A long update

Long story short, I went back in the hospital last week. I got discharged Sunday, Ella got discharged Tuesday, Thursday afternoon Ben and I went to my work to drop off my FMLA paperwork and I started having some scary symptoms. I had the worst headache of my life, one of the big symptoms I was supposed to be looking for, and shortness of breath, not as severe but reminiscent of when I got sick post partum after last pregnancy and had fluid in my lungs. I had been GAINING swelling since my discharge rather than losing it, and finally I called my doctor and asked for a stronger diuretic which didn't help at all.

So... scary symptoms, I called the doctor again and they directed me to labor and delivery. I was hoping they would listen to my lungs and say there was no fluid, and it was just an issue with my asthma or something but that's not what happened. I had a chest x-ray, and an EKG just to double check that everything was OK with my heart and the x-ray didn't show a ton of fluid in my lung (and the EKG showed everything was normal). My heart was a little enlarged from the excess fluid so I was put on IV Lasix to shed the fluid. And I did. I lost about 15 pounds in 24 hours. That's crazy! Since being home I've lost another 11 pounds of swelling. So I only have a few more pregnancy pounds to go (yeah!). I felt better the morning I woke up in the hospital, it was so easy to breathe. And every day it gets easier, and I feel better.

Ben stayed home all last week with me, which was not his original plan but Thursday morning I told him I wasn't feeling well and I thought he should stay home, and once they determined I was going back in the hospital he took off Friday.

My Mom came in Thursday night and she and Ben took both girls to the doctor for their appointments (2 year apt for Betsy, 2 day discharge for Ella). Then they all came to pick me up from Labor and Delivery! We spent the whole weekend at home and my Mom, Ben and I split the night duty for Ella. Betsy really got to know her little 'ister.

I think I underestimated a bit on how much of an adjustment going from one child to two would be. I thought bringing Betsy home was really easy once I was not longer sick, and she is such a well behaved kiddo and understands that Ella is her baby 'ister, so I just thought this would be about the same level of adjustment. One one hand, this IS only my first week out of the hospital and every day I 1. lose swelling, making it easier to get around and 2. I feel better every day. At times I feel 100% better, but when my ibuprofen wears off I remember I had a baby 12 days ago! As the bruises from the blood pressure cuffs have faded away, the tape residue from my epidurals and IVs are finally gone, Ben is back to work, I can drive and Betsy is back at daycare. And the best part is Ella and I getting to know one another.

I feel like our bonding was a bit delayed because of the time we spent apart while she was in the hospital and then I was. This down time we have now is what I wanted. The 2 am feedings, figuring out how to get a burp from her, giving her baths when she's thrown up on me over and over (and finally getting a shower 8 hours later when Ben comes home).

Betsy comes home from school between 4:30 and 5 everyday and I've been feeding Ella right before she gets home so we can have Bets/Mommy time for a while. It works nicely, Betsy gets a bath right away to wash away some of the germs, then she eats dinner, and we usually draw, and she LOVES to help with the baby. She is great at burping Ella, and she brings me diapers, and sings songs to the baby when she's fussing.

I haven't taken nearly enough pictures but here are a few from this weekend, and I promise to take some more soon!