Marlo is 3 weeks old today. She's weighing in at 5 lbs, 11oz. Tiny, I know, but almost a pound of gain since we left the hospital not quit 2 weeks ago. She's got my heart. I am amazed how every time I have a baby, my heart expands enough so that I wonder how it's possible to love yet another child as fully and unconditionally as the first time...crazy.
Really...where did the summer go?
Hooray. We are home. After sleeping in plastic hospital beds for 24 nights, I finally got to sleep in my own bed last night, with baby right next to me in her bili box. Okay, it's not ideal, the whole bedroom has a blue glow to it, but I don't even care that we got sent home with a bunch of extra equipment, and instructions to follow...I'm just happy to be home.
Getting ready for the big car seat study last night...
Marlo is one week old today. Her first week has been full of ups and downs. Mostly ups though. All the doctors and specialists told me that she probably wouldn't breathe well on her own. The lactation specialists told me that babies this age really can't nurse, because they don't have the strength or energy...someone forgot to tell her that. She has been up and down with the bilirubin, a definite concern because she is so small, and last night she flunked her car seat study, because she has too much periodic breathing (like panting), with small dips in oxygenation. Therefore, we will be treating her with caffeine, (it's an actual treatment I promise) and will take home an apnea monitor because the possiblity exists because of her age, that she could dip and not recover fast enough and that would not be good. It is a temporary situation that should resolve near her due date (about 4/5 weeks from now) The important thing is that she is safe and healthy and that we keep her that way.
Lolo getting a sweet tan under the lights today....5 days old
Piper, Josh, and Tatym holding Lolo
NICU is like a black hole. Once you're in : it takes galactic force to get out. Marlo is gaining weight (2 ounces yesterday). She is off the IV, she is nursing like a pro BUT her bilirubin levels jumped from 10, to 15. So she's back under the lights and I'm nearing a mental breakdown. She needs to drop the bili scores significantly and still gain weight...a bit of a trick if you are under bright lights getting dehydrated all day....ARGHHH. I'm just praying she will somehow be able to do it all and we can get home. SOON. LIKE REALLY SOON.
Two days old: under the bili lights
Our little girl is here. Marlo. She is adorable, (you'll just have to believe me until I post pictures)
Today is the day. I have until evening to go into labor on my own, or then it's time to get a little help. I have been leaking bloody fluid for 24 hours (apparently that happens with premature rupture), it's kinda freaky, but more importantly I've had some contractions and my white blood cell count is rising. Not dangerously, but enough that the doctor wants this baby out. So here's hoping it all goes well....
Okay, last night, I woke up and I was having a contraction...sweet. I got up and felt a big gush. More fluid, but this time it was tinged with blood. So I spent the wee hours (1-4am), being hooked up periodically to the monitor, and having nurses assessing the fluid. I had contractions every 15 minutes, nothing too exciting. I do recall that before I had Josh and Piper, I did the same thing the night before I actually went into labor. So I told the nurses to bug off, and tried to sleep through it...rather unsuccessfully. Finally around 4, the contractions kind of stopped and I got to sleep for a couple hours. There is nothing going on right now, but my fingers are crossed that something is gonna happen before the Doc gets the itch to induce me. Could today be the day???
I'm feeling a mess. I have a rash on my belly...I think from where they are always monitoring the baby. My body doesn't like all the attention and lotion there apparently. I have a sore tongue. Why? Because I don't have any bacteria left thanks to the antibiotics every 4 hours...hence the yeast overgrowths. Thrush...it's unpleasant, never had it before. So now I am throwing down probiotics like they are going out of style. I have a varicose vein giving me grief...feels like a bruise, and I didn't even know it was there until 2 days ago. And I have track marks and bruises all over my arms because every morning at 6 am, I give a burly lab tech a tube of blood so they can check my white blood cell count. And lastly, I am constantly laying in a puddle of amniotic fluid, so just use your imagination on what that is doing to my backside. Okay, a puddle, might be an exaggeration, but the point is, it's not wholly pleasant this premature rupture of membranes.
No News is good news...nothing going on here. Still negotiating with my OB about how long we can draw this out. He wants to induce Monday or Tuesday, but I think I managed to beg for a few more days. I am a little petrified of the whole pitocin thing, so hopefully I can get over that before it happens. I also really want to get to 34 weeks ,at that juncture though the medical literature doesn't really support keeping me pregnant beyond that point, so we'll see what happens. I definitely don't want to wait so long that the baby or I contract some creepo infection that could put either of us at risk, but I am hoping my body has a plan and that this baby will come on it's own, and be ready to come soon. In the meantime I am watching a lot of tv, reading magazines, and eating constantly...still hoping for a freakishly large and healthy baby. I am very tired, which seems contradictory, but I don't think laying in bed all day instills great amounts of energy. Neither does having constant monitoring round the clock every 4 hours...ugh. But I am in a relatively positive good frame of mind...for now!
The lung assessments weren't quite up to par. Baby looks just shy of full lung development. I am not contracting, dilating, or showing any danger signs of infection. Consequently I have moved in to the antepartum unit. I will be here until I either go into labor, or until I hit 34 weeks, which ever comes first. We're hoping to get to August 10...that would be the 34 week mark. That would be a great milestone, and isn't automatic NICU, so we are keeping our fingers, toes, and legs crossed!
I am still waiting. The good news is that I got the second (final) steroid shot today, and hopefully this will significantly improve baby's lung function. No contractions of substance yet. I spoke with the N.I.C.U. today, and they explained what will most likely occur. The big things are making sure baby can breathe independently, learn to suck, swallow, and breathe concurrently, and of course gain weight. I guess the baby will be started on an IV for food immediately, and we will "practice" nursing, until baby figures it out. I will have to pump for baby, and we will get to hold him/her a lot, and so will the kids too, so that's good news. The estimated time in NICU is anywhere from 3 weeks on. I am praying for a little overachiever and 2 weeks in...but only time will tell. As for me, the Doctor and I are in negotiations over things like: how long I should be on the monitor during the day, and how long I get to sit here not having contractions. He is basically of the opinion that I will be having this baby before Friday morning, and I am statistically probably going to, but I am keeping my options open, and hoping for more time for the baby to grow. That's my story today....
Well, i woke up and my water broke this morning. Ummm, not good. I am only 32 weeks preggers and this little baby is gonna be small. I am currently sitting in my hospital room, waiting.
One of our favorite thing about our new house, is the views. We have been enjoying the sunsets, especially the ones that coincide with the summer thunder storms...they are gorgeous.
