It seems rather fitting in a way. After a few days of torrential downpour, the sun came out today. Also breaking the water... my wife. I suck at breaking water. Unfortunately Karen... not so much.
Today, Karen had one of her many appointments with the doctors. Being 33 weeks pregnant, Karen has had many appointments with the doctors. It just so happens that today's appointment was a big one in terms of being pregnant.
As I was driving Karen to her doctor's appointment, Karen mentioned how she thought her water just broke after the train ride home. Naturally, I was quite alarmed, in part because the baby is still not full term yet. And so with reckless abandon, I drove as quick as I could to the doctor's office.
While at the doctor's office, Karen noticed more fluid. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity in which there may have been panic and anxiety over the birth of our child, the doctor came in to examine Karen. Sure enough, the doctor confirmed that indeed Karen's water broke. (For anyone curious, there is this neat test: it's a pink cotton swab... that apparently turns black when mixed with amniotic fluid. I thought that was simply amazing.)
Needless to say, the doctor told us to go home, pack some clothes, and head to the hospital because the baby is arriving soon. I may have let my guard down a little as I excitedly told Karen that we're having a baby! Up until that point, I have been a little guarded in my feelings because I did not want to get my hopes up. After all, I was pretty ecstatic when Karen was pregnant with our first child (Braden) who unfortunately was born extremely premature and passed away after living only a week.
I did not want to jinx things and have the same outcome. Hence, I tried not to get too excited about the baby this time around. As it was, I may have jinxed things last night. Last night, I got to feel the baby move around.
For awhile, Karen has been trying to have me feel the baby move. Every time the baby would move, Karen would tell me and I would place my hand on Karen's belly. Unfortunately, every time I placed my hand on her belly, the baby never moved again. I naturally assumed the baby did not like me.
Last night, however, Karen had joked that the reason why the baby did not move around when I had my hand on her belly was because the baby knew that I was not going to let our child have a video game console until later in life. In response, I caressed Karen's belly and told the baby that if he or she moved while my hand was on Karen's belly that I would rethink the whole video game console idea. Perhaps I could knock a year or two off of my age restriction. Sure enough, the baby moved... twice.
Anyway, with Karen's water breaking, I wonder in the back of my mind if the baby really wants that video game console and just can't wait to play with it. Sure, it sounds ridiculous, but when you're told that the baby is coming early... not many things make a whole lot of sense.
Needless to say, Karen and I arrived at South Shore Hospital. Karen was admitted... and we are still currently awaiting for the arrival of the baby. Knowing that there are so many things that we have still yet to do in terms of preparing our house for the baby is extremely daunting. Again, in an effort to not get our hopes up too much, we had delayed getting a lot of the necessary items required in bringing a baby home... and even taking care of a baby in general.
Our hesitation was due to possibly repeating our experience with Braden. This should go without saying: the experience with Braden was by no means totally awful. It was great to meet my son, if even only for a week. It's the incredible high of being a parent followed by the quick plummeting lows of seeing your child pass away that wrench your heart. As it was, Karen and I are canceling birthing classes again... like before with Braden... because the baby is apparently going to be born before the class. I guess we are just not meant to take a birthing class.
Despite the anxiety and panic of repeating our experience with Braden, it was nice to see some familiar faces while at the hospital. One of the nurses (Patty) came in to personally visit us, as did the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit doctor from before when we had Braden. (For anyone curious, our baby... when born after 33 weeks... will end up in the NICU and will most likely stay there until he or she is able to do certain "normal" tasks.) It was definitely calming to see them again.
Anyway, right now Karen and the baby are doing well. Karen was given a steroid shot to help the baby's lung development. Hopefully, the baby will wait a little longer before arriving so that the second steroid shot can be administered tomorrow and take effect. Prior to the steroid shot, the doctors removed the cerclage from Karen's cervix. The doctor must have thought I was crazy because I was intrigued and wanted to see the actual removal of the cerclage. (For anyone curious, I did not watch the removal. I opted to help Karen during the removal instead. And interestingly enough... the cerclage... not as big as I imagined it to be.)
