Kara Elizabeth Putman is here!

Kara is here. We are thrilled - She is 7 lb, 20 inches long
We have been absolutely in awe of God's goodness and His choosing to give "good gifts" to us, His children, this last 24 hours.

I will upload photos when my Dad brings the camera cord (currently just have the SIM which doesn't work in the laptop, oops!), but for now here are some of the blessings we're thanking God for:

LABOR:
* Going into labor on my own. (2 a.m.)
* Already had a perinatologist appointment (next door to the hospital) to go to at 11 a.m. so we didn't have to worry about going to the hospital too early or too late.
* Jeremy was home for us to get the car packed and house ready, Mom was home to take Katie and Connor (ear infections) to the pediatritician's just before we headed into the hospital. Dad was still home to stay home from work with the kids.
* Our perinatologist let us admit from her office.
* The same nurse was with us the whole time. She was outstanding and stayed 4 hours past her shift to see us through delivery.
* Our perinatologist (O.B. also) switched "calls" to be here for us. She said her other alternative was to just be here and not get "credit". Wow!
* The perfect epidural (I had a not so perfect one last time and only now do I appreciate the difference!)

DELIVERY/RECOVERY:
* Great staff on hand - 3+ for baby, 4+ for me, Mom and Jeremy
* Delivered at 10:30 p.m. Close enough to midnight so I can stay an extra day if I want (Kara will be staying so this gives me an option of a more comfy bed).
* Awesome nurse just after delivery. Very kind and considerate, took me up to see Kara when I was ready to go (about 90 min after delivery, WOW. Talk about different from c-sec).
* Able to get some sleep afterward because of the time of the delivery - not so many nurse interruptions after 1 a.m., and also because I was not a c-section.
* I am recoverying VERY well. Was able to take care of what I needed to do, in the midde of the night, on my own. I have VERY little pain (and I'm a bit past due for my tylenol and ibuprofen).

KARA:
* Apgar of 8/9 (deductions for color only), cried at delivery, and was able to breath so we were allowed to hold her. This is all WAY above what we anticipated or could have expected.
* Extremely kind, caring, and skilled staff working with Kara.

Kara Update - Last night (and continuing to this morning) the neonatologist and staff continue to problem solve. She is (as we have known all along) quite unique in her circumstances. The shunt remained in place during delivery (it goes from the cyst in the mass in her lung to her back). So they had to clamp it to prevent airleakage. After a chest x-ray, they saw that Kara had oxygen inside the cysts in the mass as well as oxygen between the lungs and the chest wall. They closed up the skin outside the shunt with stitches and steri-strips to see if that would prevent the leakage outside the lungs. Kara is under an oxygen hood and her vitals are usually within normal, respiration rate is a bit high but not worrisome. She will continue to get x-rays every few hours.

Prayers/thoughts - My anticipation is that, with the shunt capped off, the cysts are going to reaccumulate fluid which will make the mass larger. They can open the shunt clamp to release this but don't know what the solution would be long-term (as long as Kara has the shunt in, we're staying in NICU). My prayer is that if Kara needs surgery now (in the next few weeks) that it would be evident sooner rather than later so we can move forward. Otherwise, healing and stability so we can hold off on surgery until 4 months would be amazing.

Please join us in thanking God for His provision. He truly has done above and beyond all that we could ask or imagine, and we are humbled by His grace. God has been so gracious to unfold His plan to us one step at a time. I'm thankful we had to (and still have to) walk through uncertainty and trust in Him, knowing He gives grace sufficient for our weakness and that His mercies are new (and enough) every morning.

2nd to last appointment!

Drs. appointment today went well. We thought it was our last appointment before c-sec next Tuesday (or labor before. However, because baby is running out of room, the shunt is not draining as effectively. We will go back in Wed. to re-evaluate. We are SO thankful for a practitioner who listens to our concerns and is willing to re-evaluate based on present circumstances (not stuck with "the plan")

Ready for Baby3!

We got 3D pics for the first time in a long time (there needs to be fluid in front of the face, you can see that part of the face is blocked by placenta). Hooray! Good day too, the whole crew was at the appointment - Jeremy, Mom, Connor and Katie.

Sticking tongue out!

Smile (a little cuter "real time" but you get the idea)

We had "growth" (meaning they measured to see how baby is growing, a little more of an in depth ultrasound) on Wednesday, and we think that we are ready for baby3 (or Putman5) and baby3 is ready for us! MAX of 2 more appointments, yippee!

Baby was 6 lbs even (well, as close as ultrasound can get with these things) on Wednesday. Pretty exciting for me as that was what I guessed (Jeremy guessed in the 5 lb range).

Today was an awesome day with the kids. We went to KidzBounce, a warehouse with huge inflatable toys, and Katie was really able to climb well (not nearly as much work to help her as the last time! Thanks, God!!)

The kids played together in the backyard for about 45 minutes, I saw them pushing their tricycles around, getting out the basketball hoop, and splashing in puddles.

