Davis & Rory's Progress Report

That's what little sisters are for....

2011-11-01T19:49:00.001-07:00

Davis decorated Rory with stickers today....

Good thing for Rory he didn't have as many as the last time....

Trick or Treat...Yo Gabba Gabba Style!

2011-10-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the whole Yo Gabba Gabba gang....

(For those of you without tiny people in your household,

Yo Gabba Gabba is a popular preschool kids show)

From Left: Jordyn, Rory, Davis, Maley, Ashley (Jordyn's cousin), Makay,

Lexis and Stephanie (Jordyn' cousin)

DJ Lance Rock!!!

Baby Foofa!!!

Lexis as Muno and Davis as DJ Lance Rock :-)

Davis LOVES suckers!

New pictures...

2011-10-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

The Rory Report

2011-10-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Rory is doing much better! She is actually taking the bottle (THANK GOODNESS!!!) She is still very slow but she is learning. I have had several questions about why she went on formula and not donated milk....It is not MY milk that her system is rejecting, it is the protein in breast milk that she cannot process. The formula she is on now is designed for babies with special needs (Davis was on the same formula after being hospitalized at 2 months old.) Their systems have been through so much trauma that they do not work properly. It is all part of the recovery process and hopefully, like Davis, she will have no problems after her first year.

For me the hardest part about this whole transition was the fact that she was crying because she was hungry and I could not feed her... That's hard for a mom to sit and watch. Now that she is taking the bottle we are finally getting a little bit back to normal around the house... I can even hold her again without making her upset!

Thank you so much for your prayers for Rory!

(Davis is a great big brother)

Tough week

2011-10-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

So a lot has happened over the last week...

On Wednesday Rory had more blood in her diaper so her pediatrician advised us to go into the ER so several tests. They took blood, xrays and ran a upper and lower GI live xray. She was such a trooper and smiled at all the doctors but left with bruises on her arms from the needles and broken blood vessels in her eyes and on her scalp from crying so hard.

The conclusion was that Rory's immune system is attacking an allergen in the milk...almost like a poison oak reaction on the inside of her body. It seemed like a simple fix of switching her over to a hypoallergenic/protein sensitive formula...

After 13 hours of refusing food Rory began to become lethargic. Every time we tried the bottle she would scream and gag and finally shut down all together. Doctors were concerned about dehydration and even discussed a feeding tube so finally we began using a syringe to shoot milk to the back of her throat and she would have to swallow it. This went on for about 2 days.

Finally after a lot of crying (both her and me) she began taking a bottle. I am still not able to hold her much or feed her because she gets upset. She is having to learn a new skill so her feedings are slow and she still gets frustrated but we are making progress. It feels a bit like I have a newborn again.

So far her discomfort seems to be gone and she has not had any bleeding. She is also resting better and longer! I think she was in a lot more pain than she let us know about...she is a tough little cookie!

Thank you for your prayers!!

Update

2011-10-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting for results to come back on the tests but Rory is doing much better. Ever since I (drastically) changed my diet she has not been having problems. I am not eating anything with dairy or any type of soy (just for fun check a food label...it probably has one of these in it!) The doctors think she might have a protein sensitivity (the same type of problem Davis had.) We will keep working with the doctors to make sure we are on the right track but I am so pleased with her progress already!

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Prayer request...

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I want to ask for your prayers for Rory. She had blood in diaper yesterday so we had to take her to the doctor. They took xrays and are running tests to try to figure out the problem. Until we can figure out the cause I am on a no dairy and no soy diet just in case Rory has a protein sensitivity. There are a lot of possibilities of what the problem could be so we are checking everything. I am reporting in to the doctor each day with an update until we figure things out. Hopefully it is a simple solution!

Thank you for your prayers for Rory!!

I will post an update as soon as we have answers or more info.

We have come a long way...

2011-09-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

We have come SO far with both kids!!!

Here is a BEFORE and an AFTER picture of Rory just to show you how far we have come in a short time...

Rory is now 2 months old and weighs 9lbs and 11oz....her birth weight was 5lbs 9oz! She smiles all the time which we all love :-)

Here is a BEFORE picture of Davis and a few current pictures of him now. It is a good reminder of just how blessed we are....

He looks just like his Dad!...except for the red hair :-)

Sheriff Woody...

The day we let him dress himself....

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support!!!

6 weeks old

2011-08-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

Rory is doing better than the doctors ever dreamed!!! We had our appointment with the surgeons and she has been completely cleared. Also we went for her weekly weigh in with her pediatrician yesterday and she is up to 8lbs 3oz....she gained 10oz in one week!!! She is up almost 3 pounds since she was born!

Thank you for your prayers!

Our little blue-eyed baby...

