New blog

Now that I'm just about 6 weeks postpartum, I've decided that it's time to try and lose weight. So I decided to start a new weight loss blog. It will be a place for me to express my thoughts, frustrations, and triumphs with my weight loss efforts. It is going to be a private blog, so if you want an invite, let me know and I will decide if I want to invite you;) Note: I will need your email address if I don't already have it.

Update and Tummy Time

Well, we are still playing the waiting game. ENT found a few small things, but nothing significant. They decided to give Carson some more time and then try to extubate again. Well....he failed extubation again (for the 3rd time). He had a CT scan and they found what may be causing the problem. I won't go into too much detail, but basically his bronchial tubes are collapsing and being compressed, so not enough air is getting through to his lungs. The doctor's are still reviewing his case and trying to decide what to do next.

Carson is now getting some tummy time each day. He's a strong little guy.


We are now able to hold Carson. It's hard to move him with the breathing tube and everything else, but they finally decided that it's been long enough and he needs to be held more often.


Just for grins and giggles, here's a cute pic of Melina I just had to share.

7 years

Yesterday was our 7th anniversary. We weren't able to do a whole lot to celebrate, but we at least went out to dinner. Thanks for a wonderful 7 years, Russ! I love you!

Here is the most recent pic of us together (other than hospital pics). It was taken the day before Carson was born. Yes, I know...I was HUGE!

The waiting game...Carson update

Carson is quite the fighter. Unfortunately, he is still struggling to breath though. He came off the breathing tube and was put back on the CPAP on Saturday. But he had to be intubated again today. He was just breathing too hard and fast. I was told that an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist was going to take a look at him because they think there is a problem with his air way. Hopefully they will figure out the problem soon. We are very anxious to get our little guy home. Here are a few pics we took yesterday (he is on the CPAP).

"I want to pump!"

As many of you know, I've been pumping so that Carson can get some breast milk. Well, Melina thinks it is pretty cool that I can "make" milk. When she first saw me pump, I told her it was milk for Carson and she exclaimed "You make milk from your nipples!?!" And then the other day she said that she wanted to pump and this is what she did with no prompting from me.

Spoke too soon

Just a quick update: We received a call at 2:30 this morning (never a good sign when the phone rings in the middle of the night) and were informed that Carson had to go back on the ventilator. Just when we think he is doing better, he experiences a little set back. As I said in my previous post....up and down, up and down. He basically just tuckered out. The plan for now is to just let him rest and get some nutrition and hopefully gain some weight. Hopefully he will be doing well enough to start weaning him off of the ventilator again some time next week. Anyway, I will try and be better about posting updates more frequently.

Emotional Roller Coaster

Up and down, up and down. The last 3 weeks have been quite the emotional roller coaster. Carson is still at Primary Children's Medical Center. It turns out that he has 3 major heart defects...Transposition of the Great Arteries, VSD's, and Coarctation. He has also had some problems with his lungs (tightness and fluid retention). He was bumped for surgery a couple of times due to various reasons, but was finally able to have the first of 2 surgeries on Saturday, Feb. 28. The Coartation is now fixed and he also received a band on his pulmonary artery to help restrict blood flow to the lungs. When he is a little bigger and starts to outgrow the PA band, he will have the second surgery to fix the TGA and VSD's.

He is now off of the ventilator, but is on a CPAP that provides some positive air pressure to help him breath. He is quite feisty and has a big temper. He gets really mad whenever someone bugs him. Although part of that is because he is withdrawing from some medication that he was on for 2 weeks. He is now on methadone to help with that. The problem with him getting mad is that it raises his heart rate and blood pressure and he breaths too fast. He may have to go back on the ventilator if that keeps happening. He is doing better--the last 2 days have been good days. We're hoping that he keeps it up. We really want to get him home, but at this point we just have to be patient.

It's been hard on all of us. Russ went back to work last week, so he makes his visits after work. I have been trying to make daily visits. It has been hard though because it pretty much takes all day once you add in driving time and dropping off and picking up Melina. Melina is holding up pretty well. It definitely has an impact on her though. I think she does well when she is at the baby sitter's, but she has been more clingy and ornery with us.

As I said before, the last 3 weeks have been difficult, but there is much to be grateful for. We are very grateful for the medical technology we have today. We are very grateful for wonderful doctors and nurses that have been caring for our beautiful son. We are very grateful for good insurance. And last but certainly not least, we are very grateful for a wonderful, supportive family who has helped/and continues to help us through this trying time.

Thanks to all for the prayers, they have been greatly appreciated. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, as I truly think they have been helping.

Here is a slide show of some pictures taken in the last 3 weeks, including pics of Melina's visit to the hospital and pics of Melina at the park. Note: Carson is quite puffy in a lot of the pics and yes, he was jaundiced.