I love...

Brysen,

I love being your mom.

I love that you've started to look up at me when I talk to you.

I love when you respond to my voice and follow me with your eyes.

I love when you giggle and smile in your sleep. It's the cutest thing ever.

I love to just watch you sleep. Period.

I love rocking you every night.

I love your head full of hair and your pretty skin.

I love the way you sleep with your hands on your chest whenever you're not being swaddled.

And I love the way you fold those long legs.

I love the {very} dramatic yawn you always yawn.

I love the way you look at your daddy.

I love that you and Bella have been finding each other so interesting lately.

I love how you make the best expressions at the perfect times.

(This was "Ok mom, we've done enough shopping.")

And last but not least..

I love that you love to cuddle as much as I do.

I love every little thing about you.

9 Days Old

Brysen got to see the world outside of the hospital on day 6. He was so alert and ready to get out of that place. 

Thursday was day 7. His first full day at home and we had to start it with a follow-up appointment at the doctor's office. He had to be weighed and poked in the heel again. Poor little guy. He's definitely better at handling this than I am. I want to cry for him. Unfortunately, his bilirubin went up a little from the day before and his weight dropped just a tad. You would never know he'd been through so much in so little time. He's a very happy little boy.

We spent the afternoon at Kohls, Toys R Us, and visiting daddy on his lunch break. I think shopping wore him out.

Friday was day 8. We started it with finally getting to take his newborn pictures. He posed for two straight hours without ever making a sound. He was perfect! I can't wait to see them all. 

After pictures, Brysen got to meet Jayleigh. I think she liked him better in my belly. She doesn't know what to think of him just yet. 

Then we had to head back to the doctor. A follow-up to our follow-up. Thankfully his weight had not changed since the day before and his bilirubin had even dropped a little. He did have to get his heel pricked again though. He's had to go through that 1-2 times a day every day since he's been born. :(

Saturday was day 9. We spent the morning being lazy. He woke up looking like he had put on a few pounds. :)

We spent the afternoon at the doctor's office. He FINALLY got to spend an entire day without getting his heel pricked! He only had to be seen for a weight check, but then the doctor decided to do a heart x-ray. Holding him still on that cold, hard machine was not fun.

But, his bilirubin number from Friday had dropped a bit since Thursday. Yay! And he gained 4oz in less than 24 hours. He's almost back up to his birth weight. YAY!

When we weren't out and about, or at the doctor's office, Brysen enjoyed lots and lots of naps. When this boy sleeps, he really sleeps. And he's so cute doing it. ;)

Bella does everything she can to be right beside the baby. I think she is enjoying having him around. She definitely takes looking after him very serious. ;) 

Our Extended Stay

July 3 - July 9

If you Google the word jaundice you'll find that every site mentions a rare but serious case: Blood Group Incompatibility. Because my blood type is 0-, and Brysen's isn't, my body produced antibodies that destroyed his red blood cells during delivery, which then caused a large buildup of bilirubin in his blood. 

Brysen had to go under phototherapy around 9:00 am on the morning after he was born. The lights helped his liver flush the bilirubin out of his blood stream. He laid under overhead lamps and on top of a biliblanket from early Friday morning until late Tuesday night. He was only allowed to be taken from the lights every 3 hours for his feeding. Thank goodness he handled it like a champ and barely ever fussed. We were also lucky enough to keep him in the room with us the entire time.

We removed and re-added a light here and there to see how his body would react. Finally, around 10:00 Tuesday night, his numbers were low enough for both overhead lights to be removed. We were allowed to wrap him up and hold him while he was only using the biliblanket. Second best day ever. 

 

Brysen had his blood checked at 4:00 am and 5:00 pm every day we were at the hospital. Poor little guy. After getting his numbers Wednesday morning, the doctor let us take him completely off the phototherapy. We were so happy to be able to dress and really love on our boy. Finally. 

They drew his blood earlier than normal Wednesday afternoon. He went back around 1:30, and we got the best news ever a couple of hours later. His numbers stayed under the max number, and WE WERE GOING HOME. I don't know that I've ever been that happy! :)

July 3, 2014

The best day of our lives…

7:30 am - arrived at hospital

 

8:15 am - checked into room #3204

8:50 am - started pitocin (2)

9:20 am - increased pitocin (4)

9:43 am - increased pitocin (6)

10:19 am - increased pitocin (8)

10:46 am - increased pitocin (10)

11:17 am - doctor broke water

11:20 am - increased pitocin (12)

11:53 am - increased pitocin (14)

12:28 pm - increased pitocin (16)

1:02 pm - increased pitocin (18)

1:49 pm - increased pitocin (20)

2:15 pm - epidural

3:00 pm - decreased pitocin (10)

3:34 pm - decreased pitocin (8)

4:10 pm - catheter, decreased pitocin (6)

4:33 pm - decreased pitocin (4)

4:56 pm - dilated to 5cm

5:31 pm - decreased pitocin (3)

6:30 pm - decreased pitocin (1)

10:02 pm - Brysen was born! {8lb 2 oz, 21 in}