All of a sudden it occurred to me to try to get free stuff for Archer by registering for his diaper and formula brands. I never did this with the other two, and I'm fairly disappointed with myself for that.
Here are the links to the sites:
www.sharegiftstogrow.com
Pampers
You get to enter codes from diapers and wipes to earn points towards free stuff...how cool is that?
www.enfamil.com
I think most formula brands have a program where you can sign up to earn 200-300 bucks worth of samples and other gifts. Make sure you have done this ladies, if you like free stuff!
This seems like something I would like to do often...scour the net for deals and things I can get for free,cheap or discounted.
So, your homework ladies: what's your favorite mommy group that helps you save money? Let me know of anything I should be signing up for!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Overstimulated, underenthused.
Things are basically in a routine now...it's not a routine that I exactly like, but it could be labeled a routine since it is pretty much always the same each day. Here it is:
(and I am starting at the time the alarm goes off)
6:45 am: Alarm goes off. This is pretty much the afterglow of the last feeding of the nightshift where I wake with him in the crook of my arm snuggled against me. It is next to impossible to turn the alarm clock off without disturbing Archer, but sometimes I am successful.
6:45-7:20 : Rush around getting Riley dressed, his backpack packed up with his lunchbox, his belly fed. By 7, I am back in the room creeping around trying not to wake the baby BUT wake Zach, who at least can dress himself without complaining too much.
7:30 : Riley leaves for school with Zach, if Archer isn't already awake, he wakes up and so does Declan...usually at the exact same time. Everybody wants fed. Cartoons go on for Dec.
8-12. Archer falls back asleep about 3 times. 2 times for 20-30 minutes and one time for an hour max. This is not enough sleep for his age group, and he is a bit grouchy.
12-2 Figure out how to feed Declan lunch when Archie is being super fussy. Usually end up pushing him back and forth in his stroller, unless Zach or my MIL are here to help by holding him. If it's a T/R, then Dec heads off to preschool with Zach. Yes, I am incredibly lucky that he is on disability right now and able to do all these school runs! At some point, usually more towards 2, Archer drops off completely exhausted after a feeding of some type. At this point he may sleep for 1-2 hours.
3-5 Riley comes home from school (and Dec if he had preschool) and it gets pretty loud. If Archer's nap is crappy, this is undoubtedly why. Try to get homework out of the way and if it's not too chilly, boys outside with Daddy for a little fresh air.
5-7. Dinner, and usually a little videogame or tv time for the older boys. Every other day, unless incredibly dirty, they get a bath around 6:45.
7-7:30 Bedtime for Riley and Declan, Archer starts to fuss.
7:30-10ish Archer fusses. We pass him back and forth, take turns singing to him, and he eventually drops off, exhausted. Until he falls asleep, his eyes look like they are bulging out of his skull. He is WIDE AWAKE and HYPER ALERT.
10-6:45: I sleep in mini two hour increments. He was waking up closer to three hours apart, but since he had the little cold, he is back to every two because of all the snot sucking that was going on. He normally goes right back down, unless he makes a poop in the night, then it takes a little bit more finesse. There is rarely any fussing though.
*************
I hate to sound like I'm complaining, I know he is a true blessing. I just wish he was a true blessing that wasn't so stressful. I think if he was my first baby, he might be my last! Riley and Declan were never this fussy. I have been doing some reading about it, and I think Archer falls into the colic category. I hope that is true, because then it could be over sooner than later. I like to think he feels safe with us, and the fact that it is the same window of time makes me think it might be colic. The way his little eyes seem propped open point to overstimulated and just plain exhausted. He does have beautiful propped open eyes though.
(and I am starting at the time the alarm goes off)
6:45 am: Alarm goes off. This is pretty much the afterglow of the last feeding of the nightshift where I wake with him in the crook of my arm snuggled against me. It is next to impossible to turn the alarm clock off without disturbing Archer, but sometimes I am successful.
6:45-7:20 : Rush around getting Riley dressed, his backpack packed up with his lunchbox, his belly fed. By 7, I am back in the room creeping around trying not to wake the baby BUT wake Zach, who at least can dress himself without complaining too much.
7:30 : Riley leaves for school with Zach, if Archer isn't already awake, he wakes up and so does Declan...usually at the exact same time. Everybody wants fed. Cartoons go on for Dec.
8-12. Archer falls back asleep about 3 times. 2 times for 20-30 minutes and one time for an hour max. This is not enough sleep for his age group, and he is a bit grouchy.
12-2 Figure out how to feed Declan lunch when Archie is being super fussy. Usually end up pushing him back and forth in his stroller, unless Zach or my MIL are here to help by holding him. If it's a T/R, then Dec heads off to preschool with Zach. Yes, I am incredibly lucky that he is on disability right now and able to do all these school runs! At some point, usually more towards 2, Archer drops off completely exhausted after a feeding of some type. At this point he may sleep for 1-2 hours.
