Sad Alyss...

Sweetie Pie

Well, this is kind of a sad and worrisome post but I'll write it anyway to have it in our records. I'll start with Alyss' 6 months appointment. Everything went great and the doctor said that she is very proportionate and healthy. She was in the 50th percentile for everything, weighing 15lb and measuring 26in. We haven't had many problems concerning her health since she was born. She had some colic when she was 2 months old and a couple of mild colds that pretty much gave her a runny nose but other than that she's been mostly healthy and happy. She's only had breast milk which is the best food for babies and protects them from bad stuff too. At her appointment she got her shots as part of the shots study. She did really well but that evening she ran a pretty high fever of 103. She had a fever at after her 4 months shots but it went away and she felt much better even the day after. This time though things didn't get better the next day when she started vomiting and not being able to keep anything down. All she was able to drink was Pedyalite. The next day I took her to the doctor and he told me to keep giving her Tylenol and Advil and to keep taking her temperature. With the medication the fever subsided and went away only to return about a week later. In the mean time she also had diarrhea for a couple of days but thanks goodness I had the Pedyalite which seemed to help her stay hydrated. The day the fever returned Alyss started crying really bad soon after she woke up int he morning, and after about two ours of it I took her to the doctor once more. He said that she has a sore throat and gave her some antibiotic and more Tylenol. She got better after a couple of days and finished the treatment in 5 days. Even though I didn't think she was 100 percent better, at least she wasn't as hot and fussy as she was before I took her to the doctor so I thought that she was finally getting better. At the beginning of September David got pretty sick, after him Jane started having a temperature, coughing and not feeling well and eventually it caught up with Alyss who got a high fever again and started not eating. Tried giving her Tylenol and she threw in up so I decided to give her FeverAll suppositories which helped almost immediately. The next day her fever went down a bit but I could tell that it was still there because whenever the effects of the FeverAll went away she would feel hot again. Today I took her to the clinic to get her blood drawn for the vaccine study and while I was there I decided to ask the nurse about the symptoms Alyss's been having. ONe of the doctors said that she is available to look at her and after checking her lungs, heart and ears said that nothing seems wrong but that she might have a Urinary Tract Infection, which gets passed over many times by doctors even though is pretty common in little girls. So, she inserted a catheter to get some urine and said that the initial results seem to point to a UTI. There were white blood cells in her urine and the Ph was a bit higher than normal. We still need to wait for 3 more days for the culture to grow and in a way I hope that the result is a UTI and not something more dangerous, like an immune system compromise, that the doctor mentioned as a possibility. Don't know why she would have an immune system compromise or a chronic infection of any kind...
Update: she took the antibiotic and her fever went down, she is not fussy and is just happy and as cute as can be. The doctor said that she didn't have a UTI. We'll see if she gets a fever again without a reason and if she does than we'd want to check her health more in depth.
I'm so nervous and I get pretty scared whenever her fever goes back up or when she just cries and is not happy. I want to make it all better but it seems that she is in a bit of a bad place right now. I'll write more in here when we find out the results and the course of action. Let's hope that our little sweetie pie is ok and healthy. We love you so much Alyss and really hope that you'll feel better real soon. Te iubesc mult puiul meu mic si drag.
Update: Alyss hasn't had a fever since. She is healthy and happy. She had her two flu shots at 7 and at 8 months and she did really well. She didn't cry much and she didn't get sick at all. I'm a bit nervous for her 9 months shots but I hope that her little body is stronger now and will fight off the bad stuff. Sanatate multa puiutule drag!

Alyss has a fever

34 Weeks Already?!?!?!

That's right. Believe it or not, I'm 34 weeks along. Only a few more weeks and Alyss will be here. Who knows, she might come a bit early. I wouldn't mind as long as she's healthy.

The last doctor's appointment went well, just like all the others. My blood pressure was good, urine good, measured 34cm and baby's heart rate was 148, also good. We've been discussing with the doctor what options do I have concerning the birth and after this last visit I really started thinking seriously if I want to try VBAC (vaginal birth after C-section) or a C-section again. We already have the C/S scheduled for the 15th of February (due date is the 20th) but I really felt recently that I'd like to try VBAC. The doctor isn't opposed to it but he said that he would need to refer me to a doctor in Provo or Salt Lake so that I could give birth at a big and well-equipped hospital, in case of an emergency and the necessity of a C/S. I've done some research and it seems that VBAC is totally possible and it can be successful but there is a chance for the baby to not get enough oxygen or for a uterine rupture. The main reason why I'm still considering the C/S is because with Jane I tried to deliver vaginally but, even though I dilated to 10cm she never descended and her heart rate was not very stable. I fear that it might happen again so I've decided to not get an epidural for as long as I can manage, and to walk around, not just lay in bed. I might even consider to get in the tub at some point. I remember that last time, even though the contractions hurt I felt better when I would stand and walk than when I stayed in bed and I got horrible back pain. I also hope that walking and standing will help the baby position herself and descend and also will help me dilate without the use of pitocin. They will not give me pitocin because it creates violent contractions, which could be dangerous for my previous incision. So, I feel good about trying VBAC and I really hope that I will be able to do it and not have to take tons of medications and endure the pain and recovery after a C/S. I want to be able to take care of my babies afterwards, with David working a lot and me being at home with both of them. We'll let the doctor know of the decission next week, at the next appointment, when I'll also ask him to check that Alyss is head down and getting ready to make her appearance into the world. I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions on and off and I feel pressure in my pelvis so I know that my body is getting ready for the big event. I also get occasional back pain and the aches in my pelvis, all the way around are pretty bad, especially after I go on walks but, just like last time, I plan on walking all the way until the last day. It makes me happy and I know it's good for me and the baby, plus Jane really enjoys our walks as well. Can't wait for Alyss to get here, to see her and hold her close. I'm nervous about what it's going to be like and how Jane will react but I'm also excited to have another little girl and the chance to be the Mommy of a newborn once more. I love being pregnant and I love babies and am happy that David is always by my side, supports me, comes to all the appointments and is just as excited about our baby girls as I am.

