Look who is ONE whole month old!!!
and WHEW!!! What a month it has been! Lots has happened in your first month of life.
After a LONG 2 days in the hospital we finally got to bring you home.
D'D, PopPop, Uncle Robert, Aunt Emily, Aunt Mary Leigh, Nell, and Mary Claire were all waiting on us at the house!
Let me just tell you sweet girl, you have LOTS of people who love you very, very much! We have all been waiting a long time to finally have you home with us.
Your first week was relatively uneventful (the next 3 are a whole other story!). Your Aunt Mary Leigh stayed a few days to help out, then your D'D came up for a few days too. You are a good sleeper. I put you down around 9pm-10pm and you will sleep for 3 hours increments until around 8am, only waking up to eat then go right back to sleep. Mommy sure is glad too! And your days consist of the usual... eating, sleeping, and pooping. (Eating is your favorite!!!)
You get your best sleep swaddled up really tight!
For the most part you are passive, laid back, and happy. If you are crying chances are your hungry (again you like to eat), and so far no reflux problems. Wahoo! Maybe I won't smell like sour milk for the next 9 months. You are not overly expressive or "talkative", but you've got the "I'm about to be ticked" scowl down, complete with lip quiver and warning coughs. But every now and then you crack a smile that lights up the room. Your bright blue eyes and the sweet little dimple on your left check melt mommy's heart.
You have the best big sister in the whole world! She is completely smitten with you. When you cry she yells "I'm coming Baby!!!" and is the first one to you trying to put the paci in your mouth or patting you saying, "It's ok Baby Margaret", "I'm here sister", "It's ok Baby." I pray you two will continue to be best buddies! Sisters make the best friends.
Your first doctors appointment went great!... Well, you got a great check up, the appointment itself was another story. It was our first outing with a toddler and a newborn, and between nursing, potty breaks, new patient paper work, snacks, tears, and poop I was glad your daddy was there.
Your weight was almost back up over your birth weight and everything looked perfect. They checked your billi ruben number again because you were still a little orange and you were up slightly from the hospital. So you napped in the afternoon sunlight and we went back the next morning to for a recheck (Mommy was not up to trying it by myself yet so I called in reinforcements to watch your sister at home). Good News again- your numbers were down and your weight was up! (again- you reeeeaally like to eat) So we got the all clear until your 2 month check up.... Or so we thought...
Your umbilical cord stump fell off the Friday after you were born (8 days old). It was a little red and peeling right where the stump connected but you were peeling all over so I wasn't alarmed. Saturday night at bath time the skin around your belly button started to slough off and was very red. It wasn't oozing or warm, and you weren't running a fever so I was really alarmed. Sunday it had gotten a little bigger but still no fever nor was it oozing or warm. I put neosporin on it and covered it, and decided to call the Pediatrician first thing Monday morning. The nurse did not seem at all worried, but since it wasn't "normal" I still wanted the Doc to take a look. So off we went- All 3 of us! I can handle this I thought, it's only going to be a quick trip. Yeah Right!
After once look at your belly the doctor said, "Oh, you need to go to Children's" Excuse me?!?!? as in Children's HOSPITAL? Another doctor came in for a second opinion, yup! Off to Children's we go! I LOOSE IT! My 11 day old has to be hospitalized - I am a basket case! Poor Mary Claire- she kept asking, "You ok Mommy?" Bless her sweet heart....
I called your daddy, he met us at the doctors office, and off to Children's Hospital we go.
Diagnosis: Omphalitis: Extremely rare infection of the umbilical cord.
Treatment: IV antibiotics
Prognosis: No long term effects as long as treated
If we lived in a 3rd world country you would not have survived. The infection would have spread into your blood stream and infected your brain and heart. It would have been fatal. Praise God for modern medicine. But it breaks my heart to think of all the other mommys out there that loose their babies to such treatable infections.
The first 48 hours were full of unknowns. Had it spread to your blood? Did you have meningitis? Endocarditis? Is it staph or strep? What antibiotic do they use? And until we had answers to these questions you were on 4-5 different broad spectrum IV antibiotics. They were treating you for EVERYTHING. And your little veins were so fragile and small that they had to stick you and stick you to get an IV to take and it would only be good for a few doeses before the vein would give out. I lost count of how many times you had to get a new IV. You had them in you hands, feet, arms, and even on your sweet little head.
