GREAT NEWS!!!

We just got the results from the bloodwork they took yesterday and I am so happy to share that Sam's tyrosine levels have gone DOWN!!!! YAY! We are so thankful that little Sam does not have tyrosinemia and that other than having the levels tested a few more times, we won't have to go forward with any sort of treatment.

We also wanted to express our gratitude for your thoughts and prayers during this time. We are so thankful for friends & family like you!

God is so GREAT!

Yummy, yummy Ice Cream!

Hannah and Ellie enjoyed a little summer treat tonight after dinner. This was actually Ellie's first time eating an ice cream cone unassisted...check out how it went! :O)








Bath Time Anyone?!?!



Mom! Stop taking my picture!!




Sam didn't get any ice cream, but he enjoyed the nice day nonetheless.

Update on Sam

Finally!!! A Giere Family Picture with little Sam!


Sam has decided that his entry into this world was not exciting enough, so he is now throwing us a few curve balls to make things interesting. On Wed. afternoon of this past week, we found out that there was an abnormal result from one of the metabolic tests that the state requires on newborns. We knew there was a possibility of this, and had actually had the state test done twice to see if the first result was an error. It was not. Long story, short, Sam has a high tyrosine level, which could indicate that he has the metabolic disorder, Tyrosinemia (the body's inability to break down tyrosine). I'm not going to go into it all now b/c we are not 100% that he has this disease and to be honest, some of it is still confusing to me. We met with a pediatric geneticist (at Univ. of IL - Chicago) on Thursday morning to review this disease and have his blood drawn for more tests. There are 3 types of Tyrosinemia and thankfully after getting back results from one test, we know that Sam does NOT have Type 1...the worse type to have. So, we praise God for that!

Other than having the disease, one possibility, that we are praying for, is that his liver, which should be breaking down the tyrosine on its own, is just not mature enough to do so (apparently this happens in some newborns). His liver just needs to mature and start doing what its meant to do. If he indeed does have Tyrosinemia, the good news is that it is not life-threatening. He will have it forever, but with a special diet, he can and should lead a normal, healthy life. This is why the newborn screening for these types of metabolic disorders is so important...to catch it early and get the child treatment before any symptoms appear. So, be careful if you "google" tryronsinemia...you may read "horror stories" but in those cases, the child has usually not been screened early and therefore, presents him/herself as sick before diagnosis.

We've also been dealing with Sam's bilirubin level. Bilirubin is also processed through the liver, so again, the fact that his is not necessarily going down (it's not going up either...staying about the same) could indicate his liver being immature. Again, this is what we are hoping and praying for...that his liver will "kick in" and do what it's supposed to do and Sam will be free from any disease and can carry on with his life being smothered by his big sisters!

I hope this made some sense...we wanted to let you all know about this now so that we could have any extra prayers we could get. We go back to UIC on Wed. morning for another blood test and to discuss where we go from here. If is tyrosine levels continue to go up, we will likely be putting him on a special formula diet soon. We'll keep you posted on that...

One other piece of good news is that Sam is continuing to gain weight. A few days after birth, he had gone down to 6 lbs. 8 ozs and as of yesterday, he is back up to 7 lbs. 6 oz.! Now, over his birth weight!

So, if you're the praying type...and we hope you are...please join us in praying for these specific things:
1. That Sam's tyrosine level goes DOWN on its own
2. That Sam's bilirubin level goes DOWN
3. That Brian and I stay positive and are able to do what is best for Sam
4. That the girls are not too affected by this
5. That Sam continues to grow and thrive

Thank you so much!

Adjusting...

Handsome Little Man - Samuel

Life is moving along well here in the Giere household. Sam is doing great! He was a bit jaundiced the first few days home (you can see it in some of these pics), so we had to bring him in to have his bilirubin tested several times. Poor guy! Thankfully, by Sat. the bili level started going down, so no more testing is needed. 

He's also gaining weight again! After his initial weight loss (that happens to all babies), he is back up to 7 lbs. 1 oz. Still a little guy, but eating like a champ! He's waking up at night about every 3 hours, which I'll take. At least I'm getting a little sleep here and there. 

