Thank You Cooper!

Cooper, I wanted to say thank you for all you have brought to my life so far.  Before you I wouldn’t say I was insensitive I would just say that I was ignorant.  I didn’t know how wonderful different could be.  I too was one of those people who would look at “different” people and get a little nervous.  I didn’t know what to say or I would think “what if I say the wrong thing”.  I only saw that they were different.

In the two short months you have been in my life, not counting the 9 months we spent together almost as one (although I don’t know why I don’t count that time because I defiantly loved you long before you were born) you have taught me so many things.  I look at those they considered disabled as special not scary.  I want to talk to them and let them know that I see them and am so interested in knowing them.  I was so scared that I would look at you and only see down syndrome but I don’t.  I look at you and think you are a wonderful gift that was brought into my world.  I don’t see down syndrome I see you.  That cute little button nose, those little hands that wrap around my fingers, your cute little bottom lip that sticks out when you get upset….. and there are a million other things. 

You have also brought a wonderful community to me.  We have met amazing parents, therapist, care givers, doctors, nurses, and many more just because of you.  

Most of all you have taught me that LOVE doesn’t know different.  I am no longer worried about our future because I know no matter what I will always love you and be your biggest cheerleader.  I learned that I should trust myself and know that although I didn’t ask to be “this parent” someone knew what they were doing when they gave me you. 

It has only been two months but I feel like I have always loved you.  I know I have many more lessons for you to teach me and can’t wait to learn how to be better.  That is because you have already made me a much better person that I was before and I can’t wait to see you teach those around you.  I am greatly looking forward to watching you and being your mom!!! Thanks for being my son!!!

Love Always!

Mommy

Finally an Update

So it has been awhile since I updated and it has been a crazy month + a little in the Hutchings house…..

Let’s start from the beginning.  On Friday August 5^th I had a crazy headache that I couldn’t get rid of so I was monitoring my blood pressure.  Through my 1^st pregnancy and this one so far I had great blood pressure but it was up a little.  Nothing to worry about…. I called the Dr and they said if it got any higher to come in just to be sure.  I worked a half day and then went to a baby shower that the wonderful ladies at the office had for Cooper and I.  Then went home to rest and put my feet up and hopefully my blood pressure would come down. No Luck!!! So Jon and I went to get monitored at the hospital for a little while.  Of course when we got there my blood pressure was fine and they just wanted to monitor the baby for a little.  Jon and I were planning where we would go to dinner thinking we would be leaving in about an hour or so.  All of a sudden I had a 4 minute contraction and Cooper’s heart rate dropped but no one came into check so I mentioned it the next time the Dr came in.  NO BIG DEAL!! Jon left to go to the car and charge the cell phones since they were both dead……

So I am sitting there all by my lonesome and all of a sudden about 20 Dr and nurses came in and were freaking out about Coopers heart rate.  They stated telling me that they couldn’t find it and they would have to put me immediately to sleep and take the baby….. I said oh well we have to wait till my husband comes back but they so NO we will let him know where you are.  I started freaking out…. Is Cooper ok? Will he be ok? Jon doesn’t handle surprises well and I don’t want him to freak out….

Cooper’s heart rate came back up about the same time Jon came back in the room.  So we still were going to have Cooper that night but I could be awake for the C-section and Jon could be in the room.  We were sooooo not planning on that to happen but whatever we needed to do to keep Cooper safe and sound.  So I was wheeled into the OR and given a spinal block and then they pulled Cooper out.  He weighed 5 pounds and 6 ounces and was doing OK. 

I recovered much quicker this time and Cooper had a little trouble regulating his temp so he stayed in the NICU for a week.  We had so many concerns and worries about his health but considering he was and is perfect!!!!! I have to say that both Cooper and I had the best care at UAB and could not ask for better Dr and nurses taking care of us. 

Now to jump ahead, Cooper is now 6 weeks old and growing like a weed!  He has some extra Dr appointments to go to but so far they are to just “make sure” everything is working properly.  He is attending the Bell Center, which is an early intervention school, and is doing great.  We go twice a week and he gets a little workout.  Plus the states early intervention service is coming to the house about 3 times a month to help us with the in home “workouts”.  Everyone and every service that has helped us have been just wonderful.  The support from these programs plus friends and family has been overwhelming and great to receive. 

