RSV: “Really Spendy ‘Vacation’”

Well, this post is coming a lot sooner because us Wayman’s had a bit of an adventure this past week. As much as I would love to leave you in suspense with a careful weave of witty and careful writing…  I’m not that good so I will just get to the point.  Nyte was in the hospital for RSV.

What Is RSV?

 

RSV is a virus that infects the lower respiratory system and is most common in infants.  As Traz would say, “It’s a cold gone wrong”.  He’s not too far from the truth. RSV has very similar symptoms.  In order of least awful to most awful it goes: cold, flu, RSV.  So what makes it worse than a cold? RSV can affect the oxygen levels in blood.  This happens because the mucus and gunk that forms in the lungs can block or inhibit air flow. What is tricky is that it often only stops that flow when the person is asleep.  

Nyte had a very wet sounding cough and a runny nose on the 1^st of March (Friday). Traz and I talked about it and we decided that it was just a cold. Nyte had a runny nose the last time he was teething too. So we paid no mind. But that Sunday Nyte was having a really hard time. Lots of coughing, not eating as much, and having a REALLY hard time sleeping.  We decided that we would call his doctor’s office to cancel his immunization appointment and to find out if we should have Nyte seen.

The next day I ended taking Nyte to the doctor. Everything seemed to be going fine. No fever, nothing wrong with ears. Then the lady who was seeing Nyte took a listen to his lungs. There was something amiss with his lower right lung. Next thing I knew, I was at the hospital getting Nyte x-rayed and having his mucus tested for RSV. He tested positive. This meant I got to be up every two hours testing his oxygen levels with an oxymeter and every four hours giving him albuterol via a nebulizer. I was told that if Nyte’s oxygen levels went below 90% when he was asleep at night (and that’s below 90% all night) I would have to take him to the hospital.  He never reached 90% during the night. 

So Off We Went

Playing on the hospital bed

We didn’t get to the hospital until about 2:30pm on Tuesday. They connected Nyte to an oximeter that would be constantly monitoring his oxygen levels.  Traz came about an hour later and we played with Nyte as much as we could. He was supposed to have his nose suctioned every two hours. Luckily, after a nurse came in and suctioned his nose after he had gone down for bed only 40 minutes before and and I couldn’t get him to sleep until 1am, I had that put to an end.

Still so happy

Sleeping with his oxygen mask on

During the night, Nyte’s oxygen level didn’t alter too much. They had Nyte go through deep suction, which was just awful for me since they have to put a tube up his nose and down hiw throat. They were talking about having us leave in the morning. Then everything changed during Nyte’s first nap. His oxygen levels would pop up to 90% and then drop down to as low as 80%. The nurses had us wake Nyte up because they couldn’t get ahold of his doctor to find out what to do. The doctor got back with them and ordered Nyte to get put on oxygen.  Nyte was put on oxygen after another deep suction treatment. He didn’t like the mask at all. When Nyte fell asleep, his oxygen levels were normal! So normal that he was able to get off on the oxygen, although his mask stayed on.  He liked it a little better when the oxygen wasn’t running.

His hair was CRAZY after his nap

Nyte’s doctor came in and checked out his body. Everything seemed fine. So he gave us two choices: 1) stay another night just to make sure everything is ok or 2) Go home with an oxygen tank (just in case) and an oximeter. It was hard to ignore Traz jumping up and down behind the doctor holding up the number 2 in his fingers.

Needless to say, we went home that night (Wednesday). Nyte was very happy to be home. Not so happy to get his nose suctioned by me and having to breathe in saline every few hours, but still happy. Nyte is feeling better. His oxygen levels are better and I’m getting all the gunk out of his lungs. I’ve had to put him on oxygen a couple of times but not a lot which is a good sign. 

So What Have We Learned?