3-5 Riley comes home from school (and Dec if he had preschool) and it gets pretty loud. If Archer's nap is crappy, this is undoubtedly why. Try to get homework out of the way and if it's not too chilly, boys outside with Daddy for a little fresh air.
5-7. Dinner, and usually a little videogame or tv time for the older boys. Every other day, unless incredibly dirty, they get a bath around 6:45.
7-7:30 Bedtime for Riley and Declan, Archer starts to fuss.
7:30-10ish Archer fusses. We pass him back and forth, take turns singing to him, and he eventually drops off, exhausted. Until he falls asleep, his eyes look like they are bulging out of his skull. He is WIDE AWAKE and HYPER ALERT.
10-6:45: I sleep in mini two hour increments. He was waking up closer to three hours apart, but since he had the little cold, he is back to every two because of all the snot sucking that was going on. He normally goes right back down, unless he makes a poop in the night, then it takes a little bit more finesse. There is rarely any fussing though.
*************
I hate to sound like I'm complaining, I know he is a true blessing. I just wish he was a true blessing that wasn't so stressful. I think if he was my first baby, he might be my last! Riley and Declan were never this fussy. I have been doing some reading about it, and I think Archer falls into the colic category. I hope that is true, because then it could be over sooner than later. I like to think he feels safe with us, and the fact that it is the same window of time makes me think it might be colic. The way his little eyes seem propped open point to overstimulated and just plain exhausted. He does have beautiful propped open eyes though.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Strawberry Shampoo
So you know that relaxed feeling just before you fall asleep, when you aren't dreaming yet but sometimes you think of the most random things that you haven't thought of in years? Last night the thing that popped into my head was Suave Strawberry Shampoo/Conditioner. I hope they still make it, because there is nothing I want more than to locate and use some.
That's it for my random piece of this blog. Sadly, I woke up this morning and thought to myself that I didn't remember sending Riley to his room yesterday. Has it gotten that bad, that it is strange to me when a day goes by where he isn't backtalking and suffering the consequences for that? I'm just going to hope he is turning over a new leaf and finally making the connection that behavior is directly related to punishments/rewards.
Declan is becoming an avid golfer, like Daddy. The two of them are practicing their putting in the living room with the automatic ball return gizmo Zach made the mistake of letting Dec know he has. Now, it's all he's interested in... which you would think would make Zach feel happy and honored- in reality, he doesn't like to share since he is really trying to improve his game. He has it in his head that he will be a pro golfer if he keeps up his practicing. (Anytime Zach is interested in anything, he becomes a little OCD with it. I've seen this happen with cars, motorcycles, guns/reloading bullets, and now golf.)
And, now the youngest. Archer is fussy every evening at 7, 7:30 and it lasts until at least 9 pm. It's at this time that all the regular tricks don't work, and I'm pretty sure he is overstimulated, because his first sleep is always much longer than the rest of the night. Normally he sleeps for 3- 3 1/2 hours the first time through, then it turns into 2 1/2, 3 if you're lucky for the rest of the night. However, last night it was 2 hours max between wakeups. Hubby brought me chocolate and Pepsi Max and I'm doing the best I can. I'm actually not that grouchy about it now, although it is frustrating that Archie is now snoozing away, but I can't get any rest since Declan is pretty much an attention hog when he has nobody else to compete with. Not that I blame him, but can't we snuggle together on the couch??
I think I am getting the hang of the routine though, and ready to immerse myself back in the land of adults. I had a tastefully simple open house, wasn't a huge turnout since many people didn't come because they or someone in their home had germies they didn't want to share with our fam, especially Archer. I do appreciate that, but having an open house is a lot of work and there are SO MANY leftovers. Still, it was a small success and it was nice to do something that was for me, and not directly for one of my kiddos or my husband. This week, I plan to actually leave the house for dinner without feeling guilty...although it is hard not to feel that guilt when I know what it is like dealing with Archer in the evenings.
Still, we are all healthy and that is something to be thankful for...so many of my friends are dealing with medical health issues and I can't imagine what that must be like on top of the other everyday stresses of young children. My heart goes out to these people, even though we have our own problems which are always just a date on the calendar growing closer. We have been lucky so far, but I know that will eventually run out and I don't want to think about that.
One final thing, my brother stayed overnight in the hospital on the cardiac floor after being rushed by ambulance there from his regular doctor. They have done multiple tests and I am hoping they find some answers and that isn't anything too serious. I know he has a lot of stress in his life, too. Don't we all?
That's it for my random piece of this blog. Sadly, I woke up this morning and thought to myself that I didn't remember sending Riley to his room yesterday. Has it gotten that bad, that it is strange to me when a day goes by where he isn't backtalking and suffering the consequences for that? I'm just going to hope he is turning over a new leaf and finally making the connection that behavior is directly related to punishments/rewards.
