Boys Will Be Boys

Last night and today brought some exciting firsts. Last night, I heard Sam cry for the first time. He was miffed to be getting his diaper changed and had to let us know it. Hearing him just made my heart puff up with happiness and my eyes puff up with tears. It was the cutest little cry I'd ever heard.

Today, the nurse let me take Jr.'s temperature under his arm. Then the fun part came. I got to change his diaper! As soon as I got the dirty diaper off, what did he do? He peed on me!!! He is a boy through and through. Couldn't help but laugh :) He also expressed his discontent by crying some more. I wish I'd been able to record that sweet sound.

The nurse practitioner we really like was there this afternoon. She always gives us such detailed information on his condition. She said they all continue to be impressed with how well he's doing and how much better shape he is in than other preemies his age. She said most moms of 24-25 weekers usually only get one steroid shot for the lungs or don't get one at all. The fact that I got both and had a full 29 hours after the second shot, could have played a huge part. That's not to say he has rock star lungs. He still has his struggles, but things could be so much worse. For that, we are so very grateful.

I tried to sing At Last to Samuel today. I always get choked up by the 2nd verse. I'll need to work on that :)

Things Are Looking Up!

Did I mention what a fantastic day yesterday was?? Well, it got even better. I returned for another visit in the afternoon with Auntie Maggie in tow (Sam's first visitor and confessed future kidnapper). We ran into the neonatologist on the way in. He advised that morning's ultrasound of Sam's head came back clear of brain bleeds. Brain bleeds are very common in preemies, especially the youngest ones. The more severe bleeds can cause conditions such as cerebal palsy and other developmental issues. These bleeds usually show themselves in the first week of life. If they don't show up by then, they are less likely to show up down the line. Sam's noggin' is lookin' good! The official radiology report wasn't in yet, but doc was confident of the results. Yay! I may just pass out from the happiness of all this good news!

This morning brought even more good news. Jr. is now tippin' the scales at 2lb 2oz!! I told Steve yesterday he looked a tiny bit plumper and I was right. Now that his digestive issues seem to be resolving, he is getting a bit of Mommy's liquid gold added to his IV diet. I've got a nice stockpile of popsicles waiting for him. And while we're on the subject, I have to give a shout out to my bud, Sade. She dropped off a bustier type garment that allows me to pump hands free. LIFE CHANGING!!!!!! I may just be pumping while writing this post! :-D

Also, we were in the NICU for morning rounds today. Doc confirmed no brain bleeds, which is unusual in a preemie so young. He said Sam is doing, "exceptionally well." Exceptionally well! He is VERY pleased with his progress. So much so, he's asked us several times if we were certain of the date of conception since the boy seems ahead of the curve. Consdering the very calculated orchestration it took to get him in my womb in the first place, yes, we are dead certain.

I had to pick up a prescription today. The pharmacy is on the same block as my face waxing expert. My face seems have enough errant hairs that Jr. may start mistaking me for his Daddy. Popping in seemed a wise decision. Also, if my eyebrows are fabulously groomed, perhaps it will distract people from these CANKLES I'm sporting. :::sigh::: My feet are so swollen, it looks like my toes could pop off at any moment. If you happen to be around me, you may wanna sport some protective eye gear. And I had the nerve to wear shorts! Doc says the fluid rentention should resolve itself in the next week. We shall see.

Had our nite nite visit with the wee one. Breathing wasn't as stable as earlier today, but the ups and downs are to be expected. Over all, he's still doing much better than expected.

Gotta give another shout out to my girls Debbie and Yonah! They both came by with delicious food today. With all the pumping, hospital visits and attempts to sleep (mostly unsuccessful due to constantly hearing the dings and bells from the NICU monitors in my mind 24/7), cooking has been a challenge. I didn't think it would be. I was so wrong.

Sam is officially 1 week old tonite! Happy Birthday to our sweet son!

And He Shall Be Named....

Hello All! Between all the pumping and hospital visits, I haven't gotten my updates out. This will catch you up on all that's been happening with the boy.


Saturday, April 30 2011


Jr. continues to do so well despite his rough start in life. He's been off the ventilator since Friday afternoon. He's breathing air just like you and I do. He's just doing it in a combo sauna/tanning bed. He's wearing a little contraption over his nose called a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) to help him take deeper breaths to puff up his little lungs. Breathing is tough business for such a little dude, but he's up to the task.

Some have expressed disappointment in my recent lack of dietary commentary. Here's a quick one. Breffus still good. How can you go wrong with bacon and eggs?? Friday's lunch was not so great. Some kind of Asian noodle thing with pork. The pork was super tasty, but the noodles were bland. Ack! I conned my way into another delicious lamb chop dinner Friday night. It was from a special menu I was only suppose to be able to order from once. Since I changed rooms, they got all confused and I got a second shot. Wooo hoo! We were on a roll until last night's dinner. Some salty pork loin thing that failed miserably. Thankfully we had back up in the form of a salami sandwich and cheesecake delivered by Auntie Kris.


