Haendiges Adventures

And her name is...

2012-02-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm over halfway through this pregnancy (23 weeks done, 17 to go!), and I'm still feeling really great. My OB is really happy with my blood pressure and weight gain, and have no immediate plans to get my bloodwork done unless things start to change. I'm not swelling at all so far - by this time with Elliot I had to stop wearing my rings, and just felt exhausted all the time. Even though I'm not working this time around, I am chasing after a toddler, which is pretty much the same thing.

The biggest news is sort of old news: it's a girl! And unlike with Elliot, we're not waffling between two names, so unless we meet her and it is clearly not her name, baby girl's name will be Ginger Marilyn Haendiges. Jim was the one who suggested Ginger. He was browsing the baby name book, and just like with Elliot, he said it out loud, and I thought for a second, and said, "Yeah, that's it." It's so funny how sometimes we ladies 'decide' on our kids' names as early as high school sometimes, and then someone comes along with a fresh new perspective, and it's so much better! It would be really hard to change her name now, because Elliot is SET on it, which is really cute. I've always wanted to use Marilyn for a middle name, after my grandma Norma (her middle name was Marilyn), because she was so dear to me. I miss her every day, and I want her memory to be a part of my daughter's life.

Another important milestone in our family is Elliot's 3rd birthday! He turned three on Saturday, and we had a super-fun gathering to celebrate. He's so much fun right now (and trying), and I love seeing the world through his eyes. He's accomplished a lot in the last three years, and I love that he's so excited to be a big brother and to teach his sister everything he knows.

Of course I have been remembering the events leading up to his birth, which have the potential to make me incredibly anxious and paranoid about this pregnancy, but I still feel peaceful and hopeful that I can make it further than 34 weeks, if not full term. It helps knowing how many people are praying for me and this sweet little girl.

Busy Busy Busy

2011-12-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well, we've been in our house for just over a month now, and we are loving it! Especially now that it's all decorated for Christmas. We get to have Christmas at our house for the first time ever, and I couldn't be more excited. What a blessing it's been to finally own our own home.

In other news, we're expecting our second child sometime in May. I say 'sometime' because after Elliot's drama, due dates mean nothing to me, except a goal that may be out of reach. I'll just say that I'll be happy with any birth date that comes after 34 weeks.

A lot of time, prayer, and consideration has gone into this decision to have another child. Earlier this year I was so stressed about trying again that I ended up getting shingles. When that happened, I decided enough was enough and finally opened up to my small group at church and found a lot of great advice and empathy. So Jim and I did a lot of talking and praying and we feel like we just need to trust that God will take care of me and baby.

We found a great OB who knows all about HELLP syndrome and has seen patients have successful subsequent pregnancies. She makes us feel at ease with the situation, but I know she's taking it very seriously because she took my records from my pregnancy with Elliot to a high-risk OB on her own to consult. She's even willing to let me try a VBAC, which I really appreciate. The only catch is that I have to go into labor and progress on my own. No pitocin. So if anything goes less than perfect or HELLP starts to rear its ugly stupid head, I'll have a second c-section. Supposedly I only have a 10% chance of developing HELLP again, and I'll taken any statistics that work in my favor. So far my bp has been nice and low and my bloodwork has been great, which is not surprising since HELLP is a third trimester thing, but hopefully it'll stay that way.

My next appointment is Monday, and I can't wait to hear that little heartbeat again!

A Haendiges Holiday

2011-02-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

Jim and I aren't really Valentine's Day people. We'd much rather celebrate significant days to our relationship than something manufactured. Two years ago, we almost started celebrating Valentine's Day, because that was the day we were supposed to take Elliot home from the NICU in Spokane and finally start our little family life in Pullman. Well, that didn't happen. He had an apnea episode in the middle of the night and our homecoming was postponed. We finally were able to take the little guy home after 21 days in the NICU - on February 19th. So we decided to make it an official family holiday: Haendiges Homecoming Day!

So tomorrow marks the 2nd Annual Haendiges Homecoming Day, and we'll be celebrating by doing whatever Elliot wants to do, I guess. Which will probably mean a 7am wake-up call to watch a little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and oatmeal eating, followed by pancakes and a likely trip to the park. After nap and PBJs, I'm thinking a bike ride will be in order. Then...who knows?