We're all adjusting in our own way...good and bad. I think my initial hormonal, emotional state is pretty much past (I only had one "crying session," so that's not too bad, right?!) and we're starting to be "normal" again. My mom came back yesterday to help us out for a few days, which will be perfect. We even managed to get Hannah to her last gymnastics class this morning! Something I'm sure I couldn't have managed without Marge here. (thanks again Mom!) ;O)

Hannah LOVES her baby brother and is always trying to smother him with kisses and hugs. She hears me say, "give him some space" quite a bit, but that's okay, the little guy needs his personal space just as much as anyone! Ellie's interest in Sam comes and goes. She's usually the most interested when Hannah is paying attention to him...isn't that interesting? I thought she'd be jealous of me giving him attention, but I think she's more jealous when Hannah does! 

My brother, Stacey, Luke and Taylor came for a visit last weekend, which was a great treat. The kids had a blast playing together and we were even fortunate enough to venture out in the gorgeous weather to the Arboretum for the afternoon. It was perfect! 

Aunt Stacey, Hannah & Sam

Taylor and Hannah at the Arboretum 

 

Hannah, Luke, Ellie & Taylor...just missing little Sam

Brian went back to work today...always a sad day after one of our babies is born. But, a good thing too. Again, we're trying to get back to "normal" and I guess Brian being at work is pretty normal. 

Home

Brian and I took Sam home today around 5pm. Hannah and Ellie were very excited to see us and get a better look at their baby brother. 

Now, it's a little after 10pm and I'm pooped. I hope Sam is too. :O) We'll let you know how it goes...wish us luck!

Samuel Brian

I know some of you must think I'm a big nerd for already posting on the blog...less than 12 hours after having a baby.  But you know what, I'm sitting here in my room, Sam is happily sleeping in his bed, Brian is home with the girls and I have the energy and time. :O) 

Here's Sam's story:

7:30am - arrived at hospital to start induction, 2-3 cm dilated

8:30 - started pitocin

9ish - my doctor breaks my water bag

9:15 - 4cm dilated

9:30 - get the epidural (AWESOME!!)

11:15 - 6cm dilated

11:55 - doctor comes in - 10cm dilated, ready to push!! WOW!

12:02ish - start pushing

12:08 - Samuel Brian is born! 

I always rolled my eyes and secretly despised the women who said labor and delivery was "easy," but...now I'm one of those women! (sorry to all of you who never had it "easy," but I've been there too) 

Here are a few pics of our new little guy. I must say...he's adorable! 

Brand New Baby Boy!

Hi Mommy!

Sleepy Boy

Finally opening his eyes after a sleepy day!

Please keep praying for the girls...they aren't too excited about not having Mommy home with them right now and Hannah is still battling her fever. 

He's HERE!!!

Samuel Brian Giere entered the world today at 12:08pm. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches. A little guy, compared to what we thought he was going to be. He is perfect in every way and we are thanking God for His blessings and for a smooth, healthy (and fast) delivery for Sam and mom. 

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers today...they were certainly felt! We'll post pictures as soon as we can.

Happy Mother's Day!

I know I already mentioned Mother's Day in the last post, but since I'm writing again today...on Mother's Day, I thought I better say it again. Happy Mother's Day!

Still no cute stories about Hannah or Ellie, just a quick update. Poor Hannah is still sick. She has had a fever since Wed. and it has really knocked her out. I'm trying to keep it down with Motrin and Tylenol and it's working to some extent. Last night she slept for about 13 hours (with a short time awake in there to go potty and get more meds), so that was good...much needed sleep! We still think it's a virus, so we're just waiting it out and to be honest, I feel at peace about it. I hate seeing her sick, but I KNOW that she will be better soon.

Ellie seems to be much better. She hasn't had a fever since Wed. and is on the last day of her antibiotics. Her appetite is slowly returning and she's generally much happier. Of course last night, she was so happy that she didn't want to go to bed! So, she had a late night and was already napping at 12pm today.  

Unfortunately, I've seemed to pick up a little bit of this bug going around. My throat has gotten scratchy and I have a little cough. I'm hoping and praying that it doesn't escalate and that I can make it through labor and delivery tomorrow. Speaking of, we are all set to go in at 7:15am tomorrow morning! We do have to call at 6:15 to make sure that they have room for us, and I'm guessing they will. My "goal," if you can call it that, is to have our baby boy in my arms by 1pm! I'm sure now that I say that, he won't come until 8pm or something crazy like that! 

