Valhalla??

We seem to have found heaven, of sorts. Coby is doing very well now on his third formula and is very much acting like a regular baby!! He can even sit in his bouncy chair and play with his toys for a nice fifteen minute stretch or so; sometimes he even cat naps there. We are so thrilled....it is so peaceful. Nate has been a little more apt to approach his little brother too, which is nice. He is very protective of Coby. When we arrive at preschool one of his classmate's little sister loves to look at the baby, and Nate stands over with one hand on the car carrier watching intently. He doesn't want little Chloe to make Coby cry! Is it his big brother instincts or survival of the fittest - he is tired of hearing the screaming!!!

Nate is doing well. Too much energy and not enough hours in the day to run it out of him. Can't wait for a few nice days to take some more walks.
So cross your fingers, Coby goes for a two month well visit and will recieve some vaccinations tomorrow. Really hope it doesn't take us back to baby crazy town, as we lovingly refer to it....

One Balmy Winter Day...

Well quickly, Coby continues to be challenging for us. He is seeming to respond to the medications and formula, but still has trouble sitting anywhere for any amount of time that is not in someone's arms. Evening and morning feeds are still quite pukey and painful for him. We are going on four days now without a marathon screaming display, not even sure I want to post that and risk jinxing a good thing. Even car rides can be pretty rough as it takes him quite a while to gently, ha ha, fall alseep. Were we spoiled by Nate? Yes and no. Yes Nate seems to have been a much more text book baby. No because, of course, Coby is the other extreme. Nate was never in any real discomfort, and Coby is constantly it seems. Generally the only times he has been at peacce were those times he is sleeping, fittfully at that. Mike and I have both noticed that our life paths do not have happy mediums of sorts, we go all in all the way or no go at all. So, on we go.

Coby has an ultrasound of his upper GI tomorrow to rule out any types of blockages he may have. He has been officially diagnosed with GERD (doesn't that sound lovely) which is gatrointestinal reflux disease. The specialist said we won't really cure the reflux, however with the change in formula we should see Coby getting better and in less pain. He said he believes he has an allergy to milk protein and this was intensified by the fact that the second month ushers in a messy gastric system anyway for babies as it is still under developed.

So that is Coby in a nutshell. On a lighter note, he has really started cooing and smiling!!!! Thank goodness, it is such a ray of sunshine to see a smile and recognition of mommy's, or daddy's, face after a few hours of screaming.

Nate is back at school and having a great time. He wrote his first word!!! JET appeared on one of his Christmas learning toys from Neena and Papa as plain as day. Will be posting a picture of this accomplishment. He is still loving his train table and upside down crash. We were able to take a big walk today too - Nate rode his "little bike" the trike, because it was easy to get at and mommy pedaled his little legs off. Coby quieted down for much of the ride too. Hopefully the artic tundra will stay away for a while and we can play outside again soon. Hope everyone else is doing well!

Gastric System Issues for Coby...

On Friday we had to see the pediatrition again because poor Coby has been just a mess. He cried for around sixteen hours on Thursday and nothing consoled him. The quick version has us seeing a pediatric gastro specialist sometime on Monday due to microscopic blood in his bowel movements along with his other symptoms. He is not digesting the Nutramigen formula as easily as he should be so he has been switched to a new formula too.

So far we know Coby has acid reflux. He is on Prevacid, gas drops and now Pepcid as well. We had been doing Mylanta too, but with the addition of Pepcid yesterday we have stopped that. He is in pain most of the time and it is heartbreaking. Hopefully Monday we will have some sort of answer and a "solution" to the problem. Please say a little prayer for Coby that the issue is relatively simple. Until then, we are on a goose chase to find a new formula too - called pregestimil. It is manufactured by Enfamil, but is not widely stocked in retail stores; so we are off to Painesville soon. It is just like the Nutramigen we were on (predigested) but contains a different type of fat, a triglyceride, that is easier to digest for some babies. Weird to be wanting to give a triglyceride, we thought those were the bad ones!! Oh well, if it helps who cares.