The day we took Elliot home from the hospital is almost as important to us as the day he was born. It's hard to feel like a parent or even like a real family when you have a newborn in the hospital for three weeks. I am hoping this tradition of celebrating his homecoming will stick and we can appreciate what it means to be a family.

Washer/Dryer/Cloth Diapers - Random

2010-10-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been in Utah for about three months now, and besides my bigger kitchen, I really think what I love the most about our townhouse is my washer & dryer. I can do laundry whenever I want! I don't have to haul Elliot with me to and from the laundry room! And no quarters required! The no quarters thing is nice since we decided to cloth-diaper the kiddo. Running out of diapers with no quarters to be found was never fun when we were in our laundry-less apartment since a load of diapers cost $5 a week. But now I can wash the diapers as much as I want. Hooray! This really just confirms the decision to use cloth diapers. It's so nice to not have to put diapers on my shopping list. Maybe now I'll start using our washable wipes too...

Speaking of cloth diapers, I have always lamented that the bumGenius diapers came in only a few colors - green, blue, yellow, and white - for boys. Well, I guess I could have put him in the pink/purple ones, but no. Why not red? Or orange? Or black? Or (gasp!) a pattern? Well, they do now! They had an artist design some really fun patterned diapers, and I cannot wait to get my hands on one or more when they're released.

It's a birthday!

2010-01-28T15:08:00.001-08:00

Elliot completed his first trip around the sun this week! And I've been reminiscing like crazy because of it. The weather, tv shows, smells - everything - they all remind me of the NICU at Deaconess Medical Center and the Ronald McDonald House. And of the wonderful people/places we found in Spokane that helped make an awful experience not so bad in hindsight:

The Spokane Ronald McDonald House - Our home away from home. I am so thankful for these guys. The house allowed us to be two blocks away from the NICU, and allowed me to walk (slowly) to Elliot's care times when Jim had to be in Pullman doing his grad student stuff. The rooms had everything we needed, and everything was provided for us except food. All I ever really did there was watch Cash Cab and One of the best things was Wednesdays when crates of chocolate milk were delivered. It sounds simple, but it was these little things that helped make the days better. I definitely plan on supporting the Ronald McDonald House Charities for the rest of my life. They do amazing things.

Our room at the House

Deaconess Medical Center - I was in for a week, and Elliot was in the NICU for 22 long days. We had amazing doctors and nurses taking care of us, as well as the financial people and social workers making sure we got all the help we needed, since we only budgeted for a 2-night stay at the Pullman Hospital. ha! We go back to DMC every few months so they can get a new picture to put up, and the nurses just love seeing their little patients so big and happy and healthy. I really truly appreciate everything that my three (three!!) high-risk OBs did for me - respecting my birthplan and letting me try to deliver naturally, keeping me informed of my lab results, chatting with me about Top Chef, etc.

Deaconess Medical Center

The Rocket Bakery - This is where Jim and I would spend a few minutes unwinding from the stress of it all. It's quiet, relaxing, and has amazing food and coffee. Jim spent more time here than I did, as he was working on his PhD exams (yikes!). Getting away from RMH and the NICU helped us remember that there was a world outside our little crisis and helped keep our sanity intact. Thanks, Rocket!

mmm...Rocket

The last year has been a lot of work, but a lot of fun. Elliot started out as a little lump at 4 lbs, 3 oz, and now at one, is just about 21. He's an amazing little guy!

Getting acquainted with Papa

So happy!

Sleep, Where Have You Gone?

2009-10-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

So we're a little over 8 months into this adventure of parenthood. I really don't think I've had a full night of sleep since last December. That's almost a year, people. And I consider a full night to be at least 7 hours (Jim would probably say 10). I think that Elliot is just a big tease. He started sleeping about six hours at night back in May, but then we went on a vacation, so that was over. Then he started alternately teething and growth spurting, so every once in a while, he'll sleep about six hours for two, maybe three, days in a row. But then it's like, "Ha, suckers! I'm going to wake up every two hours for the next week!" Plus, now that he has 5 chompers, I can't side-lie nurse at night anymore because he bites in his sleep... so he's been spending the last couple of nights only in his crib, which has not been a popular decision. The first night was okay, but last night he woke up at 4 and refused to go back to sleep in his crib and has been only cat-napping all day. So, no nap for Mama today. I guess this kid doesn't like change? Maybe if I put an article of my clothing in the crib with him he'll think I'm close by. It's worth a shot, I guess.

