Thursday, December 30, 2010

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Got Pictures?



Well, apparently we are being "stingy" (love you Aunt Terrie) with photos of our lil man. So as requested, here are a few more pictures for those who just gotta have more =)
  



I love this recliner, just need a good movie now.
 

Umm... don't do that again, I'm freezing!
   
 
One of my many beds, but this is my favorite.
  
 
Roar... I'm a dinosaur!
 
 
 
zzzzzzzzzzz



zzzzzzz, I promise this isn't what I do all day =)

Second favorite bed of all time, yes all 10 days of my life!

Me and Dad hanging out!

Least favorite bed, for some reason it's not as warm and I can't hear
that thud, thud, thud, next to me ear.

Oh my gosh Dad Sherlock Holmes is so cool!

Bear Hugs for Daddy!

 Umm, that's not a baby... WHISKEY GET OUT OF THERE!

There you have it folks, that's just a quick glance at our lives as of late. We're having a blast!
 

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The first 48 hours...

Through the eyes of Tyler...

What day is it??? Where am I??? Have I slept any yet???

Yes, those three questionS sum up my last 48 hours. Without a doubt, I now have an absolute grasp on the "exhaustion" that everyone warned me about. I'm pretty sure someone stole my entire life and I think I know who it is...WYATT!

First, my usual promptness and timeliness is severely being strained, I seriously didn't know what day it was when I woke up this morning. Luckily for me, I have a natural ability to stay organized in the most choatic environments, which has saved my sanity with regards to the old "tick tock".

Second, what has happened to my house??? I mean seriously, is this my home or someone else's? Oh ya, it's Wyatt's house now, complete with bottles everywhere, pack n play cribs, rocking chairs, and dirty baby clothes piling up quickly. This doesn't resemble my usual military clean and organized home that I am so used to having. So far, I have made a valiant attempt at keeping it somewhat presentable for the occasional visitor, but I don't know how much longer I can hang in there. In short, I sold my house to my infant in exchange for an endless love supply.

Third, sleep? sleep! SLEEP!?! I've been sleep deprived before, Marine Corps Boot Camp, combat, and a handful of late night excursions with the boys. None of which compare to the last 48 hours. At least in my previous experiences, I knew I was going to be up for a long time and was prepared for it. In this case, there isn't any preparing for when "he" wants to be awake. He'll be asleep for two hours then awake for 30 minutes or the opposite; awake for two hours and asleep for 30 minutes, all at random. I think he's just enjoying pestering me right at the moment I fall asleep. I'll get ya back boy, one day you're gonna want some wheels to cruise in, lol.

All joking aside, I'm loving every minute of my life right now and I'm so thankful God has blessed me so abundantly with such an awesome son and wife.

Through the eyes of Jenna...

Well, I now know what the cliche statements, "Your life is about to completely change" and "Things will never be the same again" really mean! And there is no way to really truly prepare for it until you just experience it.

I am so, so glad Wyatt's NICU stay is behind us. Those 7 days were without a doubt the hardest days I've been through (physically and emotionally). It is so wonderful being at home.. just the 3 of us, finally a family =)

I do wish I knew the NICU'S secret as far as keeping newborns on a schedule! It was so crazy seeing his diaper changing, feeding, and sleeping stay on such a regimented schedule! That is not the case anymore. Part of it has to do with the fact that I was really trying to breastfeed him as much as possible because I had planned on nursing exclusively, but of course he was put on bottles/formula in the hospital. I have just not been able to keep his tummy full like the formula does.. i.e. After nursing, he's content for anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour MAX. Then we are doing it all over again, and I still have to end up giving him a bottle =/ (Every single nurse in the hospital could NOT believe how much and how vigourously he eats! That was the first thing we heard every morning when we went in to visit him. How did we create such a PIG?) =) Anyways, every feeding includes nursing AND a bottle (2 actually) and then he is good for about 3 hours. Funny how he was at risk for developing "feeding aversion" due to his type of intestine issue! haha That's just one of many answered prayers...

