Bili and the baby

Another week has come and gone. We did our normal weekly things and Thursday we went back to see the Dr. for Wesley, to check his weight and how the jaundice was progressing. Thursday morning I felt rather productive as I got the yard mowed after dropping the kids off and before heading to the park at 10:30. (both the babies snoozed away)

We played at the park most of the morning (it was roasting hot), my Papa picked up Hope and before the Dr. the babies & I had lunch with Jess and Ethan. I was amused with how many people asked if I had a baby in my sling while we were at Panera Bread :) I guess because I was carrying Grady too, but still...do you think I'd just wear that thing for fun? Maybe if I was Miss America, haha!

Grady was spent and fell asleep on the way to the Dr.'s and slept in the stroller through the entire appointment. (yeah!) At Wesley's 1 week check-up we talked about him being a little yellow and I was in hopes it would improve, but as the whites of his eyes yellowed and his yellow tint progressively moved south on his little body, I knew she want to do blood work. :( I hate cutting their little feet and mashing them to get the blood! I was right! She took one look at him and sent us over to the lab. I had James meet me there so I wouldn't have to deal with the screaming this time. I just feel so bad for them. They lay there peacefully sleeping and then OUCH they just cut his foot and mash it to get the blood to come out all the while he his kicking and screaming, so beet-red you think they'll explode at any minute:( okay enough...

Here's his little feet :( He has owies on both feet now, so sad.Another discouraging thing was his weight...he hasn't gained any weight in the entire last week. He was born 7.5, we came home from the hospital at 6.14 and at 1 week he was 7.4 which was good, he was almost back to his birth weight, but now a week later he is still 7.4 :( Bummer! I am very fearful we are headed in the same direction Grady went...the late jaundice, the failure to gain weight, the lack of my milk, etc... Yesterday I had a bunch of errands to run and picked up some fennugreek (to increase my milk supply) just in case my milk is the problem. His bili count came back 15.9, not too bad, but the Dr. ordered us a bili blanket and it was delivered last night about 7:30.

I spent much of my night praying that this little guy would be different from Grady's early days, that his bili count would go down, that we wouldn't have to spend the weekend in the hospital and that the problem isn't with my milk. I was REALLY devastated when I couldn't nurse Grady like I had hoped to. However, I got over it realizing a bottle and a healthy baby isn't the worst combination. This time around I have been so hopeful and prayerful about the nursing situation. They are only babies for such a little time and I really LOVE the bonding that nursing provides, so I am praying that as he gets the jaundice through his little body that he will start putting on the pounds, so selfishly I can continue nursing. Is that bad? Of course I want what is best for him and will do whatever that is, but...Okay, LET GO, LET GOD!

Today we went to RCH to do another bili count and it went down to 12.6! YEAH!!!! So for the remainder of the weekend he will be under the bili blanket, nursing as much as he wants in addition to having 2 bottles of formula. We will go back to check his bili count on Monday am and then see the Dr. in the afternoon. I'm praying that his bili count will be normal and he will have gained something, even if it's an ounce or two :)

Here are some pictures of our bili baby :) He looks like a little glow worm, hehe!


He's not too yellow in this picture, but you can see it in his chin and especially in his eyes and chest.