Tuesday, September 13, 2011
6 weeks old
Carson is now 6 weeks old and continues to be doing well. This little man is such a fighter. He is really starting to have longer wake periods and is starting to hold his head up some. He is not a fan of tummy time...but we work him hard. He is filling out and and is now completely out of his preemie clothes.
We had a fun time on Saturday at the hospital's NICU reunion. It was neat to see several of the nurses that took care of Carson while he was in there. Kaylee had a blast playing games, getting her face painted, and riding the train. Carson also had a great time as he slept through the whole thing.
Carson has his evaluation with ECI on Thursday and his kidney imagery procedure on the 26th. We are anxiously awaiting the results of both of these appointments. Prayers please for wisdom to do whatever we need to for Carson's health and development.
Here are some of the recent updates from doctor's appointments:
On Thursday, August 25th, we had a cardiologist appointment and received the news that his VSD (hole in his heart) is a lot smaller than they originally thought and he may not go into congestive heart failure. He still will need heart surgery, but we may get to wait until he is 6-12 months instead of the original 4-6 months. The bigger he is the better. Praise God for something positive :)
On September 7th, Mr. Carson's original due date, we had his one month check-up. He was a little over 5 weeks old. He weighs 7lbs. 6oz. and is doing well.
It is amazing to us all the little things we are so thankful for with our little Carson. We also have realized all the things we take for granted in the development of a child. Every milestone is so huge for us with him and we realize we shouldn't take that for granted with anyone. We should take time to appreciate all the small things in life as well as the big.
We had a fun time on Saturday at the hospital's NICU reunion. It was neat to see several of the nurses that took care of Carson while he was in there. Kaylee had a blast playing games, getting her face painted, and riding the train. Carson also had a great time as he slept through the whole thing.
Carson has his evaluation with ECI on Thursday and his kidney imagery procedure on the 26th. We are anxiously awaiting the results of both of these appointments. Prayers please for wisdom to do whatever we need to for Carson's health and development.
Here are some of the recent updates from doctor's appointments:
On Thursday, August 25th, we had a cardiologist appointment and received the news that his VSD (hole in his heart) is a lot smaller than they originally thought and he may not go into congestive heart failure. He still will need heart surgery, but we may get to wait until he is 6-12 months instead of the original 4-6 months. The bigger he is the better. Praise God for something positive :)
On September 7th, Mr. Carson's original due date, we had his one month check-up. He was a little over 5 weeks old. He weighs 7lbs. 6oz. and is doing well.
It is amazing to us all the little things we are so thankful for with our little Carson. We also have realized all the things we take for granted in the development of a child. Every milestone is so huge for us with him and we realize we shouldn't take that for granted with anyone. We should take time to appreciate all the small things in life as well as the big.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
4 weeks old
Yesterday Carson turned 4 weeks old. It was an exciting day in our household. It was the first day I had both kids by myself and we had to get out to get Kaylee to her first day of preschool. Of course it decided to rain too. The rain was very welcomed, but did add an extra challenge to the morning. We made it there on time with everything we needed...success :).
Kaylee had a great first day of school. She just loves going to school and is so excited to be in the 3 year room this year. It was very strange for me to drop her off and not stay to teach. I had my big to do list when I got home. Ha, then I realized by the time I got home and fed Carson did a few things, ate lunch, fed Carson again, it was time to go back to pick her up. I guess I need to not make my list quite so long ;).
Carson had a second urology appointment yesterday along with everything else. We didn't find out too much more about the kidney, but we do have an action plan to find out what exactly is causing the hydronephrosis (enlarged kidney) and what they need to do about it. It was really hard to hear the doctor go through all the scenarios and options. We will undergo a lasix renal scan mag-3 to find out the exact problem then we will take the best course of action from there. Unfortunately all the options pretty much involve some form of surgery. I feel like our poor little man can't catch a break. Please pray that hopefully these results lead to the least invasive of the surgeries. The lasix renal scan test will take place in a few weeks then we will go from there.
We have a cardiologist appointment for Carson tomorrow. So far he is doing well and has not gone into congestive heart failure. It is a scary waiting game. Once he does he will go on medicine until he is big and strong enough to have the surgery. We will be so happy to have this done with and his heart working properly.
We will keep you posted. As always we appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.
Kaylee had a great first day of school. She just loves going to school and is so excited to be in the 3 year room this year. It was very strange for me to drop her off and not stay to teach. I had my big to do list when I got home. Ha, then I realized by the time I got home and fed Carson did a few things, ate lunch, fed Carson again, it was time to go back to pick her up. I guess I need to not make my list quite so long ;).
Carson had a second urology appointment yesterday along with everything else. We didn't find out too much more about the kidney, but we do have an action plan to find out what exactly is causing the hydronephrosis (enlarged kidney) and what they need to do about it. It was really hard to hear the doctor go through all the scenarios and options. We will undergo a lasix renal scan mag-3 to find out the exact problem then we will take the best course of action from there. Unfortunately all the options pretty much involve some form of surgery. I feel like our poor little man can't catch a break. Please pray that hopefully these results lead to the least invasive of the surgeries. The lasix renal scan test will take place in a few weeks then we will go from there.