Aside from that, Karen is simply resting and being monitored by the doctors. I am hoping she can get a lot of rest. Of course, I was hoping that she got a lot of rest weeks ago, but that apparently never happened. Hopefully things will turn out okay this time around. The doctors seem to think so. In fact, they have said that on paper the baby looks great. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much.
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I Suck At Going To The Hospital
There are days where I wish life mirrored television. After all, in the television world, pregnancies look like a piece of cake. A woman gets pregnant. She has a few crazy cravings. Nine months later, the baby is born. Easy. Viewers rarely see the part where there are complications with the pregnancy. I think in the television world, dying children is taboo.
Needless to say, I wish yesterday were like television. Yesterday, my pregnant wife (Karen) and I went to the hospital. Now, I suck at going to the hospital. During the start of the afternoon, Karen called me while I was working at the office. Normally, I would probably be ecstatic to receive a call in the office from Karen. Heck, I would be ecstatic to receive any phone call in the office because no one ever calls me.
Unfortunately, this call was slightly anxiety-causing. Karen had mentioned how she needed to go to the hospital because she had noticed some bleeding... which for a pregnant person is not exactly good news. Of course, after receiving the news I quickly gathered my things and immediately left the office.
I probably gave myself an ulcer yesterday. I work in Marblehead, which is near Salem. For anyone curious, people in Marblehead (and Salem) drive like my grandmother... if I had a grandmother. I don't know why they drive very slowly, but they do. I'm sure you can imagine how frustrating it is to drive at a snail's pace when you are trying to pick up your pregnant wife to bring her to the hospital.
Needless to say, I was not too happy until I got to the highway, in which case my lead foot basically hit the pedal to the metal. Had I been driving a Toyota, I would probably have gotten into an accident. Just kidding.
Anyway, I picked up Karen at her work and the both of us then drove to the hospital. Obviously, I had to drive a little slower than Toyota-speed now that Karen and our unborn baby (currently named Jicama) were in the car.
And naturally, at the hospital we waited... and waited... and waited for what seemed like an eternity. It's funny how that works. The things that seem so imperative to you (like my pregnant wife having bleeding issues), don't often seem so imperative to others.
This is a side note. I think one of the things that our health care system lacks (across the board) is expectation setting. The same can be said of a lot of things too, like the our awful subway system, politics, whatever. You name it, there is probably a lack of expectation setting in regards to it.
When Karen went into one of the exam rooms, the nurses simply hooked her up to a monitor. They didn't mention anything else. We just sat there for a good hour or two... watching television (and for anyone curious, we watched "The Drs"... there's not a whole lot of quality television in the afternoon). All the while, I kept thinking and worrying about... well... my bleeding pregnant wife. Had someone told us that they needed to monitor Karen for an hour or so to gather data, then I might have been a little more at ease. But by not mentioning anything, I think it only added to my already high stress level because I was just left to wonder about things. That's just my opinion.
Don't get me wrong. The medical staff is courteous and they were great when it comes to answering questions. The problem is just... the actual providing of answers. Answers are only provided when asked. That's great and all, but how is someone to know which question to ask in the first place. My first inclination is not going to ask "so how long is Karen going to be strapped to this machine". That's all I'm saying... expectation setting. (It's like our awful subway system. When a train is having switching problems, don't keep me in the dark and simply tell me the train has been disabled due to switching problems. Tell me when the next train is scheduled to arrive. Expectation setting!)
Anyway, I know I'm going off on a tangent. Heck, I'm starting to sound like a grumpy-gus. I'm simply getting old and cranky these days. And truth be told, I would not be surprised if I broke down soon... both mentally and physically. I can already feel the tenseness in my neck and back which has been building for a while. My body is breaking down and I can feel the exhaustion coming.
After losing our son (Braden) some time ago, the lack of control frustrates me. With Karen's current pregnancy, I've practically taken over most of the household chores. I've given Karen all the pillows we have to help her sleep better. I sometimes just don't know what else I can do to help with our current unborn baby. It's frustrating to have Karen experience bleeding because you know there's nothing you can do about it. The helpless feeling irks me.
