quick update

Josh's two week check-up last Wednesday went almost perfectly.  He was about half a pound above birth weight (9 lbs 10.5 oz) and everything else checked out great.  I took Jules with me because we'd had trouble getting her a flu shot and had been told that if we could get her in the office when she was well then they could give her one.

Well, needless to say, Jonathan had already gone back to work and mom was meeting with someone at church so I had to take both kiddos myself.  Everything went fine in the waiting room and then when we were taken back to an exam room Julianna immediately told the nurse that she was going to get a shot.  The nurse looked at me with an expression on her face like, "She is?" and I explained that we were hoping to get one for her while we were there.  So the nurse went to get the consent form and asked me to undress Josh down to a dry diaper and meet her out at the scale.

So of course, I was blessed to have a boy this time around and as I was changing his diaper he decides to pee all over his own face, outfit, and blanket.  I clean his face off and wipe down his hair with a baby wipe.  Meanwhile, my three year old is playing with the height chart on the wall and making the metal thing slide all the way off and down onto the floor and then she's spinning around on the doctor's wheelie chair and all that sort of thing, but hey, there was a bottle of hand sanitizer right beside me so I figured as long as she wasn't injuring herself I'd tend to the boy first and then we'd clean her hands and everything would be all good.  Well sure enough as I get diaper number two out and start getting that ready to put on Joshua, he decides to poop all over that clean one so out comes diaper number three plus a clean outfit.  (And here's the Zoloft talking: I looked at Josh and glanced over my shoulder at Jules and then just chuckled at the entire situation.)  But it gets better... because after I placed diaper number three under that little hiney Josh apparently decided that he wasn't done peeing.  He'd just paused to take care of the poop business.  Then I let him finish peeing, get out diaper number four, and get him in a clean outfit to get him out to the scale before the little booger can distribute any more bodily fluid anywhere else in the room.

The doctor said he looked great.  No need to check for any more jaundice and all measurements were good.  Julianna got her flu vaccination and we set up a two month well-check appointment and got the heck out of dodge.  Another day as a rockstar mommy.  All on less than six hours of sleep.

Then today I realized that whole ordeal wasn't so bad when I look over and see Julianna popping Josh's umbilical cord stump in her mouth after she found it laying on the table where Daddy put it after he discovered it inside a diaper he was changing last night.

I suppose she thought it was a raisin.  Or something.

Ahhhh the joys of parenting two.

want to know how to feel like a rockstar mom?

First, nurse the 12 day old baby so he's calm and content.  Warn the three year old that it's almost nap time.  Then take her and the baby upstairs to read a book before nap.  Take the baby into the other room and get him to sleep.  Put him down and jump in the shower but make sure you're out in time to catch him if he wakes up.  As he wakes up, which will inevitably happen with a newborn, try offering the pacifier.  When you can't get him back to sleep try rocking him a while back downstairs.  Finally, give up and decide to bathe him since it's been a few days since his last bath and then you know you'll be able to nurse him again and get him back to sleep before the older child wakes up.

This was the highlight of my day yesterday.  It is absolutely amazing how spectacular it can make you feel to successfully get two kiddos to sleep and then be able to take a shower yourself before five in the evening.

While these first 12 days with Josh haven't been a cake walk, they have indeed been a lot easier than my first few days as a new mom to Julianna.  Joshua is such a good baby and I was certainly better prepared for the difficulty of parenting two children so that helps of course.

He eats every two or three hours throughout the day and will go one long four hour stretch at night, but mostly I am just thankful that he nurses well.  I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I went to the NICU every three hours to breastfeed when we were in the hospital and my milk came in on the third day instead of the fifth like it did with Jules, but it has been a lot easier this time around.  He seems so much more satisfied than Jules did any time I breastfed her.  I also pumped the first couple of days after we got home from the hospital this time and I'm taking Fenugreek now as well.  I don't know how much each of these things have contributed to making bfeeding easier, but I think they all have in some way.

So overall we are doing well.  When we went to the pediatrician last Monday (he was five days old) he was almost already back up to birth weight (two ounces short) and the doctor saw no reason to test him for elevated bilirubin levels.  He'll go back again this afternoon for his two week check.

It certainly helps to have my parents living with us this time around.  Just having an extra pair of hands helps so much.  Plus mom has been available to drive Jules to school each morning and that takes a huge burden off of me.  I realize that I am so fortunate to have all of their help.

As far as the PPD goes, so far for some reason with this baby it is easier for me to see farther into the future when I'm up in the middle of the night.  Instead of thinking, "I'll never have a normal life again.  I'll never see eight hours of sleep again" I think, "Won't it be fun when Josh and Jules and Jonathan and I can all go..." or "I can't wait until he's old enough to trick or treat with Jules..."  I can't wait to hear him giggle with her and I know that this time will go by fast.  I guess it's a combination of the Zoloft and having been there before and knowing that it does get better, easier eventually.  I find myself saying prayers of thanksgiving every night multiple times and just really cherishing my sweet little boy.  I wish I had had that with Jules, but I know that I am lucky to have it now with Joshua.

sweet baby

going to the Bounce House with Daddy

and then there were four

Today Joshua is 4 days old and he's almost back up to birth weight.  He's just two ounces short of his 9 lbs 3.5 oz at birth.  We just got back from the pediatrician and got a great report.  I am so thankful that things could hardly be going better.  Right now he's asleep on his daddy's chest and I'm trying to get started on his birth story.

I just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for the kind wishes and emails you've sent.  I really appreciate that we haven't had tons of visitors yet as we try to get adjusted to life at home as a family of four.  I can't wait to share more with you, but right now it's nap time.  :)

my precious boy

Home at last. I'll try to get back to regular blogging soon.

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Waiting...

When Courtney asked if any of us wanted to blog while she was caring for her newborn, I said I would love to.  I knew I would be able to write all about what Julianna was doing here at home without her Mama and Daddy and what she was saying about the baby.  Of course we didn't know that the swine flu would prevent us from taking Julianna to the hospital to see her new sibling and that the new sibling would be in the NICU so no one but Mama and Daddy could see him, much less even hold him!!  All of that has been so very hard, but this too will pass.

Courtney and Jonathan are doing good.  I believe Courtney is getting more sleep than Jonathan and of course he is staying at the hospital with her.  They all might get to come home tomorrow, so give them a few days to get adjusted to a new one at home.  

I showed Julianna the pictures of Joshua on the computer this morning and she just beamed and said "oh, my little Joshee".  She is going to be one precious big sister.  She has already picked out a small pumpkin to give him.  She told me and Pap yesterday that she is going to tell him to dust the whole house when he gets home.  Hmmm...wonder where that came from??

We cannot wait to hold the little guy and welcome him home!

Nanna