Wednesday, August 19, 2009 – Day 3
I was discharged from the hospital today but told I could stay as late as I wanted - as long as we left before midnight, we would not be charged for another day.
Grandma Bebe came with me to visit Mungee at her 2:30 p.m. feeding so DH could take care of getting his new tire, get Mungee on his health insurance and get us checked into the hotel.
Uncle S and Aunt L came to visit. We met up with them as we left the NICU after Mungee's evening feeding. I recalled Mungee's birth story to Aunt L. The details are all still fuzzy - it seems like it all happened so fast even though it was an almost 24 hour process.
I think today is the day I finally took a shower. It was probably the best shower I have ever had in my life.
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Thursday, August 20, 2009 – Day 4
Last night we stayed at the hotel next to the hospital so we could be close to Mungee. We headed to the hospital for Mungee's 11:30 a.m. feeding. I was able to meet with a wonderful and helpful lactation consultant at the 2:30 p.m. feeding. Mungee passed her hearing test. She had to get a car seat test to monitor her heart rate and respiration and once she passed, she was cleared to come home!
We got home with Mungee sometime around 5 p.m. Things were a bit rough as Poppy came over without calling while I was feeding and skin-to-skin bonding. It caught us off guard. Then Grandma Bebe came over with stuffed cabbage. Poppy and Bebe were passing Mungee back and forth and I felt like she was being overstimulated. DH made a comment and Poppy said to lighten up. I was very upset. I have moments of being overwhelmed but I am trying hard to learn how to take the best care of Mungee.
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Friday, August 21, 2009 – Day 5
Today Mungee received a beautiful keepsake blanket from Bebe's friends M & D. It is plush pink and has her name and birthday embroidered upon it. It brought tears of joy to my eyes.
Poppy brought us lunch and Bebe brought us homemade lasagna for dinner. I seem to be ravenously hungry lately - probably so I can keep up with feeding Mungee.
Mungee had so many poopy diapers today - she is a champ. In fact, I think she had eight. I lost count. She peed on me when I changed one of her diapers.
She had a pretty rough night, unfortunately, and none of us got much sleep. I think she may have been overly tired or hungry. We are trying hard to figure out her needs.
This evening, we lit her first Shabbos candle. Auntie D gave us her candlestick.
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Saturday, August 22, 2009 – Day 6
Today Mungee was visited by Poppy, GG L, and Poppy's friends C & S. C & S gave Mungee two fancy pink burp cloths. Everyone thinks she is so beautiful and they noticed how alert she is. Yesterday DH and I said she just keeps getting more and more beautiful every day, but today is seems more like every hour!
She's eaten mostly breastmilk today and for that I am so thankful. It's so much easier on her tiny little tummy. She's still working on latching on to me and hopefully we will get better at that soon. I am pumping as much as possible to make sure that she has mommy juice. DH and I think it is amazing that my body grew her and can now feed her.
I noticed today that Mungee is starting to gain some control over her neck muscles and her head is not as wobbly. She loves to spend time on our stomachs while resting on our chests. I think this is helping make her neck stronger.
Around 5 p.m., she gave me the biggest smile and while my brain said she had gas, my heart said that she recognized me and was responding to my voice.
Earlier DH was changing one of her poopy diapers and put some diaper cream on her. It must have stimulated her and she projectile pooped all over the changing pad and table. We have to construct a barrier for next time.
This morning we were trying to decide what she was going to wear. I found a plain long-sleeved onesie but DH asked me to find something else. I got out an Old Navy pink kimono long-sleeved onesie with pink and brown hearts and DH said "Oh, she is definitely wearing THAT today".
Mungee loves to sleep with her arms up by her ears. When we swaddle her, we don't wrap up her arms because we know that she likes them free. She curls up her hands and she looks like she's flexing her muscles. When she's swaddled, we call her our "burrito girl" or "burrito head".
Either today or yesterday, I was nursing her on the right side and all of a sudden my left side started rapidly dripping milk! I yelled to DH to grab a bottle for me to drip into and get the pump.
Around 9 p.m., I nursed Mungee on the left side for about 15 minutes, then put her down because I was going to pump. Time got away from me and she got fussy, so at 9:25, I started nursing her on the right side. She was latched on for 30 minutes, suckling from time to time. She had a poopy diaper and I was trying to ignore the smell so I could keep feeding her. DH came in the room and immediately scrunched up his face and said "What's that smell?!" I congratulated Mungee on her first time clearing out a room.
I feel like I have some nerve damage in my arm/wrist because it still feels like I have on my hospital bracelet, which was cut off Thursday afternoon.
Mungee wound up being latched on from that 9:25 feeding for 45 minutes. That's the longest latch on record. She must have unlatched because she wanted to get out of the poopy diaper.
Who knew I would be so hungry that I would eat foods I previously detested? I ate honeydew and didn't even pick tomatoes out of a chicken salad wrap.
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These are my current thoughts:
My brain must have slowly started working again on Day 6 because I sure did write a lot!
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View previous recaps of Mungee's first days:
