same month. :) Despite these complications, mommy will still say that there were so many amazing things about her pregnancy and being able to carry Quinn around for 8 months.

On Wednesday, February 16th we made a trip to the hospital after showing some of the severe pre-eclampsia signs to watch out for. We were monitored and allowed to go home after some tests and would conduct one more test that results would come the next day or two. In the meantime, Quinn had another ultrasound and was still turned in the right direction! We were so excited! On Friday evening the 18th, Grandma was in the middle of making a delicious home cooked meal, and the Doctor called us with the results (my protein levels had jumped from 500 to over 3,000; indicating that my kidneys were not doing their job) and he said hop in the car and that we need to get things rolling. So we were off, and excited that after this hospital trip we were going to be bringing home a baby with us. (Of course she would divert from her scheduled c-section date of Feb. 22nd that would take us to 37 weeks, she must have liked the 19th better.)

Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor said we were stable enough to try to induce a regular delivery, so we did just that. Mom started feeling contractions somewhat consistently from 1am on, so she was sure they were making good progress. In the meantime, her condition was continuing to get a little worse, nurses didn't even want to tell her what her blood pressure was. :( And then some nausea started to set in as well, and swelling that we just couldn't believe. With severe pre-eclampsia setting in, they had to put her on some not fun drugs at all, but it helped to keep her stable. It was to help mommy from having any seizures or convulsions that they were a little worried about, and some extra padding was added to her bed too. Fun stuff. By 9:00 Saturday morning Dr. Newman came back in to reassess our progress. NOTHING!!! She was up far and hiding. At this point he left mom and dad with some decisions to make. We could continue to try to induce but it could take days (and mommy's condition was definitely worsening) or we could do a c-section delivery and avoid anymore risks to mommy and baby. Together, we decided pretty quickly that we needed to deliver her as soon as possible.

Before we knew it, mommy got her epidural and was prepped for surgery. Daddy was able to be there for the whole surgery/delivery and he was awesome! He was able to watch the delivery, cut the cord, all of the regular jobs of dad. Mom on the other hand did okay but struggled a little with the comfort of the surgery and they kept pumping her with more morphine. However, she does remember all the important parts, Daddy standing up to watch, Quinn crying right away, and being brought over for a little kiss with mom. Then she and dad got to go to the nursery for her first bath and all of her measurements and assessing while mom's surgery was wrapped up.

Our absolutely adorable Quinn Avery was born at 12:58pm. Measuring 5 pounds 9 ounces, and 19 inches long. She scored a 9 on both of her Apgar scores and passed all of her tests and assessments. She did awesome and we were overjoyed that our little premature girl was healthy as could be. Fortunately for mommy as soon as she was rolled into recovery, Quinn got to join her immediately. We stayed in recovery for about an hour and half before we got moved to our new room and could meet some more family. Grandma and Grandpa Dalton and Auntie Amy were anxiously awaiting to get their hands on our precious peanut, and mom was feeling great and completely blissful.

We were just beyond thrilled that our little girl was healthy and was able to stay with us during our entire stay at the hospital. We did take advantage of some sleep time at night and Quinn got to spend a little time with some friends in the nursery. She was rolled in every two hours for feeding, and I would get so excited every time I heard her little cart's wheels coming to the door. Amazing how much you don't care about sleeping anymore. Our hospital experience was fantastic and we were incredibly blessed with the exceptional care from our nurses. They were truly amazing are so very special to us. Mommy had to stay in bed hooked up to all kinds of things after surgery for a full 24 hours, including the anti-seizure medicine, which made her pretty loopy. We had to keep the room quiet, and the lights dim for her. Finally on Sunday, she was able to get up and move for the first time and gradually start detaching from all the devices that were hooked up to her. As time went on she felt better and better.

Quinn was born at 5 lbs. 9 oz. and dropped in weight as most babies do. She dropped a little more than the doctors wanted her to as she was already so little so we got her on a very set feeding schedule and some supplementing. Her weight was at 4 pounds 15 ounces and she gained half an ounce the last day, so we were all able to go home on Tuesday, February 22nd. YEA! Our little 4 pound 15 ounce peanut, needed more preemie clothes and preemie diapers, so grandma and grandpa were sent shopping!

