Wyatt's NICU Stay

Right after Wyatt was born on the morning of December 11th Payden went down to the NICU to watch him get weighed and settled.

The first time I actually got to hold Wyatt was on the 12th, the day after he was born. I was exhausted and really drugged but it was amazing!!

Payden went and checked on Wyatt everyday while I was in the hospital so there were many days I didn't get to see them together and many days that I didn't even get to see Wyatt but Payden did a great job checking on his improvement while I was trying to recover.

The NICU was amazing and even schedule a photo with Santa. Which made my picture loving, holiday loving heart.

On the 14th Payden went and visited Wyatt and took some pictures of him to share with me while I was waiting to go to my second surgery to remove blood clots.

This picture of Payden and Wyatt will always be one of my favorites.

In December 15th the NICU nurses brought Wyatt up to me me before my second surgery. Which showed that he was doing well enough. Which was a good thing to know going into another surgery.

While I was downstairs in the second surgery to remove the clots Payden went to the NICU to spend more time with Wyatt. And the pictures he got melted my heart. He looks like so much like his daddy.

While recovering in the 16th, the NICU nurses were amazing and brought Wyatt up to see me again. Honestly the time cuddling with him really helped me with my pain and recovery and was just what I needed. If was nice to be able to see my baby even though I was in so much pain and couldn't move from my bed.

On the 18th Wyatt turned one week old--during our visit that day we learned that he was breathing on his own and lost his umbilical cord the night before. Payden and I both went down to visit him but my pain level was over the top so it took a lot of energy.

Both Payden and I got the chance to go down and see him again on the 19th and got to cuddle with him. Which was just what this momma needed with her long recovery. Seeing Payden hold Wyatt makes me fall in love with him all over again.

The 21st was an eventful day for the two of us. I went back to the SICU due to shortness of breath, blood clot in my lungs and fluid in my lungs. While Wyatt moved from NICU to Soecial Care (a lower level of NICU--one step closer to coming home). Again the nurses were amazing and brought him up to see me.

Later that evening Payden took some family members down to see Wyatt and snapped a few more pictures of him.

On the 22nd the nurses brought Wyatt up to see me in the middle of the night because we were both awake but I didn't get any pictures of the cuddle session. But that afternoon Payden went down to see him and took some pictures. We found out that Wyatt was weighing 3.13 pounds, was sleeping in an open crib and keeping his temperature, and was taking almost all of his meals from the bottle!!

On the 23rd Payden snapped a few pictures of Wyatt apparently having a very dramatic dream.

Christmas Eve I was feeling well enough (except I look drugged up) to FINALLY get to do skin to skin with Wyatt which literally had me in tears because of how wonderful it felt.

Later that evening Payden and I both visited and actually got to do some parental activities: changing and feeding our son

Christmas morning Payden took me down to visit Wyatt before I got discharged from the hospital.

After getting discharged we went back to see Wyatt, and my parents came too.

On the 26th the Hamiltons took Payden and I up to see Wyatt and we got to take his Christmas pictures and got to change and feed him again. I was sore but it was nice to be in normal clothes. Payden was happy to be there although he doesn't look like it, he was talking to and playing with Wyatt while I was feeding and burping him. Payden also learned how to swaddle Wyatt while we were there. And Wyatt was holding his dad's finger the whole time I was burping him.

On the 28th we had an appointment scheduled with a physical therapist to learn different massage and stretch techniques to help Wyatt with development and to help him destroys. We also got to feed and change him as well.

On the 29th we got to the hospital too late to feed him but we did get to do his stretches and changed his outfit. The outfit may be a little too big on him but he looks so stinkin' cute!

Wyatt's personality is really starting to show and he was making a bunch of faces while I was holding him.

At one point Wyatt decided that laying with his head in my elbow was the most comfortable.

Then he decided that sleeping on me like this was more comfortable.

Wyatt didn't want to wake up during over visit today. Wyatt officially has gained over a pound from his birth weight. He now weighs 4lb 6.5oz. Dad likes watching all the faces Wyatt makes while he is sleeping.

Our New Year's Eve visit went really well. Wyatt gained more weight (now weighing 4lb 7.6oz) and he was making faces while we both got to cuddle him and feed him.

Wyatt is 3 weeks old on this first day of 2016. The nurses and doctors all can't stop telling us how good he is doing so hopefully he can come home soon. Wyatt was awake and making faces today and would look over at his Daddy while mom was holding him and then would look over at mom when dad was holding him. Very cute.

We had an early morning visit with Wyatt on the 2nd. He refuses to keep his head up while I was holding him; he kept stretching out. And then when Dad was holding him he kept putting his hands in his face. And I think we found his favorite way to sleep-arms straight above his head.

January 3rd: Our little old man is growing so much that some of his premie outfits aren't fitting! He weighed 4lb 14.5oz today and has been quite the eater according to his nurses (he takes after his Daddy on that account).

We had a short visit on the fourth due to me being in a lot of pain from my doctor appointment before our visit. Wyatt slept through the whole thing. And seeing Payden as a proud daddy had me swooning every time. So many feels.

January 6th: Wyatt weighs 5.25 pounds today and has been moved to family care which means mom is staying the night with him at the hospital tonight and he gets to come home with us TOMORROW!