Monday, December 27, 2010

Merry Christmas! and Happy 8 month birthday!

At this time last year, we had just found out that our baby was a boy, but also about his hydrocephalus.  We had lots of questions and Christmas just didn't sparkle very much last year.  But this year was much more fun for all, including the beautiful and happy little boy that turned out to be Jacob.  God is good!


We traveled to Annie's parents in Port Angeles again for the holidays, joined by Great Grandpa Corson and Uncle Steve.  The three of us opted for the family focused Christmas Eve service at 5:30pm, instead of the late-night candlelight service.   Santa left lots of gifts for us all, but especially Jacob, including some new clothes, toys, and eating utensils.  Our Christmas meal was delicious, as usual (Annie's favorite meal of the whole year).  The pork roast was literally as big and long as Jacob!  We will celebrate with Matt's family on the 30th where I'm sure Jacob will be spoiled again.

Jacob loves to read! And Grandma is happy to help.
On the development front, Jacob continues to progress with the help of physical therapist, Laura.  He's sitting up more and getting much stronger.  Now we are working on him getting used to being on his tummy and his knees.  Jacob is also eating lots of new foods, from peas and carrots to apples and pears.  His favorite is sweet potatoes and prunes.  He is now just over 28" and 19lbs 5oz--a hefty load for Dad to carry him in the car seat carrier. 

Today, Jacob received his helmet.  This will help continue shaping his head and provide the best space for his brain to grow.  Fortunately, the surgery corrected a large portion of his head shape, so he will hopefully only have to wear the helmet for a few months.  He looks like a little race car driver!  He'll start wearing it for just a few hours a day, but will be up to 23 hours/day within a week. 

Still no news on selling our house.  We had an offer in early December, but they withdrew after we countered the offer.  God knows the best time and place for us and will make it happen. 

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  We count you, our friends and family, among our many blessings this year. 

Sunday, November 28, 2010

We are Thankful for...7 months!

We hope all of you had a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

We ventured over the river and through the snow to Grandmother's house (Annie's parents) on Thursday morning.  They had about a foot of snow at their house in Port Angeles, but the worst part of the drive was going into their driveway.  We made it with no problems and got right to cooking once we arrived.  This year was a smaller group and we only had 2 turkeys, instead of the usual 3.  Jacob joined us at the table, sitting in his new high chair and even tried some mashed potatoes.  He really did not like them and spit them out right away.  Annie's dad got him a new teething "toy" though--a silicone barrel stopper (aka bung).  Jacob did enjoy that and it must feel good on his new teeth coming in.

Jacob is 7 months old today!  He's doing so well after his surgery and now seems pretty much back to normal.  He's getting stronger and able to sit up with minimal support.  And he's just the happiest little guy we know.

We have so much to be thankful for this year!  Here are just a few...
  • Wonderful support from friends and family through prayer, provision of meals, babysitting, etc.
  • An amazing little boy who has come through two major surgeries with flying colors
  • A warm & dry house to live in
  • A good job that keeps Annie busy
  • A great church

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Home Sweet Home

Hooray!  We're home from the hospital after just 3 nights and 4 days.  We got the green light from the doctor this morning and were home by noon.  It's so nice to be in our own space, without the constant interruptions from beeping monitors and machines and well-meaning nurses. 

Jacob is looking great, especially after getting a nice bath this evening to clean up the mess of remaining hair.  He's getting his appetite back and smiling again.  He definitely prefers to be held instead of laying down on his own.  And a bit of tylenol manages what little pain and discomfort he has.  Matt and Annie feel better too after a good shower and are recovering from their colds as well.  Let's hope we all have an easy transition back into our home routine. 

We thank God for answering our prayers for a smooth surgery and fast recovery!  Thank you all for praying too!  Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Hospital day 2 (Friday, I think)

Being in the hospital has a way of sucking you into a time vacuum and you have no idea what day it really is.  Anyway, we are writing to you from Jacob's new room on the regular med/surg floor.  Yay! 

