You're already one and half months old! One and two month posts are tied into this one, because, well we have two kids now... Scotty, similar to your big sister Dottie, you decided to come early, and arrived at 35 weeks and 3 days, just beating your sister out on gestation time. Fortunately, we suspected this might happen and were prepared for you. Mama had been on baby watch for a few weeks and was limiting her activity, and working from home. The day before you were born, while the family was getting out of the car to enjoy some pan-Asian food at Phoenix restaurant for dinner, Mama's water broke right in front of the restaurant. Unfortunately, we did not get any food. Instead, we piled back in the car to drop Dottie off at the Koch's house for a sleep over. Surprisingly, Dottie took it all in stride - got back in the car, rode along happily and didn't even cry when we dropped her off. She did say in the car that she was "a little bit nervous" about the whole thing. Mama and Daddy headed to the hospital, prepared for a long night ahead.
Here is a brief recap of your birth story:
Like I said above, at about 5 pm, Mama's water broke and your adventure into the world began. When Mama and Daddy arrived at Women's Hospital in Greensboro, Mama kindly informed the nurse that a small puddle was collecting on the floor and requested a towel. The hospital told Mama and Daddy that there were no delivery rooms available and that there were no beds available in the NICU for you. There was a possibility that Mama (with you still in utero) would be going to Winston-Salem in an ambulance to be transferred to Baptist hospital. Mama was not happy about this option, with the likelihood that you would be in the NICU for a week. Fortunately, about 30 minutes later, space opened up in the delivery rooms and they decided that they could keep you in the NICU in Greensboro, since you were low risk.
Despite you being a second baby, you were not going to make it easy on Mama. Mama requested an epidural when she started feeling some labor pains. The epidural was administered and Mama felt ok for a while. When the contractions started picking up around 11 pm though, the pain was pretty bad. Mama was feeling them much worse than she ever did with Dottie. She also felt nauseous and shaky and was asking the nurse to move the birth along. Finally, around 12:30 am, Mama started pushing. She pushed for a whole hour and a half, before begging the doctor to pull you out, by all means necessary. The doctor told her that she had to push your head out first. Mama finally got your head out, and then you came pretty easily! But Mama definitely thought, that epidural didn't work, and this is my LAST baby! As soon as we saw you, we thought - oh lord, that's a big baby! Despite being 35 weeks, you looked A LOT bigger than your sister and the doctor confirmed that you were a healthy 6 pounds, 12 ounces and 19" long.
The NICU doctor looked you over and was going to let you skip the NICU, but you had a small temperature (as did Mama), and you were grunting a bit when you breathed. So off to the NICU you went with Daddy behind. Both of those issues resolved very quickly, but unfortunately, you decided that you didn't really want to eat as much as you were supposed to, so the NICU kept you. We got to visit you in the NICU that night, and then went back to our room to get some sleep. The doctors assured us you were doing well, and we were exhausted.
The hospital offered to discharge Mama after one additional night in the hospital and she took the option, since Dottie was at home and missed Mama a lot. Luckily, the hospital was only 8 minutes from our house, so Mama and Daddy were able to visit you 2-3 times a day and spend a lot of time with you, especially while Dottie was at school. You were discharged 5 days later, after a small battle between the NICU doctor and Mama, which Daddy had to mediate. No issues besides feeding, and finally you turned a corner and decided he would eat. Funny enough, the NICU doctors and nurses all told us that Caucasian males are the slowest to progress in the NICU, dubbing you a "wimpy white boy," which we thought was kind of hilarious.
HILARIOUSLY, Scott, you are now HUGE! As of today, you weigh 13 pounds, 3 oz. At one month you were 9 pounds 12 ounces. You're out weighing your sister by more than 3 pounds for your age, and are in the 70-80th percentile for weight, despite your gestational age. You never developed jaundice like your sister, and have had no issues -- other than the spit. All the spit. You're chugger and a spitter. Mama can't keep up with the burp cloth laundry. You're eating every 2 to 3 hours. You were very interested in breast feeding at first, but now have decided you're too lazy, so again, Mama is pumping and feeding you, like I did with Dottie. Luckily, we are right on pace with each other, so you've not had to have any formula yet.