The one thing I have absolutely enjoyed the most is watching Tyler be a Daddy. We all know he knew not a single thing about babies! .... but you would NEVER be able to tell. When they say something "just comes naturally", that could not be more true of him. I haven't had to "teach" him hardly anything. Maybe it was that "New Daddy" class he went to at the hospital ;) It just makes my heart melt watching the 2 of them *sigh*

Our lives have definitely done a complete 180. Gone are our spontaneous outings, full nights of sleep, mini vacations, clean house, .. the list goes on. But we've had all those things for 6.5 wonderful years, and now I am so happy about this new beginning in our lives!

Through the eyes of Wyatt...

Man, this joint is nice! I've got these two people who are tending to my every need. I mean all I have to do is wimper and let out a cry and here they come running. I don't even have to use the bathroom, I just let it rip right here in my pants and... POOF there they are changing my underwear. Oh ya, and my sleeping arrangements are five star!!! I have two cribs, one queen size bed, and two sets of arms to sleep in when ever I want. Time, whats that? Night, day, sleeping routine... what are you talking about? I do whatever I want... whenever I want. Speaking of, I'm feeling a poop come on (fart noise) ahh that's better. Oh and look who it is, that guy whose always changing my underwear, GET TO WORK DAD!!!!


Hanging out in our T's

Check out my dinosaur boppy, cool huh?

So proud of our NICU Graduate!!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Home Sweet Home

Well, somehow I have become Jenna's puppet for her blog, haha I don't mind though.

Hmmm, what's new today... i'm thinking, i'm thinking, oh ya...WYATT CAME HOME TODAY!!!!!!!

That's right people, God answered all of our prayers as the doctors gave him a good bill of health and discharged him this afternoon at 4:00pm. We could not be happier and neither could Wyatt, somehow I get the feeling that he thinks he broke out of that place like it was a prison or something.

As for this brand new dad, I got my first taste of diaper changes, hungry cries, and just plain old "hold me right now dad" fusses. I like the demand though, it keeps me on edge (it's only day one though =/). At least I had the house as prepared as I could get it, thanks to all the generous family gifts from showers and other hook ups. This has helped me tremendously with my stress levels because I don't have to worry about frantically buying baby furniture or stocking daipers and bottles, these things have been setup for months. So a special thanks goes out to all our family and friends that gave us baby gifts.

The new mommy... dead dog tired (you Texan's can appreciate that saying, lol). Tired because she has been pumping breast milk around the clock, recovering from birthing, and traveling back and forth to the hospital. She is doing great though, getting used to the demanding schedule, her wounds are healing very quickly and she is an absolute natural at breast feeding (or would that make him the natural?), Oh yea and of course she can hear his wimper from clear across the house. That's a little scary if you ask me, I couldn't hear that far even with a hearing aid, haha.

Here are a few photos from our homecoming today, I hope you enjoy these photos and celebrate with us what a wonderful time this is in our lives.


Just a quick "on the go" snack before hitting the road.
Man is this bottle good, mmm mmm!


Oh ya, check out these all terrain wheels and all the cargo space, jealous aren't you?


This seat is comfy!!!

We are so grateful that Wyatt has finally come home, but more importantly we can not thank God enough for blessing us with a wonderfull son and a tremendous base of friends and family that came to our aid in support and prayers during this time in our lives. So we thank You God for everything you have blessed us with, especially our son, his recovery, and his wonderful health, amen.

To our supporters and prayer warriors, thank you thank you thank you. Please also keep Wyatt in your prayers as he still needs all the support we can muster for him as he continues to grow and as we raise him to be the best Christian we know how.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!



Howdy Folks, it's Tyler signing on for todays update.

Jenna and I hung out with Wyatt today from 12:00pm to 4:00pm and had an awesome visit. Only a few things to update our army of supporters, so to save time here they are in bullet style.

