Our Jaundice Journey

So we have it made it to our first week with little Henry, and its been a crazy one.  For those of you who don't know, we came home from hospital with Henry late Tuesday night.  Then Thursday morning he had his 2 day check up.  Well the doctor thought he looked a little yellow, and this started a whirlwind that we are still trying to recover from.

I took Henry to get his heel pricked and his billy levels checked.  We got a call from the doctor at about 4:30 Thursday night that his levels were at 18 (a tad too high for our little guy, heading into a more dangerous level) and that we needed to go back to the hospital and put Henry under the lights for 24 hours.

That was really hard to hear.  We had just gotten home, were trying to adapt Mason and Campbell to their new little brother, and for me I really just like to sit on the couch and do nothing but hold my new baby for days.

And now, we had to quickly scramble, repack for the hospital, get Campbell and Mason set up for staying at Nana and Pappa's and head back to the hospital.

It was just so hard to go back to the hospital and be told that we could only hold Henry when he was out being nursed.  And we were to keep the nursing quick- no cuddling.  Here he is only 3 days old and we are not allowed to hold him... it was incredibly difficult.

However, the nursing staff at Sierra Nevada was AWESOME! We got to have our room and keep Henry with us for the most of the time.

They checked his levels at 11 pm- and they had gone up- 19.6  

He was rechecked again at 5 am... only down to 17- it was then that we were told that there was a chance we wouldn't be getting to go home that day (now Friday).

AHHHH.

So, we waited, watched Henry under the lights. And when he was retested Friday night, he was at only 13.9  And we would have to stay another night.  However, we were told most likely we would be able to leave early the next morning! YEA!

Nope. At 5 am he was checked again- and only at 13.6

That was so hard.  And I just wanted to cry.

I hadn't seen Campbell or Mason for more than a few minutes for almost a week, and I just wanted to be recovering at home, holding my new baby.

So we had to wait another 11 hours to SEE if we would get to go home.

Ok- so after about 8 episodes of Law and Order SVU (God bless you USA and your wonderful L & O marathons) we rechecked his levels and YES- finally at 10.6!

We were out the door.

As soon as we arrived home, our dinner was pleasantly waiting for us (ah, thank you Brenda for Frank's Pizza- and what a wonderful memory Rachel Jamison has... 1/2 Hawaiian and 1/2 Mushroom and Olives is the pizza we love to devour)

We returned Sunday morning for another heel prick.  And didn't hear anything.

So as a paranoid mother, i started calling around today to see what was up.  And found that Henry's Sunday level was at 13.5- it had gone back up and no one had called us.

So after trying to tackle someone down from Miners for information, here is the plan:

I'll take Henry in to Miners tomorrow to be checked out.  I'll let you know what is going on when I know a little more.  But please pray that we don't have to return to the hospital.

Right now, we are home, enjoying all 3 kids, and learning how to be a family of 3 under 3!

Quick Candids

In all the excitement of our newest addition, we can't forget our other 2 little wonders.

hmmm... which book to read next??? hmmmm....

food is just so yummy

Welcome Henry Levi

Our sweet little Henry Levi.  We are so happy that you are here!

Born March 23, 2009 at 12:38 am

8 lbs 6 oz 

20 1/2 inches long.

More to come soon!

the face of teething

poor little Mason is cutting 3 little teeth.  She is not quite happy these days.  But today she napped like a champion! And had a runny nose.  I hope that is still all related to teething, and that we aren't about to be having a sick house and a new baby....

trying to smile for the camera

self soothing while trying to drink

this about sums up how she's feeling

ahh distraction- what does mom have?

mission accomplished! i have the tivo remote!

a familiar shot

sorry that there isn't a different shot of Campbell for this post. I was trying to get some candids of him and Mason playing so well together, and as soon as the snap of the lens pops up Campbell wants "to see Campbell" on the screen.
Oh, and the orange in the photo? That would be my belly sticking out. Lovely, i know.
Campbell's been saying some pretty funny things this week. Really quoting just everything he's seeing and hearing.
One of his favorite things to do right now is to jump on our ottoman saying "Boing, boing, boing". why? because of Finding Nemo. when Dory and Marlin are in the jellyfish area, and Dory is "boing and boing" all over the jellyfish. He will also say "so squishy" cause again, Dory finds a small jellyfish that will be "her squishy". when Dory touches the jellyfish and gets stung and goes "bad squishy" Campbell laughs HILARIOUSLY.

The other fairly funny thing he has been saying, "don't wake the kids". Again, from Finding Nemo. When I shush him or ask him to be quiet, that is his response.
Yes i do regulate how much tv he watches. And yes, i do regulate what he watches. He is a sponge.

he said a couple of other funny more grown up things tonight (not movie related) but my tired brain can't remember them. I'll try to think it through.

Singing the "Blues"

Everyday Campbell requests that we listen to "The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree" by the Veggie Tales.  So we do.  Yup, its always Christmas time here.  Towards the end of the cd, the "blind lemon" comes out to sing a bluesy Christmas song.

The other day Campbell and I were dancing around at the table to the bluesy Christmas song.

This is Campbell's singing the blues:

all the things i wanted

i really, really wanted a little red headed girl.  and i honestly didn't know how much i wanted a daughter until i actually had one.

but another huge thing that i really, really wanted were- readers!  i've been a huge reader all my life, and Sam has an equal love for books.  we have been more than thrilled to watch Campbell be completely engulfed in them as well.

And now Mason is too!  Lately, while Campbell is watching Sesame Street, Mason will walk behind the couch, to the little corner where the giraffe chair is, pull out a pile a books and read to herself.  You can actually hear the inflection in her little chattering voice change as she chatters to herself while reading the pages.

I caught some pictures of Mason getting a book read to her by her current most favorite person- her Dad!

sometimes a fall happens

i caught this little fall while trying to take pictures of the little butterfly top i just made for Mason.  she was not upset for long- and she got right back up... still, its a funny sad to catch these little spills on still shot!

this week at the Nies'

we kept things pretty calm and laid back.

Mason, our official camera endorser.

Great things happened this week... my children learned to vacuum, kinda.

blue eyes

Yup, i just love these blue eyes.

Sweet Sunshine

yesterday (the morning of my shower) Mason and i had quite a treat- we both got to sleep in! Campbell had spent the night with Papa (who was going to watch him for the shower).  It had been under some suspicion that Campbell tends to wake up earlier than the rest of us (and yes its true, he wakes up about 6:15 am).  Mason got to sleep until 8:15, and then wake up by talking to her monkey (her baby) and not by having her brother throw toys into her crib.

So my sweet little girl was just morning sunshine.