Birth Story

Dear Rylan:
You little booger you.... your birth story is a good one. As were the first few months of your life. Unfortunately, your Mama is terrible at scrapbooking and baby album making. While I catch up with that -let's just start from the beginning here, shall we?

Assuming we'd have another easy pregnancy we were scared to death at your 20 week sonogram when we learned you had "bilateral choroid plexus cysts" meaning there were two fluid filled pockets on your brain. After visiting a specialist, they ruled out all the scary stuff (specifically Trisomy 18) and sent us on our way. One of the cysts had resolved, the other was considered "normal" and it was expected it would resolve within a few weeks too. We found at this point that our midwife was an alarmist, yet, it there were still other anxieties to surpass. Toward the end of your time in the womb, she suggested you weren't growing the way you should and send me in for an emergency sonogram to have you measured. Again, the scary stuff was ruled out... and we awaited your birth day. We didn’t find out what sex you’d be - so we were all excited, but I have to say – Your big sister Kenzie was especially eager for you to join us.

So, much to my chagrin, I had to have a Caesarean Section with you, as I did with your sister. Despite all the ruled out diagnosis - I was a little worried about the "what if's," I'll admit. The drama continued when the surgeon couldn't reach my belly and had to climb up on a stool to perform your birth. She had a bit of a rough time wrenching you out of there - and to our surprise, at 39 weeks gestation she pulled you out....at a whopping 9 pounds, 21 inches. A BOY! Your daddy was so excited to have a boy that he broke down in tears! And, I cried too..but that’s normal for me… With great relief we also determined you were healthy and thought the drama was over.

Sigh. Then, you showed signs of rapid breathing (techypnia) and we were given more anxiety attacks. You spent a little time in our room as we'd anticipated, but then they moved you to the NICU for some additional monitoring. After a short visit, and a temper tantrum by your father (all the professionals made the rapid breathing sound like it was nothing so he insisted there was no need for such intensive monitoring. He was right, but they kept you in the NICU just in case) you were moved back with us. Your rapid breathing was described to be result of the C-section, as typically fluid in your lungs would be squeezed out as you traveled through the birth canal. Since the breathing issue didn't resolve, you were soon moved back to the NICU for the remainder of your hospital stay. We trooped up there to feed you and be with you, and to cry over you (well, I did anyway) and watched you being fed breastmilk through a tube in your nose. Monitors chirped at the speeding and slowing of your breaths and we were all anxious waiting for you to get well. Finally - the fluid in your lungs began to alleviate and your breathing normalized. At that time, your circumcision was performed while your daddy fed you gobs of sugar water to keep you calm. I think he had a rougher time with that procedure than you did!!

We couldn't have been more relieved the day we were all discharged from the hospital and we impatiently awaited for them to escort us to the car. Finally, we were free of the NICU, the hospital, and ready to go home and start our lives together. Your big sister was quite worried about you while you were in the hospital, and was eager to begin finding her way in her new role. She was particularly enamored with you and begged, begged, begged to hold you (which still hasn’t changed a bit!) Your sleepy little self did so well those first nights at home...until night came. And, then we discovered that your belly was bloated with gas and that you had difficulty sleeping on your back. You were most comfortable sleeping on your tummy, lying on my chest - so daddy propped pillows and blankets around me to keep you from falling in my sleep. We slept this way for many nights. Well, you slept anyway.... It was perplexing. You’d be just fine snoozing the day away sitting in the papasan chair or the swing…but the minute we’d retire to the bedroom – all hell would break loose. Turns out, you took issue with laying on your back.

You were an eating champ and we were surprised at our first doctors appointment that they were concerned about your weight. They asked us to come back in a few days for another weigh-in, which we anxiously awaited to pass. Turns out there must have been a slight difference in the scales and you were gaining weight just fine! It was just another false alarm.

But, you did have just a few real "conditions" including: The gas. Oh the gas. Your little tummy was rock hard and you'd squirm and squirt out adult sized farts. You vomited & spewed, and puked and vomited some more. Sometimes, it would even shoot out your nose - it came out so violently. Then there was the Eczema on your cheeks, a Clogged Tear Duct, and the healing circumcision. You seemed a mess!!! You had such trouble sleeping on your back that we began sleeping you in a carseat nestled in between us on the bed so we could be near you and insure you were safe. The doctor finally suggested you might have Acid Reflux issues and prescribed a medication at your 2 month well-child visit. Your cranky self almost seemed instantly better with the first dose.

As the days passed - your conditions did too. I'm happy to say as I write this on June 5, 2008 - your clogged tear duct and gooey green eye is gone. I stopped washing your face and the eczema seems to have disappeared to. Your circumcision is just the way it should be. And, I've discontinued your Acid Reflux medication without any complications. You can still be a cranky pants every once in awhile, but hey, that's the life of a baby!

Here's some other stuff you've done:
Your first smile was on 4/3/08
You took your first nap in the cradle on 4/3 too (albeit in a car seat!)
You began sleeping on your back FINALLY on May 27, 2008, and also began gracing us with some 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. stretches of uninterrupted sleep.
During the month of May you also began talking and giggling. You've got the most beautiful smile. It brightens all of our day!
Then, in June, you decided you needed to eat every 2 hours again at night, and you started making us crazy again. Finally, in August, we were able to get you to sleep longer night stretches again (you learned how to roll over onto your back) and on August 23, you actually slept through the night without being fed. Goodness. You were just 4 days shy of being six months old! You better remember – you’ll owe your Mama big on that for awhile.
You got your fist tooth, bottom/front/left on August 9. You got your second, bottom/front/right on August 11. We started putting that tooth to work on some solid foods the week before your six month birthday. Squash. Peas. Yummy!!

Your sister is so proud of you and is immensely protective. I remember one day I was speaking out loud and was teasing you about being a difficult baby. Kenzie said “But Mama…. He’s SO CUTE!” As if that solves everything! She continues to be completely enamored with you and it’s hard to believe you two will ever be anything but fast friends. We’ll see. We’ve got many more years together, huh??

We’re happy you’re here little big man with the enormous monkey toes, bald head, long eyelashes and green-blue-gray eyes. You keep us at your beck & call and we’re eager to see what you become.

Love, Mama

P.S. Someday, ask your daddy what he used to call you when you were a wailing, pukey, challenging little critter. He owes you an apology, I think. And, he owes me a haircut, too!