Matt stayed with Jacob overnight and both did pretty well.  This morning though, Jacob threw up a couple times and ended up getting put back on IV fluids.  A teeny set back.  But later in the day, he got his drain out from his head and one of his IV's taken out too.  All steps closer to getting him back home. 

Jacob is now sleeping peacefully and Matt and I are stretched out in a much more spacious room.  Not much of a view, but we'll take it!  Goals for the rest of the day are to get him eating a bit more and make sure his pain is well controlled.  Hopefully his doctor will take the dressings off tonight too.  He's got some really messy hair underneath his mesh cap.  So it would be nice to get him cleaned up some too. 

Annie went to her doctor this morning and came back with a prescription for antibiotics too.  So hopefully we'll all be on the road to healing here soon. 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Hospital day 1

Jacob's surgery finished about 1pm yesterday and they moved him into the ICU.  He looks way better than we expected!  (The swelling may still happen over the next couple of days).  There's a drain coming out of his head to collect the oozing blood and he's got a big net cap on.  Both sets of grandparents stayed with us through the afternoon and then said their goodnights. 

Mom and Dad left the hospital about 5:30pm, nearly 12 hours after we got here.  We literally got home and climbed into bed, skipping dinner or anything else.  Both of us have been fighting colds and really needed the sleep.

Back to the hospital this morning, this time with the sun up.  Jacob was starting to wake up when we got here, so was a little fussy.  Matt and I have both been able to hold him, as well as feed him, which makes for a happier family.  Just a few minutes ago, the nurse disconnected his IV fluids and pain medicine--one more step towards freedom!

Jacob will likely stay in the ICU through the day and overnight again, mainly because the regular floor is crowded (this is the same thing that happened in the NICU after he was born!).  But he is comfortable and in good hands.  We even got a couple of smiles from him today.  If all goes well, he could go home by Saturday!

Thank you again to all of you who are praying with us and thinking about us.  We can feel the love!  And thanks to those friends who are bringing food by too.  We love you!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Surgery Day



 This morning we got up at 5 to get Jacob to the hospital for his surgery.  He's wasn't too happy since he hadn't eaten anything since 1 in the morning so by 5 he was pretty hungry and wanted to eat.  We got to the hospital around 5:30 and they showed us to our surgery prep room.  Jacob was happy and had given up on being hungry by that point so it was nice to have some time with him.  Then they came in and tried 3 different times to get enough blood for a blood test and to set an IV.  He screamed through that and looked like a tomato, very angry and very hungry!!  Once that was all done it took a while to calm him down and then we waited...and waited...and waited.  They had to get the blood type and get some blood ordered (for a transfusion) before they would even let him in the OR.  When they finally had the type and the order in they decided that they needed to have the blood in hand before they would even start.  Finally a little before 9 they took him back to the OR.


Now we are in the surgery waiting room.  We just got an update from one of the OR nurses--the surgery is underway and going well so far.  She said Jacob didn't even cry when they got there; he was smiling and entertained by the silly OR staff.  Looks like surgery will be done sometime between 12 and 1.  Then to the ICU.  Both sets of grandparents are here waiting with us too. 

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween (and surgery update)

Happy Halloween from our little monkey! 

We had a fun evening carving pumpkins and eating pumpkin chili.  Only 1 trick or treater came by our house though, so there's lots of candy left over (aka Matt's breakfast, lunch and dinner).  Enjoy some pictures below. 

Jacob's surgery date is scheduled for Wednesday November 10th.  We'll let you know more as the info comes.



Wednesday, October 27, 2010

A half a year old!

Wow!  Jacob is 6 months old!  We can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by.  Six months feels like a major milestone as a family, but we have several other big moments ahead (read on). 

