Here's a picture of Savannah and all of her beautiful dark hair. Thank you for all the emails, text messages and visits. We are so blessed to have you as friends and family.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Isn't she beautiful? And she has hair too!
Here's a picture of Savannah and all of her beautiful dark hair. Thank you for all the emails, text messages and visits. We are so blessed to have you as friends and family.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
She's Here!!!
Savannah Grace Boyes joined our family at 12:55 PM today, July 25th. What an amazing miracle! I pushed for almost 90 minutes with no major complications. Savannah weighs 7 pounds, 14 ounces and is 19 inches long. She has a head full of beautiful dark hair, long graceful fingers, and her mommy's nose. ;) (I can't wait to get a pink bow in her hair!)
Michael was a wonderful help during the labor and delivery. Having the epidural was such a blessing that allowed me the chance to rest during the time leading up to delivery and regain some of the strength I had lost during the previous 2 days of "at home" contractions.
Both sets of Savannah's grandparents and her great-grandmother (Julie's Nana Lou) were here for the day, which was a wonderful blessing for us. We are so thrilled to have had them with us for this special day.
Read below for another post about the events from the first half of labor and delivery.
After 33 hours.......
Julie's contractions continued throughout the day on Friday. However, the contractions did not become much closer than 10 to 15 minutes then would shift back to 20 to 30 minute intervals. We spoke with a nurse Friday morning who said we wouldn't go to the hospital until contractions were 5 minutes apart for two hours. However, by 11 pm Friday night other symptoms began to emerge - slight bleeding and full body shakes. Julie's mom, Daune, spoke with the nurse on call. By 11:45, we were packing up to head to the hospital. When we arrived, Julie was placed in a triage unit to assess if she was in true labor. Turns out she was and we were moved into suite #1. The nurse was amazed that Julie had dilated to 5-6 cm given such irregular contractions over 33 hours.
Once we moved to our private suite, three nurses efficiently hooked Julie up to various machines. One of our main concerns was, of course, the epidural. Thirty three hours of painful and intense contractions had left her mentally and physically exhausted. Julie enjoyed a jacuzzi bath while waiting for a platelet count result that was "above 100,000." Julie decided we should pray for positive test results. Within moments of finishing our prayer, the nurse arrived to tell us that an epidural would be possible. Around, 2:00 am, the anesthesiologist and nurse began the epidural procedure. Within 30 minutes Julie was experiencing contractions without any pain. This allowed her to sleep for several hours as her body continued to make progress.
By 7:00 am, Julie had dilated to 9 cm. The plan is to allow Julie to "labor down" as much as possible. Due to her POTS diagnosis, this will limit the amount of pushing and therefore the risk of dropping blood pressure. We are so excited to be this close to the birth of our daughter because today is also the birthday of Julie's grandmother, Nana Bernie. Who would have guessed our baby would be due on Nana Lou's birthday and born on Nana Bernie's birthday. What a blessing. We'll post another update after the birth. Stay tuned. Love to all! Julie, Michael and Soon-to-Be Savannah.
Once we moved to our private suite, three nurses efficiently hooked Julie up to various machines. One of our main concerns was, of course, the epidural. Thirty three hours of painful and intense contractions had left her mentally and physically exhausted. Julie enjoyed a jacuzzi bath while waiting for a platelet count result that was "above 100,000." Julie decided we should pray for positive test results. Within moments of finishing our prayer, the nurse arrived to tell us that an epidural would be possible. Around, 2:00 am, the anesthesiologist and nurse began the epidural procedure. Within 30 minutes Julie was experiencing contractions without any pain. This allowed her to sleep for several hours as her body continued to make progress.
By 7:00 am, Julie had dilated to 9 cm. The plan is to allow Julie to "labor down" as much as possible. Due to her POTS diagnosis, this will limit the amount of pushing and therefore the risk of dropping blood pressure. We are so excited to be this close to the birth of our daughter because today is also the birthday of Julie's grandmother, Nana Bernie. Who would have guessed our baby would be due on Nana Lou's birthday and born on Nana Bernie's birthday. What a blessing. We'll post another update after the birth. Stay tuned. Love to all! Julie, Michael and Soon-to-Be Savannah.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Getting Started?!?!
We went to see the OB on Thursday morning. Not much had changed at that point - I'm still 3 cm, 70-80% effaced, and minus 1 station. My blood pressure was not so good sitting up, but once they let me lie down, it was fine. Savannah did great on her Non-Stress Test, which was fabulous news. They don't seem to be worried about her at all - she seems to love "Hotel Mommy" ... and we were beginning to wonder if she'd ever want to leave!