Nate on the other hand is doing great. He had quite a haul from Santa including the "upside down crash" race track, a firehouse, new tool box like daddy, real tools for his tool box, a TRAIN TABLE which we set up downstairs and lots more. With family gifts added, we think that we may need to seriously consider adding a toy wing to the house. Contributions to the college fund were also in abundance, and who could complain about that?? :) Thanks to everyone for a happy holiday, and we hope that the New Year rings in with the quieted tones of a sleepy, pain free baby...........

Have a Colicky, Colicky Christmas...

Can't believe Christmas is almost here! Nate is so excited he can hardly wait. Today he said, "Mommy, it is so hard to wait for Santa!" We are counting down how many sleeps it is until Santa comes. What does Nate want? What doesn't he want? Not much. He was such a big helper putting Christmas tree up, literally branch by branch, and then he couldn't wait to add the decorations. It was so fun to see his reactions to the ornaments and all the lights. "Wow, it's beautiful!" Sigh....He is still having some trouble accepting Coby as his little brother. Hopefully as Coby gets older and starts interacting a little more he will warm up. Hopefully....

As for Coby, we hit a rough spot. He is just turning a month old and is having a lot of troubles with eating. Lots of spitting up, crying and he really seems like he is in pain. We went to see the doctor on Tuesday and he put Coby on Nutramagien formula, all elemental not milk based, to see if he is intolerant of lactose. That is the first step. If it is not this we move on to other things. Reflux or possibly an issue with esophogus itself. It is also possible that he is just going to be a super fussy little guy....

Two Weeks Old!

Just thought we would post some pics of Jacoby, can't believe he is two weeks old. He is more alert and opens his eyes more; tries to focus on mommy and daddy when they are close and tracks lights. Night time is still challenging, hopefully we will get on a more regular schedule soon. Big brother is still adjusting a bit, but warming up. He tried to give Coby his bottle today, but still not sure he wants to try to hold him. Enjoy the new pics of our sweetheart!!

Playing in the leaves

Here is Nate having a great time in the leaves today. He is working hard to become a good big brother - he has been the only one for so long so there have been some trying moments. but here, he is having lots of fun and getting some much needed outside time.

Jacoby Maxwell Dell Arrived!!!

He's here!!! We can hardly believe that he is here, healthy and we are so in love. Jacoby, or Coby for short, decided Tuesday the 13th was a good day to get the ball rolling. Contractions began around 3:30 p.m. and were about 10 minutes apart in my back. They weren't bad, so it took about four regularly spaced to convince me to really pay attention. I called my nurse and let her know, and she said I had two options: lay down and maybe they would stop (ha, ha) or go for a nice walk. So I called Mike, in tears, to let him know things were starting and then went for a big walk with my dad. By the time Mike got home contractions were regular at five minutes apart so he called the hospital and said we were coming.

Timing was perfect; we got there and got checked in. I was 4.5 dialated and the contractions were starting to pick up in intensisty. One of the doctors we had met on Mac 6 last year came in to talk to us and told us she was convincing the attending to keep us regardless of what this labor was producing. So with my dates in hand she went to get our birthday arranged, and she did! When she came back to tell us we both cried and she told us to stop because she was crying too. Then we got our first labor nurse, Leslie, who was incredible. She recognized how hard the loss of Max would be emotionally on the entire labor and delivery and did everything she could to help us through. She made sure when it was time for my epidural the best man for the job did it and promised he would do a good job - and he did. :)

Around midnight they checked me and decided to add pictocin to the mix. We were both able to rest for a while before we were checked again with little progress. So we napped for a while. I awoke with a start, a pop and a SPLASH around 2:30 a.m. My water BURST! I called my new nurse, Sarah, and she got the attending to check. Much to all of our shock, I was complete.....10 centimeters. Instead of having me push immediately, they told me we would wait until I could feel the urge to push. They sat me up and allowed me to labor down. I felt contractions and pressure, but nothing that reminded me of the intense pain from Nate or Max's delivery, so I kept waiting. Finally around 4:31 they decided it was time to push. I still did not have the intense pain from the contractions or rectal pressure, but pushed anyways. Progress was very fast and sixteen minutes later, Jacoby emerged into the world. He was plopped onto my chest, my dream since Nate's birth, and I got to see his dark, dark head ful of wavy hair, his ten perfect fingers and toes. I didn't feel any pain and I couldn't believe this was my birth story. It truly resembled something from TLC a Baby Story, and I honestly didn't belive those were possible. Jacoby weighed in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 18 inches long.

