Weeks 1 and 2 in review

Okay, I finally feel up to sitting on the couch with a laptop actually on my lap. And now, we have some catching up to do. Here's the scoop on the Sloan family saga. Hope you enjoy!

Wed., Oct. 22 - Matt and I went to the hospital Wednesday night to start the inducing process. Matt's parents met us there. The non-stress monitors strapped to my belly kept setting off the machine's alarm throughout the night, so Matt or I would have to get up about once an hour to turn the alarm off. Not much sleep...

Thurs., Oct. 23 - In the morning, we learned that I had only dilated to 2 cm, so we started the Pitocin IV around 9AM. Mom brought a beautiful bouquet of flowers in a little red wagon for me to stare at while the process heated up. Matt and Mom did a great job keeping me relaxed and laughing.

By 10:30 (or earlier) Leah came to relieve Mom and apply her knowledge and strength! Leah kept a heating pad pressed against my lower back while Matt stood in front of me so I could lean on him. Contractions came fast and were intense in no time! In a moment of weakness, I said I wanted to wimp out and get the epidural, or at least be checked so I would know how I was progressing. I was checked and told that I was 7 cm dilated. We knew we could make it through the rest. Not so much laughing going on at this time....replaced laughing with "mooing". Matt and Leah still did a great job of telling stories and keeping me comforted. Before long, I was wanting to push. Dr. Green had just gone out to the waiting room to tell the future grandparents that it might be a long day, since this was my first delivery. Leah then found him and told him I was ready to push. I think he went back a little later and told them that it might not be such a long day after all...or something to that effect.

In just over 3 hours from the time we started the Pitocin, Joshua Matthew Sloan joined us at 12:09PM with a strong set of lungs and a beautiful, round head full of dark hair. He weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19 inches long.

The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice (good thing I didn't know during the time), but Matt was still able to cut the cord. My IV came out sometime during the pushing process, and a nurse kept trying to start a new IV on the side of my hand where I have been battling with tendonitis. So, my attention was divided between the pushing and the IV hunt-and-peck that the nurse was doing. At Dr. Green's insistence, she finally stopped. Dr. Green was incredible with the delivery, talking me through the process and reassuring me that we were doing great. Mom played photographer and captured Joshua's first Kodak moments. I'm glad she did.

I got to hold Joshua for an hour and a half in the delivery room, and that was the sweetest experience of my life. He was so peaceful and wide-eyed. We just studied each other and cuddled together.

Matt's parents were able to meet Joshua before he was taken from the delivery room. He was the smallest and youngest baby they had ever held. There's no doubt this special guy is well-loved.

On Thursday afternoon, Elizabeth, the lactation consultant and our birthing class instructor, came in to meet Joshua and discovered that his frenulum was really far forward. This is the tissue connecting the bottom of the tongue to the lower jaw. Basically, Joshua was tongue-tied and had a difficult time extending his tongue to nurse. We decided to see if it would stretch out on its own, but Elizabeth encouraged us to consider getting the frenulum clipped. (Good advice.)

Friday, Oct. 24 - A day of healing, mixed in with a LOT of nurses checking in on Joshua and me. I had more people touch my belly after the delivery than before. And we'll just leave it there. A bit of advice for my expectant friends in CTLT, though....if a nursing student comes in to tell you how to take a "Sitz Bath", read the instructions on the bag instead of listening to her. Trust me!

Saturday, Oct. 25 - Desperate to get home, but not moving very fast. By the afternoon, we were packed up with the help of Matt's parents and made our way back to home sweet home. We had a nice dinner at my parents' house with Matt's parents. Forgot the diaper bag at home. Improvised halfway through dinner with a 30-year-old cloth diaper that Mom found. Note to self...keep diaper bag next to car seat.

Sunday and Monday, Oct. 26-27 - Glad for some peace and quiet.

Tuesday, Oct. 28 - Took Joshua in for a weighing at the pediatrician's office. Alarmed that he dropped over 10% of his body weight from birth. The scales read 5 pounds 8 ounces. We were sent to the lab for a jaundice test. Joshua slept through the whole heel-pricking process. Alarmed me, again. But the test came back negative, and marathon feeding and supplementing began.

Wednesday, Oct. 29 - Took Joshua to an oral surgeon's office to have the frenulum clipped...wishing we had done this days ago. Joshua did great during the process, though he was understandably frazzled by the experience and upset with having gone so long without being fed. Note to self...feed Joshua more often, regardless of time and place.

We then went back up to the pediatrician's office to have Joshua reweighed. This time, he weighed in at 6 pounds 0 ounces. Ever heard of a baby gaining 8 ounces overnight? We question the scales, but were told to continue with the marathon feeding. So that's what we did.

Note to self...switching between bottle and nursing is VERY difficult for a newborn. Lots of screaming ensued...some of it by Joshua.

Thursday, Oct. 30 - Spent nearly the entire day in the lactation consultant's office, where Joshua received private eating lessons. He needed the help because the clipped frenulum meant he'd have to relearn how to use his tongue for nursing, and the bottle nipple didn't do him any favors, either. Elizabeth had given me a supplemental nursing system (SNS) where I add milk or formula to a small bottle with a tube and tape the tube to myself while Joshua nurses. I hate the SNS because it's frustrating and messy, but I understand that it is the better way to supplement and get his tummy full. Note to self....it takes a lot to get Joshua's tummy full.

Friday, Oct. 31 - What, it was Halloween?? Joshua went as a baby, sporting a cute Halloween bib that Aunt Melissa M. gave to him. We just stayed home. Maybe he'll go trick-or-treating to the grandparents' house next year.

Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1-2 - It's a blur. I remember being tired and cranky.

Monday, Nov. 3 - Canceled appointment with pediatrician #1 after setting up appointment with pediatrician #2.

Tuesday, Nov. 4 - more marathon feeding. Did manage to make it to the polls.

Wednesday, Nov. 5 - Appointment with ped #2 went well. Joshua weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces, putting him in the 5th percentile for weight. Head circumference and height put him in the 10th percentile for those categories. He grew 1/2 inch, now 19.5 inches tall. He's a little fella, best fitting into premie outfits. Ped #2 encouraged more marathon feedings and a repeat visit on Friday.

Thursday, Nov. 6 - Joshua is officially 2 weeks old! He's finally eating well and waking himself up every 2 to 2.5 hours. Eating for 1 to 1.5 hours at a time. Sometimes only giving me 20 minutes between feedings. (This is marathon feeding.)

We're tired, but we're hanging in there. Matt understands my addiction to chocolate now and has kept my habit well supplied with Hershey's. He also brought me flowers and ice cream. What more could a sleep-deprived mom ask for, but an understanding, sleep-deprived husband? We're both grateful to proud Grandma, who has kept us well fed these last two weeks and has rocked Joshua so we could take naps and work on homework. Boy, am I glad to have family in town.

We'll report back next week...or two... Until then, happy sleeping!
- Matt, Beth, and Joshua