Postpartum

Timmy turns a week old today. This week has been a whirlwind, so I figured I would take a cue from my friend Annie and give you all an update.

First of all, a bit of groundbreaking news: BOYS ARE DIFFERENT THAN GIRLS. I know this shall become more apparent in the coming months and years as he begins to flick boogers and take things apart. Right now, it is mostly evident in the diaper change department. Daniel and I did decide to have him circumcised, the care of which has overwhelmed me during those middle of the night diaper changes. Not to mention how commonly the little guy manages to pee all over everything. Not to mention that being now over 9 pounds, he is QUITE strong, and he hasn't gotten over the "freak out at every diaper change" stage. So it goes something like this: vaseline on this, cover that, fight flailing limbs, recover that, cream on this, fasten that. All this punctuated by the sound of cascading poop. At which point we start the process again. A bit much for me in this groggy recovery phase.

Secondly, I hurt. I'm healing nicely for the most part, but there have been some discomforts that have, quite honestly, knocked me on my butt. I'm only comfortable while laying down, and sometimes not even then.

Thirdly, at his follow-up appointment, our pediatrician noticed a yellow tinge to our newborn son, and when they weighed him, he was down 7 ounces from his birth weight. While he had eaten well at the hospital, he had become rather lethargic upon arriving home. Our pediatrician sent us to the hospital to have his blood drawn. She called us to let us know that his bilirubin level was elevated (which causes jaundice in newborns). She promptly ordered home "phototherapy." We would have to keep Timmy hooked up to a light that would help break down the bilirubin, thus making my son look like a glowworm (or something outof Avatar if you prefer) and midnight diaper changes all the more interesting. We also had to trek back and forth to the hospital on three consecutive days, which has taken its toll on me physically.


Our pediatrician also recommended supplementing formula in addition to nursing, which made me feel totally inadequate. I basically ignored this suggestion and started feeding him every. time. he. was. awake. I'm glad I did too, because apparently it worked. He gained 5 ounces by Friday, putting him within 2 ounces of his birth weight. And today, he weighed in at 9 lbs. 4 oz.--10 ounces since Friday.

Ava has had a bit of a hard week as well. She doesn't really seem to understand why things have changed for our family. She wants me to hold her, carry her, and I simply can't at this point. We were, of course, in the hospital overnight, which was hard on her. But we also have been back and forth to the doctor and the hospital, and it has made her a little sad. She does seem to be warming to her baby brother. She has given him several kisses, and even asked to "hold it," but I can tell that she misses me. And I miss her. It has been so helpful to have our moms here, not only to help keep the house running, but also to take the baby, so I can cuddle with her and read. We're just trying to give her a little extra love.

So, that's it in a nutshell. I don't write this to complain really. There has been so much joy in this past week: holding our son close to our chests, watching our parents meet their grandson, sharing him with our dear friends. But if I haven't been as forthcoming with pictures, or I haven't called you, this is why. It's been interesting, but God has given us strength to get through it. Thankfully, the jaundice is waning, the circumcision is healing, Timmy is eating better, and things are settling down. I am hopeful that this week will be a little more restful than the last.