2011-08-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

4 weeks old

2011-08-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, August 16th (Rory's original due date) we went into the pediatrician for Rory's weekly weigh-in... Rory is up to 7 pounds 1 ounce!

She turned 4 weeks old on Wednesday :-)

3 weeks old

2011-08-12T21:44:00.001-07:00

Rory is 3 weeks old and up to 6 pounds 9 ounces!

She is doing really great at home
...Thank you for praying for her!!!

HOME!!!!

2011-08-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

We went into the NICU bright and early yesterday morning like normal and the doctor came up and said that since Rory was eating so well on her own that she was going home!!!

Davis was released one day short of 3 weeks and Rory was released TWO days short of 3 weeks...she beat him by ONE day!!!!!

We go into the pediatrician today for her first of many follow up appointments and we have an appointment with the surgeons for a follow up in 2 weeks.

Rory got to wear her first outfit yesterday, ride in the car and even got a big kiss from Davis! It was a fun day! I will post pictures soon :-)

The average NICU stay for gastroschisis babies is 6 weeks and a lot of kids stay a lot longer...all your prayers have worked!!!

The weekend progress

2011-08-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

It was a busy and eventful weekend for Rory!

The surgeons and the neonatal doctors were in conflict on how to proceed with Rory's care. The surgeons did not want to move up on her milk intake and the doctors did. Since they could not agree the doctors suggested that we try nursing and see how Rory does. The surgeons agreed thinking that she would not take more than the 25 to 30ml they had approved... After this morning's 8 o'clock feeding of almost 80ml the surgeons finally caved and said she could have as much as she wanted :-) Since she is now eating as much as she wants she was able to come off her pic line as well!!!

It was a great weekend for her and because of her incredible progress the doctors are discussing her going home sometime early this week!

Thank you for your prayers, they are definitely working!

25ml

2011-08-04T18:12:00.001-07:00

Moved up to 25ml today!

Moving up!

2011-08-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

The doctors just moved her up to 20ml of milk every 3 hours! We started at 5ml and have slowly moved up since she is tolerating it well!

Thank you for your prayers, they are working!!!

Eating again!

2011-07-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

Rory got to start eating again today!

Her first feeding was at 4:30 this evening and so far so good. We are starting at 5ml again and will see if she can tolerate it and then hopefully move forward. Please pray that she can tolerate the milk!!! This time around she is actively taking the bottle which is huge progress since a few days ago. She has been acting very hungry lately so it is really great news that she can beginning eating again! It will make her cramp and be uncomfortable for a while until her system really figures out how to process so please pray for her on that issue as well.

Overall we are so pleased with her progress and we are just trying to be patient. Thank you for your prayers!

Saturday

2011-07-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty mellow over all.

We are still taking a break from feedings and letting Rory rest, hopefully we can start back up tomorrow. She had a good day and did not throw up at all which is a good sign she might be ready to eat. She is definitely acting hungry and she is now taking her binkie which will help when we get to start feeding her again.

Thank you for your prayers!

Friday

2011-07-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

Rory is taking a break from eating for about 3 days and then we will try again. Since she got so sick last night the doctors (and I) don't want to push her too hard too fast. We will give her a few days and then try again. Until then we are trying to get her to learn to suck on her binkie so she can do better with the bottle when she starts feeding again.

The doctors ran some tests on her kidneys today because things looked a little off but so far the tests are coming up okay. They will continue to watch for red flags just to be sure.

Other than that it was a pretty mellow day. She cramps up quite a bit since things are moving through her system so we spend most of the day rocking her and keeping a hot pack on her little tummy.

Thank you for your prayers!

Thursday Update

2011-07-28T23:09:00.001-07:00

Today was a good and bad day.

Rory started eating today, starting at 5ml of breast milk every 3 hours. She took 3 feeds and did well and on the 4th feed she threw up to the point of choking on her own vomit. I felt so bad for her but she seemed much more comfortable afterwards. We will let her determine her feeding schedule through the night and re-evaluate in the morning.

Also she really struggled with knowing how to feed...she would not suck so we had to let the milk drip into her mouth and then she would swallow it. Each feeding was such a small amount that we just measured out 5ml with a syringe and then put in into a bottle nipple (no bottle attached). Please pray that she can figure out the technique soon so she can move forward with her feedings...we really don't want to have to use a feeding tube!

Another positive thing that happened today is that she graduated up to a "big girl bed" :-)...there are a few pictures below.

If you could also please pray for the other families here at the NICU I would appreciate it. Today was a bit of a rough day up here...a baby died today in the pod next to ours. Also we are now sharing a pod with another gastroschisis baby that has been here for over 3 months. Thank you again for your prayers, we need them and appreciate them!!!

Prayer request...

2011-07-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

Rory might get to start eating tomorrow so if you could please pray that she can tolerate the feeds I would REALLY appreciate it!!! (When she does finally get to start eating we will most likely start with about 5ml and go from there.)