In just two days since we had arrived home, we had a follow-up appt. for Quinn and she had gained 4 ounces! She is eating so well, and we are so grateful. The doctor said she is perfect. Which we already knew. :) We are definitely settling in at home, and she is doing extremely well. Our time is taken up just staring at her and smiling. We just love her to pieces! We can't believe she is one week old already. Despite all of the complications we experienced on this journey, mommy would already say even after a week that it has been easy to forget all of that. It all just goes away when you are gifted with such a blessing.

Here are a few pics from the hospital. We will post more about her first week's adventures soon!



First family picture.
Oh my goodness my mommy was swollen from the pre-eclampsia!



Leaving the hospital. Such a peanut in the carseat!

Quinn Avery

Our beautiful and precious bundle of joy is here!

Quinn Avery
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
12:58 pm
5 pounds 9 ounces
19 inches

We are over the moon and can not be more grateful for our healthy baby girl, and how both baby and mommy are doing since our delivery day. We will post more about Quinn's incredible journey into the world very soon, so check back soon.

For now here are a few pics of our little peanut to hold everyone over. :)

Little Lovebug Update

Just a little update...

Our little one has (as of this time) turned around and figured out which way is out. :) So there may be some changes in our plan. We still have our c-section scheduled just in case, but there is now a likely possibility we may not have that anymore. We will know more on Monday hopefully with our last ultrasound and dr. appt., and depending on where she is located that day :), whether we will have a c-section still on Tuesday or be induced at some time during the week.
Just wanted to give you all an update since things are still a little up in the air and to avoid all the "Is she here yet?" questions as it is possible now she may not be born on Tuesday. We shall see...

We will definitely send out an announcement as soon as she arrives!

As of this past Monday, our little peanut was being estimated at 5lbs. 10oz. and in the 28th percentile. Still room for her to turn and move around, and apparently show off her gymnastic skills, yesterday she had both of her hands and feet all up by her face.

Thank you so much for all of your positive thoughts and showing your care for us during this time. It has definitely helped us to get to this point of 37 weeks, which we are so very grateful for.
Thank you!!

Todd is fighting some bad cold/flu symptoms, so prayers for daddy that he can get rid of it before our little one comes.

XOXO

Officially a February Girl :)

Our little girl will officially be a February lovebug. :) We are scheduled for a
c-section on February 22nd, unless it is decided for her to arrive earlier. Either way we know we will get to finally meet this peanut in the next 11 days.
To our little February girl...stay cozy for a little longer, we are so excited to meet you!

35 weeks and counting... YEA!

Todd and I are so grateful to have hit the 35 week milestone. Of course each additional day and week is still a blessing, but we know that passing this milestone puts our little girl in a much healthier position to even come home with us from the hospital. While she does have a name, we still use nicknames more often...and most recently it is our little Stinker. She seems to be much more comfortable with her head up and in breech position. We were excited when she had moved head down, but she quickly reverted back to the breech position. At this time, doctors don't anticipate her to change out of breech position, especially as we near the 36 week mark and the space is becoming much tighter in there for her to move.

With the complications we have had, the wonderful team of doctors we have been working with have also decided that (if she does not need to come earlier) that they want to deliver her as soon as we hit that 37 week mark. A c-section will be scheduled soon to take place, and that means our little girl will definitely be here in 2 weeks or less. It is a strange thought, but also a peaceful one.
Our waiting for baby has been a little different than most. Instead of waiting to go into labor, we have been waiting for my health and medical condition to become severe. So, it was nice to know that there may be an endpoint that does not result in having to reach that severe point and be presented with more risks.

We are just so excited to meet this little stinker! And thrilled that we have made it this far and continue to both remain healthy.

Other updates... Q&A

Why a c-section? because she is in breech position

Is a c-section scheduled yet? Not at this time, but will be soon.

Could she still come earlier?
There is definitely still a very good chance she
could make her arrival earlier than that scheduled time, should my condition
be elevated to severe. So far bedrest is doing a great thing for both of us
and hopefully will continue to do so until we do hit full-term. (37-40 weeks)
I believe to lower the risks to both of us is why doctors want to deliver her
as soon as she hits the 37 mark. But, they made it clear it is still very
likely we may not hit that mark.

When do you hit the 37 week mark? February 21st

Dr. Appt.'s?
We go every Monday and Thursday, getting ultrasounds and non-stress
tests each time. They continue to go very well, her biophysical profiles
that they conduct via ultrasound always score her a 8/8 points.

How long have you been on bedrest? About 3 weeks.

