George Grows!

December 24, 2009

Since George was almost 7 weeks early, he had to spend some time in the neonatal intensive care unit at Seton. He had a few issues with breathing and heartrate drops, but he handled it all like a pro and gained weight each day. He was there for 30 days enduring lots of treatments, tests, and tubes. It was a real balancing act for our new little family of 4. We took turns, swapping kids for 6 hour shifts, logging hours a day pumping milk, and lots of time driving between home and the hospital. Henry was a trooper, and we all got through it the best we could. All four grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles helped make sure that someone was always there for the newest little pickle.

George is Here!

December 3, 2009

Our first due date was January 16, then it was moved up to December 28, then December 5, then at 10am on December 3, (Dorie’s 33rd Birthday), the nurse came in an declared that this was going to be the day. At 33 1/2 weeks, it was early, but not too early. He would be ok, they assured us. It was the most conservative route- it was too dangerous for mother and baby to wait any longer, and he was old enough to do well with a little help. With our nerves very shaky, we agreed, and a few hours later at 4:46pm, there he was – looking big for a premie weighing in at 5 lb. 8 oz. and 19″ long. George Marvin Pickle was here at last.

Autumn Antics

November 28, 2009

Autumn has been a pretty fun time this year for Henry. Once the crazy heat finally broke, he got to start spending a lot of time outside, squeezing in some fun games before his little brother gets here. He and Eliana spent a messy afternoon painting on a tree in the backyard. A few days later, we took a long hike at Henry’s favorite place, the Barton Creek Greenbelt. He’s gotten amazingly good at navigating trails and scrambling over rocks, but like a true explorer, he has little use or patience for marked trails.