A picture post

I feel like I can't keep up with blogging since Harper got here and she isn't even home yet! I am going to make today a picture post because she is changing daily. Michael and I are truly blessed to have such a healthy growing baby. She has captured the hearts of all of her nurses, I'm sure if we ever need a night off one of them will babysit...RIGHT?!

Her First Bow

Her PICC Line is OUT!

Daddy's first time to hold her "like a baby" as we call it

Humidity was turned off at 32 Weeks and she is now in clothes!

Seriously, she loves her Daddy. She just stares at him :)

One of MANY hats

Sweet Dreams

My precious, feisty, beautiful bundle of joy!

Her first bath, given by Mom and Dad (well Mom, Dad took pictures)

I say it often, but we are BEYOND blessed by the people that have reached out to us. Just to know that complete strangers are praying for us warms my heart and I want them to know we are praying for them and their families.

Thank you to our own families, our friends and co-workers for your constant prayer, support and unconditional love for our little miracle. She has no idea the amount of people that she has praying for her, but don't worry we will make sure she knows!

Love,

3 Weeks Old!

Harper is 3 weeks old today and is doing fantastic!!

Just wanted to give you a rundown of what we have been through the last 3 weeks.

Week 1:

When she was born she was on the ventilator, she cried out 3 times when she was born but just needed some help breathing. I called in the middle of the night after she was born to check on her and her nurse told me she had just taken her off the vent and she was on C-Pap and breathing 21% (we breath 20%). Her doctor was blown away that she was off the vent so fast.

I saw her for the first time on Wednesday night and that was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Looking at her with all these wires and tubes and really seeing how tiny she was took a toll on my emotions. I knew she was in the right place and they were providing the best care for her possible! But our little girl is a fight and was only on the C-Pap for a day!!

After the C-Pap, Little Miss was on the Nasal Cannual only needing 5% oxygen! Again, she was amazing her doctors and they took her off the Nasal Cannual at her 1 week birthday! They also turned off the Phototherapy light because her Jaundice had been cleared. We were finally getting to see her beautiful eyes!

We got to hold her for the first time just a few days after she was born. We had to wait for her arterial line to be removed before we do what they call Kangaroo time. Kangaroo time is where she is skin to skin with us and we wrap her in warm blankets to keep her body temp up but she also gets that one on one connection and time with us. This is our favorite time of the day! We love snuggling with her!!

Week 2:

Harper had her feedings increased almost every day during week two! We had a few days where she wasn't pooping but she made up for that right before her 2 week birthday! She had a BLOW OUT diaper every single diaper change!! Michael and I were beyond excited about that but also felt bad for the nurse! :) Who knew that our lives would revolve around praying for poop! The day before her 2 week birthday they took her PICC line out. She was getting all of her nutrients from my milk and wasn't in need of the IV fluids so they stopped that and removed her PICC line. During this week she also gained the majority of her weight!

Week 3:

I called to check on her this morning and Dr. Anderson came in to check on her and he upped her feeding to 29 mL (30 mL is 1 ounce!!). Our baby girl is weighing in at 3 pounds and blowing the minds of her Doctor and Nurses. She has done nothing but improve every day and we are so proud of her!! I can't believe she is almost a month old!

Hopefully we will get to start trying to nurse and bottle feed this week! Stay tuned to how that turns out! :)

We still want to thank everyone for their continued prayers and support!

Harper's Story

Our Precious Baby Girl Harper Jane was born into this world on Tuesday May 17, 2011. Here is her story (as told by her dad)...

As most of you knew Heather was put on bed rest last thursday (May 12) because of her high blood pressure. Monday (May 16) we went back to the Dr. to have her blood pressure checked again and the best we got was 162/112 (that was the best out of three) and she was leaking 4+ protein in her urine (which is a big indicator of preeclampsia). Her doctor told us she wanted us to go to the Hospital to be monitored for 24 hours and see if we couldn't get it to go down. We got all checked in and settled in our room and we started to get her BP down and get lab work down to make sure her kidney's and liver were still functioning properly. Lana (Heather's Dr) came in and said she had gotten her lab results back and she said her kidney's and liver were looking great but she was worried about the protein so she said we would be residing at St. Francis until Harper got here.

Tuesday morning we didn't get much sleep not knowing what the next day held (and the nurses were in and out all night!). Lana came by about 7am and told us that she had Dr. Beeson (a high risk OB) and Dr. Jackson (from the NICU) coming to talk to us about what all was going on and that we would most likely be having a baby by the end of the week. By lunch time we had talked to both Dr.'s and had an ultrasound to make sure Harper was still growing and not under any stress.