Steve continues to be Husband of the Year (heretofore known as Hoty, so we'll stick with that). Since I'm being sprung tomorrow , I need provisions. Hoty ran all over Palo Alto yesterday to procure a breast pump, a nursing bra and pads and NIPPLE CREAM. I got some some panicked texts from the drug store aisles while in search of maxi pads. "Kotex?? Always?????" I said, "Always!" "How many??", he asks. I said, "The biggest pack you can get!" Then he asks, "Purple or orange??" What???? I said, "Uh, orange??? Go Gators!" In the midst of all this, I was receiving texts from Auntie Kris, who was lost and trying to make her way to Mt. View. She let me know she was on El Camino and passing Stanford. Again. I'm glad I had recently popped some percocet. Otherwise my incision would've been killing me, I was laughing so hard!


Jr. heard his first lullaby last nite. It was the acoustic version of At Last performed by our dear friends Dan and Wandah that accompanied me down the aisle at our August wedding. Steve cued it up on his new iPhone (our other new baby) and played it through one of the incubator port holes. I think he loved it. I sang to our boy through tears as I realized how the lyrics now have a new meaning for me. My heart certainly was wrapped up in clover the night I saw him. Okay, crying again. I would say I gotta stop doing that, but somehow I think I will always be powerless to the all consuming love I feel for him that makes me such a softie.


We appreciate your continued prayers and well wishes!
Love,
Team Martz

Sunday May 1, 2011

So, I'm home. And while I'm thrilled to have clean hair again, leaving our little one behind in the NICU was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Felt like my heart was being ripped out. I loved being just down the hall from him. I was constantly in and out of the nursery, which was great. We're only 10 minutes away now, but it feels like 10 hours. I don't know how people who live a great distance from the hospital do it.

Trying to get settled in to the whole pumping madness. Seriously, it's a friggin' JOB. Every 3 hours. The factory officially opened for business on Sunday. My slacking left boob finally decided to join the party and I was off to the races. I'm glad I'm able to do this for Jr and feel that I'm contributing to his development even though he's no longer in my tummy.

Tuesday May 3, 2011

Jr. had a tough day yesterday. Breathing was very difficult for him. He had alot of episodes where he stopped breathing. Witnessing your child stop breathing is more than unsettling. And it happened as we were on our way out. Not how you like to leave things. We left feeling discouraged and sad. When we went back last night, he'd been switched to a different style of mask and was doing MUCH better. We were so relieved.

Today was a better day on all fronts. His breathing was good and he pooped! TWICE! There's been some concern about his digestive tract not moving things along so well, so this was great news! He was given a teeny, tiny sliver of a suppository and it did the trick. He was so impressed with his bad self, he decided to poop again while we were there. Show off. While the nurse changed out his bedding, Steve got to hold his son in his hands. I think he (Steve, not Jr.) held his breath the whole time. I could see the look of amazement in his eyes and it was beautiful. Speaking of eyes, Jr opened his quite a bit. We know he can't see us, but it sure looked like he was looking right at his Daddy while he was holding him.

Wait, wait! There's more! We didn't think the day could get any better, then Nurse Brigid told us I would get to hold him outside of his incubator. She got me situated in a chair, then she and another nurse orchestrated the move from incubator to my chest. I held our son for the first time. Hands down the BEST moment of my entire life. So tiny and so warm. He seemed very content and chill. He even made a couple of baby sounds we'd never heard before. It was amazing. I had to try very hard to keep it together and not cry all over him, I was so overcome with emotion. Once I got over my initial weeping, I just felt a peace like I'd never felt before.

So, the news you've all been waiting for! What did we name the boy?! Our son's name is Samuel Lamont Martz. We will call him Sam. So not what I thought we'd name him, but I had a moment that changed everything. We were in the nursery on day 2 of his life and I had this vision while gazing at him. I was at the back screen door at home and called out to this curly-haired boy, "Saaammmm!" He turned to look at me with big brown eyes. In that moment, in my mind, he was Sam. My heart instantly connected to the name in a way so powerful, it's hard to even describe. I looked at him and he even just looked like a Sam, you know? So now, we are 3, Team Martz - Steve, Stacey and Sam. Pretty cute, huh? :-D Lamont is, of course, in honor of my beloved Pop. I know he's looking out for his boy now. How proud he must be to have such a beautiful grandson that will carry on his name.

These coming months are going to be a roller coaster. We know it's going to be a 2 steps forward, one step back kinda thing, so keep Sam in your prayers. He's a tough little guy, but he can use all the good wishes he can get. Much love to you all.