At Jacob's 6 month check up he weighed in at 17 pounds 8 ounces and about 28 inches.  Still tall for his age and average for weight.  He continues in physical therapy and is getting stronger all the time.  Jacob's world seems to be getting bigger too as he's learning to play, grab toys, and look around at everything.  He also has his first cold now, which is making him a bit crankier than usual.  He is sleeping through the night more often though, which is a bonus for mom and dad too.

The big news for this update:  we found out yesterday that Jacob will need more surgery.  In the process of getting him fit for a helmet to reshape his head, he ended up getting a skull X-ray and a CT scan of his head.  These showed that he has "craniosynostosis" which means that some of the skull bones have fused prematurely.  Untreated, this would result in a less than optimal space for his brain to grow, leading to increased risk for developmental delays.  Since he's already delayed a bit, the surgery is even more necessary. 

This surgery will likely take place over the next 1-2 months.  Today, we met with a pediatric plastic surgeon who will also be part of the surgery.  Fortunately, he suggested we do one surgery at at time.  It's called a "barrel stave" procedure, which I thought my dad would appreciate as a winemaker.  But the added challenge is his shunt, which will need to be removed and replaced during the surgery.  We know this is the right thing for Jacob, but it's a big surgery!  He'll be in the ICU for at least 1 day and then in the hospital for several more days. 

We ask for your continued prayers for Jacob and for us.  We are still trying to sell our house and are excited that our offer was accepted on another house here in Tacoma.  In the perfect storm, the house would sell and Jacob would have his surgery all at the same time.  God does have a Master Plan for us and is with us.  One day at a time!

As we are getting ready for surgery, we'll post more updates for sure!  Love to all of you. 

Monday, September 27, 2010

5 months old!

Happy 5 month birthday to Jacob today!  Can you believe it?  Just a few updates for this post as we are very busy this week.  We've put an offer in on a new house, but it's contingent on our house being on the market, so we are feverishly working to get our house ready to sell by this Friday.  It looks like a tornado hit here! 

But this blog is about Jacob's journeys, so here's the scoop:
Weight: 16 lbs 2 oz    Height: ~27 inches
Jacob's newest trick is rolling over, or almost.  He props himself up on his side regularly and kicks his legs enough to wriggle around.  But the other night, we left him on our bed and when we came back into the room, he was on his tummy!  We didn't actually see him do it, but know it's possible.  Look out world! 

He also started Physical Therapy a couple of weeks ago.  Maybe that's what's making the difference.  PT will help strengthen his core and upper body muscles to help support his large head and rolling over.  Overall, Jacob is about 1-2 months behind in his physical development (most babies roll over ~4 months).  But it's been exciting to see how fast he's learning and that he's getting stronger every day. 

It's also been fun to see Jacob's personality come out too.  He's usually a really happy, laid back guy.  And he's got a smile and bright blue eyes that just light up the room.  No matter how stressful the day has been, one look from Jacob melts it all away. 

We'll post more pictures...once we unpack the camera.  Appreciate your prayers for Jacob and for us in the home-buying process.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Take me out to the ball game!

Hello friends!
We have been a busy family in the last few weeks.  Jacob has had several appointments in follow up from the neurologist and pediatrician, all with good news.  He passed his hearing test with flying colors.  The eye doctor said he might be a little far-sighted, but that's normal for his age.  He didn't pick things up in his field of vision right away, but that seems to be improving too. 

Today, Jacob started physical therapy.  The best part is that our friend from church is his therapist.   She had some good exercises for us to work on at home.  He is definitely behind the curve on his physical development.  But we are encouraged by the progress we've seen even in the last month. 

The most fun in the last few weeks has been seeing Jacob's personality begin to come out.  He is usually very happy and smiling.  And the best sound in the world is his laughter.  We're working on a better bedtime routine.  He likes being read to and is learning to play with toys a little bit. 

