Thoughts on my son's birth

When I had Kaya, the epidural was so strong that I couldn't feel anything from the waist down, not even the pressure to push. That was the best possible of scenarios in my opinion. A lot of critics would say, that is unnatural, and that the only way to experience birth is with out any pain assistance. I'm not that kind of woman! I had thoughts this time that maybe I would attempt a natural birth, but after my water broke spontaneously again, and pitocin was given around 10:00, I waited all of 3 hours before getting my epidural this time...please note, this is a record for me, because with Kaya I waited all of 30 minutes until I requested an epidural.

Well, epidurals must have changed in the last 6 years since I had a kid, because I was ready to experience the same total lack of feeling as I had with Kaya. No such luck. Initially it did take away the pain, but as my contractions grew stronger, so did the discomfort. I kept mentioning this fact to my kind nurses, and they did increase it to the highest level it could go. Near the end it was pain, and I was thankful when the pain turned to pressure to push, but I think I stated about 10 times that day, and I still stand by it, had I felt that pain with Kaya, I may not have had Jimi. I guess I am just a wimp, I didn't even have to push for long, maybe 10-15 minutes, but every time I tell my story, I think I add 10 minutes.

Hale and Hearty

We brought Jimi home on March 30th. He was 6 lbs, 1 oz when we brought him home, only 2 oz shy of his birth weight. We are so thankful to have him home. He is beautiful and has a million facial expressions. We can't quite pin point who he looks like yet, although I still think he has Joey's nose and lips, but we also see a resemblence to Kaya when she was an infant.

At the pediatrician today, he weighed in at 6 lbs 10 oz, so he is hale and hearty and absolutely wonderful.

That's My Boy

I love this picture because Joey looks so in love with Jimi, and though you can't see it, Jimi, has the same look on his face.

I can start breast feeding tomorrow. They have him on .5 liters, so it won't be much longer now. They gave us info on infant CPR tonight, which Joey and I will take on Sunday. The nurse tonight seemed to think maybe by the first of the week sometime we could have our little boy home!

I will room in with him at the hospital the last day he is there so we get a chance to bond, and I will have a day of taking care of him while still under the watchful eye of the nurses. Now if I can just convince one them to come home with me to take care of Jimi. ;)

My 2 Angels

Kaya got to hold Jimi for the first time tonight. Not much to post. He is more alert, eating from a bottle, and his jaundice has come back, but that is treatable. We are still taking it day by day. They have weened him from 2 liters of oxygen to 1.5, now this evening to 1.

NICU Update

I went to see my little man twice yesterday. The first I got to change him for the first time, but his little eyes were covered now too because of the light to get rid of his jaundice is shining right on his face. So you could only see his little lips. His nurse had a hard morning with him because he had pulled out his feeding tube and they had to change IV spots and she couldn't get a vein to work. I didn't get to hold him like I wanted to, but she promised his number were good and there was a good possiblity that he could be taken off the cpap that afternoon.

I went back up in the evening and I could see his little face! The cpap is now off, and they have replaced it with a nasal canula. I got to hold him for almost an hour and it was heaven! He fell into such a restful sleep while I was holding him, I hated to let him go. Here is pic of my beautiful boy...underneath all the bandaids and bruising...that is.

Waiting to Exhale

My life has been a whirlwind since last Tuesday. I was flying high after my doctors visit and ultrasound, then immediately started have painful contractions, which come to find out later was the beginning of my labor. Thursday my water broke around 7:20 am with Kaya home and Joey at work. She was awesome while we waited for him to get home so we could go to the hospital.
Jimi was born after a day of laboring and was sent to the nursery for observation of his lungs...later to be transferred to NICU. I have only held him twice, can barely touch him because they tell me that anything other than a firm touch on his head or bottom will startle him and what he needs now is the utmost rest to grow that lung tissue.

He is on a cpap machine that allows his little lungs to stay open, and is being given oxygen and IVs full of protein and vitamins and antibiotics to keep him strong until he can start eating. I have been pumping every 3 hours and freezing my milk so when he could start eating, the supply would be readily available to put in his feeding tube, which started this morning as a matter of fact. From here if he tolerates the milk, he will continue for a few days being fed like that, then once he is off the cpap, I can start breastfeeding. I'm a little worried at that point because my milk has now come in full force and I'm not sure if he will be ready to take on all of that milk the first time he feeds.

I am sore and just a little tired, but so far handling everything ok. I know he is healthy, just needs the extra help to be ready to take on this crazy world. I am dying to hold him and feed him and actually see his full face. And mostly to bond with him. I'm worried ( I know for no good reason) that he will have trouble bonding with me since we haven't had that closeness like most mothers have with their babies.

What I'm waiting for is to exhale and enjoy my newborn at home where he belongs without the restraints of the NICU and masks. To have our family home together as a whole. I know it won't be too long, but I can't control this, which I think is the hardest part of all of this for me.

Jimi Cometh

Right after my last post, and I mean literally 30 seconds later, I sat on my couch to put on Kaya's shoe and my water broke! I will post my birth story later, but for now...

Jimi was born prematurely at 35 weeks 4 days on Thursday, March 20th at 4:56 PM. He was 6lbs 3 oz and 20 inches long. He has mild RDS (respiratory distress syndrome) meaning his lungs weren't quite fully ready to work on their own. He was given to me and then sent to the NICU so he could get stronger to come home with us. He should be home within the month, hopefully in 1-2 weeks.

There is so much I want to post, so many things I've thought about mentioning over the past few days. I haven't really organized any of it yet in my head. but for now, here are some beautiful pictures of our little man.