birth weight

Timothy reached his birth weight today! We are so proud of him for all that he is going through right now. We are looking forward to him coming home soon. He has undergone several more tests, just to make sure that they were not missing anything, and they have all come back negative. He definitely has acid reflux and now we are adjusting medication to help that heal and hopefully make it feel better so he will be more willing to eat. We also figured out today that he has a good case of thrush, a yeast infection in his mouth, that can make it painful to eat, so now that is being treated as well. Over the next couple of days he should be feeling better and we should see improvement. Now for a few pictures for your enjoyment...

Playing with a link...he likes to grab anything and hold it, including his feeding tube...

Hanging out in the bouncy chair...it keeps him upright and his food in his tummy.

Tracking a rattle with dad

After a bath, his hair curls and certain pieces stick up. :)

Eating a purple marker...not really.

The medicine for the thrush dyes the inside of his mouth bright purple.

Eating...

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers, we appreciate them so much! We are still here in NICU, hoping that something will show up as the reason for Timothy refusing to eat. He is on medication for acid reflux right now, but it doesn't seem to be helping his appetite. The doctor is changing his medication in hopes to find the right combination to ease the burning and encourage him to swallow more than just a half-ounce at every feeding.

After we try to get down as much as he can stand, Timothy usually crashes out on daddy for some extra snuggles (it also helps his tummy if we keep him upright).

Timothy is now 7 lbs, 5.5 oz. He is almost back up to his birth weight and steadily going up now that he gets most of his food through the feeding tube.

Timothy now has the upgraded crib. It has a crank at the end that allows the nurse to raise his head up much higher than the last bed he was in. This helps keeps the food down in his tummy. He looks so tiny in this crib compared to the last one he was in!

Fast asleep, wearing his new Christmas hat and cuddled up with his little friend. We have several of his toys and his bouncy chair with him so that we can play when he is awake and alert. He does really well with tracking our faces, voices, and his toys.

Update

Timothy is doing really well. Over the past few days, Timothy's eating has decreased, so the doctors have decided that a feeding tube was the best to get him enough calories. We have also been adding formula to my breast milk to make it more calorie rich. He had an upper GI test this morning that revealed moderate acid reflux, so he is now getting medicated for that. The test was a blessing because it is the first test that has revealed something that could be causing his lack of interest. The hope is that over the next couple of days, he will start to heal and be more interested in eating. It has been quite a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but Jared and I are doing well...we feel blessed that he is in such a great place and getting such great care. He has been much more aware of his surroundings, got his first real bath, and is a wonderful snuggler. We don't know if he will be home for Christmas, but are thankful that we have been so richly blessed. :)

Unexpected events...

So many things have changed. Since our last post, Timothy has been checked into the NICU at St. John's because of dehydration. We have been basically living at the hospital, helping with his feedings and doing lots of holding. He is doing so much better! The doctor has declared him healthy, but he needs to gain more weight and eat more each time every 3 hours. So we are waiting...hopefully for only a couple of more days. In the meantime here are a couple of new pictures. Once we are home and have a few minutes, we will update picasa with more pictures.

Day Three

Timothy has changed so much just in the past three days, its unbelievable. My (Jared's) Mom is in for the week to help out and I also was able to get a good night sleep at home and check in on Tigger. Timothy is more and more alert and awake. He is a wonderful bundle and absolute joy. Sarah and Timothy should be going home tomorrow, yay! Mom and Baby are doing fantastic and Dad couldn't be more impressed and overjoyed with both! Enjoy the pictures of Timothy and Mom. You also need to check out his album in Picasa and watch the videos. :)

Mom and Timothy!

What a wonderful name....pacifier....

Introducing Timothy Amos Nies

Timothy Amos Nies.

Born on 12/8/2010.

7lb. 8oz. 19 1/4 inches.

This little lion can certainly roar! (Amos 1:2)

And so it begins...