We have a cardiologist appointment for Carson tomorrow. So far he is doing well and has not gone into congestive heart failure. It is a scary waiting game. Once he does he will go on medicine until he is big and strong enough to have the surgery. We will be so happy to have this done with and his heart working properly.
We will keep you posted. As always we appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Our Little Man is 3 weeks old!!
Carson is three weeks old today. I can't believe how fast the last three weeks have gone by. On Saturday, August 20th, Carson got to come home!! He is proving to everyone what a strong little man he is. We were told that he might not get to come home until around his due date on September 7th and he continued to do everything he needed to and exceed all of our expectations. We are so happy to have him home with us and Kaylee loves being a big sister to him.
On Sunday Carson had his first photo shot. My good friend, Diana and her family came over to snap some newborn pictures of him. We are so excited to get to see them.
Tonight we gave Carson his first bath at home. Kaylee got to help us and had lots of fun getting to pour water on Carson to keep him warm. She just loves her brother to death...hope it stays this way.
This week we have several doctors appointments for Carson. Please continue to pray for his heart and enlarged kidney. We know we still have a long road ahead of us, but are happy to continue to see what a fighter little Carson is. We have the most wonderful friends and family that have surrounded us with prayers, support, food, and love.
On Sunday Carson had his first photo shot. My good friend, Diana and her family came over to snap some newborn pictures of him. We are so excited to get to see them.
Tonight we gave Carson his first bath at home. Kaylee got to help us and had lots of fun getting to pour water on Carson to keep him warm. She just loves her brother to death...hope it stays this way.
This week we have several doctors appointments for Carson. Please continue to pray for his heart and enlarged kidney. We know we still have a long road ahead of us, but are happy to continue to see what a fighter little Carson is. We have the most wonderful friends and family that have surrounded us with prayers, support, food, and love.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Our Little Miracle
Our precious little Carson is 11 days old today. He has lead us on an adventure from the start and continues to do so.
Sunday evening (July 31st) my contractions continued to get stronger and at a pretty regular pace. We decided that we should probably get some bags packed and line up childcare for Kaylee just in case. We arrived at the hospital around 1:30 am, Monday morning (August 1st) and got to a room close to 2am. The nurses checked me and I was dilated to almost 6cm!! Total shock to all of us. Needless to say my fetal fibronectin test taken on Friday (that was negative by the way) was wrong. They called the doctor to come in for an emergency C-section. At this point I can't even tell you the emotions that were going through Charles and I. I think the best way to describe it all is complete shock. I was only 34 weeks 5 days, he wasn't ready. As they prepped me for surgery, I don't think I have ever been so scared. At 3:45 am I heard one of the best sounds a new mother can ever hear; the sound of our son crying.
Carson Thomas Koch was born on August 1, 2011 at 3:45am. He weighed 5lbs 1oz and was 18 inches long.
The First Week:
Monday was the longest day of my life. Keep in mind we haven't slept at all from the night before. Carson was immediately placed in the NICU. He was on oxygen and was given a feeding tube. We are blessed that the hospitals are able to do so much for these little angels.
Tuesday he was put on a C-Pap to help his breathing. It was really hard to see him like this. We felt like it was a set back for him.
Wednesday the C-Pap was taken off after 24 hours and we was able to breath on his own without any oxygen.
Thursday I was scheduled to go home, but my blood pressure decided to spike and they kept me in another day. I was glad to be in the hospital when this happened.
Friday I was finally able to go home. Glad to be home and to be with Kaylee, sad to leave without Carson.
Since the first week we have been making trips back and forth to the hospital trying to juggle everything. It is amazing what good care the NICU is able to give our sweet Carson. He is currently off of everything, but a feeding tube. The goal now is to get him to be able to drink/ nurse 6-8 times a day. He also has to finish his feedings in 30mins. He has been doing really well the last few days and we continue to pray for strength for our little man.
I will post some pictures as soon as I learn how ;)
Sunday evening (July 31st) my contractions continued to get stronger and at a pretty regular pace. We decided that we should probably get some bags packed and line up childcare for Kaylee just in case. We arrived at the hospital around 1:30 am, Monday morning (August 1st) and got to a room close to 2am. The nurses checked me and I was dilated to almost 6cm!! Total shock to all of us. Needless to say my fetal fibronectin test taken on Friday (that was negative by the way) was wrong. They called the doctor to come in for an emergency C-section. At this point I can't even tell you the emotions that were going through Charles and I. I think the best way to describe it all is complete shock. I was only 34 weeks 5 days, he wasn't ready. As they prepped me for surgery, I don't think I have ever been so scared. At 3:45 am I heard one of the best sounds a new mother can ever hear; the sound of our son crying.
Carson Thomas Koch was born on August 1, 2011 at 3:45am. He weighed 5lbs 1oz and was 18 inches long.
The First Week:
Monday was the longest day of my life. Keep in mind we haven't slept at all from the night before. Carson was immediately placed in the NICU. He was on oxygen and was given a feeding tube. We are blessed that the hospitals are able to do so much for these little angels.
