We finally were discharged from the hospital saturday evening. We were told at 6am that we would be able to go home. The attending checked on Henry at 10am and approved his discharge and mine was approved the day before. Everyone came and made their rounds and we were told we could go as soon as orders were written. However, the orders were not written until 4:30pm!!! AHHH I was sooooooo mad, we should have been able to go the day before but, with Henry getting his circ done and his kidney being dilated and wanting to watch his urine output closely and breastfeeding for the first time I just wanted a little extra time to take advantage of all possible resources. Oh well. I cried the entire way home, not like weeped or teared up or just got watery eyed, full on bawled and sobbed the whole way home. I just cannot beleive this time I left the hospital with a baby, MY BABY, that I made, that we made. I just can't believe we have come so far and that he is ours. New mommy hormone central. I just felt so incredibly blessed.
Sunday- We literally did not get out of bed the entire day. I think I had about 12 hours of sleep from wednesday through saturday at the hospital. I was on adrenaline rush and love drunk with my baby and all the excitement. So we just crashed, all we did was take care of Henry, sleep, snuggle, feed, sleep, snuggle, change diaper, feed etc etc. It was wonderful to have my little family in our bed together. Taylor's parents came over to see munchkin that night and we just hung out together.
Monday- We had our first pediatrician appointment. We are seeing Dr. Harvey Grossman who was my pediatrician during my entire childhood. He once left an entire full waiting room of patients to drive with me and my mom to the hospital because my mom brought me in at 8 weeks old knowing I was sick and something was wrong. He put my chin to my chest and I screamed and he knew immediately that it was spinal meningitis. Very scary, but he was so wonderful during that time and every other. Anyway, we saw him and the newborn nurse who is also a lactation consultant.
This is Henry on his way to the Dr. for the first time.
She helped us get Henry assessed and then we did before and after weights with him and she helped me nurse him so that I'm not in so much pain. The little nugget is aggressive and LOVES to eat. OUCH! Turns out I am doing everything correctly which is reassuring and babe gained an ounce during his feed. She thinks the pain is because he has a relatively high palate that is just causing me pain when he sucks but we will adjust. I honestly have looked at his sweet little face when he is trying to latch and I see this.....
We are now supplementing with fresh pumped milk after each feed because he is just so sleepy and gets tired trying to nurse.
Taylor put his shoes on him for the first time. I thought for sure they wouldn't fit and be far too small but they fit perfectly. HILARIOUS
Tuesday- Henry had his renal ultrasound at the hospital. We found when we started doing our growth scans and weekly BPP's during my pregnancy that Henry had a right renal pelvis dilation. This just means part of his right kidney was larger than they want to see. We watched it closely the rest of my pregnancy and the next step is to do an ultrasound of his kidneys in his first week of life to see what is going on. There are three reasons this is seen. 1) nothing is going on, just something that resolves on it's own. 2) renal reflux- where his bladder (which is a muscle) squeezes urine out, some of it backs up into the kidney instead of just going down and out like it is supposed to. or 3) he has a blockage in the tube from his kidney to his bladder (urethra) . They are not too horribly concerned. This is seen alot in little boys especially and usually results in nothing. Henry is getting an antibiotic by mouth every day to protect him against urinary tract and kidney infections just in case. He can come off of it if we find everything is normal so please pray things are ok and the results from the ultrasound we did turn out with great results. So far he seems to be doing well on assessment which is a good sign. While we were at the hospital we met with lactation again just to follow up (my pediatrician wanted a repeat weight to make sure he is doing well and leveling off or starting to gain back his weight he initially lost by now, she knew we would be at the hospital that morning anyway and asked us to just pop in and do another weight). Lactation has it's own room now that they can use for appointments and weight checks to help moms. It's such a wonderful resource. They have a baby scale to do before and after weights (Which I used to think was stupid and inaccurate) and a changing table, positioning pillows and a lactation consultant to help you. Henry gained an ounce from the day before which is wonderful and during his feed he gained another 36g (just over an ounce). The consultant taught me alot of things I didn't know and helped us so much. She perscribed me an ointment with an antibiotic, antifungal and steroid mixture to put on each time after I nurse to help me heal and help it not hurt so badly when Henry latches. Whoever said nursing isn't supposed to hurt lied. It's a huge adjustment! We also got to show Henry off to my friends in the NICU and then took him down to show him off to Nana and her work friends (my mom works in scheduling in the spine center at the hospital). Such a fun and productive morning. Then we came home and took a family nap....i.e. mini-coma. It helped sooo much!