Hopefully Brian or I can update you tomorrow as the day progresses. If you don't hear from us, don't panic. We'll fill you in as soon as we can after he's born! 

Sick Girls...

I know I said I would share some fun stories about Hannah and Ellie before our little guy comes, but instead, I'm here to tell you that they are sick! Eek! Both girls started fevers Tues. afternoon and Hannah added a cough to her's. Ellie had an ear infection a couple of weeks ago, so I suspected that it was not completely clear. Sure enough, after a quick doctor's visit yesterday afternoon, we learned that Ellie's left ear is still infected. Hannah's ears were fine, she seems to just have a virus. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I kind of wanted her to have an infection so I could pump in the antibiotics and clear it up before Monday. (is that bad?) Oh well...I'm just praying that their health returns and that we'll all be ready for baby boy to come Monday. 

Please pray...health for the girls, less stress for me & that this guy actually waits until Monday to arrive! :O) Thanks!

And, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all of you out there!! I hope that you enjoy a peaceful, relaxing day with your families...make sure not to cook, clean or pick up any toys on your special day! (hee, hee, hee!) 

Induction Time...

It's set...Monday, May 12th will be the day we meet our little guy! (assuming labor won't take over 24 hours!)

Our ultrasound yesterday showed that he is already 7 lbs 10 oz (+ or - 1 lb), so I am all for having him early since he'd probably be about 10 lbs. if we waited until my due date! My doctor agrees. So, the 12th it is! 

I'll keep you posted if anything changes and of course of the big day. Until then, I'll try to fill up this space with fun stories and pictures of Hannah and Ellie, since after baby boy comes, they may not get much "blog time" for a while! ;o)

Baby Boy - 37 weeks

I thought that since we're coming down to the home stretch before Baby Boy comes, I'd start updating you on what's happening concerning his arrival. 

I had a doctor's appointment today and had my belly measured and the baby's heart beat checked. Everything was great! Apparently at this stage with Ellie, I was measuring big. But today, I measured right on target. My doctor is a bit perplexed, believing that this little guy is not going to be as big as Ellie was (she was 9lbs. 12oz.!), but on the other hand, she didn't think Ellie was going to be that big either. (Hannah was "only" 8lbs. 4oz.) So, all this to say, I'm still on for my ultrasound tomorrow morning to find out just how big this guy is so there can be a little less guessing. 

It appears that no matter what his size, I'll still be induced early...probably at 38 - 38 1/2 weeks. Which means...that's coming up soon!!!!! (week of May 12) I think I've hit the "nesting" stage, spending most of yesterday afternoon and evening washing baby clothes, setting up the nursery and organizing the girls' clothes/dresser (that they are now sharing). I kind of like it...although I also have to admit that I've also hit the "nervous" stage. I'm nervous about how labor and delivery are going to go (more about the unknown way everything is going to happen, not even about the pain...isn't that weird?!) and about having a new born in our home again. What if he cries a lot? What if Ellie is soooooo jealous that she acts out and I can't handle it? What if my recovery is horrible and I'm always exhausted? What if, what if, what if....

And then, I stop and remember that no matter what, I am blessed. I am blessed and everything will work out exactly how it's supposed to work out. And, I remember that even if baby boy cries a lot, even if Ellie get's all nutty on me and even if I'm so exhausted I can't see straight, I will have a beautiful baby boy that God has entrusted Brian and I with and I will make it through. I am blessed now and will be blessed by this new baby. 

As you remember the blessings in your life, please remember the Smith family (I mentioned them a couple of weeks ago) and read their blog if you have the time. You will be touched...You can find them here: http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/

Just had to...

I just had to write this down before I forgot...about one minute ago, Hannah came into the kitchen and said that she was going to make a project. (which basically  means, coloring/drawing a picture for someone) She said that it was not going to be for one of her friends, but someone else and I had to guess who. 

She gave me a clue, "It's someone way, way up in the sky." 

"Jesus?" I asked.

"Yes!" she said. "I'm going to make a picture for Jesus because he loves me. He loves all of us."

