Baby Easton

Easton is finally here (as I am sure you know by now)! After being induced Friday night, he came on Saturday morning at 10:50am. Much to my surprise (even though I had a feeling that he was going to be big) he was 9lbs6oz and 22 1/4inches long. He is one long baby. It was instant love!

Because of his size, I had some bleeding complications after he was born, so we didn't get up to the postpartum unit until 5pm on Saturday. Needless to say, I was exhausted by then!

Our stay at Magee on the postpartum unit was nice. They fed us like pigs, which I wasn't complaining about. After not having room for food for a while, it was nice to finally chow down.




Easton was an angel and didn't fuss much, only to find out he was so quiet because his bilirubin levels were creeping up, causing him not to eat as well. 36 hours after birth, they drew blood work, his bilirubin level was 13. At that point, it was nothing to be concerned about. By the time we were ready to leave, it was up to 15. So they sent us home on a biliblanket, and told us not to worry. The biliblanket is basically a flexible plastic paddle thing that he lays on, and is then connected to a box which produces the light. Visiting nurses came to the house and drew his blood and measured his weight. By Tuesday night, his level was up to 22 and his weight was down to 8lbs 5oz. We were told to go to the NICU at Magee right away.

By the time we got to the NICU, his level was 23.5. At a bilirubin of 25, it becomes very serious and they do a complete blood transfusion on the babies. Easton was able to escape the blood transfusion, but he was put in an isolette and on maximum phototherapy (3 banks of lights). I was barely keeping myself together through this all.


We were lucky enough to get a parent room to sleep in. The parent room is basically a tiny room with a twin bed and a pull out chair. As far as I was concerned, it was the Ritz. It saved us from sleeping in the lounge.

Easton's bilirubin levels fell very slowly. We were at the NICU for Christmas Eve and Christmas. On Christmas we were able to sneak away for an hour and have dinner with my family. It was a quick Christmas, to say the least. We were then discharged late on Friday, after his bilirubin level came back at 12.3.

Ah...home-sweet-home (or was it). Easton was back on the biliblanket at home. Jason and I were on pins and needles as a home health care RN came to the house on Saturday morning to draw Easton's bilirubin. It came back at 16. We were devastated. We knew it would rebound, but not that much. We anxiously awaited the night bilirubin draw, which would determine if we would have to go back to the NICU. Thankfully, it was trending down to 15.8. We could finally relax a little. On Sunday, the final bilirubin blood work came back at 14.8. Things were getting better.

Yesterday, we had our first ped doctor's appointment. Despite all the mayhem, Easton is a healthy little boy. We were told to keep him on the biliblanket for 48 hours, and then we are done! I can't wait for tomorrow morning. It will be so nice to be able to pick him up and walk around. It's not easy taking care of a child with a tail, connected to the outlet on the wall.

Through this all, I have to keep reminding myself that we are very lucky that Easton will come through this and grow up to be a healthy boy. It could be so much worse. Everyone has been so supportive and we appreciate that. It helped us get through this little bump in the road.

My mom and sister took this little video for your viewing pleasure.

D-Day is finally here!

Well, it's hard to explain what I am feeling right now. I am mostly excited and a little bit nervous. All week I have been waiting for today to get here! I guess I can't really say it's delivery day (although it might be) but it is definitely induction day! Yay! When a painful contraction woke me from my sleep last night, I thought that was going to be it, but no. Our time frame is from 9pm-12mn to be called into the hospital. Thank god I have the nicest friend (Jess!) who is an OB RN at Magee. I feel so much more at ease knowing that I have her there to help. Well, here is the final belly picture. It was so dark today that we weren't able to get the regular picture that we normally take. Jason pulled out his photography skills (after I set it up) and got some great shots. Here's the belly at it's biggest! Check back for some post-birth updates!

Christmas Tree/Baby Update

Jason and I went out to find our Christmas tree last week. We had to find a tall skinny one to fit in the living room. It's a little different then the fat ones that we normally get. All we need is a tree topper now! That seems to be something that we say that we are going to get every year, but never do.

