The First Week Home (actually at Primary's)

When we packed him up in his car-seat to go home from the hospital, he looked so little!

We were only home for a day, but it was nice to sit on our own couch, and sleep in our own beds. Rick already has the multi-tasker position down.

This was his little jaundice light bed that we were instructed to do day and night. He needed to log 50 hours in here. I was so diligent about leaving him in here, even though I wanted to hold him so bad. He hated it at first, but then got used to it, and would just get toasty and warm and go to sleep. I didn't realize it at the time, but he was too sleepy and too lethargic.

Because this lit up like an Avatar bed, Rick took to calling him our little Ryk-a-tar!

When we took him to the pediatrician for a jaundice follow-up, they found a few problems: he had lost a pound in a day (too much for a little guy!), hadn't had a diaper in 24 hours, his jaundice was going up, and most frightening- he was hypothermic. I guess newborns don't get fevers until they are a bit older, but hypothermic is just as dangerous. They rushed us to Primary Children's where they worked hard to get him to bring his temperature up. They put him under warming beds, cracked heating packs to pack around him, and rubbed him vigorously. They also did all sorts of tests to rule out bad infection possibilities, including a spinal tap (checking for spinal menangitis), cathaders, and blood work. So hard and so sad for me to see my three day old baby go through all that!

He had a IV in for three days, and received anti-biotics on a drip every two hours. Final official medical diagnosis: Hypothermia due to an unknown infection with a side of jaundice.

Primary's jaundice lights are super-charged, thus requiring him to wear his protective eye mask. Don't be deceived by the rolly-polly look here- he was actually down to six pounds and a few ounces here.

We finally came home on Sunday (March 11), after a long first week of many tests, nurses, doctors, etc. He was a much healthier baby when we got home. Thanks to the awesome teams at Primary's he is now a good eater, growing like crazy, jaundice and light-bed free, and regulating his own body temperature. He is much more alert and responsive to me, and I'm more confident in feeding him. I'm so grateful we live so close to one of the best children's hospitals in the country and that we were able to receive top notch care that got our sweet baby healthy.