We are now the intensely proud parents of three beautiful angels. Two of those angels reside on earth with us to continue life's journey with all of its twists and turns. One of those angels is waiting for us when we are called to continue our journey in eternity. We truly believe he is here with us, watching and knowing our love for him equals that of the love we hold for our earth angels. He is one of the reasons little Jacoby is here in our arms. We hope you will enjoy these few first pictures, and thank you all for your support along this rocky journey.

38 Weeks

Well we are still pregnant. This little one seems to be pretty darn comfy where he/she is. We are guessing we will probably make our appointment on Thursday, but hoping otherwise. There's no more room at the inn!!! We'll keep you posted!

Exciting News!!

It's a............. pregnant Jen!! Yup, no baby yet. Had a visit with Dr. Judge today and we are now just shy of four centimeters dialated and 80-90% effaced. So, baby could show up tonight or we could go another week. Who knows. Dr. Judge will be out of town this weekend, so our bet is it will probably be this weekend at some point. We are hoping, though, that we can hold out maybe to Monday and she can be there to meet the little one she made possible. :) So, keep those bets coming.....could still be tonight, Friday if you're in today's pool,......well, you predict!!! (Just a heads up......if we make it to Monday, remember back to Friends when Rachel was ready to deliver Emma???? Jen will be trying all means necessary to evict the baby!!!!)

Cerclage Out!! Liberation Day!!!

Well it's out, yippee! It came out around 9:30, um ouch, and then after Dr. J checked I was 2-3 centimeters dialated with some scar tissue from the stitch. She said she thought that if we had any future children the cerclage was the route to go. So, maybe it was my cervix that caused my water to break with Max, but we still don't know. Regardless, it made me cry; if infection caused my water to break it probably ascended through the open cervix so it seems like the culprit no matter what.
Then, we had to sit for about 20 minutes and CONTRACTIONS began!!! They were 3-6 minutes apart and hurt a little - relative to childbirth anyways. Just annoying. So, the next step was to walk around for two hours to see if anything really kicked in. I was pretty hopeful, contractions continued and hurt a little more. So, after our two hours we returned to our delivery room and got checked again. This time 3 centimeters dialated with the same contraction interval. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out into anything except a teaser.
So where does that leave us today?? Well we are now full term and dialated three centimenters - maybe the baby will decide to come tomorrow, and maybe I will have to be induced. Either way, we are not preterm anymore and the baby is ready to be born. So, place your bets and get ready to ante up.......our little gobbler may wait to make his/her debut on the big day or he or she may decide to be here for it. Either way we are now very hopeful that this will be a wonderful year to give thanks for the inredible blessing of good friends, supportive family and a beautiful bundle in blue.....or will it be pink???

36W 6D....

Wow, so close...on Monday we will be FULL TERM!!!! Yup, 37 weeks is considered full term though traditionally 40 weeks was the target. We had an ultrasound on Thursday of this past week and all looked great with the baby. No we didn't look to see if we saw a bobber down there, we couldn't really see a whole lot because there is so much baby in there. So here's what we Do know:

1. Baby is vertex; head down! Yay!

2. Baby is 6 LBs 10 ou - right on target to equal big brother Nate's 8LB 11 ou. A nice healthy size. I still don't know how he/she is squished up in there though.....

3. Baby has DEFINITELY dropped (engaged in the old pelvis; but has been since 32W for me - just FYI - most subsequent babies do not drop; I don't know why. So in some ways I'm luck for this, more breathing room and unlucky in others - um, it hurts a bit baby crushing the cervix and lots of pressure. However, I don't care; he/she is still in there so I am....suffering best I can in silence....ok don't ask Mike about that!!)