Other than the continued lack of continuous sleep, life with Little E has been great. He's such a social little guy and seems to expect people to stop and ooh and ah over him. He's a pro roller and is getting the hang of sitting up in his cloth diapers (he does a lot better in disposables). He's working on crawling - I know that he's frustrated that he's not more mobile because he hollers at and stretches towards his far-0ff toys. Every now and then he'll get a knee under him and propel forward, so I'm kind of wondering if he'll just pass the whole 'scooting' stage and go straight to crawling.

I'm working part time, which is still really great. I'm getting into a nice groove with my job and it's nice having a boss and co-workers that have confidence in my abilities. And it helps knowing that the work I'm doing is helping to bring in million-dollar grants and improve the stone-fruit industry. And, I'm getting published (finally!), so I'll be sure to put up a link when the article comes out.

For Jim, he's hard at work on his dissertation and job applications. There's not much to tell yet about the jobs, but there are jobs, so I have no doubt that he'll find one that's a perfect fit for him at the perfect place for us. It may not be our first choice in locations, but I'm highly adaptable, so I'll go wherever. Well, maybe not wherever. There are a few places that I'll only go to kicking and screaming, but for the most part, I'm open. Hopefully he'll be hearing back about interviews in mid-November and then interviewing in December. I'm actually really excited to find out where we might be going so that I can look for jobs also.

Five Months

2009-06-29T23:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I have anything significant to blog about, but it's been a while, so I figured I should. The last month has flown by. I can't believe that Elliot is five months old already. And I know the next seven months are going to go by even faster. The little guy is somewhere between 13 and 14 pounds and about 24 1/2 inches long. We're finally starting to establish a bit of a routine. Well, we had one, but then we took our vacation and that set us back quite a bit. Plus, I think he's starting to teethe, so he's a little uncomfortable. I know this will change in time, but for now I love his routine. He'll go to sleep around 10-ish, which is nice so we can still do most of the social stuff we want to do, and then he'll sleep in (with a few feedings thrown in) until 8 or 9 - which Jim likes because he watches Elliot in the mornings and also likes to sleep in. Elliot seems to be tolerating tummy time a little bit more and is getting pretty close to rolling over, which is exciting. And ever since he spent an afternoon with Miss Lily Jones, he's been jabbering like a Mogwai. I was going to insert a joke here about no water and not feeding after midnight, but we do both and sometimes he does turn into a little Gremlin. He's started laughing a little, and he'll try to repeat some of the sounds Jim and I make. I would say that one of his favorite things to do right now is "roar" at his little stuffed lion before cramming as much of the lion into his mouth as he can. It's pretty hilarious.

Jim and I are busy with work and trying to keep Elliot's stuff from taking over our apartment. I am still mystified: how can something so little need so much junk??? We really appreciate that Elliot is so easygoing. It's so nice that we can take him out and he's so good when we're hanging out with our friends. The last thing I wanted was to have a baby and turn into a hermit. I think that now more than ever, I need the company of my peers. This last weekend was fabulous. We played Bang! at Pat & Sarah's for a couple hours on Saturday night and shared some laughs, and then on Sunday we helped Aaron & Dina pack up a truck and capped the evening sharing stories and general hilarity over great food in Ron & Tobi's back yard. It was one of the best weekends I've had in a while. A good weekend makes Monday that much easier to bear.

I've also finally gotten into a workout routine. This sounds weird, but was comforting at the time, but one of the few things that made me feel better about our time in Spokane was the day I stepped on a scale and saw that I was only 10 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. But then, because of frustrating circumstances related to feeding the baby as well as my general lethargy and lack of hunger, I was advised to snack every three hours. And so because of my general lethargy and commands to "take it easy" - as if that's possible when your baby is in the hospital - I quickly gained 10 more pounds. I pretty much hate all my clothes, but they're still hanging in my closet taunting me. So I've set a goal of my 27th birthday to lose the weight. I've been at it a week so far and am down 3 pounds, so I'm feeling pretty good so far. We'll see how the next week goes though.

Okay, I'm done blathering. I'm tired.

Four Months!