I will keep you posted!

Photo therapy & other news...

2011-07-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Rory had to start photo therapy for jaundice on Tuesday. Hopefully she will respond well to the treatment and her levels will drop quickly so she can come off the lights. She doesn't seem to mind too much but it makes it difficult to hold her.

The great news from yesterday is that they removed the tube from her nose that was draining her stomach. The tube was so large that she was constantly gagging and extremely uncomfortable. As soon as it came out we saw a major drop in her resting heart rate which was nice to see. She did throw up small amounts twice yesterday after the tube was removed but overall she seems to be handling it well.

Her PIC line (the line that goes through her arm to her heart) was beginning to come out a bit so they had to redo the entry location dressing. They had to put her arm in a little wrist restraint and she was not a happy camper but they got the line securely placed which is a good thing.

As of now her main discomfort is due to hunger pains and gas/tummy pains. We can help her with her tummy pains by putting a little heating pack on her stomach but I am VERY anxious to be able to finally feed her so she won't be in so much discomfort from being hungry. It is so hard to know your baby is hungry and not be able to feed her!

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Pictures!

2011-07-25T22:52:00.001-07:00

Holding on to her binkie :)

The whole family!

Her cheeks are so red from the tubes being taped to her face

and then being removed so many times.

Rory's first echo

Cuddling up to Dad

Davis cruising around the hospital!

(He is saying "cheese" for the camera)

Day of life 6...

2011-07-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for the delay in my update, things have been a bit hectic around here! The Ronald McDonald house was full when I was discharged from the hospital so Brian and I finally got checked into the house last night so now I have a place to get on my computer again :)

Anyway here are the latest updates on Rory...
(pictures will come later tonight, I forgot my camera up at the NICU!)

* Her bladder is working great so the catheter is gone! Yay!

* She had SEVERAL poopy diapers so that is a huge step in the right direction!

* The tube that goes down to drain her stomach is still pulling out a decent amount of stuff so the nurse had to put in a larger tube. This is making her pretty uncomfortable and making her gag quite a bit. Both her and I will be happy when it comes out!!!

* They are hearing tummy sounds which is a great sign but it also means she is getting uncomfortable because things are starting to work. We have been putting heating pads on her tummy to help with the discomfort.

* She is getting hungry but we can't feed her yet...this is one of the toughest things for me to deal with right now. It is even difficult for me to hold her right now because she gets frustrated.

* The surgeons removed her surgery bandage and her belly looks good. She was not a happy camper when the bandage came off though.

* She has not had any more breathing troubles since the one scare.

* Her swelling is finally going down!

* She had her echo and her heart looks great! The doctors were checking to make sure I didn't pass on my heart defects to her.

* Davis is very excited about "Baby Ree-Ree" and likes to blow her kisses when he comes to visit her :)

* Now we are just waiting and trying to be patient, the average length of stay for gastroschisis babies is about 6 weeks or longer.

I will try to be better about updates now that we are settled at the house. If you could please pray for Rory to be able to rest comfortably I would really appreciate it, it is hard for a mom to watch her child hurt and not be able to help! Thank you again for all your prayers and support, we truly appreciate it!!!

Our morning with Rory...

2011-07-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

She is a petite little thing!

Life in the NICU- Day 1

2011-07-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

Rory's first full day of life had good moments and few not so good ones too. Here are a few updates on her condition:

* Surgery went very well and everything fit back in with minimal swelling...she finished surgery at 12:30am.

* The ventilator came out in the morning.

* When Brian and I were with her in the early afternoon she stopped breathing and turned purple. She would not respond or cry when the nurse tried to get her going again and finally they used the oxygen bag. It was hard to watch but it made me thankful for such wonderful nurses. The doctors think this was a side effect from her surgery anesthesia and possibly pain level. They watched her closely and had her on oxygen (through her nose) as well. We also started her on a regular dose of Tylenol to relieve some discomfort.

* We moved her drainage tube out of her mouth to her nose. I asked them to do this to help her breath easier if there is any swelling from the ventilator. She seems MUCH more comfortable.

* Brian was able to hold her for the first time last night!

* Once the surgery meds began to wear off she open her eyes and looked around for the first time last night...It was nice to see her do that.

* Her bladder does not seem to be working so they put in a catheter to relieve the extra pressure. The hope is that her bladder starts working after pressure and swelling from her intestines goes down...it is a lot of adjusting for just a tiny body!

* In the middle of the night she ripped our her oxygen tubes. Since she has been breathing well we left the tubes out. The nurse said she is "feisty" :-)

* The nurse had to give her Morphine at around 4am this morning because she seemed uncomfortable. She responded well and is resting and breathing good.

* Because she cannot process/pass anything yet she might become jaundice so they will continue to check her blood. Please pray that she wont have to be put under the lights because then she cannot be swaddled which is something that helps keep her comfortable.

