Travis Chase Sattler Has Arrived - The Full Story!

Well it has been an eventful week! Travis Chase arrived on July 2 at 9:03 a.m. As expected, he was a big boy, weighing 9 pounds 2 ounces and he was 21 inches long. So, I made it to the month he was due...by 2 whole days! I went to my scheduled high risk appointment last Monday at 37 weeks 5 days, and everything looked good and they estimated his weight at 8 pounds 10 ounces. I joked with the lady doing the ultrasound that I really hoped she was wrong, and wouldn't you know she was, but in the opposite direction than I was hoping. My high risk doctor said there was no medical reason on his end to deliver me early. I headed straight to meet Brian at my regular ob appointment from there, and immediately when I sat down for my vitals the nurse asked if I was feeling okay, and said she didn't think I looked great (Gee, thanks!). She took my blood pressure, and that is when things got a little more serious. It was elevated and she told me she suspected my doctor would send me to the hospital to be monitored. Initially after my doctor came in, she wasn't too concerned but wanted to have them check my blood pressure again before I left. It was exactly the same after two hours (the office was crazy busy that day), so she told us to go ahead and run home to grab my hospital bag and head to the hospital just in case. I was monitored for a couple hours, and although my blood pressure did start looking better, I was having some contractions and my doctor came by after she finished a delivery and said I was making her nervous enough that she felt it was best to go ahead and induce that night. We agreed that there wasn't a lot of benefit in waiting the extra week until my induction date, and decided to start pitocin at midnight so I could eat dinner and get a little rest (Ha!). It turns out when she came back to check me, I was already dilated to 6cm and was in labor on my own. She broke my water about 2 a.m. and eventually started pitocin a couple hours later to help speed things along. At about 7:30 I was ready to push, and at 9:03 he was here. Most people assume I had a c-section with Casey, but I actually did not. Let's just say there is a big difference between delivering a 2 pound 6 ounce baby and a 9 pound 2 ounce baby. A big, painful difference, and recovery has been a bit more challenging as well! There was a NICU team in on the delivery because of my diabetes, but after an initial evaluation, they decided that he was doing well enough to stay with us. After a while, they checked his blood sugar and his first reading was 28. They want babies to be at least 40, so they recommended that the best thing to help bring it up and control his jittery symptoms (an indicator of low blood sugar) would be for him to remain skin to skin with me all day . This is a very typical problem for infants born to insulin dependent moms, and they continued to check it before every feed.  His blood sugar fluctuated between the 40-50 range throughout the first day, but he continued to be very jittery and became very upset anytime he was removed from my arms. On Thursday morning the pediatrician came by, and we discussed the option of sending him to the NICU to have an IV put in to help stabilize his blood sugar. The pediatrician seemed to think he would be there 1-2 days, and then we would head home. Then the Neonatalogist came by and that's when reality really set in. She estimated it would take 3-4 days, and in our NICU experience, that usually means longer. There tends to always be something else that comes up once you get there! I got pretty upset when she mentioned that as long as he was eating enough, he would go home. Not eating is what kept Casey in the hospital for two months, so that was the first thing to send me into a panic! Then, she mentioned that this is just one of those things with "preemies," and my poor husband held his breath just waiting for my reaction to the first person to utter the "p" word. Travis was born at 37 weeks 6 days, and 38 is considered full term. We missed it by 1 day! I had already mentioned to Brian that I hoped no one dared to mention that word, so cue hysterical mommy now! I think the hardest thing was having my arms empty again after basically not putting him down for 24 hours (then add in the frustrations with trying to explain my own diabetes management needs to the hospital staff and the fact that I was in a LOT of pain on top of it, and it made for a pretty overwhelming and emotional few hours). Brian went with them to get his IV started and get him settled, and then when I thought I had it together a bit later, he took me to see him. Almost immediately after they put him back in my arms, one of his alarms went off and I lost it. In that moment it was as if I was immediately transported back 3 years, and every emotion that came with spending 4 months in the hospital watching Casey fight for her life came flooding back. Rationally I knew the situation was very different, but it was very hard to separate the two.  I have done a lot of reading about other preemies and their stories, and I think most preemie moms can agree that there is absolutely some PTSD that comes from the struggles of having a child born so early. I so vividly remember how annoyed I felt when crying moms came in to Casey's NICU room with their giant babies and got upset about a 2 day NICU stay when we had been there for months, but I was now officially THAT hysterical mom. Things calmed down a little (and by things I guess I mostly mean me, and for the record I think I have done pretty well controlling my tears ever since that first really bad day), and his blood sugar was under control by Saturday morning. The doctor had planned to discharge him that morning, but when they ran his labs, his bilirubin came back at 15 so they decided he needed to go under a phototherapy light. That afternoon we noticed his oxygen saturation alarm was going off a lot, and  we agreed with the nurse that we would rather start him on a nasal cannula sooner rather than later to give him some breathing support. We all thought he would only need a few hours of oxygen support, but by that night he had his oxygen turned up several times, and they had not been able to wean it off. He spent all day Sunday on the cannula, and the doctor came by and explained that these were all pretty typical issues related to my diabetes. He has now been off oxygen since this morning, and now it is a waiting game to see if Travis can keep his saturation level up. A new doctor came on today, and prefers to wait 24-48 hours after oxygen is turned off before discharging (instead of the 12 hours the doctor on yesterday said), so we are on pins and needles tonight waiting to see if our boy continues to behave himself. I joked with the nurse today that I may need a nasal cannula by the time this is over as I hold my breath watching his numbers fluctuate on the monitor. Travis has also developed quite the reputation in the NICU as the giant, demanding, loud baby and I think it is safe to say that eating will NOT be what holds this boy back from going home!  Brian and I were laughing that for the first time ever we know what a hungry (or shall we say hangry) cry sounds like! I think that is the super long version of his birth story and the events that have occurred since.  We can't thank our family and friends enough for your outpouring of love and support. We feel your prayers, and we know that the reward in all of this will be bringing a healthy boy home soon!

