Sunday, May 22, 2011

Sophie's First Photo Shoot

While in the hospital they had began to offer new baby photos which is something I have ALWAYS wanted and was sad I never got with my other wee ones, so we were more than thrilled to have a mini photo shoot with Sophie.  These pictures turned out so well it is hard to believe it was all done right in our hospital room on the laying on the floor in a basket or siting on my bed.

Here is our newest cutie SOPHIE MARIE FERGUSON:

The Visitors...

Sophie wasn't  allowed many visitors in the hospital, although she did have a few.  Uncle Dennis Aunt Julie & Afton got to visit through the nursery window and on the last day Uncle Blake and Aunt Megan got to visit on one of her on one of her 2 short field trips out of the nursery, so when Sophie finally arrived home she was welcomed by MANY open arms.

Uncle Davey:
Michell, Uncle Jason & Aunt Charisse:
And many cousins!

Rowena's Big Adventure Part 2

I finally found our MIA camera so here is the rest of Rowena's (Sophie's) big adventure.

At Altaview Hospital, where we delivered, they offer a "candlelight" dinner for you and your hubby, where you are provided with a special table in your room and delicious gourmet dinner & dessert of your choice.  This is one of things we look forward to most in the hospital.
 
While I was at the hospital we celebrated Mother's Day. Cory's mom brought me some beautiful tulips and a  chocolate and the hospital gave me a pink chocolate rose, which we gave to Phoebe who thought it was a special gift from Sophie.
After 4 1/2 days we finally got the go ahead to take our wee one home pending her passing the care seat test and two more feedings off the monitor without anymore oxygen desaturations, which she passed  both without any problems!
While we were on the hospital our kids were having a mini vacation with Grandma and Grandpa Potts.  Phoebe pained Grandma's nails took MANY walks with the dogs and took many trips to Grandpa's Big Car (Motor-home) which was parked down the street.
 
Coming home the kids were all very exited to see their Mom, Dad & new Baby Sophie, especially when baby Sophie came bearing gifts for them all.  Everyone got new PJs and Phoebe also got a new Princess doll to match her Princess PJs.
After all the kiddos opened their new Pjs & warmed up to Sophie a bit more they began to explore their curiosity towards their new sister a bit more.
Phoebe even decided to share her new doll with Sophie, which is a generosity she definitely did NOT share with her other siblings.
So far all the kids seem to really love their new sister although we have to closely watch them because we tend to have issues with loving either too much or not softly enough, but over all the Fergy SIX are adjusting and doing great!
 

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Rowena Mae's Big Advenure

A Fore note: About 6 mos before Sophie was born we decided to play a prank on Cory's family and tell them we chose to change Sophie's name at birth to Rowena Mae. This was not well taken by the family, although very few were ever brave enough to tell us they were not wild about the name. Mostly we just heard second had about how everyone was up in arms and wildly calling to complain to amongst each other the awful name we had chosen.  We planned to tell everyone the truth as they came to visit miss Sophie, however that plan backfired on us when few to no visitors were allowed.

