Week 8

Misael is 8 weeks old today. I cannot believe it! It seems like just yesterday I went into labor and then brought him home from the NICU.

The past week has been okay. We have settled into somewhat of a routine.  I say somewhat because some days it works and some days it doesn't but mostly it does. Misael is awake off and on during the day until about 5 or 6 and then he is wide awake until his 9 or 10 feeding. He then sleeps 4-5 hours and then wakes up once more about 6 or 7 and then is somewhat awake for about 30-40 minutes and then is out again. Sometimes for another 3 hours sometimes for about 1.5-2 hours.

He is so cute. Misael is short and chunky whereas Ipolito was long and skinny.  They look so much alike but yet so different. It is amazing. They have totally different pout about to cry faces though.

Misael is still spitting up but sometimes not as often and not with each feed as was before he started telling us when he had enough.  His hernia is still large and in charge. It still squishes and it is still creepy. I tell him, can you make that thing be quiet?!

Ipolito is adjusting to having baby brother around and he is so sweet and helpful! I am more patient with him and I thank God for that.  I was worried there for awhile because I felt so bad that I was so short tempered. I was wondering if it would ever go away or if I was going to be like that forever. I am usually not like that.

I go back to work in two weeks. We found out yesterday our sitter, the one we have used the past 4 years is not going to take Misael. In short she wants us to take him full time and is saying that she no longer does drop-ins, which is what we want to do. We just need one day a week of child care for Misael.  I am so pissed off and stressed.  We will revisit this with her next Monday and if we can't come to an agreement we will just use the day care at my work for Misael that one day a week.

Here are some pictures of my guys:

Wearing Papi's shirt from when he was a baby

My boys and I

Ipolito helping change a diaper

I love this picture

Our first family of 4 photo!

Cutie barely awake

Mama & the boys 

Mama & Misael snuggling

My cuties

Per Jose: who tooted?!

My Valentine doing a little smile

So cute!

Finally grabbing on to the play mat toys.

2.13.12

One year ago today, Jose and I were told the chances of us ever having another child naturally were almost impossible. In fact, we were told the fact we had Ipolito naturally was a miracle. The doctor said our best chances of having another child was to do IVF (not even starting with drugs only) pretty quickly. We decided to wait until the end of May to make our decision since I still had another set of boards to take and had just started a new job. Understandably we were devastated. Every night we prayed individually and together as a family (all 3 of us) that we would be blessed with another child. At the beginning of May I found out I was pregnant (naturally). Today we have an almost 8 week old little boy!! We are truly blessed! Never give up on the power of prayer and believe in miracles. I have two.

Week 7

Misael turns 7 weeks this Thursday. Where has the time gone?! I go back to work in 3 weeks and I am scared! Will I be able to do it?! I am especially scared for the days Jose goes to work because it is just me. All. By. Myself. With. Two. Boy. I decided to only take 10 weeks off so I could save more then two weeks of PTO for the rest of the year.

This week Misael continues with his congestion. It isn't bad and it actually so much better than late last week when he and I got sick. He is also 10.4 pounds (based on our home scale). Wow. Just three weeks ago he was 8 lbs 1 oz! It seems like overnight he out grew his newborn clothes. He is now wearing 0-3 months. He still has some room in his clothes, especially height wise. He is our short & chunky little guy.

Our sleep schedule is a little off this week due to his congestion & a growth spurt. He has been sleeping at night after his 9-10 feeding then waking up an hour later all cranky until he eats again then he sleeps in 3-4 hour stretches. Hopefully it improves and he sleeps in longer stretches.

Misael has also started in the past few days to let us know without a doubt when he wants no more to eat. I used to be able to coerce him but not now. He will move his head back and forth fast, spit out the milk, or swat the bottle away with his hand. He also goes from asleep to hungry in 1 second flat. His eyelashes are also longer, fuller, & darker.

The hernia is also super large & in charge it also squeaks. Poor thing. That hernia is like another boy part.  I actually had to call the doctor because it has grown quite a bit in the past two 3 weeks.  I wanted to make sure that and the squishing/squeaking were normal.  It is.  I was told the hernia looks so big now because he is so small and as he grows taller it will appear smaller.  I sure hope so.  I don't mind it though. We kind of like freaking people out by showing it to them.  If the hernia has not gone away by the time Misael is 3-4 it will be surgically repaired.

Misael is also battling a case of the flatheads.  He prefers to turn his head to the left and about 3 weeks of age I noticed his head was starting to get flat and that I never saw him sleep with his head turned the other way.  I noticed he turned his head right but never while he was sleeping. Considering the majority of his time is spent sleeping at that point of course his head started getting flat. The doc told us to do exercises and try to make him turn his head the other way as much as possible. We also were told to get him an aquarium for the crib so he would have incentive to turn his head the other way.  I have been working with him and working with him, to no avail. That left side is getting pretty flat. We put him side lying during the day and put him down with his head to the right but within minutes it is turned to the left.  If his head continues to be flat on that side he will have to wear one of those helmets to correct it.  Grrr....I really don't want that.  Today I bought one of those positioners for the car seat, stroller, etc and we will see how he does with that. That should make him keep his head straight on instead of to the side.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Well, that is all for now.

