Howdy 2014!

It's a new year!  I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty excited about 2014 and what it holds. I may be the worst about making resolutions and keeping them but I do it anyways. 

My biggest goal for 2014 is to cross more items off my 30 before 30 list.  I'm running out of time so if you see my knitting while running, you'll know why.  I will run a half marathon this year and I'm hoping to run the OKC half.  I know I can do it so know I just need to do it.

I also want to enjoy life more.  I recently lost a friend who lived in every sense of the word.  Michelle looked at each day as a gift and said yes to life.  I want that for my life in 2014.  It's so easy to get caught up in nonsense, but I want to honor my friend by looking at the forest, not the tree.

Of course I have the same-as-every-year goals.  I want to strengthen my relationship with Christ, continue to build a strong marriage, and grow in my role as a mother.

2013 was pretty solid so I can't wait to get the ball rolling with 2014!

I'm back!

Or at least I'm going to attempt to be back. Blogging has definitely taken a backseat to life this year. I'm going to make a real effort to get back to blogging in 2014.

Wish me luck.

LASIK

Lots of people are aware of what a push present is.  It's basically a gift given by a husband to a wife when she has a baby.  I am a lover of gifts, so I was obviously all over getting a push present.

The problem was I had no idea what I wanted.  I love handbags but part of me wanted something more practical.  I seriously couldn't come up with anything until Beckett was born.

I was blind as a bat.  I had horrible nearsightedness and if I didn't have my glasses or contacts in, I couldn't see anything.  This was particularly challenging with Beckett sleeping in a basinet on my side of the bed.  I had to search for glasses and if I happened to knock them off the side table, it was game over.

I knew I needed LASIK and thought it would be the perfect push present.

I finally had my consultation Wednesday and they put me on the schedule for the next day, which means I am two days post-surgery.

I am so happy I did it!  If you had asked me one to two hours afterwards, I would have been singing a different tune but two days later and I feel great.  Plus, I can see!  Like really see.

My vision was 20/25 the day after but my doctor said my vision will continue to improve.  It is amazing waking up and being able to see and not having to do my nightly contact-ritual.  I also no longer have to worry about ripped contacts when we travel.  Hallelujah!

I would definitely recommend doing it just know that you will hate life for about two hours but after that, it's all good.  Oh, and ask for the Valium before surgery.  Always ask for the Valium.

My post-surgery goggles.  Adorbs.

Six Month Check-Up

Six months meant another visit to the doctor.  We are interested to see what our pediatrician thought about our tiny boy.  I had told Daniel that I knew he was getting longer but it seemed like he wasn't getting any bigger in the weight department.  The boy can still wear three month clothes and some six month separates fall off of him.

Beckett's official stats were: 26 3/4 inches long, 13 pounds and 5.5 ounces, and 16 1/4" for head size.  He is in the 50th percentile for height, not on the charts of weight, and 5th percentile for head size.  The middle stat is what is concerning.  He is gaining weight but not as fast as the doctor would like.  He has always been on the small side, but he fell of the charts at this visit.

His low weight means we have to make some changes.  Dr. Scott thinks that it may be do to how active he is which means he needs more calories.  We were planning on switching to formula in the near future, but now he have no choice.  He has to take at least two formula bottles a day and needs to be eating three solid meals a day with lots of healthy fats like avocados.  The formula is definitely going to be the biggest change for everyone.  The good news is Daniel can now help with his feedings!

Other than that small hiccup, Beckett is advanced (the doctor's words totally not mine) in other areas.  She was super impressed that he is sitting up (a new development as of this week) and can push of on his knees and elbows and scoot.  He can roll from his stomach to his back but gets to his side rolling the opposite way and decides he has had enough.  Apparently he also has a large occipital bone which is the area of the brain that controls vision.  Dr. Scott thinks that means he may be a pilot but I would prefer something a little safer, unless he is piloting his private PJ in which case his mom has a few vacation ideas.

