Monday, December 27, 2010

MORGAN

Labor was very fast.





Morgan Jean Hust arrived 15 days before her due date on October 15, 2010 at 3:59 a.m. weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces and 21 inches long.



 
Things were going well for the first month and a half.




But now we have been in the hospital for 16 days, had one surgery and awaiting 2 more.

Click here to see Ms. Morgan's newborn pics.

Click here for her CaringBridge site.  Prayers are greatly appreciated!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Win a $10,000 Room Makeover

Follow this link and enter to win a $10,000 Room Makeover and play EVERYDAY for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate from PartyLite!

Enter consultant code X94367

Good Luck!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Progress

I am now 34 weeks along in my pregnancy.  I was having contractions all day all day yesterday, none today though.  I had my routine doctor appointment today and asked her to check.  I am already dilated 2 cm and 50-75% effaced.  I am also measuring big at 37 weeks so if she were to wait until the full 40 weeks she would be born big like Mitchell (8 lbs. 7oz.).  From the last ultrasound she looked chunky and you could see that she has a lot of hair!  I am very excited and can't wait to meet her!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Baby Bump

I am currently reading a friend's blog about their journey through IVF and infertility.  I am sitting here with tears in my eyes as it reminds me of the emotional roller coaster that we went through during this process.

Therefore, I feel it necessary to again thank God again for my precious babies including the little one who is constantly moving in my belly.  I do not take being pregnant for granted.  I know all too well how much of an amazing gift it is.



4K Update

When Cameron got off the bus today and I asked him how school was, he said "no throw toys".

So when his teacher called a few minutes later I wasn't surprised.

Apparently, during his session with the speech therapist today he continuously threw his toys and thought it was very funny.  This has always been Cameron's way of testing the water (it is a new speech therapist).  A time out was given, however that doesn't really phase him - she said he was just kind of hanging out.  We talked about some possible solutions and will keep in contact about it.

She also had good news - he went potty at school!  Also, this evening he went up to Dave and said he had to go potty and went #2 on the potty!  Cameron has been doing very well with potty training.  When there is a little more consistency, especially with him telling us he has to go, I will put him in underwear.  I do have high hopes that he will be completely trained before the baby comes.

He also did very well with helping during the hello song and other scheduled activities.

I am very proud of him and, despite throwing his toys today, know he is going to do very well in his 4K classroom this year!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Opinions Please

Cameron starts 4K tomorrow at the same elementary school where he was in EC. He is going to be fully included in a "typical" classroom and pulled out for therapies.

I just got a message from Cameron's EC teacher who will be helping out in his classroom this year asking me if I wanted her to talk to the classroom about what makes Cameron "special". She indicated that last year they had a little girl who was visually impaired and a little boy who was significally autistic.  Telling the classroom about their differences helped everyone understand and help out if necessary. However, other than being very tiny and his speech a little delayed Cameron is pretty typical.

Although I want the other students to understand I also don't want him to be thought of as different (not yet anyway). The teacher said this in her message that she didn't think it was necessary but wanted to get my opinion.

I would love to get everyone's opinions on this.

Play Doh Fun!

Adjustment Period

I am slowly adjusting to having another child with an extra chromosome. I am actually glad that I did the amnio and have a prenatal diagnosis so that I can adjust to this now and enjoy my princess when she arrives.

I am also becoming excited about having another baby. This will be our last baby and I will be taking the advice I was given with my first one - to enjoy every minute because they grow up so fast. However, our little ones with the extra chromosomes do everything on their time table and usually a little slower than our "typical" children. I really do have the best of both worlds! I see how fast Mitchell is growing up and although he is passing Cameron up with regard to certain things, it reminds me to slow down and not be in such a hurry.

Can someone please remind me how to post pics (do I upload them to Photobucket?)

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Concern

Cameron was my first child and I had always planned on nursing. However, with him having Down syndrome and a heart defect that didn't work out so well so I pumped. I HATED every minute of it but knew that I was providing my baby with the best milk possible.

Mitchell was my second child and was born healthy and "typical". I nursed him, only pumping while away at work. I still HATED pumping.

Having the third baby and no longer working I was SOOO looking forward to exclusively nursing her. BUT she, like Cameron, has Down syndrome and a heart defect.

Has anyone successfully nursed a newborn with Down syndrome AND a severe heart defect. I say severe because she WILL require surgery, it's not something that is going to fix itself.

I just remember with Cameron, it was a HUGE challenge to get him to even wake up to take a bottle. Then keeping him awake long enough to finish was challenging also. We had to set our alarm clock every two hours throughout the night to wake him up (taking off all his clothes and sometimes even having to put a little cool water on him to wake him up enough to eat). Repeating the process when he fell asleep before finishing.

Any success stories and/or tips would be GREATLY appreciated.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

$50 Gift Certificate Drawing

I will be doing a drawing for a $50 PartyLite gift certificate for every person who places an order on my website by July 31 at 11:00 p.m. CST

www.partylite.biz/terrihust

Monday, July 19, 2010

Another Update

I had the amnio and she has T21. I know that some parents would embrace this howevever I am devastated. I will grieve and move on and she will be loved and wonderful but right now I'm broken. I keep wondering why can so many people have so many healthy "typical" children and not even appreciate it and here I have two children with Down syndrome. (BTW, we are not carriers).