Lana came by a little after 1pm and told us that her and the other Dr.'s had conversed and it was best to get Harper out. The ultrasound had shown that she was under stress and her BP was fluctuating. Heather had a reaction to a Steroid drug in HS and we couldn't get enough info on it fast enough to see if it would be safe to give Heather the Steroid shot to help Harper's lung mature, so they made the decision...C-Section at 3pm. (They gave Harper surfactant after she was born to help her lungs mature, since Heather couldn't have the steroid). We frantically called our families to tell them we were having a baby in less than 2 hours. Our friends were nothing short of fantastic, they went to our house got clothes, camera's, her baby book, etc.

3 o'clock comes fast and Heather was in the OR getting prepped and ready. While I was waiting outside until I could go in and be with her. A few minutes later (it felt like hours though) I was by Heather's side and a few minutes later at 3:37pm we had our baby girl, weighing 2lbs 1oz and 15 inches long! She cried 3 times and that was music to our ears!! Dr. Jackson, Nurse Jenna (which is her Aunt Kiki's sister and has been in the NICU for years and we personally wanted her to be there to take care of our baby girl!) and a few other NICU Nurses wisked our tiny precious baby girl away, cleaned her up and put her on a ventilator brought her to Heather so she could kiss her and tell her she loved her and then off to the NICU we went! After we got there they asked me to wait in the waiting room while they got her all prepared for visitors and us to see her.

Heather was stitched back up and back in the room a little after 4. I stayed with Harper until about 8 and then came to be with Heather and show her pictures of the Daughter we longed to have. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep that night either! Heather woke up in the middle of the night and had a "Mom moment" and needed to call the NICU to make sure Harper was okay. Just before we called they had taken her off the ventilator and she was on a C-Pap and breathing 21% oxygen (we breath 20%) and the nurse said "She is doing so great!" That is just what Heather needed to hear, since she could physically go see her until after she was off the Magnesium (which they give after a spinal tap so you don't cease).

Wednesday night after we were moved to our post pardom room, Heather got to shower and she rested for a while and then we made the trip over to The Children's Hospital to see our baby girl for the first time as a family of three. That was very emotional for Heather but the nurse let her hold her in her hands and immediately she grabbed Heather's finger. We talked to her and she opened her eyes for us a little more than she had earlier in the day for me. Before Heather went over last night I had been over to see Harper and I got to change her diaper and take her temperature. I personally was very happy that Heather go to see Harper last night because everyone else had been over to see her and I know it was killing her she couldn't see her and everyone else was.

Apparently Harper is a fiesty little nugget! She had pulled her feeding tube out a few times and her temperature monitor she pulled off twice right after the Dr. walked out of the room. The NICU nurses have been great and always tell us that she has herself a little personality!! *Which I think she gets from her momma!!*

So in your prayers if you would just keep praying for our Precious baby girl and the Dr's and nurses that take care of her and for Heather to keep her BP low and stable.

We have felt everyone's prayers and we can't tell you how much that means to our new family of three.

So much has happened in the last 11 days, I will post more later!

Much Love,

Blood Pressure=the Devil

It all started a week ago Thursday when I went in for my Glucose test, which I passed by the way! :) I had to go down to the lab first and drink this awful flat orange pop that was luke warm! Then I went back up to the office for my appointment. When I left the lab she told me I had 1 hour to be back down to the lab or I had to take the test again! Well I didn't want that to happen, because it was GROSS!!

So I go into my appointment and she tells me my BP is a little high, well the bottom number was a little high for her. It was 124/90 and it's typically 118-120/80. So she wanted me to come back the next thursday to have it checked again. Keep in mind I had just drank 6 oz of pure sugar and I was on a time constraint and she came into the room and I had 12 minutes to be back down to the lab...whose BP wouldn't be high?!

Fast forward to this last Thursday. I went to my parents before my appointment to rest and not think about my BP being high. I get to my appointment and the nurse takes me back right away and weights me and take the dreaded BP...well it was even higher! It was 152/100!! So the nurse says she is going to talk to Lana and see what she says. The Dr. comes in a minute or so later and says the dreaded words...BED REST. I just look and her and say "Okay well what does that mean exactly." Needing a little more explanation... She tells me that I am on bed rest (i can get up and shower, but that is it) I can lay in a recliner or on either side but not flat on my back. I asked how long I was on bed rest and she says "6 to 8 weeks after she is born" HUH? Come again? What did you just say? **Sidenote: I am all alone at this appointment, get a lot of info dropped in my lap.**

She tells me that she does not want me to get Preeclampsia and have to deliver her early. She also said that I was leaking protein in my urine (which can be a sign of Preeclampsia, if you leak to much). So I am having to do a one time 24 hour Urine collection (to make sure i'm not leaking to much protein) along with 10 weeks of bed rest.