Our visit ended with shots, which are never fun.  He cried harder but not for as long as last time.  We should get a break from shots at our nine month check-up and that will be a welcome break.

We go back in a month to see if our changes to his diet have made any changes.  Keep your fingers crossed that Beckett gets a little fatter.

He is starting to figure this doctor thing out

We're still here

I fell of the blog wagon for a minute.  Things have been so busy at the Brown house.  Here is a quick run-down of what's been going on.

Beckett

Our bambino is growing and changing every day.  He is starting to sit up for short periods of time, he loves to laugh, and is putting everything in his mouth.  In less than a week he'll be six months old.  Time does go so fast!  We love seeing how he changes and he is constantly surprising us.

On the food front he loves butternut squash and carrots.  He tolerated peas and wasn't crazy about green beans. I've been making all this baby food and so far it is easy and I love knowing exactly what he is eating.

The biggest news is that Beckett was baptized.  He is officially a member of the Catholic church.  We had family come and my cousin and sister were the godparents.  I'll definitely be posting all the details in another post.

Belles and Whistles

My little side job has turned into something a little bigger and I am totally not complaining.  I am loving shopping for new items to add to my store and filling orders.  It is so much fun.  If you haven't checked out my store it's address is www.shopbellesandwhistles.com.  I am so proud of it and love seeing people around town showing off their Belles and Whistles.

Daniel and Me

Most of my news is Belles and Whistles related.  Daniel has been super busy with work and finding more work for himself.  The man is an entrepreneur is every sense of the word.  He now runs three businesses and is working on a fourth.  We are also farmers now.  I would have never thought that I would be married to someone that farms, but here we are.  I am constantly in awe of his work ethic and think his entrepreneurial spirit has rubbed off on me.

We are also looking forward to a busy summer.  We have lots of trips planned.  We're going to Italy in September sans baby, Taos for a concert, Miami for THE concert (JT and Jay-Z), and Houston for another concert.  I am also making a trip to market and to the river for a friend's bachelorette party.  Add in a baby and jobs and we have a full schedule.

We're also working on house plans.  Building is the most intimidating process ever and we are trying to get everything perfect because I've been told I get one shot at building and there will be no changes.  Our hope is to get started early next year.

Marley and Jack are doing well.  Marley is still sassy and does what she wants.  Jack had a health scare and was at the vet for almost a week.  He's doing better but we are trying to be vigilant about what he is eating.  The dog is a walking trashcan.


So that is where we've been.  I'll be postdating some posts to get everyone caught up and will try to do a better job keeping up.

Life update

This blog is not going to all religious but maybe a little.  I love daily devotionals.  I think they are such a great way to start my day and more often than not, the message is something that I needed to hear.

Recently, a few of my devotionals have been about not living fear-filled lives.  It's not what God wanted for us.  Fear is a sign that you don't trust God to do what is best for you.  I very often make decisions from places of fear.  I mean, it took me almost a year to finally go PRN at the hospital.

This devotionals really spoke to me and I decided no more living in fear.  I need to jump with both feet and have faith that the Lord will catch me.  And if he doesn't catch me?  Then there was a lesson to be learned.

So here is my big fat leap of faith.

I really love to shop and have been thinking about opening an online boutique for a while.  I thought that I spent enough time shopping that I should probably figure out a way to get paid to do it.  So I did.

It is definitely still a work in progress and I hope to have a jazzed up logo by the end of March but I like what I have done so far.  I have been shopping.  I have been shopping a lot.  I hope that people like the clothes that I have to offer and I am keeping the faith.

You can check out the store online or like us on Facebook.

Can I get a hallelujah?

Yesterday I posted about our sleeping arrangement issues. It's not that Beckett doesn't sleep. He sleeps great. He usually can go five to eight hours at night between feedings. Our issue was that he only wanted to sleep if he was being held.

A friend commented on my post and advised me to start with naps and work our way up to nights. She also said to put him down and leave. That was just the advice I needed.