Declan is becoming an avid golfer, like Daddy. The two of them are practicing their putting in the living room with the automatic ball return gizmo Zach made the mistake of letting Dec know he has. Now, it's all he's interested in... which you would think would make Zach feel happy and honored- in reality, he doesn't like to share since he is really trying to improve his game. He has it in his head that he will be a pro golfer if he keeps up his practicing. (Anytime Zach is interested in anything, he becomes a little OCD with it. I've seen this happen with cars, motorcycles, guns/reloading bullets, and now golf.)
And, now the youngest. Archer is fussy every evening at 7, 7:30 and it lasts until at least 9 pm. It's at this time that all the regular tricks don't work, and I'm pretty sure he is overstimulated, because his first sleep is always much longer than the rest of the night. Normally he sleeps for 3- 3 1/2 hours the first time through, then it turns into 2 1/2, 3 if you're lucky for the rest of the night. However, last night it was 2 hours max between wakeups. Hubby brought me chocolate and Pepsi Max and I'm doing the best I can. I'm actually not that grouchy about it now, although it is frustrating that Archie is now snoozing away, but I can't get any rest since Declan is pretty much an attention hog when he has nobody else to compete with. Not that I blame him, but can't we snuggle together on the couch??
I think I am getting the hang of the routine though, and ready to immerse myself back in the land of adults. I had a tastefully simple open house, wasn't a huge turnout since many people didn't come because they or someone in their home had germies they didn't want to share with our fam, especially Archer. I do appreciate that, but having an open house is a lot of work and there are SO MANY leftovers. Still, it was a small success and it was nice to do something that was for me, and not directly for one of my kiddos or my husband. This week, I plan to actually leave the house for dinner without feeling guilty...although it is hard not to feel that guilt when I know what it is like dealing with Archer in the evenings.
Still, we are all healthy and that is something to be thankful for...so many of my friends are dealing with medical health issues and I can't imagine what that must be like on top of the other everyday stresses of young children. My heart goes out to these people, even though we have our own problems which are always just a date on the calendar growing closer. We have been lucky so far, but I know that will eventually run out and I don't want to think about that.
One final thing, my brother stayed overnight in the hospital on the cardiac floor after being rushed by ambulance there from his regular doctor. They have done multiple tests and I am hoping they find some answers and that isn't anything too serious. I know he has a lot of stress in his life, too. Don't we all?
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Happy Birthday, Ash!
Today is the eighth birthday of my niece Ashley! Since her little butt was the first I've ever diapered, I never in a million years realized just how many butts would need changed by me in eight years time. I used to watch Ashley for a work overlap when she was a newborn, and 3 months after she was born was when I met Zach. The first time he held her, I knew I wanted kids with him someday. Someday just was much sooner and the kids just kept coming!
So Happy Birthday to a beautiful little girl I am proud to call my niece <3
So Happy Birthday to a beautiful little girl I am proud to call my niece <3
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Whispers
Declan didn't sleep through the night until he was 18 months old. The first month and a half of his life was spent sleeping in someone's arms, until I finally ignored all the warnings and put my over-sized infant to bed on his belly. Then he slept for 3-4 hours straight between feedings. The pressure on his belly was what he wanted...and I'm afraid it's what Archer wants too. I haven't put him down to sleep on his tummy because it's almost like I am afraid he will break even though I know he is 100% healthy now and has no more chance of developing health problems than any other baby. Someone suggested I read the baby whisperer book on my FB wall and my dad promptly had it shipped to my house. After reading through it last night, I was armed for bedtime with a few tricks up my sleeve. (For those of you who have read the book- Archie falls under the category of the Spirited baby.)
First, I wrapped him tighter in his swaddling blanky. I waited til his eyelids were extremely heavy, but still fluttering open and closed and then laid him down in his bassinet, told him I was nearby, and held my breath. He slept for three hours before waking up hungry. For all but one wakeup, this worked like a charm. The time that didn't work, I had run down to the kitchen to drop off some used bottles and grab a drink for myself. When I came back in the room, Archer was no longer in his bassinet but in Zach's arms. Zach was already half asleep again and claimed he was fussing for a long time. Um, I was literally gone for 2 minutes tops. I asked him to please not grab him right away (there was no way he woke up screaming bloody murder immediately- the door was open to our bedroom and there is no way I wouldn't have heard him crying AT ALL) the first time he makes a little cry or fidgety fussy noise. Archer was already asleep again, so he couldn't have been that upset. Zach then hands him back to me and rolls over and goes back to sleep. I must admit I was furious. I read him excerpts from the book and told him what I wanted to try that night and he just didn't even try to help. Was it an overreaction of mine when I told him he needed to sleep on the couch if he was going to be bothered by little cries? I am not trying to hold the baby all the time- love him to pieces, but he IS my third baby and I am exhausted at the end of the day and want to at least get the three hours in a row on my OWN. Is that selfish? I mean maybe he should hold him all night if that is the way he wants to raise him....right?
