Getting Acquainted

with each other

Playing Catch Up

I have a tendency to take a ton of pictures and fall behind on posting them or the stories that go along, so here's to playing catch up.  And, by the way, this is my 200th post!

Katherine has a drawer full of bows and headbands, so I pulled some out yesterday to see how they looked and fit.  The headbands are still a little big on her and the bows that she has require more hair than she has on top (although she has a head full in the back!).  Amy, one of her nurses while in the hospital, made her a bow and let us in on how to get them to stick on her head, so I'm going to have to sit down and try to make a few bows that look decent enough for her to wear!

Poor little girl, when her Daddy saw her in this headband, he said she looked silly . . .

Couldn't resist the baby feet

Jackson occasionally acts like he wants to pick up and hold Katherine, but isn't quite sure where to start, so Zach was helping him last night

Opps! 

Getting a little out of control even with Daddy right there! 

Zach wanted me to delete this picture and certainly NEVER post it, but we can't help but laugh when we see her expression in it!  Hopefully, this isn't a forshadowing of their future together!

There, that's better

Apparently it runs in the family . . . neither of our kids want their picture taken

I was trying to get a few pictures of her this morning and she wasn't cooperating and at some point she stuck her hand up as if to say, "STOP!"  I kept taking pictures anyway and when she finally had enough, she let me know it

And to wrap it up, we bought this sand and water table for Jackson a few weeks before Katherine was born, and he LOVES it!  How do we know he loves it?  He actually PLAYS with it!!  We finally bought something for him and didn't waste our money!

Slow Down a Little Please

2 weeks old already?  These two weeks have really flown.

Someone told me to take pictures like this with Jackson and I just never did, but I'm going to do my best to take a monthly picture of Katherine with this pillow to watch how she grows.

My little helper is never too far from the action

These next 2 pictures were taken around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning when Katherine decided she would stay up ALL night.  Hopefully this will be the only night this extreme!

I couldn't think of anything else to do in the wee hours of the morning, so I took a few pictures!

After being discharged on Monday, Katherine had a follow-up visit with her doctor last Thursday and her weight and measurements were the same as when she was born.  She went back for a weight check yesterday and is up to 6 lbs., 12 oz.!  The nurse reminded me to bring her back in 2 weeks for her ONE month check-up . . . really, just 2 weeks and she'll be one month old???  That's when it really dawned on me that the time is seriously flying.

Party of Four

It was bound to happen and it finally did this morning . . . we woke up with 4 in our bed!  Katherine has been sleeping in our room in the bassinet or her swing since she's been home, and occassionally she'll end up in the bed with us if we're desparate.  Jackson walked in our room this morning and I just put him in the mix with us hoping he would go back to sleep and it bought us an extra hour or more!  Before Jackson got up for good, I was able to get a few shots of them together!

Actually smiling for me--he gets tickled around her!

Ok Mom, you're overdoing it . . . enough is enough

Twice the Fun

Jackson hasn't received much attention on here lately, so I'll have to start curing that!

I was unloading the dishwasher yesterday when Jackson made off with the utensil caddy.  A few minutes later, this is what I found . . .

And later yesterday, all smiles outside

He is still being sweet to the little cutie that has probably turned his world upside down and still gets a little concerned when she cries.  We've caught him kissing her head and giving her a pacifier, along with trying to tickle her!  Thankfully he doesn't seem jealous of her or has really acted out since she's been home.  Hopefully he'll always be this easygoing . . . unless of course we're trying to change his clothes or wash his hands!

And the little lady napping in her bassinet.  Zach and I both mentioned today that we think her cheeks are already looking a little more full. 

Trying to catch a smile!

Notice the blue blanket that is over her--of course, that's one of Jackson's blankets that we grabbed to cover her up.  He was taking a nap when this picture was taken and when he woke up and noticed one of his blankets on her, he was less than thrilled.  Apparently he's going to draw the line when it comes to sharing his blankets.

Home Sweet Home

We got to bring Katherine home yesterday!  It was a stressful weekend having a child in the nicu and tiring driving back and forth to spend time with Jackson and Katherine, but we're thankful she wasn't any worse and that we don't live further than an hour from the hospital.  The hospital also had rooms for parents, which was wonderful.  We were told Sunday that Katherine would be discharged on Monday, and all day Sunday we were both as happy as kids in a candy store!

Zach feeding Katherine while waiting for the doctor to stop by, examine her, and hopefully send us on our way!

