Crawford Comes Home

Oh our little bundle of joy. He is sooo stinking cute. I can't even stare at him without having a giant smile across my face. We spent the last morning enjoying our delcious breakfast (we actually really enjoyed the hospital food..we got to place our order about an hour before we were ready to eat and then we got omelets made to order, fruit, cereal, sausage, hashbrowns..you name it ..we sat and enjoyed breakfast together) and little Crawford slept. It's funny looking back now because the hospital stay was seriously a breeze....I was stuck in bed and was handed the baby and fed medication and he slept all the time ...how come one day home could change all the peace?! So after getting released by the pediatrician(he just mentioned that Crawford was a little jaundiced so they wanted us to come to the office on Monday to draw some blood..his circumcism looked great and he was healthy otherwise *WHAT A BLESSING!!*) The OB came and checked out my incision and it looks wonderful the doctor did a great job. She then informed me that I was going to receive some Percocet and Ibuprofen (who would have thought that I have only taken 4 percocet in a week just isn't about the pregnant girl when you get home..it's about taking care of your baby and making sure you are in a the right state of mind to be up all night) so anyways I was sore the first few days and it was difficult to get in and out of bed but Crawford is the number 1 priority and I truthfully didn't even think twice about jumping out of bed even when it felt like my incision might burst open..I have healed just fine..still can't believe no driving for 2 weeks and no baths for 6 weeks (WHAT?! my only form of relaxation isn't even an option for now!)

So around 2 we started packing up Crawford and all of our things (crazy how much more stuff you go home with than you came in with) Brad's parents came to help us out and we all attempted to get Crawford nice and cozy and warm in his carrier. Mommy wasn't so smart and had him in a gown when we were trying to get him in his carrier.

He looked so precious and I couldn't believe that I was ready to take this little miracle home to his new home!

Nana got to enjoy holding Crawford and I know she misses him as she hasn't seen him since Saturday because she has caught a cold...Crawford can't wait to see her too!

One last shot of Crawford in the hospital bassinet

Nana and Grandpa with their new little grandson!

Car was finally loaded and the nurse had to walk us down to the car. They had to cut the security band off of Crawford's ankle. The band literally had a computer chip attached and anytime we would walk through the hallways with him the doors to any exit would lock shut so that no one could get out with our baby. Also if anyone tried to cut it off it would have set off an alarm. Good to know that hospitals have this security feature.

Of course I had to sit in the back with Crawford just to make sure he was nice and comfortable. It was freezing this afternoon (in the 20's) and we had the heat going good. Brad took the worst way home ever and we went over every railroad track possible (this is the first time I was thinking wow I really had surgery on my tummy!)

Welcome home baby Crawford!!

Excited to show Crawford his new home...we worked so hard to get your nursery just perfect for your arrival!

Crawford's first morning at home Sunday December 19th. Let's just say you gave us a run for our money your first day here. Where do we start...well first off daddy changed your diaper and when it was dirty he moved it to grab a new diaper..you decided to keep going to the bathroom all over our brand new changing table...then daddy set down a new diaper oh you decided to go to the bathroom again...as mommy is trying to help we think that you start projectile vomiting but no that was you going pee pee all the way over your head..It was in your eyes, your mouth, all over the dresser, the floor, all over your clothes I had folded on the dresser and you are soaking wet...3rd diaper was the charm and then we quickly took you to the bathroom for a sponge bath which you did NOT like at all because you were cold but we just had to clean you up..well onto your first night of sleep I think daddy and mommy were up practically the whole night...you absolutely HATE your bassinet the first time I lay you in it you peed through your outfit and through the matress sheet and pad....onto the next sheet and a new outfit..then I lay you down you start screaming 10 minutes later and you are soaking wet with what I believe is sweat..so I unwrap you and try again to lay you in your bassinet..you are just not having any of it..you scream and scream so I do what any scared watchful mother would do and put you in the bed with me (thinking that daddy is going to be upset that I am disrupting his bed and sleep..but he didn't mind one bit!) you slept a littl better there but it was all in all one nerve racking and loooong night!

Daddy is helping feed you at night..this is called an SNS system and it is used in place of a bottle (they recommend using this when you will not breastfeed so that there is no nipple confusion.) You really like eating from this tubing system as we tape a piece of tubing to our pointer finger and you suck and suck but this system takes a LONG time to feed you.