Most of the time, things are calm and becoming smoother around here...balancing and juggling that is. There are still moments of stress, but overall I feel like I can do this. I guess I better feel that way- I AM doing this!
First, I wrapped him tighter in his swaddling blanky. I waited til his eyelids were extremely heavy, but still fluttering open and closed and then laid him down in his bassinet, told him I was nearby, and held my breath. He slept for three hours before waking up hungry. For all but one wakeup, this worked like a charm. The time that didn't work, I had run down to the kitchen to drop off some used bottles and grab a drink for myself. When I came back in the room, Archer was no longer in his bassinet but in Zach's arms. Zach was already half asleep again and claimed he was fussing for a long time. Um, I was literally gone for 2 minutes tops. I asked him to please not grab him right away (there was no way he woke up screaming bloody murder immediately- the door was open to our bedroom and there is no way I wouldn't have heard him crying AT ALL) the first time he makes a little cry or fidgety fussy noise. Archer was already asleep again, so he couldn't have been that upset. Zach then hands him back to me and rolls over and goes back to sleep. I must admit I was furious. I read him excerpts from the book and told him what I wanted to try that night and he just didn't even try to help. Was it an overreaction of mine when I told him he needed to sleep on the couch if he was going to be bothered by little cries? I am not trying to hold the baby all the time- love him to pieces, but he IS my third baby and I am exhausted at the end of the day and want to at least get the three hours in a row on my OWN. Is that selfish? I mean maybe he should hold him all night if that is the way he wants to raise him....right?
Most of the time, things are calm and becoming smoother around here...balancing and juggling that is. There are still moments of stress, but overall I feel like I can do this. I guess I better feel that way- I AM doing this!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Gripe-Gripe-B$tch
My little baby was so fussy and gassy last night and tempers in the home were reflective of this... honestly my hubby can be a big help sometimes and other times he acts like he has done me a huge favor if he so much as bends a pinky finger to do something so that I don't have to. The first few nights home we took turns getting up with Archer...Zach is still off work with an injury (an injury that DOESN'T hinder him from newborn care) so he would stay up a few extra hours and get one more feeding in so I could get a headstart on sleep. All of that has fallen by the wayside already, I don't know why I am surprised. Then he gets irritated and said that I act like everything he does with the baby or the bigger boys is wrong (our parenting styles do not match up in a lot of situations)anyway. I mean sometimes I may act like that because it IS wrong, but I thought I had gone out of my way to say how smooth the transition was going and thanking him especially for stepping up when I was in the ER. Maybe I should have gotten him an actual engraved trophy?
All I'm asking is that if Zach gets to sleep all night long, can I please have a nap? I got one yesterday, but only after he yelled at me and acted like he had been helping me at night (one time he got me a change of clothes for Archer when he piddled on his clothes). No, it isn't a contest. Yet...which one of us actually birthed the child, lost too much blood, was internally examined 3 1/2 days post birth AND can barely sit down a week later? That would be me. So, no- I don't think a nap is too much to ask for.
I am still doing the laundry, cooking him 2 meals a day, bathing the bigger kids, getting Riley's homework done... the only thing he does do most of the time is feed the baby a bottle during the day. It would be nice if he would do some of the other chores so I could actually enjoy feeding baby while I'm awake.
Declan has me all to himself for a second, and he wants that attention pretty badly-so enough complaining for now!
All I'm asking is that if Zach gets to sleep all night long, can I please have a nap? I got one yesterday, but only after he yelled at me and acted like he had been helping me at night (one time he got me a change of clothes for Archer when he piddled on his clothes). No, it isn't a contest. Yet...which one of us actually birthed the child, lost too much blood, was internally examined 3 1/2 days post birth AND can barely sit down a week later? That would be me. So, no- I don't think a nap is too much to ask for.
I am still doing the laundry, cooking him 2 meals a day, bathing the bigger kids, getting Riley's homework done... the only thing he does do most of the time is feed the baby a bottle during the day. It would be nice if he would do some of the other chores so I could actually enjoy feeding baby while I'm awake.
Declan has me all to himself for a second, and he wants that attention pretty badly-so enough complaining for now!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Some type of normal
The weekend was crazy...lots of visitors, lots of noise, and lots of extra hands to help.
We live with my mother-in-law, for those who don't know, so she is around at times but she teaches college courses at two different schools so her schedule is pretty hectic a lot of days. She kept her schedule quite clear this weekend and was available to help a lot, including a night shift the day after I got out of the hospital (the second time.) since Zach was also running on empty up all night worrying about the brand new baby discharged from the NICU and his wife off at the ER. He is a worrier by nature, so I'm sure he was even more of a mess than was showing (which was enough!).
