A Michael Update

I took Michael to the doctor today. His weight was 5 lbs. 6 oz. In a week he has only gained 2 oz. He really should be gaining about an ounce every day. So, they want me to supplement my breastfeeding with 3 bottles a day of either breast milk or formula. So, I started today by giving him a bottle of formula because I am out of the breast milk that I had previously pumped. I am going to try to pump so I can give him that instead of formula. They also checked his hematicrite and hemogloban levels and they were both fine, which is really good news!! So, we'll see if he gains weight next week at his appt. We are just loving Michael and enjoying him so much!! He is so cute and we all love holding him!!

Michael is home!!!

This is Michael after the transfusion and feeling much better!!



This is Michael in the NICU.

Michael came home on Sunday afternoon! We are so glad to have him home with us. It is so much easier than having to run back and forth to the hospital. We only had to do it for 8 days, i really feel for families who have to do it for months!! Michael is so sweet and so little...his brothers and sisters love him and just want to hold him non stop!! Pat is most happy when he is holding Michael...What a blessing Michael is to our family!!!

Welcome MICHAEL KENNETH SCHNEEMANN

This is kind of a long story so I will be as brief as I can...Things really started on Tuesday night the 3rd of March. As I was going to sleep on Tuesday night I was having a hard time getting my kick count of 10. I woke the next morning and could not feel the baby moving. I went to the triage at the hospital and they checked Michaels heart rate and it seemed to be ok. I hardly felt Michael moving the next 3 days. Friday I went back to the triage hoping that my doctor would induce me...she did!!! They got the pitocin going very gradually. I was ready to push at around 7:oo am. The baby was posterior (facing up) and therefore, took a little longer to enter the world. The doctor had to use the vacuum to get him out and his heart rate kept dropping really low.

Sweet Michael Kenneth Schneemann was born at 8:21 a.m. He weighed 5 lb. 5 oz. and was 19" long. He didn't really cry at all when he was born and had a hard time breathing. His APGAR's were 5 and 9 at 1 and 5 minutes. Which are not so great. We all could not get over how pale he was. I mean like vampire pale. It was scary!



At about 9:45 my nurse noticed how pale Micahel was and that he wasn't breathing that well. They took Michael to the nurses station and after about a half hour that charge nurse from the NICU came to my room to tell me that Miachel had been admitted.
After taking some blood tests they determined that Michael had lost 2/3 of his blood volume. Michael's hematocrit was a 15 (normal is 45 and up) and his hemoglobin was a 5. They weren't sure how it had happened but they were sure that they needed to fix it!!

They ended up doing a partial transfusion exchange. Two nurses sat at Michael's bedside with a unit of packed red blood cells. One nurse injected 10 ml of the new blood while the other nurse took out 10 ml of Michael's blood. A tech constantly monitored his vital signs. This process took over 4 hours for one unit.

After a couple of days of discussion, the doctors have finally decided that Michael had a fetomaternal hemorrhage. Basically, they think that a finger of the placenta broke off and his blood was gushing into my blood stream. They think that this happened around Tuesday night/Wednesday morning when I noticed that Michael's movement was so different.

It is miracle that Michael survived and that we had the outcome that we did... Had my doctor waited one more day to induce me or until the next Tuesday(my official induction date) he probably wouldn't have made it. His body somehow was compensating with the incredible blood loss and protected his vital organs. So far the testing has not shown any damage to any of his organs or systems. They did a CT of his brain, which was normal.

Since the transfusion, they have been working on his eating/feeding. He gets tired really easily so breastfeeding has been a challenge. They did move him to the step-down unit on Wednesday which is one step closer to going home. His hematocrit is up to 37 and his body is producing red blood cells. YEAH!!!

Heavenly Father truly does perform miracles and has a hand in our lives. Not only did he bless me and Michael but the doctors and nurses as well. The doctors have been amazed at the outcome that Micahel has had. I saw the blood that they took out of Michael... It was thin and watery. Once the blood had a chance to settle, the few red blood cells settled to the bottom and it truly hit home how few red blood cells he had.