 Proud Big Sister!

 

 Checking out "Baby Trabis"

 

 My heart!

 

 

 

 Day 1 - Those cheeks!

 

 Day 2 - Headed to the NICU

 

 Day 3 - So alert! Trying to get his blood sugar under control

 

 Day 4- A little phototherapy for Jaundice

 

 Day 5 - Nasal cannula

 

 My boys!

 

First time in real clothes!

 

 Day 6 - Working on breathing on his own!

 

Sleepy Love!

 

Since minutes after he was born, I knew he looked a lot like Casey.  Here is my photo proof:

 Travis - just minutes old, Casey - over two months old

 

 Travis - 3 days old, Casey - 3 months old

 

Less Than a Month to Go!

In a lot of ways it is hard to believe that there is less than a month to go before we meet our little man!  When we started out this pregnancy, I would be lying if I said I thought we would ever make it this far, but I am almost 36 weeks and SO thankful for the extra 10 weeks this baby has had to grow and develop compared to when I delivered Casey.  I can't say they have been a particularly comfortable ten weeks, but it will be so worth it when we meet our strong and healthy boy.  Last week, I finished the last of my progesterone shots to help me stay pregnant, and I am now going to my high risk doctor weekly for ultrasounds and heart rate monitoring (his, not mine).  Everything looks great so far, other than we have a HUGE baby.  At almost 34 weeks he was already estimated to be 6 pounds 14 ounces and at my appointment today (35 weeks 5 days) he was predicted to be 7 pounds 8 ounces!  My high risk doctor isn't concerned, as little man has maintained his growth curve in the 90th+ percentile from the very beginning.  My doctor doesn't seem to think his size is particularly attributed to my diabetes, which is of course a known contributor of big babies.  After Casey's birth experience, I never thought I would be upset if my baby was bigger than average, but as delivery nears, I am definitely getting a little nervous about the difference between a 2 pound delivery and a potentially 9 or 10 pound baby! As of now, my doctors want me to deliver between 38-39 weeks, and I am scheduled for an induction on July 9th (1 day shy of 39 weeks), assuming things continue to progress well. I had no idea how exhausting growing a full-term baby could be, and now that it is summer break, I am very grateful for the opportunity to be off my feet and to try to get a few things done around the house before his arrival.  I have no idea how I would have continued working for four more weeks, as I don't think my feet could have withstood much more swelling! In other news, I am getting very close to finishing both of the kids rooms, and Casey has been sleeping in her big girl room for over a month now.  So far she is loving it!  Hopefully I will finish the rooms up and get some pictures posted soon! 

We are doing our best to prepare our big girl for the changes to come, and we talk about the baby a lot, but I don't think she will fully understand until he arrives.  Her personality is definitely not lacking, and I've been saving up a few of my favorite recent Casey comments:

1. Casey has become a master at stalling tactics.  One of her favorites is "Wait just a minute, I have an idea!" Although no actual ideas usually follow that statement.

2. We are working on patience, but like most two-year olds, she prefers things to be done on her (immediate) time table.  She will often ask for something to eat or drink by saying, "I need ______," and before we can even get it out of the pantry or pour it, she will say in complete desperation, "I need ______ in my mouth!"

3.  Most of the time Casey is very helpful when I ask her if she knows where something is or to help me find something.  We were trying to get out the door one day, and I guess she wasn't in the mood to help me find her shoes, because her response when I asked for help was "They just playing hide n' seek!"

