Wyatt Eric

We have a little boy. Monday, June 6th at 3:05pm our fourth little blessing came into this world. We've decided to name him Wyatt Eric. He is beautiful and wonderful. Labor was fairly non-eventful. I decided to get an epidural this time. I made it up to about 5 and a half or 6 centimeters and then got the epidural. I wasn't expecting it to be such a process and I really didn't expect there to be a tube threaded down my back with a constant flow of medication. I thought it was a shot that you got and then as it wore off, you had to get another shot. Little did I know. The medication took effect almost immediately and, after that, I was a happy camper. I could wiggle my toes on both feet and move my left leg but not my right one. I can't even begin to explain what a weird sensation it is to see you leg and use every ounce of strength you have to move those muscles that you KNOW control you leg, but to get no effect. Very strange. However, also more desirable than living through contractions.

Just Born

When it came about time to push, the nurse let me know that I should be able to feel the pressure of the baby and the sensation to push and, when I did, I should call her. So, I called her when I thought it was time. Another nurse came in and said that I'd need to wait about 30 minutes for the doctor to arrive. My nurse came in about 20 minutes later and checked me and said, "oh yeah, the baby is ready to come right now". She went to call the doctor and thankfully, he was in the parking lot. He walked in and started to check the baby but then realized that his head was already coming out. He said, "Don't sneeze, don't cough, don't push, don't move - until I get my gloves on!" :) So, the nurse held the baby in while the doctor got ready. Two pushes later, Wyatt was here.



He was really pale immediately after birth and didn't give that normal loud cry. As a matter of fact, he didn't cry at all. The nurse let me hold him for a split second while Lowell cut the umbilical cord and then they set about cleaning him up. The nurses realized that he was having some trouble breathing and so they let me kiss him one more time before taking him back to the NICU to be checked out. They said that they would keep him there for about 4 hours to see if he "transitioned" and started breathing without trouble. After that period of time, if he was still struggling, he would likely be admitted to the NICU.

Wyatt was admitted to the NICU on the night of the 6th for difficulty breathing and fluid in his lungs. The exact cause of the fluid is unknown. There was some discussion about how far along he really  was. According to the ultrasound that I got during pregnancy, he was 37 weeks and 5 days. By looking at him, the consensus was that he was actually probably more like 35 weeks and 5 days or slightly over 36 weeks. If his breathing problems stem from his age, time will be enough to treat his problems. Another explanation for the breathing problems is an infection like pneumonia. Because they are not sure what caused the difficulty he's having, they are treating him for an infection just to be safe. Starting 7pm on the 6th, he is getting 48 hours worth of anti-biotics.

We'll also have to be watching how well he eats. This morning, he ate from a bottle and did a fantastic job. His sucking reflex is great and he kept the food down with no problem. For his afternoon feedings however, he was just too tired to suck so he was fed through a tube that goes down to his stomach. This was a blow to my confidence but it makes sense... If he's having to work so hard to breath, he's just too tired to eat. Whenever his lungs get better, he'll be eating with no problem because he'll have energy.

I got to hold Wyatt three times today and loved every minute of it although it was difficult not to cry for the first few minutes each time I sat with him in that bubble... I'm reminded of the time Chloe was in the NICU and haunted by those memories...

My favorite picture...
Daddy couldn't stop kissing him.

Tonight however, Lowell got his turn! :) I must say, the night nurse is much more difficult to work with than the day shift nurse. During the day, I take Wyatt's temperature, I change his diaper, I read his stats and help out with his care. Tonight, the nurse wouldn't let us do anything and kept trying to adjust how Lowell was holding the little guy. It was frustrating. I kept offering to help or to do things, but she wouldn't let me. Aggravating. I'm excited for Lowell to experience feeding time tomorrow when the day shift nurse is here. :) Here are some pictures of tonight's feeding and of our little man... He's so much cuter in person, when its easier to look past all those wires and stickers... I'm really looking forward to the day when I can post pictures of him without all that stuff.

Speaking of that, right now, we're hoping for Thursday or Friday for him to go home... After today however, I'm wondering if that isn't overly optmistic. I'm working on remaining positive and not getting discouraged. I keep reminding myself of all the other babies in the NICU and how blessed we are to have our little Peanut be so close to ready to come home. We have much to be thankful for.