2 weeks down...what I've learned so far:
baby socks are hard to detect when emptying the washer and like to fall out of the dryer when you open it
babies that have been 'cut' can pee really far
that 30 pack of wash cloths was not overkill
washing all the new clothes means a lot of laundry
pee and poop isn't so bad, just keeps the washer working
every house with a baby needs to have a recliner and exercise ball (rock rock, bounce bounce and repeat)
mom needs to be able to function on very little sleep
diaper rash is nothing to joke about (ouch!)
swaddling is only a substitute for holding when babies are fast asleep
Bath water for a baby needs to be cooler than you think
bathing a baby takes two people
a 6lb ball of baby has got to be 98% muscle
I need to admit that I shouldn't have thought I'd get half of those things done today
I'm glad that my nipples don't produce milk (another ouch!)
involuntary smiles are really meaningful to those watching
baby shops take you to the cleaners and you don't mind (until you get the bill)
fussy baby at 4am just means bonding time
babies conform to the abdomen while sitting on the couch really well
I thought I was ornery when hungry until now
babies have a lot of gas (or is it just a Fleming thing?)
I'm really rusty on my Beatles songs
Babies don't care if you're out of tune
all of those cute outfits will be put to use (though they can pee far, they also pee close)
cats don't like crying babies (but like to sniff them when they're sleeping)
a support group of family, friends, and neighbors is invaluable
I love making my wife breakfast every morning
coffee is good... really good
beer is good too
coming home from work is going to be double rewarding
the whole idea of reproduction is still very strange
I was mistaken when I thought this list would be short
I love being a dad
Liam Michael
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
How it all started
Liam Michael wasn't supposed to arrive until about May 1, 2009. In fact, Liam Michael wasn't Liam Michael until April 7th or so; up until then he was known as baby to us and Buck to some of our siblings.
We knew from the ultrasounds that he was breach whenever we got a peek at him after 20 weeks. When 36 weeks came along and he was still breach we were given the choice of scheduling a cesarean section after 39 weeks or try to turn him around via external cephalic version at 37 weeks. We opted to try to turn the baby on April 9 during an appointment at 11am. After 2 unsuccessful tries we scheduled a c-section for April 28th (by the way, I never want to have to watch any abdomen be manipulated like that again, not to mention have to wait for my baby boy's heart rate to return to normal afterward...).
Meagan felt well enough to go to work that afternoon, albeit a little sore in the belly. I opted to work from home after the appt as we had a crew of sider's wrapping new aluminum on our windows and they needed to tap power off of the garage (I don't like leaving the house or garage open without us present). Since I was home I figured I'd have time to get some dinner prepared for the two of us - Irish pork steak stew was on the menu and all I needed to pick up was parsley and a good Irish Stout. As I was dusting the pork chunks with a floury mix the phone rang. Seeing Meagan's office on the caller ID, I suspected she had gotten off early and was calling to see if we needed anything for dinner, to which I'd cheerfully respond, "No honey, I have every we need and am in the middle of preparing it". My answer was met with a slightly frantic, "I think my water broke, what should I do?". I recalled from the morning discharge papers, as I scurried to find them, that she was to get to the hospital without delay. Her boss was to take her there and I would meet her as that was the fasted method. I went into autopilot for a bit, grabbing the cameras, laptop, phone, putting the raw meat in the fridge, pouring out cat food and water, etc. When I walked out the door I called Meagan back and asked where they were at. She said that the boss was just finishing up an x-ray and then they'd hit the road. Apparently he didn't get the message that he was supposed to be her ride... It was still faster for her to get a ride from her office than for me to pick her up so I just reminded her to grab the hospital bag out of her car.
See, there was a reason that we had the bag packed and in the car, we just didn't know that reason would come this early but we both had a feeling. The clothing I put on in the morning was chosen with post c-section bare skin-to-skin contact in mind should Meagan not be able to do so. Also, that morning, we had a 8am appt at the cop shop to get the car seat installation checked; another thing checked off the list. As we left for the car seat check Meagan reminded me that it was a full moon that night too.
