Saturday, May 24, 2008

Home and Doing Great

I'm finally taking a minute to check in! Thanks to everyone for your sweet comments and for your prayers for us! God was so faithful in answering our every prayer for a perfect delivery - PRAISE HIM with us! I will take some time soon to post the full account of our labor and delivery, but not at the moment. Instead, I'll give a brief update of our status now.

We came home from the hospital yesterday (Friday) afternoon. They almost didn't let us go because Eli has some pretty heavy jaundice (yellow coloring because of too-high levels of bilirubin in the blood). However, they decided to let us go home and try taking care of it on our own with frequent feedings and exposure to sunlight. Since my milk hasn't come in yet, we're supplementing the breast with formula in order to get his system working. So we spent the night getting up every 3 hours to feed - first breast and then bottle. It was pretty exhausting, but we went back to the doctor today and he has made really good progress, so that's great news! Please pray for us that he continues to improve (We go back to the doctor on Tuesday, and his levels should be completely back to normal by then.), that we can continue to adjust to the schedule with a newborn, and that I will get the rest I need and be diligent about resting instead of doing unnecessary things (like blogging?!). Please also pray that my milk will come in soon - it's really frustrating to have a hungry baby that needs frequent feedings for his jaundice, and I can't do anything about it!

I was just rereading the previous paragraph, and it sounds kinda "just the facts." So let me just tell you that I love this precious baby boy, and I am so thrilled and proud and overwhelmed and joyful to be a mommy. This is what I was made for, plain and simple. Justin mentioned in a previous post that he is more emotional than I am over all this, and it's true. I think I've just been preparing and planning for so long, that now it feels like I'm finally able to get down to business and accomplish all my plans. Being a mommy to a newborn is busy work! But I love where we are and how we got here and where we're going, and I look forward to seeing Eli grow and develop before my eyes.

I won't take the time to post more now, but I will add a few more pictures for your viewing enjoyment:Look at that sweet face!Our little familyHis first time in the carseat to come home from the hospitalIn the sun to get rid of his jaundice. Daddy is exceptionally proud of his choice of headgear. (That's a Jimmie Johnson hat - Justin's favorite NASCAR driver.)

5 comments:

Kristy said...

Yay, 1st to comment! He is so so so adorable. I just want to squeeze him. I'm so glad he's doing well. Really treasure all those times. As my almost 9 month old sleeps, I look at tiny Eli and wonder where all the time has gone!

KarenD said...

Do you have a breast pump? If you pump out some of the colostrum, feed that to Eli with a syringe (also let him suckle at the breast because he needs practice doing that, too.) We used a pump on Day 2 in the hospital because Ian wasn't eating well, and my milk came in on Day 3! The baby may not be strong enough, yet, to encourage your milk let down... plus he's probably pretty sleepy, too. The pump will help with this, and once your milk comes in, eating will go a lot better... because Eli won't have to work so hard for so little. Anyway, it worked for me!

Jeannie said...

still keeping you and Eli in my prayers. They say the best thing for milk is rest, fluids, and rest. Best wishes!

Anonymous said...

He is adorable! Praying for you guys!

Mollie said...

Oh so sweet!!!!! Congrats to ya'll again!!