- Nicole is feeling some more frequent contractions, that seem stronger but still only slightly uncomfortable. The monitor says about every 2-3 minutes (but I'm not sure)
- Pitocin just increased to 8mu/hr.
- Otherwise she feels good.
- We've been going bonkers waiting for some action and for the match...
I just found out I matched at Emory for cardiology! Woo hoo!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
10:35 am
1-2 cm dilated
-2 to -1 station
Pitocin started - they start at 2mu/min and increase 0.5mu every 30 minutes
Nicole's feeling just fine. Mild contractions around every 10 minutes.
Jello and apple juice requested. She's hungry!
-2 to -1 station
Pitocin started - they start at 2mu/min and increase 0.5mu every 30 minutes
Nicole's feeling just fine. Mild contractions around every 10 minutes.
Jello and apple juice requested. She's hungry!
Waiting...
This is a video from inside the delivery room....NO its not Nicole pushing....just saying hi!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Update
Nicole is going to be induced tomorrow - Wednesday 6/17 at 6am! The doctors moved us up because a spot opened up. Nicole is happy about this - she's ready! So tonight is our last night as childless parents...we're going to celebrate by going out to eat...and going to bed!
Monday, June 15, 2009
videos!
Hey everyone, we just bought a new handheld camcorder (great idea Amy) ...using your advice, we will be making videos and recording some memories. And I discovered just now, I can post them here too!
This is a message from lil ol' me...everyone else is asleep...
We went to the doctor today...not much change! Still 1-2cm dilated, 80% effaced. It was a little bit disappointing that we didnt have much progress, but the good news is Hudson is doing just fine. Amniotic fluid levels, heart rate, movement, all look good. We have a date for induction set for Thursday, June 18th. On Wednesday, June 17th, we find out where we match for cardiology! Ahhhhhh! I think I started this blog with a similar entry, finding out where I matched for residency...
Thanks to everyone who have been calling, emailing, or texting to find out how Nicole is doing! She's hanging in there....I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad!
This is a message from lil ol' me...everyone else is asleep...
We went to the doctor today...not much change! Still 1-2cm dilated, 80% effaced. It was a little bit disappointing that we didnt have much progress, but the good news is Hudson is doing just fine. Amniotic fluid levels, heart rate, movement, all look good. We have a date for induction set for Thursday, June 18th. On Wednesday, June 17th, we find out where we match for cardiology! Ahhhhhh! I think I started this blog with a similar entry, finding out where I matched for residency...
Thanks to everyone who have been calling, emailing, or texting to find out how Nicole is doing! She's hanging in there....I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
still no baby!
Today we are 40 weeks and 3 days. Nicole is doing well, but still having those pesky cramps that don't really count as contractions. Maybe they are getting mildly more uncomfortable...the doctor told us we're not ready to go in until the contractions are crazy intense. So Nicole responds, "So I have to wait for pain?" He says, "Yep." Anyways, Monday (tomorrow) is our next appointment. I think that if we aren't in action by then, we'll probably ask to be induced.
In the meantime, I would like to advertise what I do for my pregnant wife.
- I function as Nicole's shoehorn, helping her put on her shoes. In fact, today, when she needs me, she just says "Oh Mr. Shoehorn!....."
- I cook...sometimes
- I make the bed
- I put together the baby's swing
- I woke up at 4:15am because Nicole can't sleep and wants to take a walk around the neighborhood, so I sleepily walk with her...
- I try to entertain her to distract her from her cramps...like going to the UNC planetarium and watching "adventures of the solar system" (ages 8 and up)
- I massage her feet with lotion
- I get her cold watermelon to eat
And I'm not complaining, just simply stating and loving every minute of it. She is my hero and has really done well with all of this. Sofie is "dog of the year" - she's been very understanding and will make a great big sister/nanny.
Question - should I buy a camcorder and tape record the birth?
In the meantime, I would like to advertise what I do for my pregnant wife.
- I function as Nicole's shoehorn, helping her put on her shoes. In fact, today, when she needs me, she just says "Oh Mr. Shoehorn!....."
- I cook...sometimes
- I make the bed
- I put together the baby's swing
- I woke up at 4:15am because Nicole can't sleep and wants to take a walk around the neighborhood, so I sleepily walk with her...
- I try to entertain her to distract her from her cramps...like going to the UNC planetarium and watching "adventures of the solar system" (ages 8 and up)
- I massage her feet with lotion
- I get her cold watermelon to eat
And I'm not complaining, just simply stating and loving every minute of it. She is my hero and has really done well with all of this. Sofie is "dog of the year" - she's been very understanding and will make a great big sister/nanny.