I rushed to the hospital and on the way took advantage of anticipating the arrival of our boy without a laboring wife screaming next to me. I called the local Flemings to arrange a pickup for Meagan's car and called my parents to give them the status update.
At about 8:00pm Meagan met me at the emergency entrance after a drawn out trip sitting on a floor mat and garbage bag - the boss's new Explorer has suede seats. He said that he would have driven faster if she was having stronger contractions. Since her contractions were only minor he opted to avoid a speeding ticket. We hurried up to the maternity ward, floor 2 or the one with the dragonfly, whichever is easier to remember. They were expecting us and had a room all ready.
We knew from the ultrasounds that he was breach whenever we got a peek at him after 20 weeks. When 36 weeks came along and he was still breach we were given the choice of scheduling a cesarean section after 39 weeks or try to turn him around via external cephalic version at 37 weeks. We opted to try to turn the baby on April 9 during an appointment at 11am. After 2 unsuccessful tries we scheduled a c-section for April 28th (by the way, I never want to have to watch any abdomen be manipulated like that again, not to mention have to wait for my baby boy's heart rate to return to normal afterward...).
Meagan felt well enough to go to work that afternoon, albeit a little sore in the belly. I opted to work from home after the appt as we had a crew of sider's wrapping new aluminum on our windows and they needed to tap power off of the garage (I don't like leaving the house or garage open without us present). Since I was home I figured I'd have time to get some dinner prepared for the two of us - Irish pork steak stew was on the menu and all I needed to pick up was parsley and a good Irish Stout. As I was dusting the pork chunks with a floury mix the phone rang. Seeing Meagan's office on the caller ID, I suspected she had gotten off early and was calling to see if we needed anything for dinner, to which I'd cheerfully respond, "No honey, I have every we need and am in the middle of preparing it". My answer was met with a slightly frantic, "I think my water broke, what should I do?". I recalled from the morning discharge papers, as I scurried to find them, that she was to get to the hospital without delay. Her boss was to take her there and I would meet her as that was the fasted method. I went into autopilot for a bit, grabbing the cameras, laptop, phone, putting the raw meat in the fridge, pouring out cat food and water, etc. When I walked out the door I called Meagan back and asked where they were at. She said that the boss was just finishing up an x-ray and then they'd hit the road. Apparently he didn't get the message that he was supposed to be her ride... It was still faster for her to get a ride from her office than for me to pick her up so I just reminded her to grab the hospital bag out of her car.
See, there was a reason that we had the bag packed and in the car, we just didn't know that reason would come this early but we both had a feeling. The clothing I put on in the morning was chosen with post c-section bare skin-to-skin contact in mind should Meagan not be able to do so. Also, that morning, we had a 8am appt at the cop shop to get the car seat installation checked; another thing checked off the list. As we left for the car seat check Meagan reminded me that it was a full moon that night too.
I rushed to the hospital and on the way took advantage of anticipating the arrival of our boy without a laboring wife screaming next to me. I called the local Flemings to arrange a pickup for Meagan's car and called my parents to give them the status update.
At about 8:00pm Meagan met me at the emergency entrance after a drawn out trip sitting on a floor mat and garbage bag - the boss's new Explorer has suede seats. He said that he would have driven faster if she was having stronger contractions. Since her contractions were only minor he opted to avoid a speeding ticket. We hurried up to the maternity ward, floor 2 or the one with the dragonfly, whichever is easier to remember. They were expecting us and had a room all ready.
