Little glow worm Benson

Having a baby has definitely been the most amazing experience in my life. It is so incredible. Benson is such a sweetie. He's very good and rarely ever cries. In fact, he never even lets us know when he's hungry. We went to the pediatrition for the first time on Tuesday and he weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. He weighed 6 lbs.6 oz. at birth. The pediatrition said it was normal for babies to lose weight their first week, especially breast fed babies, but he wanted to see us back on friday to check his progress. On Friday, his one week birthday, they weighed him and he still weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. He hadn't lost any weight since they last checked, but he hadn't gained any weight either. He was also a tiny bit yellow, so they checked him for jaundice.

Sure enough, his bilirubin levels were elevated to 18. I wasn't sure what that meant, so the doctor explained that when a baby is in the womb, it gets oxygen from the mama, but right before it comes out, it has a build up of red blood cells (which carry oxygen throughout the body) in order to prepare to breathe on its own. After the first few hours, the excess red blood cells begin to die and the baby's liver starts metabolizing them and sending them out in the stool. When a baby has jaundice, their liver can't metabolize the dead red blood cell product, called bilirubin and it is stored in the skin and the eyes, giving them their yellow color.

Premature baby's are at a disadvantage because their lungs and their liver are the two last things to develop. Benson's lungs worked like a champ, but his liver was having a little difficulty handling the increase in red blood cell digestion. This was causing him to be very sleepy all of the time. He couldn't even wake up to eat. Come to find out, his liver was using up all of his energy to rid his little body of the bilirubin.

Because he wasn't gaining any weight, the doctor decided to treat his jaundice with a "bili blanket." It's a machine that has a high powered light going through a fiber optic cord with a pad that straps to his bare back. This light breaks down the excess bilirubin in his skin and helps his liver not have to work so hard, so he has energy to do things like EAT! And coo at mama. In the olden days, people would put jaundice babies in front of a sunny window to accomplish the same purpose, but the bili blanket can be used 24 hours a day and therefore, get rid of the jaundice faster which means more energy quicker. What a blessing that Benson was born in 2007 instead of 1907!

The babies usually have to wear the blanket for 3, 5, or 7 days. We have a doctors appointment later today, his third day, so we're hoping those levels are low and we'll be able to get rid of the "wallaby 3." That's what the machine is called, a wallaby... and it is so appropriate, because he looks like a little wallaby with his little tail hanging out of his outfit.

He also looks much like a glow worm. Regardless, he's still stinkin adorable. We went to the doctor yesterday and on the way home ran some errands, so we parked the car where the sun would shine through the window and one of us sat in the car while the other ran in to do the errand.

We're glad to know what is wrong with his little body and glad to have the remedy. Praise the Lord!

Benson Ryan

Born June 8, 2007

at 4:23 pm

6 lbs. 5.8 oz.

18 3/4 inches long

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Updates from the bed...

We went to the doctor yesterday and he said I am still holding steady at 4cm. Which is great news! (real quick: it would really surprise you to know how many people are confused about what exactly is 4 cm wide-- if you are one of these people, who isn't quite sure what dialates during labor (the cervix)... please google it or click here for an anatomically correct drawing of the female reproductive system that will make you feel MUCH better about the whole situation)

Our doctor said that he is just amazed that we have made it this far and that the only explanation is that the Lord is in control and his timing is perfect and it hasn't been his time yet! So we are grateful! We got to hear his heartbeat and it was very strong and the doctor said he thinks he's a little over 5 pounds at this point! He said that we're going to keep doing what we're doing... which is laying in bed and waiting and seeing... and that if we make it two more weeks, he'll likely go ahead and get the little one out at 36-1/2 weeks since there will be no real danger to him and most major things are finished developing at that point. So if the little booger doesn't decide to come before then, it looks like we'll be having us a baby sometime around June 23. That's only two and a half weeks away! WOW! It's hard to believe. I think it'll be strange not to feel him moving around in my belly any more. He's funny- he gets the hiccups at LEAST three times a day.. which I've read is a sign of a healthy central nervous system (that's my boy!) I can't wait to see what he looks like. I hope he looks like his daddy. Although, on the ultrasounds, he appears to have a big head like his mama. Poor thing. There's one thing for sure, he's going to have nappy hair. Between Benjamin's curls and mine, he doesn't have a chance! Although neither of us had any hair at all until we were two.. so maybe he'll be safe for a little while anyway. I do think Peaches is going to have a tough time with the new arrival. Christa brought my new little nephew Will by and Peaches growled when she handed him to me. Yikes! You gotta get used to it, Peachy-poo, you've got a little brother moving in soon!


Well, It's been three weeks and one day since I was told I could no longer get out of the bed. Quite interesting indeed, the whole bedrest thing. Most people who lay around all day watching tv and playing on the computer are considered lazy, yet I am not allowed to do anything BUT that! Many people have asked me if I've gotten bored or stir crazy, and while I would say that it HAS happened, there are many reasons to celebrate this time; the first being that each day that little Benson gets to stay in my tummy is such a blessing. It puts him so far ahead of where he would be if he were born just a day earlier! I read that their toenails don't even completely finish forming until 31 weeks, so imagine what else he'd be missing out on if he'd have decided to make his grand entrance into the world on May 14th at 30 weeks and 6 days, when he originally tried! Each day is a gift. Plus, I am trying to see this time as a nice little time of rest and relaxation that will likely NEVER happen again in my whole entire life. I bet in a few months I would be estatic to be told to stay in the bed! :) Also, I have gotten a lot of organization done on my computer. This is something that I have put off for a very long time because I didn't have "time." Well, that excuse doesn't really apply right now... SO... I am finally printing some of the 3000 (literally) pictures I have catalogued on my computer. BUT, I am doing it in a great and smart way that I think all should know about and explore. Snapfish.com has these things called memory books that you can fill with pictures and they will bind it with a hard cover and print the pictures directly on the pages, kinda like a magazine, and then send it to you in the mail... so you don't end up with boxes of pictures that you're (one day) going to put into an album! Ingenius. Wish I'd have thought of it. Also, I have discovered that facebook is pretty addictive and informative. It's nice to be able to catch up with people from kindergarten.

Overall, this hiatus from life has not been too bad at all... it's been quite a blessing. The Lord has been and continues to be so good to us. We are certainly unworthy but abundantly thankful!