Jacob is all better!

Thank you so much to everyone who has been thinking of us and praying for us over the past few days... it's been a rude introduction to the unpleasant parts of parenthood. Jacob has his follow-up visit today and it's all GREAT news! His bilirubin levels are much lower and he's gained 4 ounces in only 2 days!! It's also encouraging that he's been feeling so much better and eating so well- nursing is a lot more enjoyable now that he's feeling better and is calmer overall. We feel so blessed, God is good and answered all of our prayers about Jacob's health.

Jacob update

Jacob had his first pediatrician visit today. The doctor said he looks good, the only problem is that his jaundice is worse than when we left the hospital. They did a blood test in the office and determined that his bilibrubin is higher than they'd like, so this afternoon Cook's Children's home health delivered"bili lights" to the house which will help him get rid of the extra bilirubin. Apparently Stephen had the same problem as a newborn.

The doctor is very nice and encouraging, she thinks he'll do just fine. She believes that in a few days his levels will be low enough to stop the bili lights. We have a follow-up appointment on Thursday morning to re-check the levels and see if we need to continue the phototherapy or not.

Needless to say I feel terrible that he has to stay in his bili light suitcase thing all day (I was a wreck in the doctor's office, of course). In order for it to work, he has to stay under the lights as much as possible except for feedings and diaper changes. It's hard not being able to hold him when he's crying but hopefully this won't last past Thursday. I'm just thankful that he doesn't have to go to the hospital and can stay with us at home. Luckily, Stephen was able to coordinate his ER shifts so that he can be at home with us for a few more days. Please pray that the bili lights do their job and that Jacob's liver enzymes mature quickly to be able to handle the extra bilirubin! (and for my sanity of course :)

I'm trying to keep a sense of humor though, despite the raging hormones and a mother's worrying... I'll have to post a picture of our "toboggan sunbather" at some point. Despite being sad when I see him in there, he still manages to look really cute!

Baby Jacob is here!

Just a quick post to let you know that Jacob (formerly known as Baby T) arrived Friday (March 21st) at 9:04pm! We still can't believe he's here... we're all home and doing well. I'll try to post more later, but here are a few pictures to get things started...

Baby T time?!

Just a quick update.... Today may be the day Baby T is born! I started having some contractions yesterday while shopping at Wal-Mart (ironically, trying to get stocked up before Baby Time) around 4pm and they have continued until this morning. So I'm at home, trying to stay busy and active, hoping that they become close enough together by this afternoon that we can go to the hospital! I have a doctor's appointment late this afternoon, so at least she'll be able to tell me if I should go ahead and go to the hospital today or not.

Stephen and I are both very excited! Today is also our Match Day for residency, but the contractions have overshadowed that just a little bit :) I'm hoping that the regularity of the contractions means that we will have a baby by this weekend... but I'm trying to be patient, it's just difficult! That's all for now.

38 weeks pregnant... 14 days to go!

I can't believe we're getting close to single digits on the baby countdown! I was officially 38 weeks on Monday, so I'm now on the "short list" as my doctor put it :) Sunday night/Monday Baby T decided to drop down, which was an odd sensation and made it hard to sleep. This means breathing is much easier, bending over is a little easier, but I have to pee every 10 minutes and sometimes feel like I'm walking with a cantaloupe (to continue the baby=produce theme!) between my legs!! (Sorry if that's TMI.) So he may be here before too long!

In other news... Stephen and I are still waiting to see where we will end up for residency. We find out March 20th at noon!! With everything else going on, I haven't had much time to be worried about it, but it will be so wonderful to know so that we can start making moving plans.

Baby Center update...
"How your baby's growing:Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)"

You're 37 weeks- 21 days to go!

Here's the latest Baby Center update...

"How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.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."

Does anyone else think it's weird that each week they compare children to produce?!

Full-Term Thomason!

Today marks another very important milestone, Baby T is now 37 weeks along, which means that he is now considered full term! It's a big relief knowing that even if he comes sooner than we expect, he shouldn't have any major complications. It's so odd spending so much time in the doctor's office lately, I feel like I am there all the time... probably because I'm there each and every week.

We had the last baby shower this weekend, so we are feeling a little more prepared, at least as far as having all the "things" that one needs to take care of a baby. I think I'm probably still in denial just a little bit about what the next few weeks have in store for both of us. My plan at this point is to expect the worst for labor and delivery so that if the worst doesn't happen, it will feel like a breeze! (Probably not a breeze, but at least not the worst case scenario). I figure there's not much I can do now and worrying about all the possibilities and contingencies would be exhausting... I'm just hoping to be flexible, while being as prepared as I can and try to maintain a good attitude. I've already told Stephen I'm not sure how I will react to labor... but I've already apologized in advance just in case :)

I have to brag on Stephen for a minute. He's been so sweet and thoughtful lately. I've been a pretty lucky girl during my pregnancy, no major issues or complications, and I've been blessed to have felt pretty good for the entire time (I attribute this to all of you prayer warriors out there!). In the last few days I've gone from comfortably pregnant to feeling EXTREMELY pregnant and more uncomfortable and tired. On Saturday I noticed some fierce swelling in my feet and legs which stayed with me almost all weekend and made my feet and legs really sore (not to mention gave me cankles and sausage feet!). Stephen has been so sweet, rubbing my feet and even giving up his pillow so that I could get comfortable and get some sleep. I can't wait to see him with Baby T, he's going to be such an adorable dad!!

We're getting excited and anxious to see our little guy, but still hoping he holds out for at least 2.5 more weeks so that we can finish up our rotations and not have to worry about any tests or clinic time interfering with the experience!