And the Mother of the Year is...

We're getting lots of smiles and coo's these days. I think Ted and I are secretly in a competition with each other as to who can get the most smiles and coo's from him. I'm winning :) I've even gotten a laugh or two a few times. So I'm definitely ahead. I've tried to get it recorded, but every time I pull out my phone he goes quiet. Apparently he hasn't gotten the memo that mom has to record all these little events. 

He's 3 months old today! He continues to do great with his recovery. He weighed in today at 15 pounds 4 ounces. His pediatrician tells us he's in the 75th-90th percentile. I feel like he should be higher than that. I mean he's 3 months old and almost out of 6 month clothing. Hard to believe my little "big" man is growing so fast. 

He's even moved out of the newborn napper part of the pack-n-play and is now in the bottom of it. 

Last Tuesday was the first official day of summer vacation. That means that our fabulous sitter takes her summer vacation too. So Lucy is with me. All. The. Time. Jackson and I are still adjusting to having her with us. I love having summers off, but sometimes it is so hard having both kids. I sound like such a cry-baby. I've contemplated calling Tina to see if she'll take Lucy for a day to two during the week. Just kidding....sort of :) 

So last Tuesday I was taking both kids to Target for the very first time by myself. I loaded them up in the car and off we went. Lucy was adament that she didn't want to ride in the cart. She was a "big girl". So I let her. I made sure she was right beside me the whole time. I stopped to look at something in the baby section and in a split-second she was gone. I yelled for her throughout the section. I pushed the cart back and forth looking for her. I went running up aisles and down aisles while yelling for her. Nothing. Then I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I ran to the end cap of the aisle and she was sitting in a stroller there smiling and said, "hi mom!" It was the worst 30+ seconds of my life. She was quickly placed in the shopping cart for the remainder of the trip. We promptly found ourselves at the wine aisle. I cried the whole way home. Mother of the Year Award went to me that afternoon. 

Fast forward to bath time that same night, Ted is working late taking pictures. Mama is flying solo with baths. Lucy gets her bath while I put Jackson in the bouncy seat in the bathroom. When we're done in there, I carry him in the bouncy seat (strapped in, of course) into Lucy's room to get her ready for bed. I'm combing Lucy's hair and bouncing Jackson with my foot. Multi-tasking at its finest. We tuck Lucy in bed and I pick up the bouncy seat (with Jackson strapped in) to go back into the living room, and a piece of the bouncy seat comes off. He falls forward in the bouncy seat hitting the floor with the bouncy seat following behind him, because I had strapped him in. I panicked. I just dropped my kid, that just had open heart surgery, on the floor.  Head first. I cried harder than he did. I was able to calm him down and didn't see signs of trauma, bleeding, bumps, or bruising. My mom assured me that I was dropped on the floor as a child too. And I'm fine. Dropping him on the floor sealed my place as Mother of the Year. When I finally laid him down for the night, I gave myself a time out and cried and cried and cried. Alas, my mother was right. Jackson was just fine. He might need therapy later in life but for now he's ok. 

Prior to the "dropping my heart surgery child on the floor" incident, Jackson found himself back at the cardiologist office. He had gotten a little virus and had developed a cough/cold. I called his pediatrician, who said he'd better get checked out since the cough was hanging on. We went in and his doctor assured me that it was just a virus that would run its course. But to be on the safe side, let's get a chest x-ray. His chest x-ray showed "pulmonary overcirculation due to heart condition". His doctor called me and assured me that the x-ray doctor was reading too much into the x-ray, it was a virus. But to be safe, let's go see the cardiologist. Finally, his cardiologist agreed with his pediatrician and that the x-ray doctor read too much into it. He's much better now and over his cough. I'm beyond thrilled that everyone is taking their time to make sure he's ok. They're ordering extra tests, extra office visits. Makes me feel good. Scares me too. Fun Fact #1: children and infants get 10-12 viruses a year! And that's perfectly normal. Wow! Guess we just wait for the next one to arrive :)

Still having napping issues with Jackson. He is sleeping through the night though! That's great news for mom and dad! He seems to love tummy time. He gets really mad when we're in the car and I have to stop at a light or stop sign. He does not like to stop. Keep moving! 

Lucy loves her brother. She wants to give him kisses all the time. We're working on her not smothering him when she gives him kisses. She wants to be right on him. Whenever she sees his scar, she kisses "brother's boo boo". Then smiles and says, "all better." 