2009-05-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, Elliot is four months old today! We went to his 4-month check up, and besides the shots, had a great visit with Dr. Short. Elliot is no longer anemic, so we get to put away the iron drops, and we've finally gotten the okay to quit the formula. Hooray! His weight gain continues to be steady, and he's still on the charts for his actual birthdate instead of adjusted birthdate - yes, he's only in the 5-10th percentile for height and 10th percentile for weight, but at least we're on the charts. And because Grandma will want to know, the official stats are 12lbs 9oz, and 23 1/2 inches.

Developmentally, he's smiling a lot, and trying really hard to roll over. Yes, he pretty much hates tummy time; hopefully he'll get over that when he realizes how fun it is to roll over. He slept through the night two nights in a row, so those two nights were exciting. People keep asking me how many times I got up to check on him. The answer is zero. I'm way too tired to check on him. And it helps that his crib is at the end of our bed. So we know when he enters an active sleep cycle. It takes out a lot of the worry - and eliminates multiple walks from our room to a hypothetical nursery to put his chewie back in his mouth (pacifier, not wookie).

I was going to talk about something non-baby related here, but mommy brain has seen to that...

Wow.

Ooh! I remembered.

I've been somewhat conflicted about my computing needs. I really want an oh-so-pretty LED backlit MacBook, but what I really need is a new tower for my PC. What to do? I've considered both, but the sensible, Dave Ramsey-infused half of my brain says that's ridiculous. The I-want-I-want-I-want half of my brain says go for it. So I found a compromise! Apple sells a Mac mini, which is their version of a tower, except it's really small. But it's fast, has a lot of memory, and would allow me to dual boot my computer with Windows. How cool is that? I can keep my monitor, keyboard, and mouse, transfer all my data to the mini and wallah! new computer! Now all I need is $600.

Vacation!

2009-05-26T08:51:00.001-07:00

Heading for Oregon this weekend coupled with a show about Yosemite on the Travel Channel waaaaaaay too early this morning has got me thinking about family vacations I'd like to take. Yosemite is probably on top of the list. Jim and I had such a great time there on our first anniversary. We camped at a little place just outside the park, so it was less expensive than inside, and did some quality hiking. I think my favorite hike was the Mist Trail up Vernal falls. The trail is carved stone steps (no hand holds) right next to the waterfall. We got soaking wet, but it was fun and the view was amazing. We drove from Pullman to Farewell Bend State Park on the Oregon-Idaho border on the first day, then to Reno on the second day, then through Carson City and a side trip to Lake Tahoe before entering the park from the Eastern entrance. We drove along the northern part of the park and gradually wound our way down through Yosemite Valley and exited the park to get to Oakhurst, CA. We camped one night, spent the next day in the park, and then Jim surprised me with our next accomodations: the Chateau du Sureau, an amazing European-style villa, spa, and fantastic restaurant serving multi-course French meals that change every night. Here's tonight's menu:

Tasmanian Sea Trout
Poached in Olive Oil,
Soba Noodles, Thai Basil,
Baby Carrots and Cilantro,
Baby Carrot Broth

Asparagus-Mushroom Soup
Truffle-Thyme Souffle,
Truffle Froth

Sliced Pork Tenderloin
With Braised Pork Belly Strudel,
Caraway and Mustard,
Fiddlehead Ferns
and Spring Leeks,
Grain Mustard-Pork Jus

Salad of Young Field Greens
Sour Cream Crepe
Filled with Cucumbers
And Smoked Salmon,
Cucumber Vinaigrette

Le Delice Du Patissier

Hungry yet? I have a copy somewhere of what we were served, complete with a customized dessert plate that said "Happy Anniversary" on it. We stayed in the Sweet Geranium room which was on the first floor in a corner of the villa, overlooking the gardens and pool, as well as the mountains. Since the theme of Anniversary #1 is paper, I got Jim a book, and he got me a gift certificate to the spa, where I got a ridiculously priced, but Totally Worth It massage. The BEST massage I've ever recieved. I don't think I needed another one for a year after that one. We will definitely be returning to the Chateau I think.

Other on-this-continent vacations I'd like to take are to Glacier National Park (US and Canada), an Oregon Trail themed trek, driving to California via the 101/1 instead of the 5, New York City, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, and wherever Luke & Melanie happen to be. Internationally, Jim and I would both love to go back to England/Europe with Elliot and whoever else might be a part of our family at that time.

But for now, I think driving to Oregon is about all I can handle. Hopefully we'll be able to introduce Elliot to most of our friends and family in the area as well as visit a few places on our list: Pelican Pub, Powell's Books and the Pearl District in general, and maybe the zoo. Let us know if you want to see us because we want to see you!