Wednesday- We had Henry's newborn pictures taken and they are going to be amazing!! We did set ups of just him naked, close ups of his hands, feet, nose, face, lips etc, pics in nothing but his bear hat, a KSU theme set up, one with his navy blue and white elf hat, some in a wagon, some in our old milk crate from our bathroom, some with the three of us. I absolutely cannot wait to get them back but for now I did get this sneak peak of him.
This was Taylor's last day home with me and I started to get so sad!! Our little family had an entire week together and Taylor's help was hugely helpful. This is the first time we have had this much time together since our honeymoon 2.5 years ago. We needed it!! I've needed Taylor as I've recovered. Mainly because I've had numbness and tingling in my right foot since I got my epidural. It never wore off in this foot like it did in the left. I've had alot of weakness and have been pretty unstable and kind of walk with a limp since I delivered since I can't really feel much in my foot but the tingling. This makes me nervous to walk around (especially up and down the stairs) with Henry. The anesthesiologist said this can be a normal side effect of the epidural and can last a few days, weeks or can be permanent but they reassured me the tingling is a good sign and to let them know if it hasn't gone away in 6 weeks. WHAT?! Anyway, It's been great to have Taylor home with me to help me around the house and with Henry and I was getting nervous about being alone although my foot feels much better now and I have much more strength now. My good friend Jenna came over
But while Taylor was gone for those few hours I started crying. I just missed him and I wanted our family to be together. HOLY HORMONES LEAVE ME ALONE! We also got a call that Henry's kidney looked great, just a little bigger than the right side. The nephrologist said he can stop taking his antibiotic now and we can just do another ultrasound in 2 months and a follow up appointment with the nephrologist at the same time to see where to go from there.
Thursday- The munchkin slept so well but, we still napped for a few hours together in the morning (him in his basinette not with me in bed, don't worry). Then we got up and I took Henry to his follow up weight check at the pediatrician. He gained 6 oz in 4 days!! The newborn nurse was so impressed with him and hugged me at the scale because she was so proud with his turn around. She wants another weight sometime before his 1 month check up but otherwise she said I only need to pump and supplement when I feel he didn't eat well at the breast. YAY! It really is a pain in the butt and super time consuming to feed the baby for 20-30 minutes, pump for 10-15, cup feed the baby what he will take from the pumped milk, change the baby, wrap him back up, wash all my pump parts, pour the extra milk together and put it in the fridge. Then I go back to sleep or do whatever and then start all over an hour or 2 later. Exhausting. I feel so good knowing that I am doing well with him.
Waking him up to eat.
Getting grouchy while mommy gets ready.
Full tummy.
Friday- Henry and I just took the day to snuggle again tommorrow. It was Taylor's last day at his old job. He starts a new one on Monday with a fantastic company called the Scoular Company. He will be working in the container freight division helping transport all sorts of things like grain, wine, rock, clothing, barbies, hotwheels cars (Taylor is telling me as I type this lol). You get the idea. He will have a normal 8-5 office job with great benefits, PTO, and NO SATURDAYS!!!!! Taylor has worked every single saturday with very very few exceptions since we met 4 years ago. We are so excited to have our weekends together and it will make childcare much easier when I go back to work. Henry and I went to my parents house in the afternoon and Henry got to meet his GG for the first time. (Great Grandma).
Can you even get over him? I mean really.
Saturday- Another day of just hanging out except Henry did not sleep at all the night before. Despite being awake almost the entire time we were at my parents house he just couldn't pass out fully. He kept sucking on his pacifier, spitting it out, fussing, needing a new diaper, wanting to eat more, fussing again. I couldn't make the kid happy and I was so exhausted but it didn't matter, I can't do anything but love him and kiss him and snuggle him even at 4:30am with no sleep thus far. Taylor got up at that time and took over for me. He got Henry to sleep and went and got me some donuts. What an amazing husband. Then he went and got some new clothes for his new job monday so he feel so fresh and so clean, clean. :) Taylor's parents came over with Mr. Gyros for us for dinner and snuggled the little baby bear.
Don't get used to a post like this every week. It took a LONG time to make, but I am thrilled I will be able to remember our first week with the nugget at home!