We've had several adventures this past month. We've traveled to Athens, went to the zoo, the infamous Target trip, and many others. Trying to keep ourselves busy this summer. If anyone wants playdates, don't hesitate to let me know. We're up for them! In addition to our planned adventures, we've decided to try to sell our condo again. That means that this place has to be kept clean. The words "clean" and "toddler" don't really go together. I guess we'll manage. 

If you, or someone you know, is looking for a lovely 2 bedroom, 2 bath, cathedral ceiling condo with pool and tennis courts, let me know :)

As always, here are some pictures from the past month. 

Lucy loves playing with Jackson's toys, even though she's WAY too big for them! 

Cousins (Jackson, Lucy, and Addie) 

My jogging buddy. 

Addie and Jackson

All smiles for daddy :)

Happy summer! 

Smiles :)

Jackson turned 2 months old yesterday. His whole ordeal feels very surreal. I know it happened. I know we went through it all. But I am still in disbelief that we're on the other side of it now. 

I need to shift my focus from disbelief to being thankful and grateful for the miracle that we have been given in Jackson and his success. He is truly a miracle. Just to think that a simple change in the delivery location literally saved his life. He's our little miracle. And we are eternally thankful and grateful that the delivery location was changed. 

The terms of the study that we're participating in has changed since we're halfway done. The daily weight, oxygen level, and heart rate checks are down to once a week. Every Tuesday I begin recording how much formula he takes in. And on Wednesday's, I weigh him, take his pulse ox, and his heart rate. Last Wednesday (May 1), he weighed in at 12 lbs 15 oz. His pulse ox and heart rate have remained good since coming home!

Thursday he goes back to his pediatrician for a check up and to begin his vaccinations. His vaccines, including the newborn one, were to be held until he was 8 weeks out of surgery. On Thursday, he will be out of surgery for 8 weeks. 

He has started cooing and smiling. Nothing melts our hearts more than smiling at him and having him smile back and coo at us :) His sleeping habits have improved (and hopefully are here to stay). He's going to bed around 9ish and waking up anywhere from 6:30 - 8 am. We are very happy for that. 

Jackson made his debut in Athens a couple of weekends ago. He got lots of cuddles from family that hadn't met him yet. He met one of my most favorite people in the world, my TiTa. She is Jackson's great-grandmother. And she was beyond excited to snuggle him for a little bit. 

We can't thank everyone enough for all the thoughts and prayers we've received. I'm coming to you again asking for more prayers. Some friends of ours are having a baby on Friday. This little boy also has some congenital heart defects that will require open heart surgery for their little one. They are nervous and anxious not knowing exactly what to expect until he arrives. Please say a few prayers for their little boy and for them. 

Have a great week and Happy Mother's Day to all the mommy readers out there :) 

Time flies

It's been a little over a month since we've been home from the hospital. I can't believe how fast this month has gone. They say time flies when you're having fun. That is so very true. 

Things have been progressing quite nicely on the home front these days. Jackson has started sleeping longer stretches at night (which makes mommy and daddy very happy), he's had a "well" check from his pediatrician, and he's was dedicated at church on Sunday. He's doing very well. His lasix is almost gone. As soon as he finishes the bottle, he's off of it! By the end of the week, we'll be able to pick him up under his arms instead of the scooping we've been doing. His sternum will be healed. 

His pediatrician told me that his cardiologist is amazed at how well Jackson is doing. She's read all this through the notes that are sent to her from the cardiologist. We couldn't be more thrilled. She assured me that he is a "normal" baby who should be treated as "normal". I'm just not sure how to treat him like a "normal" baby. He's had open heart surgery!! But we're trying to do just that. The lasix and picking him up are the only two things holding him back from being "normal." 

There's a long running joke in my family. My mom was very sick when she was pregnant with me. She had toxemia. She labored for a whopping 39 hours before I arrived. We both ended up in coma's. The nurses commented to each other that we were both likely going to die. My grandmother overheard the nurses saying this and quickly reprimanded them. We both ended up doing just fine. So the long running joke is that "she almost died having me." It's true, but it has been pointed out to me my whole life. We always laugh about it. 

