I remember I wrote Max's birth story while he slept in my chest. Well here he is sleeping on my chest again this time after his palate repair! Definitely harder now. He's just a few pounds heavier haha.
We checked in to the hospital at 6:45 am. He was super happy and just figuring out where he was. Explored with dad and just so good! Especially since he hadn't eaten since his bottle I gave him at 1:15am. He wasn't allowed any formula passed 1:30 and only clear fluids until 5:30. The nurse assessed him around 7:20 and we met with his surgical team around 8:00. The anesthesiologist checked him again because he did have a bit of a cold but he passed and all was good to go.
It was pretty hard to hand him over to the nurses and them take him away. It was definitely a moment I've been dreading. Though my nerves were on edge and I teared up some I felt at peace. This was a good choice and the Lord was watching over him and his awesome surgical team.
Dan and I sat in the waiting room to wait. Roughly 3-4 hours was what they said initially. After 30 mins dr Yunker came out. He replaced the tubes in Max's ears. His right one had already fallen out (probably after his ear infection in November.) Ear tubes went as smooth as could be and dr Fraulin had started in his palate repair.
So we sat and waited some more. I had bought some new books and luckily they did a good job of distracting me. The time passed and before I knew it they said one of Max's parents could go back to him. I jumped up of course and Daniel just shooed me off. They led me to my drugged up little baby who snuggled right up in with me and his blanket. Still pretty oblivious to the world.
We got to cuddle there for just about 3 hours. Not Typical but they were waiting for a bed to open up to send him too. THey were a little limited as to where they could send him because of his couch/runny nose and the fact his brother was sick. Makes sense.
I feel bad for Dan because he had to wait until we were in our room before he saw Max. But as soon as daddy came walking in Max was happy and wanted daddy! Which was good because I got a much needed bathroom break.
There were so many tubes attached to this kid he didn't know where to start in attacking them. He had oxygen because his stats has been a little low in recovery (88-90) which was a result of some of the meds from surgery. He had his O2 pulse monitor on one foot and his other foot is his iv/painmed/antibiotic line. It was pretty crazy trying to hold him and not lose wires and set things off and such.
With each hour that passed he got a little more coherent and more like our Max. Curious and trying to get into everything! Everyone was very happy with that.
He slept a lot but he had to be on someone to sleep. He wasn't a fan of sleeping by himself in his bed. So Dan and I took turns. So in that sense it was a rough night but everyone managed to get a couple hours here and there. During the night he managed to take off his oxygen and his O2 states stayed perfect so I didn't bother trying to get it back on. Haha
Waking up Tuesday he was a little upset but calmed and decided he wanted to play. His awesome nurses brought him a mat so he could sit on the floor and play with toys! (Shout out to all the awesome nurses at this hospital! And to any of my nurse friends! You guys are amazing!!!)
We even got to take him to the activity room they have. He loved it but it was kinda a pain being attached to a pole and having to follow him around it even frustrated him a bit. All he wanted to do was walk and crawl freely but it wasn't happening to his liking.
They started decreasing his morphine and IV fluids as well. By 2:00pm Tuesday he was off morphine and just on Tylenol with an order of oral morphine ready and waiting if he needed it.
We went on a few walks as well just to get out of the hospital room. He crashed on one of them and slept for a while in the stroller.
As bedtime rolled around he was getting fussy and ornery but would settle and be distracted so we didn't think it was pain. More just tired and hungry. He was still on a fluid diet and he was getting pretty sick of it. He was at the point he wouldn't even touch jello but the broth they sent up he snarffed.
As bedtime came we thought the pain was getting bad because he was just yelling at us. He got his Tylenol and we put a show on for him and he just cuddled into Daniel and crashed. He slept from 10-4:30. 2 122 hours over his Tylenol dosage time. That was good news because I knew he wasn't in pain. He wouldn't have slept so well if he was in pain!
Took some Tylenol at 4:30 and then cuddled with me and crashes until 7:00. I felt so well rested it was kinda ridiculous. But it helped waking up to a happy cooing baby as well!
Breakfast they just gave him jello and juice again and he refused to touch it. I knew he was hungry though. I could hear his belly grumbling. So I brought out one of those squeeze pouches I had brought and he ate like there was no tomorrow! That made him happy! That and they unhooked him completely from his IV! As soon as that happened he started crawling everywhere! He even opened the door and started out down the hallway! Freedom! The nurses were all laughing and enjoying how happy he was!
We took him down to the activity room where he just played and played and played! The freedom! When he started getting grumpy we took him back to the room where he crashed for a nap which gave Daniel time to have a nap and me time to read a book!
We were just waiting on his plastic surgeon to come and discharge us! Luckily he showed up just before lunch and said we would good to go home! He was quite pleased with how Max was doing! Was even impressed with Max wanting to get back to eating real food again.
We loaded up and said goodbye to our nurses. (The same ones we had Monday-Wednesday the day nurses) and we ran outta there!
Max slept the whole way home! He was so happy to be home and was so happy to see his brother! Oh the joy!
We got him to bed by 8:30 where he slept till 12:30 and then till 7:30.
And ever since then he's been back on his schedule! We changed it up a bit because we got rid of his bottles but he as adjusted so well! It makes nighttime routine just a little easier as well!
He's such a champ! You would never know this kid has surgery in his mouth. He's so happy and himself. The only giveaway are he arm braces he's in to prevent him from putting stuff in his mouth. He's in those and on a soft food/pureed diet for 3 weeks. It's definitely not slowing him down!
I was mentally prepared for the worst but praying for the best. Heavenly Father has definitely answered my prayers! I am so grateful to be born at this time with all the medical technology available and the wonderful doctors we have been blessed with while going through this journey with Max!
Apart of me misses his little cleft already! A bittersweet moment when I was feeding him and he sneezed and nothing came out his nose. I felt just a little sad. Haha as I said bittersweet! He's one tough little dude and I couldn't be more grateful he came to us!
