i am doing good!

i like car rides a lot, but know bikes are better and i cannot wait till i am big enough to ride one or with one. I went for a little walk with my dogs today, it was so nice out. i love my dad so much, he takes good care of me!

i got my first real bath today

It rained today and we slept alot

today was a good day, it rained, which was great weather for napping. i had to get my heel poked again to check my jaundice level, but ends up it was great news, it has gone down, so only one more day of the glowing blanket and i should be home free. mama's milk came in, so only one more day of supplementing me with formula too, then i will be all natura'l. life is good....

Finally Home!

Last night they let us out of the hospital around 8:30pm--they had to keep us there a little longer than expected cause I have some jaundice that they were a little worried about--but they sent me home with this crazy glowing little blanket thing to help me get rid of it. We got home around 10:30 and I met my dogs, they love me and licked my head. I slept in bed for the first time and loved it loved it loved it. Then today, we went and I had to have my heel pricked, which I HATE! but things are good, I like riding in the car, and loved walking across the street to the park to get a little sun. It was hard on mom, cause of the steps, but she did it and was so happy to be outside like me. I was also really excited today nbecause I got a package in the mail--it was a bear that was made by my gramb's friend that had material from my grampc's baby blanket and my great grandma's apron--very special! Well, time for me to eat, so we have to go--here are a few pics.

More pics

Last night I got my first bath--I hate being undressed more than anything else--I get really cold--dipaer and clothes changes make me cry a lot and loudly, but I am just proving that I have got a better set of pipes than my mom....but I loved getting my hair washed and the warm fuzzy clean feeling...


Today was a good day--I got to nap a lot with my dad and saw all kinds of new things, I am very alert when I am awake...


We are going to go home tomorrow and I am excited to see my house and meet my dogs. Mom and dad are excited to get back to their bed and shower...I just hope mom's mild comes in tonight cause I am getting very very sick of colostrom, and I am hungry! Well, more pics later! Thanks for everyone's love and support.

My middle name is Donovan

Hi there--mom and dad finally decided on a middle name 9much to the delight of hte birth certificate lady who has been in here about 10 times over the last 2 days). They were between Crawford, Thomas, Oakes, and Ackerly (means meadow of oakes) initally--they like them all and were having a very hard time deciding. But then it was obvious--his middle name should be Donovan--after a good friend and great soul- they both came to it seperatly and agreed easily--so there it is--my middle name.

Feeding like a champ

Ellis--correct spelling, only 2 L's--guess I got a little excited last time....is feeding like a champ, he has had 7 poopie diapers already, when normally they may only have 1-3 by now....dad and he are taking a little nap together right now, we will send pics later...so cute...i am trying to pass some wicked gas build up in the intestines...not fun with the c-section...scared to death of my first bowel movement...but supposedly, it should not be so bad. the dr's and nurses here are amazing---more to come later...lots of love, the new mom.

Welcome Elllis Hayes

From mom's perspective---- It all started with a phone call from Emma and Angus reminding us that the full moon was upon us. We took a nice walk under the moonlight that night...a few hours later I woke Tom up to tell him I thought we were going to have a baby today, as I was pretty sure my water had broke. That was around 3am on the 20th. By 5am there were steady contractions and we were at the hospital by 7am. The contractions were about 5 minutes apart then. By 8am we had contractions anywhere from 2-5 minutes apart and anyhwhere from 30-90 seconds long for about 7 hours. Every one of them was in the back--it was back labor...and it was excruitiating. After that 7th hour, I did the unthinkable, I asked for some drug relief, as the pain of back labor was so intense it was just not bearable. This is after about 20 positions and 2 trips to the jaccuzi. So we tried the fentinol, it did not work, and alas, I did what i promised I would not do--I got an epidural--it was the best decision I could have ever made. I continued with the same pattern of contractions for another 5 hours and then was finally fully dialated and got to start pushing around 7pm. We pushed for 3 hours and found out the baby was stuck--he was in there a little sideways and we tried to turn him, but he would not budge, so we ended up being informed that we needed a c-section--my worst nightmare. Because he had been stuck in the same position for about 4 hours, he came out with a pretty impressive cone head (which is much better now). However, in the end it was the best thing for a healthy mom and healthy baby. We went into surgery and after just a few minutes the dr held up the baby and tom announced that we had a little boy. he screamed and cried with some great lungs and was perfectly healthy--7 lbs 14 oz and 20.5 logn with some wicked big feet. We are all doing great--I just took my first little walk. Ellis has already had 3 poopie diapers (tom is doing a great job changing them) and he has had 2 great feedings. We will be in the hospital until Friday dn cannot wait to bring him home--and to let the dogs meet him too! more to come.....

Thanks Darrin!

Our neighbor and friend Darrin, who in his former life was a professional photographer, took some prego photos of Tom and I in the field across from our house-- here are a few favorites...

Pics

here are a few pics of the baby's room and of me today...

a few more weeks to go...

Today we had an ultrasound and I weighed (estmated) 7lbs 8oz. the ultrasound tech smiled big a laughed about the size of my huge lips. we then met with an obgyn who specializesin diabetic patients. after his evaluation he recommended--no induction until 39.5 weeks, and by then it might be a c-section depending on how big i get. He says I am a fine size now and to wait and see what happens in the next 2 weeks--I may come in the meantime, but if not they will remeasure me on May 19th and decide then what to do.

To the finish line--natural induction begins

Well, it has begun...the celebration of full-term (as of Monday). The doctor says to go ahead and start natural induction methods--so mom has an accupuncture appointment and 2 labor induction massages scheduled for this week. She is stocking up on red rasberry tea and evening primrose oil too. Of course--there are two types of exercise she will need to do more of--one is walking, the other, well no comment....We go to get the measurement ultrasound on Wednesday at 10am, then that night mom and dad have a breastfeeding basics class. Then Thursday morning, we find out the details of what happens next. Somewhere in there mom will meet with a perinatal high risk specialist to talk about options for diabetes moms. Mom is pretty scared of chemical induction because of the studies pointing to a link between pitocin inductions and autism--especially in boys. So she is trying everything she can to not have to do that. If it comes down to it and I am just not ready to come, she might choose a scheduled c-section over induction....Who knows, maybe there will be a baby on mothers day if I am ready...if not, it might still be the end of the month. More details on Thursday....

25 days (or less) to go...

the doc told momma today that next thursday (5/8) they would see whether or not they would need to induce her cause i might be too big...or they might just let her go until i feel i am ready to come myself...we will see. I am measuring just a little big--a tiny bit over 37 weeks (I am only 36 and half weeks now). any way, the big day is near. mom and dad have finished my room (pics will be posted soon). mom has been talking with work too--she will be off for sure for 12 weeks with me and found out today she got approval, if she ends up wanting it, to work part time through October.

im stoked to meet all of my future friends that are still in the womb like me--little hume, little curling, little matthews (although, by now, this one might have arrived). I also cannot wait to meet all of my already breathing little friends around the country--baby sink, baby metz, baby israel, baby odonnell, etc, etc. i am not even born and i already have more friends than my mom and dad!!!

talk to you all soon....