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June 30, 2007
We're Adjusting
We're all settled in and adjusting pretty well. Gabriel is getting use to Jonah and even kisses him on the head before bed every night. Gabriel has only tried to pick Jonah up out of the swing a couple of times, and fortunately has not succeeded yet!
Andrew is back at work, and I am trying to get into a routine (as much as there can be a routine with a toddler and an infant.) I still have help though. Gabriel spent a few afternoons this week with friends from church, and I haven't had to cook since Jonah was born. (Have I mentioned how great our church friends are?)
Jonah had a follow-up appointment with the pediatrician from the hospital on Thursday. At that point he was down to 6 lb. 5 oz. which is the lowest he's gotten. That doctor (along with the lactation consultant) encouraged me to give him a supplement a couple times a day. I have been offering him some formula, but he refuses it. We're still working with all of it though and trying to get him plumped up.
On the bright side, I weighed him today at the grocery store (you should have seen the look I got from the lady that works in the health food section where I weighed him) and he was up to 6 lb 6.5 oz. I know an ounce and a half in two days isn't much, but for a little guy like Jonah it's great. It's also very encouraging to me. We take him for his two week check up on Tuesday (he's "supposed" to be back to birth weight by then). We're just hoping for a few more ounces in the right direction.
It's all a little frustrating, but if Jonah is anything like his big brother he'll be a giant before long. I just hope that we're able to work things out and avoid formula...that stuff is pricey!
Posted by rachel at 09:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 25, 2007
baby pictures
I staged this one tonight.
We're all settling in nicely now. Andrew goes back to work tomorrow though so we'll see how it goes. Fortunately we have some great friends here that have offered to keep Gabriel for me anytime throughout the week. If there's one piece of advice I've received more than any other, it's "ask for help" (or "accept help"), and I plan on it!
Posted by rachel at 12:12 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 23, 2007
Home Again
After another brief stay in the hospital, we are home again. Jonah was admitted on Friday afternoon for jaundice and was treated continuously until about 5pm today. We are home now and he is still on the billy-light. We will return to the hospital tomorrow for some outpatient lab work and hopefully everything will be fine then. We were really grateful to have had the Shipps here for a couple of days. They were a huge help with Gabriel. Hopefully now though we can get things back to normal for him. (Or at least the new norm.) After a very busy, exciting, and emotional week, we are happy to be home.
Like Josh, Lacey, and Noah, we are hoping to get the feeding troubles worked out and get some good sleep.
Posted by rachel at 09:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 20, 2007
We're home
The whole family is together at home and doing pretty well. I can already tell it is going to be a long adjustment period for us all. My first few hours alone with both boys was a little rough, but I'm sure it will get better soon. Jonah really likes to have both hands on him at all times, and Gabriel needs both eyes on him! I'm really glad my mom was here for a few days to stay with Gabriel. She was a huge help.
Our hospital stay was pretty pleasant. From the time we got there at 5am on Monday, the hospital staff was excellent. The pitocin began around 6, epidural about 10:45, and ready to get him out by noon. It was a very quick delivery with only 6 minutes of pushing (that's why the doctor said he was so bruised.) He arrived at 12:34 pm looking very purple in the faace and on his forearms. He was over a pound smaller, an inch shorter, and his head was more than an inch smaller in circumference than Gabriel's. I much prefer the 7 lb 7 oz to Gabriel's 8 lb 10 oz. It wasn't bad at all.
I was a little worried beforehand about only being there for 24 hours, but I ended up staying 48 because I had tested positive for strep B. Apparently they like to monitor both baby and mother a little longer in those cases. I didn't complain. I had also been unsure about the rooming in policy, but I really liked that too. Jonah only left our room a few times for weighing and pediatrician visits, and even those were for a short time. Everything else was done in room. From the time of his birth he didn't even go out of the room until midnight.
All of the nurses and doctors were wonderful and very attentive. The lactation consultant was great too and always available when I needed her. I give Providence hospital two thumbs up.
I'll post pictures soon, but for now a screaming baby and his mocking older brother are calling my name.
Posted by rachel at 08:34 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
June 18, 2007
Jonah McCartney Shipp
Hi everybody. Aunt Christin here. Little Jonah was born today around 12:45, weighing in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 20 inches. Rachel says everything went really well. Jonah is pretty bruised (hence his purple tint), but otherwise healthy. Apparently, Gabriel is pretty proud of him, too.
Posted by rachel at 06:20 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
The time has come
We're going to the hospital. The next post will be about our new baby!
Posted by rachel at 04:28 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
June 13, 2007
37 Weeks
Hopefully this will be the last picture of me pregnant (this go round at least.)
Gabriel, lounging in the pool.
Driving at the mall.
Posted by rachel at 04:16 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
June 11, 2007
It almost baby ime
Well, I went to the doctor today...and I'm still pregnant. I've been having a ton of contractions the last couple of weeks, and am at 4 cm now. If I don't have a baby before then, I will be induced at 5 am Monday morning. I'm still really hoping for sooner than that though. I'm not enjoying the Waco heat.
Posted by rachel at 04:15 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
June 08, 2007
Parents' Night Out
Tonight we discovered another wonderful program that our church has. It's called "Parent's Night Out," and it is a great idea. About once every 6-8 weeks on a Friday night from 6:00 to 9:30 you can take your kids to the church and have a night out without them. They feed the kids, have activities (for the bigger kids) and they have all sorts of fun, all for the low low price of $3. (I think there's a family limit of $10 or something like that.) You can't beat 3 1/2 hours for 3 bucks.
This was the first time since we've been here that we were actually able to partake of PNO because every other time we were either out of town or had company in town. I can guaranty though that we will be using this service as much as possible in the future. Gabriel had a good time, and so did we.
We went on a double date with another couple from church. We went to a nice steak house called 135 Prime. The food was great, as was the company. It was nice to be able to eat dinner without a 17 month old making noise and eating crayons. (Not that I don't enjoy eating out with Gabriel, it's just a different experience altogether.) It was very enjoyable.
***************************
Despite millions of contractions daily, still no baby.
Andrew started work today at Cingular at the mall. He says it went pretty well and he isn't dreading working there for the rest of the summer.
Next week he starts another job at the Baylor Challenge Course. He's really looking forward to that.
These Shipps are still afloat.
Posted by rachel at 10:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 03, 2007
Contracting
Lots of contracting, but no baby yet. I still wonder when people say "you'll know" (if you're in labor). I am not so sure "I'll know." I just don't want to be that lady that shows up at the hospital and then gets sent home disappointed. I also don't want to wait too long and it be too late to get an epidural. Though I guess at this point the only way I'm going to try an un-medicated birth is if it's too late for the epidural. Some friends say it's better without it. We'll see. I'm not quite prepared to say I'm all for it, but I'm not all against it either. I think I would have to start preparing myself earlier in the pregnancy to PLAN for an un-medicated birth. (And no, I am not trying to start a debate.)
36 weeks!!! It's baby time in my book.
Posted by rachel at 12:09 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack