A HUGE THANKS!

Second full day at home, and we are all beginning to adjust. THANK YOU to all my wonderful friends for being so supportive this past week- especially Julie, Kathy, and Ryanna- your trips with food and encouragement were so appreciated!!! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life!

We are home!

We were released from the NICU after 2 days with a new feeding plan to get Griffin's weight back up and his jaudice levels back down. He was under the phototherapy lights for 12 hours and was bottle fed every 3 hours to ensure he was getting adequate calories. After sending us home, we had a follow-up with the pediatrician today. He weight was back up again (to 8 pounds, 8 ounces), and was still looking jaudiced but having enough diaper changes to believe it is passing through his system. He was referred to an ENT to disucss the clipping of his frenulum (the tongue being tied down too tight). So or now, we are having to put aside the breastfeeding and I am having to pump what he needs and feed him through bottle. Once he builds back his strength we'll work on the breastfeeding again. He is also likely to be referred to an OT or SLP to work on his oral motor skills to strengthen his suck and ability to transfer milk within his mouth to make breastfeeding successful. He is starting to have more alert times and slowly becoming less lethargic and more awake to the world. We go back to the pediatrician in a week to see how everything is going. For me, I am just so happy to be home. It has been exactly one week today and I have spent 4 days in the hospital and 2 days in the intensive care unit. Maybe now it is time for a nap!

Report from the NICU

Well, it is now official... both my boys have had to be admiited to Southwest Medical Center NICU. Good thing they are great there! Since our release from the hospital yesterday, Griffin became more and more lethargic. He started to not wake or rouse for feedings and started looking more jaundice. We were following our lactation orders to supplement, but things just weren't seeming to go well with the feedings. We gave him his first bath at home and he seemed extremely lethargic, wouldn't even wake to the cold water and wasn't opening his eyes or wking up and crying when hungry. We took his temp and it was down. I decided it was time to call the pediatrician since it was Friday afternoon and I didn't want to spend a weekend home worried so hoped they could get him in to check him over for peace of mind. When I called and gave the report of his low temp, lethargy, lack of eating, etc., they told us to drive him to the nearest emergency room since we could make it quicker there with him than sending an ambulance. I had no idea we were in that much danger! After a frantic and fast drive to Southwest, we checked into Kids ER and they checked him over and decided that he wasn't in any emergency danger but wanted to admit him to the NICU for assessment by a pediatric doctor and recommendation for treatment. After trying unsuccessfully to get blood testing from him, they determined he was dehydrated. Finally they inserted an IV to draw the blood from and tested his jaundice levels. They determined that the lactation orders I had been given were only providing him about half the amount he was needing and his jaundice and lethargy were building. They decided to keep him overnight under the Billirubin lights and work on upping his intake of food each feeding. They also determined that he has a "tounge-tied" issue (extra flap of skin binding his tounge) making successful breastfeeding a problem (and future speech issues too). Tomorrow morning they will determine whether or not a procedure by an ear, nose, throat doctor is needed to correct it. For now, we are camped out overnight to keep watch of him under the lights and feed every 3 hours...
We are hopeful this is a minor setback and that he will start to turn around and thrive! Sad that both boys had feeding issues and jaundice issues at the beginning- didn't make for an easy transition or start either time! :-( But things turned around for Cohen and he became a successful eater and I hope the same for Griffin!

Meet the Newest Oswald

Cohen stayed at Grandma's house and we checked into Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital at 5:30 am on Monday, July 13, 2009. By 7:30 am I was prepped and ready! Griffin Ray Oswald was born at 7:56 am via a successful c-section. After working to remove the fluid from his lungs (he was not crying to get it out), he was weighed in at 9 pounds, 5 ounces and was measured at 21 and one quarter inches. He looked a lot like Cohen (though maybe more like Donnie this time) and had a full head of curly dark brown hair and chubby belly and chubby cheeks! Once the surgery was finished mom was able to hold baby and be rolled into recovery for the next 2 hours. We then were both stabilized and were transferred to our hospital room. Later that day, Cohen and Grammy and Grandpa came to visit us. Cohen was excited to meet his baby brother! Even later that evening, Kathy and Kim and Frank all came to meet the newest Oswald boy. Welcome to the world, Griffin, and welcome to the family! :-)

Griffin Ray was born today!!! Details & pics to follow....

Setting bets

Nothing to report... yet. I have officially reached the really uncomfortable stage so thankfully only have a handful of days left. I am so uncomfortable that I am pretty much unable to sleep at night. I figure if I am awake from 2 am to 6 am every night, I might as well have a newborn to care for! :-) Cohen is starting to sense some changes. That or he has officially entered the terrible twos! He is still sweet as ever but has been going through a no sleep phase, doesn't want to nap or go to bed at night (he doesn't want to miss out on anything) and always wants to take a "snoozer" on the couch or in our bed! Can't let him start that habit! :-) He must be feeling some anxiety and needs to have that closeness with us. Not to mention we finally had the "paci police" come and take the pacifier away since they are only for babies and he is a big boy now! Started the beginning stages of potty training too (am I crazy or what?!?) He likes to sit on the potty but gets frustrated when nothing happens and says "It's NOT working! Guess I'll try tomorrow!" How cute! Just met with the Dr yesterday for our final appointment. Still having contractions but they are inconsistent. Doctor wanted to place bets on size of baby- Donnie says 8 lbs, I say 9 lbs, Dr says 10 lbs. We'll find out soon! Nursery is officially ready. Bags are packed and ready to go whenever! Signed all the paperwork for an early Monday morning birth. Hopefully our next blog will be of baby arrival!