home again, home again, jiggity jig

We made it home! So much less shocking the second time around than it was the first.

We had to stay a full 48 hours in the hospital because I did not arrive 4 hours before delivery and could not get the penicillin I needed (since I was GBS+). They wanted to monitor William the whole time as a precaution. He's doing great! Kind of high bilirubin levels, so we have to keep an eye out for jaundice, but he seems to be getting better all the time. He had some significant bruising during delivery so that raises the bilirubins or something, but he's nursing and pooping like a pro so everything seems to be clearing out of his system just fine.

We didn't get home until near 12. Weren't sleeping until after 12:30. That's all of us. Sam included! Sam was very tired, of course, when we got home and very sad not to sleep in mom and dad's room. But then he was out like a light and didn't get up until 9 am today.

William is sleeping and eating well. We did 3 hour stretches all night. Both Aaron and I felt like we got sleep. I did the feeding, he did the burping and diaper changes. He said he's happy to be the primary diaper changer so I'll take advantage of that, at least while I'm healing.

My milk is coming in in full force but I'm avoiding the incredibly painful engorgement I had after Sam was born. It seems like the way my milk comes in indicates I'm not nursing frequently enough? They say that will keep me from getting engorged? But I nurse on demand and he's getting a lot and who the heck knows. Partly it's just getting used to having milk-producing breasts again I guess. Anyway, I do know that the nursing is WAY easier this time and I'm feeling very confident in that. William has filled many a diaper already which is an important measurement for how well your newborn is doing, so that's good too.

My recovery seems smoother this time too. At first it seemed lack of epidural was a big help. I didn't have to get over having all of that work its way out of my system/regain feeling/function of legs and all of that. I also think this time I knew recovery was an issue, where I sort of neglected to consider that during my first pregnancy. I did still tear, I do have stitches. I am swollen. It does hurt. But over the counter extra-strength tylenol is all I'm taking and until those stitches start tightening and causing me a bit o' stress in the next 5 days or so, I think I'm doing pretty darn good.

Meg is in town and has taken time off of work to help with Sam. It was so helpful to have her here. I know it was hard on Sam to have his parents gone so much (I had never had a night away from him before!! It was hard on me too!) but it was made SOOO much easier by being able to stay with his beloved Aunt Meg who he is very close and comfortable with. Thanks Meg!! She is coming over this afternoon, too, to help out so Aaron can finish up some school stuff (end of semester -- his LAST semester) and she said she can help this weekend too which is great. I was excited to have fewer visitors during the early days this time, but the truth is, you have a baby -- you need help! I can't even really get up and down the stairs to do the laundry, and that piles up quick. I'm already relearning about spit up and leaking diapers and all of that stuff. Wow. How quickly you forget.

William is sleeping in the play pen/bassinet right now. We have it next to our bed. I was planning to try having him in there last night, but physically it was hard for me to negotiate so he was just in our bed the whole time. I might look into those co-sleepers after all -- either bedside or the kind that goes in the middle.

So those are the things we're doing. Sam and Aaron are playing in the park right now. I'm going to go peek in on the new addition.

Oh, and here are the stats. Corrected.

William Abraham Nemec
8 lbs 6 oz
21 inches long
April 26, 2011
10:37 pm

Pics coming soon.