2011 - A year of love

December 2011

Happy together

As we approach the Christmas holiday and the end of the year, we once again reflect on the year we’ve had and the ups and downs that enriched and filled our lives. As our family’s tradition goes, we like to put on paper the highlights of our year. We hope you enjoy reading about us and hope to hear back about your lives.                                                                                                                                  

David’s year’s been an interesting one. He worked two jobs at Simply Mac and Borders Bookstore all the way until the end of July and got accepted into a Master Program at the New York Institute of Technology. As we were getting ready to leave, the school asked David to postpone starting school until January 2012 because of changes they were still working on. October rolls by and we learn that the changes were more drastic than we thought and involved an entirely online program. Our plans to move to NYC changed once again with us deciding to stay in Utah and continue with our lives. David still works at Simply Mac while looking into finding computer training jobs that he might be qualified for or even some other better paying jobs that could provide enough income for us to live a decent life.

Jane's Second Christmas

Dahlee had a pretty eventful year as well. Being a stay-home-mom for Jane, she worked at being a good example and a loving mother to her. Seeing Jane grow brings Dahlee much joy and a sense of accomplishment. In June, we found out that we are expecting our second baby, which we found out is another girl. We are so excited to bring Jane a little baby sister and hope that they will love each other very much. In September, Dahlee was sworn in and became an American citizen. She is very happy and proud to be an American and even changed her name to Dahlee Anna to make it a bit easier to pronounce for everyone. One activity that Dahlee became very interested in and enjoyed doing this year is crocheting. She’s made many cute hats and is thinking and hoping to be able to make more and to even sell them. She already has a few orders and sold a couple of hats too.

Jane is one

Jane turned one in November. We had a nice party for her and she received many cool gifts. She is as happy as can be and is developing ways to express her feelings and needs more. Sometimes that means she cries or screams, while other times it means smiling or pointing with her finger. We went to Disneyland in October and Jane loved the carousels. Some milestones Jane accomplished this year include sitting on her own, eating by herself, mastering the pincer grasp, crawling, walking while holding unto furniture, saying ‘mama’ and ‘dada’ and walking while holding our hand.

We had a good year and hope that the next will be even better, especially with the arrival of a new baby in February, the visit of my Mom and Jane growing taller, walking and talking. We are thankful for dear family members and friends who stood by us in good and not so good times and for the things we were able to accomplish this year. Now, at the end of 2011, we wish you to have a wonderful holiday season surrounded by your loved ones and a wonderful and successful 2012.

Jane loves stuffed animals and barks like a little dog when she sees one :)

Love, David, Dahlee and Jane

Something wrong?

Well, for the past couple of weeks I haven't been feeling very well. I've been tired and nauseous and from time to time, lightheaded. Since we haven't been using protection for the last month, I thought that I might be pregnant; so I tried a test a couple of days before my period. The test looked positive for a few seconds but after the two minutes that you're supposed to wait, it was more than clear that I wasn't pregnant. Why did I still feel sick then? In the next couple of days I started getting some back aches and definite symptoms that my period was just around the corner but then it was late for a day, and another, and another. So, I thought: why don't I try another test? Even though I never got nauseous with Jane I still thought that something might be happening. All the sensitivity around Jane's poopy diapers and spit-up, heart burn, headaches, tiredness, back aches and tummy problems had to have a reason. Well, I was right! I AM PREGNANT! I haven't been to a doctor yet to confirm it but the second test was a definite YES. Don't know the due date since I'm not 100% sure when the first day of my last period was but I'm more than sure that sometimes next year a little Johansen Junior will join our family and make us happier than we already are; if that's even possible. So, here you have it. We're expecting and I'm thrilled  and terrified about it. Since my birthday was on May 25, this is the best birthday present David could have ever given me :)

POSITIVE

Closer view :)
Hello baby # 2!