Whirlwind Week

Last week was a blur. Emotionally it was a roller coaster ride of emotions, one minute I am fine and then the next I'm bawling because I can't stay with my baby. It was an extremely stressful situation: isolated in a hospital room, recovering from a major surgery, doped up on medication, experiencing shock from the suddenness of Noah's birth, feeling disconnected from my baby boy, anxiety over his well being, helpless to do anything for my boy. Add to all that the doctors and nurses that constantly came into my room to check this or that and the family that visited...it was all very overwhelming. In my isolation, the one thing I felt like I could do for my sweet little boy was pump. I pumped every 3 hours like instructed. Sometime on Tuesday my milk came in and I began supplying ounces at a time. You can just call me the dairy queen...I'm getting 5-6oz a pump now. And all the doctors and nurses are extremely impressed with my supply. I think I'm able to do so much because I wanted it for Noah so badly. I really wanted to breastfeed, not being able to was another contributing factor to my anxiety and emotions. I had a hard time not being able to hold him and not being able to breast feed him. Well its been one week since my little boy was born and he has come a very LONG way!!! Slowly but surely he has progressed and we have changed diapers, given him baths, bottle fed, held, cuddled and breast fed him. Today was by far one of the best moments when Noah was cuddled on my chest and we both took a 45 minute nap together while Dad was watching football. I love him so much, when we leave the hospital I don't feel complete. I know that its the best thing for him to stay until he is ready which has allowed me to do as well as I have over the last week. However, it doesn't make it easier. He is my baby and I want him home with me! Right before discharge I was in a good place about leaving him at the hospital, both Matt and I needed rest and Noah needed me to recover. On Wednesday night Matt went back to the hospital at 11, which has become his nightly ritual with Noah. They have their special Daddy Noah bonding time :) On Thursday he went without me in the morning and then I came back with him in the afternoon. On Friday I was feeling hella better so we camped out for the day from 10:30-6ish. The NICU has "hands on" time at 8, 11, 2 and 5 every day. This is the time when his temperature is taken, he is fed, bathed and diaper changed. So we are able to help as long as we are there. We have stuck with that schedule of our stay at the hospital since. He has made some AMAZING progress in one week and we are hoping that he will be able to come home by week's end. Here are some pictures documenting his leaps and bounds:Daddy and Noah when he was still under the oxygen tent. Getting to see my little sweet cheeks for the first time not doped up on morphine and on a gurney!
Pop Pop visiting with Noah.
Jo Jo and Noah.
Noah received a second surfactant treatment and was moved from the oxygen tent to a cpap machine. The cpap helps him get oxygen quicker and more efficiently.
Noah with his cpap. It looks like he partied a little too hard and then passed out :)
Getting some lovin' from Mama.Sweet Daddy kisses! :)
Our feisty little boy. The cover over his eyes is for the photo therapy treatment he received for jaundice. Thankfully he only needed it for a few days and is no longer receiving it. He did not like the bandage...he removed it multiple times....along with his cpap mask and feeding tube. We have one smart little boy on our hands :) The nurse on duty gave Noah his very first bath, which we were able to watch on Tuesday night before I was discharged on Wednesday. He hated it!
Not liking having his hair washed!
Passed out from an exhausting sponge bath...spitting image of his Daddy!
We've progressed from the cpap to a regular little oxygen tube.
Look at that sweet little face!

The best moment of my life! Getting to hold my sweet boy!

Kisses for my little sweet cheeks!
Moved from the warmer to an isolet! :)
Daddy get to hold Noah for the first time since the OR.
Daddy getting to take Noah's temperature during "hands on" time.
Excited for Mama and Daddy to bathe me! :)

Bath time! :)
He loved getting his hair washed!
All clean after Mama and Daddy gave me a bath! I love this little sweet cheeks! Sweetest little foot in the world!
Malissa getting to meet him for the first time :) Our first family picture! :)
Mama and Daddy holding hands with our sweet little boy :)
Bottle feeding Noah while he holds Mama's hand!
Me, Sister and Noah :)
Little bird mouth!
Daddy and Noah time :)
Mama and NoahOur little Patriots Family...Noah's first Sunday of football :)

A special thanks to all our family and friends for your continuous prayers, love and support it means the world to us.