* Jaundice levels finally dropped this morning, he will not need photo therapy after all!
* No more heart rate dips (Brady readings).
* Breast feeding went even better today, I think he prefers those over bottles. (Thats my boy!)
* Car seat evaluation will be done tonight, we'll call the nurse later tonight to make sure he did good.
*Hearing tests are scheduled for tomorrow morning.

I think I'm forgetting something... oh well must not have been that important. For now, here are some pictures from today's visit, including our first Family Christmas Photo.

I love helping Santa Clause!

Look at my cute little feet!

Merry Christmas from the Dahl Family!

Thanks Great Aunt Debbie for my first Christmas blanket!

Oh ya, now I remember that last bullet point;
* Pending another good night with no problems, Wyatt will be discharged TOMORRROW!!!



Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve Visit

Merry Christmas Eve! We had a long day at the NICU. My parents (and little brother) came back down from Georgia again today. They stopped by the house and came up to the hospital. Here is Wyatt with Grandma and Grandpa C :

They are all dressed up for Christmas Eve church service. They brought W a present for his crib:
And also read him the Christmas Story =) They left and went to church and we met back up at the house this evening. When we got home, they had TONS of food ready for us! My family always has chili and oyster soup on Christmas Eve night, so we had that with sausage and crackers, chips and salsa, veggies and dip, breads, and all sorts of Christmas goodies! Thank you so much Mom and Dad!

Wyatt had another GREAT day! I apologize my posts aren't near as funny or entertaining as Tyler's was yesterday, but I'm just going to post some updates bullet style.
* His move to Side B went well and he is all settled in.
* He has no IV's
* They no longer have to weigh his diapers
* He is to be at 70-75 mls per feeding.... he always eats that amount if not more! He ate 90 mls at one feeding =) We are SOO very thankful he is not refusing to eat like they warned us. He loves to eat =)
* His jaundice level today was 14.6 If it goes over 15, he will have to do the phototherapy (when they lay under the bright lights) They are taking his level again tomorrow.. we are praying it stays under 15.
*This morning he had a slight dip in his heart rate, 78bpm, anything under 80 is considered a "Brady" reading and can be of concern if they continue. His doctors and nurses are not concerned because they think it was just an isolated incident caused from a deep sleep. When it happened he showed no other signs of problems that are typically associated with Brady readings.
*I breast fed W for the first time today! First attempt was rough, second feeding went much better! We'll get the hang of it.

Most exciting news.... They ordered a hearing test and car seat evaluation for him!! These are some of the final steps taken before being evaluated for discharge. As long as his jaundice levels stay low and he doesn't have anymore Brady readings he will be one step closer for his final evaluation by his doctors.

Please continue to pray for our little man, and thanks bunches and bunches for all the prayers and support you have already shown. Good Night and Merry Christmas!






P.S. This post was a combination of both Jenna and Tyler =) Things are still a little crazy around here, but at least we have each other to lean on!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Hey everyone, this is Tyler publishing tonights update! First I want to thank everyone for all the prayers and support that you have shown us during the last week, thank you thank you thank you.

Ok, on with the update...

So, Jenna and I have settled into a decent routine now where we get to hang out with Wyatt from 1:30pm to 6:00pm. During today's visit we received a bunch of great news from Wyatt's nurse.

First and most importantly, he is sucking down his bottles like no bodies business! This is really good news because it means he isn't showing any signs of developing a feeding aversion (this is my assumption, not something the nurse told me). This assumption is because they have been increasing the volume of intake by 5ml each feeding. By 0200 tonight he will be up to 60ml and that is the volume he needs to be eating before they will remove his IV. So lets hope and pray he keeps sucking them bottles down like Budweiser's.

Second and equally important, later this evening Wyatt will be downgrading his residence, this is a really good thing, let me explain. The Wolfson's NICU is separated into two sides. Side A, has all new transfers and holds the babies that need intensive care around the clock. Side B, is called the "feeders and growers" side where newborns are just being monitored while they tie up all the loose ends in preparation for going home. So, Wyatt is downgrading from Side A to Side B TONIGHT!!!!
(Just to fend off the question that you're thinking, no we don't have a discharge date, but we are moving in the right direction.)

