Settling

Things are going pretty well. Bethany still sleeps A LOT, just like a little premie is expected to . But when she is awake, though for only a brief period of time, she is AWAKE. And so ALERT. It has been simply amazing to us how she tracks with her eyes, moves her head toward any sound, and really just seems to be figuring things out. Though age-wise still a premie little girl, her brain sure seems to be acting like a much older baby. We're not biased or anything, but we think she just may be a genius.



This is the last week of school for the kids, so it has been relatively quiet and calm during the daytime hours. Bob drives the kids to school before I even wake up in the morning, Laura and Tubby have been doing a nice job staying quiet as they watch the movie CARS until I get up, we have a little breakfast, make a little lunch, and then I fall asleep for a two hour nap every afternoon. It's crazy....I am NOT a napper! But I can't even try to stay awake anymore. This has been going on since recovery day #3. I am hoping for this napping phase to subside soon. I need to get back to normal! But for now, I will continue to take my mom up on offers to help, and I am gladly accepting the delicious meals my MOPS friends are bringing over every couple of days.

Perhaps Tubby isn't adjusting as well as we thought.......

Bethany had a weigh in and post Special Care Nursery Check -Up on Monday.....she has been growing! She wieghed a whole 5 pounds, 12 ounces! That is nearly half a pound gain since Thursday. Way to go, girl! It was my first time really out with the kids, and I found it about all we could do that day to make it to the clinic and back. The kids did great, Bethany does not seem to mind her carseat as long as she's got a pacifier, and it was fun to have strangers oogle over her a bit. But for me, it was starting to hurt quite a bit that day....

The abdominal skin reactions/infection/cellulitis that kept me in the hospital a day longer than expected had improved considerably after MUCH Benadryl and a long series of antibiotics. I saw my new allergy list at discharge, and it was hysterically long, as they had added to Aspirin, Sulfa, Ibuprofen, and Latex, a list including "metal, tape, adhesive", and a few other things I now don't even remember. They should have just written allergy to "HOSPITALS"...that would have covered it all. However, some intense burning pain in my belly along with new onset bleeding and back pain in my right kidney led to yet another ride into Abbott for assessment. I was happy/not happy to find out it was nothing seriously concerning, but that I am most likely experiencing the joys of abdominal adhesions due to surgery. Basically, my inside tissue layer has not healed back upon itself, but is instead attaching to other abdominal organs and walls causing pulling, stretching, and thus, the intractable buring pain. (This is a fairly common complication, so don't get the wrong idea that I am special or something!) I was sent back home (thankfully!) with instuctions to USE pain killers (I had managed to be off of percocet for over one week, thus being my concern when I found myself reaching for them again the past 3 days after crying for several hours each morning), and try heating pads . Perhaps this will resolve a bit, but I have been visiting chat rooms (where I was kind of able to slef diagnose before we went to the hospital, so I was not surprised at their answer), and many women have been suffering with this pain post c-section for months, even years, often leading to physical therapy. My plan is to use the heat A TON, and to start stretching and walking as soon as possible.... so that means that though I do not want to, I AM going to restart the percocet for pain control to accomplish the physical tasks and try to avoid the worsening of these nasty adhesions. HOWEVER, I will take these troubles any day over another PE.....so things really aren't that bad!

Our first walk....to the stop sign and back...round trip=1/2 mile

Another interesting thought in my head revolves around the comments I had to correct repeatedly to everyone new who came into my care......I do NOT HAVE Lupus.....I have the Lupus anticoagulant in my bloodstream at times. It is different. But at the same time, I do have so many similar issues as do people with Lupus that I HAVE been tested for it 4 times in the past 10 years, and it IS something that I would not be the least bit surprised to "contract" at some point. *sigh*

ANYHOW......we were finished up at rush hour, so Bethany and I got to hang out with my parents at their house until traffic subsided a bit. We enjoyed some peace and quiet, and another dinner of Indian food. It really does not get better than Indian food for me(can you tell???). Bethany got to be spoiled by her grandparents without any distractions....what a lucky girl.



The kids are all enjoying getting to know their little baby sister. Everyone wants to hold her....even Tubby now! The major points of interest seem to be Bethany's tiny feet and hands. So little and miniature and perfect. What a sweet little girl. Laura is great with her....she gives her the pacifier at just the right times, and keeps her happy long enough for me to take a shower in the morning. Tubby is the Keeper of Her Toes, and checks to see that he can find both feet at all times under her little pink nightgowns. He is fascinated by little "Nee-Nee".

Yes, we are settling in well, I'd say. Things are going OK!