Getting Settled In...

So now Mommy and Isaiah are at home, and have rejoined the world of Daddy and Makenna. Even though we visited them every day, it still seemed like an eternity before we were able to bring them home. To be honest, bringing Isaiah home was like deja vu. It was almost the same time of year when we brought Makenna home, Enz was laid up in the hospital for five days, and the weather was beautiful. It was pretty much the same exact setting for both kids. Life works in very strange ways.
Of course Isaiah's trip home was the same short ride Makenna went through only months earlier. He got to ride in Makenna's carrier, since she "graduated" into her bigger car seat (still facing rearward for another few weeks, of course). When we brought him home, it was all about getting re-acquainted with the house for Enza. Everything was pretty much the way she left it five days earlier, especially since Kenna & I were really only there to sleep. We showed Isaiah around his new home, and introduced him to Marino. The dog didn't pay him any mind, really. I guess he figured that he's just going to get bumped down another rung of the priority ladder. It's true though that the dog always gets the short end of the stick, but either way, we love ALL our kids just the same!

Another parallel we encountered with both kids happened while Enz & Isaiah were still at the hospital. The doctor discussed with Enza that Isaiah's bilirubin level was elevated resulting in his jaundice. He had lost 10% of his birth weight, bringing him down to an even 7 pounds. We went through the same thing with Makenna, go figure! Isaiah, on the other hand, didn't need to stay at the hospital for an extra day like Kenna did. We were able to bring him home on Saturday as planned. The doctor requested that we bring him to the clinic on Sunday, just to follow up on his jaundice. At that appointment, they tested his blood again, and found that the bilirubin level increased. She recommended that we start phototherapy for Isaiah, much like we had done with Kenna. It sucks to see our kids, or any kid for that matter, have to be stuck under those lights for hours at a time. Although the light isn't harmful to them, I can't help but think that this is what hamburgers feel like under those heat lamps! Brutal to say, I know, but it's just a thought.

We did the phototherapy at home on Sunday, and had yet another appointment with the doctor yesterday. Miraculously, Isaiah's bilirubin level decreased by a little more than a point, which was great news. Even better news was the fact that Isaiah was back to his original birth weight, so we know that everything's working properly. We're continuing the therapy as well as the appointments this week, so hopefully we've seen the peak of the jaundice. It took Kenna a little while before hers went away, so we're remaining positive through this whole experience. Again, it's like deja vu! We're still not out of the woods yet, so I'll keep everyone posted with Isaiah's condition as the days progress.