Monday Again

8lbs 12.2oz!!!! We had our first bad couple of nights. Friday night was a little bad, Gavin was really fussy until about 1, acting really hungry so I let Garth give him a bottle of breast milk and he gave up and went to sleep around 1 or 2 (can't remember). Then Saturday night was BAD! He was up from 3 to 9am just going from side to side nursing...he was sooooo hungry and I was soooo tired. He has started taking the paci, which is helping to satisfy his urge to suck when he really just wants to suck but isn't really hungry and I have started taking fenugreek again for my milk supply and we had a MUCH better night last night! When I was up with him all night Saturday I remember thinking that was what it seemed to be like every night with Garth Lee and it reminded me of how lucky I am that I have only had one of those nights so far and Gavin is already 4.5 weeks old. So here's hoping we keep the good night trend up and only have those bad ones occasionally...if at all.

Flashback

I was so worried about being able to love/care for another child like I love/care for Garth Lee and I have been surprised by the guilt that I feel that I am giving more to Gavin then to Garth Lee...I never dreamed I would be slighting Garth Lee in any way. I know it is temporary, but I still feel bad to be giving so much to Gavin and to feel like I am giving so little to Garth Lee. So, in case you (I) missed it, I actually have 2 children, even if one has been a little less mentioned lately. (Sorry Garth Lee) I know things will even out here soon once we are all a little more accustomed to having a new one at home and once he is a little less needy.

Thank you Garth Lee for being such a great big brother and for trying your best to listen and make things easier for Mommy and Daddy. Nobody is perfect, but I am so grateful for such a wonderful son for my newest son to look up to, the best big brother he could have, he has...here's proof that we were here in this same place with you a few short years ago:

Oh yeah...the belly...WOW...just wow.

I love you, bud, more than you know ;)

Mr. Chubbs and A Fond Farewell To A Dear Friend

Well, you know what today is...well probably not, but it is Monday and Monday means "weigh-in" for baby Gavin at the hospital. Today was a big one, he weighed in at a whopping 8lbs, up 10 ounces from last week!!! We have certainly had a time with this guy and his weight, but today, one day after his actual due date, he is over 8 pounds and I couldn't be happier...Garth Lee on the other hand, is having a rough one...

Nemo died. Nemo is his fish that lives at my parents' house. Nemo was bought to replace Roger and that is a whole other story, but it ends about the same. My dad made a little headstone for Nemo and placed it in the back yard. I will get a picture and post it soon, it was really sweet of him and it made Garth Lee feel better that Nemo will not be forgotten. Garth Lee was able to draw a memorial for Nemo's grave, albeit through a river of tears. He was audibly crying for at least an hour, then for a few more hours would burst into random sobs here and there and would just say he was trying to stop crying but he couldn't stop thinking about Nemo. I am so blessed to have a son with such a sensitive spirit, he is so sweet...a lot like his daddy, but I'll never tell ;)

Bringing Home Baby

Well, this last week has been a little bit of a major bummer. We went to the doctor on Monday when Gavin was 12 days old and we did his newborn screen and a bilirubin test because he was still pretty yellow. His level came back very high which gave us the opportunity to have a home health nurse come to our house and set up a bili light and come everyday and prick his heel to get a bili level until it was <10. The above picture was my attempt to get rid of the jaundice the best we could with a little sunbathing every morning...obviously that didn't work :(

Here is his little bili light. They used to be big boxes and the babies had to wear little covers over their eyes, but now it is a light that they lay on and you have to wrap them in the blanket to get full exposure. The worst part about this was that he had to be in there 24/7, the only time I could take him out was to feed him and to change his diaper...also on Monday I went to the weight clinic at Covenant for nursing moms (in conjunction with the breastfeeding support group) and he was 6lbs 13.5oz and the lactation consultant wanted me to supplement him with an ounce of pumped breastmilk after every feeding to help with the jaundice and to get his weight up. The home health nurse wanted us to supplement with formula because it is better for getting the bilirubin down...anyways, we did supplement a little, he got 3 total ounces of formula and probably 5 or 6 of breastmilk, but then we started having some nursing problems and we decided to cut out the bottles as long as he was still gaining and his numbers were getting better. He is now nursing like a champ again and luckily I was pumping a lot so my supply is fine and on Friday morning he was 7lbs, 1.5oz, just 1.5oz off his birth weight! I am keeping my fingers crossed that we get a good weight report at the weight clinic on Monday. Friday was the big day that his bili level was 9.6, so after 5 days in the light with me not being able to hold him, he was released from his light prison and we are much happier...and then we got a bath...

Gavin's umbilical stump fell off at 8 days old, which is pretty early compared to a lot of babies, but still within normal limits. We had to wait for the bath because of the lights, so his first actual in the tub bath was last night and he *loved* it...and by loved it, I mean he hated it. It was funny, I think he will like it more later, but for now...not so much.

This was his "oh gosh, I can't believe you are seriously making me do this" pose.

We are doing well, just so happy to be free of the lights and doing ok. He is still a very good baby even though everyone said he was just lethargic from the jaundice. He is alert more and more everyday and as Daddy puts it, as long as he is moving or eating he is fine. He is still quite the night owl, but I think most 2 week olds are.

Gavin's First Photo Session