Brady's First Bath

Brady's first sponge bath (his cord hasn't fallen off yet) wasn't exactly a hit. He pretty much screamed through the whole thing, but when it was all said and done, he seemed very relaxed and he just smelled delicious!! Mmmm...that baby lotion is just intoxicating!! His hair curls right up as soon as it gets wet. He is such a sweet baby and continues to eat and sleep well.

Quick update...the antibiotics cleared up the mastitis (thank God!!) and Brady nursing has cleared my milk ducts. I no longer feel like I have stones in my boobs. My friend Alissa recommended a nipple shield to protect my poor cracked and bleeding nipple and it has worked like a charm. I told her the nipple shield has changed my life :-) I'm no longer terrified to have him latch on!! Although, since we've had to supplement with a bottle, he's getting quite used to the bottle and is starting to really prefer it over me. We'll need to keep at it and get him used to me again.

We're working through it all...

Challenges

So, we've been home for about a week now and overall, I would say things are going well. My mom has been here for 2 weeks and has been a HUGE help, especially with Katelyn. Katelyn seems to be adjusting well and just wants to help all the time. She gets diapers ready, chooses his clothes to wear in the morning, waves a rattle above hime during diaper changes, etc. Sometimes, she can help too much and swings his swing too high, or gets in his face when he's crying, or even takes out her frustration on him (she did a "knock knock joke" on his head). We have to watch her closely, but she's been pretty good. I find it difficult to balance time and attention btwn the two of them.

Brady has jaundice and has been under billi lights all weekend. He actually seems to really like the warmth and the sound of the fan from the machine. Luckily, his numbers went down and we were able to take him off the lights on Sunday. He's gaining weight and eating/sleeping well...what more can you ask for???

Nursing has been another hurdle. He nurses well and stays latched on, etc. but he's killing my right side. I don't know what he's doing wrong. I'm in so much pain...even water from the shower is painful. Also, my milk supply seems to be low and I still have to supplement him with a bottle, which is a bummer. Sunday night I started to feel like I had the flu and developed a fever of close to 103. My right breast had long, red streaks and was hard as a rock. I called my dr. first thing that morning and was given antibiotics right away as I had developed mastitis. I know it's just the start, but I am so tempted to just give up nursing all together!!

I haven't felt any blues, etc. After K was born, I cried uncontrollably for 2 weeks after her birth. I was just so overwhelmed by every emotion and just felt all over the place. This time around I'm so calm and just even. It's nice not to be on such an emotional roller coaster.

I was afraid I wouldn't love him as much as Katelyn, but as soon as I held him, I felt my heart just get bigger and I fell in love with him right away. Everyone told me there's enough love for both, and they were right!!

We are very lucky to have such an easy-going baby...we are very blessed.

Going Home!!

We're leaving the hospital today and I can't wait. I thought I'd dread leaving, afterall the service here is wonderful...eat what you want, when you want, have your meal delivered to you, dirty dishes taken away, water refills on demand, help with the baby at night, help with anything anytime...etc. And this beautiful view!! I feel like I'm in the penthouse suite up here (see attached picture). But I am ready to go home! I woke up early and eager today. The dr. stopped by early, 10am, and signed my discharge papers. We do have to wait for a billi-blanket to be arranged for delivery to our home, but that's it. Brady has a slight case of jaundice and the ped. suggested taking care of it at home just incase it spikes over the weekend.
So, it took A LONG time for this billi-blanket and we ended up checking out at 3pm. We got Brady dressed in his "going-home" outfit and stopped by Bryan's work quickly. Everyone from his office came down to the street to say hi and see Brady. I didn't have time to take my pain pills before we left and I was hurting, so I wasn't able to get out of the car to say hi, just waved to them, but they seemed to understand. Bryan took Brady out of the car to show him off. When we got home, my sister Michelle and her fiance Andy were waiting for us (Michelle just returned from a work trip to India). My friend Jeanne dropped off pasta and meatballs for dinner...so delicious!! Katelyn was happy to have us at home. She was calling Brady, "that baby", but now she calls him by name and seems to understand he is her brother and he's not going anywhere.
Our first night at home was a dream....Brady got up around 2:30am, then up at 6am and that was it!! We're supplimenting with formula until my milk is all in and that is really satisfying him. Life is so much easier when you have a good night's sleep!! I hope this continues!!

Recovering....

Okay, the pain is pretty bad when you "come to" after the c-section and all the really good drugs wear off. Trying to move in the bed, just reaching for my dinner tray or Brady hurts! Everything below my belly button is extremely sore. I'm still hooked up to my epidural and I have pain meds flowing into my back, controlled by a button I can push as many times as I want. When I push the button, I can feel this cold rush in my back and I know the meds are coming in. The meds help, but I'm really feeling the effects of the surgery. Luckily, Bryan is here and spending the night. He's changing all the diapers, handing Brady to me for feedings, etc. I don't know what I'd do without him. We sent Brady to the nursery for the night and gave the nurses permission to give him a bottle and use the pacifier. I thought we'd be getting a good night's sleep, but at 2am, the lights went on and my nurse, Linda, came in to get me out of bed and walking to the bathroom. Ouch!! It took a while just to swing my legs to the side of the bed. Still lots of blood and pain. After a VERY slow walk to the bathroom and back, it was close to 3am and Bryan was awake, watching my first walk. I went right back to sleep, but then at 6am, the pediatric nurse came in with Brady and we got him right on the breast...he was hungry!! They took him back to the nursery for his check-up (they are checked by pediatricians every morning) and we went ahead and authorized a circumsision for that morning. Bryan went to the nursery to give him a little pep talk, and ended up watching the circumsision (our pediatrician was wonderful and involved us in everything, but I can't believe Bryan observed the whole thing!!). The whole procedure only took 5 minutes! Brady is still sleeping almost all the time and hasn't fussed or cried at all! Mom and Dad will be by with Ali this morning for a visit while K is at school, then will return with K this afternoon. I love this hospital!! The food is delicious and the nurses have to be the sweetest people in the world. My nurse Linda last night was wonderful and so patient with me walking at a snail's pace. I'm feeling a little better today, recovery will get easier as the days pass'

Brady Paul Burless has Arrived!!

