I mean to have begun this blog for our extended family and out of city and state friends as soon as Baby Alexcia arrived, but well, suffice it to say that she had other plans...
As most of you know by now, Alexcia surprised us very much with her early arrival, six weeks to be exact! She began to make her way into this world at 8:05am just one full day after her baby shower (I think she figured her presents were waiting for her and she wanted to see them). After about 9 and a half hours of non-medicated labor and only about half an hour on the epidural, Alexcia was delivered via emergency c-Section. We were fortunate enough to not have to worry about her having to be hooked up to a ventilator as she was born breathing on her own straight out of the womb and her lungs were perfectly developed, (her screams in protest upon arrival were proof of that!). The doctors estimated she would be in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for at least four months if not the full six weeks until her actual due date. However, Alexcia proved to once again be on her own schedule. She was immediately hooked up to a feeding tube to help her eat, however, just two days after birth during what was supposed to be a Kangaroo session (skin to skin contact that is specially beneficial to preemie babies), Alexcia squirmed her way down to mommy's breast and began to suckle away trying to feed! Within less than two weeks her feeding tube was removed as she was exclusively breast and bottle feeding, she gained all of her birth weight back within the first week (normally that takes two weeks at least) and was gaining weight regularly by the second week. All of this effort on her behalf led to her discharge on August 24th at 7:00pm after only 18 days of NICU stay. To say that we were overjoyed would be an understatement.
Now here we are a full 2 months and 5 days after her birth and even though it's only been a little over a month since she's been home, those days of traveling to and from the hospital are distant memory. Now we are enjoying the wide spectrum of emotions and experiences that Alexcia instills in us; from sleepless nights, to the beautiful wide smiles, to the tender gazing sessions, to falling asleep with her on one of our chests after hours of trying to get her to settle, to playful tummy time, to the infamous blowout diapers (which she is exceptionally good at), to cooing conversations, and so much more. Everyday I am reminded that whatever I thought I knew about Love before Alexcia was pure grasping...I hadn't the slightest clue as to what I was talking about. It's only been two months but I can't even remember what my life was before her or give it any meaning... I think Alex and I can both agree that she is the best thing that has happened to us and our greatest accomplishment.
It is so surreal to suddenly find that you have this innate strength in you and resilience stemming from such a very special and particular kind of Love... On Monday, I had to take Alexcia in to the Ped's office for her two month check-up and shots. I had already taken her for her second Hep B shot two weeks prior and barely survived that, however, it was no preparation for what was to come. The doctor and medical assistant reminded me throughout the visit and check up that she would be receiving her shots that day. And even though both shots (5 vaccinations total given in two shots) were administered within a matter of seconds and Alexcia really only cried as soon as she felt the pain; it was unbearable for me nonetheless. The way she screamed in pain and her little hand clung to my finger absolutely stripped my strength; with a knot in my throat I promised her that it would be alright and did my best to soothe her (although it turned out afterward, once she fell back asleep within minutes of receiving the shots, that the soothing and promises was really more for me).
Though there are days when I haven't showered or brushed my teeth, when Alex finds me in the exact same clothes and position that I was in when he left earlier that morning, when there's laundry in the washer that was never transferred to the dryer, or dishes in the sink that never made it to the dishwasher, when poor Meli has only been let out to pee in the front yard in five minute increments, when I haven't gotten more than three bites of food in for the day, when every breast feeding session has been a trying one.... Even on those days she does something that constantly reminds me that it's all worth it; that she's worth it. Because for every frustration that we go through during this adjustment period in which we are trying to find our rhythm, there is a coo, a smile, an expression, a milestone that far surpasses even the finest of diamonds or rarest of gems in value :)
And so we look forward to this new journey and sharing it with our family and friends.
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