Gisele and her baby

Gisèle has gotten very used to seeing me nurse Miles. She's well aware that babies are too little to eat food, and all they can do is drink milk from Mama or from a bottle. We happen to have a small boppy that came with a play gym we used when she was a baby, and we've given it to her to play with. She fed her baby today, wisely choosing to use a bottle - but she doesn't have any play bottles to use. What she DOES have is... a wooden hot dog. From her play food set. The picture below is of very poor quality (blurry from my phone), but gives you an idea - this is Gisèle, with her baby laying on her boppy. Right after she said "Where'd my hotdog doe {go}??"

Miles - 2 weeks old

We had Miles's 2-week appointment today, and he's doing great! The jaundice is gone, and he's already 7 oz above his birth weight! He's 22 inches long (90%) and 8 lbs 7 oz (50%) - so he's long and skinny. He's caught on to nursing, and keeps me busy by wanting to eat every three hours (or sometimes, every 2 or every 1 1/2) all day. Gisèle still adores him, and wants to kiss his head all the time. She also loves to see him awake, loves to point out his little feet when he's asleep, and gets VERY upset when he cries. We're loving being a family of 4! I haven't managed to take many pictures yet of him awake, so enjoy these of him sleeping. :)

Jamie

Jamie turned 31 on Tuesday, and I didn't even have a chance to get him a card. We'll end up celebrating sometime in the next couple of months, but until then, I can at least share some of the many things I love about him.

He's funny - both intentionally and not. He has such a great sense of humor, and can make me laugh no matter how else I might be feeling. He also has messes up his words occasionally - coming out with things I call Jamie-isms (example: trying to say "Humphrey Bogart" and it coming out as "Hogey Bumfart.")

He's HOT - he has wonderful dimples in his cheeks and his chin, the most beautiful smile in the world, and amazing brown eyes. Not to mention his perfect fingernails. :)



He's super smart, and so good at what he does. I love hearing about how things are going at work for him - he does so much there, and it's so nice to hear when he's been recognized for it. I'm incredibly proud of him for getting his CPA studying and testing done, and passing! He's dedicated and hardworking, and he's mine.

He's an amazing father. I somehow fall more and more in love with him every time I watch him with Gisèle, and now Miles. He's so much more patient than I am, and Gisèle completely adores him. He doesn't hesitate to put on a pink polka dot hat, to allow stickers to be placed all up and down his arms, or to cheer along Dora and Boots on one of their adventures, just to keep Gisèle company while she watches. He's so gentle with Miles, and I can't wait to see them interacting as Miles gets older. He changes 99% of the diapers in the house, and is ready any and every time I need support.



He amazes me with the sense of responsibility he has for our family and our house. He is constantly working on cleaning, yardwork, bills, plans, lists, and spreadsheets, all to keep our lives running smoothly. He takes care of everything so that I don't have to worry about anything at all.

He takes such good care of me. He offers back and foot rubs; he lets me nap when I can instead of reminding me about things that need to be done; he checks to make sure my blood sugar is okay; he reminds me to take medicine for my headaches; he spoils me with birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gifts; he constantly tells me how much he loves my cooking; and he is free with hugs and kisses, knowing how much I love the contact.



Jamie, I love you!!

Not Much of a Resemblance

Gisèle and Miles share the same nose, and they have the same dimpled chin. Other than that, I don't think they look too much alike yet!

Jamie with Gisèle:


Jamie with Miles:


Gisèle in her hospital bassinet:


Miles in his hospital bassinet:

Oh yeah - we're home!

I'm sorry I didn't post earlier, but yes - we're home! Miles was discharged Friday around 4:00pm, and we were home by 6:00pm. We have settled in a bit more now, and have had a good weekend as a family of 4. Gisèle loves her baby brother, and constantly tells us she'd like to kiss his head. She's also been a big help burping him after he eats, and is proud of herself every time. We're about to celebrate her Big Sister-hood with cupcakes and a tricycle, so I'll close with some pictures of the first time she held him in the hospital. (The last is right before she kissed him.)