Today, it is much quieter. Riley is at school, MIL at work, Zach was gone most of the morning (until just a few minutes ago actually) at hand therapy. Archer was super fussy- he couldn't make up his mind what he wanted, I don't think he even knew! At first he was basking in the sunlight like a little kitten, purring on my shoulder. A few minutes later he was pissed off that the sun was shining on him and tried to eject himself from my arms (he did not succeed.) Declan played quietly all morning and we caught up on some of our favorite cartoons (currently we are into The Cat in the Hat, Clifford, still Caillou, Bubble Guppies...) and was actually quite pleasant. He was such a grouch yesterday, so that was a relief. I love Riley to death, but I swear Dec gets much more vinegary when he spends the whole day with Ry. The whining, backtalk and stubbornness is airborne, apparently.
What else is going on this week? Wednesday, Archer has his newborn photo shoot @ Jeni's (feel free to post a shameless link to your site if you are reading this, Jeni!) so it will be interesting to see how that goes! He is normally a good baby, so it should be fine. I just have to watch anyway and feed him and change him- she will have the much tougher job!
We live with my mother-in-law, for those who don't know, so she is around at times but she teaches college courses at two different schools so her schedule is pretty hectic a lot of days. She kept her schedule quite clear this weekend and was available to help a lot, including a night shift the day after I got out of the hospital (the second time.) since Zach was also running on empty up all night worrying about the brand new baby discharged from the NICU and his wife off at the ER. He is a worrier by nature, so I'm sure he was even more of a mess than was showing (which was enough!).
Today, it is much quieter. Riley is at school, MIL at work, Zach was gone most of the morning (until just a few minutes ago actually) at hand therapy. Archer was super fussy- he couldn't make up his mind what he wanted, I don't think he even knew! At first he was basking in the sunlight like a little kitten, purring on my shoulder. A few minutes later he was pissed off that the sun was shining on him and tried to eject himself from my arms (he did not succeed.) Declan played quietly all morning and we caught up on some of our favorite cartoons (currently we are into The Cat in the Hat, Clifford, still Caillou, Bubble Guppies...) and was actually quite pleasant. He was such a grouch yesterday, so that was a relief. I love Riley to death, but I swear Dec gets much more vinegary when he spends the whole day with Ry. The whining, backtalk and stubbornness is airborne, apparently.
What else is going on this week? Wednesday, Archer has his newborn photo shoot @ Jeni's (feel free to post a shameless link to your site if you are reading this, Jeni!) so it will be interesting to see how that goes! He is normally a good baby, so it should be fine. I just have to watch anyway and feed him and change him- she will have the much tougher job!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Relief, Less Relief
What a rollercoaster ride this week has been! Between the NICU, the emergency room, and trying to get used to things at home- I am absolutely drained! I commented on Monday and Tuesday that I didn't feel like I had just had a baby-there was no pain, I obviously didn't have a baby in my room, I slept well and was up and about walking all over the hospital-which I have never done previously since there was always a newborn in my room to tend to.
Rooming in was more like it-but even then he slept pretty well and I wasn't that tired since I had plenty of sleep the night before and even a nap before I was discharged. Time to visit with my boys at home before heading back in with Zach to spend the night also helped a lot, I had been missing them.
The day Archer was discharged was Thursday- and that was when my body let me know it had enough of what I was putting it through. After waiting around pretty much all day (he still hadn't been circumcised prior to that since they didn't want him crying excessively until the pneumothorax was gone) we finally were discharged around 3 pm. Only home for a little bit, I decided to try pumping with my brand new electric breast pump. I had it on for a bit, maybe ten minutes (Archer was dozing in his bouncer) and Zach had taken Riley outside to practice golf swings (don't ask) so Declan was the only one around to witness the excessive shaking that started in my hands and traveled up my arms until the whole top half of my body was shaking. I also became super cold and yelled for Dec to get Daddy. He couldn't get the garage door or the front door open (which is great really, but I could have used him to) so I had him banging on the window. Nothing. Finally, Riley came into pee and we got him to get Daddy. By then I was pale as a ghost and just my hands were still shaking and I had no feeling in them. I laid down for a bit and just couldn't get warm, so I went up and laid first in a warm bath and then in my bed.
My MIL came home then and took one look at me and found my doctors phone number. I had also lost some big gushes of fluid and she was worried since I am rather anemic and had lost an excessive amount of blood post delivery when my uterus stopped contracting after pushing the kiddo out. They told me to head to the ER, so that is where I spent my next 6 hours.
An EKG, chest x-ray, multiple blood tests, and a very painful pelvic exam... the only thing they could come up with was that perhaps holding the bottles while pumping caused me to have some type of carpal tunnel issues. Um, excuse me? What is he even talking about?
I took my iron prescription the following day and I have felt fine since. My parents and MIL all think I just overdid it by all my wanderings up and down the hall from my room to the NICU and the stress of everything plus missing my iron pills Thursday while we we were stuck waiting for discharge all day. Who knows?