Daffodils

2009-05-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

I fully plan on planting a mini daffodil garden in the fall to decorate our little apartment porch for next spring. So I started searching for bulbs, and found so many varieties that I've never seen before. And now I'm having trouble deciding which ones I want to plant.

I seem to always forget how much I love daffodils. Seeing them in the spring reminds me of when my mom and brother and I would walk down to a nearby field and cut as many as our hands could hold and the house would smell like daffodils for a week. Mmm...good times.

(photos from colorblends.com)

BumGenius

2009-05-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day a week or so ago, we discovered that Elliot has grown into the cloth diapers! So we took the leap and are now exclusively cloth diapering the little guy, except for his longest stretch of sleeping at night. This kid is by no means dehydrated, so if he wears the diapers for longer than four hours, they leak a little. So at night he gets to wear the disposable swaddlers. But it feels good to use the cloth diapers. I wash them myself with dye/fragrance-free detergent, so I know there's no chemicals or anything on his skin. And I am seeing a future benefit to these things: he gets uncomfortable when he's wet, so perhaps potty training won't be as much of a chore as it would if he continued with the disposables and never recognized he was uncomfortable.

The only time he does like to be wet is in the bath. I know this for two reasons: 1) He waited to pee until I had his diaper off this morning, and then lifted his legs and butt compeletly off the table to avoid the wetness he created. 2) He cries when we take him out of the bath. He's just discovered how fun it is to splash me, so my days of remaining dry during his baths are over.

He's also becoming more social and wanting to be around people. On Sunday we stopped by Starbucks after church and he was having a great time looking around at all the people and making cute faces. As soon as we put him in his carseat though, the screaming and waterworks started. Then the same thing happened last night after the board meeting. He was perfectly happy looking at new places and familiar people (not me and Jim), and then when we left it was immediate meltdown.

Developmentally, he's starting to reach some milestones. He only likes tummy time in the right mood, so he'll pick his head up and every once in a while push himself up on his hands. He hasn't rolled over in a few weeks, but he can roll himself from his back to his side. He's also started smiling and cooing and will occasionally laugh. He's finally started to unclench his fists, so he should be ready to start grabbing things (besides my hair) soon. We were just sent his cousin's bumbo chair, so Elliot's getting some practice at sitting up, but his favorite playthings by far are the animals that dangle from his playmat, his uglydoll Plunko, and a little stuffed puppy that he likes to kiss on the nose.

Physically, he's a-growing! He was 11 pounds, 1 oz two weeks ago, so if we take him in for another weight check this Friday, I fully expect him to be at least 12 pounds. He feels that heavy. And I did a little measuring myself, and I think he's about 23 inches long now. He's outgrown all his newborn clothes as well as the infant insert in the carseat. I located all the 3-6 month clothes I've squirreled away and they're in the laundry basket, ready to be washed. Jim and I have been looking at all our photos from the first couple of weeks lately, and it's hard to believe he was such a small, skinny little thing. I'm really enjoying this fat little baby he's grown into.

Jim and I are trying to find rest when we can. Elliot and I take a nap from 2-4 about every day, which I desperately need. I don't really mind that he doesn't sleep all night long - if he needs to eat, he needs to eat. I don't expect him to start sleeping through the night until we start feeding him rice cereal, but that won't be until he's ready - six-eight months, I imagine.

I'm back at work part time, which has helped hold off the cabin fever. My boss told me that it was great to have me back and that they missed me, and he recently sent me an email saying that he appreciates me being so reliable. Others in the lab have complemented me for being so good at working independently. It was so nice to hear this after the awfulness of my previous job, where there was no appreciation for the work I did and after 3 years my boss questioned my dedication and commitment to the lab. So yes, I'm very happy to be back at work. I'm there in the mornings and then I'm more than ready to go home to my boys at noon. It's so great that Jim's schedule is so flexible. We each get half the day with him, which I know Jim enjoys.

We plan to make our first road trip with the boy at the end of the month. We're headed to Oregon to see all the friends and family there, and I'm definitely looking forward to it. I'm just curious how long the trip will take now that we'll have to stop every 2-3-4 hours to feed the kiddo...It will definitely be an adventure.

On a more serious note...