Jenny arrived around noon after we were finally gathering our thoughts and mommy finally got to take a shower. She was so sweet and brought a giant welcome home basket with goodies for you and me!

Daddy burping you after a feeding. You do not like when mommy tries to burp you (or maybe I am just not good at it yet!)

Again we feed you a lot...so here is an up close picture of the feeding system we are using in between breastfeeding..it is taking all sorts of energy to get you full!

Aunt Corinne showed up Sunday afternoon to save mommy and daddy..she was FULL of great advice and was a great big help. She helped calm mommy down, helped with breastfeeding advice, helped changed diapers, even fed you, did laundry, stayed up with you for 4 hours one night and was just a wonderful support to me during this stressful and learning time!

Monday came and it was time for your first doctor's visit. Daddy went to work for half the day and Aunt Corinne helped get you ready while I showered so that we could get you checked out.

The doctor listened to your chest and back and looked over your feet and hands, checked out your eyes and your mouth and then sent the nurse in to draw blood from your little heel to make sure that your billirubin levels (the elevated level is causing you to look a little jaundiced ..even the whites of your eyes were tinted yellow) but luckily the level had come down some and it looks like you are in the clear.

We had to take your temperature to make sure that your body temp was okay..and of course it was!

I had to get a good picture of you in your little Christmas outfit..you have many Christmas outifits and I was worried you wouldn't get to wear them all before Christmas...silly mommy you pee through multiple outfits a day so this hasn't been a problem at all!

Nick and Ashley were so nice to stop by and bring us a chicken casserole and brownies and of course they got to visit with you as well! It was so nice to see our friends and for them to be so kind and thoughtful to make us a great meal.

Aw she looks like a natural...we can't wait for Crawford to have a little "baby Brown" to play with!

Nick was a pro and Crawford just adored him!

So that takes us through Monday..all though it seems like the days are passing quickly they all run together and I don't think mommy has slept for more than 2-3 hours at any one time. You just love being held and never like us to put you down..who knew you could be so spoiled so soon into this world...we are constantly working on breastfeeding and if you weren't so aggresive when you are hungry I would probably be more patient at each feeding. I am trying to hold out using bottle and pacifiers but I'm not going to lie I pulled out a whole bag of pacis and was throwing each one as you refused them one after another. We have got to get this hang of this diapering task because I just hate you getting all cold and wet from mommy and daddy's poor diapering. I just adore every part of you...your adorable little lips and ears, your precious hands and nails that you use to constantly grab at your face, to your big fat lips, and your precious eyes that open and just stare right back at me..I can't even take a shower without feeling guilty that I am not with you. You have been screaming the whole time mommy has been writing this blog and patient and sweet daddy has tried about everything to get you to calm down...time for mommy to go and try to calm you down..I continue to learn more about being a mommy each day and I hope you will patient with me as I try to be the best mommy possible..I love you to pieces!

Crawford Day 3

Night 2 wasn't so bad. We were up twice with him for his feedings. The couch bed is really not that bad. Once I've fallen asleep, I'm out! Until Christen says "Brad, Braaaaad, time to feed Crawford." It hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. Of course, it's emotionally draining too. Well, the day was kind of relaxing. Cathleen came in the morning and watched him as we took a mid-morning nap. He sure does love his Aunt Cat. Every time she holds him, he just quietls down and relaxes. We think she is the baby whisperer! Around 9am, the pediatrician took him away for his circumcision. They were gone about 45 minutes. He came back all bandaged up. They told us to keep the gauze on till later than evening. Cat left around noon and headed back to Savannah (she will be back next Thursday, the 23rd to spend a week with us). Being a nurse herself, it was like having a personal nurse with us the whole time. She was great!

The hospital photographer came to take some pics of Crawford early afternoon. Since we are having a professional photographer come next week, we decided not to purchase any of the pics. Shortly after she left, Chris and Camille Bramhall, with their little girls Carter and Blair, stopped by to see us. Camille and Christen talked for a while about the beginning stages of motherhood while Chris and I watched after Carter and Blair. It was so nice of them to stop by. Chris told us that he will be making us a pot off his "world famous" chili (it really is that good). It's my fav in the winter time.

Cute little Blair!

And cute little Carter!

After the Bramhall's left, mom and dad stopped by before they went to dinner. I can't believe these are the first pics I have of them holding Crawford even though they have been here everyday. I guess too much was going on when they were here that I didn't think about taking pics the first two days.

