In other news, here are some questions (with answers) that I hear a lot these days...
How are you healing from the C-section?
-Really good. While not recommended for your mental health, having a baby in the NICU is a great way to rest and heal after surgery.
How is Kinsey adjusting to a new baby sister?
-Great! She has done so well. She does dance once a week and playgroup once a week which helps her have things just for her. She loves Kaitlyn so much.
Is having two easier/harder than you thought it would be?
-I don't really have a normal situation. My plan, before Kaitlyn was born, was to stay at home as much as possible for the first few months. With all of Kaitlyn's appointments, that isn't really an option. Kaitlyn sleeps a lot which makes things much easier! Overall, despite everything, I'd say it is easier than I thought it would be. It is so much easier with the second child! With Kinsey, I was pretty clueless. :)
Do you get any sleep?
-Now I do. :) For awhile Kaitlyn was not sleeping well at night. Right now, she generally sleeps most of the day, eating every 3 hours, and then at about 8 pm she is wide awake. She stays up until about 12 or 1 and then will sleep 6 or 7 hours. Not too bad.
Was it really hard to learn that Kaitlyn had lost the hearing in one ear?
-Not really. We were really prepared for it. I think it will be hard if she goes on to lose it in her left ear as well, but we can handle uni-lateral hearing.
Will she have a hearing aid?
-Maybe. Probably. Not until she gets older. For now, she can hear and that is enough at this age. The audiologist said that some kids with uni-lateral hearing loss have hearings aids, and others are able to compensate and do fine without them. We will probably do it and then let Kaitlyn decide what she likes as she gets older.
What size of clothes does Kaitlyn wear? How much does she weigh?
-Newborn. She only fits into about half of them though. Some are still too big. She weighs about 8 pounds.
Do you ever leave the house?
-Yes, we go to doctor's appointments. :) We do get out some. Kaitlyn is not supposed to be around crowds until she is at least 3 months old (which is next week). We'll probably still keep her in most of the time. We do go on walks and to the park and sometimes to a friends house.
How contagious is CMV?
-It's contagious, but you need pretty direct contact. For comparisons sake, the flu virus can travel on "airborne water droplets" and then be unknowingly inhaled. CMV can't do that (thankfully). CMV is also considered a fragile virus, it dies within about 15 minutes after making contact with a hard surface. The flu can live for about 48 hours. Get a flu shot!
What's the worst part of this whole deal?
-The unknown. It will be years before we fully know how Kaitlyn will be affected by the virus.
Anything good?
-Yes, lots of things. Kaitlyn is here and doing well. We have met so many wonderful, caring people that we would never have met otherwise. I have learned a ton about the human body that I would never have learned otherwise. Kinsey is learning a lot. She knows so much more about bodies and health than most 3 year olds. I have become better at asking for and accepting help. We are contributing to learning; Kaitlyn has sort of a unique CMV story and with UNC being a teaching hospital, they are pretty interested in her. A doctor told me the other day, "We are learning from you." I feel good that we can contribute to the general health of our society (though I wish it didn't have to be at Kaitlyn's expense). Jason and I have grown closer. We appreciate our health more. I cherish my time with my girls more. I have gained a greater appreciation of the eternal nature of our family. And so much more...
I think Kaitlyn has a question...
1 comment:
You have such a great attitude about everything and I really admire you for it. I'm glad to hear that you are getting some sleep and that overall things are going really well for you guys. Darling picture!
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