4.  The other day we were running errands, and as I pulled into the parking lot, Casey spots the logo and shouts from the back seat, "Hey, there's my Target! You found it!" This after the fall on the floor meltdown she had when I told her we were going to Target.

5.   Casey has decided that all strangers are her "friends."  She has also decided to combine this with her favorite question, "Whatcha doin'?" and is constantly asking, often right in front of someone we don't know, "What's the friend doin'?" Makes for some awkward conversations on occasion, but luckily most strangers are willing to befriend her!

6.  I didn't think my feet could handle the swelling that would inevitably come with Field Day this year, so I took the day off, but I wanted to go out and support my class for a while. Casey and I went out to cheer them on, and of course the kids were all very excited to see her and were crowding around her.  She got a little overwhelmed by the eighteen people towering above her and reached for me to pick her up crying, "I don't like my friends!"

7.  Apparently we talk about babies a lot.  Casey must have decided she was feeling left out and needed a baby of her own, because she has recently renamed our 8-year old cat her "Baby Cat" It has been several weeks now, and the nickname has still not gone away so I'm guessing he is stuck with it!

8. Not only does Casey inquire about the actions of complete strangers, she has also decided it is necessary to introduce herself to the employees in the check-out line of every store we enter.  She usually points to herself and says, "This is Casey."  The other day we were having some fabric cut at JoAnn's and she decided to introduce me as well by stating "This is my mommy.  This is my BIG mommy!" You know, in case it wasn't obvious enough!  Not exactly the confidence boost I was looking for at 8 months pregnant, but it sure made some people in line chuckle!

 Sweet happy girl!

 

 Someone loved her homemade crayons!

 

 Poor thing hates public restrooms and immediately strikes this pose upon walking in because they are "too loud."  Unfortunately for her, when Mommy is pregnant, we are frequenting them often!

 

 About a month ago, Casey got a little 24 hour bug and just wanted to be in my lap. The brother bump made for a good pillow!

 

 Cheesin'

 

 Rockin' her shades

 

 Such a goof!

 

 We have our rough moments, too!

 

 Snuggled up in her big girl bed with all her friends!

 

 Our girl!  This was the picture that made me realize she really isn't a baby anymore!

 

 Someone loves to make a mess!

 

 I mentioned "the beach" in my last post.  It got a bit of an upgrade when Granddaddy built a new one, and Casey absolutely loves it!

Of course I'm super behind on posting, so here are a few from Easter: 

 Easter 2014 and in the same outfit Easter 2013.  What a difference a year makes!

 

 Checking out what the Easter Bunny brought!

 

 Hunting eggs!

 

 It took a while to convince her not to open every egg as soon as she found it!

 

 Easter wore this girl out!

 

26 weeks and 5 days

Well, we made it to the big milestone!  As of 5:09 p.m., I am officially the most pregnant than I have ever been.  Today marks the point in my pregnancy with Casey when I actually delivered (5 days after my labor started), and so far my doctors are happy with my progress.  As of now, my high risk doctor expects I will deliver around 38 weeks, and I'm continuing to take weekly shots of progesterone to help ensure that I make it as long as possible.  Our baby boy is looking healthy and he is growing well (he has maintained growth around the 85th percentile), and was already weighing 2 pounds 3 ounces at my appointment last week.  By now, he should have exceeded Casey's birth weight of 2 pounds 6 ounces.  If I make it to full term, my doctor estimates that he will be close to 9 pounds, and doesn't think it is at all related to my diabetes, and just that he is a big baby!  Overall, I've been feeling okay, but I think I can handle a bit of extra tiredness and some back pain and discomfort as long as it takes in order to keep this baby cooking!  Every day that I can remain pregnant means his prognosis only gets better, and we are hoping things continue to go well for the next 11 weeks (or longer)!  You would think if one had delivered a baby prematurely in the past, it would help motivate you to get the nursery set up well in advance the 2nd time around, but we have a ways to go (including getting the current occupant of said room moved into her own big girl room), so there is yet another reason we need this little guy to stay put for a while longer!

As for big sister, we talk about the baby quite a bit, but I don't think she really understands what a baby brother means.  At least not how much he is going to rock her world!  She is talking up a storm and almost non-stop these days, and I've been jotting down some of my favorite Casey stories to document.  Here is a glimpse into our daily lives and the funny things this crazy girl says:

 

1. We were driving one afternoon, and Casey started yelling from the backseat that "I see the moon!" I was patting myself on the back that my genius child could spot the moon in broad daylight, until she said, "I hold it?"

2. Gigi and Grandaddy went out of town during Spring Break, and Casey kept asking about seeing them.  I guess she finally got fed up with my answer as to why she couldn't, and woke up one morning asking if "I go out of town, too?"

3. A month or so ago, Brian took Casey with him to Home Depot and they were being helped by an older gentleman.  Suddenly, Casey decided she recognized him and piped up, "Oh, hi Santa!"  Thankfully, he found it funny!