Jackson's pediatrician said that this would be his long running joke. I will (probably) remind him of the stress of this ordeal his whole life :)

As I was getting ready for his dedication yesterday, I thought back to the day he was born. I was so unbelievably nervous, as all mothers are. There were so many unknowns. We knew so much about his condition, but at the same time we knew so little. The fabulous team of doctors assured us that they would deal with anything he threw at them and that he was in great hands. They couldn't have been more right. I'm still in constant amazement that my little (big) man has been through everything he's been through and he's only 6 weeks old. 

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks. 

Jackson's Dedication at our church. 

The Schwieterman's 

Lucy loves holding her brother :) 

Thank you all for your prayers. We are so grateful for every single one of them. Please say a prayer for our friends and their soon to be little man. They are about to go through a difficult ordeal. They need your prayers. 

Happy Earth Day! 

Chicks Dig Scars!

It has been one month since Jackson's open heart surgery. We are in a constant state of amazement that it's already been a month and that we've been home almost 3 weeks now. 

He's up to a whopping 11 pounds now. His eating habits have increased. He's now taking anywhere from 4-6 ounces with each feeding, which explains why he's 11 pounds. He's completely outgrown all newborn clothing. He's in the 3 month clothing, probably headed to the 6 month clothing if he keeps up these eating habits! 

His sleeping habits are typical newborn. He continues waking through the night for feedings. Although he's had a few longer stretches of sleep, which is nice for mom and dad. I make Ted share the nightly feedings. I'll do one, then he'll do one, and then I'll do the last one. He's not very happy about that, but I believe in sharing the love! Jackson does a lot of cat-napping during the day. His longest naps are usually when we're out and about, which doesn't allow mom much time to nap. I'm trying to follow the doctor's advice of napping when he naps. 

Today was a follow-up with his cardiologist, Dr. Hirsch. Jackson had an EKG first and then we saw the doctor. His EKG was good. His cardiologist did find a slight, soft heart murmur. This could be just a newborn heart murmur that will go away with time or he could have this forever. Nonetheless, they will continue to watch and monitor him. They dropped the amount of lasix that he takes. That's the only medication that he's on. They dropped it from .5 to .25 for a month or until we run out of what we have. After that, no more lasix! He goes back to the cardiologist in August. After that, his appointments will start being spaced further and further out, until it becomes once a year. 

One of the other cardiologist's we saw today told us Jackson definitely needs a "chicks dig scars" onesie. I'm going to have to get his dad on making a few of them. They told us that his scar will likely fade and be barely visible as he gets older. Here is a more recent picture of his scar. It looks so good!! Much better than we thought it would. 

Dr. Hirsch assured us that he is a healthy newborn baby. And we should treat him that way. We don't need to wrap him in fine silks from China or put him in a bubble to keep him safe. He's a 5 week old baby. That's wonderful to hear, just difficult to act on. I want to wrap him in bubble wrap and keep everyone far away! I guess the realization that he's "normal" will come with time. 

Next up for Jackson is his circumcision. That will also be in August. They couldn't do it before we left Children's. I'm sure when he's older and reading this, he's going to love the fact that mom just threw that right out there. Oh well, what are moms for :) 

Thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers for Jackson and our family. We are so truly blessed. 

Some friends of ours are expecting a little boy in May and he also has some congenital heart defects. They are facing a situation similar to ours. We ask that you say a few prayers for them. This is not a easy struggle to go through. Every single prayer helps!! Here is a link to their blog if you're interested in following them. 

firsttimedadat45.blogspot.com/

Here is Jackson's 1 month picture

I think he loves his sister as much as she loves him :) 

And here's my new favorite of my little big Jack. 

Happy (almost) Friday! 

There's no place like home!

Jackson has been home from the hospital for a little over a week now. This has been a week of adjusting and settling into our new routine. We've been trying to find a routine that works for all four of us. 

He's been doing great since coming home! He's eating like a champ. I think he's making up for lost time with eating. He's taking about 4 ounces every 3 hours. My sister informed me that that is about what her 6 month old daughter is taking. And Jackson is only 3 weeks old! He's napping through the day and sleeping some at night. He wakes up about every 3-4 hours during the night. He's quickly gaining back the weight that he lost at the hospital. 

I agreed to participate in a study that measures Jackson's weight, oxygen levels, intake, and our stress level for the first 4 months. This requires me to weigh him daily and check his oxygen levels daily. It's reassuring to me to know that he's gaining weight and his oxygen levels remain great. This will also alert us to any problems that arise with weight or oxygen levels. It puts my mind at ease a bit. 