...Until yesterday afternoon. Around 3:00, I started having contractions. At first, they were about 30 minutes apart - and I could definitely tell that I was contracting. Until yesterday, all of my contractions were mainly just pressure. I'm starting to understand the pain side of contractions now. :) Anyway, after a few contractions that were about 30 minutes apart, they dropped to 45 min. apart... then 20, and through the night I woke up about once an hour with a contraction. I was able to go back to sleep for about 30-45 min. between each contraction, except for I was awake from 3-4 am. During that time, I had 2 smaller contractions - so I'm thinking that was probably happening during the other times I was sleeping & not just waking up from the pain.
At yesterday's appointment, they scheduled me for an induction for next Wednesday (July 29) - the day after my due date. Dr. Roginsky said that she doesn't want to wait too long after my due date with all of the issues I've been having (even though things are starting to look a bit better in some areas). I kind-of doubt that we're going to make it that long, but at least we know it won't be any longer than that.
We have been praying that Savannah will decide to check out of "Hotel Mommy" on her own. Inductions are much more painful and much longer, from my understanding, and not knowing if I'll be able to have an epidural makes that a bit frightening. If the past 12 hours are any indication, we seem to be on our way toward this goal. We'll continue to post updates on the blog as we are able. Much love to all!
~Julie, Michael, & Savannah
...Until yesterday afternoon. Around 3:00, I started having contractions. At first, they were about 30 minutes apart - and I could definitely tell that I was contracting. Until yesterday, all of my contractions were mainly just pressure. I'm starting to understand the pain side of contractions now. :) Anyway, after a few contractions that were about 30 minutes apart, they dropped to 45 min. apart... then 20, and through the night I woke up about once an hour with a contraction. I was able to go back to sleep for about 30-45 min. between each contraction, except for I was awake from 3-4 am. During that time, I had 2 smaller contractions - so I'm thinking that was probably happening during the other times I was sleeping & not just waking up from the pain.
At yesterday's appointment, they scheduled me for an induction for next Wednesday (July 29) - the day after my due date. Dr. Roginsky said that she doesn't want to wait too long after my due date with all of the issues I've been having (even though things are starting to look a bit better in some areas). I kind-of doubt that we're going to make it that long, but at least we know it won't be any longer than that.
We have been praying that Savannah will decide to check out of "Hotel Mommy" on her own. Inductions are much more painful and much longer, from my understanding, and not knowing if I'll be able to have an epidural makes that a bit frightening. If the past 12 hours are any indication, we seem to be on our way toward this goal. We'll continue to post updates on the blog as we are able. Much love to all!
~Julie, Michael, & Savannah
Monday, July 20, 2009
Not Yet...
We genuinely thought that we might be headed to the hospital after today's doctor visit, but it's not time quite yet. Since my last post, we've been back to the OB twice - last Friday and again today. On Friday, Dr. Roginsky said that she wanted to see me back on Monday (today) ... assuming I didn't go into labor over the weekend. Since that clearly didn't happen, we headed back in this afternoon.
The good news was that things are looking great for baby Savannah. She passed the Non-Stress Test with flying colors. My blood pressure and other tests looked good... so we didn't have to go to the hospital to be induced.
We're at home resting - contractions have started coming a bit more regularly... every 30 minutes or so. Not much else exciting is happening. We'll post more when there's more news. :)
The good news was that things are looking great for baby Savannah. She passed the Non-Stress Test with flying colors. My blood pressure and other tests looked good... so we didn't have to go to the hospital to be induced.
We're at home resting - contractions have started coming a bit more regularly... every 30 minutes or so. Not much else exciting is happening. We'll post more when there's more news. :)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Getting Closer!
On my last post, I mentioned that my next appointment was scheduled for Tuesday with Dr. Morton. Well, as soon as I had posted that, it changed. Dr. Goldman (my internationally-traveling OB) called me on Friday with Thursday's lab results - my platelets had dropped back to 72, but everything else was okay. He felt comfortable with me continuing at home for the weekend, but didn't want me to wait until Tuesday to come back to the office ... I had to reschedule for Monday with a different doctor. I was a bit confused about the "rush" - but I certainly don't know enough to question his decisions.
