Wooden Blocks

I wasn't planning on getting my gallbladder out on Friday. My ward's Super Saturday was just yesterday.
I went.
I'm crazy.
Totally turned out cute though!
They're 3.5 x 3.5 wooden blocks with letters on each side.
15 blocks = spells 50+ words and phrases!

 

"Happy Fall"

While I was Away

Thank you doctors and nurses (and CJ, my personal anesthesiologist) for taking care of me at the hospital. Banner Gateway is the way to go! :)
On Friday night, I got my gallbladder taken out. They found at least 25 stones... yuck.
Apparently, (if you read my last blog) there WEREN'T any gallstones in the duct. But whatever they did, I was feeling better. My numbers were going down (which is a good thing). I was looking jaundice for a while...

I will forever have theses awesome war wounds, and my belly button will never be the same again.

Thank you to Grandma Rowley, Grandma Billings and Kristie for watching Sawyer while I was away. I am so grateful to have loving support and help from both sides of the family~ :)
I was only away from Sawyer for couple of days... but I SWEAR he grew INCHES and put on some more POUNDS! He definitely cannot fit into newborn outfits any longer. He's wearing 3-6 month clothing now!! This morning, Greg picked up Sawyer from Grandma Billings' house, and he was sound asleep... and so was I. I woke up to his cry... but it didn't sound like his cry! Even his cry has changed over this past few days! Crazy!!!

I just can't believe how much he is growing... sniff sniff.

Today, Sawyer is 8 weeks old... TWO MONTHS!

Happy Birthday to Sawyer, and Happy Recovery to me.

Too Late

Well it's too late for me to do the "Gallstone Flush" because I am in the ER again... getting it taken out. I came back in the second day because that night (1st time = TUE and came home to make appt with my PCP; 2nd time = WED night) I started having excruciating pains yet again and sobbing all over again. We dropped off Sawyer with Greg's parents and off to the ER... again.
We find out this time that one of the gallstones had moved along the bile duct and had lodged itself in there, blocking the pancreas from draining. Here's a better explanation:

1. Gallstone in the gallbladder

2. Gallstone traveling through the Cystic Duct

3. Gallstone traveling through the Common Bile Duct

4. Gallstone stuck right below the Pancreatic Duct

Because the Pancreas is unable to drain, it is inflamed and is irritated (Pancreatitis). 

Yesterday about 3pm they put me to sleep and went in to do a procedure called ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography). Basically shoving a tube with camera down my throat through the pancreatic duct. They put in a stent to open up the duct to hopefully pass the gallstone(s). My throat is soar but other than that I'm doing ok. I'm now on a NO food/liquid diet (since midnight).

Next step: We are waiting for the surgeon to take out the gallbladder.

Until next time...

Only 25 and Already Falling Apart

It's one thing after another!
So I went to the ER today and found out I now have gallstones...
Excruciating pain under the sternum and right rib cage. I woke up sobbing this morning.
Vomiting, nauseousness, sweating, diarrhea. yeay...
Taking meds, but I wonder if a "Gallstone Flush" will work? Anyone?

6 Weeks and Counting

I cannot BELIEVE it's already been 6 weeks since the birth of our precious son, Sawyer.
It's amazing how much he has grown and developed; physically, mentally, and emotionally.
He now knows how to:

1. smile
2. make cute noises while smiling (the gaaaa of the goo-goo gaa-gaa)
3. lift his head for a very brief moment
4. and follow objects and faces with his eyes.

To celebrate these wonderful milestones, enjoy the following photo...

 

Breastfeeding Shmeastfeeding

Yeah, so this whole Breastfeeding business...
I was so fortunate to have a pleasant pregnancy... My stay at the hospital (6 days) wasn't so bad... I have nothing to complain about my C-section... My recovery has been great... Birthed a beautiful baby...

Now that I've been home for 3+ weeks, I've battled with my breasts. Yes. My breasts. They've given me grief.

Since the first week of being home, I have had Mastitis (Breast Infection). Had it on my left side, then the right side. I was on antibiotics for a week... didn't cure it. Then came back on the left side. Went on new antibiotics. Took it for a week. Cured.
Since Day 1 of being a mom, I have breastfed. And because of breastfeeding, I have had cracked/chapped/sore nipples. Took about 2 weeks to heal...
On top of all this, I haven't been able to produce enough milk for Sawyer. An 1/2 an ounce on the left and an ounce or two on the right. I have tried it all... Fenugreek (herbal capsule), Marshmallow Root (herbal capsule), Fennel Oil (oil capsule), drinking plenty of water, eating right, not being stressed so much, pumping with my expensive electric pump, hot compress directly on the breast...

How are my breasts doing now? No Mastitis. Still no milk.

But I am just tired of taking so many pills. Yeah they're herbal and it's not like I'm popping 10 capsules of Tylenol or something, but still...
I was taking my 1 Prenatal vitamin, 1 antibiotic for a while, 1 probiotic for a while, 2 Ibuprofen, 2 stool softener (another story all on its own), 2 Fenugreek, 2 Marshmallow Root, 1 Fennel Oil.
I sound like a drug addict.
Blah. Done.

My feeding ritual was just ridiculous too... I would feed him on the left, then on the right. That took about 20 - 30 min. Then I would make a bottle (because he probably only drank an ounce or two at most and he is eating well over 4 oz now). He takes about 10 - 15 min to drink a bottle. So really, feeding him some times took up to an hour. THEN had to burp him (and he does NOT burp... shouldn't all babies have this automatic burping reflex?! Sawyer doesn't. He struggles so much.......). Burping him seriously could take anywhere from 5 seconds to 30 minutes. And sometimes he doesn't burp until hours after. sigh. THEN we change his diaper.

So by the time I feed him, burp him, change him... it's back to square one. Tiring I know...

So I've decided to cut down on the feeding time by doing away with breastfeeding.
I've been PRO breastfeeding up until this very moment. Breast milk is WAY healthier... cheaper... and I would've lost WEIGHT feeding him that way. Everything about Breastfeeding is great. "yeah... if only I could produce milk". Aren't all mothers built the same to produce the same? Isn't milk suppose to be squirting out like an automatic fountain? Aren't I suppose to produce enough milk to feed a third-world country?!
and I admit... I was excited to have my breasts bigger. sigh.

Enough said. So that's that.

P.S. So the expensive electric pump, 3 expensive nursing bras, 6 nursing garment top, nursing pads, nipple cream, nipple shield... all going in a box for the next kid.

I Am a Child of God