Two Days of Scares

For about a week and a half, Paul had been suffering from intermittent back pain that would sometimes radiate to his whole abdomen. At first, he believed it was probably just a pinched nerve due to moving furniture/books/etc. at home in preparation for Baby Z. However, the pain had gotten excruciating (and was accompanied by some other symptoms) so while he was visiting the hospital Monday morning before work, we decided he should go see our family doctor and get checked out. So Paul drove about 20 minutes from Mission Hospital to the doctor. When he arrived, the pain had gotten much worse and the doctor told him it was a kidney stone but that he needed to get checked out at the hospital and get some pain medication.

Being unable to properly communicate due to his cell phone not getting good reception in the brick building and being in too much pain to be able to talk much, little bits and pieces of information were relayed to me, but I couldn't quite figure out what exactly was going on. Finally, a text message that very briefly just said "ambulance". Of course, hormonal wife who can't leave the bed gets a text message that they're sending him by ambulance and knowing I can't be there, I got pretty upset. Trying to get the word out to people but not quite thinking in the rational zone, managed to worry some friends and family about what was going on (sorry, everyone)! So Paul arrived to the Mission Emergency Room (sheesh, he should have just walked downstairs and checked himself in) and not long after his brother, Andy, arrived and was finally able to make more sense of the situation and give me an appropriate update (whew)!

Paul was definitely experiencing a kidney stone -- his first, actually. The ER gave him an IV and got him some pain medication. After a CT scan, they determined the stone to be passable so they discharged him with several prescriptions to fill to aid in the pain management/passing of the stone process. Paul's dad came to pick him up since he wasn't able to drive and took him to their house to rest and stock up on fluids.

That same night, I got my first bleed since before I got checked in to Mission 4+ weeks ago. Since previa can go from a minor bleed to a big one in no time flat, the hospital started preparing me for the possibility of having to deliver by C-section immediately (and transferred me from the Maternal/Fetal staff to the Labor & Delivery staff which just added to the stress and seriousness of the situation). I called Paul at 2am and told him he needed to get to the hospital so his parents drove him over. The bleeding continued for several hours, but thankfully, did not get heavy and the hospital kept Baby Z and I on a monitor every second to make sure she wasn't in distress and I wasn't having contractions that would indicate labor. Thankfully the bleeding stopped on its own around 10:45am. The monitoring continued until 4pm today but they finally felt like I was stable enough to switch me from the Labor & Delivery staff back to Maternal Fetal staff. So the good news is that Baby Z and I are doing fine at the moment, but with previas, the bleeding can come and go, so we're definitely not out of the woods. Paul was able to spend the day with me and is still working to pass that kidney stone (but is not in as much pain as he was before, so that's good news).

I am really hoping that tomorrow is a no surprises kind of a day. We are so grateful for everyone who knew the situations and prayed us through them and helped out. I would really like it if Baby Z could make it to at least 33 weeks (when the biggest setback is usually lung development, but hoping she won't have as much trouble as most since we have had the steroid shots). So that's my goal! Please continue to pray that we make it that far. Thanks, everyone!!

Baby Z Has Her Own Bed

I'm not sure how much I have mentioned this, but Paul has been so amazing during the process of my hospitalization. He's had to get up extra early to come spend time with me before work, come out to visit some after work, keep up with my laundry, help make sure the bills are paid, grocery shop and take my car to get inspected just to name a few things. And to add to the list of the super amazing things he's been working on, here's a glimpse of the nursery:

Baby Z's room

While his mother and sister-in-law, Erica, helped out with some of the stenciling on the wall you see here (I managed to do the bunny before I was admitted so, yay, I contributed), Paul stenciled and painted most of the wall that the crib is leaning against and he put the crib together (and managed to figure out where all of the little stuff goes -- what *is* a bumper any way?) all by himself. I have to live vicariously through pictures to see what is going on at home but doesn't it look great? Well, if you don't like it, just keep it to yourself -- I'm excited!!

I am so thankful for all of the "slack" Paul has picked up and navigated since my admission nearly four weeks ago. Of course, he wouldn't be able to do it all without the help of our sweet friends and family who help him with meals, watching our dog, running some of my personal errands to give Paul reprieve, and giving gift cards so he can fill up on gas or get a bite to eat on the way to doing the next errand. (THANK YOU AGAIN to all of you who are helping us out!!)

