First Week Update

We had kind of a rough week but we're doing well now. The day after we got home from the hospital Noah started turning yellow. It was jaundice which, while not serious, did require daily trips to the doctor and the lab for blood tests. We also had to wrap him up in a UV blanket which meant he had to stay a few feet from the wall socket for 12 hours. The biggest pain about the UV blanket was that it was delivered with no instructions. I didn't even know these things existed before Friday, so I certainly didn't know what to do with it or how to attach these weird yellow sleeves to it. But, thankfully we got to do the treatment at home, instead of taking him back to the hospital. Like I said it wasn't serious, but I'd just given birth and two trips to the pediatrician, two trips to the lab and one trip to the lab at the hospital (it was Saturday so the lab in town was closed...) all in three days wasn't a fun plan.

Besides which, I was in a LOT OF PAIN. More pain than I thought was normal. But, me being me, it took me a long time to go to the doctor. Friday afternoon things started just feeling wrong. And absurdly, horribly painful. But, it was the weekend and I didn't feel like going in to the emergency room. But, it was also a three day weekend and it became clear I couldn't wait until my OB's office opened on Tuesday before getting help. So, on Sunday night, after my pain meds ran out and I thought I was going to melt in a puddle on the floor, Matt and I took a trip to the emergency room. It's unclear what was actually wrong but it was clear I shouldn't have been in that much pain. My doctor thinks that perhaps a nerve got caught up in one of the stitches. (Ouch!)

By Saturday Noah's bilirubin levels were going back down and he was much less yellow. Today we took him in for a follow-up appointment and he's doing wonderfully. And "gaining weight like a pro" says the doctor. He's now 9lbs. 8oz. - up a whole pound in three days! He's eating almost every hour during the day and every three or four hours at night, so I believe it.

And I woke up today feeling SO MUCH BETTER. I now just feel like I recently gave birth to a nearly 9 pound baby - what a relief! We all went to the park this morning and I can even sit in a chair for a little while!

And you know what that means! Pictures! So, hang in there, pretty soon I'll put some more up - you have got to see some side-by-side pictures of Noah and Jack as a baby. They are twins!

Stay tuned...