Another Night in the "Hopsible"

Well, Miles is taking after his big sister with regards to jaundice - turns out it's genetic. His bili levels are high, so he was taken to the nursery a little bit ago to begin a long session under phototherapy lights. He'll be tested again in the morning (around 6 or 7am) to see where his levels are at, and then about 4 hours after that test, he'll have a final one. As long as everything looks good, he'll be discharged tomorrow. The hospital is letting me stay in my room another night so that I can be on hand to feed him, and not have to drive back and forth from home.

I really don't like that he has to stay in the nursery so long, and can only be brought out for 25 minutes at a time for breastfeeding, but it's much better to do it this way. With Gisèle, we went home and then had to readmit her when she was 5 days old. It was heartbreaking. We also had a bili blanket at home with her for a week or so, and it's no fun to have to stay near an outlet at all times when you're home with a newborn.

Please say a prayer that his levels will be good when tested in the morning. We don't want him to have to spend any more time here than he has to; we really don't want to have to readmit him at any point; and we really, really don't want to have to have him on a bili blanket at home.

Other than the jaundice, things are good! I'm slowly recovering, and Miles is wonderful. He has Jamie's dimpled chin (just like Gisèle!) and my little ears. He's a calm baby, and is doing pretty well with breastfeeding, though the jaundice makes him very tired. Gisèle was able to hold him yesterday when she came by after school, and we're finally starting to feel like a family of four. I'll update more when I have a chance.

Introducing Miles Oliver Lowery!

Miles is here! After a longer induction than we thought we'd have, I pushed for 9 minutes and he made his arrival at 5:39pm on October 13. He weighs 8 pounds and is 21 1/2 inches long. We had one scary moment 15 minutes after I got the epidural. My blood pressure crashed and Miles's heart rate plummeted. The head anesthesiologist was paged again and I was given a shot of ephedrine to bring my blood pressure back up. Everything turned out okay, and everyone is healthy. Gisèle met her baby brother after school today and I think they're going to get along very well. :)

Miles is coming tomorrow!

I had a doctor's appointment today, and we decided Miles should make his arrival tomorrow, October 13! I'm a "loose 5cm" and more effaced than last week, when I was 70%. Due to how uncomfortable I am, how big Miles will probably be (around 8 pounds), and how fast my labor will probably be, being induced is the best decision all around. The great thing about going in already having steady contractions, and being as far progressed as I am, is that I'll get the epidural right away - before my water is broken. Hopefully, I won't have to experience much pain! Dr. Le thinks labor will be pretty quick, and we'll only use pitocin (to increase/strengthen the contractions) if necessary. It should be a pretty simple induction.

So - in the morning, we'll drop Gisèle off at daycare, then head to the hospital at 8:00. Hopefully, our son will arrive by lunchtime, and then Jamie will pick Gisèle up that afternoon to bring her to the "hopsible!" to meet her baby brother!

Chocolate-Banana "Ice Cream"

I don't have a picture of the finished product, but I have a couple of Gisèle enjoying the finished product! This is a very easy recipe from Tasty Kitchen that is a guilt-free alternative to ice cream, and something I'm happy to let Gisèle have every day if she wants it!

Chocolate-Banana "Ice Cream"

4 ripe bananas
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp honey
a dash of salt

-Cut the bananas into chunks, and puree with the other ingredients in a blender until smooth.
-Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.
(You may need to microwave for a few seconds before trying to scoop it out.)

Dress Up

Gisèle loves to dress up. In these pictures, on top of her shorts and shirt, she's wearing Cat In the Hat socks (from Target's Dollar Spot), and a ballet skirt and headband (from Grandma & Grandpa Lowery). Shortly after this picture was taken, she added an armful of plastic bangles. She also still enjoys putting on other people's shoes - especially Daddy's - and any hats she finds lying around.

Lately, we can tell she's becoming a little girl instead of a toddler. She's asking to wear a dress just about every day (which means her supply of 4 cotton casual dresses is nowhere near enough), and loves to choose between bows, ponytails, and a headband for her hair. It's very sweet, but a little sad, too, to see her growing up. Happily, though, she can still surprise us by coming around the corner with a polka dot hat on, or Jamie's socks pulled up past her knees.

Tickle Time!

"Tickle, please, Daddy!"