Our First Week at Home

Just a few highlights from our first week at home...

This is basically what he looks like 98% of the time. Sound. Asleep.

Ben wasn't trying to pick...he was simply pointing out the various parts of Luke's face...nose, mouth, ears, etc.

He kisses his baby brother. All the time. It's really so adorable it makes us sick.

He's being a little rough with him, but not too bad. It's just things like trying to move him too fast or pushing the swing (which doesn't need to be pushed, obviously).

This was Wednesday morning before his photo shoot.

We bathed him in the kitchen sink. I had completely forgotten to clean out the baby tub, which has been in storage for three years. We were trying to get ready and it occurred to us that he hadn't had a bath yet...ha. (Don't think we're weird, he scared the nursery staff in the hospital because baths made him SO upset...which caused his breathing to become rapid and labored...so we were hesitant to do it until we knew he was completely over the fluid in his lungs, etc). As you can see, he almost slept through the bath.

Ben's first bath pics look like we had submerged the kid in ice water. I'm hoping these differences are indicative of how their personalities will differ. We could certainly use a laid back kid after having Benjamin.

Here are some other details I probably should mention...basically a recap of what has been going on:

Wednesday, March 9.

Scheduled c-section. 38 weeks and 6 days gestation. Luke William Bunch was born at 10:45 am, weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 20" long. (Ben was 8lb 4 oz, 19 3/4 ")

Luke ingested/inhaled amniotic fluid as he was being pulled out, and he spent the first 12 hours of his life in the NICU. His Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Grandfather, Great Aunt, Second Cousin, Uncle, Brother, and various friends were able to visit him, but he wasn't held in our arms until 10 PM that night.

Thursday, March 10

After 24 hours of oxygen monitoring, blood sugar testing, and soy formula feeding (GAG), Luke was discharged to the regular Nursery. He basically spent the remainder of the stay with us in the room during the day and in the nursery at night. Jenny's epidural fell out (a day early) so she was started on oral pain medicine.

Saturday, March 12

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY, BENJAMIN! Luke and Jenny were discharged at 11:00 on Saturday morning. Benjamin came home from his grandparents at 1:00 pm. He went straight to his brother, kissed him on the top of the head, and then proceeded to watch a video. Jenny's mom arrived with us that evening.

Sunday, March 13

Todd went back to work.

Tuesday, March 15

Luke's first doctor visit. All seems to be well. His birth weight was 8.13. His discharge weight was 8.3. His weight on the 15th was 8.7. Not where they would like it, but not severe either. We return for another weigh-in next week. The doctor's goal is that it would be at 8.13 by the time we return.

Friday, March 18

We spent the first night alone (Thursday night) and it was pretty uneventful. We went to bed at 11:00, Luke woke to be fed at 3:00 am, and again at 7:00 am. Other than crying when he needs to burp or when he is being changed, he is COMPLETELY SILENT. He just sleeps. We keep telling ourselves he wasn't fully cooked until yesterday, so this is likely to be short lived.

Jenny is walking around fairly normally and has discontinued her pain medicines. Her incision isn't bothering her at all, though she has the typical discomfort that follows major surgery.

Life - for the moment - seems very manageable.