Rooming in was more like it-but even then he slept pretty well and I wasn't that tired since I had plenty of sleep the night before and even a nap before I was discharged. Time to visit with my boys at home before heading back in with Zach to spend the night also helped a lot, I had been missing them.
The day Archer was discharged was Thursday- and that was when my body let me know it had enough of what I was putting it through. After waiting around pretty much all day (he still hadn't been circumcised prior to that since they didn't want him crying excessively until the pneumothorax was gone) we finally were discharged around 3 pm. Only home for a little bit, I decided to try pumping with my brand new electric breast pump. I had it on for a bit, maybe ten minutes (Archer was dozing in his bouncer) and Zach had taken Riley outside to practice golf swings (don't ask) so Declan was the only one around to witness the excessive shaking that started in my hands and traveled up my arms until the whole top half of my body was shaking. I also became super cold and yelled for Dec to get Daddy. He couldn't get the garage door or the front door open (which is great really, but I could have used him to) so I had him banging on the window. Nothing. Finally, Riley came into pee and we got him to get Daddy. By then I was pale as a ghost and just my hands were still shaking and I had no feeling in them. I laid down for a bit and just couldn't get warm, so I went up and laid first in a warm bath and then in my bed.
My MIL came home then and took one look at me and found my doctors phone number. I had also lost some big gushes of fluid and she was worried since I am rather anemic and had lost an excessive amount of blood post delivery when my uterus stopped contracting after pushing the kiddo out. They told me to head to the ER, so that is where I spent my next 6 hours.
An EKG, chest x-ray, multiple blood tests, and a very painful pelvic exam... the only thing they could come up with was that perhaps holding the bottles while pumping caused me to have some type of carpal tunnel issues. Um, excuse me? What is he even talking about?
I took my iron prescription the following day and I have felt fine since. My parents and MIL all think I just overdid it by all my wanderings up and down the hall from my room to the NICU and the stress of everything plus missing my iron pills Thursday while we we were stuck waiting for discharge all day. Who knows?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Discharged
Sitting around and waiting til I can go back up to feed Archer again...for the last time while I am a patient here. I hate that I can't just hold him while he's sleeping (even though I scolded everyone who did that with Declan-who ended up unable to sleep unless someone was holding him due to spoiling while in the hospital. Declan was unable to sleep in baby swings, bouncers or even in the moving car. Definitely not in a crib or bassinet! It was someone's arms or nothing. ) Sometimes I'm in the way, or they are doing something with another baby nearby and I come back to my room and watch the clock. And I did just have a baby- so I do need to sit down and relax from time to time. I wish he could relax with me.
Last night was a little rough. We decided before I went to sleep that Zach would go up for his midnight feeding and I would sleep and then take care of the next one. At quarter til one Zach wakes me in a tizzy. His IV wasn't flushing and they couldn't give him his antibiotics, so they were attempting a new IV line. Which just wasn't working. Zach was pretty much ejected from the room because he couldn't handle all the needles poking his son. So I had to go back up there with him so he didn't get thrown out of the hospital- he is the most overprotective parent when it comes to that sort of thing. He's never been able to watch the boys gets shots without getting really pissed off, either. Zach had to be hospitalized when he was in 5th grade and he remembers a traumatic tale of getting a feeding tube put in that just wasn't working. They kept doing it, the whole situation was escalating and it ended up there was a much easier way to take care of what needed to be done. So this is the mantra he is living by, that they should be able to give Archer his antibiotic in a different form. Which by the way, they ended up doing but it isn't as potent when given as a shot and can be very painful. As if the constant jabbing and failed attempts at the IV weren't painful.
He slept well after we finally left at 2:30. Needless to say, I feel more like I have a newborn now. Pretty tired today, and feeling guilty because I fell back asleep after they came in for my 5 am vitals. I meant to go up and feed him. Turns out he was getting some tests then anyway, but I felt like I cheated by getting those extra two hours before I went up.
He was moved to a crib room sometime after 2:30 am, which is a step in the right direction. I am going up in a little bit to see what the doctors at rounds have to say about his current condition/expected release date.
Also very excited about the free double electric breast pump I just received. Apparently covered by my insurance 100%. Yay :) I never thought I would be using one of these, but I also never thought I'd have a post term baby in the NICU either.
Last night was a little rough. We decided before I went to sleep that Zach would go up for his midnight feeding and I would sleep and then take care of the next one. At quarter til one Zach wakes me in a tizzy. His IV wasn't flushing and they couldn't give him his antibiotics, so they were attempting a new IV line. Which just wasn't working. Zach was pretty much ejected from the room because he couldn't handle all the needles poking his son. So I had to go back up there with him so he didn't get thrown out of the hospital- he is the most overprotective parent when it comes to that sort of thing. He's never been able to watch the boys gets shots without getting really pissed off, either. Zach had to be hospitalized when he was in 5th grade and he remembers a traumatic tale of getting a feeding tube put in that just wasn't working. They kept doing it, the whole situation was escalating and it ended up there was a much easier way to take care of what needed to be done. So this is the mantra he is living by, that they should be able to give Archer his antibiotic in a different form. Which by the way, they ended up doing but it isn't as potent when given as a shot and can be very painful. As if the constant jabbing and failed attempts at the IV weren't painful.
