He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and 20 1/2 inches.
The birth was super, super easy. I had an amazing epidural and I didn't feel a thing. A little too good cause I didn't even feel pushing or him coming out! Apparently, Liam decided to come out sideways. Glad I couldn't feel that one!!
And then the trouble started......
Liam was taken over to the warmer and they tried to get him to cry but he would only give little cries. He was also breathing too fast. Even my OB went over and rubbed on him a bit to try and get him angry. They decided to take him to the nursery right away and give him a bath in hopes of getting him angry. I didn't even get to hold him.
A bit later they came back saying he did cry good during his bath but then reverted back to fast breathing and was now grunting with every breath. They had him in an incubator and on oxygen to try and help. They hoped with a little help and time, he would settle down.
As soon as I was able, I got into a wheelchair and went to see my baby. It was very hard to see him like that. He was grunting/crying with every single breath. His pedi called it "singing". He told us he'd give him about another half hour and if he kept going, then he was going to be sent to the NICU in Toledo, about 2 hours away.
Of course, Liam made no changes and by 2:00 was being transferred to Toledo in an ambulance. Seeing him in the little box on the huge stretched was so very hard. Watching them roll him down the hall alone was harder.
Thank God for my wonderful OB. He discharged me from the hospital only 8 hours after giving birth so I could go to Toledo and be with Liam. Mom and I made the drive out together while Brett went home to help my grandma with Aiden and Grady.
The NICU was exhausting. When we got there, we had both been awake for almost 48 hours. See Liam in the incubator with all the tubes attached was emotionally draining. We stayed across the street at the Ronald Mcdonald House to be near Liam. Thank goodness that was available. We were able to get up early, spend all day sitting with Liam (14 hours or so) and then go back to get some sleep and start again the next day.
Liam was diagnosed with TTN, or wet lung disease. Usually, it's something that premature babies get but 1% of full term babies get it. Of course, I'd have the 1%. He also showed fluid in his lungs, most likely inhaled during birth. Over the course of a few days, the doctors expected Liam to make a quick turn around. And once again, he had to stump them all. They said his lungs were behaving more like a premature baby than a full term one. His grunting lasted almost 3 days and his rapid breathing (his respiration would go over 100 at times) was exhausting! He was on oxygen assistance and a feeding tube (his breathing was too fast for him to suck on anything)
And then to top it all off.....he got jaundice as well. In an attempt to try not to make him angry (and irritate him breathing more) he was put on a bili blanket instead of an overhead light.
The boys first meeting wasn't how I imagined it for the past 9 months....but they still fell in LOVE instantly!
Grady kept wanting to "pet" his bebe yeeyum. He kept saying "Aww...he's so cute!"
My three, goofy boys!
At day 4, Liam finally started turning a corner. He was able to keep his oxygen levels above 90 and they lowered his oxygen assistance slowly. I was FINALLY able to feed Liam a bottle!
On day 5, they removed the oxygen and Liam did GREAT!
And after a week in the NICU, Liam was finally stable enough to go HOME!!!
It was defiantly not what any of us expected. I didn't imagine ever spending a week in the NICU. Liam is such a wonderful baby, he is laid back and easy going. He quickly went on a 3 hour feeding schedual and sticks to it. When he's awake, he's already trying to hold his head up and ever so often, we get a glimpse of a smile!
Welcome home little Liam!!!
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