We had tried letting him cry it out once before but then I was informed by numerous people that he was too young. This time I decided to listen to my gut.

I swaddled him, put him in his crib, and walked away. I knew he would cry so I left the monitor off. Let me point out that our house is small enough that I can hear him from other rooms.  I not a terrible person, I swear.  He cried for eight minutes and then he was out. He slept for almost an hour.

Then we decided to go for broke.  We put him in his crib after feeding him at 11 and he slept in his crib until a little after 5.  I was in shock.  I was amazed.  I was quasi-rested.

Needless to say I was thanking the Lord and my friend that suggested just biting the bullet and doing what needed to be done.  Now we know that he can sleep in his crib.  He may cry a little but he will wake up happy and well-adjusted.  Yay for no permanent damage being done by a couple minutes of crying!

And now let me give a birthday shout out to my dad and Beckett's Pop Pop!  Happy birthday from the Browns!

Two Month Check-up

We had our first experience with shots yesterday and let me just say, people, love your pediatrician and their staff. We love ours and it made a huge difference.

We were excited and nervous about this appointment. We were excited to see how big Beckett was and hear that he was on track. It's nice to get some validation that you don't suck as a parent. We were obviously not excited about shots. Daniel got asked to come along, just in case I lost it.

The good news is Beckett is growing on track and maybe we don't suck as parents. He measured 23 1/4 inches and weighed 10 pounds and 10 ounces which puts him in the 50th and 10th percentiles respectively. His head measured 15 inches which is in the 5th percentile. He is long and lean.

He is also on track with his development. He is tracking things and people with his eyes and smiles. He is also super strong and can do mini push ups on his activity mat.

The one area we need improvement in is our sleeping arrangements. Beckett is not a lover of the crib. In fact, he only really likes sleeping if he is being held. Every once in a while he will nap in a Nap Nanny and he has even napped twice in his crib, but come night time, he's not having it. I will gladly take any advice on this topic. I plan on watching Happiest Baby on the Block this afternoon because we got to experience an hour of on and off crying before we threw in the towel last night. My neves are still shot.

Speaking of shots, he got three and an oral for rotavirus. He hated it all. He tried to spit out the vaccination for rotavirus and screamed with the shots, but that was expected. Thankfully our doctor had us give him Tylenol before and the nurse was quick. They also let us stay in the exam room got as long as we needed.

We go back in two months for his four month check-up and more shots! At least next time we will know what we are getting ourselves into.

Beckett pre-shots

Life in the NICU

Having a baby in the NICU is like joining a secret club.  I like to use the mob as an example.  Once you are in, you are in.  You have a bond with other parents who have had a baby in the NICU.  And while it is easy to get into the NICU, it is super hard to get out.

I ended my blog about Beckett's birth with his big debut.  At first it seemed like he was going to be fine.  He had a loud, strong cry but from the bed I could see that he wasn't pinking up like he needed to.  He also stopped crying and sounded like he was full of junk.

My doctor told me that he inhaled amniotic fluid during the delivery and my hope was that with some deep suctioning, he would be fine.  This wasn't the case.  The nursery nurse placed a oxygen saturation monitor on him and he was in the high 60s/low 70s.  It's time like these when you are both thankful for medical experience but wish you didn't know so much at the same time.

They brought him to the bed but I told the nurse that I would hold him for a second but that it was more important that they got him on oxygen.  I would have loved to have held him for hours, but I knew that we could be heading down the wrong path.

The nursery nurse and Daniel headed to the nursery and I got left behind.  I am not sure how Daniel held it together in the nursery, because I know that I would have been a mess.  They placed the baby under an oxygen hood but quickly realized that he needed more care than the nursery could provide and would have to be admitted to the NICU.

Under the oxygen hood before getting moved

We had to wait a few hours before we were allowed to go visit him.  Our room was the farthest room from the NICU and it felt like four miles after having a baby.  When we got the NICU, we spoke to his neonatologist.  All of the neonatologists were nice, but Dr. Haider was our favorite.  He explained that Beckett's lungs were full of fluid and his blood gases were not looking great.  He had to be placed on high-flow oxygen and antibiotics.