Last weekend, we went to 4 baseball games in a row!  The Tacoma Rainiers were in the playoffs, but our local Cheney Stadium is under construction, so all 3 games were played at Safeco Field in Seattle.  We had great seats, 2 rows behind home plate.  Then on Monday, Auntie Joy gave us tickets to see the Mariners vs. the Red Sox.  The Rainiers finally won the championship, but the Mariners lost.  We've seen our fill of baseball for the summer now!  On to the wonders of Fall. 

We are excited to celebrate his 5 month birthday soon.  Wow!  Where has the time gone?  Jacob is getting so big!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

4 months old (almost)

Found a new blog template, so thought we'd play with that!  What do you think?

Jacob had his 4 month check up this past week.  Wow!  Where has the time gone?  We also had a couple of other appointments with the neurosurgeon and the neurologist.  Here are the details:

Height: 25 3/4 inches  (75th percentile)     Weight:  15lbs 1 oz  (50th percentile) 
Jacob's head is stilll larger than average, but he is getting better at holding it up on his own.  We have been recommended for physical therapy, but are still on the waiting list.  The neurosurgeon was pleased with how things look, particularly some swelling that had been around the shunt site which has gone way down. 

This was our first visit with the neurologist and it was a bit of a reality check for us.  Jacob has been progressing well, but is a bit behind where he should be developmentally.  It is hard to say at this age, but there are some things he was concerned about, particularly his vision and hearing.  When we see Jacob every day, we don't think much of it.  But when the doctor put a red ball in front of him, Jacob didn't seem to notice it at all.  There are some visual defecits that can occur with hydrocephalus, so we have an appt with the eye doctor, as well as another hearing screen.  Jacob will also need an MRI in another couple of months to better evaluate the brain structures.

So we are not out of the woods by any means. It just means we need to keep praying!  We know God is with us still.  We are grateful for all the health care providers who are looking out for us and for our friends and family supporting us. 

Other adventures:  Jacob's first Mariners game!  Shown in the picture below with Grandma Vicki.  Another Rainiers baseball game to celebrate Grandpa Leigh's birthday.  And we are enjoying being at home after all the travelling we have done this summer. 

Annie is back at work full time now and we are all trying to find the balance of work and home life.  It was a bit rough the first week, but we're figuring it out now.  Matt is doing a great job keeping the house liveable and a big thanks to him for getting up in the middle of the night with Jacob so Annie can sleep. 

Thanks for reading and we appreciate your continued prayers and support. 


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Pictures, pictures, we want pictures!

We have been to 3 weddings, Port Angeles, Idaho, and California since our last post.  All very good trips, but we are glad to be back at home for awhile to settle down.  Here are some pictures of our recent adventures. 
Helping out at the winery...

Family reunion in Hayden Lake Idaho with Matt's Family. 
Jacob's first boat ride!


Visiting with Aunt Ronnie from New Jersey
Celebrating Great Auntie Joy's 85th birthday and 50 years at their lake cabin. 

Grandma and Grandpa lovin' on Jacob.

First airplane ride...to California.  Jacob did great both ways!! 
Annie was a bridesmaid in her best friend Megan's wedding. 

Sunday, July 18, 2010

We've been busy!

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since our last post.  We have been busy, just nothing too exciting.  Annie has returned to work 2 days a week.  So far, she's a little overwhelmed and already diving into another project (opening another new clinic!).  Leaving Jacob at home has been hard, but he is in good hands with Matt. 

On Annie's off days, we still wanted to make the most of the time together.  Last Tuesday, we spent the whole day in Seattle, starting at Pike Place Market.  Jacob slept through most of it and Matt navigated the market crowds with the stroller with ease. 

Next, we headed to Greenlake for a little walk and then met Matt's parents and Aunt Stephanie at Duke's Chowderhouse for lunch.  Then we all headed up to the Woodland Park Zoo.  This stop was mostly for our benefit, since Jacob can only see about 4 feet in front of him.  We enjoyed seeing penguins, flamingos, monkeys, meer cats, and tigers.  Lots of fun animals!  We'll definitely head back when Jacob is older. 

