Sleepy Grace.

Grace never wants to open her eyes! I've only seen them once.

Grace Evelyn Irons

Grace Irons. 7lb 5oz 19in long. More pictures to come tonight or tomorrow.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Not much has been going on. Gillian has managed to stay healthy despite the common cold she just can't kick. She's very excited to go trick or treating tonight although I am of course worried her cold is going to get worse. She's going with grandma and aunt Katie. I am staying home and passing out candy. Trying to finally be a good bed rest patient. ;)

Things are going well with me. I am going in the the dr on Monday for an amnio which I am not thrilled about. I am being told it hurts worse to start an IV though. I guess I will find out. If my results from the amnio come back that Grace's lungs are developed enough I will be having a C-section at noon on Tuesday the 3rd. I am pretty sure I will be having it either way though. I had an apt. on thursday and the Dr. was talking about taking her then. I def. was not ready for that. She was just very lazy in the ultrasound and didn't want to practice her breathing. The NST came back great though so he decided to let me wait until Tuesday. I was thrilled. I was and still not ready. I have a bag packed for grace, but not myself. Plus just leaving Gillian like that again would not make her happy.

She knows I will be in the hospital for a few days and she thought and sometimes still insist that she's staying there with me. Silly girl you think she wouldn't want anywhere near a hospital. I'm just a little worried now because alot of hospitals around are shutting down the maternity ward to visiters and kids. Gillian will be a nervous wreck if she can't come visit me at least.

I will post again after Grace is here and try to get some pictures up.

Everyone have a safe and Happy Halloween!

So, are luck has finally ran out. Gillian has cought a cold or something. She has been acting fine, but running a temp. The highest it's been is 101.2, but once it hits that 101 mark I have to call St. Louis. The doctor on call last night told me to watch her over night and today and call if it doesn't improve. She has not had a normal temp, but it hasn't been back upto 101. It's been high 99 or 100. something. I've been giving her tylenol every 6-8 hours.

The good thing is she still has her feeding tube so I can just put water in her. We got up a couple times during the night to do this. I don't want her to get dehydrated. Since she has been acting fine and her temp has been stable I think I may wait and call the transplant coord and take her into the pediatritians office tomorrow.

I know I really do not want to make a trip to St. Louis. I'm not even supposed to be traveling. LOL...I guess though if I have to a children's hospital would be the best place. My doctors here will just have to refer me to one in St. Louis while I'm there. Enough about that though because she's going to be fine and there will be no trips to St. Louis.

Onto me and Grace. My doctors apt Friday went ok. He wasn't very happy with my fluid level. That one pocket of fluid she usually has right by her rear end was gone. It was moved up to the middle of my stomach which is hard to measure and she had the cord running through most of it. They were able to pull a five so I could go home though.

The plan is still to deliver me on November 3rd, but he did tell me if that fluid doesn't come back it could be sooner.

I think I'm done with everything I need though so I can finally start following dr's orders and be on bedrest. LOL....My baby shower is done we had my sisters yesterday and I think I have what I need for now for the baby. We'll see though. Between my apts. taking Gillian to and from school and now with her sick it still wont be much of a bedrest.

I will try and keep everyone posted on Gillian. Lets hope she gets better! :)

So my doctor decided the 26th of October was a no go. I can't complain the longer we can keep Grace in me it's better for her lungs. The plan is I will have an amniosentisis on November 2nd to make sure her lungs are developed. Apparantly there is a hormone or chemical in the amnionic fluid that is produced when the lungs are good to go. It takes about 4 hours to get those results back. If they look good I will have my C-Section on November 3rd at Noon.

I'm excited and nervous all in one. I can't wait to see Grace and hold her, but I'm worried about taking care of a newborn and a toddler. I'm going to have my hands full. Hopefully it wont take Gillian to long to adjust. She understands that Grace is coming home with us and she is going to be very small and fragile. I've explained that she will probably cry alot even through the night so she will have to sleep in her room and Grace will be sleeping with me. I'm not sure what she thinks of that. I'm sure she's a bit jealous.

Other than that Gillian is very excited to be a big sister. She has told me she will not be touching any poopy diapers and when Grace cry's she will get a nookie or baba for her. LOL...When that doesn't work I'm sure there will be yelling on Gillian's side.

On another note a COTA mom that has helped me in the past when I needed something I couldn't get here in Decatur needs some prayers and support. Her son Devin became sick with the flu and pmenonia and all of us transplant families know how scary those two words are for immunosupressed kids.

Check out his websight.

www.cotafordevinm.com

Just wanted to give a quick update. Gillian's doctors apt today in St. Louis went well. Her numbers look great. We are down to once monthly labs and are not going back to St. Louis until December for her one year work up. That is anyway if we don't have to take Grace over there in November. Hopefully we can hold off an apt until December depending on what her numbers look like.

Everything is looking ok with me and Grace. My fluid level is hanging in there. Still hoping I get to stay home until it's time to deliver. We are thinking about scheduling my c section on October 26th. Not to far away. That will put me at 35 weeks and 3 days.

That's all for now! :)

I can't belive it's already October. In 2 months Gillian will be one year post transplant! She's excited for that because I told her she could have a cake and maybe get a kidney present. LOL...All she cares about is the gift.

Gillian has been doing great. She is over her cold. She's getting better about school again. No more crying when I drop her off. She loves it. She likes to tell me about what they had for snacks and who's birthday it was. She's not into telling me what kind of work they do. Ha I guess that's a typical kid. The only obsitcale we have to get over now is chapel. Gillian goes to a private school and on Wednesdays they have chapel. Every week she is on the teachers lap. Gillian has never been fond of to much noise (unless it's her making it). She told me she doesn't like chapel because all the kids yell to god. She doesn't even like it when people sing happy birthday. So every time weds. comes around she isn't a happy camper. She tells me to tell her teacher that they can't yell. LOL....I'm sure she'll get used to it.

We have all got are flu shots for the season. Gillian wasn't to pleased because we told her it was just a dr. check up and here comes the needle. We are just waiting to find out if she is getting the swine flu shot or not. The doctors are not sure if there has been enough research for immunosuppressed kids in her age group. My doctor on the other hand has told me I'm getting it no matter what. LOL

Which brings me to I made it to 32 weeks! Yay. I had Gillian at 34 weeks but we are going to try to get Grace to 35. So 3 more weeks to go. I'm ready! I am not the best patient when it comes to bed rest. Really though what kind of mom can be on best rest at home with a 4 year old. Not many! :)

I still need to venture out and find a halloween costume for her. Every once and a while the doctor gives me an hour or two pass to shop. As long as my amnionic fluid levels are good.

Gillian has a apt in St. Louis on Thursday. I will try not to be a slacker and update a little sooner! :)

Gillian's lab work from today came back perfect. She is still coughing like crazy and doesn't feel the hottest, but the doctors said we are just going to have to let it ride out. I kind of figured that. She isn't running a temp. and she is coughing up everything. I didn't think all the stuff was sitting in her chest. They said she didn't need a chest Xray thankfully.

I had my doctors apt today too. Mine went well also. My fluid level is up to 9 today! Plus my Nonstress test came back great too. She said Grace's heart rates have been coming back at a baby much older than 29 weeks. So I am taking that as a great sign. Expecially if we have to deliver early.

That's all for today!