4. Cerclage (old cervix stitch) comes out on Monday morning; we have to check in at 6a.m. (yuck) then we are slated as the first procedure for 8 a.m. Don't know why we have to be there so early; no IV's, spinals or anestheia for this one; just a speculum and a pair of scissors. Oh and it's a big speculum (T.M.I??? Too bad - just think, it's not you!!! :)

THEN - we wait to see what happens! Our due date, set by ultrasound, is November 26th. I am a cramping, braxton hicks contracting mama right now. Tons of pressure and pain in my legs/hips/thighs - hence the waddling people; I WISH it was because I am so big (ok I am that too), so please be merciful and spare the hee-hee she's waddling because she's a whale tales IT HURTS, every step and I am a little cranky about that.... So I am the poster preggo for preterm delivery - BUT we are no longer preterm! So it is anybody's guess when this little one will decide it's time to arrive. The baby actually gives off the hormone that initiates labor, so it really is up to him/her. Few people deliver after the stitch comes out so I don't expect Monday to be our little one's big day; maybe week 38 will look good.....my legs/hips/thighs/mind sure hope so.......so does Mike!!! He has been my rock though, through the entire crazy trip...I just hope we can end this journey with fabulous APGAR's and a beautiful bundle to introduce to you all. It is the home stretch, but things still do happen so keep those fingers crossed.

** FYI** Our friend's Denise and Matt welcomed their new bundle, Trey Bohden on the 30th, safely and soundly. Thank you to all who included them in their hopes and prayers, he is beautiful and we are so very happy for them all. It has been a long road. His name has a lovely meaning: Trey = the third and Bohden = gift from God; hence, their third gift from God.......welcome little Trey, we are so happy you are here.

Almost 36...

Our appointment on Thursday went well. Got a flu shot to boot, and it wasn't even in the boot! Hooray. Get the last, yes LAST, P-17 shot in the old tooshie on Tuesday this week. Yee haw.

I would like you all to be thinking of our friends the Kraska Family as they go in to be induced this week.They lost their son Henry two years ago and have been so very helpful and wonderful, we just can't hope and pray enough that their little one is safely delivered into their arms on Tuesday. We will be waiting on pins and needles to hear.

I am posting a couple pics of me; of course the biggest belly one is the most recent. Things are starting to get more painful now, so I am getting less and less ambitious. Nate has been great and the weather is kind of helping out right now too. Fall has arrived!! I just hope winter stays away for quite a while.

Mike has the carpet out of the baby's room and it is starting to look really nice in there. My only hope is really to get the closet organized before the baby comes home. That way all his/her neccessities will be right there ready to go. This week we have an ultrasound on Thursday to attempt to predict this baby's size; Nate was 8LB 11ounces and a very difficult delivery. I am hoping that Dr. Judge will be merciful and allow an earlier induction if this baby's size is comparable. That's about all from our camp, just hoping to hang out until the cerclage comes out. :) Thanks for following our crazy tale.....hopefully a happy ending is just around the corner, or at the end of a rainbow?

35 WEEKS!!!

Holy moley, we are 35 weeks! Of course when you see me this is obvious, but honestly each passing week seems like a blur. We actually went shopping and bought some baby supplies we do not have from Nate's infant days and it was a little fun. Mike is working hard on getting the carpet out of baby's room and then I guess we are as ready as we can be. The nursery will be officially finished after baby comes home, that way I can paint and and customize what is already done. I just don't want to jeopardize anything now!
So happy 35W!!!! Hopefully Thursday's appoinment will be pleasant.

34 Weeks

Well today we are 34W 6D! Monday will be 35 W and we can't believe it. Dr. Judge said all still looks well with the cerclage and my size is perfect. We scheduled another "quick" prenatal for next week and then an ultrasound for 36 W where they will give us an estimate on size and check the placenta ect. Then, the Monday we turn 37 W the cerclage will come out. Orignally we had expected it to be removed at 36W 5D but Dr. J will be out of town until the following Monday. She gave us the option of having it out at 35W 5D but we decided that we are more comfortable with 37W. That gives this little one's lungs an extra week to mature in case labor would set in - which I am not thinking it will. I am sure that even after all the pokes, prods, kicks and cerclage pinches (ouch!) this little one will have to be evicted at some point. Dr. Judge said she would not let us go past 40 W - something I am very thankful for! Not only am I already big as a barn but going later into pregnancy also gives the placenta extra work it was not really designed for and it could begin to deteriorate. So, anytime after the cerclage comes out would be, um, lovely.
Nate has been such a big helper getting things cleaned up and fixed for the baby. He helped get the car seat, mobile and some toys set. He talks about all of the things he will be able to help the baby do and learn so we think that maybe he is getting ready for this little one to come home too. We just hope he doesn't feel like we have less love for him, so we will be working hard to be sure he feels extra included. He is still loving school and is sad on the days he does not go! So, we still feel very happy with our choice. We have even met two, count them, two little boys in his class who live in our neighborhood. Amazing; after all this time of looking for some nice boys to play with, they are literally in our back yard. So, that's it until next week - grow baby grow!!!