Regardless, the doctor did eventually come to check out Karen... naturally while I went to grab a bite to eat. But according to the doctor, Karen and the baby are fine. So that's good news. The doctor simply thinks that the cerclage may have stretched or pulled at the cervix, thereby causing the bleeding. Apparently, that was a possibility of having a cerclage done. (Again, it would have been nice to known that ahead of time... expectation setting.)
Needless to say, it was a relief to hear that everything is good. Unfortunately, I may have been a little too wiped out when I saw my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) later that night for our usual "Lost" gathering. While Karen rested from the ordeal (doctor's orders), I went and hung out.
Marc made chili. I think it was an Alton Brown recipe. The chili was delicious. But hanging out with them was a good way to relax and unwind for a little while.
Needless to say, I wish yesterday were like television. Yesterday, my pregnant wife (Karen) and I went to the hospital. Now, I suck at going to the hospital. During the start of the afternoon, Karen called me while I was working at the office. Normally, I would probably be ecstatic to receive a call in the office from Karen. Heck, I would be ecstatic to receive any phone call in the office because no one ever calls me.
Unfortunately, this call was slightly anxiety-causing. Karen had mentioned how she needed to go to the hospital because she had noticed some bleeding... which for a pregnant person is not exactly good news. Of course, after receiving the news I quickly gathered my things and immediately left the office.
I probably gave myself an ulcer yesterday. I work in Marblehead, which is near Salem. For anyone curious, people in Marblehead (and Salem) drive like my grandmother... if I had a grandmother. I don't know why they drive very slowly, but they do. I'm sure you can imagine how frustrating it is to drive at a snail's pace when you are trying to pick up your pregnant wife to bring her to the hospital.
Needless to say, I was not too happy until I got to the highway, in which case my lead foot basically hit the pedal to the metal. Had I been driving a Toyota, I would probably have gotten into an accident. Just kidding.
Anyway, I picked up Karen at her work and the both of us then drove to the hospital. Obviously, I had to drive a little slower than Toyota-speed now that Karen and our unborn baby (currently named Jicama) were in the car.
And naturally, at the hospital we waited... and waited... and waited for what seemed like an eternity. It's funny how that works. The things that seem so imperative to you (like my pregnant wife having bleeding issues), don't often seem so imperative to others.
This is a side note. I think one of the things that our health care system lacks (across the board) is expectation setting. The same can be said of a lot of things too, like the our awful subway system, politics, whatever. You name it, there is probably a lack of expectation setting in regards to it.
When Karen went into one of the exam rooms, the nurses simply hooked her up to a monitor. They didn't mention anything else. We just sat there for a good hour or two... watching television (and for anyone curious, we watched "The Drs"... there's not a whole lot of quality television in the afternoon). All the while, I kept thinking and worrying about... well... my bleeding pregnant wife. Had someone told us that they needed to monitor Karen for an hour or so to gather data, then I might have been a little more at ease. But by not mentioning anything, I think it only added to my already high stress level because I was just left to wonder about things. That's just my opinion.
Don't get me wrong. The medical staff is courteous and they were great when it comes to answering questions. The problem is just... the actual providing of answers. Answers are only provided when asked. That's great and all, but how is someone to know which question to ask in the first place. My first inclination is not going to ask "so how long is Karen going to be strapped to this machine". That's all I'm saying... expectation setting. (It's like our awful subway system. When a train is having switching problems, don't keep me in the dark and simply tell me the train has been disabled due to switching problems. Tell me when the next train is scheduled to arrive. Expectation setting!)
Anyway, I know I'm going off on a tangent. Heck, I'm starting to sound like a grumpy-gus. I'm simply getting old and cranky these days. And truth be told, I would not be surprised if I broke down soon... both mentally and physically. I can already feel the tenseness in my neck and back which has been building for a while. My body is breaking down and I can feel the exhaustion coming.
After losing our son (Braden) some time ago, the lack of control frustrates me. With Karen's current pregnancy, I've practically taken over most of the household chores. I've given Karen all the pillows we have to help her sleep better. I sometimes just don't know what else I can do to help with our current unborn baby. It's frustrating to have Karen experience bleeding because you know there's nothing you can do about it. The helpless feeling irks me.