One of our law school classmates is currently working in the area where we were and stopped by!  We haven't seen her since 2005.

The doctor has visited and we're getting Katherine dressed up for her first trip home!  These are the booties that Jackson, Zach, and Zach's brother all wore home from the hospital.

Her long toes barely fit!

All dressed up!

On the way home!

I was sitting in the back with her and would occasionlly snap a picture and show Zach so he could know what she was up to!  Silly, I know, but we were happy!

Welcome Home, Katherine!

The two meeting each other the first time!

I had it planned out in my head how they would meet in the hospital, but that just didn't turn out.  Jackson was at school yesterday, so when he got home, Katherine was there.  We let him see her and he just had this concerned look on his face that seemed to say, "What is that and where did it come from?"  He warmed up to her pretty quickly and at first constantly called her "Baby" and he's now shortened it to "B"!  If she starts crying or stirring, he runs over and says, "Oh no!  Don't cry B!"  He even woke up last night while she was crying and ran to tell her not to cry!  And we've caught him giving her kisses when he thinks no one is watching!  He has however, had a few moments today, so we're trying to be patient with him as he adjusts.  Hopefully, he'll continue to watch out for her and enjoy being a big brother!

And this morning enjoying a cuddle!

She wasn't held very much while in the nicu, but in the last 24 hours, she's realized real quick that being held and cuddled is the way to go!

Getting a Good Look

Katherine is doing great!  She is now out from under the oxygen and has had some milk through a feeding tube.  We're hoping next she'll get to have some in a bottle and will hopefully tolerate it well.  She still has an iv, so we're hoping if she continues to tolerate the changes, we can bring her home in the next few days.

A couple of pictures from this morning--at this point she was still receiving oxygen (just out from under it for a few minutes to readjust her since she had been pretty fussy) and the iv was in her head

We stepped out at lunch and when we returned, she was no longer having to receive the oxygen and the iv had been moved to her foot.  No oxygen means we get to HOLD her!!

She's Here!

Katherine Elizabeth

April 7, 2010

7:51 p.m.

6 lbs., 4 oz., 19 in.

her daddy's toes!

Certainly not the pictures we thought we would start out with, but she's a beauty and her birth is a little crazier than Jackson's!  She is in the NICU and in the first picture she is under a hood receiving oxygen.  She was born breech (no one was expecting that until moments before she arrived) so she didn't get the "squeeze" needed to clear out her lungs.  Her respiratory rates were high, so she was sent to the nicu for observation.  She ended up needing the oxygen and has an iv (it's in her little head) as a preventative measure in case of infection, but her lab reports are coming back negative for any infection.  I've been discharged and she's going to have to hang around a few more days before coming home, so we're back and forth to see Jackson and Katherine.

Once again, we made it to the hospital just in time (no, we don't take our time!) . . . Jackson was born 1 hour 20 minutes after we arrived at the hospital (as in, NO time for an epidural) and Katherine was born 40 minutes after arriving (again, NO time for an epidural with a breech baby).  I've heard they work wonders . . . I just wish I could vouch for that!

We're happy she is doing well so far and looking forward to holding her and bringing her home!

Take 1

Our backyard is almost in full bloom now and I was going to try to take a few pictures of Jackson in front of everything like I did last year.  Taking his picture with him actually looking at the camera is difficult enough, much less when you want him to be in a certain place staying somewhat still, looking, and smiling at you.  Right off, he found the trap Zach has set to catch racoons and he was obsessed with it . . . a trap and a hound dog hot on a trail makes for a great picture

 

Finally being sweet to Sadie . . . usually he is chasing her down

 with his little lawn mower or dump truck

Don't let this sweet face fool you--he had a hammer in his hand

and was banging on anything he could

The boys grilling supper . . . there's just something about

smoke and a grill that makes them gather around

The Waiting Game

While Zach and I have been waiting on our baby girl to arrive, we've been busy getting her room ready.  Other than the walls still being pretty bare, it's finished!  She has a cute canvas that the one and only William Lovelady gave her that will hang above the glider, but for the time being, the canvas is packed up and will first hang on the door at the hospital.

Here is the view when walking in

I've never been too terribly much on pink and this room is definitely PINK and GREEN, so whatever will be added next will certainly be another color to help break up all the pink!

We finally finished getting everything in her room in it's place last night, so since then we've been peeking in and getting more excited about bringing her home!