"That's right." I said.

"And Mommy, when I die, I'm going to take my picture with me to Heaven and give it to Jesus." 

As I'm grinning from ear to ear, she continued...

"I hope I don't forget it. If I forget it, I'll miss it." 

I replied, "You know what, Jesus is going to be so happy to see you, even if you forget your picture." 

Hannah's matter-of-fact response, "Yeah." 

Now, she's sitting at the table drawing her picture to bring to Heaven with her. What a priceless gift she is! And then there's Ellie standing on the chair next to her, refusing to sit down...she's stomping her foot and all! Ahhh, another priceless child. :O)

Zoo Time

I decided to take the girls to the zoo today since, A) it was a perfect day and B) we probably won't be making too many trips there this summer w/ a newborn. 

The day truly turned out to be perfect! The weather was gorgeous and the zoo wasn't too crowded (always a HUGE bonus). 

Hannah and Ellie loved visiting the elephants, monkeys, dolphins, otters and bears. Oh yeah, and we got up close and personal with a leopard that decided to strut his/her stuff in front of the glass window. I must say that the otters were, as they usually are, the huge highlight of the day...the girls really liked them too! :O)

Big girl by the fountain (Ellie would not cooperate to join H for this photo op.) 

Nothing beats eating lunch on a bench, watching the polar bear cubs play in the water.

Playground fun...

Ellie seemed like such a big girl playing on the playground equipment mostly by herself. 

Okay, girls...look at me...not that little kid over there!

Our new friend...

The only way to get both girls in the picture with the fountain...strap Ellie in the stroller! This was on our way out for the day and Hannah was pooped, so she happily sat with Ellie to pose. :O)

Yay! I was finally able to upload a video on here! (I've tried a few other times and always gave up when it took FOREVER!) 

This video is from the fun times at the otter tank! Hannah literally ran back and forth (thankfully there weren't any other visitors in her way!) chasing the otter...he won. :o) Ellie wasn't too sure she wanted to get close, but she sure enjoyed squealing and screaming along with her big sister! 

*This video was taken with our digital camera & then condensed in size to upload easier, so sorry if the quality is not the greatest.

Getting Ready...

We decided to paint the nursery and this past Sat. was the perfect day to do it. It was rainy and cold, so we might as well stay inside and get ready for our little guy! Hannah donned one of Brian's t-shirts to help him out. I think she LOVED it because it was like wearing a huge dress! We painted the room a nice, neutral tan color...not the typical baby boy room color of choice...but I think it looks great. Bye-bye yellow!! The crib bumper I got has sailboats on it w/ the reds and blues...the perfect accent on a tan wall. When the room is completely set up, I'll put some pictures here.



And, last but not least...here he is w/ technically 5 weeks to go, but probably more like 4!

Just some stuff...

This baby boy inside of me has been quite the mover & shaker lately! Oh my word! If he is even slightly as active after he's born, as he's been in my belly...woah! we are in for it! There have been a few time over the past couple of nights that I've literally been nervous that he was going to kick/punch so hard that my water would break and he would come right now! 

Speaking of his arrival...I am having an ultrasound on the 30th to determine his size (we don't want him to get too big) and if all goes as planned, he will be arriving sometime during the week of May 12! (recap - I'm due on the 22nd, but my doctor will probably induce me...)Wow, that seems really soon! 

I also wanted to add a couple of cute Hannah-ism's and Ellie-ism's:

Hannah - "Jesus rose from the deadness." 

The Sunday before Easter is called, "Palm Tree Sunday" 

(I forgot to tell you about these at Easter.) 

"Vench" = Bench 

"I hadded to go to the bathroom." - she uses "hadded" instead of just the words had to in a lot of sentences...

(added May 3, '08...just so I don't forget)

   "Drawl" = draw

   "A long time of go...." 

   "sais" = says

Ellie - "Moody" = movie

            "Hocker" = sucker

Of course there are more that I can't think of right now...I'll add them here if/when I do. :O)

I also wanted to add a comment about a couple of blogs that I've found recently that have truly touched me. Both of these families are dealing with extremely difficult events in their lives and through it all, have maintained and proclaimed an amazing love and faith in our God...a God that is sustaining them through things I can't even imagine dealing with. I have personally been encouraged and inspired by these people and I highly recommend checking them out and praying for them. 

