Hello to all my yaya friends. I am finally able to post. Ethan Michael was born at 3:55 pm on Friday, May 28th. He weighed in at 4 lbs. 8.3 ounces and was 16.9 inches long. He is doing well but is still in the hospital and may be there for up to another week.
I went to my dr. appt last Thursday for a non-stress test. He still didn't behave when they wanted him to get his heart rate up. So they were concerned. Then they took my bp and it was too high, so they were more concerned. So I did the urine test and it showed protein, and they became more concerned. The bright spot was an ultrasound that showed everything was just fine. ha!
Just to be on the safe side they decided to send me to the hospital for a 24 hour observation.
They told me not to eat anything before I got to the hospital and that I wouldn't be allowed to eat until they deicded everything was fine. Then they found out that the hospital I was supposed to deliver at was full (Isabel babies are blooming now!!) so I had to go to a different hospital to be observed.
Once at the hospital I was on total bed rest ( I mean they took care of everything if you know what I mean!) So I spent the afternoon on my left side with the monitors going and my stomache growling. The doc told me that my blood work looked fine and that I could eat dinner but nothing after my evening snack b/c if things changed in teh morning then I would have to have an empty stomach!!
Morning comes and the vampires descended about 6 to get my blood. Doc comes in later and says that either I'm having the baby that day or I'm staying until he is delivered (did I mention this is not the hospital I was supposed to deliver at?) Apparently my blood work was showing my platlets falling and that was troublesome, his heart tones were not very good so that was troublesome, and my bp was having trouble staying low enough to not be troublesome. Finally they told me that we would be going to surgery at 3 to deliver the baby that they couldn't wait any longer. The doc explained it that the platlet count meant that I would eventually abrupt and that the danger to the baby was worse to wait.
So at 3:55 pm he was delievered, but not until they clamped the cord and cut it so they could get it off of his neck, it was wrapped twice around his neck cutting off circulation (thus the heart tones). But he cried pretty quickly and they did not have to do any life saving procedures. He has been breathing on his own since he arrived and has never needed support oxygen. He has not had any problems with apnea or with his heart forgetting to beat. His problem is that he is still losing weight and his bilirubin is too high. We thought we had beat the bilirubin but it shot back up today and so he has to be put under these blue lights and he reminds me of a blue light special at Kmart.
Overall he is doing very well, he nurses well, he seems like a very calm baby and he is behaving himself for the nurses. I was released on Monday but was allowed to stay in my room until Tuesday. I slept at home last night and went back to the hospital today and hung out with him. He is so tiny and fragile but all the nurses said that he is a miracle because at 34 weeks he really should have needed life saving measures but he required none.
I will continue to be scarce until he comes home and I can stop running back and forth to the hospital. Jarrod is thrilled that Ethan is here, but he is very sad that we can't bring him home. I have some pictures I'm going to post but I'll do that in another post since I have written a full fledged novel. So if you are still with me, thanks, and if not I don't blame you at all!!
I know all of my yaya family's well wishes and pixie dust have made this journey that much better!!
more later,
tara
ps. I'm not even gonna attempt a ketchup!!
I'll be Ethan is a cute little guy - and wow - sounds like he is in excellent shape and quite the fighter!!
We thought that might just be where you disappeared to. 
Colleen.....that's a great subject to study.
Nothing like creating a whole new one. Nothing major here, just found a job I would like to apply for.
Take care of yourself and check in when you can 
Florida! 
...Now the interesting part will be if Mandy goes & keeping 2 girls interested in fishing & how to deal with potty breaks...