Finally the initial blood work up came back and it showed that the infection had not spread. It was localized to the skin around your navel and was MSA (Non resistant form of MRSA) easily treated and cured with IV amicillin every 4 hours for 10 days. And since your blood was clean we got the all clear for the much anticipated PICC line so you didn't have to get new IV's every few hours.
After a spinal tap, COUNTLESS blood work ups and vital checks, 6 types of antibiotics, 1 ultrasound, 2 PICC lines, 40 doses of ampicillin, and 10 days in the hospital we got to bring you "home" for the second time.
Battle Wounds:
I say "home" because you don't really have a "home." In the mist of all this going on your daddy got an opportunity we couldn't turn down. He was offered his dream job! Bye-Bye corporate America- Hello small business owner (well, eventually). But the job meant a move.... yes another move for the Peelers. It would not be a Peeler pregnancy if we didn't move states right? But this time we are moving back to our roots- West Tennessee. Where Mommy and Daddy met, hated each other, then eventually fell in love. Both Mommy and Daddy have deep roots there. Both set of your grandparents and all 7 of your great-grandparents live within 45 minutes of each other. It's going to be so nice to live near family again. I am excited for you and for them!
After a LONG 2 days in the hospital we finally got to bring you home.
I had you this sweet little outfit to come home in, but you pooped ALL OVER it only moments after this picture was taken. So you got to come home in a white hospital issued t-shirt and no pants. Had you been my first, I would have probably gotten my panties in a wad about it, but I was just ready to get you home- I didn't care what you were wearing. Guess learning to let that stuff go comes with the 2nd child territory.
D'D, PopPop, Uncle Robert, Aunt Emily, Aunt Mary Leigh, Nell, and Mary Claire were all waiting on us at the house!
Let me just tell you sweet girl, you have LOTS of people who love you very, very much! We have all been waiting a long time to finally have you home with us.
Your first week was relatively uneventful (the next 3 are a whole other story!). Your Aunt Mary Leigh stayed a few days to help out, then your D'D came up for a few days too. You are a good sleeper. I put you down around 9pm-10pm and you will sleep for 3 hours increments until around 8am, only waking up to eat then go right back to sleep. Mommy sure is glad too! And your days consist of the usual... eating, sleeping, and pooping. (Eating is your favorite!!!)
You get your best sleep swaddled up really tight!
For the most part you are passive, laid back, and happy. If you are crying chances are your hungry (again you like to eat), and so far no reflux problems. Wahoo! Maybe I won't smell like sour milk for the next 9 months. You are not overly expressive or "talkative", but you've got the "I'm about to be ticked" scowl down, complete with lip quiver and warning coughs. But every now and then you crack a smile that lights up the room. Your bright blue eyes and the sweet little dimple on your left check melt mommy's heart.
You have the best big sister in the whole world! She is completely smitten with you. When you cry she yells "I'm coming Baby!!!" and is the first one to you trying to put the paci in your mouth or patting you saying, "It's ok Baby Margaret", "I'm here sister", "It's ok Baby." I pray you two will continue to be best buddies! Sisters make the best friends.
Your first doctors appointment went great!... Well, you got a great check up, the appointment itself was another story. It was our first outing with a toddler and a newborn, and between nursing, potty breaks, new patient paper work, snacks, tears, and poop I was glad your daddy was there.
Your weight was almost back up over your birth weight and everything looked perfect. They checked your billi ruben number again because you were still a little orange and you were up slightly from the hospital. So you napped in the afternoon sunlight and we went back the next morning to for a recheck (Mommy was not up to trying it by myself yet so I called in reinforcements to watch your sister at home). Good News again- your numbers were down and your weight was up! (again- you reeeeaally like to eat) So we got the all clear until your 2 month check up.... Or so we thought...
