Update

So here's the latest on Jesslyn.

She's fine.  :)

We took her to the Dr's on Thursday to follow up, and while I was under the impression that she definitely had a UTI, apparently this isn't the case.  While some of her test results suggest that, they could also be interpreted as just a viral infection that needed to run its course.

While we're still waiting on the final test results from the hospital, her fever is pretty much gone and she's her happy self once again.  However, the antibiotics the ER Ped was SOOOO anxious to prescribe for her (to treat the supposed UTI) has given her the runs and has, in turn, caused a painful rash on her tiny little bum.  :(  So until we hear back from our Dr. with the final results, we're not giving her anymore antibiotics.  

I have a feeling the results will be negative--the test only takes 24-48 hours, though it could take up to 72.... why?  Because if nothing's grown within 72 hours, nothing will.  Chances are, if there was a bacterial presence, something would have shown up much sooner.  And since we've crossed the 72 hour mark and have heard nay a thing, I'm assuming nothing was there, and she didn't need the antibiotics that gave her a rash NOR those they shot her up with in the hospital (oh, and they had this *bright* idea to stick her with two shots, one in each leg, at the EXACT SAME TIME, because that would be less traumatic than one after another....)

Needless to say, I'm not taking her to the ER anymore unless there's a definite EMERGENCY.  Yes, her fever was a bit high, but it had just started that day, and didn't cross 104 (which is when MOST pediatricians would tell you to head to the ER....)  Had she had that fever for even a second day, I would have been more eager to bring her in... Or if she had had other symptoms to worry about, like a cough or runny nose... she had neither.  All she had was a fever.  

We're also going to take her to a different dr in the practice.  Dr. Atiyeh is fine for Jeremiah, but I think she needs a gal dr, so that's what we're doing.  Plus, I never feel like he listens to my questions.  Like when she had her two month checkup and they wanted to give her vaccinations--I asked what BRANDS they used (some have higher aluminum counts than others... after all she'd been through at the NICU, I wanted to minimize any chance of complications from vaccines, included too much aluminum in one day.)  His response:  "Oh, all of our vaccines are mercury free."  Umm... that's not what I asked.  Anyways, I'm ready to switch practices altogether, but since they both need a check up right now, I don't have time to research a new one yet.  That will definitely be my priority before her 6 month check up.  I'm just tired of driving to Falls Church for a check up....

[ rant ]

One more thing...

Boy, am I SICK and TIRED of EVERYONE in the medical community trying to tell me that something is wrong with Jesslyn because she was a HOME BIRTH!  Seriously, both doctors we saw used that and the fact that she was in the NICU as a ******RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!****** to keep her in the ER for extensive testing.  Oh my gosh, I was so ***FLIPPING*** mad!  Apparently, they only listen to their OBGYN friends who tell them, "Home births are so dangerous!  The only safe place to have a baby is in a hospital."  Never mind the fact that I had, not one, but TWO nurse-midwives (okay, so one was a student, but still a nurse,) whose job is ONLY to deliver babies.  They've delivered more babies vaginally than I'm sure most OBGYN's have delivered.  That's all they do--deliver babies to healthy Mommies.  They're not going to take you on as a client if you're high risk, so the chances of complications are very low.  Yes, Jesslyn had some trouble breathing when she was born.  What our midwife did here was the SAME thing they did in the hospital, with less fancy equipment.  And if Jesslyn hadn't had the breathing issues she had, they would have never bothered checking her heart and finding a [really really tiny] hole there that ended up healing itself for the most part (the fact that it's more common than they'll admit does not escape me... I did the research.)  That would have been the situation whether here at home OR in the hospital.  Only had she been born in the hospital, she would have definitely been a c-section.  How do I know?? Because no doctor (at least that I know of) would let a woman even ATTEMPT to deliver an 11 lb+ baby vaginally.  In their minds, it's "impossible."  Yay, so I get to have major abdominal surgery for NO REASON!  Because my "Dr" is SCARED!!! [i.e. doesn't want to deal with the possibilities of complications...]  Don't get me wrong, there are women out there who need C-Sections, and drs, and OBGYNS, and epidurals, and all that other fun hospital stuff.  But I didn't.  And I did not "endanger" my child by choosing to do so.  Would anyone tell me that Jeremiah is any less healthy, because he was born at home???  Did I "harm" him, somehow, by choosing to use a midwife, and delivering him in the comfort of our home, in our room, the way I wanted to, with just friends and family around us???  Wow, I'm a bad mother, huh?  

I swear, the next person that implies that I endangered my baby, or somehow harmed them by choosing to have a home birth, I will punch them in the face.  No reservations!  I've had to deal with so much CRAP from people, and y'know what--they're OUR kids!  It's OUR right to chose how we want to deliver OUR babies!  You have NO right to push your agenda on us, whether your a doctor or otherwise!  We've done the research.  We've got the best team available in Northern VA, when it comes to delivering healthy babies to healthy mommies.  And we're a 5 minute ambulance ride from the hospital should anything go wrong.  So BACK OFF!   For your own good.  :)

[ /rant ]

Yes, so Jesslyn is fine.  :)  Well, minus that rash on her bum.  Poor thing.  Thanks for your prayers!  She's tough little cookie, that's for sure.  So cute!

Did I mention she was 20 lbs? [!!!]