To make things a little more challenging...on Wednesday my blood pressure was so high that they re-admitted me and I had to have an IV of Magnesium for a couple of days. If you have never had Magnesium before it makes you feel pretty awful!! Kind of like you have the flu...hot, achy, flushed, and dizzy. I am now on some blood pressure medicine and it seems to have my pressures in control. I am so happy to be home and not in the hospital. Being with my kids and Pat makes me happy and healthier.

Michael's doctor has told us that he should be able to go home either tomorrow or on Monday. He is such a sweetheart and just a little peanut too. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!! We are soooo blessed!!!!

Another baby update...

I went to my doctor today. All is about the same. My blood pressure was a little high but not off the charts. She checked my cervix...last appointment I was a finger tip dialated. Today I was a 2!! Less work later! Yeah!! She wants me down resting as much as possible. Did she say as much as "possible"?! I am trying, but it is a little tough around here! The kids have really been trying to help me though, so that has been wonderful. I'll continue to keep you updated!

A baby update...

Well, at my appointment on Thursday my doctor told me they are going to induce me on March 10th, which is almost two weeks before my due date. My pre-eclampsia is starting to sneak up on me a bit and she wants to induce me to try to keep it a little more in control. She actually thinks I am probably going to go on my own sooner than that, but if not, it will be the 10th. That is only 16 days away!!! WOW!!! We are getting so excited to see him and hold him!! I will update the blog if anything happens before the 10th!!

a music note...the song that is playing on the blog is from the Broadway Musical, "Spring Awakening". The show choir that my son Patrick is in at the high school is doing this song in thier competition set this year. I love the harmonies in this song, they are really beautiful. I hope you enjoy it!

Pregnancy!!

well, i am feeling like an old pregnant women these days. on monday afternoon i was sitting with the kids and all of a sudden my eyes went like cross-eyed. well...they felt like they were cross-eyed. i couldn't see straight and i could not get my eyes to work together!! SUPER SCARY!!! i thought i was having a stroke or something!! so after a few minutes of my eyes being that way, i told daniel to call 911. the paramedics came and my blood pressure was 152/96 so they thought that it was possibly my pre-eclampsia. but my pressure ended up being fine and really there were no other pre-eclampsia symptoms that were present. they admitted me for the night and ran a bunch of blood work and did a CT scan in the morning on tuesday. everything looks ok. thank goodness!! they don't know why my eyes did that!! frustrating to not have an answer for something that was soooo scary! but, right now everything looks ok, so i am really trying not to worry!

poor daniel, aubrey, and julia!! they were soooo worried and scared! not a fun thing to see your mom crying because she can't see straight and thinking she is having a stroke!! the firemen were really good to the kids. they took them outside and let them look around the fire truck and gave each of them a teddy bear while the paramedics were talking to me. and a funny note...when the paramedics were putting me on the gurny i all of a sudden thought... why hasn't emily come down stairs??!! so i had aubrey go up and get her. she had been listening to her music and didn't even know the fire truck and paramedics were there!! she came walking down stairs with aubrey to see the paramedics taking me outside to the ambulance!! she had no idea what was going on. sweet emily!!!

so...all is well. i will be 34 weeks on monday! time has gone by surprisingly quickly! my dr. said if i dont go on my own by 39 weeks, she will induce me. so at the most i have just over 5 weeks left! WOW!! pat is so excited he can hardly stand it. it's like i am pregnant for the very first time...he is so cute!! i really enjoy and appreciate his excitement!! i married a wonderful man!!

"Have we taught her enough???"

Well, I have to say that it is a whole new experience dropping off your oldest child at college!! As you drive away you have this panic attack of "We haven't taught her nearly enough!!" You hope that she will be happy and responsible and not too home sick...(a little would be nice!)

I cried for a while in the car as we drove away and then cried for an hour when I finally got home in San Diego. There is defiately a big empty spot in our home without Corey here. I miss her singing around the house all the time so much I can't stand it. But, even through my selfishness, I KNOW that it is going to be a wonderful experience for her to be at school!! She will learn so much and will make some life long friends!! But, I do miss her and can't wait to see her when the baby is born!!

Corey...we are so proud of you and the beautiful young lady that you have become!! Go get em!!!!