Postpartum visit

Since things got pretty crazy during and after Tanner's birth, I never got a pic of my wonderful doctor with my new baby boy. Luckily, he was happy to oblige at the appt. this past Wednesday. Ironically, my postpartum visit was ON Tanner's due date. After a pretty thorough evaluation, both physically and via Q&A, I was released to resume normal activities. I have lost 20 lbs and have 12 to go to get to pre-pregnancy weight, but would like to lose an additional 5-10. I still have some pain around the episiotomy stitch, but that's normal, he said. He did the typical pap and will determine, upon results, if I must continue with paps every 3 months, as I have for the last two years due to the precancerous cell findings. Which by the way, I don't think I ever pointed this out on my blog, but I feel that is related to why I delivered so early. Beginning in 2004, precancerous cells were found on my cervix. They were biopsied and removed on two different occasions by LEEP procedures. The LEEPs literally remove a layer of cells by burning them off. I honestly feel that my cervix was compromised just enough to weaken it. This caused my water to break with the right amount of pressure and weight at the wrong angle. We will never know, and my doctor won't verify this for sure, but I feel it in my heart. The on-call doctor brought this to my attention while observing me in Labor and Delivery and it really makes sense to me. I combine this information with the fact that a pretzel-shaped knot was observed in the umbilical cord upon delivery. It was VERY loose, but had Tanner remained in the womb and continued to grow, that knot would have tightened. From what I understand, ultimately, that could have been a VERY serious problem if not during delivery, then simply by oxygen or nutrition deprivation. God definitely had a plan with Tanner's early arrival!

Things have been exactly what you would expect around here. I get about 2-3 hours sleep between night-time feedings and there is always one feeding where he refuses to go right back to sleep when finished. So, that turns out to be a 2 hour ordeal in the middle of the night. (notice the time stamp on this post) I just turn on the TV or catch up on my email or blog reading.

I've started getting Tanner out and about more. The only difference with me and most new moms is that I don't have a car seat to carry him around in. Since he failed that little test, I carry him in a sling rider. He typically goes right to sleep since he is all curled up and in fetal position right next to my body. That works and I am hands-free! I do get a lot of, "Oh my gosh, is there a baby in there?" Or, "Wow, he's so small!" That one is always a trip for me because I see him every day and he seems HUGE to me relative to where he was while in the NICU.
I guess I'll head back to bed, but wanted to include a seriously cute pic, at least in my book. I apologize, in advance, for yet another hairy-chest-Tobin-pic, but that is just how it's gonna be as long as it's summer in Missouri! Daddy had dressed Tanner and rolled up his sleeves, which I thought was funny. He was watching TV in his normal "guy" position and had Tanner propped up next to him. He called to me to come check out Tanner, so I grabbed my camera and ran in there. Even down to the arm and leg positions, like father, like son!!