We finished the day by meeting Annie's brother for dinner nearby.  It was a great fun and family filled day.  And the weather was just perfect for walking around town. 
We'll be heading to Port Angeles next weekend to help "man the store" at the winery.  Annie's parents are enjoying the trip of a lifetime to France and Italy, but someone's still gotta take care of the business.  Many friends and family are stepping in to help and it's our turn to join the fun. 


We hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are.  When we are home, we love hanging out on our deck and enjoying our beautiful yard.  Our roses are going crazy!

Jacob is getting bigger every day and a having fun too.  He's smiling more and becoming more expressive.  So fun!  And he's been more awake during the day which has made for some longer sleep at night--up to 7 hours!  Hooray!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

More celebrations since our last post. 
We had another baby shower and Jacob was the guest of honor!  Jacob attended his third Tacoma Rainiers game and we enjoyed their annual 3rd of July fireworks extravaganza.  On the 4th of July, we celebrated with some friends who live near the waterfront in Tacoma.  We watched the fireworks from their lawn, all bundled up.  Jacob slept through both big bang events. (Look at his chubby cheeks!)

The 5th of July was Matt's birthday.  We had a great party and the sun came out just in time for the "Birthday Olympics" which include events involving stacking ding dongs on your forehead, fishing with gummi worms, a tug o war, and trivia questions.  My favorite event was called "face the cookie" which required players to get an oreo cookie from their forehead to their mouth without using their hands.  We finished off the evening with delicious BBQ chipotle burgers and lemon cream cheese cake.  

Jacob had another follow-up appointment today where they did some developmental screening as well.  He's still very young, so there's not much to look for right now.  They did recommend some physical therapy to help with head control and neck strength.  It's good to know there are so many folks looking out for him.  He's up to 12 lbs 11oz--getting bigger every day!  He's just starting to smile and discover that his hands belong to him.  You have to be quick on the shutter to capture those smiles on camera, but we know that there are many more to come. 

Annie will be going back to work in the next week.  Please pray for her as she returns to the overwhelming mountain of email and catches up with her staff and co-workers. 

We love hearing how many of you are following us on our blog.  We love comments too, so don't be shy. 
Enjoy the sunshine, now that it has finally arrived in Western WA!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Happy Happy!

Happy first Father's Day to Matt! 
We celebrated in Port Angeles with Annie's parents and friends, feasting on delicious homemade wood-fired pizzas. 


The following day, June 21st, was our 2nd wedding anniversary.  We reminisced about that beautiful day two years ago and what a wonderful time we had.  Jacob was not even a twinkle in our eye at that time. 

Grandma and Grandpa gladly babysat Jacob so we could go out on a date to celebrate.  Dinner and a movie was all we needed and it was nice to spend some time together as a couple.  Of course, dinner conversation drifted to Jacob talk and plans for future family adventures. 

 We took Jacob back to the doctor this week, just for a weight check.  This new formula seems to be doing the right thing!  Jacob is now up to 12 lbs!!  After all the diarrhea and GI issues, he had some catching up to do.  He gained 15 oz in 5 days, which is amazing!   We're so glad he's feeling better and is back to his normal, happy self.  

We're glad summer has finally arrived and we've been enjoying visiting our local farmer's markets.  Here's hoping the sun sticks around for awhile!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Lots o' News!

We apologize for not letting you know we made it back from our road trip safely.  That was more than a week ago now!  I thought not much had been going on, but then I downloaded our pictures and found evidence to the contrary.  Here are a few highlights of the last week:

Drove across the North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) and actually saw snow in June!  But also some beautiful waterfalls and green trees.  

We stayed with Annie's Granpa on Camano Island on our last stop and then headed down I-5 back to Tacoma. 
It was good to be back home.  But it was also back to the reality of laundry, bills, and cleaning.  And Jacob's reality of sleeping, eating, and pooping. 



