Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Grandma Lynne Visits Abby and Jake
We just had a lovely weekend visit from Grandma Lynne. She came to play with Jake for two full mornings and to meet and admire little Abby. It was great to have an extra pair of hands in the house!! And she sure did like holding Abby!
And she took nice pix of us too...
Even a family portrait!
And this was Jake's photo of her.
And she took nice pix of us too...
Even a family portrait!
And this was Jake's photo of her.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
More pix from our (first) hospital visit
Abby and I had to go back to the hospital for 2 days last week. She had bad jaundice and was dehydrated. She lay in a diaper under the bili lights and I lay next to her to keep her baby sunglasses on. It was exhausting, but it worked! She and I returned home again on Monday morning.
Here are some more pix from delivery and Jake's first visit with Abby.
Freshly baked baby!
Snug as a bug in a rug. She likes being swaddled, but must have her hands out.
An apple cider toast to our new baby!
Gentle brotherly pats
Here are some more pix from delivery and Jake's first visit with Abby.
Freshly baked baby!
Snug as a bug in a rug. She likes being swaddled, but must have her hands out.
An apple cider toast to our new baby!
Gentle brotherly pats
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Sleeping Beauty
Abby somehow manages to show a great deal of personality - even with her eyes closed!
A Close Shave
Jake got a new bathtub play shaving kit and has been practicing his shave technique every night at bath. He is so serious - looking in the little hand mirror that came with the set and figuring out which way his hand will move in it has been all engrossing! He "shaves" his arms and chest with just as much determination. Here I am holding up the mirror for him:
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Abby is Here!
On Saturday morning, my water broke while I was sleeping, at 3am. After a call to Ashleigh to come stay with Jake, a whirlwind drive to the hospital at 3:30 am with contractions coming every 2 minutes, and being coached through a very intense hour of natural labor by my amazing doula Cathy, our beautiful baby girl, Abigail Louise, made her appearance shortly after 5 am on Saturday, January 12, 2008.
At 38 weeks' gestation, she weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. She was 4 weeks later than her brother, and more than 2 and a half pounds bigger! And unlike him, came out with no drugs, no cuts, and no vacuum. She suckled like a champ within the first hour, and her dad made it home to be with Jake within 5 minutes of his waking up close to 7:30 am. We couldn't have designed a smoother entrance for her into our family. My doula was incredibly complimentary, practically giving me an award for my calm, controlled demeanor. I don't know who she was kidding. I was a wreck, it just all happened really quickly! I'm just glad to not have to EVER give birth again!
I stayed in the hospital for 2 days and nights, and Jake and Dad visited Abby and me daily. Jake got big brother stickers and announced to all he met that he was a new big brother. He keeps asking - "where's my baby?"
We are home now, and adjustments are being made all day long in every way. The cats are puzzled by the new smells and Hannah insists on hopping into the bassinet to claim it, so she is banished from the room. Abby is finding it difficult to sleep alone and adjust to a world that is not 98 degrees. She also has a little jaundice and is sleeping with a bili light tonight. I am learning to breastfeed for the first time (since Jake was so early he could not), and am finding that incredibly challenging (and painful!). The good news is that Abby is a voracious sucker and soon it should all turn around. Jake is finding the presence of continual needs of another person somewhat new and frustrating, though he is concerned about her crying and wants to help often. Mike is doing all the heavy lifting and manual labor around the house, a superdad if I ever saw one. We were all tired and cranky much of the time today.
Still, we are the real deal: a new family of 4 (plus two feline furballs) who are incredibly blessed and lucky. Mike and I both found we were looking at Jake differently today: his every physical capability compared to the newborn state he came in seems a small miracle. Then we look at our new daughter and are filled with awe for what she will become and what we will get to share with her along the way.
At 38 weeks' gestation, she weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. She was 4 weeks later than her brother, and more than 2 and a half pounds bigger! And unlike him, came out with no drugs, no cuts, and no vacuum. She suckled like a champ within the first hour, and her dad made it home to be with Jake within 5 minutes of his waking up close to 7:30 am. We couldn't have designed a smoother entrance for her into our family. My doula was incredibly complimentary, practically giving me an award for my calm, controlled demeanor. I don't know who she was kidding. I was a wreck, it just all happened really quickly! I'm just glad to not have to EVER give birth again!
I stayed in the hospital for 2 days and nights, and Jake and Dad visited Abby and me daily. Jake got big brother stickers and announced to all he met that he was a new big brother. He keeps asking - "where's my baby?"
We are home now, and adjustments are being made all day long in every way. The cats are puzzled by the new smells and Hannah insists on hopping into the bassinet to claim it, so she is banished from the room. Abby is finding it difficult to sleep alone and adjust to a world that is not 98 degrees. She also has a little jaundice and is sleeping with a bili light tonight. I am learning to breastfeed for the first time (since Jake was so early he could not), and am finding that incredibly challenging (and painful!). The good news is that Abby is a voracious sucker and soon it should all turn around. Jake is finding the presence of continual needs of another person somewhat new and frustrating, though he is concerned about her crying and wants to help often. Mike is doing all the heavy lifting and manual labor around the house, a superdad if I ever saw one. We were all tired and cranky much of the time today.
Still, we are the real deal: a new family of 4 (plus two feline furballs) who are incredibly blessed and lucky. Mike and I both found we were looking at Jake differently today: his every physical capability compared to the newborn state he came in seems a small miracle. Then we look at our new daughter and are filled with awe for what she will become and what we will get to share with her along the way.
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