Patrick snapped this precious picture of our naked baby during the ultrasound
Poor baby had a rough morning so I gave him some extra TLC when we got home.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Urologist
Today was Banks' appointment with the urologist to determine exactly what is going on with his kidney(s). Patrick and I went to Greenville Memorial to check in for the imaging at 7:30. Banks had two procedures, a VCUG and an ultrasound. The VCUG was normal, meaning there is no reflux from the bladder to the kidneys. Then he had an ultrasound that the urologist would review with us at 11. Patrick had to leave for work after the ultrasound, so my parents went to the urologist with us. Dr.Monroe, the urologist said that Banks does have a duplex collection system in both kidneys, which is apprently very rare. The left kidney functions almost normally, and will be monitored. The right kidney, however, has an obstruction that causes it to be very enlarged and "stretched like a water balloon." Banks will have to have surgery to correct this before he is 6 months old. Our next step is to go back on Feb.19, when his kidneys are "more mature" for a nuclear test that will idicate exactly what kind of surgery. All prayers are greatly appreciated for the kidney to be repaired rather than removed.
Patrick snapped this precious picture of our naked baby during the ultrasound
Poor baby had a rough morning so I gave him some extra TLC when we got home.
Patrick snapped this precious picture of our naked baby during the ultrasound
Poor baby had a rough morning so I gave him some extra TLC when we got home.
Friday, December 27, 2013
First Christmas
This year, Christmas was very different! I'm so glad we still got tobsee everyone and soend quality time with family and friends. Patrick's parents stayed with us the night of Christmas Eve. My parents stayed with us the two nights before, and stopped by for a little while Christmas night to see Banks on his first Christmas and to bring us some Greek food! Heather and Brad even stopped by!
First Doctor Appointment
Banks had his first pediatrician appointment on Monday, December 22. Patrick and my mom were both working, so my sweet Daddy took us on our first outing. First, we stopped by the hospital to have his carseat checked, and made the appropriate adjustments to keep him safe. He actually really seems to enjoy riding in his carseat! Then, we went to see Dr.Maddox. Banks had gained 4oz back, weighing in at 5lbs, 10oz. Dr.Maddox was really impressed by this since most babies lose weight in the first few days. Our boy can EAT! The only thing Dr.Maddox saw was a very small birthmark on his right temple that will need to be removed at some point because it has potential to become malignant. Everything else looked really good. He has an appointment with the urologist on Monday, December 30 to see about this kidney. We're praying so hard!
The First Week
Banks slept like a champ the first night we had him home. He only woke up twice during the night, which was great. We felt so much better the next day than we did after that famous "2nd night" in the hospital.
My parents came to stay with us on Sunday and Monday night. My mom slept with me in the room with Banks since Patrick was going back to work on Monday. This night was more similar to the "2nd night." I was up with him all night long, literally, for feedings. I know it made my mom feel pretty helpless that she could do very little to help even though the moral support and diaper changes were more helpful than she knows! All that boy really wanted to do was EAT (and spit up). My mom ended up going to get Patrick at 5am to trade shifts. Patrick was able to put Banks down until about 8 the next morning, which was great.
Monday was Banks' first trip to the doctor... see separate post. My parents stayed again Monday night to help us out, and left on Tuesday morning. Patrick's parents came on Tuesday morning, which was also Christmas Eve. It was great having them at our house to celebrate Christmas.
Banks seems to be in more of a consistent pattern of sleep now. He wakes up about twice a night, but one of those is a marathon 2 hours of eating and diaper changes. Once we make it to 4am, he'll sleep a good 4-5 hours until morning. Still exhausting, but not as bad as it could be!
By Thursday, this momma was already going stir crazy, so Patrick took us out running errands, and to the office with him. I so appreciated him allowing us to tag along with him!
Again, Patrick and I feel so blessed for all of our family and friends who came to meet Banks and help us out in our first week. Our parents have especially been our lifeline during this adjustment period!