Other random updates are...
This morning he had his last dose of antibiotics.
He put on his first T-shirt and is now allowed to wear clothes for warmth instead of a warming lamp.
He is also getting a new bed, out of the high tech warming bed to a generic crib on wheels (i'll be putting a lift kit and off road tires on it for a Christmas present, lol).
Jenna's milk is in!

Now on to what you're really here for, photos and videos of the man of the hour...Wyatt!!!


Ohh ya I'm a ladies man.


Hi everyone, I can't wait to meet all of you!


Hey everyone look at my mommy, she's the prettiest woman I've ever seen.


Don't mind the stuff caked on my face, I just had the most delicious bottle ever!

What in the world is happening to me?
They're called hiccups son.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Live and up close!

Here he is getting checked out by the Nurse...



8:00 Feeding And A Picture

W's feeding schedule is:

8:00
11:00
2:00
5:00

Around the clock =)

We just called to speak with his night-time nurse. She fed him his 8:00 feeding which included all the colostrum we had frozen and then the rest supplemented with formula. She said he drank the whole bottle perfectly fine =) SO happy!

I also wanted to share a picture of his belly button. His day-time nurse said they don't usually have a belly button, but the surgeon he had likes to try and make it look like he still has one, hehe.


I don't plan on posting many more updates on Facebook, since they are going to be more detailed like the last 2 blog posts. (I don't think the majority of people on there care for this much information, haha) And only close friends and family know about the blog... so check here regularly!

Feeding Update

I wish my next blog (after the last one being a 39.5 week pregnancy update) was Wyatt's birth announcement! But life doesn't always go as planned so unforunately, this post is going to be an update on his progress in the NICU. I will have to back track later on with the labor and delivery story =)

We did spend time with Wyatt yesterday after I was discharged, but I feel like most of the updating has really just begun today. So here we go....

After the surgery, he needed to have 3 poopy diapers before they could take the NG tube out (the one that goes to his stomach). He had his 3 poopies (actually 4), so they took out his NG tube this morning!! He was then able to start feeding with a bottle. We happened to go up to visit him today shortly before his first ever bottle! We got there at 12:45 and his first feed was at 2:00. The bottle had 1 ounce of Infilite (like Pedialite for infants). The requirement is for him to drink the bottle within 30 minutes.
*sidenote - babies with this type of complication/procedure OFTEN form food aversions and have a VERY difficult time with feedings. They want feedings to be an enjoyable time so they learn to want to eat, not something that has to be forced upon them. So they take it very slow in the beginning and make sure he is not fighting it. Therefore, if he does not finish the ounce within 30 minutes, the rest of it is fed to him back through the NG tube. Also if he is choking, or just spitting it all up, the tube goes back in*
Well, the first feeding (split up between the nurse and me)... he finished in 5 minutes!! No choking, no spitting up, and he even burped for us =) YAY baby boy! We were so happy.

Tyler did the 2nd feeding of Infilite. He fed really well for his daddy. Finished it in 10 minutes with no choking. Burped again too. However, about 10 minutes later when I was holding him, he did spit up. We called a nurse (not his) over and I handed her the burp cloth that I caught it in and she said, "Oh, that wasn't to bad." Me and Tyler were both really worried all of a sudden though. But then his nurse came back and reassured us it was no biggie. So then we felt better. =)

From now on, he gets to have breast milk via bottle! Same things apply.. he has 30 minutes to drink the designated amount otherwise he has to get fed through the tube. I did have colostrum that I pumped from the first 48 hours. However, my milk hasn't come in yet and I am not getting anything else to give to them right now so after he eats the "liquid gold" =), they will start supplementing with formula. Unfortunately, we will not be there tonight for his feeding when he starts with what we had frozen for him. We will call later and see how he ate it.