Steve, Stacey & Sam

Jr. Has Arrived

Hello Peeps!


The remainder of Day 3 in The Joint turned out to be quite eventful. After receiving a visit from a staff massage therapist, I thought I would need to start calling this place the Country Club instead. Really went bananas after having delicious lamb chops for dinner. I thought, "Maybe 9 more weeks of this won't be too bad." Then all hell broke loose.


I once again endured trauma in the potty when I discovered the umbilical cord making its way out last night. I calmly asked Steve to get the nurse and the madness began. I was ushered back to bed and told upon examination I was 3 cm dilated. There was an intense, slient exchange of fear between Steve and me, but somehow, he was able to convey he was going to be strong for us. A nurse placed what felt like her whole hand up there to keep Jr. off the cord. The room filled up with people. It was utter chaos. Next thing I know, we were on the run.


We arrived in the delivery room and I was quickly prepped for surgery under general anesthesia. Steve couldn't get too close to the action, but kept a steady eye on me and kept telling me he was right there. Neither one of us have ever been so terrified. Then I woke up and was told our son had arrived at 9:08pm. I was pretty out of it, but managed to get a peek at him in the NICU before being transported to my new room. I couldn't see much of him, he was so tiny (a whopping 1lb 13oz). My heart has never felt so full.


We got to the NICU today just as the neonatologist was doing rounds. He said Jr is doing "remarkably well". Also said his lungs were doing great, all things considered. The support needed from the ventilator is minimal. We've got a little fighter on our hands!


At one point, he clutched my finger and his Daddy's at the same time. He also likes to do the "we're #1!!" thing a lot too, as you can see in the attached photo :) He is simply precious and we are smitten beyond words with our beautiful son. What a wild and wooly ride!
There are no words to accurately express how thankful we are for the tremendous outpouring of love and support. We are truly humbled. Also, I apologize for not being able to respond to every individual email and voicemail. I look forward to catching up with all of you once we are settled in. We've got quite a path ahead of us, but we are going to relish every moment with our sweet boy :)

With so much love,
Team Martz
P.S.- still negotiating on the name :-P

Day 3 in the Joint

First, I will fill you in on the rest of Day 2. I received the 2nd steroid shot for Jr's lungs yesterday afternoon. I've never been so happy to be stabbed in the butt. I hope it does its thing.

I'm sleeping a little better and not having crazy dreams. The other nite I dreamed one of my incisor teeth somehow got knocked out and Sandra Lee from the Food Network was my dentist!!! I was to receive a dental implant. She was refusing to bill my insurance and I went ballistic. Good times.
I also had my very first bed pan experience. Thrilling!! There's something unnerving about feeling the pee rise to butt level. I was sure I was gonna overflow it. Thankfully, I was spared that embarassment. Though the baby making process doesn't exactly leave room for modesty, so why start now?? Just making the list of folks that have seen or been up in my junk that much longer. Community cootchie for sure. Anyhoo, the whole thing was/is a bit demoralizing, but gotta do whatcha gotta do.

Steve went home for a shower and change yesterday. He returned with a batch of freshly cooked bacon. HUSBAND OF THE YEAR!!!!!! Prior to his arrival, I had pizza for lunch. It wasn't bad! With the exception of the gross turkey samich, the food has been pretty decent. Way to go Stanford! Dinner was some sort of marinaded beef with potatoes and those cube cut carrots your parents probably fed you as a kid. Meat good. Potatoes good. Carrots bleh. The lemon pudding for dessert tasted like hair conditioner. Ack! The food arrived after I'd gotten comfy on my side, so Steve fed it to me. Feeding AND bathing me! He's going to be an expert by the time Jr. arrives!

The neonatologist came by to discuss milestones and potential complications that come with an early arrival. Scary, but stuff we needed to hear so we can make decisions now instead of in the heat of the moment. So much to take in.

I was moved to ante partum yesterday evening and I will be in this room for the duration. I got to visit a friend who has been in the joint for 6 weeks. She's doing great and will welcome her prince this Friday. Her story is so inspiring to me.

I miss my L & D nurses, Shirley and Christina. The nurses here are great, but CNAs who are less skilled do all the fun stuff like BED PANS. It's already difficult, let alone when they have you sitting on it backwards and other fun stuff.  I remember grumbling about having to get up to pee so much. I'd give anything to be able to roll out of bed to pee on my own now.

So, on to Day 3. Jr. Continues to do beautifully. He's a hard-headed fighter like his Mama. His heart rate is strong and steady. I'm not having contractions, which is great. All things considered, we're doing great.

