I'm on my way... I'm on my waaaaaay...
Home Sweet Home...
Once again, thank you all so much for your comments and sweet emails about my little HEB! Your support is amazing, thank you all! I'm sorry I haven't been able to write back individually, I really am. Things have been super busy, because:
Look who's home!
No, that's not a Clapotis. But it kind of looks like one.
And that's one of his proud Grandmas.
He turned in to a real little boy!
Today we weighed him and he has regained past his birth weight, he was 5 lbs 1 ounce.
I have to say, this is the hardest most overwhelming thing I have ever done. I thought residency was bad. But it was nothing like this.
Breastfeeding and caring for this little boy is so HARD! How do people do this? How do SINGLE mom's or dad's do this? Or how do you do it with other children??? Wow.
I don't know. But I am doing this best I can. We just want to give him the best. He has surpassed all physical expectations for his gestational age - we are so happy. He would have been 36 weeks old tomorrow if he hadn't been born yet...
Please forgive the lack of posts and knitting for the next little while. We're gonna rest up on this end, but you know we'll be back. You can't keep the High Energy's down...
When I was born, they looked at me and said...
What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy...
Oh my goodness. You all truly are so awesome. A heartfelt thank you from our High Energy Family to all of you. I truly believe your thoughts and prayers have/will make a difference. I'm sorry I can't thank all of you individually right now, but know that we love each and every one of you.
And speaking of our High Energy Family - here he is!!! In this corner, High Energy Baby, weighing in at a fighting weight of 5 pounds even! 17.5 inches! 34 weeks 3 days!
Hello. I have just been born.
This is my "I look a bit like a troll doll" face. So Squinchy. What just happened to me?
So, I started labor about 6 am Saturday am with the help of some pitocin, which I quickly didn't need. I delivered the tiny man at 12:24 pm. I got at epidural at about 8 cm dilated, and it was a GOOD idea.
At first, HEB cried really strongly and looked pink. But, he did quickly get tired and got a little blue and worked hard to breathe. So up the NICU (Neonatal ICU) he went with dad.
There he got a bunch of tubes and wires, is on CPAP, which is a way to help him breathe. It's more than just some oxygen, but it's better than being intubated, which he hopefully will not need.
He is getting stronger all the time, and looking better and better. He won't get to eat until he is off the CPAP, which we hope will be a few days. We can touch him and talk to him and changed his diaper today. So we feel like parents a little bit more all the time. And hopefully we can hold him soon!
He will probably need a few weeks in the NICU, because babies this little often have trouble learning how to eat - sucking, swallowing and breathing are hard for them to coordinate. But if he is doing well once he can eat and is gaining weight he can come home!
Here's a progress shot from today:
I look like a boxer!
Poor smashed up face. The CPAP does that but it will all even out. We think he's beautiful and we love him so much. He's our little fighter. He has already pulled out his orogastric tube THREE FOUR times, and he is only 33 35 hours old!
We'll update soon. I go home tomorrow, and I hate that it's without him, but we are so lucky to live five minutes from the hospital, and our NICU is state of the art. He could not be in better hands.
Thanks again, you all. Love, the HEJs and HEB.
Oh Black Water Keep on Rolling...
Mississippi moon won't you keep on shinin' on me...
Well. There were sweaters to finish that are SO. CLOSE. And there were posts to post about all kinds of things to entertain you.
But then today, the HEB decided time was up. The buzzer went off. And my water broke.
SIGH.
I would be joyous, but I am 34 weeks and 2 days. And that's early, especially for a caucasian male baby.
He won't get to go home with us. He will probably be intubated, and I can't breast feed him, I'll pump and hope they can feed it to him.
And we just hope he will be okay. Please Lord let him be okay.
We are in Labor and Delivery now in our high tech room with wi-fi, and as I can't sleep I'm blogging.
No pics yet, sorry. But please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We'll likely have birthed us a teeny person by sometime Saturday...