My parents came to stay with us on Sunday and Monday night. My mom slept with me in the room with Banks since Patrick was going back to work on Monday. This night was more similar to the "2nd night." I was up with him all night long, literally, for feedings. I know it made my mom feel pretty helpless that she could do very little to help even though the moral support and diaper changes were more helpful than she knows! All that boy really wanted to do was EAT (and spit up). My mom ended up going to get Patrick at 5am to trade shifts. Patrick was able to put Banks down until about 8 the next morning, which was great.
Monday was Banks' first trip to the doctor... see separate post. My parents stayed again Monday night to help us out, and left on Tuesday morning. Patrick's parents came on Tuesday morning, which was also Christmas Eve. It was great having them at our house to celebrate Christmas.
Banks seems to be in more of a consistent pattern of sleep now. He wakes up about twice a night, but one of those is a marathon 2 hours of eating and diaper changes. Once we make it to 4am, he'll sleep a good 4-5 hours until morning. Still exhausting, but not as bad as it could be!
By Thursday, this momma was already going stir crazy, so Patrick took us out running errands, and to the office with him. I so appreciated him allowing us to tag along with him!
Again, Patrick and I feel so blessed for all of our family and friends who came to meet Banks and help us out in our first week. Our parents have especially been our lifeline during this adjustment period!
Bringing home Banks
Saturday, December 21st we got to bring Banks home. We were so excited to introduce him to Demi. Patrick had brought a blanket with Banks' scent on it home for her to smell on Friday night. He said she seemed curious and just kept walking over to smell it. We got home that afternoon, and the introduction went really well. Demi was very curious, but very gentle. Such a sweet girl! It was a huge relief to be home.
Soon after we arrived home, Shannon, Allison, and the girls came to meet Banks. They were all very excited to meet their new nephew and cousin. We exchanged Christmas gifts, and spent some good time with each other.
Soon after we arrived home, Shannon, Allison, and the girls came to meet Banks. They were all very excited to meet their new nephew and cousin. We exchanged Christmas gifts, and spent some good time with each other.
The Hospital Stay
After Banks was born, I was starving! My meal request was a grilled cheese and French fries from Zaxbys. It was delicious! The rest of the time in the hospital was filled with family and friends coming to meet Banks. Our parents waited for his arrival patiently in the waiting room all day, and were able to meet him within 2 hours after he was born. Andy also stopped by right after he was born, and brought some beautiful flowers, but unfortunately had to go before Banks was allowed visitors (he came to meet him a couple of days later though!) Other visitors were: Byron and Kayla, Sally and Marco, Heather, and Andrea.
Banks got his first bath after the grandparents met him. He got a little too cold afterwards and had to be put on the "heater" for a little whilr. He was so cute when they put him on there because he threw his arms over his head like he was sunbating.
The first night, around 11pm, I was washing my face and brushing my teeth, and walked by Banks' isolette and realized he had spit up and was coughing/choking on it. I freaked out and yelled Patrick's name to wake him up, and told him to go get the nurse. Poor Patrick! He went running and the nurse came in and helped calm me down and tell me that was normal. They ended up taking him to the nursery for a couple of hours to watch him so I could get a little sleep. He came back from the nursery about 2 hours later ready to eat again. Hungry boy!
The next morning, I got up and showered, which made me feel much better. Dr.Shelley and Dr.Maddox came in to check on me and Banks, and so did the anesthesiologist since my epidural had bled a little more than normal. Then, came the "2nd night"...
AnMed requires new parents to watch a series of videos while in the hospital. One of those videos was on the "2nd night." It said that the second night is one of the hardest nights because the baby is extra hungry and extra needy of TLC. Boy, was that true! Banks was circumcised that day, and slept for 6 hours straight after that (which is apparently normal). So, that night he was ready to wake up and catch up on his eating! Patrick and I slept very little that night, between feedings, diaper changes, and just crying in general. We were also told that he had not passed his hearing screening in the left ear that day and would have to be retested before we could leave the next day. Thank the Lord, he passed the second time. We were both completely exhausted the next day, which was Saturday, December 21st, and the day we brought Banks home! He was 5lbs, 6oz when we left the hospital.
Banks got his first bath after the grandparents met him. He got a little too cold afterwards and had to be put on the "heater" for a little whilr. He was so cute when they put him on there because he threw his arms over his head like he was sunbating.
