Hi everyone,

It has been a little while since my last post as I was out busy being pregnant....and...gaining a few pounds.

Well, I was due on April 24, 2007 but gave birth on January 24, 2007 to a beautiful 2lb 5oz baby girl. She was 27 wks (currently 3 wks old and 30 wks gestation), 14" long and healthy for a 27 wkr. I had to have an hysterectomy at the time of the procedure due to complete placenta previa and placenta increta. Fortunately, I have lived to tell all about it and now gearing up to lose a few, very few pounds during the next few months (I breastfeed so I can't really focus on losing weight).

I hope to lose 5lbs a month which should have me at my goal weight in a year. BTW I only gained 10 lbs during the 6 months I was pregnant!!! I was so excited as I'd be willing to bet I gained 10 lbs a month during my previous pregnancy. Now, for the really good news. I have lost all of the weight. My daughter was only 2lbs so I am not sure where the other 8lbs came from. I am pretty close to my pre-pregnancy weight. I am currently 197. My sons can't believe how "small" I am. I must have been really big in their eyes.

Forgot to mention that I didn't have any problems with my band. Of course I didn't go the full course so can't be quite sure what I would have experienced if I had made it full term. The only difference I noticed was/am quite restricted in the morning. The only thing that really goes down safely are liquids and really well chewed eggs. That's it.

At any rate I'm back and can't wait to lose weight!

Lisa Renee in MD

You can visit Jennifer Renee's CaringBridge site at

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jenniferneely

Kim McNeely,

Congratulations on your pregnancy and your weight loss. I am not sure how you feel about gaining weight but I was a bit...well very scared about regaining the weight. It was emotional because I knew I needed to eat but at the same time I often forgot. Of course not on purpose but hte band was doing its job. After a few months I relaxed and tried to remind myself to eat often. I guess I must have been eating enought because my daughter was developing fine and I gained an acceptable amount of weight. To my surprise I lost all of the weight. As of today I have lost all of the weight gained during the pregnancy.

Oh, by the way my married name is Neely so initially I thought we had the same name. Also, I was born and raised in Houston. I am considering returning to the area as it is so very expensive to live in the DC Metropolitan area.

Did you see my before and after picture? I posted a picture of me at the beginning of my weight loss and then another at about 5 months pregnat. I thought it was hilarious. The tag line said, "This could be you" LOL. You know after we lose all of that weight out husbands become..."frisky" LOL.

AGain, congrats!!!

Lisa,

I thank you so very much for sharing YOUR story with me as it gives me confidence. This journey can often be long, stressful and emotional. Two nights ago two babies passed away in NICU. One was less than a pound the other health complications. The latter appeared to be improving despite a near death brush 3 wks ago.

Take care!

SKYBLUE ---

Thanks for the compliments. We had a great time posing for Jenny's 1 month birthday party pictures.

Lisa

Premies are precious, aren't they? Not that all babies aren't precious, but there's something so miraculous about them when they're born so young. God bless you and your entire family.

Lisa,

I thank you so very much for sharing YOUR story with me as it gives me confidence. This journey can often be long, stressful and emotional. Two nights ago two babies passed away in NICU. One was less than a pound the other health complications. The latter appeared to be improving despite a near death brush 3 wks ago.

Take care!

Lisa: Your welcome. I know its so hard going to the NICU every day and seeing Jenny there and wishing she could go home soon. I was there every day, all day as my husband and my mom (we live downstairs from here) worked. A few babies did pass away while I was there but happend at night and I was not there.

The one thing I did do for Andrew was I took pictures each week of his progress and kept a journal. I had a portable camera and at the end of the month I had the film developed. Now I look back at his photo album of his first year and I can not beleive its the same baby!

I have pictures of the first time I held him,They gave him my breast milk through a tube-I had to pump at home and put into little bags that they froze. I did Kangaroo care (Skin to Skin). When they wanted him to learn to suck they put my breast milk in a small bottle with a special nipple and feed him.

Andrew was baptized in the hospital when he was three days old because he developed pneumonia and was touch and go. He was born with chronic lung disease because his lungs were not fully developed.

My greatest joy was when we finally took him home on December 5, 2002 even though here in New York it was snowing! The balloons I ordered for the front of the house I had to cancel but my mom had made banners and had them on the window" Welcome Home Baby Andrew "! We had a cake and sang "Happy Home Comming"!

Iam crying right now remembering all this for you - He had the nasal canular for the oxygen and we always had two oxygen tanks at home ( we had to have the fire department know we had them in the house case of an emergency!) I also had a portable tank to use for whenever I went out.

Now my son is 4 1/2 and he likes to look at his one year photo album and he says " Mommy that was me"!

He actually says to me that " You took good care of me so that I grew up"!

I hope this give you hope!

Anytime you wanna talk to me just private message me .

Lisa