Week One

We are home. John had jaundice and we had to bring him home on bililights. It was heartbreaking having to keep him on those at home but Robert and my mom took him the next morning to get his levels tested and they were down so we were able to take him off the lights. He loves his clothes and hates being cold. When I bathe him he screams until he gets his clothes back on; same for when we change him into his sleepers at night and when we change his diapers.

He eats a ton. I don't know where he puts it all (well, his diapers would tell a different story). He is changing already. He's looking more like a baby and less like a newborn, his legs and face are chubbing up. He can sleep 4-5 hours at a time as long as his tummy is full, but he likes waking up at midnight and four o'clock in the morning. We've had a lot of family in town this week so he has been held a lot and met a lot of family. I'm ready to get on a schedule with him. He really is pretty good (thank goodness).

My labor was pretty good. 15 hours total, epidural after seven. My delivery was somewhat more complicated. I was close to an emergency c-section but the doctors and nurses were able to avoid that. Despite that, John did great the entire time. I was worried and kept asking how he was doing; the nurse said he was doing the best on the floor and he was the one baby she was not worried about. Apparently his monitor was textbook in a good way. After my delivery I felt vindicated. The hospital had not wanted to induce me but my doctor insisted as I had reached 40 weeks. Several doctors had felt that my due date was off by a couple of weeks and that I was overdue. After John was born the nurses and doctors said he was about two weeks overdue (after they looked and checked him) and that it was a good thing I didn't wait any longer to induce.

My recovery is also more complicated but I am moving along nicely now. I lost a lot of blood but they didn't want to do a transfusion so I was lightheaded for a few extra days (I passed out in the hospital) and I have some tearing and bruising to recover from. John continues to do well. I couldn't have made it through this week without my mom who stayed with us to help. Grandma and Grandpa were also wonderful with running errands, helping bring John home (he was in the hospital longer than planned because of the jaundice and Robert had a class he couldn't miss). Robert is a great dad and has already started to teach John the inns and outs of football. He gets up with him in the night and is great to me as well. Finals are approaching so we hope things continue to go well.

Mommy and John.

His first night home off the bililights.

Sleeping in his bassinet

Daddy and John in the hospital

Shortly after he was born. Daddy is so proud.