Cooper’s health is great! He has a little acid reflux that we are trying to work out and have an upper GI exam on Tuesday, “just to make sure”. He has to go to the geneticist for a follow up because of the extra chromosome. We have to go to a check up with the cardiologist because he has a little hole in his heart and an extra vessel that they don’t know where it leads. It made me giggle that he has a medically insignificant vessel because he came with all kinds of extra partsJ He has an undecended testicle that we are watching and hoping he doesn’t need surgery to pull it down.  And one of the days he has to get circumcised but we are waiting to see what that testicle does.  I didn’t know this but apparently they don’t circumcise in the hospital if they are in the NICU.  So all and all he is pretty good!

Cole loves his little brother and is always asking to “help”.  Two is a handful though and it has been an adjustment.  Cole is into everything!!! And always wanting the attention but I think that is normal for an almost 2 year old. It has been a big adjustment for him to go from being an only child and going to full time daycare to being at home with me and sharing attention with his little brother.  I recently was cleaning and paying somewhat attention to him and looked over and he was standing in the toilet…. I think I get mommy of the year for that one. 

It has been an absolute joy to be home with both boys and a challenge at the same time.  I am nervous about how all this extra stuff is going to work out when I have to go back to work but I’m sure we will figure something out. I just don’t want to think about that right now, I just want to enjoy every second of being a full time Mommy because I know it will go quick and I will miss it so much when I go back to work.

I still have concerns about the future and don’t know how things will work out. I have question like: how long will it take Cooper to reach his different milestones like crawling and walking and talking? What will he look like as he grows up and how will this extra chromosome affect him? How will I react the 1^st time someone says something rude or because they just don’t know? How will we handle the teenage years? Will they be so different for Cole and Cooper? How will Cole be as an older brother to this special little one? I guess I have time to worry about all this later and I should just take it a day at a time but I can’t help but wonder and worry.  I AM A WORRIER!

I also wanted to say thank you to all our friends and family who have shown us so much support and love through this time.  For all of you who have done things to help out and most importantly all the LOVE that you have given Cooper.  I honestly used to worry about how he would be received into my world but that worry with the great people around me has disappeared.  So THANKS AGAIN!!!

Right after he was born

OH MY!!! My sweet baby boy

Cole visiting Cooper in the NICU

Look at that smile! He is already so happy.

I think this time he wants to get in.

I don't know what else to say but look at that sweet boy.

.

All my boys.... except Zeus the dog

1st home picture. I think Cole likes him.

Again, my sweet boy!

What's up! My eyes are open.

Now I'm soooo sleepy!

Cole and Cousin Brock giving kisses

1st Alabama football game picture with Cole and Cousin Bristol

Cole "helping" Cooper with his workouts

ALL MY BOYS! minus Zeus

WE HAVE SEEN THE STOMACH!

Well everything is better than expected! We went to meet with the “Team O Surgeons” yesterday fully prepared for them to tell us Cooper would be having surgery right after birth.  We did the ultrasound with the tech and waited…… and waited……. and waited. Then the Dr came in and told us he was holding off on the “team” coming in for right now and wanted to take a look himself.

WELL HE SAW COOPERS STOMACH! And he saw it many times.  It was not too big, not too small, it was just right.  We were over the moon excited…… This means that he probably doesn’t have a problem at all in his esophagus and we do not, at this point, need to worry about surgery when he is first born!

As of right now Cooper is a perfectly healthy little boy with an extra 21^st chromosome.  He is weighing in at 4 pounds 6 ounces and is in the 32^nd percentile. Everything that we were worried about from the beginning has worked itself out. 

So what is the plan now… Well I am having LOTS of contractions but they are not really leading to labor at this point in time.  I am expecting to have these contractions on and off for the next 4 weeks and then schedule to have a repeat C-section 8/17/2011.  Unless I suddenly go into labor, which is fine at this point because Cooper is considered a full term baby, that is the planJ

Nice Weekend and Officially nine months pregnant

We had a very nice weekend and have a big week of doctor visits coming up.