Before I tutored, Connor asked Katie if she would like to have "play together" time with him (instead of play alone time). Katie said "yeah" so after she had some play alone time, they played in their room for about 35-40 minutes, totally quietly and cooperatively. After I was done tutoring, we had bathtime. I narrate constantly to my children (I'm sure they get tired of it at times!) and I was saying that we should clean up their room after bathtime. Well, by the end of bathtime (warm bathroom, very pregnant Mommy) I told them we were going to have chocolate milk after baths (too late for a real snack but a perfect sugar fix for Mommy). I rushed into the kitchen to make some (quick...calories... now!!) and wondered where the kids were. Lo and behold, they were in their room cleaning up the car racetrack. *sigh* such bliss! No, all our days are not like this... but surely to even have one... we must need another child or how will we ever be more sanctified or earn treasures in heaven? ;)

Baby Update

We have "growth" measurements this week, so I may have a little "new" information after Wednesday. Last growth check was 4 weeks ago, and baby was 4 lb 10 oz (obviously estimated).

We are just over 3 weeks from our scheduled c-section, and praying that God's will would be for me to go into labor early. It seems like wisdom to us for me to have an easier recovery so I can walk to NICU/drive, etc. However, His wisdom is higher than our wisdom, and we are thankful He will choose whether or not I go into labor.

Details are still unknown, but our perinatologist said we are wise to plan for about a 3 week NICU stay and/or recovery from surgery. If baby is doing very poorly, they will do surgery quickly, and that is a few week recovery. If baby is "o.k." then our stay shouldn't be much longer than 3 weeks. That felt really good to hear that our thoughts and anticipations sounded reasonable. We have been informed to be expecting (although these are not certainties but very high probabilities) 1) breathing tube 2) NICU 3) problems nursing

Thank you all for your prayers. God's daily grace has proven more than sufficient, and we know that He will provide a) our needs b) a "way of escape" from any temptation c) strength to stay under/persevere and d) wisdom when we ask

Katie Quotes

While at the breakfast table:
"Oh my Word! I broke this." We sure do love our little girl and her expressions. They also remind me which phrase I need to cut out of my vocabulary (O My Gosh)!!
and often:
"Yah-yee-pop, please?" and while eating lollipops (my kids love going to the bank): "It's de-yicious Tonner, you want some?" This is the aftermath of a blue lollipop

Conversations with Connor & Katie

The kids' vocabularies are growing! I took the time yesterday and today to write down some of our conversations.

Two days ago -
K: "Woo hoo! Drink Milk!" (she had finished her cereal and was ready to drink her milk... yes, out of the bowl!) Didn't know she knew woo-hoo.

K: "Mommy's a 'silly may' ".

Yesterday -
Morning, all 3 of us keeping Connor company on the potty.
K: "Connor's trying get you." (you meaning me)
K: "Mommy no get you-ing."
M: "Mommy's not getting you?" (trying to gently correct her grammar)
K: "Brother no getting you."
M: "I have to go write this down!"
K: "Come too? May I come too?" (She says "may I" about everything! even things she really doesn't need to ask about... we think she just likes to be talking all the time).

This morning, I am hearing this from another room -
K: "May I have?"
C: "No, I'm reading it."
K: (again) "May I have?"
C: "No, I'm reading it."
K: (after coming into the room where I am, asks me): "Connor's reading. May I have a book?"
M: "You may pick a different book or you may wait for a turn with Connor's book."
K: (leaving) "Wait a turn. Wait a turn."
3 minutes later, I'm changing Katie's diaper, Connor comes over and says -
C: "Here you go, Katie, I'm all done reading." (giving her the book).
K: "Help? Mommy." (the back of the book is bit broken, tricky to explain via blog post)
C: "May I help you, Katie?"
K: "yeah."
C: showing her how to work the book since it's broken "You have to use fine motor skills." (Jeremy had explained yesterday that the kids would need fine motor skills to make the book's noise now since it is broken.)

We are so thankful for God's grace in our lives. What a blessing to see the kids grow!

Putman 5 Update 1/13

Hello Friends & Family,

Sorry it has been a while since our last update. I spoke with a friend on the phone today who reminded me that my last update was (regarding visits to the perinatologists) "8 weeks down, 10 to go." Well, about the only thing (thank the Lord) that has changed is "10 weeks down, 8 to go." Baby is still looking good (well, you know, besides the large mass in the chest =), and our surgery options will remain the same until birth. We will know more birth plan-wise (such as if we will be scheduled induction or c-section or "just wait") at 35 weeks, we are just over 32 weeks now. Feel free to ask at that point, but I imagine that many of you aren't too curious about those types of details, so I may not think about posting.

We have "growth" measurements for baby this next week. At least growth (they do them every 4 week), baby was about 3.5 pounds, and 35th percentile. Apparently this last Monday baby had a 60th percentile head circumference. I don't ask about every detail each time, so my information is always a bit scattered. The mass actually did look a little bigger, but baby is growing so well that it shouldn't create a problem.

We continue to rejoice in God's provision and His providence. Looking forward to meeting this little one. It will be interesting to see how much he/she looks like the ultrasound photos!

Specific prayer requests:

*God's will and my contentment re: delivery of baby. My desire is for an easy recovery so that I can better care for baby.

*We would prefer to have baby either a) need surgery immediately or b) be able to nurse efficiently enough to compensate for increased heartrate (and increased caloric needs) so we do not have to supplement with formula. Above all, we are praying for God's will, but we would be so thankful if His will is one of the above!

I do not think we will do any more official updates until birth (unless something changes) but do feel free to call/e-mail it's always a blessing to catch up, and then I'd be able to get your update too!!

Meg