That pretty much wraps up her first full day in the NICU. She is doing well but we have a long road ahead of us. Thank you so much for your prayers for little Rory!

I will post pictures later today :-)

PS- I'm doing well and will be discharged from the hospital later today. The plan is to begin our stay at the Ronald McDonald house if there is a room available for us.

Meet Miss Rory

2011-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning,

I'm so sorry I didn't get the chance to post last night! Rory Elizabeth Glaser arrived at 6:16pm on Wednesday, July 20th! She weighed in at 5lbs. 9oz. and everything went beautifully with her delivery! Because all the doctors and nurses knew us this time around they even let me hold her before they took her to the operating room!!!

She finally started surgery at 10:30pm and we received the call from the surgeon at 12:30am that everything went perfect! Her intestines fit easily back into her body so they were able to complete a primary closure. The surgeon said that because things went smoothly she shouldn't have too much of a difficult time breathing from the new added pressure in her body from her intestines.

We went to see her first thing this morning now that she is settled back in the NICU and her nurse informed us that she had a good night. She has remained stable and her abdomen does not appear to be very swollen. They even mentioned the possibility that the ventilator may come out TODAY!!! Once it comes out we can hold her :-)

Thank you SO much for all your prayers! We are so thrilled to have our little girl finally her and now we can start the process to get her healthy and home!

I will continue to post new information as we get it and of course I will post pictures as well :-)

Getting to hold her right after she was born!

(She was wrapped in a plastic sack up to her armpits to keep her intestines safe, warm and to keep them from drying out before she has her surgery. She is also wrapped in several heated blankets to keep her little body warm.)

Holding Dad's hand while she is prepped for surgery!

Davis and Dad excited about meeting Rory! Davis even danced :-)

Our first family photo as Baby "Ree-Ree" is wheeled away to the operating room.

After Surgery in the NICU

Resting comfortably after a busy night.

Progressing...

2011-07-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

I'm having contractions about 2 minutes a part, so we are making progress :-)

(@10:45am)

Getting ready for Rory...

2011-07-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

At midnight doctors switched my medication over to a low dose of pitocin through my IV. At 6:30 this morning they upped my dosage to get things really going to plan for Rory to arrive this afternoon. They will increase the dose every 30 minutes.

Thanks for your prayers!

Update

2011-07-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Right now it is 2pm on Tuesday and I was given medication to induce labor at about noon. The plan is to take things slow and have Rory arrive tomorrow in the early afternoon sometime. They would like her to arrive during the day time due to all of the doctors involved in our situation.

Thank you for your prayers, I will continue to keep updating the blog as much as possible :)

Last night as an only child...

2011-07-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

(Davis and Daddy picked out his shirt!)

Getting started...

2011-07-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

We are at OHSU hooked up and waiting for things to get started. I will keep everyone as updated as I can today!

Thank you for your prayers!

Tuesday!

2011-07-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

We are set to meet Rory on Tuesday, July 19th! I will take the laptop with us and plan to keep everyone updated as much as I can.

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Almost there!

2011-07-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I have not being good about posting lately, that is one of the side effects of having a busy toddler!

So here is where we are at with Rory....

Things have remained the same so we are preparing to set a date for the induction sometime next week. We will set the official date at this Thursday's appointment so as soon as I know I will get that information posted...we need all the prayer we can get!!! I have been going in for testing twice a week so we are keeping a close eye on her.

I will try to be better about posting information now that we are in the home stretch and I will continue to post once she arrives so you can follow her progress :-)

Thank you for your prayers for our family, we really appreciate all your support!!!

More updates...

2011-06-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday's appointment updates:

1. Rory is almost 4 pounds!

2. Her intestines are showing about the same amount of dilation as the past appointments so that is good news.

3. Most of her intestines (large and small) have now travelled to the outside of her body.

4. Her bladder is being pulled (the hole in her abdomen is small so I'm not sure if it will actually come out of the body like it did with Davis, we will keep an eye on it to make sure the pulling does not start to damage it.)

5. The ventricle in her brain that was showing some dilation is measuring more normal (they were concerned about fluid on her brain...they will continue to check it just to be sure.)

6. Her movement is good!

7. Only 4 weeks or less to go!

8. Our next appointment is Thursday, June 23rd.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!

**Here are a few fun pictures of Davis at the Portland Zoo before our doctors appointment....

Monday

2011-06-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

No news from Monday's appointment...I go back on Thursday for a long day of testing and hopefully we should have more info then.

Thanks for your prayers!

The Rory Report

2011-06-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of a rough week last week...

