Brian sent out an eMail soon after with all the details. Thanks for all the good wishes everyone sent. If you didn't receive the eMail, I received many 'failure to send' eMails, so I apologize, but I guess I don't have your most up-to-date eMail address.
We've been at home since Sunday and it's been nice - lots of adjustment though! Today (Wednesday) is the first day that I'm REALLY tired because I'm finally getting a bit more sleep so, I think my body is now realizing how over-tired it is!
Yes, labour was brutal and the decision to take the epidural after trying for 40+ hours was difficult. Finding out that I would have to undergo Caesarian soon after was also hard. But in the end, we were elated to see our BIG baby boy! The first thing all the people in the OR said was, "Look at the size of his feet!" Hehehe...
Unfortunately, the difficulty didn't end there. Josh didn't want to feed for the first 72 hours after he was born - he was lethargic and losing weight fast. When he had lost 7% of his body weight in 48 hours and started to develop jaundice, the mid-wife had to consult with the pediatrician on-call who decided it was time to put him under the UV lights.
This extended our stay at St. Paul's and we were under a strict feeding schedule where I had to pump and we had to get the food into him every 2 hours, any way possible. He had lost 11% of his body weight, which was starting to get on the high side, even though he was so big. He also needed to eat in order to get rid of the jaundice. This was a very difficult time for Brian and I in the hospital with our new baby boy. Both of us were extremely exhausted after the labour and delivery and I was still recovering from the Caesarian.
But the hard work and perseverance paid off because 48 hours later, he started to gain weight and his jaundice was going away. So, we were discharged on Sunday morning and have been at home since then. Now, the biggest challenge that we are facing is feeding. Because we had to use alternate feeding methods in the hospital to get Josh to gain weight, we are still working on getting him to breastfeed. It's getting better and better every day...
Below are some photos that we've taken in the first week of Josh's life:
In the OR, just after Josh was born.
Do I really look THAT tired?! Josh had to wear "shades" under the UV lights. Hehehe...
After his first bath at home.
Brian and Josh having a nap.
Josh sleeps.
Needless to say, motherhood has been very challenging for me, so far. Brian has been my rock and he is an awesome Dad - I don't know what I'd do without him. Also, my parent's help has been invaluable. But in the end, through all these difficulties, I can't believe how much I love my little baby boy. Everytime I look at him, I can't believe that he is ours.
Welcome to the world, Josh. Mom and Dad love you very much and will try to be the best parents we can!
P.S. Nikita hasn't really reacted to Josh yet. She's sniffed him out and stuff, but that's it. I think she is waiting to reserve judgement until she finds out if Josh will give her food!
