Bubble Note #89

If I don't make this blurb interesting will you not read my email? View this email in your browser Update  It has been close to a year since I last updated you all and normally in that time frame we have moved, changed jobs, added a child or something, but it's probably because this last year has been so tame that you have not heard from me.  Several significant things have occurred though:  Baby #2 is in process!  Theo was diagnosed with cerebral palsy  I joined a different doula company and have been taking classes  Theo had his first plane ride in November as we visited the UK and Switzerland! It was great to get away but also completely exhausting traveling with a baby! We are (hopefully) expecting Galster baby #2 in early December. There is a chance that the events of my pregnancy with Theo could repeat so I am being closely monitored. I am currently 15 weeks pregnant and have a small bump. I can already feel baby moving. We will have the 20 week ultrasound to check out the health of baby and I will be going in for ultrasounds every 2 weeks after that to check on baby/placenta. Your prayers are appreciated as we are hoping to avoid a NICU stay.  Theo was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at his 1-year adjusted appointment (in March) with the Neonatal Followup clinic. At that point he was not making movements towards crawling, could not pull to stand and seemed to have quite weak knees. Well within a week of receiving the diagnoses he began crawling and now at 1.5 years old is hard to keep up with! We still see physio every 4 weeks but they think he will walk without any aids. He is now pulling to stand and starting to gain confidence in his furniture cruising. His fine motor skills have vastly improved since he was an infant; initially we thought he might not have much use of his left hand, but he now uses each hand equally. He is still very small for his age and most people assume he is less than a year old. He may never catch up in height/weight, but we would rather him be strong, happy and supported than simply tall ;) Personality wise- he loves music, loves people, loves the dogs, is a content kid and beginning to test the boundaries as any normal toddler. We love seeing typical behaviour being exhibited.  I separated my doula and photography business in an attempt to boost business. I am happy with the company I have joined (www.fiveelementsbirth.com) and the ladies whom I work with are wonderful. My photography business (www.bethanygalster.com) ebbs and flows with the seasons for how busy I am. I am still hoping to pursue midwifery in the future and am taking classes to supplement my first year to ease the load. While I am working and a mother, the classes don't always take priority, but it has been great to have something to focus on academically.  Andrew is doing well. He is the Program Manager at camp and oversees all the programming throughout the year. This is a heavier role in May-August as summer camp is very busy, but he is always learning, improving and demonstrating character through his job. I love watching him excel at a role which suits his personality and ambitions. There are always uncomfortable staff dynamics which present challenges throughout the summer, so pray for wisdom and discernment for him throughout the summer.    Hopefully I won't wait another year before providing an update. Feel free to probe if it's been to long!  Copyright © 2017 Beth Galster, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you LOVE reading about Beth+Andrew and what they are doing in life. And because anything to do with bubbles makes anyone happy. Our mailing address is: Beth Galster Box 540 Bragg Creek, AB T0L0K0 Canada Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Bubble Note #88

Home and happy.  View this email in your browser Curious, independent and talkative It's been way to long since I sent an update about our family. To our utmost delight, Theo came home from the NICU on Easter Sunday, 4 weeks after his predicted due date. When he first came home we had appointments 3-5 times a week, he was on oxygen 24/7 and his med list had us administering meds every 4 hours. Now, at 7 months old (and 4 months adjusted) he is completely off the oxygen, we don't have another doctors appointment for 6 more weeks and he will soon exclusively be on vitamins!  We are so thankful for how well he is doing. We are still closely monitoring his development as the severity of his brain bleeds could still manifest as cerebral palsy. But he is currently meeting all of his milestones (for his adjusted age). He is still very small- about 9 lbs, which is well below the 1%, but we are hoping he will eventually catch up. It is unknown why he is not able to grow as effectively as other children.   The day Theo came home 5 months old 6 months old 7 months old Summer has also started which means Andrew is busy with Camp. He moved into a new position last fall which means he has more time at home this summer than last. We also sold our tiny house! Although we were sad to see it go we were very glad it sold. We have been living in a mobile home we recently renovated at camp. It has a great backyard which Theo will eventually enjoy.  Copyright © 2016 Beth Galster, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you LOVE reading about Beth+Andrew and what they are doing in life. And because anything to do with bubbles makes anyone happy. Our mailing address is: Beth Galster Box 540 Bragg Creek, AB T0L0K0 Canada Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Bubble Note #87

Theo Walker Galster, Born Nov 23, 2016 View this email in your browser Welcome Theo If you don't have Facebook, you probably don't know that I'm no longer pregnant. It's a long story and I will try my best to summarize.  Around November 11 we discovered that I had pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. This can be dangerous both for mom and baby as it can destroy mom's organs but also cause fewer nutrients and oxygen to be transferred to the baby. Little did we know that both of these would happen. I was put on medication and transferred to OB's care.  4 weeks between photos  A week later my blood pressure spiked again and we returned to the hospital once again. This time I did not leave. We managed to mostly get my blood pressure under control but found out that our little boy Theo was not growing, most likely due to the blood pressure issues. It would only be a matter of time before he was delivered. Though we had the incredibly difficult decisions of choosing to wait so he could grow bigger (and possibly die in utero because of the lack of oxygen) or deliver now and he may not live because he was to small and to early. We decided to wait. This was a time of incredible prayer and support.  On November 22, after a weekend pass which we spent at my parents place, we returned to the hospital. I was not feeling well at all, and we soon learned that I had developed pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. My kidneys and liver were beginning to fail and my platelets were dropping quickly. It was a matter of time before I would go into kidney or liver failure. We had to deliver Theo as this is the only treatment of HELLP syndrome. So on November 23, 2015 at 26 weeks gestation (14 weeks early) weighing in at 1lb2oz (515g) Theo Walker Galster was born.  Teeny Tiny Theo The first several weeks of his life were very difficult, both for us and for him. We learned that he had had a brain bleed in utero which has an 85-100% chance of manifesting as cerebral palsy. He also had a heart murmur which was fixed through medication and required brain surgery all within the first 4 weeks of his life. The first couple of days were very touch and go- but we are so thankful that God has allowed our little boy to not only live, but thrive.    Now at just over 8 weeks old Theo is 3.5lbs and growing daily. He has progressed so far and is now able to breathe on his own, regulate his own temperate, and is beginning to feed orally instead of via a tube. His original due date was Feb 26, and we are hoping he will be able to come home from the hospital around that time.    We have had a crazy last 10 weeks, and I have wanted to write an update for so long, but have been to busy and tired to do so. We have felt incredibly blessed by so many surrounding us and prayers have kept us afloat.    It will still be a long road with Theo, but we feel so prepared to do so.  Copyright © 2016 Beth Galster, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you LOVE reading about Beth+Andrew and what they are doing in life. And because anything to do with bubbles makes anyone happy. Our mailing address is: Beth Galster Box 540 Bragg Creek, AB T0L0K0 Canada Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list