Pregnancy Loss Preemie Loss and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Pregnancy loss, preemie loss and infant loss remembrance day was created to provide support, awareness and education for those who have experienced miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, a preemie loss, stillbirth or the loss of an infant.

On October 15th everyone is invited to light a candle at 7:00 pm andkeep it burning for at least an hour so that there will be a continuous wave of light over the entire world on this special day.

Some ideas for the 15th of October

*Light a candle and display it in your window

*Leave porch lights on

*Contact your local radio station and request that they publicly announce the day.

*Sponsor a candle light ceremony in your local park or church

*Release a balloon with your child's name or picture

*Release butterflies or doves

For further information on this international day of remembrance please go to the official website athttp://www.october15th.com/

We would love it if family would light their candles for Max so he can look down from heaven and see how many of his surviving relatives are keeping his memory close to heart. Thank you!!

Jen's Birthday Wishes......

I guess we all know what Jen really wants for her birthday, to still be healthily pregnant, but here are some things she has shown interest in

New mommy clothing -
1. stretchy soft pants and fun coordinating shirts for the hospital and when she and the baby come home. She likes the soft microfiber stuff (in the pajama stuff usually). A size Medium should do the trick.

2. jogging outfits (pants and zip tops) great for new mommy wear too.

3. a casserole or something to put in the freezer for after baby comes home.

4. To go out with Mike!!

Seems to be a theme here......

So far, we are still trucking right along at 33 weeks with this little one! Lots of movement from the peanut gallery. Keep your fingers crossed.....

Playschool Days

Nate has started what we are calling playschool! He is so happy and excited about it. We were able to visit the class together on Monday, 10/1, and he started on his own on Tuesday. He has been enjoying being with the kids and playing with the new toys. Wednesday was Gym Day and he was thrilled by all of the wonderful gross motor toys and activities they did. He is literally bursting when the school day is over and he rushes to greet me. He is possibly the sweetest little big boy ever. I ask him if he had fun after he describes his day and he says, "Yes mommy but I missed you!!" I think that is probably one of the best things I have ever heard. I always say, "I missed you too but I am always right here when you are all done and it's time to come home." I know we made the right choice for a school too based on how happy he is to return for more. He has a school book bag, a place to put his bag and jacket and so many big boy things to do. He attends three days a week for around two hours each day. Just enough to get his feet wet and help him adjust socially. Academically he knows all of his big and little letters, can identify many numbers and understands a little about quantities, is understanding patterns and can create his own, is rhyming, and beginning to write out the alphabet. He can spell his name and read it in print. I am so proud of my little boy, he is learning so quickly and so eager to keep going. Mike and I both have the same goal for him, and that is to be happy. So far, we seem to be helping him reach that goal.

32 Weeks.....

On Monday we reached the 32 week mark, hooray! Today, Oct 4, we saw Dr. Judge for a check up. She said all is still looking just fine. If the baby were born now, he or she would have full term survival rates, and that sounded lovely to us. The risk of cerebal palsy is also reducing as we reach the later weeks of the third trimester too. For the first time it felt nice to talk with my mom about some of the things we will need to buy for this baby to come home, though we won't really go on a "shopping spree" until we reach 34 weeks.
We will be given a cerclage removal date at our next appointment, at 34 W, and then we just wait to see what happens. The last shipment of P-17 injections arrived today and that in itself is like a little party, only four more shots! I think Mike is as happy about that as I am, though he has been such a trooper about giving them. He has been so incredible - basically taking over the laundry and doing tons of work on the house to keep things running. Luckily, I have been able to help out a little more in the past weeks. I hope this trend keeps up, he does so much and I appreciate it all, but I feel so helpless and like I cannot take care of my little family. I think we both know it will all pay off when we meet this new little one, now in a matter of weeks. :) So, keep on counting up with us as we get closer and closer to Nate and Max's little brother/sister's debut.

