“Dad, how much do babies sleep, because Jacob sleeps a lot…” This is what our first born asked my husband just yesterday. My husband replied they sleep a lot because that’s how they grow, and also remember your brother came 5 weeks early too. So all the sleep he is doing he would be doing inside your mom’s tummy if he was still there, like he was suppose to be.
Do you guys remember me telling you all that I was feeling ready for Jacob to come. I mean I was 35 weeks and I was prepared for him to come two weeks early because that’s how early Julian and Kayla came. what I was not prepared for was for Jacob to make his appearance 5 weeks early.
At 1:15am on January 19th I was awoken from my bed with my water breaking. I mean I actually heard it POP! It was crazy, because I know what it felt like when you water breaks, due it breaking with my daughter but that was 8 years ago, so I was a little rusty. I rolled my husband over and said, “Uhhh I think my water just broke.” Next thing I know we are waking the kids up getting ready and driving to the hospital at 3:30am.
A few hours after checking in and getting settled my nurse comes in and says lets put you on pitocin, since I was only 3 centimeters dilated and we wanted to pick things up. Let’s just say that when things picked up, it really PICKED UP! in just a few hours contractions were coming hard and an epidural was definitely needed. Now I had an epidural with each of my other two and I never had a problem. However, that wasn’t the case this past time. I don’t know exactly what happened but the epidural definitely didn’t do it’s job this time and let’s just say the pressure that was being felt was a pain I can’t even explain.
Next thing I know, 10 centimeters came and I was ready to push, like none before. At 12:58apm Jacob was born at 6lb 15.8 oz and 20.5 inches long. Now you may ask yourself “Are you sure he was 5 weeks early, for being so big?” Yah! I know the doctor said that if he was full term he could of been 10lbs…. Ahhhhhhh!
I think I would of died if he had waited to come… literally.
Daddy and his little guy getting some cuddles in.
So fast forward to the following morning, the nurse comes in takes Jacob to weigh in and check his blood sugar level because when he was born it was low. 30 minutes later, the nurse comes in and says that Jacob’s bilirubin is high and he has jaundice. Jaundice is a yellow color of the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow coloring comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Most newborns are born with jaundice, I was and so was my first son, but because Jacob was so early they wanted to make sure he was okay.
Let’s fast forward to us being transferred to a children’s hospital because his bilirubin kept rising in number and the doctors were worried and scared that it was getting worse and didn’t really understand why the number kept rising each day. Jacob had to be put under the lights and a bili blanket for 9 days. He had to wear a little mask on his eyes the whole time. My poor little baby.
9 days we were in the hospital from the day I gave birth. I honestly can say that being cooped up for 9 days in a hospital room not knowing any answers was pretty stressful and definitely draining.
Now the final conclusion of what I needed to do to get his bilirubin to start going down was to take him off breast milk for the time being and feed him formula and also we were given a bili blanket for him to wear at home.
This past Wednesday we were discharged and were able to finally go home. Being able to bring Jacob home and have him spend time with his big brother and sister was exactly what we all needed. So many people prayed for answers for us and are still praying for Jacob. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!
This was the first time my brother had a chance to hold his baby brother.
Big sister loving on her baby brother finally.
Home has never felt so good!
Love,
The Kennedy Family
Congratulations on the new arrival! What a sweet little guy. Our daughter had to go under the lights because of her bilirubin count, too. It’s quite the experience! We wish you all the best. Thanks for your Yummy recipes!
Just read your story after searching for your jamaican banana fritter recipe to share with my middle son in Indianapolis…a recipe I’ve made dozens of times and just recently made while visiting Brian and his wife. Marissa just texted me asking for your recipe. It’s a goodie! This is the first time I checked out your “home”. What a pleasure to feel a sense of having gotten to know (at least a little bit) the originator of one of my favorite breakfast recipes! I pray that God will continue to keep His hand upon you and your family!
I feel silly writing again, but I just thought about that cute little baby one more time, and couldn’t help myself. I hope all is going well with the lights. Congratulations, again!