What day is it, even?
5 years ago
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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?)
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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