We're getting there, slowly but surely! Next on the list is buying a changing table/dresser so we can start putting clothes in the drawers instead of having them stacked in piles all over the place. :) But we're making progress.

-Amber

Hello Third Trimester

We reached the third trimester officially on Thursday. I was allowed to celebrate by getting woken up bright (actually, the sun wasn't even up yet) and early at 6am for my gestational diabetes test. They told me the night before they would be doing it, so I didn't sleep well; I find it hard to sleep when they warn me they plan to stick needles in my arms. :(

But I woke up and they took an initial blood sample to have a a baseline reading. Then I had five minutes to drink an incredibly sugary orange drink (blech - I hate orange!). After I consumed the drink, I was given one hour before the next blood draw had to be made. An additional hour after that, they came back and drew more blood and then I was free and clear to eat breakfast -- thank goodness because I was starving.

Considering I hadn't had much sugar since I was admitted to the hospital, I was pretty concerned about the effects the sugary drink would have on my system. The few times I have splurged on a milkshake or a cherry coke, I have had dizziness and some nausea so I've learned to take it really easy on the sugar intake. Fortunately, I made it through the two-hour test without throwing up the drink or passing out, and despite some dizziness and mild nausea and heartburn throughout the day yesterday, I didn't have too many other troubles. I downed a lot of water to try to wash that stuff out of my system and I'm feeling much better today. Baby Z was really active yesterday (I presume due to the sugar drink) and was kicking and doing flips and all sorts of other fun stuff. My belly looked like something out of Alien. :)

The results came back that I DO NOT have gestational diabetes (THANK YOU, LORD) as that would have required they monitor my diet more closely and would have to prick my finger every day. Thankful to have dodged that bullet. This morning they woke me up to take more blood (this time to keep an updated file on me for the blood bank should I need it) and I have an IV change due tomorrow followed by a flu shot, but I think after that, I should get a reprieve from needles for at least a little while.

Here is a not very high quality picture of mom and Baby Z at 28w1d. Beyond grateful to have been able to carry her this far and that it seems like we should be able to continue carrying her (as we're both still stable - yippee). Thanks for continuing to pray for all of us.

28w1d

-Amber

Scans Reveal Same Ol'

Today was the big day to rescan everything and see if there were any changes. Everything is still looking good for the most part. My spleen hasn't shown any significant changes since the last scan (I think even positionally, it is similar, which is good because it means my uterus hasn't begun to squish it too much yet). Baby is still measuring small, but no one seems to be concerned - she has grown on par with what she is expected to since the last scan -- hallelujah! The previa is still there. At this point, I can't get a good answer about whether it's still a complete previa, or if my uterus has caused it to migrate some giving me a partial previa or a marginal previa. They said on one of the ultrasound pictures, it looked like it might not be covering my cervix completely (which would indicate it might be migrating) -- regardless, though, it's still a previa, so they plan to keep me at the hospital as long as the previa persists. I suspect they'll order another scan in a few weeks to check everything out again.

Despite being sentenced recommended for continued bed rest, we are VERY thankful that we are still stable and that Baby Z looks good! We're just two days away from the third trimester -- considering the scare we had when we got here three weeks ago thinking we might be in preterm labor, we are beyond grateful that we have made it this far.

Paul (with help from his parents and our sister-in-law, Erica) has completed the painting of the nursery so the plan is to order the crib this week and get that set up. I believe a baby shower is in the works for us on October 6th at the hospital -- they actually have a room specifically for that purpose - how cool is that?! And I've noticed a big growth in my belly in the past week - a shirt I wore about a week ago is much tighter than it was the week before.

Thanks for the continued prayers for all of us as we trust in God to get Baby Z here in His perfect timing and that He will protect my spleen from rupturing. We are thankful to all of you for your prayers and support.

Here are some pictures of Baby Z from today:

27w4d

Feet!!

--Amber

Tests Keep Pointing to Good News

Baby Z and I are still doing well but are still on bed rest for the time being. The staff at Mission Hospital has been great and plans have been made for pretty much every scenario that might come up over the next couple of months.

I have received the two rounds of steroid shots to help speed the development of Baby Z's lungs and I have received three vaccinations that will help build my immune system for when they take my spleen (Meningococcal, Pneumococcal, Haemophilus b). We had an ultrasound to check on the cyst on my spleen and while it appears to be in a bit of a different position than it was the last two times, it does not appear to be making any significant growths or changes so that is very very good news. The ultrasound we got when we first were admitted (on August 27th) showed that the placenta previa is still complete and that there are "spots" of blood that have formed between the uterus and the placenta (which is normal in pregnancy) - however, since my placenta is over my cervix, that blood has a place to leak, which might be the reason for the bleeding I had. It could also be a blood clot forming, though, but it was too early to tell at the last ultrasound whether it was a normal pool or if it is a blood clot.

I also had an MRI done because I've had a facial twitch since one of our first pregnancies (so several years now). They wanted to rule out that I had a cyst or growth in my brain as it would affect the choice of anesthesia they could use when we get ready to deliver. Thankfully, the MRI came back normal, so the twitch could just be Bells Palsy or Hemifacial Spasm.

We've been told that we'll revisit whether they want me to stay in the hospital or be released after the next ultrasound (which is scheduled for September 17th). They will look at the August 27th ultrasound and compare it to determine what's going on and then we can discuss whether I am to stay on bed rest in the hospital, at home, or if I can have some of my restrictions lifted. Baby Z will be 27 weeks along by then, so she'll be getting big enough to start squishing my organs up which is when we have to start really monitoring the cyst on my spleen, so even if the previa is looking stable, they may decide to keep us hospitalized until delivery just because of that. I am mentally preparing myself to be here for the long haul.

It still sounds like we're looking to have a C-section at 36 weeks at the latest (mid-November) as long as nothing goes wrong before that which would require her to come any earlier.

Fortunately, though, all of the monitoring we've done has been normal - Baby Z is very active and we're both doing fine!

If anyone is local to Asheville and wants to come by and visit, feel free! We are at Mission Hospital in the Maternal/Fetal wing in room C494. Paul is doing good - still visiting every day and is now in charge of the house, laundry, getting the nursery ready and still working full-time. Amber is still doing some work from the hospital - thank goodness for wifi and the ability to do a lot of that from afar.

Thank you all for praying for us and Baby Z. We are hoping to keep her "cooking" for as long as possible! We can't wait to meet this little miracle when she gets here.

-Amber

Bed Rest for Mom and Baby Z

When we found out in July that we had placenta previa, we were told that there were risks with it and if there was any bleeding, there was a possibility that the prescription would include bed rest. We were hoping for no complications, but at 24 weeks on the nose, Amber woke up with some bleeding and promptly went back to lay in bed until the Dr.'s office was open. Though there was quite a bit of blood at first, it had stopped on its own within an hour. Amber and Paul rushed off to the doctor as soon as they could, though, since bleeding with previa can be a sign of preterm labor (and preterm labor with previa can lead to death for mom and baby if ignored).

The Dr. looked Amber over and confirmed that her body did not appear to be going into preterm labor (praise the Lord!!) and checked on baby and said she had a very strong heartbeat and good movement for only being 24 weeks along. Amber was sent home and advised to stay in the bed the rest of the day to be sure there was no more bleeding and no sign of contractions (and to make sure Baby Z continued to move well). At the end of the day, there were no other issues.

Friday morning, Amber was out and about again running errands, working some, grocery shopping, etc. Everything was fine most of the day but then at 6:15 another gush of blood hit. It wasn't a lot and it quickly stopped again, but it was still scary. After another gush Saturday morning, Amber laid in the bed most of the day Saturday just in case. Most of the day was uneventful and then another gush around 8:30pm. Thankfully Sunday was bleed free, but out of concern, Paul recommended Amber call the Dr. first thing on Monday morning to at least make them aware of the additional bleeding episodes.