On Thursday I couldn't feel Rory moving which is definitely not normal. I called my doctor and they had me go up to OHSU immediately for testing. We ran fetal monitoring tests and then did two ultrasounds. I have to admit I started breathing again when I finally heard her heartbeat on the machine! The doctor had a check list of things that Rory needed to do during these tests and she did not meet all the requirements so they let us leave but I had to go back the next day for more testing.

On the second day we started with ultrasound testing and again she did not meet the requirements on the check off list. When the doctor came in he looked pretty concerned and his first question for me was if I was at the appointment by myself...not usually a good sign (I let him know that my mom and Davis were playing on the hospital play ground.) He put us through more testing and decided that we could leave for the weekend (with plenty of contact numbers) and return on Monday for another round of testing.

I will go in for appointments on Monday (tomorrow) and Thursday and hopefully we will have more information by the end of the week. I will do my best to keep the blog updated :-)

Thanks for all your prayers!

Davis' day at the park

2011-06-03T14:48:00.001-07:00

(Looking out the window of the play structure tunnel!)

(Davs took this picture of himself on the way home from the park!)

Rory's Nursery...

2011-06-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Brian, Davis, and I just created Rory's nursery! The nursery in my way of reminding myself that we will get through all these stuggles and bring our little girl home!!!

Here are a few pictures of how the room turned out...

(This is a tiny little Raggedy Ann doll we got for Rory!)

Davis calls Rory "Re-Re" and he knows this room is for her :-)

Hanging in there!

2011-06-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

We had a good appointment today for Rory! Here are a few things we learned...

1. She is about 3 pounds!!! (She gained almost a pound over the last two weeks which is great progress!)

2. She is in the 47th percentile for size (Davis was lucky when he was in the 10th percentile so she is smokin' him in the growth department so far!)

3. Her intestines look the same as they did 2 weeks ago which is good news because it means they are not worse...things can change very quickly with her intestines but we will take good news whenever we can!

4. A ventricle in her brain looked a little off but the doctor assured us that this is fairly common and not to be alarmed but they will check on it again next appointment...just something to pray about.

5. I am really thrilled because our doctor is hoping to conduct a study with his colleagues on potential causes of gastroschisis and asked us to be a part of it!

6. Rory's intestines are not pulling on her other organs so far like it was in Davis' case.

7. I will start fetal monitoring with my next ultrasound/consult appointment on June 16th.

Thank you for your prayers!

Rory's Update...

2011-05-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted an update, Rory's big brother doesn't allow much sitting time around our house!

Here are a few updates...

- Only about 8 weeks to go!!!
- Her fetal echo went well but they will check her heart again after she arrives.
- She is growing well for being a gastroschisis baby...She is in the 40th percentile right now!
- Her intestines are beginning to dilate.
- The portion of intestine still on the inside of her body is the portion that is showing the most dilation right now...this means that somewhere in the loop (most likely where it comes back inside her body through the hole in her abdomen) is getting pinched.
- So far it does not appear that her intestines are pulling on her other organs (Davis' bladder was pulled completely out of his body and his stomach was beginning to show damage from being pulled.)
- She is over 2 pounds!
- I will be getting the steroid injections for her lungs sometime very soon...we are doing everything possible to help her out!
- My next appointment is next week... Thursday, June 2nd.

Thank you for your prayers!!!

March for Babies!

2011-04-30T15:02:00.001-07:00

The March for Babies today went GREAT! Here are a few pictures of our big day...

Ambassador Davis :-)

Cousin Maley swinging through the race :-)

Our walking team!

Thanks to all my wonderful family for supporting us!

Davis found a stick and pinecone along our walk.

Jumping the puddles was Davis' favorite part!!!

Enjoying the race with Dad :-)

Cousin Adalyn

Cousin Lexis

The Smith gang all the way from Washington!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!

March of Dimes

2011-04-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to write a little note to update you all on the March of Dimes March for Babies event on April 30th...

Several people have asked me how to get involved to support the cause...First off we still have plenty of room on our walking team that will walk in Corvallis and we would love to have you join us! If you are too far away to get to Corvallis there are several other March for Babies events going on all over the state that you can attend. Also If you can't make it to the event you can help support our walking team by making a donation.

If you would like to help Davis and I reach our donation goal of $350 for March of Dimes please email me at : jordynglaser@hotmail.com.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions! I hope to see you all in Corvallis on April 30th!

Thanks for your prayers and support for our family!

**PS- Thank you to Aunt Shirley McGillicuddy and Aunt Lois Moran for donating to our team!!! We can't begin to thank you enough!!!

Meet Rory....

2011-03-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Rory Elizabeth Glaser

We found out on Thursday that we are having a little girl! She is stable so far so we just have to keep her healthy until they can deliver her in July.

One thing to pray about...I have already started having contractions which is early. The doctors are keeping an eye on this but please pray for this issue. We don't want things to progress this early.

Thank you for your prayers for our little girl!

