Jordan's Journey: Week 1

Our lives were forever changed on Monday, February 22, 2016 at 12:00 pm. Jordan Kingsley Sanders entered this world. Although his entrance was shocking, unexpected and not how we planned, we know that God's plan is far better than our own. 

The outpour of support has been tremendous and we could never truly express just how much your thoughts and prayers mean to us. This has definitely been the most exhausting week of our lives, but we are standing on God's promise and thanking Him in advance for the miracles we know only He can perform. It's nearly impossible for me to update everyone, so I'll be using my personal blog to keep you abreast Jordan's Journey. 

Again, this past week has been very difficult but each day God has placed someone in our lives to show us that everything will be okay. Jordan came into this world weighing 1 lb 1 oz so he is currently in the NICU at UMMC in Jackson, MS. As you can imagine, the week has been full of ups and downs but we are thankful that most of his complications are due to him being extremely small (no major health concerns). So far he's had 2 blood transfusions because his hematocrit levels were low. We hit a bump in the road when he began to bleed from his lungs but within a day it stopped!...so naturally they've been monitoring it several times a day. His O2 sats have been up and down but mostly up. The 90s are where they should be and Jordan's have been between 90-97! They are having quite a time trying to figure out which oxygen machine is best for Jordan so they've been between 2 for the past week. We are praying that they will find his happy medium very soon. His oxygen levels have also been up and down. One day he was on 100% oxygen which means he was not breathing on his own, but since he's been weaned from 80 to 70...60..50 and one day he was even on 40%! He's gone back and forth all week but he's never been back at 100% and for that we are thankful. 

Today they had to give him pain meds because he was a little irritated so he's resting pretty well. They plan to take out the line in his umbilical cord so hopefully his blood gases will remain stable so there will be no more need to use the line. They have increased his feedings from 1cc every 3 hours to 3cc every 3 hours so we are claiming that my milk will give him just what he needs!

None of this was part of our plan. If Joey and I could take Jordan's place, we would. But, we realize this is Jordan's Journey and it's the path God chose for him. So, we continue to thank God for what he has done and for what we know he can and will do. Again, we can not thank you enough for your continued thoughts and prayers. They are the only thing (besides our faith in God) that has brought us through week 1. We have a long road ahead so please continue to pray for us as well as a few specifics: that the 2nd ultrasound shows no brain bleeds just as before----that all bleeding from the lungs stop and they are able to find his happy place with the oxygen machines---that our little one gains a little weight----and lastly just pray for our strength. 

Thank you, 

Joey, NaToya and Jordan 

20 down...20 to go

Well, we are halfway there...I guess you can say things are getting pretty serious! On January 4th we went for our 18 week appointment. We knew that if baby cooperated, we would find out the gender. I was sooooo nervous the entire day--like couldn't focus. So, we get to the ultrasound room and there it is...that strong heartbeat. ::cues:: "open the floodgates..." honey when I say I let the waterworks flow..I mean it. A week prior I started getting really nervous because baby stopped moving (or so I thought). So hearing the sound of that heartbeat was truly a feeling I can not describe.

After wiping tears I heard the tech say, "You see that little thing right there?" I said "Is it a boy??".....yup, it's a boy!!!!! You would have thought Joey won the Superbowl. The smile on his face was one I'm not sure I've ever seen. I mean, we've had lots of milestones and of course our wedding day was special...but this was different. This baby is something that WE created....a blessing from God. We thought about doing cute mailings for the gender reveal but after finding out, we were too anxious to keep the family waiting. So, we made call after call and enjoyed hearing every laugh, squeal and "I knew it". Of course, daddy had to go shopping for his son. He left for the gym and came home with this.

How cute is this??

Pregnancy really has been good to me since finding out that my prenatal vitamins were making me sick. I conducted somewhat of an experiment because I knew I shouldn't be sick every night after every meal. After going back and forth with my pills and my diet, I realized that I would only get sick when I took the vitamins. So, I talked to my doctor and had to switch to those without DHA. Now I feel pretty good...despite the CONSTANT urge to use the restroom. I swear this little boy does karate all day long and then when he gets tired, he tap dances on my bladder. It's so funny but painful at the same time.