Beckett in the NICU

The nurses were amazing.  They answered all of our questions and even let me look through his chart and see his lab results.  They told us that there are certain tests that he would have to pass before we would be able to take him home.  They included being maintaining his temperature in an open crib, getting off oxygen, and having normal lab results.  We were far from this point.

It wasn't until the next evening that he was stable enough for us to hold him.  He had a few bad blood gases during the night, but had improved during the day.  It was so hard to know that he was there in the same hospital as us, but not to be able to hold him so we are so excited when we finally were able to.  

Daniel and Beckett

Finally getting to hold Beckett after 36 long weeks

My sister and Beckett (note the IV in my child's head)

The nurse told us that if Beckett continued to improve we would be able to begin bottle feedings.  We did not realize at the time, but bottle feedings would soon be all we talked about.  Before being discharged, Beckett would have to go 24 hours without being tube fed.  His oxygen was also slowly being titrated and he was getting feisty.  They had to restart his IV three times before they decided to move it to his head.  That is something no mother wants to see, but I knew that it didn't hurt and was better than him continuing to be stuck by needles.

The next few days had ups and downs.  He did well enough with his tube feedings to be moved to bottle feedings.  At first his bottle feedings went really well, but eventually he started falling asleep during feedings and was too tired to take them in the amount of time he was given.  The respiratory therapists continued to titrate his oxygen but decided to start him on breathing treatments and percussion therapy due to bad chest X-rays.  He had been able to maintain his temperature and was moved to an isolette, as well.

Getting to wear clothes for the first time

The precious sign his nurse made for him

That is pretty much how his stay progressed.  He had good moments and bad.  His bilirubin levels increased, but not enough to need to be placed under a light.  He did really well breastfeeding, but was still having a hard time bottle feeding and most feedings ended with him having to be tube fed.  Plus, the amount he was required to eat kept going up every day, so we felt like we couldn't win.  He was sating well on room air but had to have it at a flow of 4 liters per minute or he would desat to unacceptable levels.  It was a mixed bag.

Thank God for his nurses (except for the one that tube fed him 3ml and bought us another 24 hours in the NICU).  They were so helpful and knew how badly we want to go home.  One nurse suggested that I come up for all of his feedings for a day and breastfeed.  They can't measure breastmilk so this would help him meet the requirement of no tube feedings in 24 hours.  It worked and he was able to cross that task of his list.

Another nurse talked to the doctor and told him how often we were up there for his feedings.  Feedings were every three hours and we went to almost all of the ones during the day shift and at least one or two during the night shift.  She convinced the doctor that we shouldn't have to "room-in" or stay the night in a hospital room to prove we could take care of him.  That got us another step closer to leaving.  

After a lot of back and forth, Beckett was finally taken off oxygen and was able to maintain his oxygen saturation.  This meant that he could be moved to an open crib and was another step closer to discharge.

At this point we had been in the NICU for a week, but it felt more like months.  I have so much more empathy for parents who have children in the hospital for extended periods of time.  You deal with so many emotions.  I felt immense amounts of guilt if I missed a feeding, but I wasn't taking care of myself when I tried to go to every feeding.  All of this was after just one week. I can't imagine what it would have felt like to have him in the hospital for a month or more.  

I also learned how lucky we are to have friend and family in the town where the hospital was.  We pretty much moved in with my husband's brother and his wife and they were amazing hosts.  My best friend and her husband took me to lunch to give me a break, too.  We wouldn't have kept our sanity without them.

A picture of the costume Beckett's NICU nurses made for him

Finally on Halloween we were told that if Beckett's bilirubin level continued to decrease and if he made it through the night without any set-backs, we would be able to go home.  We completed a CPR course and filled out lots and lots of paperwork.  We had to schedule an appointment with an audiologist because Beckett failed his hearing test twice (he passed his test with his audiologist) and his two-week appointment with his pedicatrician.

