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.
