My Little Memphis

So... this happened:

Baby Number 3 makes *HIS* arrival!

Actually it happened 8 weeks ago.  8 whole weeks have passed in a blur.
Memphis Lee arrived on the 13th of November 2013.  4 weeks early, I was induced the night before and laboured for 19 hours (so not cool - the other two were 3 and 5 hours!) before he arrived and was whisked away to the Special Care Nursery.  I was induced due to intrauterine growth retardation - he was too small for his gestational age (measuring 4 weeks behind where he was meant to - so the size of an approximate 32 weeker).  1.9kg (4lb 6oz) our brand new boy was the tiniest of my three children.  No clothes to fit him, not even ready for his arrival, but here he was.  Very small.  Very perfect.4

Memphis <3

I spent 3 days in the hospital before being discharged, with no baby in my arms.  Being early AND small meant Memphis had his own obstacles to pass.  He needed to learn to suck feed (be it breast or bottle) and he needed to weigh 2.2kg for discharge.  We were told to expect him to be in hospital until his due date (he would have been 4 weeks old) or even beyond that.
Memphis (thankfully) had other ideas.  After progressing from feeds via an NG tube, to slowly building up breast feeds, I spent 3 nights rooming in with him until he was discharged on his 15th day.  2 weeks of back and forwarding to the hospital, juggling Alexis and Zavian, Ty working and life in general - it was nice when we got to come home.  He was discharged on an early discharge program weighing 2kg, and being monitored for complete discharge once he hit 2.2kg at 3 weeks old.  

19 days old

His health was a concern to us, but he is doing beautifully.  He has a hole in his heart which will be monitored at Mater Children's Hospital but (at this stage) is causing him no bother and his specialist little concern.  He is hopeful and positive that over time the hole will close over and we will avoid any further treatment (ie surgery).  He has very small kidneys (even for his size) and bilateral renal pelvis dilation, again monitored by his paediatrician and regular ultrasounds.  He suffered jaundice for 5 weeks (my only jaundice baby!) and had 2 stints under the bili-lights in hospital and a lot of time soaking up the UV rays through the window at home... once he hit 5 weeks his colour became a lot more normal.  There was a stage there in hospital that he was very, very yellow!  His latest development is that he has a hernia on his belly button which doesn't bother him too much aside from a bit of rubbing from his nappy.  

Entering the silly season his first weeks home has been, quite simply, chaotic.  Many visitors, many appointments, far too many Christmas shopping trips.  He has settled in to our home and family so beautifully.  Considering all the goings on, he is settled and happy.  He sleeps well, and feeds beautifully.  We have developed a great breastfeeding relationship and he is certainly a lover of the feed.  He's porking up quite beautifully at 7w2d he weighed in at 3kg.  It will be intersesting to see what his weight is on Monday (13th... 2 months old) and whether he cracks 3.4kg (Zavian's birth weight!)  Looking at him now he seems so big, so hard to believe I'd had Zavian that size as a newborn!!

We're incredibly blessed with 3 beautiful children.  Alexis and Zavian enjoy their new brother.  Zavian is glad he has a little buddy, and is very much a doting (though boofy) big brother.  Alexis is a complete mother hen who wants to hold him, carry him and constantly love on him.  They both talk, sing and carry on with him.  Zavian enjoys being a 'big helper' and runs to get wipes and nappies or take things to the bins.  He enjoys picking out clothes for Memphis and he talks to him on the change table as I dress him.  Lexi is always the first by his side if he cries or is unsettled.  He's not much of a crier... he had his first REAL cry 2 days before Christmas, just shy of 6 weeks old.  We got lucky.

The 3 Musketeers!

8 weeks old <3