Guess what I can do!

Mr. Misael is rolling over from his tummy to his back!

I was so excited. I was sure it was a fluke but he kept doing it over and over.  As soon as I can figure out how to upload a video I will.

In other news, Misael & I have been sick with a cold. Mine has been mainly sinus pain, pressure, & congestion. Misael has been congested but I think we are on the mend.

On the sleeping front he is more awake during the day (except when he has been sick). At night he sleeps in about 4 hour stretches x 2. Then he is awake for about an hour to hour and a half after that feed which is anywhere from 4 to 5 am. It isn't perfect but it is way better than Ipolito was doing.

Well, that is all for now.

~Mamá

1.20.13-1 Month Old

Misael is ONE Month old!!

This past month has been eventful to say the least.  We faced some of the most difficult times of our lives. I will say, that while this was heart wrenching for us I know it does not compare to other struggles parents have to face. I work with kiddos who have congenital heart defects and I know this does not compare to what the parents go through but to us it was stressful and scary.

Since we have been home, we have been getting into the groove of things. At first everything was easy. I couldn't believe it. Misael was hardly awake. We fed him ever 2.5-3 hours and he went right back to sleep. He was probably awake 30 minutes in a 24 hour period.  I mean you could set your clock to him.

We really tried breastfeeding everyday and did bottle at night, but Misael was not a fan of the breast. He would get very irritated and agitated quickly, especially since the milk wouldn't come out as fast as he would like.  I kept trying because I was determined but it also was  hurting so bad.  We finally just decided to bottle feed Misael. I am an exclusive pumper. I pump the breast milk out and Misael eats it from a bottle. There are definite pros and cons of this but I am happy that I am able to feed him breast milk.  One of the good things is that Jose gets to feed him and bond with him. I am thankful that he helps with the night feedings on the days he is off. He usually does the first two and I do the second two. The bad thing is after I feed Misael I have to pump which takes about 30 minutes above and beyond with doing the actual pumping and washing of equipment.  We unfortunately have been battling a case of thrush for the past 2.5 weeks and that alone has almost been enough to do me in.  There has been medicine involved, washing before and after pumping, sterilizing, etc.

In terms of sleeping Misael went through (and still is) a phase where he was wide awake and/or uncomfortable from about 10 pm to 2 am. Then it switched to 2 am to about 530-6 am.  We have really started trying to establish a routine in the past 4-5 days and it has helped.  During the day we don't let Misael sleep in his crib. We try to keep him up as much as possible.  We play with him, put him in his swing, in the co-sleeper on the couch, or in the bouncer.  We also go about with life and be noisy during the day. At night we put him in his crib, do night feedings in the dark with a hall light on, and no noise. We have had to make some changes though...the big one being I let Ipolito sleep with me on the nights Jose is at work because he is entirely too noisy. At least if he wants to play or talk it is on the other side of the house. Ipolito is also not an early sleeper (I think this is in part due to the fact he has a 3-hour nap at the sitter and in my opinion he doesn't need it) and does not like to sleep until 1145-1200.

With Ipolito at this time I was not in a good place. I had postpartum depression and was extremely overwhelmed.  This time that is not the case. Sure I get overwhelmed and tired but I am in a totally different place plus it is not all of the time like before.  Generally it is on my last night of Jose's work stretch.

At one month here are some Misaelisms.

• Weight: 8 lbs 1 oz (started off at 6 lbs 4 oz at birth and 11 days of life was 5 lbs 12oz)
• Height: 20.5 inches
• Diaper size: Newborn
• Clothes: Newborn (I am wearing the heck out of the newborn clothes too-better to get full usage out of them)
• Sleeps: 3-4 hours at night. The 4 hours is an every now and then kind of thing.  Plus at times he still is awake during a stretch at night.  During the day we are awake more.
• Likes his head turned to the left. This is a work in progress because we have noticed in the past week his head is getting flat on that side. The pedi suggested exercises and a crib aquarium.  We really try to position him on the other side during the day because we can control it.  
• Has an umbilical hernia
• His chest tube scars are healing nicely
• Has two wonderful dimples & a super cute smile
• Loves his big brother-Ipolito loves him as well and loves to touch him but unfortunately he gets so excited that sometimes he is a little rough. 
• Went through a growth spurt at 3 weeks 

We look forward to the next month and what it has in store.

One month old

1 month

Misael Leonardo

 

12.29.12

12/29/11 Misael update: On our way HOME!! Thank you Jesus! Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers! We can't even begin to express our gratitude for everything!

12.28.12

12/28/12 Misael update: continuing to do well. He is working on feeds and we increased them to goal today. He has taken them by mouth all day just hoping this continues so we can go home sooner. Please continue to pray he eats well and takes everything my mouth. Please also pray for our continued courage, endurance, and strength. Thank you everyone.