2009-04-01T22:29:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since Jim or I have posted anything, so here goes an update. Elliot is two months old now and life is good. He's tracking objects, has awesome control of his neck, and even turned himself over once. We took him to his 2-month checkup on Friday and he was 9 1/2 pounds, so we've finally gotten the okay to back off on supplementing his diet with formula (pending good weight gain after two weeks). We are also able to leave the apartment with him a little more, so we went out to eat with some friends last Friday, and the kiddo slept sweetly in his car seat with a blanket protecting him from the evil "respiratory droplets" that are potentially carrying the flu.

Our biggest challenge right now is getting his days and nights in order. He is usually awake and fussy for Jim from midnight to 2am, then he'll sleep until 7 or 8 (waking up every two hours to eat), and be awake and fussy until I get home from work at noon. Maybe he knows I'm gone? Because then he'll sleep the afternoon away. He's a funny kid - hopefully we'll get him straightened out soon so Jim can get more sleep.

But he's cute and he's fun and he's health, and I love watching him grow and learn.

Goodbye, Coffee!

2009-04-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

I think I have to come to terms with (to me) a great tragedy. The baby doesn't like coffee. I didn't think coffee would be a big deal - my usual is a 12oz. latte - but every day that I do drink coffee, Elliot yells at Jim for two hours in the middle of the night. This makes me feel bad, so goodbye lattes, goodbye Polly's Tanzanian Peaberry, goodbye Chai Tea. I'll see you next year.

Two Weeks

2009-02-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

Elliot turned 2 weeks old yesterday! It seems like such a short amount of time, but sometimes I feel like we've been in Spokane for a month. I don't think I'll need to come back for at least a year. But enough with my not-so-subtle complaining. Back to the baby.

As of last night, Eli is 5 lbs, 2 oz, and 17 3/4 inches long. He's working on his last milestone before he can come home: bottle feeding or nursing all of his feedings for 2-3 days. Yesterday he made it through three feedings in a row before he refused to wake up for his 5pm feeding. We'll see how today goes. The boy does like to eat though. Instead of having to be coaxed awake, he now goes from 0 to 60 with his demands for food.

It's so great to see him looking less like a little skinny thing and more like a fat little baby. His face is filling out and I think he's going to really start growing soon: his feet and especially his hands are huge! We took some clothes over to the NICU last night and put him in his Born to Rock onesie that Pat made (Thanks, Pat!), and it feels really good to dress him in his own clothes, especially if he might be coming home in the next week or so.

As far as Jim and I are concerned, we're doing well. I spend most of my time in bed, either sleeping or watching TV online. I was given the OK at my post-op appointment yesterday to start driving again, and also to peel off my steri-strips. I can almost bear to touch/look at my scar. Jim says it looks really good - like I leaned against a counter and have a little crease, but it still really freaks me out. I also had one last blood draw yesterday, and just got the call that everything is back to normal, so yay no liver problems!

Jim is working on the second of his exam questions while getting over some kind of non-fun stomach ailment. I know I had a c-section and everything, but at least I don't have anything more to worry about than constantly eating and getting to care times on time. Jim gets to deal with his studies, his stomach, as well as my weepies and mood swings. Yikes!

-Stacey

New Experiences

2009-02-06T01:41:00.000-08:00

Having a preemie is actually great for new parents. Parents of full term babies get a "good luck" from the nursing staff and are sent on their way into the total exhaustion of parenthood. Preemie parents get to show up every three hours and practice changing diapers, taking temperature, and feeding a real live baby (that happens to theirs) under the supervision of trained nurses.

Today was fun. I was able to feed Elliot from a bottle, which was a dual accomplishment for both of us since he is still learning how to take from a bottle/nipple and I am learning how to feed a baby. Our success reached its pinnacle with Elliot's triumphant belch (accompanied by some spit up).

After some awesome feeding time, Elliot put me through an ultimate diaper challenge that involved him soiling his diaper and then continuously pooping and peeing after I cleaned him up and placed a clean diaper under him. I think I went through about 7 diapers and I had at least 2 nurses help me get wipes and extra diapers.

I am very proud of him and I am proud of myself, too. I hardly had any experience caring for babies before Elliot. His diapers are the first ones I have ever changed. He is the first baby I have burped. I have given bottles to babies before, but I have never had to figure out the posture or techniques involved in feeding a preemie.