So, yesterday (Monday), we headed to see Dr. Roginsky. My parents came up for the appointment, "just in case..." Dr. Roginsky was super-nice. She answered all of my questions (a full page!), and then explained that a few of the "factors" Dr. Goldman had been concerned with were starting to change. I had started spilling more protein - moving from a "trace" to "plus 2" level. My blood pressure was also a bit higher than she would have liked to see it (131/95). So, she sent me off to the hospital (again) for more checking... blood work and monitoring of the baby, contractions, & my blood pressure. After 3+ hours in the hospital, we learned that my platelets are "over 100" - but they couldn't get an exact count because they're too large (possibly clumping together?). A count of "over 100" is good, though. That's the minimum for having an epidural! If they fall lower than 100 on the day I go in to deliver, I'll have to go without. ((ouch!)) My blood pressure was fine the entire time I was there, so that wasn't a huge concern for them. The only thing left to check on is the protein, so I got another "pee hat" and bucket. Good times! I did learn a lot from the last time I did a 24-hour collection about the importance of being careful when removing the "hat" from the toilet seat. Splashes are NOT fun. :) So, I'll be collecting until this afternoon - will return the bucket to the doctor's office & then hopefully get results back on Wednesday.
Other exciting news from yesterday's appointment... I am now 2 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and Savannah is at "minus 1" station. According to the monitoring machine at the hospital, I'm definitely having contractions (2-3 per hour), though they're not painful yet... just the pressure & tightness. Our little girl is working hard to come join us! We'll keep you posted as more developments arise.
Want to leave us a message? Some people have asked how to leave a note on the blog... Just click on the word "COMMENT" below and it will allow you to type a note. You don't need to have an account or anything. Where it says "Comment As" you can click on Anonymous - and then just type your name in with your message so we know who you are! We'd love to hear from you!
So, yesterday (Monday), we headed to see Dr. Roginsky. My parents came up for the appointment, "just in case..." Dr. Roginsky was super-nice. She answered all of my questions (a full page!), and then explained that a few of the "factors" Dr. Goldman had been concerned with were starting to change. I had started spilling more protein - moving from a "trace" to "plus 2" level. My blood pressure was also a bit higher than she would have liked to see it (131/95). So, she sent me off to the hospital (again) for more checking... blood work and monitoring of the baby, contractions, & my blood pressure. After 3+ hours in the hospital, we learned that my platelets are "over 100" - but they couldn't get an exact count because they're too large (possibly clumping together?). A count of "over 100" is good, though. That's the minimum for having an epidural! If they fall lower than 100 on the day I go in to deliver, I'll have to go without. ((ouch!)) My blood pressure was fine the entire time I was there, so that wasn't a huge concern for them. The only thing left to check on is the protein, so I got another "pee hat" and bucket. Good times! I did learn a lot from the last time I did a 24-hour collection about the importance of being careful when removing the "hat" from the toilet seat. Splashes are NOT fun. :) So, I'll be collecting until this afternoon - will return the bucket to the doctor's office & then hopefully get results back on Wednesday.
Other exciting news from yesterday's appointment... I am now 2 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and Savannah is at "minus 1" station. According to the monitoring machine at the hospital, I'm definitely having contractions (2-3 per hour), though they're not painful yet... just the pressure & tightness. Our little girl is working hard to come join us! We'll keep you posted as more developments arise.
Want to leave us a message? Some people have asked how to leave a note on the blog... Just click on the word "COMMENT" below and it will allow you to type a note. You don't need to have an account or anything. Where it says "Comment As" you can click on Anonymous - and then just type your name in with your message so we know who you are! We'd love to hear from you!
Friday, July 10, 2009
ISRAEL?!?!
We went to my weekly OB appointment yesterday, and Dr. Goldman said that he is pleased that the bloodwork from the hospital came back okay. I do NOT have pre-eclampsia or HELLP Syndrome, which was what they were worried about. The diagnosis of Gestational Thrombocytopenia stands, but that alone is nothing that would force an early delivery. What concerns him is the fact that I have a lot of different "factors" that could change (rising blood pressure, swelling, low platelets, spilling traces of protein, etc.) - so he just wants to keep a closer eye on me. (My first thought... closer than once a week? Do you want me to move in with you, Doctor?) :)
Well, not exactly... instead, he told me that he would be headed out of town - to ISRAEL to be exact - for the next two weeks. Before I completely freaked out, he said that he would be transferring my "main care" to the doctor I saw in the hospital, Dr. Morton. I'm actually very comfortable with this, because Michael & I really liked Dr. Morton. She was so easy to talk to and was very knowledgable - she even knew about POTS! This doesn't mean that she will be the one to deliver Savannah, but she will be my primary contact until our little girl is born (or until Dr. Goldman returns from his trip to the Holy Lands...). I'll go back to see her for my next office visit on Tuesday - less than a week - to be sure things are still going well.