Tuesday he was put on a C-Pap to help his breathing. It was really hard to see him like this. We felt like it was a set back for him.
Wednesday the C-Pap was taken off after 24 hours and we was able to breath on his own without any oxygen.
Thursday I was scheduled to go home, but my blood pressure decided to spike and they kept me in another day. I was glad to be in the hospital when this happened.
Friday I was finally able to go home. Glad to be home and to be with Kaylee, sad to leave without Carson.
Since the first week we have been making trips back and forth to the hospital trying to juggle everything. It is amazing what good care the NICU is able to give our sweet Carson. He is currently off of everything, but a feeding tube. The goal now is to get him to be able to drink/ nurse 6-8 times a day. He also has to finish his feedings in 30mins. He has been doing really well the last few days and we continue to pray for strength for our little man.
I will post some pictures as soon as I learn how ;)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
34 weeks....and counting
I guess it is time for an update. I went to the doctor on Friday for my routine weekly check-up. She hooked me up to the non stress test to see I was having contractions pretty frequently. I haven't progressed any more. I am still around 2 cms. dilated. She also thinks he is still breech but she didn't want to poke around too much since I was contracting. Still praying he will turn, but have accepted that I will do what is best for him. She also went ahead and did another fetal fibronectin test, which I don't have the results back for yet. They are good for two weeks though and I had one last week, so if they are as accurate as they say we have at least one week. This is especially good since my dr. is on vacation next week. Needless to say I am now on bedrest :(. Ha, if you know my personality this is really hard for me. I think it is way harder this time because I have a very active 3 year old who wants "mommy" to do everything. For the most part she is pretty understanding, but I know it is hard on her and that kills me. I keep telling myself I need to keep Carson in a few more weeks to get him as strong as possible. The contractions are kind of a blessing in disguise for me because they make me slow down. Although I won't complain if they would stop :).
I did get a chance to take some maternity pictures this weekend and I am soo excited to see them. My friend Diana took them and she is amazing. I never got any with Kaylee since she came early so we wanted to make sure we got these in. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I plan on posting some of them and the nursery soon.
As always I want to thank everyone for their prayers, support, dinners, and love. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family.
I did get a chance to take some maternity pictures this weekend and I am soo excited to see them. My friend Diana took them and she is amazing. I never got any with Kaylee since she came early so we wanted to make sure we got these in. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I plan on posting some of them and the nursery soon.
As always I want to thank everyone for their prayers, support, dinners, and love. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Realizations
What a wonderful July 4th weekend we had. We got to take a vacation, just the three of us (well 4 if you count the one in tow). We went to Lost Pines Hyatt Resort in Bastrop and had a very relaxing time. Then we headed out to my in-laws to celebrate 4th of July/ Gram's Birthday. Kaylee had a blast with all her cousins and we enjoyed more family time. We had the sad realization that this trip might be the last trip we take for a while. I have been having some contractions and cramping so we don't want to push anything.
On Tuesday after getting back from a nice long weekend we were working on cleaning up the house and continuing to get Carson's room ready. I think our emotions got the best of Charles and I because after looking at his precious room (pictures to come) and the realization of how soon he will be here we both broke down. This is so hard because you want so bad to be excited about the arrival of your son, but in the same sense you are scared to death. The up and down emotions can really wear you out. This where our friends, family, and faith step in and help us. Without them and everyone’s support we don't know how we could do it.
Yesterday I had another OB appointment and my belly is measuring right on par. I am dilated 1cm so they did the fetal fibronectin test again and the results were negative, so this is good news. This test lets them know if I am going into pre-term labor (here is a link for those wanting to know more http://www.babycenter.com/0_preterm-labor-test-fetal-fibronectin_1511.bc?page=1). Praying our little guy will stay in at least 5 more weeks. Next week we have 3 doctors appointments for Carson so we will find out more than.
As we come closer to the arrival of Carson, we need prayers more than ever. I am such a planner and the unknown is really hard for me. This is definitely a journey that is not going to be easy, but I am hoping will be full of so many blessings.
On Tuesday after getting back from a nice long weekend we were working on cleaning up the house and continuing to get Carson's room ready. I think our emotions got the best of Charles and I because after looking at his precious room (pictures to come) and the realization of how soon he will be here we both broke down. This is so hard because you want so bad to be excited about the arrival of your son, but in the same sense you are scared to death. The up and down emotions can really wear you out. This where our friends, family, and faith step in and help us. Without them and everyone’s support we don't know how we could do it.
Yesterday I had another OB appointment and my belly is measuring right on par. I am dilated 1cm so they did the fetal fibronectin test again and the results were negative, so this is good news. This test lets them know if I am going into pre-term labor (here is a link for those wanting to know more http://www.babycenter.com/0_preterm-labor-test-fetal-fibronectin_1511.bc?page=1). Praying our little guy will stay in at least 5 more weeks. Next week we have 3 doctors appointments for Carson so we will find out more than.
As we come closer to the arrival of Carson, we need prayers more than ever. I am such a planner and the unknown is really hard for me. This is definitely a journey that is not going to be easy, but I am hoping will be full of so many blessings.
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