The boys (Jon and Cole) set out on Saturday for a fun day.  They went to the wine store to pick Nanny T out a bottle of wine for her birthday, then to Pet Smart to check out all the cool animals, and then to Publix for a little grocery shopping.  Cole absolutely LOVES animals, his favorite are the fish.  Then on Sunday we went over to Bru and T’s to celebrate her birthday, or so we thought.  We actually arrived early this Sunday and to our surprise they had a “Sprinkle” for our new bundle of joy Cooper!  It was absolutely wonderful to celebrate Cooper’s arrival and with people I know are just as excited as me.  When I walked in and saw everything set up and his named spelled out in cupcakes it was hard to keep from losing it right there.  I don’t know why I would care if I had a little break down and started crying but for some reason I just wanted to smile instead of crying about Cooper’s arrival.  I know it is crazy because they would have been happy tears but my mind works in mysterious ways.  Cooper got ALL kind of great clothes for his arrival and beyond so we are set.  Cooper’s cousin Emri made a great diaper cake to start us off with some newborn diapers again.  My Grandmothers have gotten Cooper his crib set and a dresser for all his little clothes so everything is ALMOST ready to go for when he comes.  We are very lucky to have such caring and loving people in our lives!!!  Thanks Michelle and T for making it so wonderful! And Happy Birthday T!! Now I just need Cooper to arrive and be able to come HOME quickly. 

I am officially NINE months pregnant and very uncomfortable.  I have to go to the regular doctor on Tuesday to make sure my belly is measuring well and to see if I am getting close to labor.  Although I have been having a TON of contractions that hurt the last time they checked I am not dilating or thinning at all.  So lucky me I am having painful Braxton Hicks contraction and I am large and uncomfortable. Oh well, enough complaining it will all be worth itJ

Then on Wednesday we go to see our “team” at the specialist.  I don’t know who will all be in our “team” but am very glad we have one.  They will be doing an ultra sound and discussing all the possibilities to prepare us for his birth.  I guess that what they think is going on is the Esophageal Atresia.  I am really nervous about this meeting but we will see how it goes…….

I will update once we are through with all the appointments and let you know where we are at….

1st Posting

Hi!

I have decided to create this blog to keep family and friends updated on the crazy adventure we are on.  I am by no means an elegant writer and in fact I don't think I am particularly good at it so please be understanding. 

Well right now I am 33 weeks pregnant with our second child.  At about 18 weeks we had an amniocentesis and discovered that this baby will have down syndrome.  Although it was a big shock we have gotten used to it and have decided that this is just the way this baby will be.  We are 100% excited about him and can’t wait to meet him! By the way his name will be Cooper!

There were several markers that lead to us getting the test and most of them have worked themselves out.  He had a bright spot on his heart (which is now gone), he has a little extra fluid on his brain (but it is staying steady and barely over normal so the doctors are not worried), and his long bones measure short (which is nothing to worry about; he will just have short legs and arms like his mommy!).

About 50% of babies with down syndrome have some kind of heart defect.  We had an echocardiogram and right now it looks like he is in the 50% that does NOT have a heart defect!  There are things that can show up but for right now it looks really good.

The one area that is still concerning is his stomach.  I have had three level 2 ultrasounds and they have not been able to see his stomach.  This means that he has some kind of blockage and is unable to swallow.  The term they used is esophageal atresia.  Right now he is fine but this will probably require surgery when he is first born.  I am very concerned about my newborn having surgery in the first couple days of life; in fact, it makes me a little sick to my stomach.  The doctors have assured me that this condition is completely “fixable” and everything should be fine.  That doesn’t make me feel much better and I hope that I am able to be strong for Cooper during all of that.  There is also the possibility that they just haven’t seen the stomach and he will be born just fine.

If all of that isn’t crazy enough, we also have a 20 month old named Cole!  He is ALL boy and loves to climb and get into everything.  We have tried to tell him that he will have a little brother soon and that he is in mommy’s belly right now, but I don’t think he understands.  When I ask him where Cooper is, sometimes he lifts his shirt and shows us his belly…so I think he just thinks that his belly is called Cooper. 

Jon and I also have a 5 year old 100 pound American Bulldog. He likes to get in trouble every now and then but for the most part is a great dog.  Cole and him are best friends!

So that is where we are to date.  I will keep everyone as updated as possible, especially when Cooper decides to make his entrance into this world!

I added some pictures from the 4th of July below!