Early Arrival - Week 36

Well I thought that I had at least 4 more uncomfortable weeks left until the baby's arrival . . . but the baby had other plans. On Friday March 16 at 7:20 am, I was getting ready to go outlet shopping with Logoann and SemiObsessiveMom to shop at Carters and the Osh Kosh outlets, when my water broke. After several phone calls I was told I needed to go to the hospital.

At this point I was in the negotiating phase of labor I guess because I tried to convince the husband that I could go shopping and we could do this later. Obviously didn't win that argument, so off to the hospital we went.

After 2 failed epidurals, 15 hours of labor, and what I am told was about 15 min of actual pushing (it really felt like hours though), the baby was born! He did well on his apgars (8 & 9 respectively) and was 6 lbs and 19", but since he is considered pre-term and had some "grunting" while breathing, which I guess indicated respitory distress, we had a quick picture and then he was wisked off to the NICU, much to my dismay since I really wanted him to be put to breast as soon as possible.

After aprox 2 days in the NICU, the baby graduatd to the regular nursery and I was transfered to a regular room near the nursery. Everything from my perspective seemed really surreal and didn't really feel "normal" until we were transfered to the regular nursery on Sunday afternoon. By the way don't let anyone tell you that labor pain is the most forgetable pain in the world - however the END of the last push is the most satisfying feeling of success! All in all I would do it again though so the pain is worth it!

By Monday afternoon the baby had graduated all his tests and had seen the on-call pediatrician from our doctor's office, so we were all ready for discharge.

Since then, the husband, baby, and I have been just fine - although more tired and sleepy than you can possibly imagine! The baby is growing so fast and he is (along with us are) learning new things everyday. Breastfeeding is getting better with every feeding for the most part and we have learned that sneezing is not such a scary thing after all. And if you can believe it the baby has already been on his first short shopping trip with the husband to Best Buy - like father like son I guess! By far the biggest juggling act is the breastfeeding / formula supplimenting. We are trying to get to breastfeeding only, slow but sure I hope.

Well I guess I really should sleep, if I am lucky I might be able to get an hour or so of sleep before the next feeding. I know that Logoann is going to yell at me for blogging so late when I really should be sleeping since the baby is right now.

By the way - Logoann and her husband have been the most heroic angels for the husband, baby, and me. Without them I would be hungry, unshowered, and have no clean clothes for me or the baby. I really can't say how much their help has meant to us. Great now I am crying and weepy - but that happens a lot now.

Here are a couple of pics of the few 100+ pics we already have taken. I am going to need a case of photo albums - I estimate that I'll be almost done with the baby's newborn picture scrapbook when he graduates from college!

I'll try to blog as often as the baby allows.

A very tired but happy new mom signing off . . .



Our First Family Photo
(Notice the look of relief)




We like our spikey hair!




We graduated from the NICU!