Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Ella's first weeks
My first several weeks at home with Ella were spent going back and forth to the doctor. At her first weight check, a couple days after birth, Ella was down to 7lbs 14oz...over a pound lost! It is normal for breastfed babies to lose weight, but not that much. Her doctor was concerned and told us to start supplementing with formula after every nursing. She was also a little jaundice. We had to keep coming back every couple days to check weight and to check the bilirubin levels (for jaundice). After a couple days she looked much better, but her weight wasn't anywhere near the 9lbs she started at. Not until 4 weeks old did we reach that mark! During this time we also struggled with sleeping...which is normal but still no fun at all! Marshall went back to work the week after Ella was born and Caleb started to go to daycare three days a week. 
Friday, March 19, 2010
"my baby!"
Caleb insists that Ella is his baby! We hear all the time, "no she is my baby!" He's been a great helper most of the time and he always is ready to hold her, kiss her, hug her..he loves his sister! 
Our first couple days at home went pretty well...Ella was continuing to nurse but also kind of fussy. I brought her to the doctor on Monday for a weight check. I was shocked to hear she was down to 7lbs 14 oz..over a pound lost! It's normal for babies to lose weight but not that much. She was also jaundice. Her doctor wanted me to start supplementing with formula after every nursing and also to bring her in the next day to continuing checking the jaundice and her weight. I was disappointed about having to use formula; I had been determined not to this time around. It was for the best, though...she needed it. We continued going to the doctor nearly every day that week until the jaundice was gone. We kept going weekly for weight checks, little Ella was not back to 9 lbs until she was 4 weeks old! She seemed so tiny to us, since Caleb started out at almost 10 lbs and didn't really lose much as a newborn. I actually got to put her in newborn size clothes!
Our first couple days at home went pretty well...Ella was continuing to nurse but also kind of fussy. I brought her to the doctor on Monday for a weight check. I was shocked to hear she was down to 7lbs 14 oz..over a pound lost! It's normal for babies to lose weight but not that much. She was also jaundice. Her doctor wanted me to start supplementing with formula after every nursing and also to bring her in the next day to continuing checking the jaundice and her weight. I was disappointed about having to use formula; I had been determined not to this time around. It was for the best, though...she needed it. We continued going to the doctor nearly every day that week until the jaundice was gone. We kept going weekly for weight checks, little Ella was not back to 9 lbs until she was 4 weeks old! She seemed so tiny to us, since Caleb started out at almost 10 lbs and didn't really lose much as a newborn. I actually got to put her in newborn size clothes! Caleb meets his sister!
Auntie Steph brought Caleb up to see us our first night in the hospital. His reaction to Ella was, "I don't like her icky hair!" She hadn't been bathed yet and was all gunky still. He checked her out and was mostly just amazed by the hospital stuff. He was nervous about my bed (it made noises) and wouldn't sit with me on it. The next day he came back up with Auntie Steph and Uncle Joey...he brought me flowers and some pictures he colored at daycare. This time Ella was clean so he was more interested in her. He sat on Marshall's lap and even 'held' her...kissing her head, too. It was precious. A couple months later I still have a hard time believing those are my kids!! It's just amazing. Our hospital stay was fairly uneventful (again, nothing like Caleb's...where we were there for days and spent so much time in the NICU). Ella was great at nursing right away, which made me so happy. I had such a hard time with that with Caleb. We had many visitors, including my immediate family, friends Marje and Nicole, Marshall's mom, Caleb's daycare provider Denise and her daughter, my aunts Kathy, Louise and Ellen, and Ellen's friend Bob. The second night was pretty rough for me...Ella was very fussy and I had the hardest time getting her to sleep. Marshall had gone home for the night so I was alone. I had to keep asking the nurses for help. I didn't sleep much at all. It was pretty exhausting but typical I guess! Ella had a fever for most of our hospital stay. Her doctor was fine with letting us go home that Friday, though...we just had to check her temp at home and call if it went any higher. She ended up being fine!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sledding!
Caleb went sledding once this winter...after Christmas, with Uncle Joey and Auntie Steph (and their puppy Liesl!). He had a great time out in the snow.
Uncle Joey and Auntie Steph were able to spend a lot of time with Caleb after Ella was born. He spent both nights I was in the hospital at their house. Both days, we let him choose...stay with Daddy or with Uncle Joey and Auntie Steph. Well you can guess his answer! He loves going to their house...even if he is a tiny bit afraid of the big puppy!
Uncle Joey and Auntie Steph were able to spend a lot of time with Caleb after Ella was born. He spent both nights I was in the hospital at their house. Both days, we let him choose...stay with Daddy or with Uncle Joey and Auntie Steph. Well you can guess his answer! He loves going to their house...even if he is a tiny bit afraid of the big puppy!
Welcome Ella!
Now that I'm back to work, I have time to update the blog! Sorry for the delay!