Since coming home, we've been to the doctor 3 times. 1) "newborn" check up with his pediatrician, which he passed with flying colors! 2) cardiac clinic check with the nurses in the surgeon's office. He got his last set of stitches out and they said he looked great! 3) back to the pediatrician for a sick appointment. He seems to have picked up a cold from his sister. Of course, we panicked a little mostly because he's 2 weeks out of heart surgery. We don't want any complications. The doctor assured me that she would have brought her child in too. I still felt a little ridiculous for taking him to the doctor for a cold. Oh well. Better safe than sorry. 

Lucy and Jackson have started bonding. She tries to give him his pacifier when he cries. She kisses him goodnight every night (most likely where the cold came from), and she offers him her blankie when she's not using it. 

We're all definitely doing much better since being home. As Dorothy so eloquently put it, "there's no place like home". 

Many people have been asking about Blair. I'm happy to report that she is home from the hospital too! She went home on Wednesday. Please continue to pray for her and Jackson's recovery and healing. 

Happy Easter Everyone!! 

Home Sweet Home

We were officially discharged from Children's Hospital today. And we couldn't be happier. Jackson passed his echo and the final check from the doctors. Per hospital policy, we had to taken out by "transport". We were told they would be in our room in 15 minutes. About 5 minutes later, they showed up. Needless to say, we were not ready. I put Jackson in the car seat, took him out, put him back in, adjusted straps, fed him, etc. I felt bad for the two ladies waiting to transport us. They had to wait...and wait...and wait...and wait...

We called in the cavalry in to help us leave the hospital and arrive home. Ted's mom and sister came to the hospital to help us leave. My sister was on her way to Cincinnati to help us get settled into our new routine and family dynamic. 

Once home and settled, Ted arrived with Lucy. She was a bit shy at first towards him. I think it was the amount of people here and the fact that we had the video camera in her face waiting to catch her reaction. Once people started leaving, she opened up and was excited to meet him. 

Jackson started crying while I was changing his diaper. Lucy handed him her blankie to calm him down. My jaw hit the floor! She was giving up her prized possession to her new little brother. I think we'll all be ok.

We can't even begin to offer up enough thanks for everything that everyone has done for us. It has truly amazed us. We continue to be shocked by how far reaching this blog has gone and how far away the prayers have come. Thank you so very much!! 

We know Jackson's Journey is far from over. We will continue to periodically update the blog with all things Jackson Schwieterman related. We can't believe where this journey has taken us. Hard to believe just 3 very short weeks ago, we were anxiously preparing for his arrival. And now, we're home. 

Here are a few pictures of our adventure home today :)

Strapped in and ready to go home. 

Happy to be home. 

Mommy & the kids

Kisses! 

Sending lots of love and good wishes your way. Thank you so much!! 

Love, The Schwieterman's

Tubeless!!!

Last night was another rough night in the step down for Jackson and mommy. He didn't sleep much. Which means momma didn't sleep much. Clearly days and nights are mixed up. Hoping we get those straightened out soon. Again the wonderful nurses took pity on this momma and held Jackson while I got some much needed sleep. 

Rounds came with good news today. Jackson's feeding tube was pulled! Yay! They said his feeds were going uphill (which is good). So as long as that continues, he won't need it. So far so good. The real test will come tomorrow during rounds. Jackson got his stitches out today and his echo done. All those were done in anticipation of.....GOING HOME!!! TOMORROW!!!! Yep! As long as Jackson feeds good and his echo looks good, we're out of this place! 

That comes with a whole new set of worries. We're nervous to take him home...times two! Not only is he a newborn (which comes with its own set of worries), we're taking home a baby that had open heart surgery a week ago! So momma and daddy are nervous! I know the nervousness will fade with time. The first few nights home might be spent watching him sleep to make sure he's still good. 

We really are so very grateful for all the support we've received throughout this whole ordeal. Prayers have been answered several times over. And we have the readers to thank for it. Jackson has been in very good hands here. We just pray that he's in just as good hands at home. 

And I'm happy to report that Blair is doing great too! She continues to lose tubes and today was taken off her oxygen. She's on room air! Thank you for your prayers for her too. Means so much to have so many people that you don't even know praying for child. I know Blair's family appreciates it as much as we do! 

Here are a few pictures of my tubeless little big Jack :)