3 weeks old on my due date

So here it is...my actual due date. It is weird to think that I could still be pregnant today, but instead I am holding my 3 week old son. He is so cute and such a good baby. Very patient, like dad, but when the patience runs out, he gets oh so mad, like mom.

2 week check-up

Hayden had his 2 week check-up today and he is doing great. He is now 7 lbs. 3 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long. He has a pretty small head, but everything else is above average. Chuck and Jeanette left this morning. They were here visiting for a few days and it was great to see them. Grandma and Grandpa are absolutely in love with Hayden. Who isn't?

Hayden Update

Hayden was released from the NICU Wednesday afternoon. Jake and I were so thrilled to be bringing our son home. The girls were out of school early, so they were home when we arrived with Hayden. Bostyn heard him crying from the garage and her eyes got as big as saucers! They had no idea Hayden was home! Bailee was a little less enthusiastic, but she warmed up to him on her own time. Hayden has been home now for 5 days and we are loving it.

Here's Hayden............

HAYDEN

Hayden Jacob Miller was born Saturday, March 7 at 4:01 a.m.

Hayden came into the world very quietly. Hayden was born with RDS, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and was struggling to breathe. Hayden was born 3 1/2 weeks early and didn't have enough Surfactant in his lungs.

At 7:00 Saturday morning, Hayden was taken to the NICU and intubated. They gave him a dose of Surfactant and he was extabated. He was then put on an IV and oxygen. We were able to see Hayden at 8:00. It was quite a shock. Our beautiful son was wired, tubed and taped. Hayden was still struggling to breathe and his chest would cave with each breath.

By Saturday night, Hayden was taken off the oxygen tube. He responded well and improved.

Sunday morning, Dr. Berger, the neonatologist, decided to start lowering his IV levels. They also started feeding Hayden from a bottle. With each feeding, they would lower his IV level. Hayden was being woken up and fed every 3 hours. I was released Sunday evening and it was very hard. I was tired, sore and emotional. I have never had to leave a baby behind, so this was very difficult for me.

Monday morning when we arrived at the hospital, Dr. Berger had just seen Hayden and gave us the update. Hayden was taken off antibiotics! We were not expecting this news, so we were very excited. He also told us that Hayden would be able to nurse twice a day. He was still lowering the IV levels and planning to have him off the IV by Tuesday morning. At the 2:00 feeding, Hayden was able to breastfeed and he did very well.

Tuesday morning brought even more good news. Hayden was off the IV! Dr. Berger put Hayden on his own schedule, meaning he can eat and breastfeed whenever he wants. We fed him at 11:00 and then waited for Hayden to wake up for the next feeding. By 3:00, Hayden was awake and ready to eat. At 6:00, Jake and I went back to see Hayden and we were able to give him his first bath. He was very patient and seemed to like it.

Wednesday morning we called the NICU and got news that Hayden had eaten at 6:30 and it was more than his last feeding. When we arrived at the hospital at 10:30, Hayden had just finished eating and it was even more than the last feeding! The new neonatologist started rounds this morning, so we won't be seeing Dr. Berger. Dr. Mohan will be in sometime around noon and she will make the final decision on whether or not Hayden goes home. Stay tuned....

36 weeks...2 days

So I made it to 36 weeks. Not surprisingly, my contractions have calmed down a lot. They are between 10 and 30 minutes everyday. Getting a lot stronger and more painful. If I don't go into labor on my own, the doc says she will induce me at 39 weeks. So, we have anywhere from 1 day to 19 days left. I have weekly appointments now, so it makes time go by even slower. At my last checkup, baby weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz. He should be close to 8 pounds if we go all the way to week 39. No little boys at our place!