12-7-10 11:05pm - This is a most rare but wonderful experience to be able to post on my wife blog. We are all checked in here at St. John's Hospital. The room is very nice and Sarah is resting comfortably. She is all hooked up and wonders of wonders 1cm dilated! We are currently waiting for how the induction will be processed....stay tuned for further updates and pictures!

11:20pm - The nurse came in with the induction plan, Sarah will receive cervidel in hopes to get the process started. The time frame is anywhere from 2 to 12 hours, so it will be a long wait.

12-8-10 1:50am - At 1:30am a resident OB came in and gave Sarah the cervidel, still 1 cm. She said that the cervidel should get things progressing so we shall see. Sarah is trying to get some sleep and I think I will attempt to do the same. In a couple hours things are likely to get busy!

3:40am - Well after only perhaps a half hour of sleep Sarah and I are awake and have started a Charlie Brown marathon. No other news other than the constant beat of the kids heart beat, which is very soothing sound...oh and coffee, glorious coffee.

5:15am - Things are progressing along! Sarah is having more powerful contractions closer together about every three minuets. We are pretty sure that her water broke. Sarah is breathing through the contractions and is handling them very well...I am very proud of her.

5:37am - Yes, Sarah's water indeed has broken and continues to leak...its somewhat humorous...there might be some machomeum and they will keep their eye on it. Sarah's contractions are coming closer together and around six she will begin petosin.

6:22am - Sarah is having contractions every 3 minuets or so...however because the contractions are not consistently strong, the nurse started the petosin on a slow drip to see what happens with the consistency of the contractions. Things are progressing along. Baby will most likely be taken to NICU to have a deep cleaning but there is nothing overly serious.

8:30am - Charlie Brown continues as do the contractions. The petosin seems to be working and the Doctor came in and said everything looks great. The plan is not to let Sarah labor for several hours because her water has broken. We will just have to wait for the time being.

8:55am - Contractions are about a minuet apart and are getting more intense. The nurse bumped Sarah's petosin upto 5 (from 3). More waiting, breathing and coaching!

11:15am - Well after 5 hours of hard contractions Sarah made the decision to have an epidural. She is resting verrrrry comfortably right now and loving life, rather than getting enjoyment in hearing the many pops and cracks from my hand. I too am loving life. Epidural, you are fantastic.

12:50pm - It comes down to a waiting game now...Sarah has not dilated passed 1 cm as of yet. No other news to report. She is resting comfortably and able to doze, which is good. No such luck for the other half. The nurse is currently updating the doctor on what is going on. Her petosin level is at 11 and will be continued to be increased. So now we do what we have been doing since 10:30 last night...wait.

The wait is almost over...

Well, we are sitting here just waiting for the hospital to call. Tonight we are going to be induced and finally meet our little boy! Jared will be logging in and updating the blog as things progress. Keep an eye out for his messages and for pictures. :)

Plus One

No baby yet. :) Jared and I had a lovely dinner out last night and then walked a mall. We took our hospital bag, just in case, but brought it back with us. Nothing else is really happening - lots of contractions and little tweaks still. Today's plan: go shopping at the food bank, clean the bathroom and kitchen, maybe a nap, and homework for Jared. And walk...lots of walking. :)

3 days...

I realized that I hadn't put too many pictures up recently, so here are a few from the past month or so. They include the installation of the car seat, thanksgiving (the pickles on the table were for Jared, not me), my large belly, and the cat chilling in her new favorite place, right next to the radiator. Our last doctor appointment is tomorrow and I am hoping that we have progressed at least a little. In case I go overdue (Friday is the due date), we have an induction set for next Tuesday. Even though we are both ready for our baby to come, it is kinda weird to think that in one week, we will be parents, if not sooner. We have been waiting so long and these past couple of weeks have definitely been the longest, with the last couple of days just torture. :)