I'm really enjoying this journey. I find every little thing amazing! I just thank God for allowing me to experience it. Each night we thank God for his many blessings and pray that he continues to guide us. Ahh the joys of pregnancy...20 weeks down...20 to go!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 20 weeks 

Size of Baby: About the size of a banana; he was 8 oz at our 18 week appt so I'm excited to see how much he's grown!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I only gained 1lb since my last appointment, so that makes 8 total for the pregnancy.

Maternity Clothes: I bought a few pair of maternity leggings and a sweater (that says mom to be hehe)

Gender: It's a .........BOY!

Movement: He's rarely still...like his mama! I freaked when I felt no movement for 3 days but ever since he's been doing karate and practicing his football kicks. I get so tickled every.single.time I feel a kick.

Sleep: Any suggestions on how to get a fairly good night's sleep? Joey said he would buy me a pregnancy pillow so I'm hoping that helps. I just can't seem to get comfortable.

Cravings/Aversions: I absolutely HATE bologna but one day I called my mom and told her that I wanted the one thing I hated most. She automatically knew it was bologna. I wanted it fried...with a few burnt edges and mustard. Sadly, the craving went away and I'm back disgusted.

Emotions: They are actually on the up and up! I'm feeling much better these days. However, I did get overwhelmed when thinking of all the things I have to do to prepare for life with a tiny human!

What I miss: Nothing really besides having control of my bladder lol

Symptoms: I've been feeling really well. I found out that the DHA in my prenatal vitamins was making me sick...which is why I kept throwing up at night. Since switching I feel much better. This past week I was really tired and it's been harder getting up our stairs but I'm making it!

What I'm looking forward to: Buying stuff for my baby boy!

I Survived My 1st Trimester

I survived my 1st trimester. I can no longer go by what others say, because I've truly learned that every woman's body is different. I know some people who breezed through the first trimester, and others who spent the majority of their days (and nights) at the toilet bowl....go figure. Let's just say this is how I feel.....

We are now at now in our 2nd trimester! Hopefully the morning [all day] sickness will become less frequent and I'll have a little more energy. Things haven't been horrible, but there are some foods that just don't agree with baby. I thought I had it nailed down, but every few days I'm faced with a new surprise. Joey thinks baby is a picky eater---like mommy.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 14 weeks 4 days

Size of Baby: About the size of a lemon...measuring around 3 inches (will know exact measurements and weight at our next appointment)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Ummm..I've never obsessed over my weight (for obvious reasons) but the nurse confirmed that I gained 7lbs ....in 4 weeks. Whew, only 28 more to go ::blank stare::

Maternity Clothes: Not yet--but I see them in the near future. My pants barely fit and when they do, I definitely can't zip or button them.

Gender: We will find out at our next appointment! 

Movement:I'm not sure. Some moms say they've felt movement or flutters around this time. I thought I felt a flutter last week but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, I can't wait to feel the baby move!

Sleep: I've never been a consistent sleeper so that's about the same. However, I do get up several times to pee :/

Cravings/Aversions: This is tricky because I've always been a picky eater. One week baby hates Mexican food, the next week I'm craving it. Wanna know the sad part? I LOVE fried catfish and since the beginning of my pregnancy I can't even be around it. The thought alone makes me want to puke. I hope that changes.

Emotions: Let's just say preggo hormones are real. I've always been pretty emotional but now....poor Joey.

What I miss: Nothing really besides having control of my bladder lol

Symptoms: Still dealing with a little nausea every now and then. I'm not as tired as I have been but after I eat it...it's a wrap. My emotions are still all over the place but I'm going to pray on that (lol). I did experience a bit of round ligament pain around week 10-11. It was not a good feeling, but I understand that it's part of the process.

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out the gender!