On March 18, I had a doctors appointment. On my way in, I started noticing that something wasn't right. The doctor sent me over to the hospital to be checked out on the monitors and lo and behold I was having contractions. Normally that might have been exciting news....in this case, baby was 7 weeks early and we wanted him to cook a little longer before coming to join us! The doctors spent the next three days trying to stop the contraction to no avail and baby Joe joined the world on Saturday March 21.
That morning was crazy! Both Grandmas just happened to be there when the doctor decided it was time. Paul had only just arrived back to the hospital from going home to change clothes. I just kept thinking....no, it's not time! It's only March! We have until May to get everything done! Not so. We didn't even have time to call anyone before hand and let them know it was happening. Needless to say, everyone was as shocked as we were.
Joseph Paul Spanos (Joe)
March 21, 2009 11:46 am
4 lb 6.4 oz
17 3/4 in
This picture is of him just after he was born when they brought him to the NICU. Notice how the preemie diaper doesn't even fit him.
With his proud big sisters Alex and Maddie
With Grandma Lesley. Look how tiny he is!
With Mommy the night he was born. I was still so out of it I could barely hold him. Paul convinced the nurse in the NICU to bring him to see me since I'd only gotten to see him for a minute or so right after he was born.
With Do (spelling????) - Doesn't he look proud?
And he's in his isolette here (also known as an incubator). He still had his IV in here. That's what the white arm brace is.
Luckily, he came out screaming (and biting the doctor) and had healthy lungs despite his early arrival. Even so, he had to spend the next two and a half weeks in the NICU being monitored for his heart rate and breathing and learning how to eat. (He was first eating through a tube in his nose.) Before he was allowed to leave the NICE, they had Paul and I spend the night there taking care of him for 24 hours under their monitoring to ensure he was going to be eating sufficiently and not having any other issues. They also had to do a carseat challenge to make sure that he fit ok and didn't have any breathing problems in the seat before they'd let him leave. Fortunately we passed the parent test (whew!) and were allowed to bring our new baby boy home on April 8! This is a picture of his first carseat experience during the challenge. Can you tell how happy he was??
When he left the NICU, he was just about 5 pounds. Since he's been home, he's been eating like a champ (Mommy and Daddy have the bags under their eyes to prove it) and gaining weight like crazy! As of his two month doctors appointment on May 22, he was 7 lb 12.5 oz!!! He's finally the size of a newborn and it only took him two months to get there!
He LOVES his bathtime!!! This was at 8 weeks old.
Joe "sitting up" in the Boppy for the first time. Paul likes to say he looks like he was watching the Rockets game or something. He was 6 wks old here.
Joe and Grandpa Jim (staring contest)
Time sure flies. I'm headed back to work on June 15. Thankfully Mom (Grandma Lesley) will be here to take care of Joe for a few months until he can start day care. I'm so excited to have her coming here. I just wish I didn't have to go back to work yet. Where have all the weeks gone?
More to come from The Family Spanos! Take care all! --Nikki