 

Traz and I wish we could just go back in time and do it over again. We would have gotten a humidifier and really made sure his nose was clear. We never did before because he hated the syringe bulb soooo much. Lesson learned. All you first time moms out there should learn from our mistake. Your baby will not like getting their nose cleared with the bulb syringe but it helps so much in the long run. Get an electric one if you have the money and aren’t confident in your syringe skills. But do it. Because you never know when it’s more than a cold, and your baby isn’t getting enough air in their blood. They hate it but it will save you a lot of worry in the long run.

So other than that, nothing much left to report, other than we have filed our taxes and are excited for our refund. Hellooooo school loan payments. At least part….who knows how big this hospital bill is going to be….

Until Next Time!

-The Waymans

 

So Much To Do!

Well, it’s been a bit since the last post. Not too much has happened with Traz and myself but a lot has happened to Nyte. But I like to save the best for last. Traz is working 48-50 hours a week at Intermountain Electronics as an electrical engineer for the research and development department. He has already helped release and produce about two or three products since starting. Needless to say, I’m very proud of him and the hard work he does for the company. I am loving my 24 hour a day job of being a mom. Nyte is growing a great deal. I am growing too. Being a mother has taught me to love on a whole new level. 

Our "little" six month old

As for Nyte, he is our world right now! He hasn’t rolled or crawled yet but that’s mainly because tummy time is horrific to him. He despises it! So that’s a bit slower but he is growing in every other way! He is eating solids now. Pears are his favorite! That was an adventure itself. Traz actually had to teach me how to feed Nyte, because whenever I would try Nyte just wasn’t interested in the food. Speaking of food, we aren’t buying baby food. We are making it! My sister gave me this really great book called, “The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet”. The title says it all. All I have to say is if you are a parent who wants the best for your baby and has some extra time, and a food processor, I highly suggest going this route. It’s very easy and nice to know what is going into Nyte’s tummy. 

Anywho…. Nyte is TEETHING!! It all started about three weeks ago. Nyte was sleeping through the night just fine when out of nowhere he was up. Every. Three. Hours. Ugh. Traz and I thought he was sick. The second night this happened (after I had been up twice already with him) I went into Nyte’s room, put a pillow under his mattress, (because that can help relieve sinus pressure)  adjusted his blankets and then decided to rub his gums. He gave a sigh of relief. Not a small one either. I mean if a cat could sigh as it curls up in a ray of sunlight, it would make the noise that came out of Nyte’s mouth! That’s when I knew Traz and I were in for a ride. We waited about a week before getting some pain reliever for Nyte’s gums. The first night we gave it to him, he slept for 9 hours. Bliss is the only word to describe it. Now he has two bottom teeth that have cut through. He’s still having some trouble sleeping at night but I can’t blame him with all the pain he must be in. Our little 6 month old is growing so fast!

As for the city of Price, we are really liking it here! The snow is finally starting to melt and we are excited for warmer weather. There is a park just down the street where we live and we are itching to have Nyte go there. We don’t know yet if Price will be home sweet home for the future but we wouldn’t mind if it was.

Well, that’s it for now. Until next time!

-The Wayman’s

 

The Price Is Right!

Did you fall off the planet?

Nope. No planet falling for the Wayman's. Just no internet. We have to find a provider first and that is just a pain right now. So, we are just using the internet at the city library. We may get internet if we end up staying here. Maybe.

So how is Price, Utah? 
Price is great! We love it here! The drive down through the canyon is one of the most dangerous roads in Utah but it is a great view/drive. The town is smaller than Rexburg. It's a mining community! (Can anyone say "DISTRICT 12"!?) The Church we go to has nice people and our apartment is good for us. Traz works at Intermountain Electronics, which creates the equipment that the miners use. He works about 48-50 hours a week. Needless to say, Nyte and I are happy when he comes home. Speaking of Nyte! He has grown a great deal. He sleeps A LOT more now, which is nice for me. Sometimes he will sleep through the night but most often he sleeps about 7 hours, eats and then sleeps another 3 or 4 hours. On the 25th of November, Nyte was blessed by Traz. Traz is currently teaching Primary kids in Sunday School at Church (10-11/12 year olds) and I am an assistant Den Mother for Cub Scouts (Wolves). Traz gets to teach a bunch of pre-teens each Sunday, and I get to wrangle with over a dozen 8-9 year old boys while holding a 3 month old baby. Yeah...we are busy! But we are happy and hopeful. We don't know yet if Traz will get hired on but our fingers are crossed. We truly love it here and we hope we can truly call it home soon.

So we aren't dead, just lacking in internet.

Until next time!

-The Wayman's

Our little Goomba! So much bigger!

Penguins On The Move

So this will probably be the last blog update for a bit because we soon won't have ready access to the internet. Why? Because Traz, Nyte and myself will be moving to Price, Utah for Traz's internship with Intermountain Electronics!!! YAY!!!!!!

Traz had gotten the lead on the internship from the department head of his major at school. Now you have to realize that Traz had already put out over 20 applications for various internships all over the country. Traz needed an internship so that he could officially graduate from BYU-Idaho. In the meantime, we moved to Traz's parents place in Nampa to save us money. Traz was looking for a part time job and I was getting everything settled for us. Well, Traz was looking at a job application when I noticed that we had a new voice mail on our phone. I listened to it and it was a man named Dale from Intermountain Electronics who had gotten Traz's application and wanted to ask him a few questions. Needless to say, Traz was hopeful. He got a hold of Dale the next day (that Friday) and before we knew it, Traz had a phone interview set up for the following Monday! It was harder to tell if Traz was more excited or nervous.

So, Monday came and Traz had the phone interview. They said that they would let Traz know the result of the interview in a couple of days. Traz felt really good about the interview but he was still really nervous. We were starting to lose hope when the weekend came and we didn't hear from Dale. Traz even sent an email saying he was very interested in the outcome of the interview.

Then Monday came and I just happened to be up in the morning. The phone started to ring and I gave it to Traz since it was a Utah number. It was Dale who wanted to know if Traz wanted the internship. When Traz said yes, Dale said that he wanted Traz to come down to Price to see the company and take a drug test. Then they started talking about apartments and salary as well!!! We went down to Utah this past week and Traz officially got the internship! He starts October 1st.

So now we are scrambling to get an apartment set up, pack everything, and move. We want to leave by Thursday, which is going to be rough. But, as these penguins say, "Everything will work out".

And so, until I get the chance to write again, let's hope that "everything will work out".

-The Waymans

One Month Later: The Tale of Being a New Parent

One month ago at 2:49pm, our lives were changed forever. Nyte came into the world and blessed us in a way we never could have imagined. It is crazy to see how something that takes away your sleep, time, energy and money can fill your life with love, contentment, peace and joy. Traz and I can honestly say that we have never been more sleep deprived in our lives....but we also have never been as close as we are now. Children, when kept in the right perspective, really do make you love your spouse even more.

What We Learned...

So I asked Traz what he has learned in the past month, and he simply said, "Sleep is necessary". Granted, I asked him this when he wasn't quite awake. 

As for me (and I'll include Traz in this as well), I feel like I have learned a lot in the past month. I guess a lot is a bit of an understatement. 

Let's start with the hospital experience:

1. Get details on where the middle of the night entrance is for labor and delivery. My water broke at 2:30am and when Traz and I got to that special entrance, it had limited hours posted on it. So I got to walk down a hill and to the other side of the hospital to the emergency entrance. I was told later that you had to use the phone that was on the other side of the door to contact labor and delivery to get a second set of doors opened....
2. Unless you want your pajamas to get ruined, just stick with the hospital gown. I know that there are blogs, books and articles out there saying you should get something comfy to wear after you deliver. They often suggest a nice pair of pajamas. Don't do it. Just don't. You don't have a period for nine months but you make up for it after you deliver! Trust me. I'm really glad I didn't wear my pajamas!
3. There is no shame in supplementing! My milk hadn't come in yet and poor Nyte was starving! It wasn't until the morning of our last day in the hospital that a nurse suggested that I supplement with formula. (that means to give him breast milk until I run dry and then top him off with formula) Nyte had been up cluster feeding for most of the night so I was willing to try it. The difference was AMAZING! He ate 35ml and was out like a light! So if your baby is hungry and you can't meet that demand, supplement all the way! 