YOU'RE INVITED!

2011-03-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

On April 30th March of Dimes is conducting a walk called March for Babies throughout the United States.

Davis, Brian and I will be opening/speaking at the event in Corvallis (the "Linn-Benton County" Event) and I would like to invite you all to come join us!!!

There is a 3k "family walk" and also the 10k walk. If you would like more information please go to: http://www.marchforbabies.org/ Just select the event for Linn-Benton County or search with your zip code for your nearest event location.

My incredible cousin Portia has started our family team "Smith-Field-Glaser" if you would like to join our team please click on the following link and register: www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?seid=1534321.

Everyone is welcome to be apart of our team!

We hope you can join us!

Latest appointment...

2011-03-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

I had my appointment last week and I was really hoping that we would get to find out if we are having a boy or girl... with our doctors appointments that is pretty much the only fun news we get! As it turned out the ultrasound technician could not tell because the intestines were in the way :(

I go back in on the 24th so I am hoping that will be our lucky day!!!

Thanks for your prayers!

Big Brother Davis...

2011-02-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted new pictures of Davis so here are a few...

Davis LOVES to wear his Sheriff Woody cowboy hat!...even just to watch cartoons :)

We were trying to put together his new police car but Davis wouldn't get out!

After his bath he really wanted to put on his new boots :)

He thought he was pretty funny every time he popped out of the tunnel!

Riding in his Lego wagon.

I told him to smile and this was the face he made!

Out feeding the ducks...he quacked for the rest of the day!

He thinks this is his Buzz Lightyear helmet :)

Out helping dad :)

Sibling photos

2011-02-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

Davis' ultrasound at 13 weeks...

Baby's ultrasound at 13 weeks...

I was actually the one who first noticed the defect just seconds into starting the new baby's ultrasound (even before the ultrasound technician saw it) and now you can see why! Davis' photo and the new baby's photo are almost identical! I've only seen ultrasounds of babies with this defect and as it turned out the technician had never seen this type of defect before that day!

2011 March of Dimes Ambassadors

2011-02-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you for all the support that has been pouring in over the last few days, it really means a lot to all of us.

I also wanted to share with everyone that Davis (and Brian and I) have been selected to be the 2011 Oregon March of Dimes Ambassadors. You can follow our events with the March of Dimes blog: http://oregonmod.com/2011/02/04/introducing-our-2011-chapter-ambassadors/.

My first duty as ambassador was giving my testimony at the state capitol for a hearing on birth defects: http://oregonmod.com/2011/02/14/our-day-at-the-oregon-state-capital/. I had to give my testimony the day after I found out about our new baby also having gastroschisis, so needless to say it was an emotional hearing but even more worth fighting for!

Also if you would like to get involved in one of our events you can get information at: http://www.marchofdimes.com/oregon/.

Thanks again for all the support!

Good News & Bad News

2011-02-16T15:34:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,
I know it has been a while since I have posted any new information but we have big news to share and a good reason to start using our blog more often....

The great news is that Davis is going to be a big brother! The bad news is we found out on Thursday that the baby has the exact same defect as Davis.

The doctors are completely shocked and have no idea why this happened. Originally they told us the it could not happen again after Davis. Research on this issue states,

"To our knowledge there are seven published reports of familial occurrence^8,13-18. In these families recurrences occurred in sibs, half sibs, first cousins, second cousins once removed, and great uncle and nephew."

So I guess now there will be eight families to ever be documented!

Anyways I wanted to share this information with everyone so we can start praying for this little baby! We need a lot of prayer! The concern is keeping the baby alive until delivery at 36 weeks (or less). The risk of stillbirth with gastroschisis babies is about 14%. We also need to pray that the intestines will remain undamaged--up to 40% of these little guys have gastrointestinal disruptions.

The new due date is July 19th or earlier. I go back to the hospital for more testing in 2 weeks and hopefully we will find out if we are having a little boy or girl on that day. As soon as we know I will post it on the blog with his or her name so we can pray for him/her by name.

Thank you all for your prayers! I will try to post after each appointment (which should be pretty frequently).

I guess Brian and I were just meant to have children with funny bellybuttons!!!

(You can see in the picture that there is a "cloud" on the belly area (off to the left side). The cloud is the intestines outside of the body.)

Scary Santa

2010-12-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

You can watch Davis go from upset to livid in seconds :-) ....

Check out the candycane he is gripping for dear life!!

I think he is done :-)

Fun Updates...

2010-11-29T12:40:00.001-08:00

At his one year check up he weighed 19.5 pounds!

His first Halloween...

He started taking steps at 10 months old and now I can hardly keep up!!!

He loves reading and he normally "reads" out loud :)

Playing with magnets :)

(Second cousin Ruthie, Davis, second cousin Mary, and cousin Braedon)

The Big 0-1!!!

