Back to the Hospital

After 1 week, I went back to see the doctor and he said that I had jaundice.  So Mommy and I got re-admitted to the hospital for 24 hours.  When I wasn't eating or getting my diaper changed, I had to wear these funny eye cover thingies and lay in a special kind of lighting.  It wasn't the most comfortable place to be, but every so often, Mommy would take me out and just hold me.  I really needed her touch a few times throughout the night.  It was hard for her too, but I love the way she took care of me and put my health above her own.  She actually told me that during our stay, she had some great time learning and talking to Jesus.  She says He is God and that He loves me.  She also told me that it was kind of a special time for she and I.  No one else was in the room.  Just Mommy and me!  She and Sawyer didn't even have time like that in a hospital room.  Then she teased me about creating lots of surprises and being her trouble maker: coming 2 weeks early, being stubborn and not wanting to come out, tougher time in delivery, and now extra time in the hospital with jaundice!  What can I say?  I gotta be me.  (More "attitude" pics coming soon...)However, I did cooperate and by morning, my levels had dropped from 22 to 12 and we were sent home.  I think this is where the phrase "There's no place like home" could be said wholeheartedly. 

Just After 1 Week

Today is February 14, Valentines Day, 2011 and it just happens to be my 1 week birthday!  The world is quite different than I expected.  I really like sleeping A LOT and my big brother's kisses on my face leaving it wet and slobbery!  When Mommy strokes my left cheek, I smile.  So many things to enjoy.  But there are many things I must express my true dislike for them!  When Daddy won't let me sleep, when people change my diapers, and especially when people insist on straightening out my legs.  Can't I just stay all curled up in a little ball?  All in all, I am doing quite well.  Mommy and Daddy say that I am a good eater.  So far I have been eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours and enjoying my food for at least 20 minutes every meal.  They also seem to get quite excited when I open my eyes and "look" at them!

Here are several pictures to reminisce about my first week!

 Seeing Mommy for the first time!

 Getting bundled up in my first warm, cozy outfit!

 Meeting my big brother for the first time!!

 Showing off all my LONG-ness!

 Getting ready to go home...

 ...and relaxing at home!

Catching some rays.

Pondering whether I want to sleep or wake up?

What's Up @ 37 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Note from Mommy-Had doctor's visit on Monday.  Benjamin has definitely been head first for awhile, but has still not dropped.  Therefore, we continue to wait on HIS timing.

Image and info from Baby Center.

What's Up @ 36 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Note from Mommy: We had our last ultrasound yesterday.  Benjamin is weighing in so far at 7lbs 4 oz. with 4 more weeks to go!  Computer put his due date for the 3rd of Feb, but as long as all goes well, we are sticking with the 21st!

What's Up @ 35 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
See what your baby looks like this week.

Image and info from Baby Center.


Note from Mommy: We've started our kick counts.  4-5 kicks 1 hour after eating three times a day or around 12-15 kicks in 12 hour period.  This is just done to make sure baby is healthy and still moving.  Please continue to pray for Benjamin's safety inside the womb!

What's Up @ 34 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.


Image and info from Baby Center.

What's Up @ 33 weeks

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.