Dr. Goldman did give me one last "going away present" during yesterday's appointment... a "vigorous exam" (his words). He said that while it's not necessary for me to deliver right now, he wouldn't be upset if I went into labor, hence the "vigor." He told me that I'm now 1.5 cm dialated and am starting to efface... of course, after the "vigorous exam" I'm figuring I've got to be at least 4-5 cm! I'm not sure, but I think he may have been searching to see if I still have my tonsils. I could have told him an easier way to check that out! ;)
Needless to say, I've received a lot of information in the past 3 days (scroll down to other entries if you haven't had a chance to read the blog lately) - so I was a little stressed by the time we left the office. I'm doing a bit better now. I know that I just have to relax and trust that God will give me the strength to get through any kind of delivery that I need to, and that our little girl will be here soon for Michael & me to hold and love.
Well, not exactly... instead, he told me that he would be headed out of town - to ISRAEL to be exact - for the next two weeks. Before I completely freaked out, he said that he would be transferring my "main care" to the doctor I saw in the hospital, Dr. Morton. I'm actually very comfortable with this, because Michael & I really liked Dr. Morton. She was so easy to talk to and was very knowledgable - she even knew about POTS! This doesn't mean that she will be the one to deliver Savannah, but she will be my primary contact until our little girl is born (or until Dr. Goldman returns from his trip to the Holy Lands...). I'll go back to see her for my next office visit on Tuesday - less than a week - to be sure things are still going well.
Dr. Goldman did give me one last "going away present" during yesterday's appointment... a "vigorous exam" (his words). He said that while it's not necessary for me to deliver right now, he wouldn't be upset if I went into labor, hence the "vigor." He told me that I'm now 1.5 cm dialated and am starting to efface... of course, after the "vigorous exam" I'm figuring I've got to be at least 4-5 cm! I'm not sure, but I think he may have been searching to see if I still have my tonsils. I could have told him an easier way to check that out! ;)
Needless to say, I've received a lot of information in the past 3 days (scroll down to other entries if you haven't had a chance to read the blog lately) - so I was a little stressed by the time we left the office. I'm doing a bit better now. I know that I just have to relax and trust that God will give me the strength to get through any kind of delivery that I need to, and that our little girl will be here soon for Michael & me to hold and love.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Unexpected Hospital Visit
Well, we certainly weren't expecting our afternoon to be as eventful as it ended up. Michael & I had gone to Spartanburg last night (Monday) so we could spend some time with my mom's massage therapist, Sandra. We found out at last week's OB appointment that I may not be able to have an epidural due to possible complications with POTS. (Epidurals can lower your blood pressure, and if this happens the only way to bring it back up so the baby gets enough blood is to give the mom epinephrine. This increases the heart rate. Both of these, lower bp and increased hr, are basically what POTS is all about...) The long and short of it is that I won't know about having an epidural until I get to the hospital and talk with the anesthesiologist on call. So, we want to be prepared for a delivery without an epidural. We spent an hour with Sandra this morning, and she showed Mom and Michael several ways that they'll be able to help me through massage during labor.
After the massage appointment, we headed to meet Dad and Nana for lunch. As we were getting ready to order, I heard my cell phone ringing - but just missed the call. It was my OB, who left a voice mail asking me to call him as soon as possible to discuss last week's lab results. Before I could dial the phone number, he was on the phone with Michael. To make a long story short, he told me that my platelet count had dropped again. A little background... I've had my platelets checked 4 times now. "Normal" is anywhere between 150-400 (thousand). My readings were 129, then 102, and then back up to 150. The 150 reading was 2 weeks ago, so Dr. Goldman decided to repeat the labs last Thursday just as a precaution (though he was pleased with the level being 150). This last reading was not as good as any of the previous ones... I was landing at 67. He said that he wanted to do more lab work to try to determine what is going on, specifically looking to be sure it wasn't pre-eclampsia. Since it would take a couple of days for him to get results from any labs drawn in the office, he sent me directly to the hospital.