He slept well after we finally left at 2:30. Needless to say, I feel more like I have a newborn now. Pretty tired today, and feeling guilty because I fell back asleep after they came in for my 5 am vitals. I meant to go up and feed him. Turns out he was getting some tests then anyway, but I felt like I cheated by getting those extra two hours before I went up.
He was moved to a crib room sometime after 2:30 am, which is a step in the right direction. I am going up in a little bit to see what the doctors at rounds have to say about his current condition/expected release date.
Also very excited about the free double electric breast pump I just received. Apparently covered by my insurance 100%. Yay :) I never thought I would be using one of these, but I also never thought I'd have a post term baby in the NICU either.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
No words
As I'm sure you already know, if you are reading this, Archer Gregory Richards made his debut after much anticipation on Monday, February 28th at 10:45 am. He is actually my smallest baby, at 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 inches long.
This pregnancy has been so different from my first two babies, so much so that I was convinced it was going to be a little girl. EVERYTHING was different. From the things I wanted to eat (blander foods for the most part, cereal and so forth with the occasional indulgence in loaded cheese fries thrown in for good measure!), to how much weight I gained (not much at all in comparison!) Archer has been full of surprises. So, of course Archer chose to march to the beat of his own drum when he entered the world as well. Here is the birth story...
Sunday morning: Things are a little tense at home (boys squabbling, me being grumpy and overdue, Zach not dealing well with my grumpiness) so I decided we needed a scene change. We decided to go visit my parents, and I would hang out there while Zach went to hit some golf balls, then he would return for dinner and maybe we could all go for a walk since it was unseasonably lovely out that day. We got to their house around noon, and sometime between 1:30 and 2 I noticed I was leaking fluid. Nothing was gushing out, but it couldn't be called dripping either. I had never had my water break on its own before, so I wasn't even sure what to make of this. My mom and I decided to take the boys on a walk right then, to see if maybe I could get some contractions going if this was indeed the start of my water breaking.
We made it about two blocks before my pants were no longer fit to be viewed by the other people out and about. This was definitely my water breaking. I called Zach who was just finishing up anyway and he headed over to pick me up. Since I wasn't having any contractions that were regular or close (or even painful!) we went back to our house to get all of our stuff (my bag, Riley, Declan and Archer's bags, and of course the computer and camera) then headed to Hershey Med. They confirmed that it was my water breaking and admitted me, although I was still just 2 cm dialated (as I was on my appointment on Friday). This is not shocking. I am the slowest dialater...I can push my babies out with no tearing and make it look easy, but getting there is never a quick process for me. So we went for walks and time passed and nothing changed. The monitor was downright embarrasing- it was like a breezy nothing happening. A contraction every five minutes that barely blipped on the screen, and then not another one for like twenty minutes. I mean seriously. Eventually, I got started on some pitocin. Even though they increased it gradually every forty five minutes or so, it still didn't even hurt until after midnight. And by hurt, I mean mildly uncomfortable. I got an epidural anyway, sometime shortly after that to avoid what happened with Declan's delivery (when the anesth. didn't come back in time and I was left to deliver without it) since I knew it had to start hurting eventually!
My contractions were still pretty lame. They were 2 minutes apart, but still not very intense. I took a nap, watched episode after episode of NCIS (thanks USA for the marathon!) At 5ish, I am only dialated to 4 cm. Yup.
A little bit after that, things finally started happening. Two hours later I was at 5 1/2 and two hours after that I was at 9. It finally started to seem like there would be an actual baby coming along. Half hour after that it was full and complete and time to meet Archer. Now this next line may be hard for some of you to read... but I think I deserve some ease during my delivery. Four sets of pushes later and Archer was here!
His breathing sounded a little like grunts, so even though he got great Apgar (or however you spell that) scores, he had to go hang out in the regular nursery so they could keep an eye on him for 2-4 hours. The doctor there was just about to return him to me, but his x ray came back with a little spot on his lung. (* see below for medical definition). So then he went upstairs to the NICU, where he will be for a few days. The problem he has is something that can go away on its own in 3-4 days or they can fix it if it doesn't. So he should be ok, but it is still hard to not have him in the room with me or be able to hold him right now. And I know he won't be able to go home with us tomorrow, which is going to be very hard.
Looking forward to seeing my other babies come visit me today- I miss them like crazy, but they are also in great hands with my mom and dad.
