One challenge we faced with this birth is that labor was too fast for me to get the antibiotics I needed because I tested positive for Strep B. We didn’t know this until later in the day when the nurse came in and told us that they had to take the baby to do some blood tests. Then they came back after a couple of hours and said that they were going to have to give Lila two rounds of antibiotics since I hadn’t gotten them in time. They would be given over the course of the next 24 hours several times. So, the first day, poor Lila spent most of her time in the nursery. And she was poked several times before they could get a good IV in.
Then on day 2, she started looking a little yellow. Hector noticed it first. We asked that they test his bilirubin level, and sure enough, she was high for her age. So we had an awesome night nurse, named Joni, who helped me pump and syringe feed Lila extra colostrum to try to flush out the bilirubin. Well, they tested her the next day, and it appeared that her numbers had leveled out, so they sent us home. Unfortunately, the next day, they went up, and we got the wonderful home bililight again. I’m not complaining though, because even though we had to do that for a few days, we didn’t have to go back to the hospital to put her under the big light!
Since we’ve been home, things have been great. Especially after we were cleared of the jaundice. One thing that’s very different about her from her brother, she loves to eat! She’s far ahead of schedule for weight gain. We took her to get a sonogram last week, and it looks like she has reflux just like her brother, but that’s ok. We’ve been through that once, so we are better equipped to handle it. Things definitely seem to run smoother with #2. She eats and sleeps better than Ben did. She eats a lot more than Ben did! One interesting difference is that she just now is willing to take a pacifier and does so very sparingly. Ben loved his. Hopefully that means separation will be easier down the line. For now, it means she’s a little more difficult to please when it’s not feeding time. Actually, for the first couple of weeks, I fed her pretty much any time she fussed. Thus, the overweight issue. So, we’ve toned the feedings down a tad.
Overall, we love being a family of 4. Hector has been a life saver. I don’t know how I would have done this without him. He’s taken 6:30AM morning duty with Ben, and has taken Ben to do a ton of fun things, like Six Flags, the Zoo, and the Dallas Vigilantes, not to mention swimming just about every night. It’s been a wonderful summer so far. We are so blessed to have our baby girl here. Ben loves her as much as we do. His melt downs have definitely gone up a notch, but at least they’re directed towards us instead of her!
Thank you Lord for the perfect family you’ve given us. Hector and I are so humbled by the honor of raising these two precious children for your Glory! Please continue to guide our steps.
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