Big Gain!

We went in to the doctor yesterday for his weekly weigh-in and he is up to 7lbs 12.5oz!!!!! He did so well that we don't have to go back in for another 2 weeks!

One more thing to pray about...Davis has a small hernia where the repair surgery took place. This is very common for gastroschisis babies because the muscle around the repair is not very strong. There is the chance that it will correct itself but if it doesn't or if it gets worse they will operate when Davis is about two years old (when the muscle is stronger and more developed.)

Thank you for your prayers!

Pictures from Christmas morning

Updates...

(It is great to be home!!!)

(Davis' dedication on Christmas Eve)

I'm sorry I have not been very good about keeping up with the blog lately...things have been a bit crazy around here. Anyways here are a few things that have gone on since we have been home...

*We go into the doctor for a weigh-in once or twice a week. He is gaining weight but not quite at the rate they would like to see so we will continue to go back each week until he does.

*He weighs 7 pounds now!

*We went in for his post-op appointment with his surgeons and they said everything looks GREAT! They warned us that there is a chance he will develop a hernia where the surgery took place (they said this is likely to happen before he turns 2 years old.) It is an easy fix but still something to pray about.

*The surgeons also explained that for the rest of his life he will be at risk for a bowel obstruction....it could happen tomorrow or it may never happen. Again just something to pray about.

*Our golden retriever Kennedy absolutely loves him! She goes everywhere he goes!

*Most importantly....Davis was dedicated on Christmas Eve at Salem Evangelical Church.

Addresses!

I am sending out birth announcements and I would really love to send one to everyone that has been praying for us and following the blog, so if you could please email me your address that would be WONDERFUL!

My email address is.... jordynglaser@hotmail.com

WE'RE HOME!!!!

On Monday morning (December 7th) the doctors informed us that Davis was doing well enough to leave soon....On Tuesday morning they told us we would be discharged and headed home that afternoon!!!

We left the hospital one day before Davis turned 3 weeks old!....

(Putting on his winter hat and thermal for his first trip outside the hospital)

(Ready to go!)

(Nap time with dad at home)

Progress!!!

(Davis in his NICU crib...he is down to only his IV line!)

Davis is making huge progress!!! He began eating for the first time on Sunday night (11/29) starting with 5ml every 3 hours. Each day since then he has moved up 5ml because he is doing so well. Most gastroschisis cases reject the food because they cannot process it and it can be extremely painful for them. Davis took medicine to ease the discomfort for the first few days of eating but no longer needs it. Today the doctors decided that he can start eating as much as he wants whenever he wants!!! This is a HUGE step towards going home!!! The goal is to reach 60ml and he was already eating 45ml today! Please pray that he can continue to move forward with his feedings and that his body continues to not reject it.

I cannot stress enough how much we appreciate all your prayers, God is doing great things for our family!

Also please pray for all the other babies and their families that are currently in the NICU. The unit holds 46 babies and it is maxed out right now. It is a very tough place to be and it is extremely difficult to watch your child suffer and feel so helpless.

Life in the NICU

Sorry it has taken me so long to get an update...we have been a bit preoccupied!

Here is the latest news...

*Davis' intestines have begun working!!! (This is great news and exactly what we want but it can be pretty uncomfortable for him)

*His stomach drainage tube (the one coming out of his nose) was removed yesterday!!!

*He was able to eat for the first time last night (he is starting at 5ml every 3 hours and working up from there....it is a VERY tiny amount but it is a start!)

*He is wearing clothes now

*His incision is healing very well and it does not appear to have any complications

*He weighs 6lbs 7oz

*The doctors are EXTREMELY pleased (and surprised) with how well he is doing...God is good! Thank you for your prayers, they are working!

*Please pray that he can tolerate his feedings and keep moving forward. Also please pray that his pain will be as minimal as possible!!!

A few more pictures...

A GREAT Morning!!!

The ventilator came out this morning (as well as several other tubes)!!!! It was wonderful to here him cry for the first time...and it turns out he loves his pacifier!

I got to hold him for the very first time at around 9am this morning!

One day old...

Meet Davis!

Davis Blaine Glaser

Born November 18th, 2009 at 7:12pm
5lbs 12oz

After less than 8 minutes of pushing Davis arrived!

Davis had surgery immediately after he was born to repair the defect. The surgeon was able to put all of his intestines and his bladder back into his body during that time. He is breathing good on his own so he will most likely come off the ventilator today. The NICU nurse told us this morning that he was a very"Spunky" little boy!!! I will post more pictures VERY soon! Thank you for your prayers!

Game Time!