So the big day finally arrived...Wednesday January 20th, Marshall and I headed to the hospital around 7am for my scheduled induction. The night before I was so nervous, didn't sleep well..and it was hard to say goodbye to Caleb that morning. He was excited about the big day, though..he wore his "big brother" t-shirt.
At the hospital I was hooked up to some monitors...I was already having regular contractions (nothing painful, though)! Maybe January 20th would've been the day without the induction! They gave me some pitocin to start contractions and then the waiting began. My mom came up in the morning to hang out and keep us company (Marshall was so bored!). My doctor came by to break my water sometime after 8:30. The pitocin was increased throughout the morning and I started to feel things get stronger. I sat in the rocking chair for awhile, but my water kept gushing out of me...so uncomfortable! My dad stopped by around lunch time and then left to pick up Auntie at school. She was determined not to miss the birth of her niece but it was also the first day of classes.
Around lunch time my contractions were getting awful. I told the nurse I wanted an epidural. She got me settled in bed and we started to wait for the anethesiaologist. This was the longest wait of my life! Contractions started to hit me like crazy and I was in tears, crying out, in pain. The pitocin must really make a difference because I never felt anything this strong during Caleb's birth. About an hour later, the epidural was in and I was starting to calm down. After all the pain I was exhausted and also nauseous. I started to throw up and then napped for awhile. Laura was here during this time for awhile, too, but she had to go back to school for another class...my dad brought her back again! He was doing a lot of driving that day.
Right before 4:00 the nurse decided I was ready to push. I did a practice push and the nurse decided my doctor better come right away. At 4:10 I started to push and at 4:26pm our precious girl was here! My mom was in the room for the birth, taking pictures from the chair...and Marshall was right there watching and ready to cut the cord. I was in awe with the ease of this birth, it was nothing like Caleb's arrival (almost two hours of pushing and lots of intense moments!). It was such a great experience. I got to hold the baby for a few minutes and then the nurse took her away to get her really crying...she wasn't making much noise yet. They took her measurements and she was 9lbs and 21 1/2 inches long. Another big baby! My dad showed up right after the baby was born and then headed back to pick up Laura at school. She was very bummed to miss this big moment, but I was glad they were all able to be there that day in some way!
After a few hours, we settled on a name. Welcome to the world Ella Bernice Dean! We chose the name Ella after Marshall's great grandma on his dad's side...her name was Ella and her husband (great grandpa) was named Marshall. Marshall never met them but we liked the idea of keeping the family names. Bernice is after Marshall's grandma, his mom's mom.
So the big day finally arrived...Wednesday January 20th, Marshall and I headed to the hospital around 7am for my scheduled induction. The night before I was so nervous, didn't sleep well..and it was hard to say goodbye to Caleb that morning. He was excited about the big day, though..he wore his "big brother" t-shirt.
At the hospital I was hooked up to some monitors...I was already having regular contractions (nothing painful, though)! Maybe January 20th would've been the day without the induction! They gave me some pitocin to start contractions and then the waiting began. My mom came up in the morning to hang out and keep us company (Marshall was so bored!). My doctor came by to break my water sometime after 8:30. The pitocin was increased throughout the morning and I started to feel things get stronger. I sat in the rocking chair for awhile, but my water kept gushing out of me...so uncomfortable! My dad stopped by around lunch time and then left to pick up Auntie at school. She was determined not to miss the birth of her niece but it was also the first day of classes.
Around lunch time my contractions were getting awful. I told the nurse I wanted an epidural. She got me settled in bed and we started to wait for the anethesiaologist. This was the longest wait of my life! Contractions started to hit me like crazy and I was in tears, crying out, in pain. The pitocin must really make a difference because I never felt anything this strong during Caleb's birth. About an hour later, the epidural was in and I was starting to calm down. After all the pain I was exhausted and also nauseous. I started to throw up and then napped for awhile. Laura was here during this time for awhile, too, but she had to go back to school for another class...my dad brought her back again! He was doing a lot of driving that day.
Right before 4:00 the nurse decided I was ready to push. I did a practice push and the nurse decided my doctor better come right away. At 4:10 I started to push and at 4:26pm our precious girl was here! My mom was in the room for the birth, taking pictures from the chair...and Marshall was right there watching and ready to cut the cord. I was in awe with the ease of this birth, it was nothing like Caleb's arrival (almost two hours of pushing and lots of intense moments!). It was such a great experience. I got to hold the baby for a few minutes and then the nurse took her away to get her really crying...she wasn't making much noise yet. They took her measurements and she was 9lbs and 21 1/2 inches long. Another big baby! My dad showed up right after the baby was born and then headed back to pick up Laura at school. She was very bummed to miss this big moment, but I was glad they were all able to be there that day in some way!
After a few hours, we settled on a name. Welcome to the world Ella Bernice Dean! We chose the name Ella after Marshall's great grandma on his dad's side...her name was Ella and her husband (great grandpa) was named Marshall. Marshall never met them but we liked the idea of keeping the family names. Bernice is after Marshall's grandma, his mom's mom.