What are you doing to keep you busy on bedrest?
Somehow the days go by quickly...lots of magazines, soduko, tv, movies,
cuddling and playing with Lucy. My friend Kirsten dropped off some TV seasons
of a few shows. Right now, I am loving watching the show 24! It definitely
helps make the time go by quickly. I'm on to season 2 of it already. :)

What are you looking forward to?
Well, the healthy arrival of our little one of course.
Todd coming home at the end of his work day.
And, getting my hair done today. I'm a little excited about that. The only
thing I have left the house for the last 3 weeks was to go to the doctor's
office, so this will be a special treat. Figured it is okay since I get to
sit and relax the whole time. :) Todd is taking me after he is done
at school today.

What are you most grateful for?
My unbelievable and absolutely amazing husband. Words cannot express all that
he has done to take care of our little family.

A healthy baby girl that has remained cozy to grow big and strong.

And for all of the loving support we have received from our family and friends.
Thank you so much!

We will continue to keep you updated and watch for an announcement of our little one's arrival to be made soon. :)

Love, Lisa & Todd

Our "other" baby

There was a time when we started thinking that we needed to prep our little lovable Lucy for the new arrival. However, we think she has always had the instinct of loving this new little baby and knowing she is on the way. Lucy was the one that led me to believe I was pregnant, her favorite place to cuddle is to wrap herself around my belly, and she is in love with the new baby room. She has the sweetest demeanor of any pet you could imagine (an especially unique quality for a cat), we don't worry for a second about her being anything with baby other than her protector. We already know she loves this little girl.

My mom's latest creation:


It looks just like her :) (Of course she was not left out of the gifts that were given from my class of 2nd graders. She quickly found the catnip toys hidden in this bag.)


And a little "I spy" when her new favorite room was starting to be put together.













I think she is ready for a new "little sister". :)

Caution: Blog Reconstruction Ahead

It is without a doubt that this little blog is going to go under some major changes in the very near future. Soon it will be taken over by the tales of a tiny little girl, and will no longer just consist of the tales of a boring married couple. :) Look for these new changes to come soon to our little family blog and bear with us as it may take a little time to make this transition. We are looking forward to all the new adventures ahead to share with you!

A little update:
Baby continues to grow and on yesterday's ultrasound her cheeks sure looked chubby! She has some juicy cheeks (like her cousins') and a heart shaped face (like her auntie's). And she seems to be making great progress. They only measure her growth every few weeks, so we don't have an update on an estimated size of her yet. However, she passes all of her tests each and every time with ease. We already go back tomorrow to see her again.
My blood pressure has slightly elevated gradually, so we are doing more screenings/tests to make sure that all of my organs (kidneys, liver, etc.) are still functioning as they should be. We will find out more by the weekend. Monday will put us at 35 weeks already. We are feeling so much better about where we are now compared to a few weeks ago. Although of course we want her to stay cozy as long as she can without compromising her health or mine, we are also mentally prepared and excited for her to make her debut now when it's time.

Chicago Blizzard 2011

YUM!!
I wish it was that kind of Blizzard. :)

Instead, we have thus far received over a foot and a half of snow. And it isn't over yet. With 60mph winds, things became quite dangerous and many people were stranded in their cars for hours on end. Yikes! We are very grateful for our cozy warm home, that our power stayed on, and that we did not have to make any trips to the hospital. :) This blizzard of 2011 is increasing its ranks up on the chart of most historical Chicago blizzards as the day goes on. Chicago public schools cancelled for the first time in 12 years, putting the last big storm at my senior year of high school. No playing in the snow for us this time, we are staying cozy with our blankies and fluffy kitty in our laps. Todd is obviously home on a snow day and may very well be again tomorrow.

Hope this finds everyone cozy, warm and safe in their homes too.

Lots of Shower Surprises!

Leaving work early unfortunately meant missing a few planned baby showers. My co-workers had a sweet baby shower planned, I felt bad that it had to be cancelled. My friend and colleague, Tiffany, stopped by with a special delivery of baby items for our little one. More adorable girly things, blankets, necessities, and baby stuff galore! We are so appreciative to our friends and colleagues at work for their generosity.

My 2nd grade classroom parents also had planned a surprise. They were quick thinkers though and adjusted their plans to put together a huge basket of goodies for a mama on bedrest. Lots of snacks, magazines, books, photo albums, puzzles, soduko, and much more was overflowing from this basket. So much of it did not even fit, along with a few beautiful baby items for our little girl as well. Below is a picture of everything my special class of parents and students put together for us.



We are so blessed to be surrounded by so much love, generosity, and support.