Couldn't Be Prepared
The nurses hooked Meagan up to the baby heart rate and contraction detection machine (that's my own technical term for it) after she visited the bathroom and gowned up. I'll write this only because it was comforting to find a little humor during all of the commotion - as Meagan was laying on the bed she told me that she thought that she might have to go #2 and that the water that broke was, ummm, well leaking again. I looked at the contraction reading and, though it doesn't measure strength, it was showing that she was going through a contraction. Once that passed she felt better, as in no #2. Then another one came and went, and another, and another. It seems that Liam and her body were ready to go with this labor and delivery regardless of his position in the womb. Blood tests had to be conducted because Meagan had just taken her heparin shot about 5 minutes prior to her water breaking. She had switched to heparin due to it's shorter residence time in the body in case something like this happened, but 5 minutes beforehand? Come-on, as if we needed another thing to worry about...
Good news came that the doctor we'd been seeing would arrive in 15 minutes and Meagan would be prepped for an emergency c-section. They gave me a bunny suit, mask and hair net so that I could be present in the OR during the procedure but we were still waiting on the labs to find out if she could be conscious for it all. If she were to need general anesthetic I would have to wait outside.
Meagan got wheeled off to the OR and the nurse said that they'd come and get me in a little bit. Now, the only reason that I knew we'd arrived at the hospital at about 8pm is that I looked at my phone call log afterward. All of this seemed to happen in either 5 minutes or 5 hours and sitting there waiting for them to escort me to the OR seemed to freeze time entirely. I sat in the over sized bunny suit and hair net with mask around my neck. After making sure to have our little digital camera in my pants pocket my mind was swimming, remaining calm but really not sure what to do or think except that it's all happening now and that we're only partially ready for him at the house, and not entirely ready for him mentally and that I'm going to meet my son this evening - calm. The nurse stopped in and gave me a briefing on what they sometimes have to do with premature babies - take them away for special care. I understood and was hoping that Meagan did too; we're just happy that they'd do all they need to for his health. She also asked me if I'd eaten anything that night and if I'd get all nauseous on them. My response was a short, "I hope not".
The OR was too close to our room. They led me out and down the hall and I was expecting a number of paces to try to prepare myself. I got about 2 and she said, "Just to your right here, oh, and don't touch anything blue". Everything was blue except for the chair I could sit in, the floor (I'm guessing some new father's have kissed that one), and Meagan. A note on the chair - it was a black high back office swivel chair that seemed quite awkward in an OR. As if I was being sat down for an interview or something. They had a sheet up at her abdomen so we could look at each other and not be distracted by her open cavity. Two anesthesia docs, 3+ nurses, her OB doc, and a few assistants surrounded Meagan. I wonder what the bill by the minute was in that room and do not look forward to getting the invoice.
We heard the doc say that he was sure it's a boy but hadn't seen what his face looks like as they wiggled Meagan to get him out. One of the nurses, it felt, was just there to tell dumb dad what to do. She asked if I had my camera and told me to step on the other side of the curtain to see him when he came out. We heard him screaming before that and I was overcome with satisfaction (they're supposed to cry when they come out right?).
The nurses moved him over to the little cart with warming lights and they went at whatever checks they do with premature newborns. I was hesitant to go over by the cart as I didn't want to get in the way if he needed any special care. They told me to get some pictures and that he registered an 8 and 9 on the Apgar score which sounded pretty good to me! I was a little alarmed at the position of his legs due to being breach in the womb but they assured me they would straighten out. He had one hip that was a little loose and some bruising on his bottom as that was the first thing to enter the birth canal when Mom was contracting. He was screaming all the while, with the tubes being pushed down his throat to suck out goo, rubbing off the gooey coating on his body and slapping a diaper on for the first time. All the while, my boy was peeking at me with one squinted eye. They wrapped him up in a blanket and handed him over to be carried by his father for the first time. His crying stopped immediately; I was in a blissful state of awe as he continued to ogle my face with his one un-gooed eye.
Meanwhile, I saw the bucket with the placenta go by me and caught a glance at Meagan's open belly, neither of which I will go into detail about. I'll just say that one needs a different stomach and set of knees than I have to work with such things.