The next morning we went for our morning visit and got the good news that we were being discharged.  The nurse had already fed him, so we were able to leave right then.  It was the best feeling ever.  We were so excited to get to finally take him home.

So that is an abridged version of our NICU stay.  While there were lots of bumps, there is silver lining to having a baby in the NICU.  They got him on a feeding schedule for us which pretty much echoed Baby Wise.  He also learned to self-soothe.  Finally, we were able to relax.  He had gone through a lot and so had we.  We learned that we weren't going to break him and got rid of a lot of fear that first-time parents have.

Thankful

We have so much to be thankful for this year.  We have been blessed with the most precious baby boy. We are all happy and healthy.  My family is here to celebrate Beckett's birth and Thanksgiving with us. Our dogs have been amazing with the baby.  Daniel's business continues to grow and he works so hard to make sure our family wants for nothing.  We sure are lucky.

We hope that you all take time to count your blessings and wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings!

Happy due date!

Today was my due date and instead of waiting for our baby to arrive, we are celebrating Beckett's first four weeks of life.  While he did not have the most graceful entrance into the world and has been through more than most four-week-olds should, we would not trade the last four weeks for anything.  It has been stressful and very tiring but he has filled our home with so much JOY.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past four weeks.

Getting to hold him for the first time

Watching his first Tech game

His first bath at home

Just hanging out

The little glo-worm

Looking like he is up to no good

Meeting his best friend Knox for the first time

And my favorite picture of all time.

I'm not sure what Daniel said to him, but he did not like it.  It's not the best picture of him, but his facial expression cracks me.  

Beckett's birth story (#1)

A fitting subtitle for this post would be: Hey idiot, you're in labor. I'm not kidding. Maybe it was shock but I didn't quite believe that I was going into labor four weeks early.  Or maybe I like to keep it interesting.

I woke up that Tuesday morning and had a feeling that something was not quite right. I quickly realized that I was in the process of losing my mucus plug. This should have caused some panic but I knew that it could be days before I went into labor but that it was probably approaching. I also started having some cramping but I knew that some people had contractions for weeks before the big show.

I called my doctor and they didn't seem overly excited, which is odd because they usually have you come in for any and everything. They told me that I needed to stay put and put me on bed rest. Since I was a day away from being 36 weeks, they wouldn't do anything to stop me from going into labor but wanted me to take it easy.

I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon having sporadic contractions and watching Dateline on Investigation Discovery. I even got two hour-long naps in.  I talked to my mom and she decided that she would fly in the next day, just in case.  This would prove to be a wise decision.

When I continued to have contractions, I decided to call my doctor again. They moved my appointment to 11:30 the next day and told me that they would see me then.

I decided that maybe I should so some last minute preparations just in case. We labeled bins in the closet, hung artwork, and had some extra furniture moved out of the house. I also double checked my hospital bag, which I just finished getting ready a few days earlier. I also had Daniel pack his bag too.

Around this time I started thinking that maybe we should go to Amarillo but my contractions weren't very organized and I still didn't think I was progressing as quickly as I was.  I had also heard that you can't talk through real contractions and I was talking away. We decided to get some sleep which was impossible for me but seemed to make my husband happy.

At about 1 am, I had the strongest contraction yet and I decided that we needed to go. We were out of the house in 30 minutes and on our way. However, during the ride I started to doubt that I was really in labor because I could still talk through my contractions and I didn't want to go to the hospital just to be sent home.  We decided to go to Daniel's brother's house which is close to the hospital.

Daniel went to sleep when we got there and I paced. I couldn't get comfortable and I couldn't sleep, so I paced and timed contractions.  They never really became organized but every once in a while I would have a contraction that made me feel like I was splitting in half.  All I wanted to do was cry.

I thought maybe I could try to lay down but at this point I realized that I was having a hard time sitting because the baby felt so low.  I had a feeling this wasn't good.  I woke Daniel up and told him that we were going to the hospital.  The problem was that we had no idea where to go.  We had tried to pre-admit two weeks earlier but the L&D floor wouldn't allow me to complete their paperwork until I was 36 weeks.  I was actually scheduled to pre-admit that day.  I called the hospital and talked to the L&D floor.  They told me to come straight to their floor.

We left immediately and then proceeded to hit every light on the way.  Then we valet parked at the hospital and it took forever.  Next, the greeter decided to walk us to the L&D floor but didn't offer me a wheelchair.  We were at the elevator before she asked if I needed one and that point I wanted to keep moving forward.  She tried to stop and talk to me several times and I have a feeling that I wasn't very nice.  I was starting to feel like it was not my day.

The admissions clerk had me fill out some paperwork and I quickly realized that I had made a huge mistake.  We got to the hospital at 7, also known as shift change.  I waited for about thirty minutes before a nurse came to triage me.  I probably had about four or more contractions during that time and I am pretty sure I scared the couple waiting to be induced.  I was pretty sure that it was not my day.

All that changed when I finally got taken back to be triaged.  The nurse informed me that my doctor was in the hospital and he would do my exam.  Then I noticed that my pediatrician was in the room next to ours because her sister was having a baby.  It was like everything was coming together.

My doctor arrived to check me and this is when I realized that I came dangerously close to having my baby in a toilet.  I was an 8.  I repeat an 8.  My actual words when he told me were, "Son of a bitch.  I'm a what?" and my next question was when could I get my epidural.

After that things started happening really fast.  I was wheeled into a room and four nurses came in to start IVs, collect blood, and admit me.  They all commended me on my high pain tolerance.  I think I started to panic at this point because my contractions started feeling much worse.  The nurses told me that there were two c-sections happening and I wouldn't be able to get my epidural until they were done.  I was not happy.  Daniel didn't help by looking at my monitor and stating that my contractions were closer together than anyone else they had hooked up.

My doctor came back to check me and break my water.  At this point, I was a 9 and my water had broken.  And I still had no epidural.  My doctor told me that I could do it without one, but I kindly informed him that this would be my first and last child if that happened.  Thankfully,  one of the anesthesiologists got done in his c-section and I got my juice.  It was the best hour of my life.

After an hour, my epidural started to wear off.  They didn't put me on a pump because they thought that   I would go fast and I did.  My mom got there right before I started pushing and after half an hour of pushing, Beckett Oliver arrived at 11:28am.  He weighed 6 pounds even and was 19.5 inches long and was perfect.
   

Swollen but still pretty cute

Dad and lad

Under the oxygen hood

I am ending this blog here but this is not where the excitement ended.  I'll post about Beckett's stint in the NICU on my next blog.  Us Browns like to keep it interesting.

He's here!

Beckett Oliver Brown is here! He decided to come a whole four weeks early.  I went into labor Tuesday morning (actually, it was probably more like Saturday that I started having back contractions) and he arrived Wednesday morning.  He was 6 pounds even and 19 1/2 inches long but I'll post more about that later.

He had to go to the NICU because his lungs weren't quite ready but he is doing really well.  After a very long first day, he turned the corner.  As of today, he is off oxygen and his IV has been disconnected.  Depending on what his blood sugar is at his next two feedings, he may be able to get the IV taken out.  It's in his head but it looks much worse than it is and he seems to like having his hands free.  He is also working on getting up to feedings of 48ml and is almost there.   He really loves meal time.

He has to be able to maintain his temperature in an open crib, gain weight, keep his oxygen off, and continue with 48ml feedings before he can go home.  He also has to tolerate sitting in a carseat for two hours.  He is making great progress and we are hoping that he is home by the middle of this week.

30 before 30 update (#3)

I thought it was time for a 30 before 30 update since I only have two more years to take care of business.  

As of today, I was officially able to cross one more thing off my list.  I completed my bachelor's degree program and now have my BSRT.  When I started my BSRT, I had no idea how much my life would change.  I mean, I'm not even working full-time at this point.  However, I am glad I stuck with it and completed the degree program. Now we'll see if I can muster the strength to pursue becoming a Physician Assistant.

In November I will be able to cross list item #1 off the list.  I have been documenting my progress weekly and we are so excited for our family to grow.  That excitement may come from ignorance, but it will be interesting to say the least.

Before my 29th birthday I plan on crossing some more items off the list.  They include: making tortillas, finishing up my goal to read 30 books (I am so close), making a gourmet meal (I have all the tools, I just need to do it), finishing up all our remodeling projects (the back porch and an exterior rejuvenation are all that stand in my way), and learning how to make some cocktails (to celebrate the end of my baby-enforced sobriety).  

So that is where I stand with the list.  I better get on it because 30 is knocking at my door.

30 Things I Want To Do Before I Turn 30

1. Expand our family
2. Go to Greece
3. Get my bachelor's degree in Resipratory Therapy
4. Take golf lessons
5. Learn how to make homemade tortillas
6. Read 30 books
7. Go to New York at Christmas
8. Learn how to knit
9. Drive Highway 1 along California's coast
10. Brush up on my spanish
11. Make a gourmet meal
12. Run a half marathon
13. Take things a little less seriously
14. Learn how to sew well enough to fix loose buttons and broken seams
15. Find a recipe for the perfect pizza crust
16. Go on a picnic
17. Finish remodeling the house
18. Ride in a hot air balloon
19. Go antiquing
20. Learn how to use a DSLR camera
21. Volunteer
22. Go to ACL or some other music festival
23. Go camping for reals, like in a tent
24. Plant a vegetable garden and grow things
25. Take surfing lessons
26. Learn Photoshop/Lightroom
27. Make something that I pinned on Pinterest
28. Learn how to make a couple different cocktails
29. Trace my family's roots
30. Get scuba certified

Jack update

We have gotten to visit Jack everyday since his surgery, which has been such a blessing.  Yesterday he was still super weak and sore.  Today he was so much better and getting his personality back.  He still has a lot of swelling and had to be given Lasix due to some edema.  He is also still on IV antibiotics and receiving most of his fluids via the IV.  He was hooked up when they brought him in for his visit and promptly pulled the IV out. 

He has started eating very very small portions of food three times a day and drinking small portions of water.  He has handled all of that really well and would love a regular-sized meal.  He loves to eat (quickly) which is what got him into this situation.  Everything seems to be working correctly and he has been able to go to the bathroom which means that end was not affected too badly.  That might be too much information, but it is important if he wants to come home.  He is going for short walks and tolerates them but gets very tired.  They warned me that he may not be so chipper tomorrow and will have good days and bad days for a while.

The vet staff is optimistic that he will be able to come home but the soonest he would be discharged is next Monday.  They keep warning me that he is definitely not out of the woods and needs to be monitored closely for the next couple days.  We are hopeful that he will continue to progress and be released next week.  Thank you for all your prayers!  We are so thankful that our Jack is still fighting.    

Still feeling puny yesterday

Today he was a whole new dog

In other Brown dog news, Marley is also on the DL.  Yesterday afternoon I noticed that she wasn't putting any weight on her back leg.  I thought she might be looking for attention but when she kept it up, I decided to take her to the vet today.  When it rains, it pours.  It turns out that she has a partial tear in her hip and will need to take anti-inflammatory medication for two weeks and is not allowed to do any unnecessary activities.  The good news is that her and Jack did get to visit.  I would have loved to take her up to visit him for free, but she thought we needed to contribute more money to the vet.  The staff said they were very excited to see each other and Jack jumped on his kennel door.  They thought it definitely lifted his spirits, so while I hate that she is hurt, I'm glad that they could at least see one another.  However if these dogs keep it up, their little brother will have no college fund.

Jack and me

Yesterday was not a fun day at the Brown house.  I would say it was probably one of the worst days we have had in a very long time.

It started out fine.  We picked our dogs up from the vet where they were being boarded and brought them home.  I fed them and then took Daniel to work.  About an hour after we got home, our dog Jack started acting funny.  He hates being outside so it is a little strange when he doesn't bum rush you to get in the house.

I found him in the backyard dry heaving.  This is not abnormal because he has more ailments than some 90-year-olds.  I became a little more worried when I noticed that he was walking with his legs stretched out like he was having a hard time supporting his weight.  He was also pacing and very restless, which is not like him at all.  I called Daniel and then the vet.  The vet suggested giving him Pepto-Bismol to see if that helped his stomach.  It did not.

For the next hour or so Jack kept getting worse.  He was drooling, pacing, had some bowel issues, was working very hard to breath, looked like he was getting weak, and continued to dry heave.  I kept telling Daniel that it seemed like he was going to fall over at any minute.  We loaded him in the car and took him to vet as soon as they got back from lunch.

The news continued to get worse.  Jack had twisted his stomach and needed immediate surgery.  The vet said he had a 60% chance of survival and that was all they could really tell us.  Our only hope was that we had caught it fairly early but I was feeling very guilty about not brining him in as soon as I noticed his changes and it was at this point that I lost it.

If you know me, you know I love my dogs but I really really love Jack.  When we first got him I did not.  I actually asked Daniel to take him back to Dallas.  He was super clingy and hated it.  Luckily, Dallas is not a short drive away and Daniel told me to give it time.  Since then I have become just a co-dependent when it comes to Jack.  We do everything together.  Seriously, everything.  He is the sweetest dog and has the biggest heart.

Jack made it through his surgery and the night, which are both good signs.  The vet told us that he feels optimistic but the next few days are going to be really critical in determining whether or not Jack will able to stay with us.  When a dog's stomach twists, blood flow is cut off and tissue dies.  We have no idea how much of his stomach tissue died, if any.  The vet said that it looked like there had been some tissue death but the tissue pinked up when blood flow returned.

Tomorrow they will begin feeding Jack small portions of food and water.  Our hope is that he will be able to digest and metabolize the food.  This would mean that even though some of his stomach was affected, he will still be able to lead a normal life.  If he is not able to digest food, we will be faced with a huge decision.

We would greatly appreciate any prayers we can get.  I love this dog more than I can say and it kills me to think that our time with him may be coming to an end.  Please pray that Jack is able to function normally and just needs time.  I will keep everyone updated on his progress.

so long twenty-seven

Today I celebrated my day of birth.  My parents came to visit which was the best birthday gift I could have asked for.  They helped landscape our front yard (because I have a thumb that is nowhere close to green) and removed a gigantic stump from our back yard (I took pictures of both events for future blogs).  We also hung out and spent some quality time together.   I swear I am not a slave driver.

All in all, it was a good birthday.  I got to watch Wimbledon, which is one of my favorite sporting events of the year.  An Andy Murray victory would have been great but it wasn't in the cards.  We ate lunch with friends and family and then had to say good-bye to my parents.  The good news is we have a layover in Houston next week, so we get to see them again.  Then I started a baby registry and was very thankful that my sister-in-law went to help.  She had tons of great advice.

Most importantly, Daniel finally felt the baby kick (he has been moving a ton today) and we picked a name!  We had a first name picked out already but we chose a middle name and made it official.  Things are definitely starting to feel more real.

I am hopeful that my twenty-eighth year will be my best yet.  Looking back, 27 was pretty good to me. We went to Miami, New York, and Spain, celebrated three years of marriage, I discovered that I love cooking classes, met Miles Austin, spent lots of time with family and friends, tried lots of new things, developed a love for photography, and were blessed with a baby.  I am looking forward to this next year and can't wait to see what happens even if it means I am getting closer and closer to 30.
 

The only person missing was my sister

My husband gets me