The elk rack looked a little silly above the tree, so Jason wrapped it in lights. I think it looks fun!

I came home from work on Sunday to find this awesome fireplace setup. What a surprise! I think it is sweet. Jason even bought the baby his own stocking.


It's official, the baby is full-term! He is still moving like crazy (especially right now!) At the doctors yesterday, she offered to induce me next weekend, if we wanted to. Convenience is really the only reason (and I am so uncomfortable). Apparently my cervix is softened and dilated enough for induction to be an option. As much as I feel that I am cheating the system/nature, it is so nice to know that there is a definite end date! We can't wait to meet the little stinka!

"Waiting is the hardest part."

When one is pregnant, others (especially strangers) share their own pregnancy stories openly. I have heard the comment over and over, "Waiting the last few weeks is the hardest part." I think that it may be true. It's like you know you are going on a vacation, but you don't know when. I always like coming home to a clean house when I leave for vacation, so I am constantly trying to keep up on housework. I want to pack my bags, but come next week, I may want to wear what I want to pack. Errr. It's an uphill battle that I am slowly losing and must come to terms with. Hopefully, he comes soon!

On Thanksgiving the official baby bids went into effect. The closest without going over wins the $$$(each bet is $5). Here is the official list of guesses:


WEIGHT
Mom Williams: 9lbs 10oz (Are you trying to kill me?)
Dad Williams: 8lbs 13 oz
Mom Condliffe: 8lbs 4oz
Jan: 7lbs 3oz
Andy-Jim: 7lbs 8oz
Ashley: 8lbs 2oz
Laura: 8lbs 10oz
Brian: 8lbs 3oz
Brian's second guess: 9lbs 3oz
Jason: 8lbs 7oz
Dad Sicher: 8lbs 11oz
David C: 9lbs 1oz

DATE
Mom Williams: Dec 30
Dad Williams: Dec 20
Mom Condliffe: Dec 24
Jan: Dec 31
Andy-Jim: Jan 1
Ashley: Dec 15
Laura: Dec 13
Brian: Dec 17
Jason: Jan 5
Dad Sicher: Jan 3
David C: Dec 25

Studio Pictures

As crazy as we are, we set up the studio in the garage the day after Thanksgiving to get some family portraits in. Although we had the kerosene heater going, it was freezing in there! I thought I would share them with all of you. I especially like the Dowiak portrait!

The Sedlacek Kids (Neighbors):


The Dowiak Family:


Us!:

Life...

I can't really say that there is one certain thing that stands out in my mind from the past couple of weeks. Time just keeps on going. We had a little excitement on Sunday when I got home from work. Jason wanted to go spot-lighting at the end of our road. Apparently there is a "massive buck" that hangs out down there. No buck, but we did see a huge fire. We now know it was a garage on fire. I don't think the picture really does it justice. The fire lit up the sky. I am not sure, but I don't think anyone was hurt and the main house didn't look like it was in any danger. You can see the house to the left of the brightest part of the fire (it looks like 4 small rectangles.)



I have had a couple portrait sessions recently. I was lucky enough to meet Zolola (I am sure I am not spelling that right) and got to see Polina again. Unfortunately, it decided to open up and pour on us. Nonetheless, we were able to squeak out a couple of good shots.



Most recently, I took pictures of the Arlia boys. I have to admit, I didn't recognize Anthony at first. He really grew up fast. I refer to these boys as the GQ toddlers. They are so handsome!


Everything is going well with the pregnancy. I had a little scare last week with getting contractions every 3-4 minutes apart on Monday. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I called my doctor anyway and they had me come in the next day. Everything is fine, and there is no dilation yet, but she still demanded me to take it easy. Along with that meant light duty at work. Blah...chart audits are so very painful! I had to admit though, I feel a lot more energized and have had a lot less contractions after this past weekend. I now have to see the doctor every week. Jason and I went today. Apparently, which I already assumed, the babies head is really low. With a head in my pelvis, I am officially waddling.

