Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Little Stuart Update

Stuart's doing well today. He's calm and steady. We've had a couple of really rough days mixed in the past two weeks. Wednesday's seem to be a bad day for him. So far though the doctor's say that there's nothing wrong with him, Stuart's just a very tiny baby. His lungs and heart are functioning, although he does have a heart murmur. Our big scare last week was over his kidneys. They stopped. And then he stopped peeing.

Thanksgiving day everyone around our family and friend's tables gave a huge shout when we spread the news about a VERY wet diaper.

So we've got some very big worries about a very little man. But the doctors and nurses are doing everything they know how to do and they all seem to love him almost as much as we do.

On the plus side we have had more good days than bad. It's like the girl in the bursery rhyme though. The bad ones are very very bad. And the good ones are very very good.

The biggest good news is that Stuart's opened his eyes. Right on schedule since he's now 28 weeks old. They are truly the most beautiful little eyes I've ever seen. Right now it's a huge effort for him to open them but when he does...WHAMO! Shot straight to the heart of me. I can't believe I love him more every day, even though my friends with kids told me that would happen.

It really is true. Every day is more and more precious to me. I believe you now.

Monday, November 28, 2005

The eyes have it

The most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Thanksgiving

We have a lot to be thankful for this year. However, this is still my all time favorite.

Enjoy your turkey everyone!
(T, I mean that you should enjoy playing with yours alive and kicking in the yard!)

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

On the lighter side...

Since I've been pumping, the dog has been constantly sniffing at my boobs.

It's simultaneously the most hilarious and the most disturbing thing I ever seen.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Andy and Stuart


PICT0027
Originally uploaded by apg.

My big man watching over my little man.

Aren't they both the best boys in the world?

Family Update

Stuart's a week old today! Every day that he's calm and stable, the better it is. We've been lucky enough to have several days like that in a row (KNOCK ON WOOD!)

Things are starting to settle down a little for us, not quite a routine yet, but closer.

Keep those prayers coming folks, they seem to be doing the trick!

Monday, November 14, 2005

Stuart Pierce Glendinning

Well he was a bit earlier than we expected, but baby Stuart has joined us.

At 9:17 PM on November 14, 2005 he arrived. 1lbs. 2 ozs. 11.25 inches

And yes those measurements are correct. Stuart was 3 months premature. I won't go into the all the gory details but here's the gist for folks that don't know the scoop yet:

Monday evening I went for my regularly scheduled checkup. When I got there my blood pressure was very very high. The doctor sent me over to the hospital for a few tests. When I got checked in, and my blood pressure still wasn't coming down, and the monitor showed the baby's heart rate dipping, it was time for action. My doctor looked at me and said, well the only way to take care of this is to deliver the baby.

What on earth is she talking about? How can they deliver a baby at 6 months!?

What they did was to put me into an ambulance, take me to Shady Grove, and prep me for an emergency C-Section.

At 9:05 PM they took me from the room I was in to get me into the OR. At 9:17 PM Stuart was born.

He was born crying. It was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

Now starts the hard part. I'm home again and recuperating. Stuart is still at the hospital. He is in one of the best NICU facilities in the area, but he won't get to come home with us until next year.

God works in mysterious ways they say, and I truly believe He was with me on Monday as He has been every other day. I had no other symptoms, I was feeling fine. If I hadn't gone to the doctor that afternoon I could have had a seizure and been completely at home alone when it happened, or driving to work, or a million other horrible possibilities. He was watching over me and Stuart.

So any and all prayers for my little man and the doctors and nurses looking over him are truly appreciated. God listens.

Thank you to everyone who has already called, emailed, sent flowers, gifts, food, helped out with the dog, and generally sent your love. We love you all right back.

If you'd like to see our boy, Andy has posted pictures of him. There will be many more to come, and I'll try and write updates as much as possible. Hopefully there will be many more good days than bad ones, but each day has to happen one at a time.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Home again

Sorry, I forgot to mention we were going on vacation. In case you wondered where I'd gone, we went on vacation.

Andy and I drove up north stopping wherever we felt like it or saw something cool We wound up in Nova Scotia for a couple of days and I have to say Halifax was beautiful and a very cool city besides.

We just made it home again late last night so I don't have my usual travel log sort of blog prepared yet, but here are a few highlights...

Road trips are a lot harder when you're 6 months pregnant and there's a judo champ stomping on your bladder.

Canada has some beautiful places and the people are INCREDIBLY friendly, but everything seems to shut down at the end of October. Nobody is a tourist in Canada after 10/31.

Maine is a beatiful state. But I don't really believe they have moose. I looked everywhere. No moose.

Massachussetts has a lot of Dunkin Donut shops people. I mean a LOT. I mean one every couple hundred feet of a lot.

Boston is a cool city and I would definitely recommend taking the Duck Tour.

More to come as soon as I do the laundry and the grocery shopping!