Regardless, the doctor did eventually come to check out Karen... naturally while I went to grab a bite to eat. But according to the doctor, Karen and the baby are fine. So that's good news. The doctor simply thinks that the cerclage may have stretched or pulled at the cervix, thereby causing the bleeding. Apparently, that was a possibility of having a cerclage done. (Again, it would have been nice to known that ahead of time... expectation setting.)
Needless to say, it was a relief to hear that everything is good. Unfortunately, I may have been a little too wiped out when I saw my friends (Marc, Kelley, and Andrea) later that night for our usual "Lost" gathering. While Karen rested from the ordeal (doctor's orders), I went and hung out.
Marc made chili. I think it was an Alton Brown recipe. The chili was delicious. But hanging out with them was a good way to relax and unwind for a little while.
Monday, February 8, 2010
I Suck At Target
On Friday, Karen and I had a bout of spontaneity. Our bout involved traveling to the great white north to visit Karen's cousin (Karlene) and her husband (Tommy) who live in Lowell. Now, there's a lot to love about Lowell, or so the city would have you believe. (I still disagree with the city's slogan.) Interestingly enough, this weekend was the 10th annual Winterfest in Lowell.
Winterfest sounded cool. After all, there is tradition that has been growing in popularity during Lowell's Winterfest: human dogsled racing. Unfortunately, Karen and I did not attend Winterfest. Sadly, I'll have to watch the human dogsled championship another time.
Instead, Karen, Karlene, Tommy and I went shopping. In particular, we went to Target. Too bad I suck at Target. The reason we went to Target was because the store was having a sale on breast pumps. And naturally... baby needs a brand new breast pump. (For anyone curious, I am supporter of breast feeding. Sure, I'm not as gung-ho as the breast feeding specialist you meet up with at the hospital when your baby is born, but I'm a supporter nonetheless.)
As odd as this sounds, the breast pump purchase was a major step for both Karen and I. After everything that happened with our son (Braden) who passed away a week after being born extremely premature, Karen and I have been somewhat hesitant in preparing for our next child. Well, I think I've been more reluctant that Karen. I just don't want to jinx things. I'll be a lot more relaxed when the baby is born... and healthy. Regardless, the breast pump purchase was the first major thing that we have purchase for our new unborn child.
Following Target, the four of us had dinner at Smokey Bones located in Nashua. The food was good. (I had the fish and chips. The fish was a little greasier than I would have liked, but it was good nonetheless.) Things have changed a lot since the last time I was there. Gone are the speakers situated at each table.
Among the more interesting topics of discussion were Karlene being high on marijuana. Karlene has never smoked marijuana to my knowledge. I may have offended her when I joked that it would be funny to see her smoking pot. The reason I said that is because Karlene is among one of the more by-the-book people I know. In some respects, she is a lot like Karen that way.
Anyway, following dinner we made a brief pit stop at Home Depot. (Karlene and Tommy were picking up new faucets for their kitchen and bathroom.) And from there, we headed back to their place for some video game action. In particular, I was curious about the Wii Fit Plus which Karlene and Tommy had purchased during the start of the new year.
Needless to say, I may have played a few games of Wii Fit Plus. Truth be told, it was fun. (It should probably come as no surprise that the Wii Fit Plus said I was overweight. Just look at me.) Nevertheless, I can see how non-gamers would enjoy the Wii. I would recommend it to my friend (Hot Amy) but I know she does not like to sweat. (Snicker.)
All in all, it was a fun time.
Winterfest sounded cool. After all, there is tradition that has been growing in popularity during Lowell's Winterfest: human dogsled racing. Unfortunately, Karen and I did not attend Winterfest. Sadly, I'll have to watch the human dogsled championship another time.
Instead, Karen, Karlene, Tommy and I went shopping. In particular, we went to Target. Too bad I suck at Target. The reason we went to Target was because the store was having a sale on breast pumps. And naturally... baby needs a brand new breast pump. (For anyone curious, I am supporter of breast feeding. Sure, I'm not as gung-ho as the breast feeding specialist you meet up with at the hospital when your baby is born, but I'm a supporter nonetheless.)