I'm so sorry for leaving you hanging...

On Monday, July 21st at 12:41pm, our son, Brady Paul Burless was born at Winnie Palmer Hospital in Orlando. He weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 21 inches long (exact same measurements as Katelyn, isn't that funny!). Our c-section went very well...having a scheduled c/s is the way to go! After a strange night...I started contracting just after midnight and they came about every 5-6 minutes for an hour and a half and they were getting more and more painful, then they just stopped... we were able to spend the morning with Katelyn and my parents at home, then said a quick goodbye (Katelyn cried a bit). We checked into the hospital right on time, at 10am, then had to wait a while to be called back to get ready for the c/s. I think it was about 10:45 when we were escorted back by a sweet nurse named Millie. They hooked me up to what seemed to be a million monitors...I had cords coming from all directions! My OB stopped in to say hi and to see if we had any last minute questions, then noticed from the monitor that I was contracting again. She told me it was a good thing we were scheduled for now...looks like I was going into labor. Once the nurses found out I didn't know the sex of the baby, they started guessing. After watching the fetal heartbeat and looking at my belly, they all guessed a girl. They had me convinced!! I had myself already to be welcoming baby Sarah Grace in a matter of minutes....afterall, who would know better than OB nurses?? My epidural was put in, then I started shaking uncontrollably (side effect of the epidural). They couldn't get an accurate blood pressure with all my shaking...at one point it registered at 354/100!! I started getting emotional as the time got closer, then they let my sister Ali come back to see me before they wheeled me into the OR. Once I saw her, I just started crying. I was so nervous and excited and just couldn't believe in a matter of minutes, I'd be holding my baby. She had to leave, Bryan had to stay behind to get into his surgery gown, so the nurses wheeled me down the hall. Once I got into the OR, the radio was playing and a U2 song was on. The nurses and I talked about how much we loved Bono and I couldn't believe how relaxed everything was. The anestethiologist (sp?) was a woman my age and was super nice. She never left my side. Once Bryan came in, I started crying again...I just couldn't believe we were there and the baby would be born in a matter of moments. I never saw my dr., she was on the other side of a huge blue tarp, but someone told me they were starting. We just waited quietly, then they warned me I'd feel lots of pressure as they pulled the baby out. I heard my dr. say "this one has a big head!" I waited to hear the cry, then they said, "it's a boy!" I couldn't believe it!! I looked at Bryan, who had kept this secret for months. I knew he was estatic to have a son, something he's wanted so badly for so long. I was so happy! Brady took a while to take that first breath and cry and it took forever to hear him. Bryan told me he was blue and the cord was wrapped around his neck and his first apgar score was only a 4. Finally, we heard him cry and the weight and height was read out to us. Bryan was able to go over to where Brady was being examined, then they finally brought him to me and laid him on my chest. I was so afraid of dropping him because I was quite numb and my arms felt very heavy. He lay quietly on me and I was able to take a good look at him...very curly brown hair, dark blue eyes, sweet little chin...perfect little boy!! They took him to the nursery with Bryan in tow and gave me a medicine to make me sleepy for the rest of the operation. I kept dosing in and out of sleep, then they took me to recovery. I was pretty out of it, but I realized the nurses were concerned about the amount of blood I was losing. They paged my dr. and she came in to see me right away. I was given a shot in my leg (still totally numb) and they kept checking me. The shot didn't do what they wanted, so I was given another shot in the opposite leg. I could see the concern on my nurse's face, which made me nervous. I could see all the blood they were cleaning up from me...it was a lot! The head nurse stayed close by and then they had to give me a pill to help my uterous contract. I'm so glad I was on drugs, or I would've been in a panic. I'm also glad Bryan wasn't there, so he didn't get worried. Everything finally stabilized and my sister and Bryan were able to come back to sit with me. I was still so drugged, so I had trouble keeping a conversation going. I was finally taken to my hospital room at 4:30...3.5 hours after my surgery (I was only supposed to be there for 1 hr.). I was soooo thirsty, and my nurse gave me ice chips and I swear it was the best treat I ever had!! Ali, her husband Rob, and Bryan were waiting for me in our room. Our room was amazing...we had an incredible view of downtown Orlando and the room had a very modern look with dark hard wood floors, a chocolate brown glider/rocker, granite counter tops in the restroom and an armoire for our clothes, etc. plus a murphy bed for Bryan. Brady was wheeled into our room at about 5pm, and I was finally able to hold him. He had just had a bottle in the nursery since he had to wait so long for me, so he was content and sleeping. We all took turns holding him, then my parents arrived with Katelyn. She was so excited!! My mom brought Brady over to her and let her hold him (with lots of help!)...so sweet to see them together at last! I was so, so sore and still a bit groggy from all the drugs, but I was able to eat some chicken broth and jello and I felt so much better after some food. What a wonderful, wonderful day. Ever wish you could press rewind on a day or a moment in your life? Today was one of those days for me :-)