2 Months 6-18-13

Just a few days late.  Our little B is 2 months old already.  It goes so fast,  just like everyone tells us.  Soon she will be home longer than she was in the nicu.

On Monday B weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces.  She eats between 2 and 3 ounces at a feeding.  When she realizes she is hungry, you just can't get the bottle to her fast enough.  She is still mostly bottle feeding, but we keep working on breast feeding.  Some times are better than others.  We've been getting help at weekly lactation appointments so that's been good.

Bayden loves to be held, snuggled, and sleep in anyone's arms.  Of course we love this as much as she does.  It's crazy how fast she learned when she is put down and how she can get someone to hold her again.  We've gotten a couple little smiles, but nothing consistent so we aren't sure if they were the real thing or not.  She is watching our mouths when we talk to her and moving her mouth and tongue around though.  She is starting to grab and hold on to things (blankets, shirts, my hair, etc.).  She loves to move her legs and arms around.  She is very squirmy and can break her arms of her swaddle unless daddy swaddles her.

Everyone who meets her comments on how much hair she has and the color of course.  It's funny when people say it has a red tint.  It is red people!  My joke is that she was too busy growing her hair on the inside instead of developing her lungs.  Everyone also comments on her eyelashes and how long they are.  It seems like every time we look at them, they are longer.  People must think I'm putting mascara on her.

Can you see her lashes?

And just because we don't want to forget what it was like with her equipment.  You can see she doesn't find this as funny as I do!

Cousins

Yesterday was a busy day for B.  She met her little cousins for the first time!  My mom, sister, and her twins came to spend the day with us.  It was a fun day, but sure different from if they would have visited a year ago.  This time we fed, burped, changed, pumped, snuggled, visited, and had lots of laughs.  No shopping or out to lunch and drinks this time.  Maybe next time if the dads are around to let us out for a few hours.  It was a great day!  I didn't get many pictures  with all that baby stuff we had to do!

Grandma with the 3 new babies (Maysen, Jack, and Bayden)

Auntie Megan and B

Grandma and Maysen sleeping in her favorite position

After a busy day with company, B had a photo shoot last night.  It's a little harder to get newborn pictures when she acts like an 8 week old baby in some ways.  Our friend worked so  hard and got some really cute ones though.  Towards the end of the night though, here is what little Bayden thought of pictures....

F%&#   this!

Dear NICU

Today we went to see B's nicu doctor and occupational therapist for a check-up.  She will be going in for these check-ups about once a month.  She checks out fine.  They'd like to see her gaining a little more weight and she still needs the monitor of course.  We also brought a thank-you note for the staff in the nicu. While it was not a fun place to visit for hours a day for 6 weeks, we are very thankful for the care and love they gave Bayden.  Her thank you note went something like this.

Dear NICU -

Thank you for taking such good care of me during my stay at the NICU.  Thank you for feeding me, changing my diapers, giving me my medicine, giving me baths, and putting me in cute outfits with matching bedding.  Thank you for the head massages (the ones you called "stim").  They were a little rough sometimes, but it was a nice reminder to take a breath.  And of course thank you for all the little bursts of oxygen you gave me!  Sorry for causing so much trouble.  Most of all, thanks for snuggling me when my mom and dad couldn't be there.

I also want to a apologize for my mother.  She really was the biggest baby in the NICU, poor gal.  My mom and dad tried and waited a long time to have me and they have gone through a lot of hard stuff.  She just couldn't help it.  Thanks for giving her hugs and helping her through my hospital stay.  She's better now that I'm at home!

Thanks for all you did for me and all the other babies.  I will stop in and visit!

Love, Bayden

Home Sweet Home

We've been home a little over a week now.  So far so good!  I sure don't miss that drive to the nicu a couple times a day.  We've been enjoying the cuddling and are finding our routine.  Bayden has had lots of visitors, almost everyday.  We can just about see her growing.  Her monitor has gone off, mostly for errors or the parts hooked to her are loose.  A few have been because she has taken a break from that chore of breathing while eating.  No alarms have been scary, all that we are familiar with handling, she usually just needs to burp.  She went to see her pediatrician on Friday and weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces.  Tomorrow we go for a check-up with her nicu doctor.  Here are some pictures of home!

Cuddling with daddy when we roomed in at the hospital.  

"So over the nicu, let's get out of here"

First bath at home

Cousin Howie visiting.  He may have needed a bribe to pose for a picture by her!

Cousin Makenzie

Great grandma and grandpa Smith, our first outing!

Kisses from our godson and his sister

Tired out from tummy time

Her favorite spot

Finally a family of 4 at home!

Sleepover and a Homecoming

After 6 weeks in the nicu, we brought our baby home yesterday!  Thursday marked 1 week of not needing any extra oxygen (blow by) for Bayden and that was the requirement for discharge.  The nicu invited Gavin and I in for a sleepover to "room in" at the hospital to have a practice night with her monitor.  We packed our bags and got to the hospital that evening.  They set us up in a room like we were in when she was born and brought her bassinet in.  We did her bath and fed her and did lots of snuggling.  We tried to sleep but in those beds it was hard.  And I may have been staring at her monitor to make sure the little green light by the lungs picture was blinking.  The nurses brought in a bottle every 3 hours.  I decided to not stress about breastfeeding that night and just pumped.  The night went smoothly and she slept after each of her bottles until we got her up for the next one.

Friday morning we showered, got ready and hung out until her nurse was ready and then we took her back to the nicu to do discharge stuff.  I hugged some of our favorite nurses good bye and we were on our way at about 1:00, exactly 43 days since she was born.  As I pulled an oxygen tank behind me to bring home (just in case we need it), I told Bayden how embarrassing that is to haul around.  I'm sure she's thinking:  "like you weren't embarrassing me in the nicu?  you were the biggest baby in there, mother."

It felt so great to bring her home, but it feels so separate from her birth.  It's a different feeling that I'm not sure how to explain.  We spent yesterday cuddling, feeding, pumping, changing diapers, burping, a bath, and sleeping.  We couldn't be happier.

I'm still trying to figure out this breast feeding, bottles, and pumping schedule, but it will come.  It was easier Thursday night when a nurse brought me a warmed bottle of breast milk every 3 hours.  Gav will stay home part of next week to get settled and we also have a couple appointments.  I think her travels around town will require 2 adults for awhile.  I will post some pictures of her coming home later this week.  Feels good to be home!