Happy Anniversary

Matthew,

I am so thankful for you in my life, and for the amazing blessings our family receives every day because of you. It has been a wonderful 3 years, and I love you so much.

You are the most caring husband and now father, and Sam and I could not be more lucky to be cared for by you.

Here's to eternity.

Sam's 3rd Day

Last night I stayed in the NICU with Sam. Not the best of places to get some rest, but I loved being next to him even though we couldn't cuddle.

He has taken a little step backwards regarding breast feeding, but he has accepted the bottle. Dr says that he is eating good, but we need to get him eating better. This is easier said than done, but we are working on mastering the project.

Each morning in the NICU they do what is called "Rounds". This is a meeting with the parents of the child and the staff assisting that day. We discuss test results, progress, concerns and answer questions.

This morning during rounds we found that Sam's bilirubin is lower, but not low enough to take him out of the bili bed. His electrolytes are at a much better level, and his weight is dropping.(which is what they are wanting due to the amount of fluids he has been transfused with) We haven't received test results regarding infection so we are keeping him on anti-biotics until we know. They have placed a hep-lock in his scalp to use for his doses.

His platelets have dropped again. After the last transfusion they were at a 150k and now they are at 81k. They will do another CBC in the morning, and do another transfusion if it drops below 30k. We are desperately trying to find out the cause for this disorder, and we are hoping to get some pretty imperative information back later today.

Matt and I are still in awe at how wonderful this little man is. We are so lucky to his parents, and it means so much to us that Heavenly Father trusted us with his care.

We love you Sam.

Samuel Benjamin Aprecio

After 48 hours of labor, and 2 hours of pushing Sam was born at 4:28 Sunday morning at 6lbs 13oz and 21 inches long. With only a few hours to ourselves as a family, Sam was whisked away to pediatrics after the nurses found him with low blood sugar. A few blood tests later landed him into the NICU where he will remain for the next week.

Sam has not been completely diagnosed yet, and things are changing every hour so I will try to keep this blog as updated as possible, but please understand that things are very hectic right now and I want to spend as much time with my baby as I can.

First off, I will remain in the hospital for a while on anti-biotics to clear up an unknown infection. We are awaiting tests on that. The suspected infection is known as Coreo.

Sam is also awaiting many test results, but a few things that we know are as follows:

Samuel has a very rare antigen in his blood called JKA. When he was in utero, there was a small blood swap between him and I through the placenta (this is normal for many babies). However, because I do not carry the antigen, my body created Antibodies to fight off the JKA. So, Sam is at high risk for anemia during the next few months and is now "chillin' in blue" due to jaundice. JKA should not pose any further risk to him once he is in the clear, but it is something that Matt and I need to keep in mind for future pregnancies.

The second condition, is a more serious one for Sam. For reasons unknown at this time, he has a very low platelet count. When he was born, his levels were at 19k-the normal being 200k. As of today he has had 3 transfusions 2 of which were not very successful, and the last one bringing his numbers to 150k. This is very good news, but we are watching to make sure that number doesn't drop again, as did the first 2 infusions.

It is not known what is causing this blood disorder but we have done tests and cultures and are awaiting results to hopefully give us answers. Right now we are busy keeping Sam comfortable, clean and fed.

Due to illness and a long labor, Sammy has had a very difficult time eating. So they started him on glucose (which brought his blood sugar to normal levels) and have a feeding tube in place. We have had a few good sessions of breast feeding, but we are working hard to use that as his only source of nutrition. In 30 minutes today he drank 22ml which is very exciting.

We can not wait for things to normalize! It is so hard to hold your newborn amongst wires and tubes with a strict time limit but we are loving every moment with Sam. He is the most beautiful baby we have ever seen. (biased, we know) He is so strong and is such a great example to everyone who has met him. Matt and I are so very thankful for him, and we can not believe that he is ours for eternity.

I am feeling great. There have been very tough times, and I am sure that there are many more to come, but everyone is very positive about the outcome. I will probably be sent home soon, but I will be here ever couple of hours to feed and cuddle with my new son. I will be able to post more pictures and details later, but for now this is the outline of what is happening.

We greatly appreciate prayers for Sam. We are so thankful to those of you who have helped us already either through favors or words of comfort. We are a very blessed family, and I can not wait to see how many more blessings are in store for us through Samuel.

40 Week OB

I had a doctors appointment today that left me feeling really emotional. I am not 100% why, but maybe putting things down in words will help me work things out in my head...

My cervix, or "the enemy" as I like to refer to it, is still closed. I am having painful contractions at least every 15 minutes, but they are not working in the way that they should be. I have not progressed for 3 weeks now, and the Dr is a little concerned about a few things.

First off, the size of the baby is a "huge" factor. Today while listening to his heart rate, the Dr noticed that he could actually hear the valves opening and closing which means that the baby is large, and fully developed. The concern he has is that the baby will grow too big for a vaginal delivery.

Second, is my blood pressure and water retention. I am getting higher and higher each week, and my feet, hands and face are getting more and more swollen. Compared to most pregnant women I am not horrible, but for MY normal numbers, I am high.

Third of course, is the baby. Dr says that larger babies that go over their due date have a higher chance of problems or still births. Considering my body is not showing any signs of going into labor by my due date, I will be overdue come Friday, so we need to get the baby out as soon as possible.

So, we have scheduled an induction.

This was music to my ears, but for a few different reasons he has put it off until next week. I am supposed to be monitoring the baby's movements and activity carefully, and taking it easy this next week since complications can come with being overdue and I am measuring 6 weeks ahead of schedule.

The plan is as follows: I check into the hospital on Wednesday the 29th (is there a better place to spend your wedding anniversary?) at 4:30pm for what they call a "Cervical Ripening". I will spend the night in the hospital where they will give me gel capsules of prostaglandin every hour for 12 hours or until my cervix is dilated/effaced enough to start the induction. Then Thursday morning, I will be started on Pitocin in hopes that this will induce labor and I will be able to deliver "The Hulk" without complications.

I am not looking forward to spending so much time in the hospital, and I don't like the fact that the night before labor I will not have slept well or eaten for 12 hours. Although I am so excited to finally have my baby, I am a little hesitant about it ending this way. I know I need to be thankful and excited for this, and again, I am not really sure why I am feeling so indifferent about it. I am hoping and praying that something happens before the 29th, but I am going to just try and enjoy this last week of having the baby and my husband all to myself.

So why the tears every time I think about todays appointment? I have no idea. I am tired, uncomfortable and I weigh more than I ever imagined I could so maybe its just the fact that my brain isnt fuctioning well enough to console my worries. I have no energy, little appetite and I am so ready for this baby to come that I dream about it every time I fall asleep. Could it be that I am finally experiencing pregnancy hormones? Again, I am at a loss for reasons. But, I need to keep a positive attitute and realize that I am only 1 week away from holding my son. This fact does make me feel a little better, and I also know he will be so worth all of this stress.

Oh Baby Sam, you are definitely a Taurus-They love a peaceful calm environment and they are stubborn about not wanting things to change.

Amen, astrology!