"Just Jack" is One Week Old

*The nickname "Just Jack" comes from Max. We would jokingly call Jack other names when I was still pregnant and Max would go, "NOOOOOO, just Jack!" It also works because with both Max and Jack, everyone is constantly asking if they are short for something and I say "No, just Max" or "No, just Jack."

Jack is one week old today! I'm under no illusions that I'll be able to keep up with the same amount of blog documentation that I did for Max, but I figure I'll at least start out the same while I have a baby that sleeps a lot during the day and a toddler at school. Plus, Jack has had an eventful first week of life!

Just after birth, the nurse called in the doctors because Jack's cry wasn't very impressive and he was "floppy." They hooked him up to some oxygen, and tried removing it 15 minutes later but he was still making a grunting noise so off to the NICU he was sent. I had to stay in my delivery room for a bit, but my amazing nurse (Rachel) brought me down to see him on the way to my postpartum room. I was super overwhelmed from my long and exhausting labor, the NICU was SOOO hot, and I was just not even sure what was actually going on with him. I remember knowing he would be okay, but being confused and overwhelmed about what was actually happening.

On his first night, he had visits from grandparents and aunts and uncles but no one could hold him yet. Luckily the next morning (after 15 hours) he was off the oxygen and I could go downstairs and try to feed him. At this point his breathing was okay, but they were watching his sugar and supplementing him with donor breast milk. 

Later on his second day of life, Jack was able to come up to our room and we were together, optimistic that the challenges were behind us. Sadly, the next morning we received the news that his jaundice levels were borderline so we had to stay in the hospital one extra day so he could go under the lights. I have to admit I was more annoyed about this than concerned because we wanted to be home on Thanksgiving. Plus, Max also had borderline jaundice levels and never needed the lights so... I was ready to be home! 

That night Eric went home to be with Max, so I focused on force feeding Jack so that he would poop out that bilirubin which worked and he was allowed to finally come home on Friday afternoon! 

Since being home, Jack has been hanging out with his big brother Max, mom and dad, grandparents and aunts and uncles. 

Jack at One Week

Looks Like: 

Likes: being warm and cuddled up, sleeping during the day, eating

Dislikes: being cold, getting his hands in the way of eating, safe sleeping surfaces (he doesn't like being all the way on his back and without blankets), hiccups, the goggles he had to wear under the lights

Feeding: every 2-3 hours

Sleeping: a lot but slightly more during the day :) at night he usually has a period of time where he is up a lot and then one longer stretch, no real rhyme or reason to it yet

Big Brother Max Update: 

Max is doing pretty well so far. There are definitely small ways we notice his transition. For example, after the long separation of being at the hospital, Max seems a little more concerned about me leaving the room than usual. For example, he doesn't want me to nap while he is awake and if I do, he wants to come nap with me. On Saturday, he actually stayed silently in bed with me for almost 45 minutes. It was impressive. 

As for his opinion about Jack, I'd say he is more interested in him now than he ever was in talking about him before he came. He asks where he is in the morning and comments when he hears Jack cry usually speculating what Jack wants, "maybe Jack wants..." Some of his good quotes so far have been: 

Caroline: Jack wants to play with you

Max: Okay, let's play chase!

Me: Well Jack can't walk yet

Max: I want Jack to walk! 

Nana: Let me just give Jack to Dada

Max: Okay, Dada, catch him! 

It's definitely exhausting trying to keep Max on his normal schedule and give him as much attention as possible but I think the effort is worth it so far! I'm sure it will get harder when Jack is awake more during the day and when Eric is back at work. 

Next up on the blog will be Jack's Birth Story! It can be summarized as: completely different than Max's Birth Story, ha ha!