I am being induced right now! Please pray for a safe arrival for Davis, he will be here very soon!

Pictures coming soon!!!!

He is getting BIG!

Our appointment on Tuesday went really well. Here are the highlights....

• Davis weighs 5lbs 2oz!!!
• He is still practicing his breathing
• His intestines are still really dilated but his bladder is not getting worse
• The doctors are still hoping that we can make it to the 23rd... Since he has to have surgery when he is born they want him as big and strong as possible.
• He had the hiccups during our fetal monitoring so we got to listen to his tiny hiccups..pretty cute!

Only 12 days (or less) to go!!!!

Thursday...

I got my H1N1 flu shot on Thursday!

Also on Thursday I had my fetal monitoring appointment. Normally it takes about 20-30 minutes and Davis' heart rate has several accelerations (which is what they want and are watching for). This time I was hooked up for over an hour and he was not having accelerations. Also I was having contractions and it showed his heart rate would drop a bit with the contractions. This was not a good sign so they did an ultrasound to check his movement. Things looked ok on the ultrasound so they cleared me to go home since I will be back on Tuesday for my next appointment.

I want Davis to wait as long as he can to arrive but I am sure getting anxious! It is pretty hard to emotionally bounce back and forth at each appointment.

If all of this is any indication of how Davis will behave once he is born I think Brian and I will really have our hands full...he sure keeps us on our toes!!!

Your prayers are working!

We had our latest appointment yesterday and I need to just start off by saying THANK YOU for your prayers...they are working!!!

The ultrasound showed that Davis' intestines have remained in the same condition and have not gotten worse, but also his bladder looks BETTER than last week! The doctor actually said to us that she had no explanation for things getting better, she was truly shocked!

The doctors are hoping that if Davis' condition can remain stable that we can make it to the original delivery date of November 23rd....the longer we can wait the stronger his lungs will get!

Another blessing I want to point out is that because of everything that happened last week I was able to get the steroid shots for his lungs. They do not give the steroids after the 34 week mark and I reached that 2 days after my second dosage! Just in time!

I am supposed to continue to take it easy because there is still the high risk of early labor. Please pray that Davis and I can hang in there as long as possible!

Thank you again for your support and prayers...Your prayers are the explanation the doctor could not give!

BIG changes for BOTH mom & baby

We had a very BUSY couple of days this week. On Tuesday Brian and I went up to OHSU for a full day of appointments.

We started the day off Tuesday with my cardiology appointment. They did the exams and then we met with the cardiologist. The good news is that I have been fully cleared for delivery and even for future pregnancies! Up until now we still were not 100% sure if we would be able to have more children in the future so this was very positive news. The not so positive news is that after Davis is born the doctor would like to operate to put a stint in my heart. He said they would like to do this 6 to 9 months after Davis arrives. (This will be to correct a problem that I have always had, this problem is not a result of the pregnancy.)

We left the cardiology department a few hours later and I thought we had received all the big news for the day, little did I know....

Next we went to my fetal monitoring appointment and ultrasound. On the ultrasound Davis was not looking so good. His intestines have become very dilated and possibly twisted. Also his bladder is being pulled towards the defect and not only causing it to not function properly but also the walls of the bladder to thicken. This caused alarm with the doctors so they decided that we will not wait for original November 23rd delivery date and they decided to give him steroids to prep his lungs for his early arrival (sometime in the next 2 weeks).

The good news we got is that he gained almost a whole pound and is now up to 4lbs 2oz!!!

They told me that I needed to stay for a few hours to be monitored to decide the urgency of the situation so they brought me a wheelchair and sent us off to the labor and delivery unit.

Once I arrived there I was hooked up to the fetal monitor. The doctors commented that Davis' heart rate looked good but that I was having frequent contractions. This brought on a whole new wave of issues to deal with! I stayed hooked up to the monitor for almost 5 hours and the contractions not only continued but became more intense (and quite uncomfortable) and very, very close together. The doctors then decided to give me medication to attempt to stop the contractions. I ended up having to take two doses of the medication but finally the contractions eased up. At this point they told me that I would be admitted to the hospital to stay overnight to be monitored.

I also received my first (big) injection of steroids for Davis right in the hip...fun.

Once they got Brian and I to a room it was already 9:30pm. Brian decided that he would drive home to get stuff for the night and next day since we were completely not prepared for the stay! He finally made it back to the hospital at about 2am and we both attempted to get a little sleep.

At 4am my first round of exams began. I had continued to have contractions (more mild than the day before) through the night and into the morning. They had me time and track the contractions for an hour and they were only a few minutes apart. Finally at around 6 or 7am they stopped.