Showered On

Today was the "work baby shower." It was awesome! Danielle did an amazing job putting it all together. The details were entertaining and festive. There is so much to say about it, including the Theresa surprise, the great food, and so much more. I have to say, I am completely exhausted, so we'll have to leave it at that. I didn't have a good picture that really captured the whole thing (I think Josie may have a good one of those on her camera), so here's just a picture of me opening gifts. I will put the rest on snapfish. When they are up, I'll post the link.



After the shower, I went to see Autumn all dressed up as a mermaid. She did a good job trick-or-treating.




Last week was my family's shower. It went really well. Once again, we were spoiled with people's generosity. Here's the link to my mother-in-laws picture site, if you would like to see the pictures! http://albums.phanfare.com/1202977/2913977

It's bedtime for now! Soooooo sleepy.

Knuckles

Knuckles the puppy came over for a visit this past Friday. Her mom, Gita, is in the process of painting a mural of Marabelle and Sadie in the baby's room. I love these two pictures! I think this may be my next project, getting cool shots of dogs. Feel free to bring your pup over and get some pictures! (You'll have to help me drag equipment around though.)



This week I have been hard at work getting things ready for the baby shower. Mom was over here almost all day yesterday running errands and making curtains.

Jason got a coyote and a piglet of a doe this week with his bow. It'll be some good deer eating for us now.

In over my head...

Wondering where we have been? I have been wondering where all the time has gone. These past few weeks have been CRAZY! Dad finally came around to install some new lights in the kitchen...which led to massive holes in the wall. It turns out whoever wired this house originally didn't do it right and left some pretty dangerous connections hidden beneath the drywall. So a small hole to fish wire turned into a large 4 foot section being removed. I have to say though, it was all worth it. It is so nice to walk in the door and be able to flip a switch and see! (Oh, and we wondered what the switch went to for the longest time. It went to nothing! Just a switch not connected to anything.) So, for a period of time, there was no entrance into the kitchen without doing acrobatic moves, of which I am not too fond of at the present time. Now the kitchen is put back together and the dust has settled, literally. This house is a mess! Now it's time to clean this house from top to bottom.

I have also shot the last two weddings of the season these past two Fridays. It feels so good to be done with the shooting part of the weddings, but now is the tedious post-production part. I have to touch up all the pictures and then put lots of albums together. It's a process and I am getting slightly anxious about getting everything done before the baby gets here.

Talking about baby...here's the latest belly shot. This was from last week (28 weeks). Jason, Autumn and I all went to the doctors this past Monday. Autumn sort of understood that she heard a heartbeat and on the way out of the room she said, "That was fun." I am happy to report that I have gained 20lbs and by the measurement of my uterus (from the outside), I am right on track. Jason still thinks this is going to be an 8lbs+ baby. So help me god if it is.


Here's just a cute picture of crazy Sadie lady.


Today was the Fiestaware sale. Dad, Jason, Brian, Laura and Laura's Mom all went. We REALLY don't need any more dishes. But, if you know Jason at all, you can imagine how many dishes we came home with. I have no idea where all of this dishware is going to go. Dad got a couple nice dish sets for himself and Katie. It is a long day for sure, but it's fun to hunt for the plate/bowl/platter/anything with the least amount of defects on it.

Jason has been in hunting and work mode. I appreciate that this season is only a few months out of the year!

Apple Picking and 25 Weeks

On Monday we went to the apple orchard, on Autumn's 2nd Birthday! Happy Birthday big girl! This is the 3rd annual apple picking fest. The first time we went, Autumn was so tiny in her little Bjorn. Now she's an apple picking, mostly eating, maniac!



On the way there, she decided to try Grammie's glasses on for size. I think she'll make a good librarian.




I really like this picture of Jason.







For all you out-of-towners, here's the belly update. Things are definitely getting bigger. He is really active! We went to the doctors on Tuesday and everything checked out well. We were a little late for our appointment because morning sickness decided to visit for old time sake. From all the extra blood volume and pressure, I broke all the little blood vessels in my face. Those thankfully clear up fairly well within a day. The little broken blood vessel in my eye is a different story. I think that will take some extra healing time.