Question - should I buy a camcorder and tape record the birth?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
contractions
...happening about every 7-10 minutes! Not too strong yet, they're not the crazy painful types, just really tight. We called the doctor, but sounds like we're in prelabor, not "active labor", quite yet.
Monday, June 08, 2009
baby's coming!
Hey everyone,
Just a quick update that the baby is almost here! Nicole is 39 weeks and 4 days today...we had our checkup at the OB, and everything is going well. She's stayed about 2cm dilated for the last few weeks, so we are getting anxious! I can't believe we're about to become parents. Though I've had 9 months to think about, it still doesn't feel totally real!
I've been able to "practice" a little bit with Dave and Karen's daughter, Natalie. She is adorable and now just over a year old, and has lots of bubbly personality. Seeing her grow up and become a little person definitely makes me excited to be a dad and see our son grow up!
We'll let everyone know when he's born. Can't wait! Hudson Cole Cheng will be joining the world soon!
Alan
Just a quick update that the baby is almost here! Nicole is 39 weeks and 4 days today...we had our checkup at the OB, and everything is going well. She's stayed about 2cm dilated for the last few weeks, so we are getting anxious! I can't believe we're about to become parents. Though I've had 9 months to think about, it still doesn't feel totally real!
I've been able to "practice" a little bit with Dave and Karen's daughter, Natalie. She is adorable and now just over a year old, and has lots of bubbly personality. Seeing her grow up and become a little person definitely makes me excited to be a dad and see our son grow up!
We'll let everyone know when he's born. Can't wait! Hudson Cole Cheng will be joining the world soon!
Alan
Friday, May 29, 2009
A lot going on
You ever have moments where you think you've learned some perspective...but hope that you don't forget it?
I feel that way now. A lot has happened since I last wrote, and its good and its bad and it is perspective building.
(This may be a long entry...)
First, as you know Nicole is pregnant with our first child, who is healthy and 38 weeks along so far! At 18 weeks, we happily found out it was a girl. We made a big deal of it...we had the ultrasound tech not tell us, not show us, but write it down, so that we could make cupcakes with pink/blue frosting, and then have everyone over to have a reveal party where we'd bite into the cupcakes. They were pink...we were excited! So we grew, planned, and bonded with Ansley (our chosen name for her). However, number of our friends - Jenny Morrison, Andi Neely, and Gabby Kurtz all had breach babies (where the head is not in the birth canal, but instead the butt). At 36 weeks, Nicole asked the OB doc to make sure that Ansley was in good position, and not breach, for peace of mind. They did the ultrasound, and the position was good. "Oh great, she's in good position" we said. After the ultrasound tech caught on that we thought it was a girl, there was a long awkward pause, and then we hear..."Uhhhh....its...not a girl..."! Yes, the baby shower, girly decorations, and bonding with "Ansley" has already happened. I was shocked, and Nicole was a little upset, but the most imporant thing is that we have a healthy child. We quickly got over it, and now we've switched out the bedding and clothes, kept the walls the same (green), and trying out boys names.
On this very same day, we get terrible news. Nicole's mom Barbara is diagnosed with a large renal mass that is concerning for renal cell carcinoma.
It all started with a cough...a chronic, nagging cough that lasted 4-5 months. Sounded like a bronchitis, some of which take months for the cough to resolve. Then she developed a pulling sensation under her right ribcage. I thought, surely this is just irritation of the pleura (lung lining) or muscles of her ribcage, from the cough. Chest x-rays were done that showed nothing, and multiple antibiotics and strong cough medicines were given, but nothing got better. Thank god her doctor finally ordered a CT scan of her chest. It showed nothing obvious in her lungs...but it did show a mass coming from her kidneys. Then a CT scan of her abdomen revealed a large mass - about the size of a fist, coming from the top of her R kidney, pressing against her liver and diaphragm, probably causing the cough. This was about 2 weeks ago. We couldn't bear to tell Nicole's mom, but knew we had to. We got Barbara's twin sister to go to her house, and then we called her and told her. We should have known she had a clue..."you don't get 2 CT scans without thinking something is wrong..." We got the reports and the images FedEx'd to us, and we got Nicole's boss, Dr. Andrew Greganti (one of the best doctors I've ever met), who referred us to a urologist he really trusts, Dr. Raj Pruthi, who meets with us that Sunday morning to review the films. In the meantime, we formulate a plan for Barbara to come to UNC for evaluation and treatment, if she was willing to do so. She was, and bravely came to UNC for us to place her life in our hospital's hands. The next few days, scans of her abdomen, brain, and roundtable discussions about her case ensued, and it was decided - she would undergo surgery to remove her right kidney, and the mass. The surgery went well - a hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy, and from what they could tell, there was no cancer left behind. The scans did show a few small "spots" elsewhere in her body, but its unclear what these are. There's no point in subjecting her to invasive surgery to remove these, or to chemotherapy to treat these, if its possible its not cancer, so the plan for these is to "wait and see". Overall, I think she got extremely quick and excellent care, the surgery went well, and she's now recovering and we're hoping for the best. I thought UNC was a pretty good place, and I took pride in our internal medicine program, but now I take extreme pride in where I work - the nurses, physicians, food service, volunteers, and secretaries were very professional and provided excellent care.