I took our boy over to Meagan and set him on the bed next to her head. She cocked her neck, with oxygen mask on to look at him while he was now inspecting her face through his one eye, up and down, up and down. I asked her if he looks like a Liam Michael, as we had recently decided on. She may have given me a response but I think she was also too awestruck for words (and the docs were counting gauze pads to make sure they didn't leave any inside here). Shortly there after the nurse asked his name to put on the record with the birth time of 9:23pm and Meagan responded Liam Michael Fleming. So there he was named and we think it fits well.
Good news came that the doctor we'd been seeing would arrive in 15 minutes and Meagan would be prepped for an emergency c-section. They gave me a bunny suit, mask and hair net so that I could be present in the OR during the procedure but we were still waiting on the labs to find out if she could be conscious for it all. If she were to need general anesthetic I would have to wait outside.
Meagan got wheeled off to the OR and the nurse said that they'd come and get me in a little bit. Now, the only reason that I knew we'd arrived at the hospital at about 8pm is that I looked at my phone call log afterward. All of this seemed to happen in either 5 minutes or 5 hours and sitting there waiting for them to escort me to the OR seemed to freeze time entirely. I sat in the over sized bunny suit and hair net with mask around my neck. After making sure to have our little digital camera in my pants pocket my mind was swimming, remaining calm but really not sure what to do or think except that it's all happening now and that we're only partially ready for him at the house, and not entirely ready for him mentally and that I'm going to meet my son this evening - calm. The nurse stopped in and gave me a briefing on what they sometimes have to do with premature babies - take them away for special care. I understood and was hoping that Meagan did too; we're just happy that they'd do all they need to for his health. She also asked me if I'd eaten anything that night and if I'd get all nauseous on them. My response was a short, "I hope not".
The OR was too close to our room. They led me out and down the hall and I was expecting a number of paces to try to prepare myself. I got about 2 and she said, "Just to your right here, oh, and don't touch anything blue". Everything was blue except for the chair I could sit in, the floor (I'm guessing some new father's have kissed that one), and Meagan. A note on the chair - it was a black high back office swivel chair that seemed quite awkward in an OR. As if I was being sat down for an interview or something. They had a sheet up at her abdomen so we could look at each other and not be distracted by her open cavity. Two anesthesia docs, 3+ nurses, her OB doc, and a few assistants surrounded Meagan. I wonder what the bill by the minute was in that room and do not look forward to getting the invoice.
We heard the doc say that he was sure it's a boy but hadn't seen what his face looks like as they wiggled Meagan to get him out. One of the nurses, it felt, was just there to tell dumb dad what to do. She asked if I had my camera and told me to step on the other side of the curtain to see him when he came out. We heard him screaming before that and I was overcome with satisfaction (they're supposed to cry when they come out right?).
The nurses moved him over to the little cart with warming lights and they went at whatever checks they do with premature newborns. I was hesitant to go over by the cart as I didn't want to get in the way if he needed any special care. They told me to get some pictures and that he registered an 8 and 9 on the Apgar score which sounded pretty good to me! I was a little alarmed at the position of his legs due to being breach in the womb but they assured me they would straighten out. He had one hip that was a little loose and some bruising on his bottom as that was the first thing to enter the birth canal when Mom was contracting. He was screaming all the while, with the tubes being pushed down his throat to suck out goo, rubbing off the gooey coating on his body and slapping a diaper on for the first time. All the while, my boy was peeking at me with one squinted eye. They wrapped him up in a blanket and handed him over to be carried by his father for the first time. His crying stopped immediately; I was in a blissful state of awe as he continued to ogle my face with his one un-gooed eye.
Meanwhile, I saw the bucket with the placenta go by me and caught a glance at Meagan's open belly, neither of which I will go into detail about. I'll just say that one needs a different stomach and set of knees than I have to work with such things.