I know I have some awesome prayer warriors out there asking what they can pray for and am so glad we have very specific requests now:
1) Most important, that Wyatt does not get the food/feeding aversion that is SO common in babies with his specific complication.
2) He eats his bottles within the 30 minutes and is not choking or fighting the feed so that the NG tube does NOT have to go back in.
3) His wet/dirty diapers will be what they are looking for (they have to weigh all his dirty diapers)
4) His weight gain stays on track.
5) He is starting to develop jaundice... just pray it doesn't get to bad.
6) That my milk comes in! (Yes, I am continuing to pump around the clock, drinking lots of water, eating fruits and veggies, ect.)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

39.5 weeks



The picture on the left was taken the day after we found out I was pregnant.. I was only 5 weeks. I thought it would be fun to put on the same clothes and take another picture now at 39.5 weeks pregnant! (The shirt does NOT go over my belly) ;)
My last appointment was 6 days ago and the Dr. was able to feel his head (said he has definitely dropped)and tell that I had begun thinning out, but no dilation. I have another appointment tomorrow. My actual due date is Sunday, the 19th so I'm anxious to see what the plan will be starting Monday if I am still preggo =)
I have really been surprised at the lack of back pain I've had the entire time. It seems that is one of the main things you read about. And other than the brief run of sciatica (mid-pregnancy) my back has not bothered me one bit.......... until now! haha The lower back pain just kicked in in the last 24 hours, I've got the waddle going and everything. Combine that with the (often times) excruciating pressure on my bladder and... man, I can't wait to feel "normal" again. lol
I think it's funny that so many people told me I would never make it to my due date because I'm "so tiny" and I'll for sure "pop early" hehe Apparently, Wyatt thinks it is pretty darn cool being carried around by his mama =)
While we are SO excited to see his little face, I really have absolutely loved being pregnant and will SO miss this belly of mine. It has been such a blessing to be able to experience this miracle and to think.. the best is still yet to come!!
Praying he is here and home by Christmas!!!



And a couple more bare belly pics... disregard the wacky pj's.



Tuesday, November 30, 2010

37 Weeks

I know this isn't a usual belly picture, but it will suffice :) We were working on the Christmas tree.. our itty bitty fake tree. We decided not to get to carried away this year, seeing as who knows when it will all get taken down. ha

How far along? 37 weeks


Size of baby? Over 19 inches and just over 6 pounds.. I have no idea how he is fitting in there ;)
Total weight Gain/Loss? Up 27 pounds

Maternity Clothes? For the most part, but I am still able to wear a couple things that are not maternity.

Gender? It's a Boy!

Movement? He hasn't slowed down at all! And at this point, when he moves you can see every last little kick. Loving seeing all his feet, knees, elbows, ect. poking out =)
Sleep? Some nights are good, some nights are bad. VERY hard to turn over, getting comfortable is not easy.
Symptomns? Nasal Congestion (yes, still), some days I have the round ligament pain on the right side, I have to pee about every half hour, I am SO thirsty all day long (I've never drank so much water), and let's not forget to mention the forgetfulness.. "preggo brain" is no joke! (pretty much the same as my 33 week update... but I will add that my shins hurt when I get home from work. And my appetite has been pretty big the last few days.. I think he's putting on his last bit of fat before making his appearance =) )

Belly Button? Perfectly flat
What I am looking forward to? Meeting Wyatt!!!

At last week's appointment, Dr. said he is a "take home baby" at this point! We are ready for him anyday now. But well aware that he might not be going anywhere for a couple weeks yet still. Next appointment is Thursday, so hoping I will have something to report!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Just an update...

I realized I never posted pictures from the baby shower some of my co-workers threw for me at Olive Garden! There were about 9 or 10 of us and it was a really sweet shower... complete with a diaper cake and the most adorable Teddy Bear cake (made out of cupcakes).


                                      A couple people had to leave before we got a group shot.