As odd as this sounds, the breast pump purchase was a major step for both Karen and I. After everything that happened with our son (Braden) who passed away a week after being born extremely premature, Karen and I have been somewhat hesitant in preparing for our next child. Well, I think I've been more reluctant that Karen. I just don't want to jinx things. I'll be a lot more relaxed when the baby is born... and healthy. Regardless, the breast pump purchase was the first major thing that we have purchase for our new unborn child.
Following Target, the four of us had dinner at Smokey Bones located in Nashua. The food was good. (I had the fish and chips. The fish was a little greasier than I would have liked, but it was good nonetheless.) Things have changed a lot since the last time I was there. Gone are the speakers situated at each table.
Among the more interesting topics of discussion were Karlene being high on marijuana. Karlene has never smoked marijuana to my knowledge. I may have offended her when I joked that it would be funny to see her smoking pot. The reason I said that is because Karlene is among one of the more by-the-book people I know. In some respects, she is a lot like Karen that way.
Anyway, following dinner we made a brief pit stop at Home Depot. (Karlene and Tommy were picking up new faucets for their kitchen and bathroom.) And from there, we headed back to their place for some video game action. In particular, I was curious about the Wii Fit Plus which Karlene and Tommy had purchased during the start of the new year.
Needless to say, I may have played a few games of Wii Fit Plus. Truth be told, it was fun. (It should probably come as no surprise that the Wii Fit Plus said I was overweight. Just look at me.) Nevertheless, I can see how non-gamers would enjoy the Wii. I would recommend it to my friend (Hot Amy) but I know she does not like to sweat. (Snicker.)
All in all, it was a fun time.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
I Suck At Registering
following the celebration of nana's 86th birthday on saturday, karen and i figured we'd start registering for baby stuff.
in case you are curious, i suck at registering.
who knew there would be so many things required for babies? i am so going to be that awful dad who knows nothing about raising a child. i can't wait to change my first diaper.
anyway, karen has been doing some research on baby products. she bought a consumer reports book about baby products and has been reading it quite religiously of late. i, on the other hand... not so much with the reading. although, in my defense, i have been working on the house and getting the baby's room done (right now, the project involves molding around the windows).
so needless to say, i felt ill prepared when we decided to go registering for baby stuff this past saturday. lucky for me, however, we had a secret weapon... my favorite sister-in-law (janine).
i must say... i love creating a baby registry with janine. not only do i get good advice from a mother of two... i get to indulge and zap crazy things with the baby registry scanner that the store gives you. there was this product (a nursery center) that had a thing for an ipod... which i thought was cool. based on that ipod functionality alone, i wanted to add the item to the registry. of course, karen... being the more practical one... wanted to check everything else first to make sure the product was one of the consumer reports better products. in the end, and with the help of janine... the item made the registry. thanks janine!
anyway, we didn't finish registering for items. there was just too many things to look at. but, at least we started. yay! oh, for anyone curious... we registered at babies 'r us. the registry number is 94809004. we were also planning on registering at target too, to give people options. hopefully janine can accompany us on the target excursion as well...
in case you are curious, i suck at registering.
who knew there would be so many things required for babies? i am so going to be that awful dad who knows nothing about raising a child. i can't wait to change my first diaper.
anyway, karen has been doing some research on baby products. she bought a consumer reports book about baby products and has been reading it quite religiously of late. i, on the other hand... not so much with the reading. although, in my defense, i have been working on the house and getting the baby's room done (right now, the project involves molding around the windows).
so needless to say, i felt ill prepared when we decided to go registering for baby stuff this past saturday. lucky for me, however, we had a secret weapon... my favorite sister-in-law (janine).
i must say... i love creating a baby registry with janine. not only do i get good advice from a mother of two... i get to indulge and zap crazy things with the baby registry scanner that the store gives you. there was this product (a nursery center) that had a thing for an ipod... which i thought was cool. based on that ipod functionality alone, i wanted to add the item to the registry. of course, karen... being the more practical one... wanted to check everything else first to make sure the product was one of the consumer reports better products. in the end, and with the help of janine... the item made the registry. thanks janine!
anyway, we didn't finish registering for items. there was just too many things to look at. but, at least we started. yay! oh, for anyone curious... we registered at babies 'r us. the registry number is 94809004. we were also planning on registering at target too, to give people options. hopefully janine can accompany us on the target excursion as well...
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