Elliot and I are learning together, and this is special for me. I hope I can continue this enjoyment of learning when I don't have the safety net of the nursing staff at arms reach. -Jim

Elliot's Update

2009-02-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Elliot's five days old now, and is making amazing progress! He's no longer jaundiced, off his IV, and is wearing real jammies! He's also almost back to his birthweight and took nearly a complete feeding from a bottle last night, so this morning the two of us started to try and figure out this whole nursing thing. His nurse practitioner keeps telling us that she has no concerns about him and within the next day or two will graduate to a crib from the incubator. So we are continually amazed at how quickly he is progressing and are quietly encouraging him to win the race with the other preemie born the same day he was and who was about the same gestational age as him by being released before her. Is that inappropriate? :c) But what is the most encouraging is that he knows who Jim and I are and whether by looking at us or giving him a gentle rub on the back or the head, we are able to comfort and calm him when he's upset.

We also just got settled into the Ronald McDonald house, which is across the street from the hospital. The house is amazing, and we couldn't be happier to be so close. After moving in, Jim took off for a day in Pullman, as he is starting his PhD preliminary exams today - be sure to wish him luck if you see him!

I am forcing myself to rest and relax, even if it means missing a care time with Elliot. He's got plenty of people to look after him, and I know that if I don't take care of myself first, we'll be worse off in the long run. I just have to keep telling myself that over and over. :c)

So things are really good. We still don't know how long he'll be in the NICU, but at the rate he's progressing and learning, we're hoping not too much longer.

Elliot Miles Haendiges

2009-01-30T00:04:00.000-08:00

He has arrived and has been named! I guess where Jim left off on the last post was that we were playing a hurry up and wait game with my bloodwork. When it started heading down again, the decision was made to go for a c-section, so within 2 hours I found myself completely numb and ready to go. And then all of a sudden, there he was! All 4lbs, 3oz of screaming baby boy! Jim got to cut the cord and followed him along to get set up in the NICU. He's been able to breathe on his own from the get-go, so yay! Tomorrow we get to find out if he can suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time, which I'm excited about since I only got to spend about 15 minutes with him today. Jim's being an awesome dad - he's changed 3 diapers already and hangs out with him at all the care times. The very first time, he was pretty upset and the nurses told Jim to talk to him, and when he did, he calmed down right away and opened his eyes. I love that he recognized the sound of his daddy's voice.

He's unbelievably cute. We think he has my nose, Jim's lips, and Jim's ears, as well as a head full of spiky blonde hair. I can hardly believe that he's ours. We can't wait to take him home. I finally got to see him once I was off my drugs to keep seizures away since I was recovering from HELLP as well as a c-section. And that's when we settled on his name: Elliot Miles. As many know, those were originally names we were trying to decide between, each with different middle names, but in taking look at the meanings of those names (Elliot - the Lord is my God, Miles - soldier), we decided that we would use them both!

Well, the drugs are kicking in again, and I don't want this post to become incoherent, so here are his stats:
Elliot Miles Haendiges
4lbs, 3oz
2:29 pm on January 28, 2009

And thank you everyone who has prayed for us, thought of us, and posted support on Facebook. We really appreciate all of it and we can't wait for you all to meet him!

Sitting around and Waiting

2009-01-27T00:59:00.000-08:00

After what happened this weekend, I fully understand the unpredictability of life. Now we are just sitting here waiting for some indication of what is going to happen. The next step could be either of the following:

-Stacey's Platelets hold at 120 (150 is normal) and she stays at the hospital until the baby comes (this could be a month) (Option 2 of this scenario: Stacey is taken down to Pullman if we pass 35 weeks in just 11 more days!)

-The Platelets drop and she is induced.

-The Platelets go back to normal and we go home (with orders for bed rest)

-Something completely unpredictable, like what has happened so far.

We appreciate the prayers and thoughts so much, and we are so thankful that Stacey and the baby are doing well! Let's hope we can get some indication of what is going to happen before we both go crazy.

Keeping the Bun in the Oven

2009-01-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

Giving credit where credit is due, praise God that He's listening to all of you out there. The doctor just came in to talk to me and let me know that they've never seen anything like my case before. He said that with HELLP, once the platelets start dropping and the liver enzymes rise, they don't usually improve, but they are. My platelets are almost back to normal levels and the enzymes are back down, so they've stopped inducing me and I'm now just being observed to make sure the contractions stop and my blood tests keep improving. What I'm looking at now is probably staying in the hospital in Spokane until the baby arrives. So keep up the good work, people - thank you so much!!!

