hessefamilyceo's Xanga

New Blog Address: hessefamilyceo.blogspot.com

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 04:36:21 GMT

I wanted to let you all know that you can now read my blog at http://hessefamilyceo.blogspot.com. I'm switching from Xanga to Blogger b/c of various reasons...so check out my new site! It's cooler looking, I'm proud to say! I've been thinking about switching for a month, but I just haven't taken the time to set it up.

Hope you'll make the switch and join me over at Blogger.

See you there.

Lilli Update #10

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 19:37:09 GMT

I have great news! Miss Lilianna Grace is now resting comfortably at home. She got her first glimpse of the outside world, and she enjoyed a calm ride home from the hospital. Jess, Stefan, and Oma are elated to have her at home, and we're all grateful for God's mercy in giving Lilli continually improving health and a calm, sweet disposition.

Thanks for your prayers and support. I think this is the last Lilli update!

Love, Jenn

No Food Allergies Here!

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 03:20:55 GMT

Well, we finally got Kaden tested for food allergies on Friday -- actually just milk and eggs. But he tested negative for both! It's good news, but he's still a little complex b/c his skin reacts to certain things, and he still vomits at night if he drinks cow's milk. So due to the no allergy report, we've decided to put him back on dairy...everything except straight milk. In addition to milk, he doesn't do well with certain food dyes, anything with mayo, and cottage cheese. His body also doesn't seem to like Splenda. His face gets really red and breaks out in little hives when any of those things touch his skin, and the doctor theorized that perhaps the lining of his stomach also gets irritated, which is why he can't keep regular milk down. He doesn't have any other symptoms other than the irritation (which goes away when the offending food is wiped off) and the milk-induced vomiting, so I'm grateful that that's all it is.

So...no allergies but some sort of a sensitivity that the doctor hopes he'll grow out of before kindergarten. It's nice to know he's not allergic!

Lilli Update #9

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 03:11:37 GMT

Tomorrow's the day!!! Jess was hoping to bring Lilli home tonight, but they decided to keep her one more night b/c apparently she had a low oxygen stat 4 nights ago, and they always keep babies for at least 5 nights after that happens. Despite the fact that Lilli's nurse said it was because her nose was a little congested, it doesn't matter what the reason is. But...tomorrow will be here soon.

Mom is busy creating a nursery as I write this b/c Lilli's nursery is currently the guest room/office/storage unit. They have a 1000 sq ft apartment in San Diego, so every space has to be multifunctional! Stefan & Jess obviously weren't expecting Lilli until at least another week or so (she was due at the end of October), so the nursery is going to be a bit makeshift until they get everything put together and make it through the round of company.

Well, that's the scoop. It looks like my updates will soon be drawing to a close. Thanks for reading & praying, everyone!

Lilli Update #8 ... in the mama's words

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 03:20:42 GMT

I thought I'd post a new picture and a little tidbit from an email Jess sent tonight. I wanted you to hear their thanks in their own words:

"Well, thank you so much everyone for all the prayers, love and support. You all have made such a difference in what could have been such a difficult situation. Not that it hasn't been difficult at times, but God has given us a great measure of peace throughout everything and has been faithful to sustain us. Thanks for thinking of us!!"

I Made Bread...from Scratch!

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 17:10:53 GMT

I wanted to celebrate my yummy gluten-free (GF) bread! Kaden helped me make 2 loaves this week, and it's quite a fun activity for us. I have to say, he's a really good helper when you give him little jobs to do. He LOVES projects! He holds the hand mixer for me...which may sound like a risky idea, but he does great with it. No splatters at all!

Most people know that I have Celiac Disease, which means I can't eat gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats). I could count on one hand all the times I've had bread since I was diagnosed in 2002. Well, one of my mom's Mary Kay customers makes and sells her own GF all-purpose flour and sent me a 5lb. bag to try. I really like it! It's not like regular bread (seems more like a pound cake almost), but it does have a good taste. And since it's been so long since I've had bread, I'm quite happy with it. I am not a baker (I'm much more of a cook), so it would probably come out better if I knew the tricks of the trade. But my tastebuds are happy! And it's a fun evening activity for me to do with Kaden when daddy's at work and Laney's sleeping.

If anyone else out there has any use for GF flour, give this a try. It seems much less gritty/grainy than some other flours I've tried, and it comes with xanthan gum already mixed in. She doesn't have a website, but her email is betterbattergff@hotmail.com.

Yay for bread!

Lilli Update #7

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 16:56:48 GMT

Another good report! Lilli gained 2 full ounces last night, so she is really making great progress. Jess said she's trying to focus on how well Lilli's doing instead of thinking only about what day she'll get to take Lilli home...because it might be Tuesday until they actually get home. Apparently the discharge routine is quite lengthy, especially since Lilli had respiratory problems. They have to watch videos, get OKs from several different docs, and meet with the social worker. In addition, Lilli has to sit in her car seat for an hour to make sure that she keeps her oxygen level where it needs to be (Jess said that sitting scrunched up in a car seat makes breathing a little more difficult.)

So it sounds like attitudes are happy and Lilli's progressing every day! They started calling her "little piggy" as a subliminal message to eat more, and it seems to be working!

