The weigh-in

Today was Seth's weigh-in to see if he had gained any weight since his last appointment on Sept. 14. He weighed 6lbs. 9oz. which was his birth weight. So, he gained 10 oz. in 10 days. Yay!!

Our pediatrician was out sick today, so the nurse just weighed him and we left. I assume I am to continue what we've been doing so that he continues to pack on the pounds.

Update

Friday was Seth's first pediatrician appointment. The good news is that he grew almost 2 inches in length and is nice and strong...he can lift his head pretty well! Everything is great except his weight. He has not gained any weight since his home check-up on Sept. 6. He is still 5lbs. 15oz. (10oz. below his birth weight). The Dr. said that she likes to see babies be back at their birth weight by this appointment. She said for me not to worry (ha!) because this is fairly common with preterm babies.

So, the new plan is to give him 1-2oz. of pumped milk at each feeding in addition to what he gets on his own. This has been challenging. It's not only more time-consuming, I'm finding out that I don't produce much milk. One ounce is about all the extra I can give.

We went up for prayer this morning at church and I realized once again there is nothing more I can do. I have to rely on Jesus to give Seth what he needs, and to help me supply more as well.

Please pray that he shows a weight gain at his next appointment on Sept. 24.

Two weeks already!

A little picture capturing our life. This was taken last night after a nice walk through the neighborhood. You'd think that it's Evan getting up with him throughout the night. ha. Evan & I are both sleep-deprived. No one can escape the noise when you live in an apartment.

Today marks two weeks since Seth's arrival. It has been challenging, but we're making progress. Thanks to everyone who commented, emailed me, and called me to give encouragement. It certainly helped!!

Tomorrow is his first check-up. I'm hoping he's gained some weight. A week ago he was 5 lbs. 15 oz. So, hopefully he's above 6 lbs. tomorrow.

He sleeps great all afternoon, and will even sleep in his bassinet for some of it. At night, this isn't the case. He wants held. He definitely is wanting held more often than not. It's difficult for me to get much done. I've also resorted to using a pacifier a few times to get him to fall asleep between feedings. He sucks on it at first, but after that it's like it's just a comfort thing. It works, though. He falls asleep once it's in. Sometimes he'll spit it out while sleeping and of course, I don't put it back in. Mostly, I must remember that he is actually just under 38 weeks old. I can't expect him to be on track with most newborns. He is catching up though, I think.

Thoughts…

Well, here we are 11 days after Seth's arrival. It has been tough, honestly. I'm a terrific worrier, and taking care of a newborn feeds right into that.

1. Nursing. I didn't think it would be so difficult. Seth fights it mostly. I'm concentrating on making sure the latch is good, but when he is pushing me away, it only adds to my frustration. He'd love to just have his fingers in his mouth all day. He was down to 5 lbs. 15 oz. on Thursday when the home nurse came, which is still in the safe range. Again, I worry he isn't gaining because he either fights the feeding or has an improper latch. The home nurse showed me how to get him to latch, and of course it worked perfectly in her presence. It hasn't been that easy since then. He is wetting and pooping his diapers, so that's an encouragement.

2. Sleep. I knew I'd have to get up at night. The last two nights though have been almost completely without sleep. As soon as we lay Seth in his bassinet and we get into bed, he starts to fuss. Usually it's not because it's time to eat, he sometimes wants held. I always offer food in case he didn't get enough, but he'll push away and continue to fuss. Often he will fall asleep if I lay him on my chest as I try to sleep too. I don't think you're supposed to do this, but it's quiet for an hour or so, until I try to lay him back in his bassinet. He slept in the car seat one night, whatever works. Frustrating. Is he awake because he's hungry (see point 1)?

3. Pacifier. Apparently he's not supposed to use this until about 1 month of age. I've used it already between feedings to help him to settle. He loves it, which probably hurts the nursing issue. So today I'm trying to not use it.

So, I'm pretty frustrated, worried, and exhausted. He's adorable and I love him to pieces, but I feel like I'm doing everything wrong. Friday is our first pediatrician appointment. Hopefully he has gained some weight. I plan on talking to the lactation nurses there too. I'm hopeful things will get better, at least that's my prayer.

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UPDATE: Last night I tried pumping for a couple minutes to get the milk flow started before putting Seth on. This worked great! He latched on much faster and stayed that way until he was done. AND we got more sleep!! He still only stays in the bassinet for about an hour before I put him on my chest. Once he's laying on me, he's out like a light until the next feeding. This feels like progress!

Meet our son!

Yep, he came early! I'm still in shock, but he's adorable. The stats:

Seth Evan Hammersmith was born Thursday, August 30 at 7:24 pm
6 lbs. 9 oz.
18.5 inches long

We're adjusting to home and trying to get the hang of nursing and sleeping.

Of course, some photos, enjoy!

A peek at our son

Today was my ultrasound to see how big our son has gotten since the 31-week ultrasound. Well, he's still ahead of the game in his head and belly measurements. Everything else is totally fine. He's fine, just not going to be a small baby.

At 31 weeks they estimated that he was 4 lbs. 14 oz. Today at 35 weeks they estimated that he is 6 lbs. 4 oz. This was actually a relief to me. I had myself totally petrified that he'd be 8lbs already. whew. If he comes a couple weeks early, he might actually be a reasonable size for me to push out. It's just that darn head of his...

Anyway, below is a 3D photo of him. He was actually sucking on a finger or his hand quite a bit when she was trying to get these shots. You can't tell from this photo. Evan says he must have been biting his nails like his daddy. ha.

Enjoy!

A peek at the nursery

Well, the nursery is basically ready to go. We have all the essentials, we just need the child to go in it. :o)

Below are some photos, enjoy!