One month old, no time for a cold....

I didn't know that little babies only breathe through their noses. It's called "obligate nose breathing". Apparently, they don't know they can breathe through their mouths yet. Or maybe they can't. Either way, a cold for a little baby is a bad thing.  Not being able to breathe well through their nose also inhibits feeding.

First, Marielle gets the sniffles. A runny nose sort of situation which is assisted by saline drops in the nose and suctioning out her little nose with a small aspirator. (rubber ball with a nozzle on it. Works a little like a plunger.) We also spend some time on the bathroom floor with the shower running, having a steam. Naturally, this can only take place in the middle of the night. But after a week, it starts to subside. During this time, Elias picks up some small sniffles and I get their cold FULL BLOWN spending that week in between feedings, lying on my face on the couch, trying to figure out how we caught it, as we hadn't been anywhere.

The next day we are due to go to the doctor and I see that Elias has the sniffles worse than Marielle had it. He's laboring to breathe a bit and I'm suctioning him frequently, and he has more congestion than she had.
It's a scary thing.. to watch my little baby just a month old, struggle like that, and the saline and steam help him a lot. I have him sleeping elevated and that also helps considerably.

The following day at the doctor, she tells me gravely that he has RSV or bronchiolitis and needs to go to the hospital. Basically, what is a cold to you and me, is serious for someone a month old.  I fear the worst and start to cry, then the babysitter, who does not speak English but who is enamored of Elias hears the word "hospital", sees me freaking out and she starts to cry. We take them home, I pack up and Elias and I go to the emergency room.

Pediatric emergency is a scary place and they actually put us in a room as this cold is something they don't want anyone else getting. Elias rests on my lap from noon until about 10pm that night, while various hospital employees come in and provide an oxygen mask (because he is so small it covers practically his whole face) and a little medication, and better suction than I can provide. All of this he takes in stride, largely I think because it's been a rather traumatic day and he is a little worn out. By 10pm, they decide we need to be admitted (the babysitter offers to stay over with Marielle so I can be with Elias)and we are transported to an "isolation room", arguably one of the nicest hospital rooms I've ever seen. Nicer than my first apartment in New York and I'm pretty sure, larger. And we are alone. There is a couch for me to stay over with him and it's pretty spacious. We're on the 6th floor in Pediatric and Labor and Delivery where I delivered Elias and his sister a month before is on the 7th floor. One of the nurses who works on both floors, remembers me and proceeds to get me everything one could possibly need that can fit in a large diaper bag. (Diapers, formula, wipes, etc.)

They monitor his "exchanging" on a machine, which measures his breathing. This monitor is attached to a little sensor taped to his toe, and he is given oxygen through a canela and occassionally suctioned by nurse who has a machine specifically designed for this. Like a little vacuum for noses.  It's really hard to see this tiny person in his comparatively big hospital bed but I'm grateful I get to be with him. I'm able to breast feed and ensure he doesn't get dehydrated so they don't have to give him an IV. I think I would have passed out if that happened.

That tiny pile of blankets in the crib is Elias.

Elias takes really well to the supportive care they are providing and it's reassuring to know he's in such good hands. I leave the next day in the evening for a few hours to take Marielle back to the doctor for a follow up visit to make sure she doesn't have what he has and my heart hurts to leave him. He won't know that I'm not there, but I do. By the next night, they take the oxygen off to make sure he's stabilized and doing well without it, which he is, and our stay continues uneventfully. What I realize after waking to feed him every three hours...is how quiet it is and how relatively simple it is to feed him and put him to sleep. I realize, IT'S ONLY ONE BABY!!!  I don't have to hope someone else is sleeping at the same time and I'm able to give him all my attention. For a moment, I marvel at parents with one baby and wonder what they do with all their free time. I wouldn't trade my situation for the world, however, I actually get to sleep a few hours at a time in the hospital, and it's great.

We're discharged the following morning, and our follow up visit shows him free and clear of RSV. 

Photo Shoot!

We received a baby photo shoot from Classic Kids Photography and I shot some "behind the scenes" shots of the photographers and the "talent".  I can't wait to see the proofs!

Special Room for Special People

I didn't know exactly what I'd need for the nursery but I wanted to make sure I had something special for the babies. I didn't have much money but I was able to get so much from Craigslist. And I repurposed a few items from other areas in the apartment to great success, if I say so myself.

The room was painted as a gift from a contractor.

 This old desk became the changing table

  

The gray carpet squares were $1 each on Craigslist and I added some pastel ones the FLOR store. Considering that nursery rugs were anywhere from $150- $600 this is a steal. :)

Anyhoo... I think it's a great look for a baby's nursery and I'm really happy how it turned out. I feel like I have a special place for them and that makes me feel good.

The glider and matching ottoman were about $50 on craigslist (normally over $100) and the Pack and Play (crib) was about $30. Hardly used. And the seller threw in a changing table cushion for free which fit the desk/changing table perfectly. The tall linen cabinet was repurposed from somewhere else in the apartment, the birdcage was repurposed and painted to match the nursery and I added little birds I picked up in Chinatown.  Two snugabunnies (bouncy seats) were added: one a gift from a friend and one was about $20 on craigslist.

So the nursery was coming together... and I was starting to show... laying the carpet tiles at the end of pregnancy was not the best decision I've made but at least the other stuff was done earlier. I had a lot of help from friends who lugged things upstairs with me so I wouldn't have to do it myself.

The last 3 weeks....

So... the plan for this blog was to put photos and posts all in one place to keep family and friends updated.  We feed every 3-4 hours or so and I try to sleep when I can.. so I've been slacking on the posts and am trying to catch up now...

The last week before I delivered was the toughest. I pretty much stayed in bed waiting for the babies to show up. :)  We were lucky to go full term. 38.4 weeks. Elias Alexander and Marielle Shayna were born on November 17th, at 12:22 and 12:23pm respectively. They were 19 inches long and 6lbs 7 1/2 oz.  Right before I delivered (we were planned cesarean) it was determined that I had HELLP Syndrome. My platelets dropped abruptly and it meant that an epidural was out, and I was to undergo general anesthesia.  I will spare you the details except that it was traumatic. I got to see the babies the first day, several hours after they were born I got to hold Marielle while my mother held Elias but I was so heavily medicated, I didn't get to really "meet" them until the next day.

But the end result is this...

and I could not be more in love if I tried. I think they are just magical. :)

Here are some more photos from our first 3 weeks as a family.