An Update

2009-01-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

I guess we're having baby today. I guess the syndrome that I've got, HELLP, can get serious pretty quickly (for me, not the baby), so I'm being induced. At least they're going to let me try to do this naturally - yay silver linings!

An Unexpected Adventure

2009-01-24T04:18:00.000-08:00

So it's about 4:30 in the morning, and I'm trying to type with a pulse/ox thing on my finger. This is difficult. We're currently at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane where I'm being observed for signs of preeclampsia. We could be in Pullman, but since Baby H is only 33 weeks, I have to be close to a NICU. So tonight was a night of firsts: first hospital admittance, first IV, first ambulance ride. Jim is being awesome. He's been on the phone, packed our bags, and is now trying to get some sleep. I'm feeling quite peaceful, despite my thumping heart because of the drugs to stop my little contractions. I guess the bottom line is that I'm stable, Baby H is awesome, and Jim is a rock - so no worries. But we do appreciate the prayers and positive thinking coming our way. We'll update again in a few hours.

Seven Months

2009-01-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

Somehow, time has managed to get away from me, and so my listing has begun. I can't rely on my memory anymore, so I have to make lists. So far, I've started two (What to take to the hospital, and Things to Sterilize/Wash), and have two more going in my head (Cabernets and Microbrews I've Been Missing, and Checks to Make Out to the Doctor/Hospital/Insurance) until I can return to my notebook at home. I'm doubting that 8 weeks is enough time to cross off everything on my lists, what with working full time now that I have a lot of my temp hours back. Yikes. And all I really want to do is sit on the couch, watch tv, and work on cross-stitching the birth record I got for Christmas.

Silent Night

2008-12-05T01:23:00.001-08:00

I'm here too: your friendly neighborhood father-to-be, Jim. My perspectives might vary from my wonderful wife simply because the only thing growing in me is anticipation of preliminary exams and fear of the great unknown world of parenting. These are strange feelings because they both exciting and terrifying. Both beg the question, "am I ready for this?" And I reply, "I guess I don't have a choice. It's coming whether I am ready or not."

It's 1:30am and I just woke up because our power just came on (we had a blackout tonight). The clock clicks on the wall and the refrigerator hums. A car just drove by. It is quiet and peaceful. I imagine a small scream breaking out: my little boy needing me for something, and I hope I can figure it out.

I am going to go back to sleep. I am trying to get all the sleep I can right now because I hear that I won't sleep very well again until this little guy is off to college.

Craving Combos

2008-12-04T15:33:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty sure that pregnancy is messing with lines that I would normally draw between good and bad food combinations. I think the most noteworthy is the Wednesday night last month that I needed pot stickers and orange soda at 11pm. Or maybe it was the other night when I was pawing through the leftovers and decided to combine my shrimp, scallop and broccoli pasta with Jim's veggie chili and corn. I mean literally in the same bowl, with some parm and mozarella cheese on top. I considered that normally I would find this gross, but the convenience of only microwaving & dirtying one bowl instead of two outweighed any ick factor. I think Jim is just glad he wasn't there to watch me eat it.

First Post!

2008-12-02T16:33:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty sure this is one of my first posts... I know I used to have a LiveJournal way back when, but I never really used it, so yay blogging! I think both Jim and I will be needing some kind of outlet to express how we're feeling as this whole parenting thing comes closer and closer.

So we brought back a carload of things from Portland yesterday - seriously, we could not see out the back window. Somehow we've managed to put away everything without it looking like a baby has taken over our apartment! This makes me very proud of myself. The one glaring exception is the giant mound of clothes in the living room. It makes me think that this child has more clothes than I do.

I'm also proud of myself for finding the awesome Black Friday (extending into December, of course) sale on softclothbunz, where I was able to buy 12 cloth diapers at a discount plus a few extras with free shipping! This marks the first official item I've purchased for the baby. Everyone around us has been so generous that we haven't needed to do that yet, but it feels really good to start providing some physical things for him.

Time really seems to be passing quickly. It really didn't seem like Thanksgiving last week, and it really really doesn't seem like December (where's the snow??). And how is it that we only have to wait 15 more weeks for this little person to join us?!