The Thing About David is...

You've probably been wondering, where are all the posts about David?  How is he doing?  With Emma, I posted weekly/daily updates, but now, nothing.  Brief, sporadic bouts of blogging/Facebook is about all I can do these days, and not because of David, but I've had my hands into a variety of different things. Let it suffice to say, I've been busy, and in a good way.  Acclimating to two kids plus new friends, new jobs, new hobbies, new calling at church--but that's another post.

August 18, 2013.

Back to David.

The thing about David is:  He is SUCH an EASY baby.  

Did I mention he was an easy baby?  I don't know if it was all the sleepless nights we had with Emma or if it was the constant worrying if she was doing alright (her schedule, breathing, eating enough, gaining weight, eating often enough, growing, nursing well, keeping her temperature, when she should be weaned from her oxygen, if her ROP surgery would affect her vision forever), or the fact that we could never put her down without her crying because of her reflux that made it so difficult, but I've pretty much determined with her, I must have been supermom.  There, I've said it.  I didn't know having babies could be this easy.  Back in this previous post, I dreamed for the most "normal" average baby because I didn't want David to have to experience all the challenges Emma had...

...and you know what?

Dreams really do come true.

At least for me, parenting David has provided a sort of healing process for me as a mom.  He has reaffirmed me as a capable mom and that my experience with Emma was really quite the atypical situation.  He has given me the gift of me knowing that I can be a good mom, that what I thought were complete "fails" weren't really failures with Emma, but really large victories.  I mean, I knew that, but now I feel it deep down inside.  That's progress.  He's my second miracle child.

Parenting David has been a breeze so far.  I mean, yes, he still is a preemie and has the apnea/heartrate monitor to prove it, but he does all the things I've only heard that babies do--you know--sleep, eat, pee/poop, and repeat.  He even cries when hungry.  Yes!  He even gets hungry.  Period.  Imagine that.  (These are all things that were lacking with Emma when she was born.)

• David sleeps about 14-16 hours a day.  Check.  
• He eats about 4 oz. of fortified breastmilk every 2.5 to 3 hours.  Double check.  (Shoot, make that triple check.)  
• He poops...wait, no, actually he doesn't poop very often at all.  (Time-out for some potty talk.  He has even gone 9 days without pooping.  We called the doctor and she said if he doesn't go within 5-7 days to give him prune juice.  She said some breastfed babies just don't have a need to eliminate as often and utilize every nutrient.  I would worry about it, but he's been growing and gaining weight beautifully.  The kid is obviously not hurting for calories here.  I mean, have you seen this kid's chunky cheeks lately?  I guess that is one more thing that makes him easy.)  Less poopy diapers to change.  Quadruple check.

Now, in no way do all these comparisons to Emma diminish how special she is.  We appreciate EVERYTHING about her.  Man, we love that girl so so much.  The fact is, they are two very different babies, and she's the only experience we've got.  I actually can now agree from experience when mothers say each child is different and what worked for one child doesn't necessarily work for another.

Sleeping...like a baby! :0  This is truly a breath-taking sight.

HIS STATS:

Actual Birth Day: May 2, 2013

Due Date: July 9 or 11th (they couldn't decide), 2013

Birth (Adjusted age: 30 weeks) *was in NICU - 05/02/13

Weight: 1.38 kg (3 lbs 1 oz)

Length: 41 cm (16.14 in)

Head Circumference: 27 cm (10.63 in)

Clothes: small preemies are even big

Feeding: 0-30 ml every 3 hours by bottle

Sleeping: great sleeper, just wakes up to eat

Apnea/Bradycardia: about 5-10 a day

Parenting David: I was at peace, even though he came early.  I knew he would be okay the moment they told me he was breathing room air and didn't need oxygen support.  When I saw him, he looked so perfect.  He was small, yet fully formed.  He looked strong.  It was the most difficult not being with him at the hospital all the time and having to divide my time between home/Emma and David.  The commute and visits started to wear on me. I had to visit in the wee hours of the morning or late at night so I could have quality time with both children.  I became okay with that.  That is when I hit my stride as an NICU parent.