We also met with the anesthesiologist. He explained that while I will most likely have an epidural (becuase of my heart condition) it will probably have to be very mild and most likely not completely manage my pain but just manage my blood pressure. He said that since epidurals normally lower blood pressure quite a bit they can't risk my pressure getting too low because of my heart. He also explained that if I end up having a c-section I will have to be completely put under because a spinal block is not an option with my condition. Then he ending the conversation by telling us about all the scary things that come along with the anesthesia...always comforting things to hear.

I spent the rest of the day being wheeled to and from exams. Plus I was given my second dosage of the steroid injection...now I have matching bruises on each hip, balance is always good :-)

After all of the tests my cervix only showed very minor changes so they gave us the option of going home Wednesday night. I jumped at the chance but I am on bed rest and have been told to be ready to come back.

All in all we had a VERY eventful few days but at least we had a good practice run for the real deal...which is coming sooner rather than later!

Thank you again for all the support and prayers!

A few updates...

Here are a few things we learned from my appointment this week....

• Davis weighs 3 pounds and 3 ounces
• On the ultrasound we watched him practice breathing (The doctors were really excited about this!)
• I will be required to have an epidural for his birth because of my heart valve defect. The doctors explained that I will need to keep my blood pressure down during labor because they are concerned about the valve. Also many gastroschisis babies end up in an emergency c-section so they want me prepped for the medication if it comes down to that.
• He is VERY active so that is a good sign!
• His intestines are remaining in the same condition...they are slightly dilated but appear to be in fairly good shape.
• The doctors were really pleased with how he is doing right now so THANK YOU for your prayers...only about 5 weeks to go!!!
• Also great news...Brian will complete OSP pre-academy tomorrow and he will begin his coaching period on Saturday. The coaching period is when he is on the road and working a normal 5 days a week and 9 hours a day. He will get to come home in the evenings and have two days off a week! His sergeants have arranged for him to have an extended coaching period so he can be around when Davis is born!!! He will go back to the live-in academy January 3rd.

New 3-D Pictures

ONLY ABOUT 6 WEEKS (OR LESS) TO GO!!!

(He ALWAYS has his little hands up by his face!)

Fetal Monitoring

I began my fetal monitoring appointments on Friday (Oct. 2). I will now be up at OHSU twice a week until Davis is born....

• Tuesdays: Fetal monitoring, hour long ultrasound, doctor consult and other testing as needed.


• Fridays: Fetal monitoring and other testing as needed.
  

My appointment on Friday went well but Davis was not real pleased with the monitors! As soon as the nurse hooked me up to the monitors Davis started kicking at them! Since they are basically microphones every time he kicked it is made a loud thud :-) He kicked one of the monitors so hard he moved it and the nurse had to put it back on!

Meet Davis' Sparrow Sponser!

(Me with the staff from our business sponsor Health Insurance Strategies, Inc. and Sparrow Clubs at the Sparrow assembly at Lynch Elementary in Redmond, Oregon)

(Health Insurance Strategies, Inc. is our Uncle Don's and Aunt Marcy's company!)

(All the fundraisers for Davis are completed by the kids at Lynch Elementary)

(Some of the kids from Lynch Elementary at the Sparrow Assembly)

On Thursday, October 1st we had the Sparrow assembly at Lynch Elementary School! This was the first chance for me to meet all the kids at the school and for them to hear Davis' story. The staff from our business sponsor, Health Insurance Strategies, was also there! We can't begin to thank Uncle Don and Aunt Marcy enough for their EXTREMELY GENEROUS gift to our family! What an incredible blessing!!! We also need to thank 4th Grade teacher Karen Brockway for leading Lynch Elementary's efforts and of course we need thank the Sparrow Clubs!

If you have questions about Davis being a sparrow or about Sparrow Clubs please contact:

Karen Brockway- kbrockway@bendbroadband.com

Good News & Bad News

I went in for my regular doctor appointment today and we received both good news and bad news...




The good news is....

• I no longer have Placenta Previa! This means that I can give birth without having a c-section (if Davis is healthy enough to handle it.)

• Also Davis' intestines do not appear to be dilated at this point!

The bad news is...

• Davis is measuring smaller than they would like and the doctors are concerned about growth restriction. What this means is that Davis is already at a high risk for stillbirth due to his gastroschisis and now this puts him at an even higher risk. I am now required to go into the hospital twice a week for non-stress tests, ultrasounds, and consults until Davis is born. They will watch for any signs that Davis is not thriving. If this turns out to be the case there are a few things the doctors will do...they will hospitalize me until Davis is born, they can give Davis a shot of steroids to help his lung development, and if it comes down to it they will do an emergency delivery to get him out before things get dangerous. I go back for my first round of non-stress tests this Friday.