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Brief Update

It has been confirmed that the baby does have an AV Canal (AVSD) which is the same heart defect that Cameron had; and she will need surgery likely at 3 months (same as Cameron).

I don't know whether she has T21 or any other genetic abnormalities as I haven't done an amnio (and don't know that I will).

I'm trying to enjoy my pregnancy and not think about the "what ifs".

On a brighter note, she moves around alot and the nursery is painted! Well, sort of. The bottom is brown and the top is pink BUT I hate the pink (reminds me of Pepto Bismol) so hubby will likely be redoing the pink part to make it a little lighter.

The boys are enjoying talking to and kissing my belly. Mitchell has a cabbage patch doll (that was Dave's) that he takes with him everywhere and says is his baby sister. It's too cute.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Delivering the bad news

When I made the appointment a few months ahead of time I requested that it be my doctor I see after the ultrasound. I hadn't seen him yet during this pregnancy and wanted him to be the one to "deliver the bad news".

I say "deliver the bad news" because I think being a parent of a child with special needs, you are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Also, things have never been routine or easy for us. Let's just say the Lord has given us many, many challenges that most people don't have to face. We, of course, overcome them. That doesn't make these challenges any easier when we are faced with them. It also doesn't make them any easier to understand.

After Cameron's birth I looked at him and assumed my precious baby boy was healthy (other than the heart defect they mentioned to me at an 8 month ultrasound). Afterall, no one had said anything differently and this was my first baby so I didn't have any expectations.

Although I love surprises, which is why we didn't find out the sex of the baby prenatally, the surprise that came two hours after Cameron's birth wasn't one I enjoyed as much as hearing the words "it's a boy".

We learned two hours after Cameron's birth that he lkely had Down syndrome. We were shocked and saddened.

On to my second pregnancy. After the 20 week ultrasound we were told my doctor had been called out for a delivery, but we could wait. I told Dave to go back to work instead of waiting. I eventually gave up waiting and said I would see whatever doctor was available.

In the room a doctor that I had never met before came in smelling like smoke. He told me in a very routine fashion that they had seen a "cystic hygroma" during the ultrasound, he wanted me to go to a perinatologist, and sent me on my way. My mind was spinning as I had no idea what this meant. I went back to work and googled it. This is where the shock and sadness came.

After weekly ultrasounds at the perinatologists office, a lot of agony, and countless tears, I eventually gave it all up to God and had faith. Typing this is easy, doing it was not. I made the right choice, my precious baby (another boy) was miraculously born completely healthy.

Here we are again. The 20 week ultrasound. This time we would find out the sex of the baby, we were hoping for a girl, but more importantly praying that the baby was healthy.

The good news - IT'S A GIRL!

After the ultrasound the sonographer went to see if my doctor was ready to see me. He was called out for a delivery, but we could wait (dejavu). I noticed that there was a lot of concentration on the baby's heart and wanted to wait to see my doctor to "deliver the bad news".

We waited an hour and a half. I finally gave in and said I would see another doctor.

We were told the doctor would be right in. We waited another 20 minutes. I told Dave that nobody wants to come in and "deliver the bad news".

The bad news - the baby has bilateral chorid plexus cysts, a VSD (ventricular septal defect), and EFLV (elevated flow left ventrical).

These things alone would likely mean nothing but together it is likely a genetic defect, more likely Trisomy 18 or 21.

More shock and saddness.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Discipline Help

I totally failed on my weak attempt to start writing in my blog again, sorry. I just don't know how you moms of little ones have the time. My boys don't let me leave their sight to do anything (not even go to the bathroom). Oh well.

I am writing today because I need some advice and know that you all will be able to help.

Cameron (well both boys actually) have recently been upgraded from their cribs to toddler beds. The transition went amazingly well. The "problem" is Cameron is waking up earlier than he used to. He still gets 10 hours of sleep at night and takes a 2 hour nap daily.

However, he has had bad reports coming home from school lately. The only thing that I can think of is that he is tired and therefore, acting out. He thinks doing things that are naughty are quite funny.

I must admit that I have been slacking a little bit in my consistent discipline with him as well and am hoping to be a little more routine with it.

My question is this, how do those of you who have 3 or 4 year olds with Down syndrome discipline? Does it work? I most often feel that Cameron doesn't get it and sometimes think, why bother trying.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Sneak Peak

If there is anyone out there who is still interested in reading my blog, I am sorry it's been so long.

Below are a list of things that have happened since the last time I blogged and I may (or may not) blog about them in the near future.

Cameron started early childhood
We sold our house, moved and bought a new house
My mother-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
I became a stay-at-home mom
We took two family trips to the Dells
Mitchell is talking up a storm
My father passed away very suddenly
Cameron is working hard on potty training

That's all that I can think of right now (as if that's not enough).

I really plan on blogging more often and am hoping to get caught up with everyone else too.