We went to another Tacoma Rainiers game, this time with a group from our church.  The guys were all loaded up with kids and gear!  

This week, we had several doctor's appointments for regular check ups.  The neurosurgeon says everything looks good from his perspective.  Jacob does have some swelling around the valve, which creates quite a bulge on the side of his head.  The doc would rather not have that there, but it doesn't bother Jacob either.  We'll be putting a headband around his head to try to put some pressure on it and bring down the swelling.

Jacob also had a regular check up at the pediatrician this week when he got his first round of vaccinations.  He did great, only crying a little bit with each of the 3 shots he received.  At this visit, Jacob weighed in at 11 lbs 1 oz, and measured 23 inches long--all right on track for the growth curves.  We went back to the pediatrician today, worried that Jacob has had some diarrhea for about 3 weeks now.  Fortunately, he's gaining weight ok, but his poor bottom is getting very sore.  We're on to our 4th kind of formula now and hopefully this will solve the problem.  After a very fussy past couple of days (quite unlike Jacob), he seems to be feeling better today already.  Hallelujah!  Maybe mom and dad will get some better sleep tonight too. 

Physically, Jacob still has all that hair he was born with.  It's turning into an auburn color and his eyebrows and eyelashes are starting to darken as well.  His eyes are still a beautiful blue.  He's also focusing on mom and dad's faces a lot, but also is quite happy when he finds his hands in his mouth as well.   With the last few nights being the exception, Jacob sleeps quite well--about 4 hours at night.  That's not too bad for his age and mom and dad take turns getting up with him.

We can't believe our little guy will be 8 weeks old next week!  The time has gone by very quickly and slowly at the same time.  Annie will be getting ready to go back to work after the 4th of July.  We're looking forward to celebrating Father's Day, our 2nd wedding anniversary and Matt's birthday in the next couple of weeks. We'll keep you posted!

Monday, June 7, 2010

We continued on our road trip, leaving Spokane on Sunday morning.  We stopped at Grand Coulee Dam--an amazing sight!  Matt had not been there before and it was also an important stop in Annie's family history.  Annie's Grandpa Emry worked on the dam back in the 1930s.  They have a great visitor's center and it was neat to read about how the dam was built and what a major project it was. 


 The weather improved a bit on Monday and we actually felt the warm rays of sunshine on our shortsleeved arms for the first time this summer.  What lovely weather for wine tasting in the Okanagan Valley.  The wineries up here are beautiful, with vineyards all around and views of the lake below. 

Jacob has been a great traveller so far.  We had to get a little creative in our feeding and changing options today, even changing him in the trunk of the car.  At one point, Matt had a baby bottle in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.   Jacob needs to get used to wineries early and only one person asked him for some ID. 

Tomorrow, we'll head back down the OkanaganValley and into Washington, ending up in Twisp. 

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Jacobs first road trip.

Jacob went to the Doctors on Thursday and his weight is up to 10 pounds 8 ounces!  He is doing great.  He is tracking really well with his eyes and makes eye contact every time we feed him.  He is getting stronger every day.

Well Jacob is now five and a half weeks old and we are on our first road trip.  We left on Friday morning and went up and had lunch with Annie's brother Steve at his work and then left for Spokane.  Jacob did really well on the trip and only was fussy as we were going over the pass.  We got to Spokane around 7:30 where we met with much of Matt's family and stayed with his Uncle Stu and Aunt Dorothy.  We Spent Sat. in Spokane and met a few of Matt's friends and some more family.  Sun. morning we will leave early for the Okanagan Valley, where we will spend Sun. night, Mon., and Tues. morning up there doing some wine tasting and showing off Jacob.  We will then spend Tues. night outside of Winthrop.  Then drive along the north cascades highway and spend the Wed. night with Annie's grandfather on Camano Island.  Finally we will get home on Thursday and get back to our normal lives.