I took our boy over to Meagan and set him on the bed next to her head. She cocked her neck, with oxygen mask on to look at him while he was now inspecting her face through his one eye, up and down, up and down. I asked her if he looks like a Liam Michael, as we had recently decided on. She may have given me a response but I think she was also too awestruck for words (and the docs were counting gauze pads to make sure they didn't leave any inside here). Shortly there after the nurse asked his name to put on the record with the birth time of 9:23pm and Meagan responded Liam Michael Fleming. So there he was named and we think it fits well.
The rest of the vacation
Vacation, that's what you pack a bag for right? I have only good things to say about Woodwinds Health Campus and they try very hard to make sure your stay is pleasant. I figure, if I don't owe them an arm or a leg or my first born (we'll see what the bill comes to), I at least owe them a good word. Everyone that we dealt with was wonderful, the room was very nice, we were tended to enough and then less and less to allow us to just be with baby Liam.
Grandma and Grandpa Moberg jumped in the car immediately after my call to inform them that Meagan was being prepped for surgery and Aunt Carly was waiting with keys in hand for me to let her know when she could visit. While waiting for visitors to arrive the nurses checked vitals, squirted gel in Liams eyes, allowed time for Mom and Liam to bond, and pricked his little heels every half hour to an hour to check his blood sugar among other things. With the late night visitors and nurses in to check on mom and baby through the night not much sleep was to be had, in fact, Meagan may have gotten some morphine induced sleep but mine was about zilch. Not that I minded, I was stoked to watch the little guy sleep, grunt, squeak, flail around and sneeze.
Friday included getting Meagan out of bed, some relaxing, a visit from the Ed and Jess Fleming family, and pizza which is something that Meagan had been craving since she found out about the gestational diabetes (no napping, shame on us...). When it came night time we were both over tired from not sleeping since Thursday morning. Liam was up and fussy late night/early morning (a pattern that continued well after the 2nd night), possibly having to do with the hearing test they conducted that night. I know Meagan preferred to have him in our room all of the time but this night it was no good for us. She was in a percocet fog and I was losing control over my eye lids so we used the nursery to catch a few winks.
Early morning came with the on-call pediatrician to check in on Liam and to make fun of me. He was a joker and I imagine that's a tactic he takes with caring for children. He was a down to earth guy that's been in practice for many decades (I think he said in his Spanish accent that he's in his 70's). We appreciated his tested advice even with the jokes about me and politics.
Now here is a change that I hope is something permanent. Leading up to Liam's arrival I was very worried about the lack of sleep that everyone talks about because I like my sleep. I like my sleep in 8+ hour packets and if I didn't get that I'd be useless and looking for a pillow to catch the rest. Waking after only a few hours on Saturday morning I felt just fine and ready for breakfast, well, coffee and then breakfast. Saturday also brought a visit from the Mobergs, down for another day to see their first grandchild. We finally opened up the TV cabinet in the room and kicked back with some news. The nurses planned a little outting (from our room) for Liam late that evening so that we could catch some zzzz's. With premature babies they perform a 1.5 hour monitoring of them in the crib and the car seat to make sure that they don't flop their head over and forget to breathe. They also had to re-do his left ear test because he likely had fluid in it preventing him from passing the day before. Slept through the night with only one or two feedings... atta'boy Liam!
Sunday we packed up for discharge. The hospital delivered our 'picnic lunches' (sack lunch), and we loaded up a cart with all of our belongings. With the amount of stuff we crammed back in the car you'd think that we were away for a week. They did send us home with lots of baby and momma care paraphenalia which we've appreciated.
We realized that it was Easter Sunday when we stopped at Baby Depot on the way home to shop for a few items and it was closed. Everything was closed except the CVS so luckily I found a pack 'n play on craigslist that could be picked up that evening. We were allowed another night at the hospital per state law but we were eager to start our family life at the house (and I wanted to whip up that Irish stew that I started on Thursday!).
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