• Another issue they told us about today is that because Davis' intestines are floating outside his body the intestines are actually pulling his stomach and bladder down. They don't think this should cause any major damage at this point in the pregnancy but I would really appreciate your prayers on this.

All the other things at went on today....

• I had my blood tested for gestational diabetes (hopefully there will be no problem with that)
• I received a flu shot (because I was exposed to the swine flu last week when I went to visit the kids at my mom's elementary school)
• Davis had the hiccups during his ultrasound :-)

Thank you again for your support and prayers! I will continue to keep everyone posted. My next appointments are this Friday, October 2nd and then again on Tuesday, October 6th.

OSP Recruit Trooper Brian Glaser...

(Sunday, September 20th at Brian's Oregon State Police swearing in ceremony)

(This picture was taken by the Statesman Journal Newspaper just after I pinned Brian with his new police badge.)

(The new recruits at the swearing in ceremony)

September 20th, 2009 at 4 o'clock in the evening Brian and his fellow recruits were officially sworn into the Oregon State Police. Below is the newspaper article that was in the Statesman Journal....

OSP Welcomes new recruits
By Thelma Guerrero-Huston • Statesman Journal • September 21, 2009

One was a waiter. Four have military backgrounds. Ten have college degrees.

What the 21 men sworn in Sunday at the Oregon Public Safety Academy Hall of Heroes in Salem have in common is that they are the latest crop of Oregon State Police recruits.

Salem resident Stacey Boeholt, whose husband, Chris, is a recruit, was one of about 75 people who attended Sunday's event.

Like other wives, Boeholt pinned her husband with an OSP badge during the event.

"I'm very proud of my husband," the wife said.

Chris Boeholt will be assigned to Patrol Services Division in Albany after he completes the academy.

Brian Glaser of Albany said he was counting his blessings for having made it this far.

He'll be assigned to the Fish & Wildlife Division in Salem.

"The academy is going to push me mentally, physically and emotionally," he said. "It's going to be intense. I'm a little nervous, but that's the way it goes."

Glaser and his wife, Jordyn, are expecting their first child in November.

James Andrews, 29, of Corvallis wasn't a bit nervous Sunday.

"All the jitters are past now," Andrews, a former Corvallis police officer, said. "It's a tough start, but I've always wanted to help the community in one way or another."

Andrews has a fish and wildlife degree from Oregon State University. He'll be assigned to OSP's Patrol Services Division in Salem.

The new recruit troopers are the first group of 39 new positions approved by the 2009 Oregon Legislature.

They, along with recruits from other agencies, will next receive 30 weeks of intensive training, including a grueling 16-week training session through the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training or DPSST.

They'll also undergo 10 weeks of training unique to OSP.

They're expected to graduate and go to work in May 2010.

Earlier this month, more than 360 applicants took the entry test for upcoming hiring opportunities as an Oregon State Police trooper.

"Included in that group was the largest number of female applicants to successfully complete this initial phase of testing," said OSP Superintendent Timothy McLain. "We'll probably be seeing them at our next recruitment in January."

There were no women or people of color among Sunday's group of recruits.

"We're working really hard on that," said McLain of recruiting minorities.

Thanks for your prayers!

Here is the link to the Statesman Journal article: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090921/NEWS/909210327&s=d&page=1#pluckcomments

Nursery Wall Quote

I put this quote up in the nursery because it reminds me so much of Brian and I have a feeling Davis will be just like his dad!

Incredible blessing...

The INCREDIBLE Story of one little boy's fight for life....The story of how Sparrow Clubs came to be. (Click on the picture to buy the book)

Please visit the Sparrow Clubs Website!

We just found out this week that Sparrow Clubs has decided to adopt Davis as a "Sparrow"! This is such an answer to prayer! If you are not familiar with Sparrow Clubs please visit the website link above, it is truly an incredible story!

This is the description the website gives....

"Sparrow Clubs USA is proof that you're never too young to make a difference. As the nation's only youth-based charity of its kind, Sparrow Clubs not only provides financial and emotional support for critically ill children and their families, but also empowers young people to help a child through charitable service experiences."

The elementary school my mom teaches at will be adopting Davis as their Sparrow this year. I will be going over to Redmond in the next few weeks to meet the kids at the school and share our story with them.

The Lord just keeps providing for us....

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet you heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

~Matthew 6:25-26

Thank you again for all your support and prayers!

He calms the storm....

"Without warning , a furious storm came up on the lake,so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!' He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."

~Matthew 8:24-26

This is the Bible verse I found right after the appointment when we were told about Davis' defect and also that I would most likely die if we didn't terminate the life of our baby.

Sometimes in life it feels like we are drowning and we can't seem to get our head above water...Only HE can calm the storm, we can't do it alone!

Surgeons, NICU & The Ronald McDonald House

(We we be living at Doernbecher's Ronald McDonald House)

On Thursday we spent the day at Doernbecher Children's Hospital meeting with Davis' surgeons, meeting the team at the NICU, viewing the birthing unit and touring The Ronald McDonald House.

It was really wonderful to meet the people that will be responsible for saving our little boy's life. You see places and people differently when you know they will be the ones helping your child in ways that you can't.

The surgeons confirmed that everything with the operation and treatment will just depend on Davis' condition at birth. Basically we just have to wait and PRAY until he gets here. They also told us that even if things go smoothly without any setbacks we will not be leaving the hospital anytime before 4 to 6 weeks after he is born. This means we will definitely be spending Christmas in the NICU so once we finally are allowed to go home we figure we can get a pretty good discount on an old Christmas tree and have a little family Christmas to celebrate!

Seeing the NICU was both difficult and reassuring. I teared up when we first walked in to the unit knowing that Davis would soon be struggling there. While we walked through we met another family who had a baby with gastroschisis. He had been there 3 weeks so far but still had a ways to go (his name is Ryder so please keep him in your prayers as well). Ryder's father, Rich, explained to us that is a LONG and FRUSTRATING journey but to just hang in there. It was very nice to speak with other parents that are going through this too. We also learned that people can come to visit us and see (and touch) Davis while we are in the NICU. Here is a link with more information about the Doernbecher NICU: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/doernbecher/programs-services/neonatal-care/.

Touring the birthing unit was good because I got to see just how close to Davis and I will be once he is in the NICU and I am still in the hospital....they are connecting units so that made me feel a little better. Davis will be taken away IMMEDIATELY after he is born, I will not get to see him or touch him until later on. I think that might be one of the hardest parts about this whole situation.

The Ronald McDonald House was wonderful! It will provide us with a space to shower, do laundry, eat meals and maybe at some point sleep. I feel very blessed that I will not have to be far from Davis when I can't be directly with him in the NICU. Here is the link to see more information (including pictures) on the Ronald McDonald House where we will be staying: http://www.rmhcoregon.org/index.php.

Again thank you for your prayers and support. My next appointment will be in less than 3 weeks on Tuesday, September 29th.

September 8th Appointment

Today Brian and I went to our latest appointment up at OHSU. Below is a list of the updates from today's appointment....

1. Davis has now moved up to the 28th percentile in growth (he was in the 24th percentile last appointment.) The doctors explained to us that babies with gastroschisis have inaccurate growth estimates because one of the main measurements they use is the abdomen. Since the abdomen is missing a lot of the contents it measures small and therefore brings the average percentile down.
2. There is now another complication to add to the mix called placenta previa. This is when the placenta is located low and completely blocks or partially blocks the baby's "exit". In my case it is partially blocked. The doctors have been monitoring this issue for several weeks but have not seen any improvement so far. They will continue to watch this up until I am ready to give birth and hope that it moves. If it doesn't move I will be required to have a c-section. Placenta previa occurs in about 1 in 200 pregnancies. I figure since we already have gastroschisis which is 1 in 5000 and a heart defect that occurs in less than 1% of the overall population, why not add something else that is supposed to be "uncommon"!!!
   
3. Davis' intestines appear to be somewhat dilated at this point but it is difficult to tell. As he grows and there is less space for him the intestines get squished into where ever there is room. It is expected for the intestines to be somewhat dilated and inflamed upon birth (since they are irritated by the amniotic fluid) but we are just praying they stay healthy and unhurt until he is born.
4. Davis' delivery (induced or c-section) has been set for MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd!!! The doctors really want him to make it to this point because they are concerned about his lung development. Since gastroschisis babies grow with the intestines on the outside of the body it is difficult for them to breath once the defect is fixed. If Davis can get to week 37 his lungs will be a lot stronger and more likely to be able to handle the extra pressure once the intestines are put inside his body.

**On Thursday we go back into OHSU to meet with Davis' surgeon (Dr. Zallan) and we will also tour the NICU and the Ronald McDonald House (where we will be staying while Davis is at Doernbecher). I will post the update after our appointment.

Thank you again for all you prayers and support!

Davis' Nursery

Davis' Nursery

Forest Animal Theme

The chair in which I will spend many hours!