NICU - week 1

Max is here! He arrived on May 10th at 7:25 in the morning.  After 4 hours of labor (uh quick huh) I got to meet my little bundle.  He cried right away & I was able to hold him for some time before they took him up to the NICU with Randy.  His vitals were great, he didn't need any interventions at all in the delivery room or in the NICU.

Stats:
4lbs 14oz
17 inches
Born at 34 weeks gestation
7:25 am

This week has been a whirlwind of emotions.  There have been some pretty tough moments, leaving your baby in the hospital to go home at night is so unnatural.  At times I feel split between 2 places & that our family isn't really one family right now.  There are my times in the hospital with Max where I barely have time to eat & then I leave the hospital & I am swallowed up into my old life of getting Jack from school, running a few errands & then we rush back to the hospital so I can feed Max.  It's odd but it's temporary right?

All I know is this week I have been very thankful for all my running & endurance training.  I think at times it is the only thing keeping me going. The day I had Max I was up & walking between his room & my room to hand deliver his freshly pumped meals.  My days consist of nursing, pumping, eating & trying to eek out a few hours of sleep.  I have to get up to pump every 3 hours to make sure I establish a good supply since Max isn't able to nurse very well yet.  He is on a every 3 hours eating plan so when I am at the hospital I feed him for 30 minutes, pump for 20 minutes - get that all washed up, eat - relax for about an hour & the cycle starts over again.

I can't believe 1 week of his little life has gone by so quickly.  I wish as a mommy I could slow time down & really savor these moments as I know this will be my last baby.  It's a little bittersweet but I am enjoying every moment.  I feel so much calmer this time around - even given the circumstances of being in the NICU and figuring out how to balance everything.  Soon enough Max will be home & we settle into yet another new little routine.