Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Embry: Three Weeks

What's New With Embry


Happy three weeks to Embry! This past week has been awesome; we had a fun weekend of visitors and Embry has started a great night time routine.

As of my post last week, Jacob was giving her a night time bottle and then she was waking up two more times in the night (around 2:00 am and 5:00 am) and then getting up around 8:00 am. Starting last Friday Embry has started sleeping until 4:00 am. She's up for about 30 minutes to eat, then goes back to sleep until around 7:30-8:30 am. Since I go to bed between 10:00-11:00 pm and Jacob does one last night time feeding, I'm getting a chunk of 5 hours of sleep then 3 hours of sleep. Not bad for three weeks old Embry =). Maybe a benefit of her being a big girl! Loving it!

A few things I want to remember about Embry at this age:
*She nurses like a champ! (Every 3-4.5 hours during the day)
*She sleeps in the bassinet in our room at night still
*She "talks" or "sings" a ton in her sleep and while nursing. She's very vocal, always making little noises.
*She no longer fits into her NB sleepers. She still has a few NB gowns that fit her, but is in 0-3 month clothes
*She is in size 1 diapers
*Everyday she is awake a little bit more than the day before. She definitely doesn't sleep ALL day long anymore!
*She has started really liking being laid down by herself to kick around. We got our her little "baby gym mat" and she will stay awake and kick around under it for an hour straight!
*She is eating 6 oz (!!!) of breastmilk during her night bottle Jacob feeds her!

I am so in love with this cheeky smile!


Post bath wispy hair

Hanging with big sister Theenie

Our first lunch date with Daddy! Slept through the whole thing!

Love her monogrammed clothing!

Naked jay bird!

Hanging with mom and dad in bed!

Twins

She looks so long in her boppy!

4:00 am pic
Staring at the giraffe for a good 30 minutes


Weekend Visitors

We had a great weekend full of family. My family arrived on Friday night and everyone but my mom hadn't seen Embry since being in the hospital. It was fun to show her off and see everyone's reaction on how she has changed.

Saturday morning Embry got to meet her Great Grandma Gordon and her Great Aunt Mary Jo. It was so fun to get to introduce her to them. Embry can't wait for more Great Grandma cuddles at Thanksgiving.

We spent Saturday afternoon with my family out to lunch and at the Dallas Arboretum. We got some great pictures (below). We spent the rest of the weekend at our house just hanging out and Embry getting no attention at all.... hah!

Ruthie and Jon stayed in Dallas through today! It was awesome to have Ruthie around these past two days to help with things and play with E! Ruthie and I took her to Costco for her first big trip there! We definitely had Ruthie's camera and were documenting the whole thing. Ruthie also took some awesome photos of Embry today in the backyard. Can't wait to share late this week or next week when I get a cd of them!

We have a few days with our little family and are looking forward to Embry's other grandparents coming up this weekend!


Loved being in the arms of her great grandma

Great Aunt Mary Jo and Great Grandma Shirley

Embry's first patio lunch at Good To Go Taco!

Hanging with Daddy at the Arboretum


Chick magnet. In the 2 minutes they sat on this bench with
Embry I saw at least three groups of women come talk to them about her!
Family photo in the Pumpkin Village at the Dallas Arboretum




Papa, Mimi and Embry in front of a Chihuly exhibit

Auntie Tomi

Uncle James

Chub chub! Cooling off after a warm afternoon at the Arboretum.

With Papa after a diaper change

Modeling her I Love My Auntie onesie

Cuddles with Uncle James

Nap after a long day outside!

More Uncle James cuddles

Ruthie got to experience Embry's first trip to Costco!

Uncle Jon

Hanging with Aunt Ruthie

Hematologist Appointment

Today I had an appointment with my hematologist.

Everything went well and I will continue to stay on twice daily injections of Lovanox to thin my blood until December 18. Four weeks ago from last night I was admitted to the hospital and was put on blood thinners (Heparin drip). So I've been on blood thinners for one month so far and he wants a total of three months. We talked about the other option of me going on Coumadin, a pill form of blood thinners...BUT with Coumadin I'd have to go to his office at the hospital once a week for blood draws and medicine adjustments. Not so fun with a newborn and it getting cold out and it being flu season. Although the injections are a big pain (literally!) I'd rather get a shot twice a day then lug the baby to the hospital every week for the next two months. He also adjusted my dosage of Lovanox down since I've now lost 40 pounds. I won't go back to see him until December 18, unless I keep loosing significant amounts of weight and need another dosage adjustment.


Hanging with Aunt Ruthie in the waiting room!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Embry: Our Two Week Check Ups


This week Embry and I each had a two week check up at our respective doctors.

