Day 2/Homecoming

*This first part was obviously written on Sunday, but instead of writing it as it happened in the past, I'm saving it like it was when I was writing it right then.  I do wish I had something better than my iPhone to blog on.  Sometimes you gotta blog from somewhere other than your house and I'd like it to be as authentic as possible.

Day 2 wasn't too bad in the hospital, except for the fact that we never wanted to be here in the 1st place. Ezra didnt get anymore sleep than usual but did seem to sleep a little better last night. The grunting/whining that he was doing at home seems to have subsided some. He's still getting proactive antibiotics every 6 hrs and they are treating his thrush and diaper rash. His vital signs are taken 6x a day and luckily he's had no fever since yesterday at 4-5pm. Other than being bored and tired there's not much going on around here. There are some super nice nurses and the ped ward only has one other patient so were getting alot of attention. I went home this morning to get Gage from his friends house to take him home to play w/ Nana and Grandiddy who just got here today. Luke went home too but unfortunately gage was napping. Geez, that kid has been through alot lately and had a lot of adjusting to do. He's done fairly well. I also met Gage and my parents for dinner so I could spend a few extra mins with him today before heading back to the hospital. Yesterday we had a special Mommy/son morning when I took him to soccer instead of Daddy and then took him to the library. We didn't even get to read the books we got because we had to go straight to the hospital when we got home. Good thing he and Nana got to read all of them today. If all is well, we'll get to go home tomorrow at 5pm after all the cultures are tested for 48 hrs. I am so ready to get this kid back home and to sleep in my bed. This room is teeny and Luke and I have been sharing a hospital bed! You do what you gotta do. Also today, Ezra had his renal US since we were already at the hospital. Everything looked normal there so we are thankful for that as well- it appears the skin tag is just superficial. Stay tuned...

Finally on Monday all involved were optimistic that we'd get to come home that evening.  The ped stopped in and said he looked good, all the tests were negative and just to contiue the antifungals for his yeast infection once we got home.  He said to follow up with our ped later this week, but he didn't see any reason we couldn't go home. Thank God.  We spent the whole day anticipating going home and milking the free food at the hospital.  Luke came home and got some things done around the house and Gage was having a blast with my parents.  He probably didn't even care Ezra was in the hospital!  Ezra's IV did malfunction and they were going to have to put it in again for his last dose of antibiotics, but thank God since he had been doing so well, the doctor cleared him and he didn't have to have it reinserted.  Let me tell you, they probably stuck my poor child 10's or 20's of times to get that 1st one in.  Have you ever seen them try to find a vein on a 3 week old?  You don't want to.  At 5pm, we were given the go ahead that the 48 hour cultures were back negative and we were free to leave!  Wahoo!  I will tell you that I have a whole new appreciation for parents of children in the NICU or just in the hospital in general.  It's not that I thought it wasn't hard, but now seeing that just for 2 days going back and forth between kids and home/hospital and my child not being as ill as most in the hospital, it's rough times.  Again, thanks to friends and my parents, Luke was able to be there with me as much as possible and we were able to see both of our boys in the 48 hours Ezra had to be there. We are thanking our lucky stars it wasn't any worse and that it was just a minor hiccup in life.  We will follow up later this week and my heart will probably skip a beat if my kid ever feels hot again.  Thankfully we're out of the danger zone in 4 more weeks.  Here are some sad pictures of our little man while hooked up to all his monitors.

I took this picture because it was sad to see how many different meds he was on and he wasn't even that ill.

IV's, a heart and breathing monitor- we couldn't even put clothes on him for the 1st 24.

Snoozing

yay!  Ready to go home.  Albeit in a newborn outfit we had forgotten about that had to be retired last night since we couldn't really get it buttoned!

Happy Birthday Tyler and Caroline!

I've been reading Mandy's blog for almost 3 years now, since the twins were 1st born.  I've had fun following their antics as they're just a month older than Gage and I quickly learned what I was in for.  However, this year the twins are in for quite a treat.  As part of their Daddy's job, they get to celebrate their 3rd birthdays in Hawai'i.  How awesome is that?!?  Head on over to Twice Blessed to wish Tyler and Caroline a happy day and to see daily posts of all there is to see in Hawai'i.  And be jealous you aren't there!

100.4

As new moms we've probably all heard that if your newborn has a fever greater than this it's an emergency. I've read it 100 times and was reminded at Ezra's 2 week checkup and I even said to Luke, how would I know?? I mean I'm not going to check his temp all the time.

Since we've brought Ezra home though I would describe him as a hot baby. One that sweats and turns red, etc. However, today I said to Luke again, damn he feels hot. I can't believe how hot babies are. That led us to take his temp for no reason other than that. Then the dreaded happened. 100.9. We took it again b/c clearly it was wrong and we weren't going to take our kid to the hospital, 100.2 this time. Still too high for my liking:(. 3rd time: 100.7. Off we went, clearly expecting to be home for dinner, especially since it was Gage's nap time and all hell would break loose if we weren't home in an hr or 2. But here, at a quarter to 10, I lay in a hospital bed next to my sweet baby, who has been admitted due to an unknown fever. I'll post more about the whole day later, but for now, keep us in your thoughts and hope that Ezra has nothing serious. Today we underwent a spinal tap, blood culture, saline lock, and a UA and we're tired folk. Thank God for good family and friends to look after Gage while we hang with our little one at the hospital.

Whew...