*Here is the official medical term for what Archer has:
Pneumothorax
•Pneumothorax is a lung problem in babies that can have a wide range of severity. It is a condition in which air leaks from the lungs into a place outside of the lungs. Pneumothorax can happen for no apparent reason or can be secondary to other lung diseases or mechanical ventilation. A baby who has needed resuscitation or a more fragile premature infant may be at risk for pneumothorax. A baby with this condition may have difficulty breathing and need additional oxygen. A neonatologist (baby doctor) may also decide to remove the excess air by entering the chest with a small needle and syringe or leaving an air collection system in place until the leak heals
Read more: Lung Problems in Babies | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5169327_lung-problems-babies.html#ixzz1FLlPQmJo
This pregnancy has been so different from my first two babies, so much so that I was convinced it was going to be a little girl. EVERYTHING was different. From the things I wanted to eat (blander foods for the most part, cereal and so forth with the occasional indulgence in loaded cheese fries thrown in for good measure!), to how much weight I gained (not much at all in comparison!) Archer has been full of surprises. So, of course Archer chose to march to the beat of his own drum when he entered the world as well. Here is the birth story...
Sunday morning: Things are a little tense at home (boys squabbling, me being grumpy and overdue, Zach not dealing well with my grumpiness) so I decided we needed a scene change. We decided to go visit my parents, and I would hang out there while Zach went to hit some golf balls, then he would return for dinner and maybe we could all go for a walk since it was unseasonably lovely out that day. We got to their house around noon, and sometime between 1:30 and 2 I noticed I was leaking fluid. Nothing was gushing out, but it couldn't be called dripping either. I had never had my water break on its own before, so I wasn't even sure what to make of this. My mom and I decided to take the boys on a walk right then, to see if maybe I could get some contractions going if this was indeed the start of my water breaking.
We made it about two blocks before my pants were no longer fit to be viewed by the other people out and about. This was definitely my water breaking. I called Zach who was just finishing up anyway and he headed over to pick me up. Since I wasn't having any contractions that were regular or close (or even painful!) we went back to our house to get all of our stuff (my bag, Riley, Declan and Archer's bags, and of course the computer and camera) then headed to Hershey Med. They confirmed that it was my water breaking and admitted me, although I was still just 2 cm dialated (as I was on my appointment on Friday). This is not shocking. I am the slowest dialater...I can push my babies out with no tearing and make it look easy, but getting there is never a quick process for me. So we went for walks and time passed and nothing changed. The monitor was downright embarrasing- it was like a breezy nothing happening. A contraction every five minutes that barely blipped on the screen, and then not another one for like twenty minutes. I mean seriously. Eventually, I got started on some pitocin. Even though they increased it gradually every forty five minutes or so, it still didn't even hurt until after midnight. And by hurt, I mean mildly uncomfortable. I got an epidural anyway, sometime shortly after that to avoid what happened with Declan's delivery (when the anesth. didn't come back in time and I was left to deliver without it) since I knew it had to start hurting eventually!
My contractions were still pretty lame. They were 2 minutes apart, but still not very intense. I took a nap, watched episode after episode of NCIS (thanks USA for the marathon!) At 5ish, I am only dialated to 4 cm. Yup.
A little bit after that, things finally started happening. Two hours later I was at 5 1/2 and two hours after that I was at 9. It finally started to seem like there would be an actual baby coming along. Half hour after that it was full and complete and time to meet Archer. Now this next line may be hard for some of you to read... but I think I deserve some ease during my delivery. Four sets of pushes later and Archer was here!
His breathing sounded a little like grunts, so even though he got great Apgar (or however you spell that) scores, he had to go hang out in the regular nursery so they could keep an eye on him for 2-4 hours. The doctor there was just about to return him to me, but his x ray came back with a little spot on his lung. (* see below for medical definition). So then he went upstairs to the NICU, where he will be for a few days. The problem he has is something that can go away on its own in 3-4 days or they can fix it if it doesn't. So he should be ok, but it is still hard to not have him in the room with me or be able to hold him right now. And I know he won't be able to go home with us tomorrow, which is going to be very hard.
Looking forward to seeing my other babies come visit me today- I miss them like crazy, but they are also in great hands with my mom and dad.
*Here is the official medical term for what Archer has:
Pneumothorax
•Pneumothorax is a lung problem in babies that can have a wide range of severity. It is a condition in which air leaks from the lungs into a place outside of the lungs. Pneumothorax can happen for no apparent reason or can be secondary to other lung diseases or mechanical ventilation. A baby who has needed resuscitation or a more fragile premature infant may be at risk for pneumothorax. A baby with this condition may have difficulty breathing and need additional oxygen. A neonatologist (baby doctor) may also decide to remove the excess air by entering the chest with a small needle and syringe or leaving an air collection system in place until the leak heals
Read more: Lung Problems in Babies | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5169327_lung-problems-babies.html#ixzz1FLlPQmJo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