Meet Nate, Tricia & little baby Gwyneth here.

And the Smith family (husband and father Todd is a singer in the Christian group Selah) here.

Go Cubs Go!

Brian, Hannah, Steve (Brian's Dad) and I went to the most exciting Cubs game of the season this far (that's okay that they've only been playing for one week...it was great!) on Saturday. If you live in the Chicago area and/or are a Cubs fan, I'm sure you watched the game.  I was even so wrapped up in all of the excitement of the 7th inning comeback, that I had to hold my pregnant belly while I jumped up and down as the Cubs took the lead! I'm sure that was a quite a sight! (sorry baby boy!)

This was Hannah's first outing to Wrigley Field and as predicted, she really enjoyed it. Brian decked her out in a little Cubs hat and she was all set. We kept her fed and had plenty of suckers on hand in case she got a little stir crazy, but she did great. She even stuck it out until the very end! It was pretty cute to hear her ask after every time the crowd cheered for a great hit or play, "Who won the game?" even though it was only the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, etc. inning. And to top it off, on the ride home Brian asked, "What was your favorite part of the game?" (my guess was going to be the hot pretzel she ate or the suckers :O) and she said, "When the Cubs won!" She is a true Chicago girl!

Heading to the game with Daddy and Grandpa. Finally no coats needed...what a beautiful day!

Two super Cubs fans!

Big girl at the ball park!

Hannah and Grandpa!

There was a point where Daddy had to entertain Hannah with some silly games (I guess the ball game wasn't cutting anymore for her)...she loves to laugh at her goofy Dad!

Part of the family...

George is now a part of the family...Hannah had to bring him to bed with her last night and it's really a miracle how she managed to fit them both in there! When Brian and I went to check on her before we turned in, she was laying on her back on the very edge of the bed with her arms straight, right next to her w/out any covers on. George, on the other hand, was taking up about 75% of the bed, tucked tenderly under the covers. :O) We weren't sure Hannah would be able to stay on her bed all night in that position, so we gently removed George. 

Who knew a 3 foot stuffed animal would bring so much joy to one little girl?! I'm not so sure Ellie has the same love for him quite yet!

What's a mom supposed to do?

So, we were at TJ Maxx this afternoon to return and few things and "look" in the children's section and of course, Hannah immediately saw this Curious George stuffed animal and fell in love. Now, I try not to spoil the girls (even though I'm sure I do) and so I thought, "No, we don't need this." However, there was no tag on it and I thought, maybe we can get it if the price is right. So, we brought it to the cashier and she had a manager get a price for it and sure enough, the price was "right!" :O) (a really good deal for such a large animal) So, Hannah got George and has been hugging him ever since! They are now currently "resting" on the couch together (where I'll be joining them as soon as I'm done with this!).

It is finally sunny today and I am loving it! I hope it's sunny where you are too!

Happy Halloween

April Fools! :O)

The girls did decide to dress up today for some fun. Here they are practicing their ballet moves, including an attempt at a curtsey! ;O)






Hannah noticed that her fingers looked liked they were making the shape of an "H"...naturally!



Curtsey #1



Curtsey #2



Curtsey #3

Easter Celebration

We had a wonderful Easter celebration in Chicago with Grandma and Grandpa Giere, Jim, Heidi and the boys. We started the day worshipping at The Moody Church with the whole family. It was truly a beautiful service.

After church we headed to the condo and had a wonderful meal together (Steve and Connie reserved a room on the 56th floor for our festivities!). The kids enjoyed searching for the Resurrection Eggs and then going through the story with Heidi. It was a great, relaxing day...exactly how we wanted to spend it! We hope and pray that your Easter was meaningful and wonderful too!

We tried to get a cute pic of the girls together...unfortunately Ellie was not in the mood.



Check out this mischievous look!



Ellie checking out the "big kids"...



Expressing how she truly felt about having her picture taken!



Going through the Easter Story.



Peter's turn to explain...



We tried to get a picture of the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and unfortunately the light was a little too bright behind them for the pictures to turn out perfectly. I tried to doctor this one up a bit...and I think it's still a great shot!