Here is Christen and I having dinner. Most meals we ordered room service. It was free for Christen and $5 for me. They give you a lot of food and it's not that bad.

Around 10pm, the nurse came to take Crawford to get his Hepatitis B shot, check his PKU levels, Jaundice check and get the gauze taken off his penis from the circumcision. He came back crying but mommmy got him quieted down and slept like a bear through the night (except when we had to wake up for his feedings).

Crawford - Day 2

So Day 2 was much more uneventful, which is a good thing. Cathleen stayed at our house Wed night and came back to the hospital early Thurs morning. She brought me a Gingerbread latte from Starbucks which was much needed. Crawford was up most of the night. Once we got throught the night though, he slept most of the day. We even had to wake him up for his feedings. Mom came around noon and brought us Chick-fil-A. And around 1pm, Joe and Jess Mathias came to visit on their lunch break (how nice of them to use their lunch to visit). They held him and he couldn't seem more peaceful. While they were, Crawford had his hearing test and he passed on both ears first try.

The happy father and his son!

Dad came after work along with my Brian, Amy and Hope. Hope just loved Crawford and wanted to come back to see him for the 2nd day in a row. They stayed for a little while, held Crawford and then headed home. It was nice of them to come the first two nights to say what's up to their new nephew!

After they left, Lauren and Tyler Harris came to visit. Lauren just loved holding Crawford. Tyler, unfortunately, was running a little bit of a cold so he took a raincheck. They live in our neighborhood so I'm sure he will have plenty of chances. And Lauren told he that she would watch him "at least once a week." We would never ask her to do that but it's nice to know that if we do need her, she'll be there.

Look at peaceful he looks. And handsome of course!

Day One - Crawford's Arrival

So the big day finally arrived. We woke up at 4:15am and headed to the hospital at 5:00am. They immediately hooked Christen up to begin the induction.

Brittany and Alexis showed up around 9am to be with their best friend during the wonderful time in our lives.

Cathleen then showed up followed by my mom and then later on my dad.

So they gave Christen the epidural a little before 10am. It worked in the beginning *for about 2 hours with no stress and smiles and feeling good* and then slowly began fading away. Actually, it steadily stopped working completely on her left side (from a little before 2:00 till 4:30)We tried everything to try and help her relieve the excruitiating pain on her side but nothing worked. We even tried to wedge a tennis ball in the small of her back to alleviate the front side pressure but nothing worked. She wasn't progressing like they wanted her to. Come to find out, Crawford's head was lodged in Christen's pelvic bone so he wouldn't make his way down toward the birth canal. She came in between 1-2 cm dilated and began progressing in the beginning. When she was 3 cm dilated they gave her the epidural and then about an hour later she was 4 cm dilated. Things were looking good. However, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm she was not progressing much beyond a 5. (the doctor said this was outside the normal labor curve even for a first time mother). The doctor noticed some decels in his heartrate that he did not like. That accompanied with the fact that his head was molded (or cone headed) in her pelvis bone gave him some reason to wonder if she would ever progress. After speaking with the nurse, the CNA and Dr. Metherell, who was the on call doctor, Christen decided that a C Section would be the safest and best route. So they wheeled Christen off to the OR. As they prepped Christen w/ the spinal block (numbing her from the midsection down), I scrubbed up so I could go watch. They had a screen up from Christen's neck. I sat by her head for the first part as they cut into her. Then I stood up and watched as Crawford was pulled up from Christen's belly. IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING I'VE EVER WITNESSED. Words can't explain the feelings that rushed through me. The doctor then brought him around the screen for mommy to see.

He was quite a haus weighing in at 8 lbs 7 oz. He was 21 inches long.

After they cleaned him off, I brought him around for mommy to see.

One happy family!!!

After an hour of recovery time, friends and family were allowed to come back in the room. Everyone had smiles from cheek to cheek.

Before they took Christen to the OR, I asked for 5 minutes alone with her where I gave her the push present I picked out. After the hustle and bustle thoughout the week, I made it to Geiss and Sons and got her a David Yurman white agate ring that she has been talking about. She absolutely loved it!!!!!!!

The happy family again!

Here is Crawford's first sponge bath. You can tell from the picture below, but he did not like it!

One of the nurses here said that she has worked her for 12 years and has never seen feet as big as Crawford's.