bethysmalls

Felix is doing great. He’s almost healed from all the procedures, has a few stitches to be absorbed still and the dermabond on his lip seam is still hanging on by a bit. Life is so much different now from a few weeks ago and before I forget how different I want to write it all down.
What feedings were like pre-surgery:
Step 1. Find pink bag containing supplies for appliance maintenance.
Step 2. Unhook rubber bands holding his appliance in his mouth, using special tweezers on loan from the orthodontist.
Step 3. Position Felix on his right side (he had to be on his right side so I had to do cross cradle for my left and football hold for my right) and help him latch on to eat. As we got closer to surgery, I was able to nurse him on his left side when we were out and about but I tried to avoid it because he would often drool or leak so much milk that the tape on his face would get wet and would fall off much sooner than they would otherwise. But more on that later.
Step 4. Burp (a step I used to skip with Bruno a lot but it became necessary for every feed with Felix since he sucked in a lot of air due to his imperfect seal)
Step 5. Switch sides.
Step 6. Burp again.
Step 7. Reinsert appliance and try very, very hard not to gag him.
Step 8. Re-hook rubber bands.

NOW!
He cries, I put him in place in whatever position is comfortable, and he latches on and feeds. Switch sides. Burp.

We even can nurse side-lying these days. A position that is so comfortable while recovering from a c-section and one I tried to master before his appliance. It became almost impossible with the tape on his mouth.

So. Appliance maintenance!
Every 2 or three days, the tape that both held the appliance in place and stretched his upper lip into position, needed to be replaced. This required some planning because, ideally, he would get his tape in place at least 20 minutes before a feeding so to allow everything to be good and stuck on there before getting slobbered on. So I usually would try to do it after a feed but I would also like to give him a bath while he’s got the tape off, too. So this meant after a feed, quickly getting a bath ready, wetting his face with the washcloth to remove tape, delicately removing tape so as not to irritate his skin too much, give him a bath, dry and dress him, reapply tape and appliance.
A couple of weeks before surgery, he started teething and drooling like it was his job. The tape was coming off every day.
The tape used for his appliance was also assembled by me. It required 6mm wide Steri Strips, orthodontic rubber bands, scissors and those tweezers. It’s kind of too much to explain right now but it was a little bit of a process. Let’s leave it at that.

Holding my baby, so far, is pretty much the same. I’m nervous to have him snuggled or nestled anywhere that positions his face on my body. Before I was nervous about catching the appliance on my shirt or him banging it into my shoulder. I am still worried about his Dermabond getting mussed and causing more pain for him but as soon as that falls off, it’s going to be snuggle time. Snuggle City. Snugglepalooza. (trademark)

As soon as his scabs and sutures are all gone, I’ll post some new photos. Thanks for everything and thanks for caring about Felix. I wish I could hug all of you. xo

Felix is home. He’s been nursing like normal since about 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon and last night he slept like the old Felix.

I can’t tell you how much the comments and support we got on Facebook and via text message and email made the last two days so much easier. And the surprise visit from Jamie and Jennie was icing on the cake!

I am so grateful for you. Even you. And especially this guy.

True, I have no love for football at all, let alone any one particular football team, BUT PATERNO DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO STOP CHILD ABUSE. THEY TOOK AWAY SANDUSKY’S KEYS WHICH IS BASICALLY LIKE SAYING, “Hey if you’re going to rape children, don’t do it here.”
When I think about the scenario that grad assistant coach walked in on, I almost understand why he walked away, frightened. But as Jon Stewart Pointed out, the guy was a fucking football player! He could have swooped in and SAVED THAT KID! HE COULD HAVE SAVED HIM! Instead he saved his job. And Paterno saved his reputation. Even if he didn’t fully understand the extent to which Sandusky was being “inappropriate” he should have let someone else find out, namely the fucking police.

I went to a high school where almost every college bound student was encouraged to go to Penn State so I know many of my connections probably feel some sympathy towards Paterno and I get it. He means a lot to you. But for all the idiots RIOTING because they think it’s “unfair” that he is being dragged down for this remember that there are AT LEAST! 8 men who as little boys were molested, sodomized or bear-hugged while naked in a shower and Paterno could have prevented some of their suffering if he had done ANYTHING to stop it. Unfair compared to what?

music man

Please ignore my inability to not sing along to songs I know.