Bedrest

This is just a post to commemorate my three week period of bed rest - I don't know how other women pass the time, but here's how I passed mine.

I sewed a few burp cloths - not all of them. Now I wish I had sewn them all because little guy just started spitting up.This was my nest on the couch - I didn't sleep in my own bed for 2 months because of the intense itching (cholestasis). My room was too hot and I didn't sleep most nights anyway, so I didn't want to keep Colin awake.
I watched movies. Lots of movies.
I read the "Beastly" book in about 2 days. Then I rented the movie and watched it.
I watched my pastor on Ustream a lot - I felt a little like I was attending church, even if I couldn't be there in person.
Lots of Bible time.
Here's how I looked - I could not even wear my shirt right side out because I would itch like crazy and get a red rash. I am still struggling with the itching and will probably have to get retested to make sure nothing is wrong with my liver.

Pirate Ship Tree House

Have I mentioned this is Colin's current project? He is building a tree house that is a pirate ship - complete with steering wheel and all. The kids are loving "helping" him =). This picture was after bath time one night. The project is much more complete right now, I just haven't had time to snap a photo yet.

The Kids Meet Abe for the First Time

The kiddos finally got to meet their new baby brother yesterday - and he's 11 days old! They are completely smitten with him - asking tons of questions about his hair, why he poops so much, if they can hold him, how cute he is, etc. I am so glad they like him!

Oh, my. This picture just says it all.

This was the first time they saw him - he had just come home from his first dr. appt. He gained a great amount of weight in one day (1 and 1/2 ounces) and his lungs sounded great.

He's home!

We picked Abe up from the hospital this morning and it's like Christmas came early for me! Here he is all packed up in his car seat:And we spent some time napping on the couch today - he is so easy right now. I've had to wake him up for feedings since he is so sleepy today. We'll see how long that lasts =).

Abe is coming home!

The day has finally come! We get to bring our sweet baby home this morning. Here are some pictures from yesterday:

Abe was so hungry, but we weren't allowed to feed him yet (the nurses schedule him to eat every three hours):
Sweet sleeping baby - I could never get too many of these pictures.

Baby Abe at 8 Days

Grandma Jan and Grandpa Jeff came to visit us in the NICU today and meet Abe for the first time. Luckily it was his awake time! It was also the first time I have ever heard him really scream about something (he is really a pretty content baby so far) and it turned out he had an air bubble in his tummy that he later released while he was sleeping =)
This was also the first time I saw him dream nursing - so sweet.

Abe at One Week Old

Whew - it has been one loooong week. Today marks his one week birthday almost to the hour right now! His oxygen was room air when we left tonight, he just has a bit of pressure in his nasal cannula. I hear that might even be removed tomorrow. The last thing he needs to work on is his feeding - they want him on a pretty big volume of breast milk each 12 hours and sometimes he is too sleepy to eat it all. Nursing was great today, so I'm not worried that we will have too much trouble in that area.

He also got a bath today (his second) upon our pleading (his hair was pretty greasy). We got to see him without anything on his face during the bath:
He tried to nurse Colin's hand because he was so hungry.
Sleepy boy.
I love this picture - so sweet!

Baby Abe - 5 Days Old

Yesterday Abe had his PIC line removed and was moved to the less critical NICU. In order for him to come home, he has to get the nasal cannula out and be completely on bottle feedings. Yesterday he was too sleepy most of the time to do too many bottle feedings or nursings, so I am hoping for a better day today.

Here is Colin giving him his bottle:I spent lots of time just holding him - we both loved it =).

Baby Abe - 4 Days Old

Today was day four for Abe in the NICU. We arrived around 10:30 and found him without his CPAP on since his breathing has improved so much. He actually looked like a real baby! The only thing he has to work on now are his feedings - he needs to be completely breastfeeding/bottle feeding before he can be discharged. So, he actually nursed twice today for the first time ever! I was excited that he is catching on so quick. His little nasal cannula gets in the way of a great latch, but sooner than later he will get that removed as well.I can't decide who he looks like? I do love that finally one of our kids has Colin's hair color =)
Tomorrow I plan on spending the whole day with him so we can keep trying to breast feed.

Baby Abe's Birth and the NICU

Baby Abe is here! His full name is Abraham Malachi McGladrey. He was born on August 13th at 7:37 p.m. weighing in at 7 lbs 12 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long (and three weeks early!). The delivery was amazing and they insisted on skin to skin with him and I for one hour after delivery. Shortly thereafter, he was checked and they noticed he was in respiratory distress, so he was whisked off to the NICU, where he has been ever since.

Currently, Abe is on a CPAP machine to help him breath (but as of last night he was down to room air!) and he has a chest tube because he got a pneumo thorax (from fighting the CPAP machine- something bigger babies do because they are much stronger than preemies) and they put surfactant in his lungs - which have made a huge difference in his recovery.

We are hoping Abe can come home late this week, but that all depends on him. He is taking my milk every three hours thru a g-tube and as he gets better, I will bottle feed him and then hopefully nurse from there.

I must dash off to the hospital for the day, but I will leave you with a couple of birth pics of our sweet boy.

We can't believe how dark his hair is - just like Papa's! This was his first bath:And here we are having skin to skin shortly after delivery:
I can't believe how chunky he is!

Tomorrow is Birth Day!!

That's right - we are having this little guy tomorrow! After being tested so many months for liver issues because of all my itching, this week's lab came back abnormally high. Normal protocol for cholestasis of pregnancy is to deliver at 37 weeks if the baby's lungs are mature. So, at 9:30 tomorrow morning I will be induced at St. Vincent's. I have been very apprehensive, since I just got the message from my doctor last night that the induction was necessary, I am now embracing the fact that this is the best for the baby and finally I get to meet him!

Please be praying for a healthy baby that hasn't been affected by my liver and an uncomplicated delivery.

I'll post pictures and stats as soon as I get home!