About 2 weeks before all of this, my grandfather past away. "Ye-Ye" as we affectionately called him (chinese for "paternal grandpa"), my father's father, died at 91 years old. I wasn't as close to him, but my dad was, so I knew it was tough on him. However, he had been suffering the last few years with spinal stenosis (the narrowing of the spinal canal, which pinches off the spinal cord). He couldn't walk, his legs always hurt, and he had bowel problems. He was a man who was patient, careful, loved to please others, generous as much as he could be. I respect my dad, who taught me to respect and take care of one's elders, even if it was unrequited, because it is the right thing to do.
So, 2 weekends ago, on a Friday Nicole (37 weeks pregnant) and I find out that our girl is a boy, find out that Nicole's mom has a large mass which is likely cancer. I work overnight Saturday, fly to my grandpa's funeral Sunday, and return Monday to pick up Barbara from the airport.
It's been a hell of a time.
Fortunately, I think things are ok. We have a healthy baby boy on the way. Nicole's mom's surgery went well, and we hope that she is cured. Our grandpa is resting in peace, and my dad is relieved that he isn't suffering. I just finished my residency and start my chief residency in 2 days.
Of course, its obvious now why I'm saying I learned some perspective. I think I did. It's all been said before, but I often brush off things like these:
1. What counts in life is people. Family and friends.
2. Don't waste time worrying about things you won't care about in a month, or a year. Better yet, don't wast time worrying.
3. Do what you want to do.
4. Remember that we're so lucky.
Love all of you,
Alan
I feel that way now. A lot has happened since I last wrote, and its good and its bad and it is perspective building.
(This may be a long entry...)
First, as you know Nicole is pregnant with our first child, who is healthy and 38 weeks along so far! At 18 weeks, we happily found out it was a girl. We made a big deal of it...we had the ultrasound tech not tell us, not show us, but write it down, so that we could make cupcakes with pink/blue frosting, and then have everyone over to have a reveal party where we'd bite into the cupcakes. They were pink...we were excited! So we grew, planned, and bonded with Ansley (our chosen name for her). However, number of our friends - Jenny Morrison, Andi Neely, and Gabby Kurtz all had breach babies (where the head is not in the birth canal, but instead the butt). At 36 weeks, Nicole asked the OB doc to make sure that Ansley was in good position, and not breach, for peace of mind. They did the ultrasound, and the position was good. "Oh great, she's in good position" we said. After the ultrasound tech caught on that we thought it was a girl, there was a long awkward pause, and then we hear..."Uhhhh....its...not a girl..."! Yes, the baby shower, girly decorations, and bonding with "Ansley" has already happened. I was shocked, and Nicole was a little upset, but the most imporant thing is that we have a healthy child. We quickly got over it, and now we've switched out the bedding and clothes, kept the walls the same (green), and trying out boys names.
On this very same day, we get terrible news. Nicole's mom Barbara is diagnosed with a large renal mass that is concerning for renal cell carcinoma.
It all started with a cough...a chronic, nagging cough that lasted 4-5 months. Sounded like a bronchitis, some of which take months for the cough to resolve. Then she developed a pulling sensation under her right ribcage. I thought, surely this is just irritation of the pleura (lung lining) or muscles of her ribcage, from the cough. Chest x-rays were done that showed nothing, and multiple antibiotics and strong cough medicines were given, but nothing got better. Thank god her doctor finally ordered a CT scan of her chest. It showed nothing obvious in her lungs...but it did show a mass coming from her kidneys. Then a CT scan of her abdomen revealed a large mass - about the size of a fist, coming from the top of her R kidney, pressing against her liver and diaphragm, probably causing the cough. This was about 2 weeks ago. We couldn't bear to tell Nicole's mom, but knew we had to. We got Barbara's twin sister to go to her house, and then we called her and told her. We should have known she had a clue..."you don't get 2 CT scans without thinking something is wrong..." We got the reports and the images FedEx'd to us, and we got Nicole's boss, Dr. Andrew Greganti (one of the best doctors I've ever met), who referred us to a urologist he really trusts, Dr. Raj Pruthi, who meets with us that Sunday morning to review the films. In the meantime, we formulate a plan for Barbara to come to UNC for evaluation and treatment, if she was willing to do so. She was, and bravely came to UNC for us to place her life in our hospital's hands. The next few days, scans of her abdomen, brain, and roundtable discussions about her case ensued, and it was decided - she would undergo surgery to remove her right kidney, and the mass. The surgery went well - a hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy, and from what they could tell, there was no cancer left behind. The scans did show a few small "spots" elsewhere in her body, but its unclear what these are. There's no point in subjecting her to invasive surgery to remove these, or to chemotherapy to treat these, if its possible its not cancer, so the plan for these is to "wait and see". Overall, I think she got extremely quick and excellent care, the surgery went well, and she's now recovering and we're hoping for the best. I thought UNC was a pretty good place, and I took pride in our internal medicine program, but now I take extreme pride in where I work - the nurses, physicians, food service, volunteers, and secretaries were very professional and provided excellent care.
About 2 weeks before all of this, my grandfather past away. "Ye-Ye" as we affectionately called him (chinese for "paternal grandpa"), my father's father, died at 91 years old. I wasn't as close to him, but my dad was, so I knew it was tough on him. However, he had been suffering the last few years with spinal stenosis (the narrowing of the spinal canal, which pinches off the spinal cord). He couldn't walk, his legs always hurt, and he had bowel problems. He was a man who was patient, careful, loved to please others, generous as much as he could be. I respect my dad, who taught me to respect and take care of one's elders, even if it was unrequited, because it is the right thing to do.
So, 2 weekends ago, on a Friday Nicole (37 weeks pregnant) and I find out that our girl is a boy, find out that Nicole's mom has a large mass which is likely cancer. I work overnight Saturday, fly to my grandpa's funeral Sunday, and return Monday to pick up Barbara from the airport.
It's been a hell of a time.
Fortunately, I think things are ok. We have a healthy baby boy on the way. Nicole's mom's surgery went well, and we hope that she is cured. Our grandpa is resting in peace, and my dad is relieved that he isn't suffering. I just finished my residency and start my chief residency in 2 days.
Of course, its obvious now why I'm saying I learned some perspective. I think I did. It's all been said before, but I often brush off things like these:
1. What counts in life is people. Family and friends.
2. Don't waste time worrying about things you won't care about in a month, or a year. Better yet, don't wast time worrying.
3. Do what you want to do.
4. Remember that we're so lucky.
Love all of you,
Alan
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Updates, and blasts from the past...
I'm at a conference in Dallas right now, with some spare time in a hotel room, so I thought I'd update this rarely used blog.
First, some blasts from the past:
Nicole's graduation from PA school, winter '06
Me, Nicole, Sarah
Me, Nicole, Amy, Nate
Nicole's family, and Terry Mize, all proud of Nicole
Nate, with Sofie when she was just a pup!
Nicole at 28 weeks! That's right, she's pregnant!
Sofie last summer '08
Us at Barkwells, summer '08, for Mary's (Nicole's grandma)'s 80'th birthday.
Hanging out during the "What's the Sex" party for our baby!
The nursery, not yet complete, but painted light green and baby's new dresser.
At Top of the Hill for Nicole's 30th birthday, April 2009
Us at Nic's baby shower
Almost everyone at Nic's baby shower...
The girls...
Baby shower...we are lucky to have great friends...
First, some blasts from the past:
Nicole's graduation from PA school, winter '06
Me, Nicole, Sarah
Me, Nicole, Amy, Nate
Nicole's family, and Terry Mize, all proud of Nicole
Nate, with Sofie when she was just a pup!
Nicole at 28 weeks! That's right, she's pregnant!
Sofie last summer '08
Us at Barkwells, summer '08, for Mary's (Nicole's grandma)'s 80'th birthday.
Hanging out during the "What's the Sex" party for our baby!
The nursery, not yet complete, but painted light green and baby's new dresser.
At Top of the Hill for Nicole's 30th birthday, April 2009
Us at Nic's baby shower
Almost everyone at Nic's baby shower...
The girls...
Baby shower...we are lucky to have great friends...Yes, you heard it here, we are pregnant! I think those of you who read this blog already know, but if not, Nicole is pregnant with our little girl, whose name will be Ansley _____ Cheng. Everything has gone well so far and we are fortunate that we've had no major problems. Parenthood looms close, and I am now learning an appreciation of all of those who raised children. Special thanks to Karen, Amy, and Sarah who threw the shower, and Barbara who catered it!
I plan on using this blog as a means to keep up with us, see pictures of baby, and so on...yes yes I know I have been terrible at this. I'm hoping that baby will be the motivation for this.
Have lots more pictures and events to mention, but will do that another time!
Love,
Alan
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