I can't believe we are down to just a few more weeks before Wyatt will be here!! We are "ready"! The nursery is complete, newborn clothes/towels/washcloths/burpcloths, ect are washed, car seat is installed (funny story about that coming soon!), stroller is ready, pack n play is ready, his hospital bag is packed, and my bag is kind of packed! I'll just need to throw in toiletries and a few other things at the last minute.
I am glad we both like to be ahead on things! Now we are just going to relax, take our time decorating for Christmas, and enjoy our last few weeks together as a couple :)
I need to do one final pregnancy update with a belly picture and post the nursery pictures... that are finally uploaded onto the computer!

Wishing Tyler's sister, Ashly, a very Happy Birthday TODAY too!!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Monday, November 1, 2010

Happy Halloween!

I meant to post this yesterday, but better late than never!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

33 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks


Size of baby? 17 inches long and just over 4 pounds.. hard to believe!
Total weight Gain/Loss? 24 pounds
Maternity Clothes? For the most part, but I am still able to wear a couple things that are not maternity.
Gender? It's a Boy!

Movement? Movement is starting to feel a little differently.. I can tell he is getting a little cramped in there =)
Sleep? It is starting to get a little more difficult to get comfortable. When I am sleeping, I sleep really good. But it is starting to get harder to fall back to sleep after waking up for a trip to the bathroom.
Symptomns? Nasal Congestion (yes, still), some days I have the round ligament pain on the right side, some days the sciatic nerve pain makes an appearance, I have to pee about every hour, I am SO thirsty all day long (I've never drank so much water), and let's not forget to mention the forgetfulness.. "preggo brain" is no joke! (Let's just say I had 2 more symptomns to type and cannot remember them for the life of me right now) lol
Belly Button? I don't think it will ever pop out.. it's just flat.

What I am looking forward to? Having the nursery completely finished.. we are soooo close. And we are painting my belly a big pumpkin today =) HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Long Distance Family and Friends Baby Shower

My parents threw baby shower #2 for us yesterday here in Florida at our house. Unfortunately, my extended family is spread throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Kansas. And most of my close friends are out of state as well. My mom did an awesome job of getting us "showered" anyway though! We got many gifts sent to us in the mail and besides my immediate family, I had my best friend, Casey, her daughter, Jayla, and mom, Karin, come.. and also a very close friend that I met in North Carolina, Tiffany, drove down for the day. It was a small, but special, baby shower.
The theme was "Let's Feather Their Nest" =) So there was lots of feathers, birds, and nests!
I have a funny story about the cake... On Friday, my mom texted me and said, "I just picked up the cake and it made me laugh." I said, "oh no! A good laugh or a bad laugh?" and she said, "It's just not what I was expecting, it is unique." haha Here it is...
She was not expecting an actual "3D" bird in a nest! haha But everyone thought it was really cute. I think it's adorable. And it was definitely delicious :) (You can also see the invitation in those pictures)
My mom also made this T-Shirt for Tyler to wear....
It says "Wyatt's Daddy" Is that not so stinkin' cute? He sported it very proudly! I told him now he has a shirt to wear during labor and delivery too :)
And now just a few pictures
                                                               Chocolate fondue table!
My parents bought us the stroller/car seat combo and also the Pack N Play... we now have all the "big" baby items we needed!! I don't have any pictures of us opening gifts as they were all taken on my parent's camera. Maybe I'll post a few more pictures once I get those.
A BIG Thank You to my parents for being such a blessing to us and throwing such a wonderful shower! And all my family and friends that sent or came with gifts! My grandparents in Minnesota also called during the shower which I thought was so thoughtful. Wyatt is already so loved and we cannot wait for him to become part of this family!

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About Me

Hi, I'm Jenna! Wife of 9 years to my high school sweetheart, Tyler, and stay-at-home mama to our 3 year old, Wyatt, and 1 year old foster daughter. I blog about our extra-ordinary days to keep family updated and because I enjoy journaling and documenting the things that bring me joy... faith, family, and friends!

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