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Another Wednesday, another appointment, and another zero in the progress department. :) Nothing new to report other than I have been entertained by people sharing "I think this is it" stories...which make me feel better because I honestly thought at 3 am I was not going to my appointment this morning but to labor and delivery. So I have more time to get things done before the baby comes. Thus far, I have taken a nap and eaten lunch...maybe this afternoon. :)

Done with work

I am officially on maternity leave! I was trying to make it until next Tuesday, but decided with Jared that it was time now with all of the contractions that I have been having, the amount of stress involved with my work situation, and the fact that I could sit for 5 minutes on the couch and fall asleep. So needless to say, the last couple of days have been absolutely amazing. Jared and I have been decorating for Christmas (we are figuring that when the baby is here, we aren't going to have the energy to get it done), going for walks before the weather turns miserable, and sleeping LOTS.

On Wednesday, our appointment went well. The doctor was concerned about a month ago that his kidneys were dilated, but the ultrasound this week showed that they were back to a normal size and she was pleased. From what she told us last time, sometimes little boy kidney valves take a little longer to do what they are supposed to do. The ultrasound tech also predicted a weight of 6 lb, 10 oz. Full term, the doctor thinks he will be in the high 7 lbs. With an accuracy rate of plus or minus 2 lbs, I guess we will have to wait to see if they are correct. :) I haven't dilated yet, but have had LOTS of contractions, some of which are starting to get strong. I am hoping that he comes a little early so Jared is still home full time for break, but we are just counting down the days.

Still Sitting...

Well, I am supposed to be up and moving in 5 hours for work, but I am still wide awake, sitting on the couch. My wonderful husband, who is on break and has plans of sleeping-in in the morning, is fast asleep. I just love it.

I thought we were seriously going to have our baby over the weekend. I woke up Sunday morning to bleeding, cramping, and lots of contractions that continued on and off all day. It was slightly stressful for Jared, who had to preach that morning and do it memorized for one of his classes, but he did just fine. I called my principal, let her know what was going on, and took Monday off just in case. As soon as I went to bed, all symptoms ceased and I had not a hint of anything. After a quick check in with the doctor, who says I still haven't progressed, we spent some time at the zoo walking and cleaning up the apartment. We really enjoyed walking around the zoo, watching the grounds crew put up Christmas lights while skeletons and bats were still dangling in the trees.

This process is starting to wear on my lack of patience, and that I suppose is the point. The bag is packed, plans for school are made, pantry stocked, and cleaning is just about done. I have my next appointment Wednesday and it includes another ultrasound to make sure that I am still carrying just extra fluid and not a monster-sized baby. Looking forward to seeing him in my arms instead of on a video screen in black-and-white.

Here I Sit...

Just a quick update...that nothing has happened. :) We have our next appointment tomorrow, so we will see what the doctor says about how I am progressing, if I am. All of my parents at school seem to think that I have less than a week....I guess we will just have to see if they are correct. The late pregnancy symptoms of swollen feet and bladder pressure have really kicked in, as well as the lack of mobility. Most mornings Jared is pushing (literally) me out of bed so I can get moving...

5 weeks to go...

We are getting closer! Almost 2 weeks ago we had our last appointment and our little boy is doing well. We had yet another ultrasound to make sure that my size was not due to a overly large baby and 2 of the pictures are posted...the pictures seem to be getting less and less clear, so we are just posting the best of the group. He is measuring in the 50th percentile and I am still measuring large because of extra fluid. According to all of my classroom parents, my belly has dropped significantly over the past week and they all laugh when I say that I am planning on being around until Thanksgiving. :) I have noticed that my belly has dropped, more because I have several maternity shirts that are no longer long enough to cover the entire belly. Today's highlight was Jared being able to hear the baby's heartbeat by just placing his ear to my belly (thankfully he didn't get kicked in the process).