Cori's Two Week Check Up


Monday we went to my OBGYN for my two week incision check. Ironically, Monday was my original due date. Also, we got to see my doctor for the first time since she was on vacation when I gave birth. It has been so fun to go back the past two weeks to see all of the people at the office. I actually got really close with the other four doctors in the group during my 12 days in the hospital. They all make rounds twice a day and so I got to know them really well, especially when I was on the high risk maternity floor for seven days. I am truly thankful for my group of doctors; I love them ALL and look forward to my visits with them.

My doctor said my incision looks good. And more good news, I gained exactly 40 pounds during my pregnancy and am down 37.5 pounds since October 1, which is crazy since I know I still feel like there's a lot more to go! Maybe I have the breastfeeding to thank! My doctor spent some time going over future birth control options with me since now with having a blood clot and having Factor V Leiden (blood clot disorder) I can no longer be on any form of birth control with estrogen. I will most likely do an IUD in a few months. (Probably not at my six week check up since the uterus might not be contracted all the way back down by then). We also talked about future pregnancies and how I'll have to go back on blood thinners during them. I will do scheduled c-sections again so that they'll have time to take me off of the blood thinners 12-24 hours before surgery and then put me back on them after.

I don't go back for another four weeks now and am kind of sad about it! I mean for the past 9 months I've been seeing them quite often. At the end of the pregnancy it was weekly and then for the last two weeks I was seeing them multiple times a day (and living in the hospital-hah).

On our way to Mom's doctor!


Dr. Remedios

Embry's Two Week Check Up


Embry's two week check up went really well. Last week she was down to 9 lb even. Tuesday she weighed in at 9 lb 13.5 oz. (So 1.5 oz up from her birth weight). She measured 22 inches long. (Birth was 21 inches). And her head circumference was 38.4 cm. All three measurements put her in the 97th percentile. (It's great news that her head measures in line with her height and weight).

Her pediatrician had not yet received her MRI results from the pediatric neurosurgeon, but was happy to hear Embry didn't need to have a shunt. As for the cerebral atrophy, her pediatrician says that we'll watch Embry's milestones over the next few months, years, etc. and take things from there. She also said that we're in great hands with the group of pediatric neurosurgeons which was nice to hear.

Other excitement during the appointment, she totally peed everywhere when I changed her on the exam table. I'm talking a ton of pee too. We made quite a mess. She also had to get a bunch of blood taken from her heel which was so sad. When she got pricked she did a very, very sad cry which was hard to watch. Luckily it lasted a few seconds only. Even though she had eaten not to long before she immediately nursed for a good 30 minutes; not sure if she was actually hungry or just wanted to be comforted. Poor girl! We go back in early December for her two month check up.



Getting ready to go to the pediatrician!

Quick stop at Target on the way home from the doctor

Other News


In other news, today Jacob's mom, Kathleen, left today and so we're alone for the first time since bringing her home! Wish us luck! We've really enjoyed the help from both of our moms!
My family comes in this weekend and we're very excited! My dad and siblings haven't seen Embry since being in the hospital!

Breastfeeding is going great. We finally really have the hang of things. It was rough the first few days of being home, I think because she was fed formula in bottles in the NICU for four days. But it's finally now easy and enjoyable!

I've been pumping some during the day and Jacob gives Embry her last late night feeding in a bottle. So she's been nursing around 8-9pm and then I go to bed after (around 9 or 10). Jacob has been staying up to do the next feeding with her, so that I sleep until her 2-3am feeding. It's been awesome! I love the sleep and I know he loves being up with her alone for a few hours and feeding her.

I am still doing twice daily shots of blood thinners. Well, Jacob does them to me luckily! We will continue these through the end of the year and then I should be off of blood thinners until my next pregnancy. I go next Tuesday to go meet with my hematologist. I think I'll get some blood work done to make sure I am coagulating (thinning of the blood) correctly on these shots. Luckily Ruthie will still be in town to help me with Embry during the appointment!

More Pictures


Cheering on the Cowboys with Dad on Sunday

Good dreams!

Loving our Moby wrap

Jacob makes sure to read to Embry (and Athena) each night...pretty cute!

Wide awake


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Embry's First Week Home

Hi!

We've now been home a little over a week. I thought I'd share a few pictures and videos from her first week home. It's been a crazy week getting used to having her here, but we've had some great help! (Thanks Mom and Kathleen!) Jacob also started his new job Monday, which of course adds to the craziness of getting into a new routine.


This week we have her two week pediatrician appointment and I go back to the OBGYN for an incision check. I cannot believe tomorrow is her two week birthday, and my original due date! Crazy!





Dad multitasking

The two sisters


Athena, never too far from Embry


First time in the swing (video below)

Talking with Mimi

Jacob's first morning headed to work

Luckily Jacob is able to come home for lunch each day to visit his girls
First pediatrician appointment
One week weight check! (9 lb even)


Headed to Mom's OBGYN to get her staples out!

First bath at home (video below)

Not loving being wet and cold
Middle of the night smirk
Talking with Daddy


First walk with Daddy
Snoozing in my moses basket

First non-doctor outing- the library

Loving the library