The first night, around 11pm, I was washing my face and brushing my teeth, and walked by Banks' isolette and realized he had spit up and was coughing/choking on it. I freaked out and yelled Patrick's name to wake him up, and told him to go get the nurse. Poor Patrick! He went running and the nurse came in and helped calm me down and tell me that was normal. They ended up taking him to the nursery for a couple of hours to watch him so I could get a little sleep. He came back from the nursery about 2 hours later ready to eat again. Hungry boy!
The next morning, I got up and showered, which made me feel much better. Dr.Shelley and Dr.Maddox came in to check on me and Banks, and so did the anesthesiologist since my epidural had bled a little more than normal. Then, came the "2nd night"...
AnMed requires new parents to watch a series of videos while in the hospital. One of those videos was on the "2nd night." It said that the second night is one of the hardest nights because the baby is extra hungry and extra needy of TLC. Boy, was that true! Banks was circumcised that day, and slept for 6 hours straight after that (which is apparently normal). So, that night he was ready to wake up and catch up on his eating! Patrick and I slept very little that night, between feedings, diaper changes, and just crying in general. We were also told that he had not passed his hearing screening in the left ear that day and would have to be retested before we could leave the next day. Thank the Lord, he passed the second time. We were both completely exhausted the next day, which was Saturday, December 21st, and the day we brought Banks home! He was 5lbs, 6oz when we left the hospital.
Birth Story
Knowing that I was going to be induced on Thursday, December 19, we had plenty of time to plan and pack our bags. Dr.Shelley had thought the week before that I would need to arrive Wednesday night to get things started for Thursday, but at my appointment on Tuesday, December 17, she felt that there was no longer a need for that. She said that Banks had dropped down "very low."
We arrived at the hospital at 5:55, per Dr.Shelley's instructions not to arrive too early. We filled out all of the admission paperwork and headed back to labor and delivery. My nurse's name was Pamela, and she was absolutely wonderful. The Pitocin was started around 7am. Dr.Shelley and I had spoken on Tuesday about going ahead and getting the Epidural ordered for around 8:30. Right before the anesthesiologist came in, Pamela asked me if I had been feeling the contractions I had been having, and I said no. The anesthesiologist came in right at 8:30 and did the epidural. Patrick watched the whole thing, finding it fascinating. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, except it gave me the shakes, and I was shaking for the whole rest of the day. The epidural kicked in soon after and Dr.Shelley came in around 9 to break my water and see how things were going. Around 10, my nurse came in very concerned and said that Banks' heart rate was dropping with my contractions and that she would need to turn me on my side. Meanwhile, 2 other nurses joined her in the room, one put oxygen on me, which scared me. Then, they lost Banks' heart rate because the monitor was so big around my belly, and they decided they would need to put a probe on his head to monitor his rate for the rest of the time. Once they put the probe on his head, they were able to monitor it better. They told me I would need to stay on my left side. I was convinced at that time that I was headed for a C-Section at some point. Dr.Shelley was called in soon after that, and she told me to try to rest, and hinted to Patrick to leave to go get lunch. Patrick went to the Sweetery with his mom and dad, and my parents stayed in the waiting room while they were gone. I had just started dozing off when I woke up to severe pain in my right side. I realized my epidural was no longer working on my right. Patrick returned from lunch and I told him what was happening. We called the nurse in, and she said it was because I was having to lay on my left side, gravity was pulling all the fluid over there and leaving my right. She tried turning me back on my back, and then on my right side, but Mr.Banks didn't like that so much (heart rate dropped again). So, my nurse called the anesthesiologist in, and he gave me a "bolus dose" of medicine. This helped a lot and I was able to relax again. Around 2:30, the nurse came back in and said that Banks' heart rate was dropping again, and she checked me and said it was time to call Dr.Shelley in and that this time his heart rate was probably dropping because he was getting close to being born. A little later, Dr.Shelley came in to check on me. She said that I had made great progress and would be ready to have the baby soon. All of the nurses and staff came in to set the room up, Dr.Shelley went to see another patient quickly, and soon after it was time to push. I only had to push on two contractions and Banks arrived at 3:21pm. He was healthy and perfect - 5lbs, 12oz and 19 and 1/4 inches long.