Everyone loved your little silver hat!
Grammy and Pa came to visit you in the hospital!
The first time you met Dottie - headed home from the hospital!
Arriving home!
Mostly at this point you like to just eat, spit, sleep, and then be awake for just a few hours a day. You've definitely become more alert than you used to be. You are not as good of a sleeper as your sister was. You often only make it 2.5 hours or even 2 hours at night and then want to eat again. So far you've been sleeping in the guest room with Mama after 11 pm when Daddy turns you over to me (after I get a 2 - 3 hour nap). You usually sleep from about midnight until 3 am and then from 4 to 5:30 am before you start getting angry. Sometimes, I can bring you in the bed with me and you'll calm down when we cuddle, and sleep another hour or so. We're all pretty tired, but managing.
Last night was your first night sleeping in your crib for an extended period of time. Mama decided to test it out and see if you slept more soundly when you didn't hear her moving in bed. You did ok from midnight until 3 am and then I fed you. You then were less happy about going back down around 3:30 - 4 am. You woke up around 5 am and were pretty angry, so I fed you some more. At 6 am you were still mad so I took you down to the guest room. You promptly spit up on the guest bed, and then were happy to sleep until 7:30 am. Dottie, on the other hand, was quite excited by you sleeping upstairs. She's been waiting for you to move in across the hall from her. This excitement caused her to wake up at 4:30 am, 5:15 am, and 6:15 am, and Daddy and Mama were tired too! We are going to try again tonight and see if we can convince Dottie to ignore Mama if she hears me. Two white noise machines -- and she still can hear me. Mama's friend, Emma, said I should sign her up for the CIA now.
You had your first doctor's appointment on October 2nd, and the doctor was VERY impressed with your size and eating abilities. You area little chunk. You're already in 3 month clothing!!! And outgrowing the size 1 diapers rapidly. I am trying to use them all up so we can switch to size 2.
Other firsts - you had your first bath on September 10th, and were not super happy about it. We bathed you in the laundry room sink in the giant padded flower that Dottie used for her first bath. Dottie was ALL ABOUT the bath and helping me with it. You definitely peed on us during the bath - but luckily you were already in the sink. Having a boy is a new thing for Mama and Daddy, and we have to make sure that you're covered when we change you or you will pee right in your own face! Sorry to say, it's happened twice already. I also informed Daddy, Pa, and Uncle Rob that they likely also peed in their own faces as babies! You also had your first smile the other day - on October 9th. You just decided one morning that Mama talking to you was hilarious all of a sudden. That's your happiest time - in the morning after you've eaten and been well burped.
You managed to scar yourself pretty good at the hospital with your nails - on your forehead.
First bath!
One month old!!!
Getting big!!
As for your family, they are all smitten with you. Your older sister, obviously, is over the moon to have you here - someone she can rule over! The Koch's are obsessed and have visited you weekly. Of course the cousins are all about holding you and seeing another baby - despite you being a boy (they were certain you were a girl - but, seem to have accepted you). Grammy and Pa love you a ton. They babysat you and Dottie for the first time this past Sunday so Mama and Daddy could go to a movie (Joker). Pa loves that you're a boy, and his namesake. He likes to walk around with you and thinks you're already buddies. Great Grandma Byrd is also obsessed. She has a standing weekly date with you where Mama takes you over to her house so she can hold you for a while. She loves and it is the highlight of her week. She's so excited that you're the first great grand child that she has gotten to see grow from a tiny baby.
The day you arrived home!
Pics with your cousins:
A few more cute pics: Meeting one of Mama's besties - Whitney!
Smiley boy!
Trying out your sit me up seat for the first time - your neck is STRONG!
We have a lot of fun holidays coming up and can't wait to celebrate them with you and your sister - more posts to come!! We love you so much already and can't wait to see how you grow!
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