30 Weeks and Counting....

On Monday we made it to 30 weeks! Incredible! We're noto out of the old woods, but it is unbelievable to be able to say we are 30W along. My belly may say more, but that just means my little one is growing stronger and bigger - we all know Nate was 8Lbs 11Ou and 21 and 1/4 inches, Max (2LBs 1OU) was on pace to equal his brother and this little one is definitely in the running too (at 3LBs 2Ou at 28W). So now the aches and pains are setting - but aside from the constant nightly cramping - they are "normal" for pregnancy. No one said pregnancy was fun overall, it is just a different journey for each person. I will take the big abdomen, shots, cramps and all the aches to bring this little one home, it is nothing to pay for the joy he / she will bring to our home.
Hooray, we have our transport and post cerclage team assembled and ready to wisk us off to the hospital as soon as labor sets in. This was a very scary thing in my mind - with Nate my labor was 15 hours plus 2 hours of just pushing. With Max, labor was non-existant and pressure/contractions literally began when he was plus two or on the way through a dialated cervix. So, having someone there to get me to the hospital at a moments notice seemed a wise thing to do. It seemed especially wise after our MFM said, "Have the transport arranged." She is a no frills, straight forward doctor - which is why we liked her anyway - and for her to say that speaks for itself. I could labor for a long time, but maybe not......I'd kind of like a shot at an epidural.......and the option of having the baby at the hospital instead of on the way! So big, humoungous thank yous to Gram and Grampa Z and Neena and Papa for being able to come to visit until basically this little one decides to come. We also know that Dr. J will be able to be there when this little one does come into the world, and we are very happy to hear that she wants to be there for the birth. It feels like a big circle will come to a close in a way....it was funny becasue she said something about number four today........we said, ummmmmm not so sure about that! :) Without her firm guidance we would have lost our minds by now.....not to mention Laurel our nurse who has talked me down on more than one occasion. We cannot say enough about the care we have received and what a blessing it is to have UH so close by.
So 30 weeks and counting.....each day. Thankful for each kick and rotation from within, and still hoping for the miracle to come screaming into our arms at the end of the rainbow.

Turning Four....

Today is Nate's big day, and as of an hour ago he is truly four! Amazing. Thanks to all of our family who was able to attend his celebration on Sunday, he had so much fun seeing all the "Neena's and all the Papas!" He also really enjoyed his special morning with Uncle Jeffy and Grammy. Today, mommy and Nate had fun playing with all of the new toys, at the Dragon Park and having special lunch together. Then when Nate went to nap, mommy began calling preschools for next year. So, Nate will attend formal preschool next fall (2008-2009) and then kindegarten 2009-2010. We feel his late birthday and giving him one more year to mature and enjoy being a big "little boy" will be good for him. So entering kindegarten he will be five going on six instead of four going on five. Just a little update on our earth angel and what is going on in his world. Now that Daddy and Nate's birthdays are over, he understands that Mommy's will be next (ok - so Uncle Tom's, Neena's, Papa D and Grammy S' come before) and then the baby will be born!!! He has been more cognizant of the baby lately, kissing the belly and receiting when the baby will, "come out." He still has no real preference for a sister or a brother.
One final tidbit on Tater - yesterday after everyone had left Nate said he wanted to send the rest of his balloons to Max in heaven, including his special Thomas balloon. We told him if he sent them, they would not come back and he said, "That's o.k. I will send them to Max because I can play with all my toys here." We thought that was a pretty thoughtful way to include his little brother on his big day, not to mention such a sweet, caring idea and act for our big, little boy. So, he did send his balloons to heaven and mommy and daddy, near tears, cheered him on.