Much Fun, All In One (Blog Entry)

As you can probably tell from my lack of blog updates, things have been crazy for me lately! With three weddings in August and Kyra's this past weekend, I have been one busy woman. In the midst of all that, John, Amois and Paloma came into town for a week for my parents 30th Anniversary party. It was really nice to spend some time with John, Amois and Paloma. Paloma is getting very big and showing a personality. Mom and Dad said they were truly surprised by the anniversary party.

Jason just got back from Colorado. There wasn't much action with the elk this year so he made the best of it by fly fishing and enjoying the town. Next year we are thinking family trip to Yellowstone, instead of his excursion to hunt elk. I think that'll be a nice change. He was definitely glad to be home. The baby gave him a couple welcome home kicks.

To start with some pictures that have downloaded, here is my favorite picture from Sue and J's wedding. They were an awesome, easy-going couple to work with. Congratulations Sue and J!


Happy 1st Birthday Lila! Friday was Lila's first birthday party. As you can gather from this picture, she's practicing "I'm not listening" for her terrible twos. Actually she is trying to do "Got a headache," which her Na-na had taught her all day, in an effort to get cake in her hair when it came to smash cake time.


Here are the proud parents!


Lila performed "Got a headache" only to her terror, her hands were all messy! This face is priceless.

This face quickly followed. Poor little girl. Hope you had a good one!


Kyra's wedding was blast, as we all knew it would be. Here are a couple of the bridal shots that I quickly picked out to share with all of you. She looked beautiful! Congratulations Kyra and Pete!



Yes, I have to admit, these are my coworkers. I think this picture definitely captures the personality of our unit. And I love them for it! (Edie and Greg, find your window!)

Sunflower

On the baby update, I can really more this little baby boy move around. I amazed about how quickly I went from thinking I felt something to knowing it's the baby moving. Jason was even able to feel a couple little taps today. I still think he's in disbelief that he really felt what he did.

My goal is to starting picking up my camera more often. So today I started with this picture of a sunflower. I planted these in the spring and they look beautiful now!


The wedding this past weekend went very well. Sarah and BJ know a fun group of people! The bride was beautiful and the reception was entertaining. The reception was complete with fake mustaches and tux t-shirts.

It's a...

BOY! Jason and I went to our ultrasound today. Of course I forgot the script for the procedure, so we had to wait extra long. It was worth the wait though! The sonogram tech was very nice. Although she did mess with our heads. She asked almost right away if we wanted to know what we were having. She then told us that she waits until the end to look and tell. About half was through she finally said that she would just tell us what the baby was early since it kept "popping up." She started to move down there, but of course the baby decided to do some flips, obscuring the view. I looked at her waiting for her to tell us anyway, but no, she had the chance to measure the legs, so she did that. At this point the suspense was killing me! I was saying things like, "well you did say that it was "popping up" so I think that means it's a boy." She only kept a little smirk on her face. You could tell she enjoyed torturing us! Finally she got to the goods. There it was, as plain as day, scrotum and penis. There was absolutely no doubt about it. He was spread eagle, letting the girl get a good look. The look on Jason's face was priceless. I could tell he was happy with that news.

So the real reason for the sonogram is to ensure that everything is fine. Everything is perfect! I asked her if the baby was ok size because I am not really showing all that much. She, and the doctor, ensured us that the baby was right on track. Yay! That makes me feel much better.

Here are some pictures that they took. I must admit, I think sonogram pictures are just a bit creepy, but very cool. The tech said that when the pictures of the face are taken, it's like the face is pushed against a piece of glass, so it's all smooshed. We also have a VHS tape of a little bit of the sonogram. Now the trick is getting the VHS tape converted to a DVD. Does anyone know how to do that?




My deepest apologies for not including Jess's name on the attendance list of the people who came to Idlewild with us. I am truly losing my mind slowly. Jess, it was very good to see you again!


This is a picture from Brian's wedding. Jason and Brian were chatting it up during some downtime during the ceremony. I LOVE this picture of Jason.


Jason is pickling a "peck" of cucumbers today...to make pickles. Here is the master at work. I asked Jason how he felt about the baby being a boy...look at the cheeser on his face.