So those are the top 3 hospital visits I learned.  Now onto the past month...

1. Don't buy a bassinet unless you really want one. You can simply use a laundry basket that has some blankets or towels in it for padding.(We also like to cover the whole thing with a receiving blanket so that it drapes over the sides.) It's the same thing! Once more, you can have that same laundry basket be the child's laundry basket when they get bigger. Think of it as a constant reminder to them of how small they use to be. Here is a picture of our basket bassinet:
2. Sleep when the baby sleeps! I can't stress this enough! Your time is not your own when you are a mom, so get the rest while you can!
3. If you're breastfeeding, eat A LOT! I can't tell you how many times I have had stomach cramps because I wasn't eating enough. Luckily, Traz has been amazing enough to feed me while I'm feeding Nyte so that I don't get too weak. 

So that's what we have learned for the most part, or at least the top three from my perspective. 

In conclusion, we love our little boy more than we even realize. Why else would  get up every 2-3 hours to feed him? Why else would Traz walk around carrying him for over an hour to get him to sleep? It's either insanity, love, or both. 

We feel so blessed to have Nyte in our lives, and that we are sealed together for time and all eternity. We get to be a family forever, and we are looking forward to it!  

-The Waymans

So I heard you had a baby!

That's right! The day finally came when I popped and Traz and I started our new lives as parents! So the moment you've all been waiting for.....

The Story
Monday, August 13th, I had a doctor's appointment. I saw Dr. Evans who, after checking my cervix, stated that the baby was in a good position, and I was fully effaced. All that needed to happen now was for me to dilate more (I was still only 1-2cm) and have contractions. Yep, I was 39 weeks and 1 day pregnant and still had no contractions at all. Because my uterus was measuring slightly larger than normal, Dr. Evans had me set up an induction date for the 21st, which was two days after my due date. He was worried about how big our baby boy was getting. So, Traz and I set up the date and went on our way. We did nothing special that day. Just watched movies, ate dinner, and went for a walk. I also did some prenatal yoga as well! We ended up staying up really late that night because someone (Traz) wasn't ready to go to sleep. Frankly, neither was I. So, we stayed up until about 12:30am and started to sleep about 1am.

And that's when it all started to go into motion.....

I was going to the bathroom a lot. I mean even more than a normal pregnant woman would do. I wasn't sleeping well either because I was very uncomfortable. Well, I went to the bathroom (again) around 2:30am or so. I got back, sat down on the edge of the bed, and felt a sudden rush of warmth come out of my "area". First thought? "Is this actually happening!?" I told Traz, who had yet to fall asleep, that I thought my water had just broken. I got up, put on some clean underwear, and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later my panties were wet. (Not to mention....amniotic fluid doesn't smell like pee) So we grabbed our stuff and went off to the hospital!
I was admitted into the hospital, after some speculation as to whether or not my water had actually broken, at 3:30am. I was sent to a delivery room, set up with an IV (first in my entire life) and we waited. You know how I wasn't feeling any contractions before? Well...that didn't last long once my water broke. I always wondered how you would "just know" when you were in labor. Let me tell you: YOU KNOW! Holy cow!!

Dr. Evans came in around 7am and checked my cervix, and realized (after I cried out in pain from him checking) that I was really tender. So, he suggested I get my epidural so that I would be more comfortable during the other checks. So I signed all the paper work saying that I understand that I may puke, get a headache, or die from getting this. Traz was a great support when I was getting it too. For those of you who don't know, I am absolutely terrified of needles. Needless to say, this epidural was my worst nightmare. How did Traz help? He had me talk about the most random things he could think of; from cats, to movies, to food. Well, after the epidural was put in, I was in a much better mood.

Waiting for the epidural to kick in!

