6:00 A.M.

Oh the luxuries of sleep.  The best advise they give sleepless mothers are:

"Sleep while the baby is sleeping."

If only sweet, sweet slumber can be cued to those times.  Last night I slept a total of three hours, got up several times/hours to feed, change diapers, and rock Maksim to sleep.  Dre helped as much as possible but he is so busy with work that I try to give him more snoozing hours.

Anyway, 6:00 A.M. every morning I am wide awake no matter how many  few hours of sleep I get.  The funny thing is that although my circadian rhythm is completely shot, I'm getting used to sleepless nights.  My body looks for it now.  But right now, even when I'm getting help from my mother, something always comes up (pump for milk, clean a little bit, keep up with the bills, etc.) that prevents my body to sink into a bed and enjoy the comfort underneath a soft blanket.

{ CARDIOLOGY } ---

We saw Dr. P (another pediatric cardiologist from the same branch) yesterday.  Once again Maksim got the ECHO and the EKG tests done.  The results showed a gradient pressure of 48 mmHG, which puts Maksim in the moderate category of Pulmonary Stenosis.  The gradient pressure is the difference in pressure across the valve.  Mild is 0 - 30 mmHG; moderate is 30-60 mmHG; and severe is greater than 60 mmHG where immediate intervention must be provided. The next course of action is to repeat the same tests in another two weeks to monitor the gradient/pressure levels and then decide when to do the balloon angioplasty.  Dr. P discussed the high success rate of this procedure and eased our fears.  We still need a lot of prayers since it's difficult for us to see our son go through so much.

{ CESAREAN SECTION SCAR } ---

Google Image

It has been three weeks and a couple of days since my cesarean section.  The cut was made in my lower pelvis about six inches below my belly button.  It's healing beautifully and am very pleased with the way it looks.  My OBGYN used some kind of chromic gut suture (size 3 or 4) for the internal absorbable stitching and then glued the surface epidermis together instead of using staples or nylon sutures.  She is also a plastic surgeon so double score on that!  In no time the scar will lighten up and be less visible.

I'm still not ready to work out vigorously even though mentally I am.  It takes about 6-8 weeks to completely heal from the inside out.  I can hardly wait since the semi-sedentary life is driving me crazy!