2010-11-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

Davis' 1st Birthday!...

Davis greeted guests at the door on his new electronic Big Wheels 4-Wheeler!

Wearing his Bob the Builder hard hat :)

Bob the Builder themed party!

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-25T07:57:00.001-07:00

(A bit excited about the pumpkins)

(The pumpkin Davis picked out)

(His favorite part of the whole trip was the chickens!!)

Our trip to the zoo...

2010-10-19T16:02:00.001-07:00

(Davis loved the goats at the petting zoo!)

(Studying the fish with Dad)

(Driving the tractor)

(Taking a little snack break!)

(Feeding the birds)

Finally another post...

2010-10-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

It is a bit embarrassing that it has taken me 3 months to put up a new post! There is no excuse but we have been busy....in the last 3 months Davis has grown a ton, learned to crawl, eats solids, says little words ("Hi" & "Bob"...for Bob the Builder), started swim lessons, and has started walking :)

I will really try to be better about posting pictures more often! :)

(Such a BOY!!!)

(At Cousin Brett and Jody's Wedding)

(Riding in the backpack at Camano Island)

(Putting on his new Romeo shoes...Dad has a pair too!)

(Not sure what to say about this picture...he thought he was being pretty funny!)

Davis' New Shades...

2010-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Davis and I went to the store the other day and picked out some new sunglasses (Transformer themed) for him to wear on our walks.

Little did I know just how much he would like them....

Yes he is even wearing them while he eats lunch!....He REALLY loves them!!!

Busy Boy...

2010-07-15T16:39:00.001-07:00

Visiting Aunt Taryn at U of O....

Swimming at the pool...

At the Zoo with Mom & Dad....

Heading out for our regular early morning walk....

Returning from our walk....

My first trip to the Ocean....

Telling a story during lunch....

Brian's Father's Day Present From Davis...

2010-06-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

7 month celebration!

2010-06-18T20:57:00.001-07:00

Today Davis turned 7 months old and we got to celebrate by going to Brian's graduation from the police academy! Brian has been living at the police academy for the last 4 months and now he FINALLY gets to come home!!!

6 month Check-up...

2010-06-09T13:25:00.001-07:00

Davis' 6 month doctor check-up...

He weighs 15lbs and 2oz...He is in the 7th percentile!

When the nurse gave him his shots he cried for about 3 seconds and then he turned and smiled at her! We all got a pretty good laugh out of that!!!

He LOVED the paper on the exam table!!!

The doctor said he could finally start eating rice cereal!

I had to give him a bath afterwards but he had a great time :-)

Here are a few more fun pictures....

(He was telling a VERY animated story!)

(He grabs on to ANYTHING he can reach!!!)

(He LOVES to steal people's glasses!)

(He was REALLY excited that Brian was home from the academy for the weekend!)

(He is almost crawling!)

My 1st Mother's Day...

2010-06-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

For my first Mother's Day we went to church and Davis was dedicated. He looked very handsome in his sweater vest and tiny jeans but by the time we made it to Great Grandma's house for lunch his was down to just his t-shirt :-).....

(With Great Grandma and Grandpa Glaser)

Growing up fast :)

2010-05-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

(This is how he naps!)

Doing well...

2010-04-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

4 months old today!

2010-03-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

**PS...I weigh 11 pounds and 6 ounces now too!

The Scar/Bellybutton

2010-02-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

His scar is his bellybutton...

It just looks a little "squished"!

It's amazing to think that this is the only sign left from having his insides on the outside of his body!

We have reached the double digits!

2010-02-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

At his appointment this week he weighed in at whopping 10 pounds and 5 ounces!!!

Follow-Up Appts

2010-01-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

(Davis and mom at his appointment with the surgeon)

(Davis LOVES to make his chair bounce!!!)

(This is how he woke up from his nap!)

We went to our follow-up appointments with the pediatrician and the surgeon this week. Davis weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds and 3 ounces! That was very good news and means we are finally headed in the right direction! Also because he is keeping his food down and gaining weight now we don't have to go back to meet with the surgeon again until April. The surgeon also gave us the go ahead to let Davis eat as much as he wants and when he wants it...before we were only able to feed him 2.5 ounces every 3 hours (no more and no less). Hopefully this will let him (and me) finally start sleeping more than 2 hours at a time....that would REALLY be wonderful!!!

Having a GOOD day!

2010-01-23T11:27:00.001-08:00

Diagnosis

2010-01-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

Davis' stomach does not empty fast enough which causes everything else to back up. When he eats it does not move through quickly so he gets sick when he tries to eat again later because there is no where for it to go. To help the problem we have added extra calories to each feeding so we can decrease on volume. This will allow him to get the right nutrition but have less for his stomach to process. Also it appears that he is allergic or his system just can't handle breastmilk so we have switched to a hypoallergenic formula that is easier on his stomach. He is also taking tylenol regularly to help when he gets uncomfortable.