1 Month (Adjusted age: 34 weeks) *was in NICU - 06/04/13

Weight: 4 lbs 9 oz

Clothes: large preemie - newborn (newborn diapers)

Feeding: eats 30-60ml, every 3 hours, at the end, could eat however/much he wanted.

Sleeping: great sleeper, just wakes up to eat, more a night owl

Apnea/Bradycardia: about 1-5 a day

Parenting David: Journal entry dated 06/04/13 4:17am, "David did wonderfully nursing today.  As I hold him I notice how peaceful he is.  His hair is so soft as I run it against my chin and cheek.  He's so warm.  It's one of my favorite things.  This time during bottle feeding, David grabbed my fingers with both his hands to bring the bottle closer to his mouth, as if to say, 'I'm hungry! Don't even think about taking the bottle away from me or putting it down.'  He's never done this before. It was so nice to witness this little moment of communication.  I forget how magnificent it is to have those developmental moments unfold and to be the person who is there to notice them.  I am his mother and he needs me.  Every little thing about his life testifies this simple truth to me.  I could never leave him (long term).  I can't wait to take him home."

My daily view from the recliner.  (David is in an open air bed here.)

*We left the NICU to go home on 06/22/13, during Week 37.  Before we left, we had to "room in", which meant I stayed the night with David.  We practiced with the monitor he would go home with and I had to feed him, change his diaper, take his temperature, and anything else he needed just as I would at home to prove to the nurses that we wouldn't kill him.  I had been doing this all along, but they wanted me to do it "all by myself".  Gladly.

 

David's ride out of the NICU.

Sister and brother meet for the first time.  Emma gives David a wave hello.
Love at first sight.

Right before leaving the hospital.  So excited!
After about 2 months in the hospital, we finally get to take our son home.
Emma is maybe second guessing the situation, "Wait, he's coming home with us?!"

(06/24/13 - first checkup after being home)

Weight: 6 lbs 3 oz

Length: 18.5 in

Head Circumference: 13.75 in

2 Months (Adjusted age: 39 weeks) - 07/05/13

Weight: 7 lbs 12 oz

Length: 19.25 in

Head Circumference: 14 in

Clothes: newborn, but growing out of (size 1-2 diapers)

Feeding: eats 60-100ml every 3 hours around the clock

Sleeping: great sleeper, still a night owl, but just wakes to eat and stays awake for only 15 minutes besides eating time every 3 hours

Apnea/Bradycardia: about 1 a day

Parenting David: Feeding is our main concern at this point.  Mama is pumping and bottle feeding him breastmilk, but also trying to ween him from the bottle and just breastfeed.  This is a difficult process because he is not strong enough and doesn't have the stamina for a full feeding.  I appreciate how good of a baby he is.  He doesn't cry hardly at all, just grunting.  He still sleeps a large part of the day so this is easing Emma into the fact that she's not an only child anymore.  Whenever he sleeps, I decided to spend time playing with Emma to make sure she is getting quality time with momma.

This is the first time Emma ever held David.  She was just so excited and gave him the biggest hug ever.

Emma loves her brother and gives him lots of kisses.

3 Months (Adjusted age: 43 weeks or 3 weeks, however you look at it) - 08/02/13

Weight: 10 lbs 8 oz

Length: 21 in

Clothes: 0-3 m (size 2 diapers, growing out of)

Feeding: eats 100-120 ml every 3 hours, during the night wakes for a 10pm/12am and 2/3am feeding, and 7/8am morning feeding

Sleeping: great sleeper, starting to be awake more during the day, day and night are fixed now, 

Apnea/Bradycardia: 0-1 a day

Parenting David: He's a good baby. Such a content baby.  Only thing is he isn't that great at keeping his pacifier in his mouth and will cry if it falls out.  He loves his pacifier!  Still hasn't mastered breastfeeding so the pumping continues...We're getting our first real smiles and coos.  He's soooo cute!  He's doing so wonderfully.  We couldn't ask for more.

Venturing out "illegally" for a Costco run.
Trying to keep David secluded from large crowds until his 4 month vaccinations.

Mr. Chubby Cheeks.

This kid is just a happy guy.
He is in a great mood almost all the time, except for when he's hungry...