We will try and keep posting as we go along, but finding internet access is sometimes kind of tricky.  As it is where I'm sitting the internet keeps dropping me, so I may not even be able to post this!

Hope you all are doing well and thanks for taking time to keep up with what we and (more importantly) Jacob are up to.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Cheers! Jacob is 4 weeks old!

We celebrated Jacob's 4 week birthday today at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Port Angeles.  Jacob had his bottle of milk and the rest of us raised a glass of bubbly and ate cupcakes.  :)  Jacob continues to do well--eating, sleeping and growing.

We are in Port Angeles for a few days to spend time with the grandparents, but also to help out with bottling at the winery.  Matt has not seen the process before and it's quite impressive.

Today, we also hung out with our friends Nicolas and Sofia (Annie and Jamie got some good mommy time together too).  We can only imagine what trouble these kids will get into together as they grow up!





In the last week, we have had some more visitors and some special outings.  Annie's Auntie Joy came to visit and got in some cuddle time with Jacob.  The last time she saw him was in the hospital and he has certainly changed and grown a lot since then. 






We also went to Jacob's first baseball game on Friday!  We walked over to Cheney Stadium to see the Rainiers play.  After a 90 minute rain delay, they finally started.  Jacob didn't cheer very much during the game because he was asleep most of the time.   It was a pretty cold and wet night, but we all had fun.









People also ask how our cats, Jack and Phoebe, are adjusting to having Jacob in the house. Overall, they are doing very well. They don't get as much attention as they used to, but still manage to find some nap time together.

Matt and Annie are figuring out how to take shifts in the night and nap during the day.  We have also plotted out some fun trips for this summer and hope to see some of you along the journey.  Stay tuned for future posts on our adventures.  

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

He's 3 weeks old!

We had another check up with the doctor today to check Jacob's weight gain progress.  He's up to 8lbs 13oz--a gain of 7oz in 5 days.  Right on track!  Yay!  We also saw the doctor today for his circumcision.  Umm, sorry, no pictures this time.  (Jacob will probably freak out when he's a teenager and finds out we wrote about this on the blog.)  He did great (Matt stayed out in the waiting room), and only cried a little bit (Jacob that is).  In fact, during the most painful part, he was practically asleep.  Needless to say, he's been quite cuddly and sleepy this afternoon.

Today, Annie also ate her first of many "mom meals"--eating with one hand while standing up with a fussy baby in the other arm, and managed not to spill anything on the baby or herself.  Maybe we're getting the hang of this!

On Friday, we took our longest car trip so far out to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Enumclaw where we had dinner.  The dogs were quite curious, but were well contained most of the time.  We've also been enjoying some dinners provided by members of our church, which is a big help to us as well.  

No more doctor's appointments for awhile.  So now we just get to have fun together as a family for awhile.  And keep eating and sleeping--hopefully lots more of both!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Two week update

Monday May 10th (Jacob's original due date) came and went uneventfully and we can hardly believe he is two weeks old now. We looked at each other and chuckled.  The last two weeks feel like a year!  With all the days in the hospital and trips back and forth, the lack of sleep and many visitors, we have had quite a ride. 

This week, we had several appointments with various doctors for Jacob and Annie.  The neurosurgeon says everything looks good at this stage and we'll follow-up with him in 4 more weeks.  Today, we had a check up with the pediatrician who also says things look good.  Jacob is showing good signs of early neurologic development (good muscle tone, reflexes, and eye tracking), but he does need to put on weight a little more swiftly so we'll be working on that. 

Yesterday, Annie met with the lactation consultant, who gave her blessing to stop breastfeeding/pumping.  Her milk production was very limited and not very fruitful, so Jacob has been bottle feeding from the beginning.  For the most part, this is a huge relief as this has been a big stressor for Annie.  Everything else is going well with her post partum recovery. 

We hope to get outside more to enjoy this beautiful weather in the next few days.  Here are some pics from the last few days of Jacob's many faces.  He's cute even when he's mad.  :)