SOPHIE'S STORY
A week ago Wednesday (May 5th) we set out early to welcome the newest member of our family, but right off the bat we had an ominous farewell.  Josh, who started running a low grade fever the day before, turned out having the flu and so when I went into kiss him goodbye at 5:30am I quickly saw and smell he had vomited all over his bed in he night. I, with the help of my mom quickly tried to clean it up, but that meant waking up all the kiddos so early in the morning and washing them, especially miss Cami who chose o sleep on Josh's pillow even after he had been sick on it. We should have known right then that Josh's sickness to start us off was just the 10% peak to the iceberg  below the surface.
When we arrived at the hospital all went very smoothly, in fact I was thrilled to have the best nurses and a wonderful anesthesiologist who listened to me and actually & helped me to find a solution to the intense  itching I always have as a side affect from the morphine. My surgery was quick and I didn't get sick as I have always done before; the doctors even included me in on their conversation instead of talking about boring baseball as they did with the twins. At 8:00 on the dot, although Cory and I swear th clock said 8:01am we welcomed our fourth Fergy to the family, Miss Sophie Marie Ferguson. After a quick photo and two nearly  perfect scores (9 & 9)on her Apgar evaluation miss Sophie and daddy went to her first bath. 
The post opt check was perfect, something it had never been before, so I was really thrilled and surprised when the pediatrician came in at the end of my post op evaluation and told me that Sophie weight 6 lbs 7 oz & was 18 1/2 in long, also upon further testing they saw that she was hypoglycemic with a  sugars level of 20 (normal is 70) and they had to give her an IV immediately.
They wheeled my bed & me into the nursery where I was  caught off guard a bit to see they had placed her IV in her head. She was lying in a "NICU" bed (they have a different name for it at this hospital) in the nursery  surrounded by machines. 
After arriving in my room the paediatrician came o visit one more time to tell me now that Sophie was having  bad oxygen desaturation scares and needed to be placed in an oxygen box. After several hours of waiting once again I got to visit our sweet angel in her sad little clear bowl. We were obviously not allowed to hold her so all I could do was hold her little hand.
 
Grandparent were the only allowed visitors in the nursery so grandma Fergy was there first to see Sophie in her oxygen case.
Later that evening Sophie had stablized enough to be let out of her box so both grandpas got come visit.
The next evening Grandma Potts got to take a break from watching our kiddos, which by that time Phoebe had been struck ill with a 103.8 degree fever had had to been taken in to the doctors (thanks grandma Fergy for taking her). Turns out it was a very contagious fever going around kids in the area. Phoebe's Dr. warned us, however, that Phoebe & Josh had to be fever free for 2 whole days before we should take Sophie even in the same house as her. This created a little panic in us trying to figure out where we could go if she didn't get better immediately.  Our back up plan was head to grandma Fergy's house if all was not well upon discharge.
The next few day went all about the same every 3 hours we went to the nursery to feed and hold our sweetie and very morning we anxiously waited for the pediatrician to say that she could come out of the nursery.  For 4 days, however she had to remain in her NICU bed with periodic oxygen mask revivals from further oxygen desaturation episodes. we never witnessed one of the major episodes but the nursing staff told us she turned all blue, so it is probably better I was never around to see her then.  
Everyday grandparents came to visit miss Sophie in the nursery and s he even got one window visit from Uncle  Dennis, Aunt Julie and Afton.  On the evening of the 4th day (Mother's Day) Sophie gave me a special Mother's Day treat and stopped being so naughty with her breathing and was allowed a special venture out to our room to visit more family, aunt Megan & Uncle Blake. On a side note: Uncle Blake couldn't remember Little Sophie faux name Rowena so he called her Rowana (you know the war stricken African Country), which we all loved & laughed about.
On Monday we eager awaited to hear if we would be going home with little Sophie or not.  The verdict was YES, however we had to wait until late in the afternoon, just to be extra safe that she was not going to be naughty anymore.  So in the mean time I went through all my normal discharge routine of pulling staples, which was highly painful and the CNA helping to do them fainted on and Cory and the other RN had to catch her right before she landed on top of me, something she later came back completely embarrassed about and  apologize, oh well, I didn't mind it happens & it made for a good story for me.   Finally around 2:30 pm we were ready to go finally go home.  Unfortunately, I have no current pictures of this due to a MIA camera (so sad about this).  

When we arrived home we had tons of visitors, Uncle Davey & Michelle and later that evening the whole Medico clan (also pictured on the missing camera).  Sophie is doing just fine now they think they pin pointed her breathing problems to reflux  issues causing her to choke, so now she is on meds for it and we haven't had any further problems. 

Thanks to all who have helped us by visiting and or dropping off meals we REALLY are so appreciative of all the support we have recieved welcoming in this new wee one to our family.