Thanks for the prayers and for checking back for updates. I may get new pics today or tomorrow.
God Bless!

Lilli Update #6

Sat, 07 Oct 2006 18:38:02 GMT

I wanted to give a quick update: Lilli's doing great! She is getting the hang of breastfeeding, and she's also taking supplemental breastmilk in a bottle so that they can track how much she's eating and also b/c it doesn't require as much energy to use the bottle. But she's increasing her breastfeeding time and her weight was up 25g from yesterday. Jess saw some labs scheduled for Monday morning, so she's thinking that they may be planning to give her the weekend to keep tracking her weight. She's out of a heated bed now and is maintaining her body temp. well. She's in the "big girl" part of the NICU along with other babies who are not on oxygen or IVs, so there aren't as many beeps and alarms going off -- Jess said she thinks Lilli's sleeping better and storing up energy to spend on eating! And she's allowed to wear her own clothes now, so that's good, too. Now that she's getting better at eating, they're just waiting to see a day or two more of consistent weight gain, and then she can go home!

Jess seems to be doing remarkably well after her C-section, and I know she'll be able to get more rest once Lilli is just a few steps away in her nursery instead of down the street in the NICU. So other than being sleep-deprived, it sounds like she's doing really well!

Well, my little one is sitting here on my lap, making it hard to type. So I better scoot. Thanks for the prayers...just a few more days of hospital life and then the little Veldhuis family should be home together!

P.S. Earlier, I spelled Lilianna's name wrong. The long version has 1 "L" and the short version is "Lilli." ...For anyone else who was wondering.

The Curse of Busyness

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 03:52:23 GMT

So here's what I've been thinking about: busyness! The topic had been rolling around in my mind, mostly a bunch of random thoughts, and then I read a few posts on one my favorite blogs on the topic--"girltalk." (See Cheerfully Busy, Unspeakable Peace, Always in a Busy Season, and A Busy Woman's Survival Manual. And I loved this article that they linked to: Do What You Can. It was a big encouragement to me.)

So what got me thinking about busyness? Well, since most of my family and close friends do not live in Nashville, we mostly keep in touch via long-distance calls and emails. And when these dear people ask me how I'm doing or what's up, I find that more and more, my first answer is, "Busy! Very...(long pause) busy." As I'm saying it, it always bugs me that that word is the first thing I think of to sum up my life. Not great, wonderful, grand, happy, or even exciting. Just busy -- as though I'm merely putting one foot in front of the other in an ongoing pattern of activities. Sadly, sometimes that's how I feel inside!

Is it me, is it the culture we live in, or is it just this phase of life that I'm currently in? Perhaps some of all three. Part of me likes to be scheduled, action-packed, and .... well, busy. But then part of me feels like, "Hmmm...maybe I'm too busy, maybe I don't have enough "free" time to do things like pay bills and clean the house. Speaking of which, how long has it been since I mopped these floors? They seem to be taking on a life of their own." Yup, my ignored floors often cry out to me while I nurse Laney 5x/day, creating a feeling of guilt and frustration during time that I should be resting, calming my spirit, and enjoying this fleeting, precious time I have to sit and rest with my baby. There are moments when I resent busyness and the joy I let it steal from me.

So what's wrong with busy? Maybe nothing for you, but for me, all the activity seems to be dulling my senses a bit. Now maybe it's just the fact that I have a toddler and a newborn who provide many distractions, but I can't seem to concentrate or gather my thoughts! And I know some of it could be post-baby hormone stuff (progesterone being out of whack can mess with your memory + concentration), but this flighty brain is just not me! I'm doing stupid stuff like leaving clothes in the washer or remembering to switch the clothes to the dryer -- and then forgetting to turn ON the dryer. Oops. Okay, those are really inconsequential things, but what if more important things are slipping through the cracks?

No matter what, here's what I want. I want to be fully conscious, fully alert, and fully intentional about each part of my day...even if I'm intentionally resting! I don't want to feel like a pinball, jostled about by the demands of the immediate. And even more than that, I don't want ten years to slip by and look back with only one word to characterize these irreplaceable days...busy.

(P.S. More on this later...I'm gathering my thoughts, which could take a while [ha!]...but I think part of the puzzle is to form a plan of sorts, involving a personal retreat to identify my main goals--which will help me to prioritize my weeks, days, and activity choices. This is big!)

Lilli Update #5

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:11:27 GMT

Well, I have good news and sort of mediocre news. The good news is that Lilli's bilirubin is down to around 10, which, at least when Laney had jaundice, was the miracle number that meant she could come home. However, the mediocre news is that Lilli's still not totally onto eating yet. Apparently she gets so excited about sucking and swallowing (she's got that part down!) that she forgets to breathe! So they have to keep an eye on her oxygen level while she's eating and listen to her breathing to see if she's swallowing and breathing effectively. It's normal preemie stuff, so nothing to be alarmed about, but it just means lots of feeding trips for Jess & Mom and more days in the NICU. I haven't heard the forecasted day for discharge, but it may be sometime early next week, depending on how Lilli does with the eating bit. Sort of an important part of a baby's life.

Thanks for the prayers, everyone! I talked to Mom this morning, and she said Lilli is alert and happy during her waketimes, so that is great news!

Love to you all ~ Jenn