Sadly, the epidural was being finicky since it only numbed about 3/4 of what it was supposed to. I still could feel contractions on a small section on the right side of my uterus. That problem was fixed by tilting me to the right for a bit...but it would come to haunt me later on in labor.

So, after some much needed sleep, I awoke to my nurse needing to check my cervix again and give me some pitocin to keep my contractions up. I had dilated to 5cm. Traz and I relaxed, ate stuff (poptarts for him, flavored ice chips for me....so unfair) and watched TV. Remember how only my right side was giving me problems? Well, I soon needed another dose of medication to ease it off. It went away slightly but not completely like on my left.

Soon, after two more cervix checks and some labor where the baby just moved without me pushing, it was showtime!!! I was guided on when and how to push. This was the time when I actually appreciated being able to still be able to feel contractions on my one side (even after a third dose of medicine!). I was able to push much more efficiently. Sadly, the pain was getting a bit too intense and I started to hyperventilate, which resulted in an oxygen mask. Let me tell you, those things are not easy to work with when you have to throw up.....just saying.

When it came time for Dr. Evans to deliver, he was just finishing up a surgery with another patient. So, we had Dr. Allred come in and start us off. It was almost kind of silly that he came because Evans came in after one or two rounds of pushing. So, with Evans in position to catch a baby, I started what felt like a HUGE bowel movement. I was able to feel enough of what was going on that I could push efficiently. All I have to say is, I'm glad I was in choir and took prenatal yoga! Choir because it gave me big lungs to help me breathe and push well. Prenatal yoga because it gave me the ability to focus my pushes where they needed to be.

And so our baby started to crown. I couldn't see anything from where I was. Traz said it was funny because there was some hair on the baby's head that would show up when I pushed and then go back in a little when I stopped pushing. When our baby's head came out, and these are Traz's exact words, "he was very swollen and not happy". I soon lost track of all time and feeling. All I knew was I wanted the rest of our son to come out of me. This final stretch was probably the hardest because the pushes had to come so close together that I didn't get a break. Then finally, Evans pulled out the baby's legs and Nyte Ray Wayman entered the world.

Just after his first bath

The best way to describe Nyte's final departure is to connect it to the song, "Lollipop". When you sing it, you put your thumb in your mouth and pull it out to make that classic "pop" sound. That is pretty much what it felt like to have Nyte leave my body. Traz opted not to cut the cord. As for the placenta delivery, Evans wasn't quite ready for it to come out. I heard a slimy sound, felt the placenta leave, and heard Dr. Evans go, "ahhhhh!" as it splattered him. (hehehehehehehehe.....now that's what I call revenge) Nyte came out weighing 9 pounds, 1 ounce, 20 inches long (my big chunky baby!). Needless to say, I tore a bit. Evans stitched me up, and I got to hole Nyte for the very first time.

What a joy! I felt such a wonderful connection with our son already as he calmed down against my skin. I hummed to him and had a hard time keeping back tears. I was given pain meds, taught how to nurse, went to the bathroom and showered. Then, we grabbed all our gear and went to the mother baby unit where I would recover for the next two days.

The next two days were filled with pain, tears and a lot of joy. Pain because....well...I just had a baby and had stitches in a nit so fun spot. You would hurt too. Tears the second night because Nyte would eat for 30 minutes, then want to eat again ten minutes later. Joy because Nyte was finally in our arms. I wouldn't have been able to get through the first two emotions without Traz. He was amazing! He went without sleep, food, and more so I could be comfortable and well rested.

 

Traz and Nyte sleeping.

We went home August 16th after lunch. Traz was amazing and cleaned up the apartment before we got there. Nyte has been a great kid so far. It's an adjustment, but one we are happy to have in our lives. We couldn't have asked for a better blessing from our Heavenly Father than the sweet little boy who has graced our lives. He sleeps, he cries, he eats, he poops.....and we are loving every minute of it.

 

And So....

 

Yes....it's a laundry basket. 

Our family gets a little bit bigger, and a little bit better. 

 

-The Waymans