Naomi Turns 3 Months Old

I think each month that goes by I will be in awe that my baby is another month older.  It still feels like yesterday was her delivery date.  She is getting so huge, but I know to everyone else she is still so tiny!  She weighs a whopping 9 lbs 1.8 oz!  (I was bigger than that at birth!)  

 Having a preemie is such a different expereince.  She is just now starting to legit smile at us, mostly me.  It doesn't happen often, but Charlotte was a pretty somber baby too.  She is sleeping mostly through the night.  She wakes up around 3-4 am, eats, and then goes back to sleep until 7 or 8.  I am ok with this, for now.  I want to start getting her into the habit of last feeding, bedtime routine and crying it out (yep, I'm a horrible mom) in the next month or two. 

She is really easy to go out and about with.  She loves being outside and is always so calm.  She still sleeps a lot during the day but has been awake a lot more.  Which is fun, but she also wants to be held while she's awake.  I try and take time to just sit and hold her.  I know she's my last so I do remind myself of that. 

She is really easy to go out and about with.  She loves being outside and is always so calm.  She still sleeps a lot during the day but has been awake a lot more.  Which is fun, but she also wants to be held while she's awake.  I try and take time to just sit and hold her.  I know she's my last so I do remind myself of that. 

She is such a joy to have in our family.  I love her little face so much.  Sometimes we just can't get enough of her.  There are several times where I just kiss her chubby cheeks constantly.
Charlotte loves having a sister, loves holding her and thinking she can do more than I would like her to (like picking her up...AHHH!).  She loves telling other people she has a sister and I hope, will always be protective of Naomi. 

Dino Day in the City

We love living in the suburbs of a big city.  I know, not as big as Atlanta, but big enough.  On Tuesday, a group of friends decided to take the train to the children's library, ImaginOn.  After some complications in the morning, we finally all arrived in Uptown at the library.  The kids were mostly into the Dino exhibit.  They got to ride a dinosaur and watch an egg hatch.  Afterward, we took the train home and met at the Chick-Fil-A for lunch.  Toward the end, it had been a long day and everyone was wiped out.  It was a lot of fun though!

Naomi's First Train Ride

I told Charlotte not to touch anything because of all the germs.  

Talk about germs...I know, don't even get me started!

  

Naomi's First Cardiology Appointment

What she wore to the doctor.  I am obsessed with her little body and take pictures of her every day!

When Naomi was in the NICU, they detected a heart murmur.  I completely understand how these are very common in newborns and neither, Josh or I, got too excited.  The NICU nurses and doctor did schedule a follow-up appointment for when we would be released.  I was able to coordinate Naomi's appointment and mine and we had them back-to-back.  Never thought I'd be doing that!!
Basically she still has the murmur and her opening in the upper chambers, that is supposed to close, still hasn't.  They didn't seem too concerned and told me to come back in a year and see if it has closed.  If not, they will operate and close it.  This is a description of what she has:

They had to do an EKG and short echocardiogram on her.  She was a little squirmy, but she did really well overall.  

All the leeds are so close together compared to when I have this test done!!

They were flicking this piece of plastic in front of her face to calm her down.  Really?

The tech kept clicking her lips together making the most obnoxious sound to try and calm her down.  It took everything in me not to say, "knock it off, you're making it worse!" 

Just like her mom, super sensitive skin. 

Cardiology Update

Last Thursday, we drove to Atlanta for my doctor appointment. We made great time getting there and both girls did really well. It is so nice doing these long car rides in a van. Charlotte was in the very back, all camped out, I sat next to Naomi in the middle and Josh was in the front listening to his uninterrupted NPR.

Once we arrived, I got Josh and the girls situated in the cafeteria and I ran downstairs to radiology. I was scheduled for two CT scans. Of course, I had to get an IV.  Luckily, the phlebotomist was excellent and I hardly felt it (or my veins are just numb by now)! Once I laid on the table, I immediately closed my eyes. I can’t look at how close I am to the machine as you go in and out of the tube. Once I was done with that, we all went and met with my cardiologist. I basically told her I want the surgery ASAP! Why let things keep getting worse? She also explained that this valve replacement surgery is very rare with Transposition patients. It sounded like it’s never really been done. Which made me nervous.  She assured me the surgeon is one of the best and he does intervention operations all the time.  I really thought these were routine, but with the way my heart is and how it has been re-routed, it makes things extremely complicated.  GREAT!!  
On Monday I met with my Cardiologist here in Charlotte.  He made me feel better I was having it done in Atlanta by telling me they have never done this surgery in Charlotte.  Yikes.  But of course, I'm the rare case.  He explained that this could go one of two ways.  It could make things go really well or it can actually make my overall heart function worse, therefore needing a heart transplant even sooner.  This pregnancy has really been taking a long term toll I never realized.  
I am still not exercising.  I brought it up with both my cardiologists again and they want me to not do any.  Because of my recent sedentary (at least somewhat) lifestyle, my back is in constant pain.  I had a massage on Saturday, hoping to help.  It did for a little bit, but of course, I feel like those are only temporary if they aren't consistent.  I think I am going to start seeing a chiropractor again.  I have gone in stages of doing so.  I did see one for a few weeks during my pregnancy and it really did help.  I am also having weird stomach pains that I don't know what they would be related to.  Overall, I feel like my body is literally falling apart.  I am hoping to find some relief in the near future and start feeling like a new woman!!