The apartment is looking more and more like a home of a family of three. Thanks to mom and dad Nies, there is a baby swing, ready for a passenger, in the living room. There are blankets from family and friends stacked here and there. The car seat has been installed in the car and the baby dresser is clothed in a changing pad and a basket of supplies. Everything has also been through the laundry and is folded. Yes, I still have some deep cleaning to do, our laundry is sitting in baskets, and I have dreams of baking and cooking over the weekend and preparing meals in advanced, but I think that if he decides to come early, we are ready, I just need to get our hospital bag packed. Thank you for all of your prayers and kind thoughts so far through this pregnancy, please continue to think about and pray for our child as he finishes the first stage of his life!

Hopefully the next update will come sooner than later...we have our next appointment on Wednesday and they now are going to come every week! :)

Weekend Project

Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of things that I need to get done (like mop the kitchen floor), but for a couple of blissful hours on Saturday afternoon, I got to pull out my sewing machine and play with a new pattern. One of my mom's friends mentioned that she had a pattern for a boppy cover and would be willing to lend it to me. I was so excited! After looking at the pattern, I figured out that I could use some of the receiving blankets that I have gotten at showers already for the fabric. (We have gotten 20 so far, so I figured that I could spare a couple for a baby project) Unfortunately, the regular size receiving blankets are too small by about two inches (although my cover is a little big, so I still may be able to do it), but I had a set of four, Noah's ark blankets that were just perfect. I am so happy with how the first one came out!



I have never done piping before, but was surprised on how easy it was, although the inside curves were challenging. I didn't even use a zipper foot, because I don't have one, but was still able to sew right along my hemline. Hopefully I didn't mess up the alignment of my sewing machine in the process. :)



I have the second one cut and ready to go, piping pinned onto the front of the top piece, but I broke my last sewing machine needle on the very last stitch of the first cover, so it will have to wait the week until I have a chance to go and buy another pack of needles and maybe a zipper foot too.

I feel as I should give an update on Jared...he is somewhere amongst his books. He spent the entire weekend studying, with a break for a quick picnic in the park with wonderful friends, and is still studying as I am writing. He really enjoys it though, so don't think that he is being tortured. :)

an apple a day keeps the doctor away?

The past two weeks or so have really brought on the onset of fall here in St. Louis, or at least the last of the 90 degree days (I hope!). Jared and I celebrated two weekends ago by going to the apple orchard and picking almost 40 pounds of delicious apples. So far, we have been eating them and making applesauce, apple crisp, and pork-chops-with-apples-and-onions. I think a pie may be looming in the weekend plans...





I had my latest doctor's appointment yesterday and everything seems to be going well. I am continuing to measure large, so in 2 weeks, at my next appointment, I will have another ultrasound. I am starting to wonder how large I will end up being in the 8 weeks I have left...hopefully not too much larger, because my belly is starting to outgrow some of my maternity clothing. I am also having to prop myself in odd ways to sleep comfortably and bending over is going to be soon a thing of the past. But other than sore feet and some extra tiredness, I am feeling great and blessed to have minor discomforts in the big picture. The baby stuff is starting to cycle through the wash and the car seat has been pulled out of the basement storage so I can clean it up. I started knitting another hat after the one I made this summer was way to large, but I haven't been able to really work on it. I am hoping that after our 1st quarter report cards go out in just over a week, I will be able to work on it again and maybe get a matching sweater done as well.

baby update...

More pictures are up! Check out "the baby 3" album for updated pictures of our child. :) We had a good ultrasound session other than he wouldn't lay for a profile and was somewhat uncooperative for the technician trying to take measurements. We found out that our baby's growth is right on track...he is somewhere around the 42nd percentile and my doctor is pleased. I am measuring large because I am carrying around some extra fluid, but the doctor wasn't concerned, so we aren't either. All of my tests came back negative too, so we are happy about that too. We get to start our every-2-week-appointment schedule until I reach 36 weeks, when I start going every week. I still can't believe that we are only about 10 weeks from meeting our son in the daylight! It was so far away back in the spring and now we are almost there. Between teaching school and Jared going to school though, I think we will be able to fill the time in nicely with plenty of things to do. :)