Under the Knife

Atty was circumcised yesterday, and it was more traumatic than I expected. I was under the impression it would be cut- and blood-free, and it wasn't. Some doctors don't let the parents watch, but our doctor never suggested I leave. I was grateful, because although it wasn't pleasant, I couldn't bear for him to go through it alone. It wasn't a decision we made lightly, and we still think it's the right decision in the long run, but it was hard to see our little boy uncomfortable again, especially when this time it was something we had control over.

He was uncomfortable for the rest of the day, but he did really well last night and is back to his regular sweet self today. Here are a couple pictures from last night.

He's getting bigger every day. I'm excited to see him learn and grow and discover the world, but part of me wants him to be my tiny little babe forever. I think I'll be ok as long as he never outgrows snuggles.

Due Date

Today is Atty's due date. I have a hard time imagining being pregnant this long, and I especially can't imagine giving birth to a baby his size. He is now 8 lbs 4 oz--EIGHT POUNDS!! He gained 15 oz in two weeks, the little chunk, and one of those weeks was in the hospital. He's sporting a double chin and is starting to get rolls on his arms and legs. What a trooper.

I don't think he would have been this big if he'd gone full term. He's been on some high-calorie formula to help him grow, so I'm pretty sure he's bigger than he would have been. When people see him now, strangers say "what a little guy!" and those who know his story say "he's bigger than I thought he'd be."

He got his first immunizations Thursday. He took it pretty well, but he's had a couple rough nights. I'm a little nervous for his circumcision next week. I suspect he'll be uncomfortable for a few days, which means not much sleep for us. Oh well, this too shall pass. I'll sleep with him in the recliner if I need to. It's amazing how quickly life is no longer about you once you have a baby.

Mothers Day

We were pleased to have Atty's Nana (James's mom) in town with us for Mothers Day. This was the first time she'd been able to see Atty in person, and she gave him lots of love. She also gave him our new favorite nickname for him: "Mr. Fussbucket." He's a sweet boy with a gentle disposition, but when he's uncomfortable or unhappy he has no problem letting you know. He rarely cries outright, but he fusses and grunts like a pro.


Three generations of Bennetts

Atty loved his Nana. We hope he gets to spend more time with her soon.

Back in the hospital

Atty has spent the last few days here at Primary Children's Hospital. Nothing too serious, just a mild respiratory infection. But his oxygen levels were low enough at the doctor's office on Wednesday that she wanted to run several tests to check everything out.

Turns out his immature lungs are a little inflamed and will need some help for a while. The doctor is calling it "chronic lung disease," but it sounds more serious than it is. He'll grow out of it, but he'll come home with oxygen and a monitor for about a month. He'll probably need the oxygen only when he eats and at night, but it's good to have it there if he needs it other times as well.

It also looks like the little guy has acid reflux. That's common with preemies, and he'll eventually grow out of it. He hasn't been spitting up very much, but he's obviously uncomfortable for a while after he eats. The doctor hasn't decided exactly how to treat it yet, but he'll probably get some medicine.

And the heart murmer we thought had corrected itself apparently hasn't, but it's pretty mild. If it doesn't close itself by the time he's a year old, he might need surgery. But we won't worry about that until then.

So he's got several small chronic problems, plus a bit of a virus, so we've been here since Wednesday. We plan to go home tomorrow (Sunday). His doctor plans to see him more frequently to keep a good watch on his health. He looks so big to us, but he's still such a little guy. But considering his due date isn't for another week or so, I'd say he's doing marvelously.

We love this strong little dude.

Settling in at home

Atty came home last Wednesday, 30 April 2008. We are thrilled to have him with us, even though we don't get nearly as much sleep as we used to. He is growing and thriving and hasn't had any of the problems he had at the hospital. He's outgrown his tiny bottles and is now drinking from bottles almost as big as he is--we figured he'd outgrow the 4 oz bottles pretty soon, so we got the long 8 oz ones. He's been taking 3 oz consistently, and sometimes up to 4 oz.

He sleeps for 3-4 hours at a stretch, but sometimes he gets all grunty and noisy in his sleep. We got him some gas medicine, which seems to help. He got his first bath with mama this morning, and even though he didn't always know what to think of it, he seemed to like it fine. Now he smells all fresh and baby lotion-y.

Here are a few more photos from the past week.

Atty & Amy, his other primary-care nurse. Amy was really good to Atty.

Atty & Grandma Poulson

Eyes open

With Auntie Lara

Sound asleep and tube-free

He's a good baby and a sweet boy. We love him lots and lots.

Pins and Needles

Atty comes home today!! In about two hours, as a matter of fact. We just need to wait until James gets off work, and we're heading up to get our boy. It's quite a surreal feeling--excited and thrilled and terrified and skeptical at the same time. Much how I felt the morning James and I got married--is this really going to happen? My whole world is going to change in a matter of hours, and everything looks and feels just a little different.

I'll post more about his homecoming tomorrow. Until then, enjoy this collection of photos and a video clip from the last few days. The video's a little choppy--we don't know how to fix that on our camera. But at least you get some motion and voice. I love those little hands.

Day 3 and Counting

Atty has gone three days without an A&B! AND he's been without oxygen for two days now. What a little wonderboy!

He's still working on the eating thing. He gets too tired drinking from a bottle, so he still gets some of his food through the tube. He seems to eat better when I feed him (she says with motherly pride), so I might take some time off next week so I can spend more time with him at the hospital and feed him more often.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up TOO high, but if things continue to go this well, he could come home next Wednesday. We'll survive if he needs to stay a little longer, but it would be so nice to have him home next week.

On a semi-related note, our combined hospital costs are now close to $150,000. One statement for Atty's care alone was $103,000. We don't have to pay that much, of course, and there's no way insurance is paying that much, either. It's like they have to charge twice as much so they get what they really want. But it's still heart-stopping to realize the costs of health care. I'm so grateful for insurance.