We had to stay in our labor & delivery room again that night since I was still on the magnesium drip and on the catheter. Carter was not allowed to stay in our room when the lights were down because he was having irregular breathing patterns and they wanted us to be able to see him at all times to keep a watch on his coloring to be sure he wasn't turning blue (talk about scaring a first time mom...We were constantly questioning ourselves about if he was the right color!). So he had to sleep in the nursery. We probably needed that good night of rest though. Of course, my sleep was interrupted several times for blood draws and blood pressure checks and emptying of the urine, plus baby feedings.
Very early the next morning, Sunday 10/28, I was finally able to come off the magnesium and the catheter and get out of the bed for the first time. Surprisingly enough, I was feeling pretty good and so ready to get settled in a normal room and get a shower. My nurse helped me get ready and I surprised Brent when I woke him up sitting in the wheelchair and ready to go!
We got settled into our new room and Brent & I got showers. That made all the difference! I felt much more comfortable afterwards. That day, we were able to keep Carter in the room except for when he needed to be checked by the doctor or something. Lots of friends and family stopped in to see him. We took lots of video, so I don't have many pictures, but here is one of Brent learning to change his first diaper. He was also taught the swaddle before we went home.
We expected to be going home on Monday, so we sent Carter back to sleep in the nursery that night so we could get a last good night of rest in before we were on our own with him. Late that night, Carter's nurse told us it looked like he may have a touch of jaundice. That was not what we wanted to hear, as we were sooo incredibly tired of being in the hospital at this point. But thankfully, as soon as the doctor came in that Monday morning (10/29), he was put under the lamps. That meant another day of us only seeing him to feed him and sending him back to be under the lamps immediately afterwards. They told us that his jaundice levels were not very high, and that as long as they were lower later that afternoon that we could still go home. He was also circumcised that day, so it was just a rough day for little man! :( Since it was a work day, we didn't have many visitors that day and were able to rest and soak in being new parents.
Carter was retested for jaundice around 3pm, and we didn't get the results until about 4 or 4:30, so it was up in the air all day what we would be doing. I optimistically went ahead and packed the bag up and we waited. Thankfully, his jaundice levels were back down a bit, and we were able to be released around 5:30 pm. We got Carter in his going home outfit and headed out as a family of 3!
The ride home was interesting, as they let us out right in the middle of everyone getting off work and heading home. I just wanted to get a big billboard & put it over our car that said "BRAND NEW BABY, SLOOOOOW DOWN!", but of course the world doesn't stop for everyone else the way it does for new parents!
We arrived home to a surprise from my parents and sisters. They had an "it's a boy" flag in our yard with a balloon and some cute "I ♥ Carter" pumpkins on the front porch. We loved it! Brent's sister made us the cute burlap door hanger and had surprised us with it at the hospital.
Brent took little man when we got home so I could take a shower and get ready for the long night ahead. It was so funny...he grabbed a beer, plopped down in the recliner, turned on some football, and cuddled Carter!
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