If these things don't work he will start on a medication. We are hoping to stay away from this because of the side effects that go along with it.

We are heading home tonight but going back into the the pediatrician for regular weigh-ins now and we are meeting with surgeon for a follow-up on Thursday.

Overall, he is feeling a lot better, he is even smiling again :-) Thank for your prayers I will post an update when we know more!

What we know so far...

2010-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

Tests they have/will run:
1. Upper GI test (barium)
2. Lower GI test (barium)
3. Intestine Motility test
4. X-rays
5. Biopsy
6. Blood work

What we have learned:
1. His stomach is not working fast enough so the food is not getting through his system very well... which is why he is getting sick and in pain
2. He will most likely not need surgery!!! :-)
3. He does not have an obstruction or stenosis
4. He has been switched over to a hypoallergenic formula
5. The doctors are adding extra calories to his formula so we can decrease the volume to make it easier on his system.
6. He is still not gaining weight
7. He will be put on a medication to help his system motility

He is still very uncomfortable most of the time so please pray that his pain will decrease will the feeding plan and medication.

Thanks for your support and prayers!

We had a good afternoon

2010-01-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

We had a good afternoon today! Davis was able to take his last two whole feedings (without using the feeding tube) and keep everything down! Every positive step counts...even the little ones!

Please pray for him tonight...the evenings and nights are the toughest on him. I will continue to post updates, thanks for your prayers.

The day before the hospital

2010-01-18T14:10:00.001-08:00

He was a happy little boy the day before he got sick...

Our flight back to OHSU

2010-01-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

Well we are back at OHSU. Davis and I went over to visit my parents in central Oregon for the weekend since he was feeling good but ended up on an ambulance and hospital airlift back to Dorenbecher.

We were admitted on Saturday and we are not sure when we will be able to leave again. The doctors will be running tests tomorrow and hopefully we will get some answers then.

What we know so far:

His intestines are severely dilated
His stomach is distended
He is having trouble keeping food down
He is hooked up to a feeding tube and IV
He appears to have some sort of obstruction or stenosis
Surgery most likely will be the outcome
He is really uncomfortable and exhausted but has been a trooper!!!

I will post again when we know more. Thank you for your prayers!

Updates

2010-01-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

We went in to meet with the surgeon and go through testing for Davis' intestines yesterday. They tested him for about 7 hours (drinking barium and taking x-rays) and could not figure out why his intestines are dilated. The good news is that there is not an obstruction the bad news is we might have to keep testing if things don't get better. I am closely monitoring and tracking how much he eats every day and giving him Tylenol for his discomfort. We go back in to meet with the surgeon again in 2 weeks and decide what to do next. I will continue to keep everyone posted on the situation.

Other updates....his surgery repair site is no longer looking infected. He has been on antibiotics and we will continue to watch for warning signs but it appears that it is no longer dangerous. Also his hernia does not seem to be bothering him so he will most likely have it fixed when he is about 2 years old and his muscles are stronger.

Thank you for your prayers, I will continue to keep you posted!

Emergency Room

2010-01-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a hard few days. We spent the evening in the emergency room on Sunday and went back to the hospital on Monday, and things are just starting...

Davis has been diagnosed with several issues.

First of all his abdomen hernia has gotten worse but they still do not want to repair it until his gets a little older. Now we need to watch for signs that it is causing damage.

Secondly, his incision site is showing signs of infection. If the infection spreads into his stomach it can be life threatening so he is taking antibiotics and we are watching for a fever. If he starts a fever he will need to be admitted.

Lastly, the doctors took several x-rays of his abdomen and discovered that his intestines are very dilated. This could mean several things but they need to run more tests to find out what is causing the problem. We are headed back up to OHSU on Thursday to meet with the surgeons and run tests.

Please pray for our little guy, he is not eating or sleeping well because he is in a lot of discomfort and there is nothing we can do to help him right now...As a mother that is a heart breaking feeling.

I will keep you posted.

Big Gain!

2009-12-31T13:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-28T21:40:00.001-08:00

Updates...

2009-12-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

(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!

2009-12-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

2009-12-09T12:18:00.001-08:00

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!!!

2009-12-05T22:48:00.001-08:00

(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

2009-11-30T17:37:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-11-21T16:23:00.001-08:00

A GREAT Morning!!!

2009-11-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-11-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

Meet Davis!

2009-11-19T10:37:00.001-08:00

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!

2009-11-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-11T10:19:00.001-08:00

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...

2009-11-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-04T07:36:00.001-08:00

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

2009-10-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-10-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

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

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

Fetal Monitoring

2009-10-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-10-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

(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

2009-09-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-09-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

(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

2009-09-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-09-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

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!