Amber called and let them know that there was some more spotting over the weekend, but it seemed to have stopped. However, the Dr. said she would strongly advise Amber go to the hospital to get checked over. Thinking little of it, Amber went straight to the hospital where they checked her out again and said it did not appear that preterm labor was occurring, but that previas can go from nothing to major in the snap of a finger. Since there were multiple bleeds, the hospital decided it was best to admit Amber and keep her on bed rest.

So it's been nearly a week of bed rest at the hospital now. There has been a slew of medical professionals consulting about Baby Z, about the previa, about the splenic cyst, about the parasite, etc. It's been a bit overwhelming, but we've gotten A LOT of good news through the process such as:

Baby Z is very active for her gestation age and heartbeat is very strong -- we have heard that over and over from multiple people. We also got some great looks at her on the ultrasound - her hand completely open "waving" at us (which rules out a lot of genetic disorders since many babies with genetic problems will have their hands clasped constantly). We got a great view of her mouth and got to watch her swallow (and cleft palate was ruled out which also helps rule out some genetic disorders where cleft pallet is a common condition). We counted all of her fingers and toes again. She looks great (but is measuring small for her gestation - something we've been told not to worry about for now -- it could just be genetics playing into that).

Every test we've had done on Amber has shown that her body is not preparing for labor which is the biggest concern with previas. However, since the staff has to plan for an emergency situation, all of them have been making plans for what happens if the splenic cyst were to burst, what happens if Amber were to hemorrhage and they couldn't stop labor, what happens if Baby Z appears in distress, etc. etc. Thankfully, being in the hospital has led to a lot of discussion on how to treat the parasite, cyst, baby and Amber so we feel like we're in great hands. The surgeons have all decided that it would be safest for Amber to try to do the C-section first and once mom and baby are good, they will deal with removing the spleen later. It may be only days later, but it sounds like the C-section/spleen removal combo surgery is now off the table except in an emergency.

In addition, Amber has received two steroid shots already which will help speed up Baby Z's lung development so if she has to come early, she has a much better chance for survival. Amber got three vaccinations so her body can start to build up immunity to certain diseases which are very serious for people who do not have spleens, so Amber will have a better chance of not contracting those diseases when the spleen is taken. Amber also started taking the medication to kill the parasite so hopefully by the time Baby Z gets here and the spleen is removed, the parasite will be gone and it will just be time for recovery and getting back to normal (or the new normal, rather).

For now, the hospital is being overly cautious due to all of the scenarios going on and are keeping Amber hospitalized on bed rest for what sounds like a couple of weeks at least. After another ultrasound in a couple of weeks to check on the previa and to see if Amber has any more bleeding episodes, a decision will be made about whether Amber goes on full bed rest at home, if she stays in the hospital (possibly until delivery), or if the previa has moved, if she can have some of the restrictions lifted.

It's been a whirlwind and bed rest is something we were hoping wouldn't happen, but having someone bring you food all day and let you listen to your baby's heart beat several times a day isn't the worst thing in the world. So we're just going with the flow and making sure Baby Z is as safe as possible. If that means sitting on a bed for another 2-3 months, so be it (but we've still got our fingers crossed that the previa will resolve before then).

So that's the latest update! Amber and Baby Z are doing fine despite the hospital hiccup. Paul is being wonderful coming to visit Amber and make sure the house is taken care of and the nursery getting set up. We are so excited to meet Baby Z -- what a story we have to tell her about getting her here! She's already such a little miracle.

Thanks for praying for us that she is able to stay in the womb for as long as possible and none of the complications will require her to get here too early.

This is Baby Z waving at us as we are getting checked out and checked in to the hospital. Hi everyone! :)

Baby Registry

Hi friends and family,

Several of you have been asking about a baby registry so if you're interested in contributing, we have one set up on Amazon.com that will ship straight to us!

If you want to buy something on your own and mail it to us, please mail it to the following address (as sometimes UPS delivers things while we're at work and in the past, packages have gone missing). It will arrive to me at work! :)

Amber Zoller
35 Clayton Rd
Arden, NC 28704

If you want to check out the registry, it can be found at the following URLs:

Baby Z's Amazon Registry

Baby Z's Target Registry

We also live really close to a Walmart and a Target, so gift cards are very useful.

Thanks so much!!