I had another huge breakfast. All the same goodies as yesterday. I ate just about everything. Jr weighed in at 1lb 9oz yesterday, which is spot on for this time, but I'm hoping these calories will make their way to him. This may only succeed in making my a** fat, but it's a chance I'm willing to take.
Steve went home to shower and returned with a cupcake from Sprinkles. Did I mention he's HUSBAND OF THE YEAR??!! Shortly thereafter, lunch arrived. Some kind of chicken curry in a pita that was quite tasty! Then they brought a snack!! Half an egg salad sandwich, a chocolate covered strawberry and a banana.

Here's the biggest news of the day. Since Jr is doing so well, I was allowed to get up to pee!! Woooo hooooo! Have a bit of PTSD regarding the toilet since that's where I was parked when all this madness began, but it was nice to skip the bed pan. It's the little things. Also, doc wants me to walk around a bit to ensure I don't get clots in my legs.

This morning Steve and I were discussing how grateful we are to have stellar insurance. Blue Shield should hate me. I can't imagine going through all this worrying about the fat bill coming at the end. We are so blessed.

I was enjoying the heck out of my pregnancy, but lately dreamed a lot about seeing Jr's face and imagining what he would look like. Guess he took my dreams to heart and tried to show me his beautiful little face too soon. He's been put on a 12 week time out.

I miss my kitties so much. I also miss Tivo. A LOT.

Here's to continued good reports on our little dude! Thanks again so much for keeping us in your prayers.

Day 2 in the Joint

My request for bacon with breffus was honored, so we're off to a good start. I also had eggs, a half bagel with cream cheese, half a scone, o.j. and 2 servings of milk. Trying to fatten up Jr!

Today's ultrasound shows Jr is right on target, but of course, he's still tiny, which brought me to tears. All his parts look properly developed and his heartbeat is still strong. Sounds like madly galloping horses. He is also in a better position today, which will help eliminate the possibility of the cord dangling down into my cervix. This could change at any moment though. I told him to stay put. We'll see if he's listening to Mom yet.

Steve is doing that thing he does, which is being outstanding during a crisis. He's displaying some seriously stellar husband skills and taking excellent care of me. Even gave me some kinda bath this morning. Good practice for wiping Jr's butt :) I couldn't ask for a better man to be by my side.
Because of my history of pulmonary embolus, I'm rockin' some super sexy compression hose. They're obscuring my freshly painted, beautiful toes. My hair? Not so beautiful. I did request Steve bring my night and eye cream. Its definitely not helping though. Fortunately, Steve seems to think I'm a beautiful, disheveled mess :)

My catheter was removed this afternoon. Woo hoo! Let the bed pan fun begin!

Our nurse rocks. She took Steve to see the NICU wall with lots of healthy kids that were born way early. Gives us hope our little guy will make it too. Btw, he's kicking me still and its much more pronounced without the cushion of all that fluid. Kick away, son!

Thank God (or Apple and Costco) for these fancy phones that keep us connected to all of you. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and concern. Makes us feel a little less isolated. We love ya'll. I will post an update when there's more to tell, but no news is good news.

What Just Happened??

My water broke yesterday at 24w 4d. I was at work on the potty. Delightful. The medics got to me quickly (I work in the emergency dispatch center at SFO there are 3 firehouses on airport property). I was transported to a hospital 5 mins away. Steve got down from work in Marin so quickly, I thought he was choppered in. After some tests (I received the first of 2 steroid shots to mature Jr's lungs) and monitoring, I was transported to Packard Children's Hospital where they have a level 3 NICU. I arrived around 730.

Jr. is still going strong in there, though as Steve said, he's probably wondering why someone drained the pool! Greatest concern is risk of infection and major contractions. I've been pumped with antibiotics from the start. Also got a drug to stop the very mild contractions. It made me short of breath, heart raced and I shivered like I was in an igloo, but it passed.

I finally got something to eat at 1030. What did they give me? A turkey sandwich. A TURKEY SANDWICH!!! Per orders, I've been avoiding lunch meat like the plague. Oh well. I ate the hell out of it. Also sucked down 2 servings of cranberry juice like it was my favorite scotch (Lagavulin 16 in case you were wondering :)

We are, of course, fucking scared.  Excuse my French. And apologies to France for calling that French. We pray Jr. stays put for a good long while and has minimal complications when he does show himself. Between fearful bouts of crying and cursing the universe, we are trying to maintain our humor and determination. Its the moxy that kicked the asses of city government, a labor union, the IRS a couple of REs and various others. Surely, we can muster a little more to fight for our son.

I actually got a tiny bit of sleep while listening to the soothing sounds of Jrs heartbeat steady and strong on the monitor. Steve went home to get some of my things.

Thanking you for all your kind posts and individual emails seems so inadequate, but Team Martz does indeed thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Even the tiniest little heart. It means the world to us. Whether you pray to God, Allah, Mohammed, bacon or anyone/thing else, we'll take all the prayers we can get.

I will post an update tomorrow. Nite nite.