Patrick and I spent an hour to ourselves, getting to know our new baby after he was born. He then went to the waiting room to show the family pictures while they took me and Banks to the "mom/baby" unit. Once settled there, Banks was ready to try to eat for the first time and a sweet nurse named Ashley helped me learn how to feed him. Then, Patrick came back and called in all the family to meet him!
After hearing all of the horror stories about labor and delivery, I have to say it was completely different from what I expected. I was extremely blessed and lucky for it to have gone so smoothly. I was relaxed for most of the day, with the exception of the heart rate scares, but it was so peaceful with me, Patrick, my awesome nurse, and of course, Dr.Shelley. I couldn't have asked for the day to go any better, especially once I held our sweet boy in my arms for the first time. There is no way to prepare for that moment. Seeing Patrick hold him was equally rewarding.
We arrived at the hospital at 5:55, per Dr.Shelley's instructions not to arrive too early. We filled out all of the admission paperwork and headed back to labor and delivery. My nurse's name was Pamela, and she was absolutely wonderful. The Pitocin was started around 7am. Dr.Shelley and I had spoken on Tuesday about going ahead and getting the Epidural ordered for around 8:30. Right before the anesthesiologist came in, Pamela asked me if I had been feeling the contractions I had been having, and I said no. The anesthesiologist came in right at 8:30 and did the epidural. Patrick watched the whole thing, finding it fascinating. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, except it gave me the shakes, and I was shaking for the whole rest of the day. The epidural kicked in soon after and Dr.Shelley came in around 9 to break my water and see how things were going. Around 10, my nurse came in very concerned and said that Banks' heart rate was dropping with my contractions and that she would need to turn me on my side. Meanwhile, 2 other nurses joined her in the room, one put oxygen on me, which scared me. Then, they lost Banks' heart rate because the monitor was so big around my belly, and they decided they would need to put a probe on his head to monitor his rate for the rest of the time. Once they put the probe on his head, they were able to monitor it better. They told me I would need to stay on my left side. I was convinced at that time that I was headed for a C-Section at some point. Dr.Shelley was called in soon after that, and she told me to try to rest, and hinted to Patrick to leave to go get lunch. Patrick went to the Sweetery with his mom and dad, and my parents stayed in the waiting room while they were gone. I had just started dozing off when I woke up to severe pain in my right side. I realized my epidural was no longer working on my right. Patrick returned from lunch and I told him what was happening. We called the nurse in, and she said it was because I was having to lay on my left side, gravity was pulling all the fluid over there and leaving my right. She tried turning me back on my back, and then on my right side, but Mr.Banks didn't like that so much (heart rate dropped again). So, my nurse called the anesthesiologist in, and he gave me a "bolus dose" of medicine. This helped a lot and I was able to relax again. Around 2:30, the nurse came back in and said that Banks' heart rate was dropping again, and she checked me and said it was time to call Dr.Shelley in and that this time his heart rate was probably dropping because he was getting close to being born. A little later, Dr.Shelley came in to check on me. She said that I had made great progress and would be ready to have the baby soon. All of the nurses and staff came in to set the room up, Dr.Shelley went to see another patient quickly, and soon after it was time to push. I only had to push on two contractions and Banks arrived at 3:21pm. He was healthy and perfect - 5lbs, 12oz and 19 and 1/4 inches long.
Patrick and I spent an hour to ourselves, getting to know our new baby after he was born. He then went to the waiting room to show the family pictures while they took me and Banks to the "mom/baby" unit. Once settled there, Banks was ready to try to eat for the first time and a sweet nurse named Ashley helped me learn how to feed him. Then, Patrick came back and called in all the family to meet him!
After hearing all of the horror stories about labor and delivery, I have to say it was completely different from what I expected. I was extremely blessed and lucky for it to have gone so smoothly. I was relaxed for most of the day, with the exception of the heart rate scares, but it was so peaceful with me, Patrick, my awesome nurse, and of course, Dr.Shelley. I couldn't have asked for the day to go any better, especially once I held our sweet boy in my arms for the first time. There is no way to prepare for that moment. Seeing Patrick hold him was equally rewarding.
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