4. We have been working on potty training (without much progress I'm afraid), but she is very into the potty training accessories.  Somehow, she decided that pull-ups are actually called "hip-ups" and begs to wear them most days.  It is so stinking cute, that I don't have the heart to correct her.

5.  I've always known this girl was going to be a pistol, but I had proof the other day after she took her shoes off in the car.  I was teasing her that she had stinky feet, and after one too many teases, she finally snapped back with, "You have stinky feet, too!"  At not even three years old, she is already putting me in my place.

6. Casey is obsessed with looking at pictures and watching videos of herself.  Almost every time she sees my phone she tells me that, "I need another Casey!"  Endless entertainment!

7.  Brian was working in the yard the other day, and Casey was watching him from the window.  He was using a shovel to dig up some plants, and I guess she thought he was struggling with the task.  She yelled out to him "Can't do it, Daddy?"  She loves to point out our flaws, that is for sure!

8. We were walking through a parking lot the other day, and Casey had all the people around us laughing by yelling, "Stop it wind!" at the top of her lungs as it repeatedly blew her hair over her face.

9. When we attempted to leave my mom's house the other day, Casey had the meltdown of the century because she didn't want to leave "the beach."  Please note, this is the beach:

 

10. And my personal favorite: My mom took Brian's diaper bag to the church nursery the other day instead of the usual one. Casey's teacher was setting out each one of their diaper bags, and asked Casey if that one was hers. She replied, "That's Daddy's purse!"

And of course, here are a few pictures of our girl:

 Watching "T.B."

 Such a ham!

 

 Shopping for new patio furniture!

 

 I had a fever and wasn't feeling well a few Sundays ago, and Casey was entertaining herself by pulling every toy out of the playroom and hiding it behind the chair.  She was pretty proud of herself, but it kept her busy for much of the afternoon while I rested, so I couldn't really complain!

 

 A better view of the mess!

 

 I had an early doctor's appointment on the first day of Spring Break, and someone let me know she was not happy about getting up early!

 

 Baby elephants at the Ft. Worth Zoo!

 

 We haven't quite mastered cupcake eating yet!

 

 Casey is a big fan of panties, as long as they were outside of her clothes.  Can you tell she picked this outfit herself?

 

 I was cleaning out my closet, and Casey decided these things would look perfect on Sienna.  This sure didn't win her any points in Sienna's book!

 

 We are obsessed with the park.  Obsessed!

 

 She is also pretty crazy about this hat, and it does occasionally take a bit of convincing that it is no longer hat weather.  It's perfect for watching movies in though!

 

Wiped out!



We Have BIG News!

 Big Sister!

Thought we should make it blog official...Casey is going to be a big sister!  We are thrilled to announce that we are expecting a baby BOY in July!!!  We have told Casey about the baby, but I don't think she has any clue what that means or how her world is going to be rocked when this "baby" makes his debut! Obviously, given Casey's early delivery and my health, this is considered a high risk pregnancy.  I am being closely monitored by a team of different doctors, and we are taking every precaution to hopefully carry this baby much further than 26 weeks.  My doctors do expect that I will deliver early, but the hope is that I can make it to 38 and maybe even 39 weeks, if both the baby and I remain healthy. As of now, I will see my regular OB on the same timeline as any pregnancy, and I will see a high risk doctor monthly up until 32 weeks, when I will begin weekly high risk appointments.  I also see my endocrinologist at least once a month to help monitor my diabetes and keep my blood sugar as tightly controlled as possible, which can be particularly difficult to do during pregnancy.  My doctors seem to be in agreement that the cause of my pre-term labor and delivery with Casey was my undiagnosed diabetes, but there is no way to be absolutely positive that it was the only cause.  For this reason, I will begin taking weekly progesterone shots in the next couple weeks that are supposed to assist in preventing pre-term labor.  In addition, I am having an obscene amount of blood drawn to monitor everything imaginable, and hopefully catch any other potential problems.  It will be a miracle if I have any blood left at this rate, but it is totally worth it! The good news is that with a high risk pregnancy, I will have monthly ultrasounds, so we will get lots of extra glimpses of our little guy as he grows!  Having experienced what we did with Casey, it is definitely a bit terrifying knowing exactly what to expect should he join us early.  I think knowing every single risk and possible worst case scenario a micro preemie faces may actually be scarier than the not knowing!  As of now, baby boy is healthy and growing right on schedule, and we are hoping for a nice LONG pregnancy.  We appreciate all prayers you can send our way, and I will try to keep the blog updated on our progress!

"Wait, what does that say?"

 

 Getting in a little practice playing with "boy" toys.  Thinking there will be a lot more of that in our future!

 

She is going to be the best big sister!