Keep in mind, now, that we were still in Spartanburg when we received this call. Luckily, we had planned on heading back this afternoon anyway, so everything was packed up. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and hit the road. After 3+ hours in the hospital, we learned that my platelets had gone up to "over 100" (though we don't know the exact reading). I was discharged with a large bucket to collect "samples" for 24 hours. Knowing how often I go to the bathroom these days, I'm not sure the bucket will be large enough! :) That's my "homework" for tomorrow - and then we'll bring it with us to Thursday's appointment. The doctor from my OB Practice on call at the hospital was great. She said that everything looked great with the baby, that I hadn't done anything wrong to make this happen - it's just one of those things for some women. Assuming everything comes back okay on the 24-hour collection, the diagnosis will be Gestational Thrombocytopenia. She said this basically means that my platelet levels will continue to fluctuate during these last few weeks of my pregnancy. The kicker with this is that whenever I come to the hospital to deliver, they'll check my levels - and if they are under 100, I won't be able to have an epidural.
So, we're really going to have to prepare ourselves for labor and delivery without any pain aids. I'm sure I can do it - but would LOVE to have the option of a bit of relief! :) As my Papa Bob used to say, we're "hanging in and hanging on!"
PS... Be sure to keep scrolling down to see last week's entry with pictures of the nursery & the announcement about our little girl's name! :)
After the massage appointment, we headed to meet Dad and Nana for lunch. As we were getting ready to order, I heard my cell phone ringing - but just missed the call. It was my OB, who left a voice mail asking me to call him as soon as possible to discuss last week's lab results. Before I could dial the phone number, he was on the phone with Michael. To make a long story short, he told me that my platelet count had dropped again. A little background... I've had my platelets checked 4 times now. "Normal" is anywhere between 150-400 (thousand). My readings were 129, then 102, and then back up to 150. The 150 reading was 2 weeks ago, so Dr. Goldman decided to repeat the labs last Thursday just as a precaution (though he was pleased with the level being 150). This last reading was not as good as any of the previous ones... I was landing at 67. He said that he wanted to do more lab work to try to determine what is going on, specifically looking to be sure it wasn't pre-eclampsia. Since it would take a couple of days for him to get results from any labs drawn in the office, he sent me directly to the hospital.
Keep in mind, now, that we were still in Spartanburg when we received this call. Luckily, we had planned on heading back this afternoon anyway, so everything was packed up. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and hit the road. After 3+ hours in the hospital, we learned that my platelets had gone up to "over 100" (though we don't know the exact reading). I was discharged with a large bucket to collect "samples" for 24 hours. Knowing how often I go to the bathroom these days, I'm not sure the bucket will be large enough! :) That's my "homework" for tomorrow - and then we'll bring it with us to Thursday's appointment. The doctor from my OB Practice on call at the hospital was great. She said that everything looked great with the baby, that I hadn't done anything wrong to make this happen - it's just one of those things for some women. Assuming everything comes back okay on the 24-hour collection, the diagnosis will be Gestational Thrombocytopenia. She said this basically means that my platelet levels will continue to fluctuate during these last few weeks of my pregnancy. The kicker with this is that whenever I come to the hospital to deliver, they'll check my levels - and if they are under 100, I won't be able to have an epidural.
So, we're really going to have to prepare ourselves for labor and delivery without any pain aids. I'm sure I can do it - but would LOVE to have the option of a bit of relief! :) As my Papa Bob used to say, we're "hanging in and hanging on!"
PS... Be sure to keep scrolling down to see last week's entry with pictures of the nursery & the announcement about our little girl's name! :)
Friday, July 3, 2009
1 Down, 9 To Go...
As of today (Friday, July 3), I'm 36 weeks, 3 days pregnant. I've started visiting with my OB on a weekly basis now. At yesterday's meeting, we found out that I'm 1 cm. dilated. I was fully expecting him to say, "Nope, nothing..." - so even 1 cm was exciting to me! I do realize that I could be 1 cm for several weeks, but at least it's a start!
We've been "nesting" a lot lately - the nursery is really starting to take shape. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what things look like:
Here are a few more pictures from the past several weeks:
We've been "nesting" a lot lately - the nursery is really starting to take shape. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what things look like:
Savannah Grace
We're very excited to welcome our little angel into the world! We'll keep you posted on when this finally happens!Here are a few more pictures from the past several weeks:
Some friends from Spartanburg Methodist College threw a Baby Shower for Michael & me. Above is a picture of several members of our family - Left to Right: Jennifer (my cousin), Sandi (my aunt), Nana Lou (Julie's grandmother), Julie, Michael, Daune, & Charlie (my mom & dad).
Mom, Julie, Nana
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