I feel like I have been so busy, yet not busy at all.  Like my days go in slow motion sometimes, yet I turn around and it's 3pm and time to pick Gage up from school.  I definitely had forgotten what it was like to be sleep deprived.  This time it's different though- when you have your 1st kid you can just sit around all day and not shower and cuddle your new little baby.  However, when you have your 2nd, 3rd, etc., there's always things to be done for the other kids, errands to be run and there's taking your other one to and fro that you have to factor into the equation.  I mean cuddling and sitting on the couch watching soap operas doesn't take alot of energy but doing all those other things require some amount of sleep.  Now I always thought I did pretty well on very little sleep, maybe I'm just getting old, or something, but it's driving me crazy now.  I HAVE to get 6 hours of sleep before I can even function and that's just not happening these days. 

I wake up in a fog to take Gage to school and Ezra and I come home and take naps until close to noon.  It's pretty crazy that I haven't taken a shower before noon yet this week.  Oh well, these days will pass I know and we'll get into a groove....it's just been a while and it's kind of a shock to my system.  And damn, I forgot how heavy that carseat is to lug around and my kids only 3 weeks old!  hah...I feel like a rookie again!

Other than that we've just been watching the Os play, and not very well, at that and hoping they can somehow win tonight to stay alive in the post season.  I just ordered my postseason O's shirt yesterday!  I mean, can they at least play one game when I get to wear it??

We have also been building towers like crazy these days.  Gage is a champion tower builder and stacks the most narrow towers I have ever seen and tall, too!  I snapped some shots the other day of the castles he made for his superheroes.

Gage is very proud of his superhero tower.

Wordless Wednesday: Ezra's 1st bath

Lookin' a little frightened

Gage helped wash Ezra's feet

....and the fuzzy, clean hair that is the aftermath.

Let's Go O's!

It's what the DC area has been waiting on for quite some time.  Well the old DCers that is, that were O's fans before the Nats came around.  In any case, the Os have been SO bad for SO long and this was their year and their chance.  I'm not a big fan of this 1 game wild card playoff.  I mean I guess it was inevitable anyway because their records are tied, but it should be at least a 3 game series.  I mean, any team can win ONE game.  And now here we are, in Texas, against a team that we've lost 3 out of 4 to this year, with a shitty pitcher that is 0-6 in Arlington.  And it all comes down.to.this.  I should be sleeping  so I can care for my little insomniac later, but I have to watch.  No matter how bad it gets, I've got to see it out.  It's been SOOO long and I've wanted the Os to be good for many years.  True Os fans have seen them through the last 15 years of suckiness, so we're due one.  For the love of God, O's get it done!  OMG!  Reynolds is out, this is it....I'm writing this as I'm watching and now it's a bad bad situation.  Oh wait, Marky Reynolds is a beast and is still playing...there is hope.  To be continued....now let's play it and win it for Reynolds.  God know he's done his job this summer.

2 Week Well Check

Today was Ezra's 2 week well check.  Things went as good as to be expected, he just seems already to be our high maitenance kid.  I'm pretty sure there was nothing to report at Gage's 2 week check up.  I know he had gained 1lb. and 9 oz. at 2 weeks and 3 days.  Ezra now weighs in at 8lbs. 8oz., a 1lb. 2 oz gain in 2 weeks.  Seems to be pretty consistent.  Both of my kids like(d) to eat and both of them were well fed at this point.  In fact, if you remember, I was feeding Gage too much, because I was an overproducer and today the Dr. told me I was feeding Ezra too often and to give him a Nuk instead.  She said we had to find some way of holding him off between feedings.  I do think he was in the middle of a growth spurt these last few days so I was pretty easy on him....but maybe introducing him to Mr. Nuk will change things.  I  like how almost 3 years later, Gage still has one....grrrr..

Anyway, even though Ezra is perfectly healthy, there are a few things that need to be followed up on in the next year or so, so I thought I'd write them down as not to forget to ask at the next appt.  By the way, they did no length measurement or head circumference, so I'm a little disappointed in not knowing all his stats.  Anyway, Ezra was born with a skin tag on his ear (sometimes indicative of a hearing and/or kidney problem). At this point, we think both are working fine, but we do have to follow up with a renal ultrasound in a few months and a hearing test between 6-12 months.  We also have to follow up with a pediatric ENT in a few months to see if they'll want to remove the skin tag or let it be.  We already know we won't get it removed if he has to be under general anesthesia; however, if they can do it locally, we might consider it.  Apparently, there is some magic window we have to get it done in before they will consider doing it w/o general.  Also, Ezra has already decided he has a favorite side to sleep on and constantly rolls to his right side when we put him down.  We have to be careful and make sure to switch him over to his left side every other time we put him down so he won't acquire torticollis or get a misshapen head!

Lastly, Ezra has some kind of fluid filled sac down south we have to keep an eye on to make sure it doesn't turn into a hernia.  Again, the doctor said not to worry about it and they'll check it again at 2 months.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem like they can do much for Ezra since he's so uncomfortable after feedings.  Gage had the same problem and we ended up with reflux medicine but they don't think E has the same thing.  Maybe because he's not actually spitting up (by the way guys, if I can have a baby that doesn't spit up EVERY feeding, I don't know what I'll do) or because they have changed the way they diagnose it, but they don't feel he has reflux and instead they think it's just gas and will go away in a couple of months.  That's all fine and good, but I HATE to see him in pain after eating.  As I said before, we are going to introduce the Nuk and I'm going to start pumping to build my freezer supply and because it's such awesome weather, I plan on taking Ezra for a walk tomorrow and yay!  I'm free to drive! This time, cabin fever has been killing me!  I think that's it for now. 

When I take him back for his 2 month appt, Gage will be going to his 3 year appt....should be fun times for all.  Part of me wanted to take them in seperately because it would be easier, but really, why should I drive to the dr's twice in one week if I don't have to?  Plus, I'm now the mama of 2, so I better get used to having both of them in tow!  AND Gage doesn't have to get any shots (he just had his flu shot last week) so we should be good to go.

Here is my sweet boy at 2 weeks, can you tell he's plumped up some?