I have to say that so far Michael, our families and friends have been amazing! Michael is making breakfast and lunch and every time I get up to go to the bathroom he says "Where are you going? What are you doing? You need to be sitting!" My mom and sister came out to keep me company and my mom picked up around the house and did the dishes. Kara has brought out ribbon for me to start making Little Miss some hair bows! The In-Laws brought dinner one night. Cara has brought lunch and dinner and even came over and watched movies with me one evening! Everyone has been fantastic and I can't thank everyone enough for their prayers and willingness to help out!! I know Michael appreciates it!

I go back to the Dr on Monday so stay tuned, hopefully we have better news!!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day I know was a week ago but a lot has happened since then (stay tuned for that post). My mom wanted a very low key Mother's Day (which is very unlike her) but I think we all know that these are our last "low key" Holiday's until Miss Harper gets here! So we are taking advantage of them.

One of my mom's favorite place to eat is Goldie's, so that's where dinner took place! It was nice and quiet and no one had to do the dishes!! :)

Even though little Miss isn't here yet she must've talked to her dad and told her that since she was growing so was mom's belly and I wasn't fitting into my summer clothes from last year. So dad did a little shopping and bought a few tank tops and shorts so I don't sweat to death in the Oklahoma summer heat!

Hope everyone else had a great Mother's Day!

28 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 28 Weeks

Size of baby: An English Hothouse Cucumber

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 21lbs...ugh! :-(

Maternity Clothes: Well since it has been in the upper 70's-90's here recently I am in all Maternity clothes, my tanks/shirts are getting a little to short

Gender: GIRL!!! Harper Jane Horton

Movement: Yep! She is moving more and more. I would like to take this time to thank her for not punching me in the stomach, ribs or bladder...it just feels like flutter.

Sleep: I'm currently sleeping very comfortably. Stay tuned...apparently that changes!

What I miss: My ankles being normal size

Cravings: Pretty much anything

Symptoms: Let the list begin...

1. Reflux

2. Acne

3. Carpal Tunnel in my right hand

4. My ankles started to swell on Friday when it got very hot here

5. VERY oily face

6. My BP is high, so the Dr. wants to check it again next week

Best Moment this week: Getting to drink the wonderful drink they provide for you for you Glucose test...NOT!!!

One busy week!

What a whirlwind the last 7 days have been! The best way to show you is...PICTURES!

SUNDAY

Happy Easter! Next year we will be egg hunting with Harper!

MONDAY

The ladies at work through me our first baby shower! I was so fun to see all the things we are going to need for this tiny person!! Michael and I are beyond blessed with all the people we have in our lives and are supporting us as we entering this new chapter in our lives.

Harper is one spoiled little girl!!

TUESDAY

Michael turned 30!! Being the wonderful wife :) that I am, I took birthday donuts and birthday cake up to his office for a little office party! His co-workers were very grateful for the sweet treats, needless to say...Michael came home with an empty cake platter. :(

WEDNESDAY

27 Weeks! WOO HOO!! I am feeling FANTASTIC!! I went to the Doctor a little over a week ago and I have only gained 13 pounds. Which she says is great! Harper on the other hand is a wittle bitty thing! I think she may be little like her daddy was when he was born (which I can tell you thrills me!) :)

SATURDAY

We had a birthday party for Michael to celebrate him turing the BIG 3-0 and to show off his pride and joy...the deck!

It is so funny to me because I know some couples who stay by each other the whole time they are at a social event. But Michael and I are NOT one of those couples! Michael knows how to work a room, he can mingle and chat it up with the best of them.

Singing Happy Birthday to Michael! The little bit he is holding is what I pray Harper is like. Chloe 100% absolutely adores Michael! She would choose him over me ANY day (which breaks my heart sometimes) but she loves her some Michael. She wanted soo bad to blow out the candles, so Michael being the great man he is...let her!

One (of the many) things I am thankful for is he friends Michael has made at work.

Hope everyone had a wonderfully busy week/end like we did!