Your umbilical cord stump fell off the Friday after you were born (8 days old). It was a little red and peeling right where the stump connected but you were peeling all over so I wasn't alarmed. Saturday night at bath time the skin around your belly button started to slough off and was very red. It wasn't oozing or warm, and you weren't running a fever so I was really alarmed. Sunday it had gotten a little bigger but still no fever nor was it oozing or warm. I put neosporin on it and covered it, and decided to call the Pediatrician first thing Monday morning. The nurse did not seem at all worried, but since it wasn't "normal" I still wanted the Doc to take a look. So off we went- All 3 of us! I can handle this I thought, it's only going to be a quick trip. Yeah Right!
After once look at your belly the doctor said, "Oh, you need to go to Children's" Excuse me?!?!? as in Children's HOSPITAL? Another doctor came in for a second opinion, yup! Off to Children's we go! I LOOSE IT! My 11 day old has to be hospitalized - I am a basket case! Poor Mary Claire- she kept asking, "You ok Mommy?" Bless her sweet heart....
I called your daddy, he met us at the doctors office, and off to Children's Hospital we go.
Diagnosis: Omphalitis: Extremely rare infection of the umbilical cord.
Treatment: IV antibiotics
Prognosis: No long term effects as long as treated
If we lived in a 3rd world country you would not have survived. The infection would have spread into your blood stream and infected your brain and heart. It would have been fatal. Praise God for modern medicine. But it breaks my heart to think of all the other mommys out there that loose their babies to such treatable infections.
The first 48 hours were full of unknowns. Had it spread to your blood? Did you have meningitis? Endocarditis? Is it staph or strep? What antibiotic do they use? And until we had answers to these questions you were on 4-5 different broad spectrum IV antibiotics. They were treating you for EVERYTHING. And your little veins were so fragile and small that they had to stick you and stick you to get an IV to take and it would only be good for a few doeses before the vein would give out. I lost count of how many times you had to get a new IV. You had them in you hands, feet, arms, and even on your sweet little head.
Finally the initial blood work up came back and it showed that the infection had not spread. It was localized to the skin around your navel and was MSA (Non resistant form of MRSA) easily treated and cured with IV amicillin every 4 hours for 10 days. And since your blood was clean we got the all clear for the much anticipated PICC line so you didn't have to get new IV's every few hours.
After a spinal tap, COUNTLESS blood work ups and vital checks, 6 types of antibiotics, 1 ultrasound, 2 PICC lines, 40 doses of ampicillin, and 10 days in the hospital we got to bring you "home" for the second time.
Battle Wounds:
I say "home" because you don't really have a "home." In the mist of all this going on your daddy got an opportunity we couldn't turn down. He was offered his dream job! Bye-Bye corporate America- Hello small business owner (well, eventually). But the job meant a move.... yes another move for the Peelers. It would not be a Peeler pregnancy if we didn't move states right? But this time we are moving back to our roots- West Tennessee. Where Mommy and Daddy met, hated each other, then eventually fell in love. Both Mommy and Daddy have deep roots there. Both set of your grandparents and all 7 of your great-grandparents live within 45 minutes of each other. It's going to be so nice to live near family again. I am excited for you and for them!
But that meant that while you were in the hospital mommy and daddy took turns packing up the house and staying with you while NaNa and Pops had Mary Claire back in Memphis. It was a chaotic week and a half, but honestly probably a blessing in disguise. Otherwise we would not have had to opportunity to just sit and be with you. We would have been go, go, go. Your having to be in the hospital for 10 days gave both your daddy and I the opportunity to just sit and look at you. Listen to your soft coos, rub your soft skin, smell your sour milk smell, and just take in all your sweetness. We both had to opportunity to really bond with you one on one those 10 precious days- so honestly I am not sure I would change a thing.
On Thursday afternoon- your 2 week birthday you finally got discharged! We ran to the house to pick up the truck and trailer and started the drive to Tennessee.
At 11:52pm on Thursday September 25, 2014 Tennessee welcomed us home.
We moved in with NaNa and Pops until our house in AL sells and we can buy a house here. It sure is nice to have 2 extra sets of hands to help since Daddy's commute is much longer now than it used to be. But hopefully soon our house in AL will sell and we can get a house closer to his work.
You are such a blessing and the perfect addition to our growing family. I know it's been a whirlwind couple of weeks, and we still aren't "home", but you have been such a trooper for all of this. I'd like to tell you life is not going to be this crazy, but honestly we are a pretty crazy crew. Hang on sister.... the best is yet to come!
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