Merry Christmas

He's Home!

Dallin came home on Monday after spending 12 days in the NICU. It was a long couple of weeks, but we are so grateful that he is doing well and home with us now.

While I spent most of my time up at the hospital, the rest of the family has been sick at home, so they have been keeping their distance from the baby. Brooke is dying to hold her new baby brother, but is doing a great job being a big sister by not getting too close to him yet.
Here's Drew meeting his new baby brother for the first time. This is as close as he wanted to get. He's still a little unsure of this new creature hanging around the house, but if you ask him if he loves him and wants him to stay, he says yes.

After being at the hospital visting Dallin, Brooke would come home and play NICU with her dolls. Drew, however, wasn't allowed in the NICU, so never got to come in and see the baby or anything else that went on in there, but somehow he knew because here's what I caught him doing.

NICU

Dallin is 1 week old today and is still in the NICU, but should be coming home in a couple of days.

He was jaundice so had to wear the bilirubin blanket.

The blanket wasn't enough, so he had to be put under the light, but his breathing improved enough on Monday morning that he was able to come off CPAP and go onto high flow oxygen through a nasal cannula.
Brooke loves it when her new baby brother holds her hand.

Scrubing to enter the NICU is also one of the highlights of her visit.

He is now off the lights and oxygen and his feeding tube was removed today - with a little help from Dallin - he pulled it out himself!

His room in the NICU - it's quite the setup.

He is eating really well and the plan is to take his IV out today and once he is off everything and eating and gaining weight for 2 days then he can come home. We are shooting for Friday!

He's here!

Dallin Wardell Ames

12/9/09

8:04am

7lb 11.5oz

19 3/4 inches

He's in the NICU getting a little help breathing, but otherwise doing well.
He's pretty big for being 3 weeks early - definitely biggest guy in the NICU.

Brooke was able to visit with him, but Drew hasn't had a chance to meet him yet because you have to be at lesat 2 yr old to go in the NICU.

Hopefully he will be out soon because we can't wait to hold him.

Shrinky Dinks

I have been on bed rest for the last couple of weeks and cannot thank my family enough for helping out with the kids - especially Debbie who has taken Drew every morning for me. Being on bed rest has been really tough, not only on me, but also on Brooke and Drew for not having me available to them. So while Drew took a 4 hour nap this afternoon, I got up for a few minutes and Brooke and I did a little Christmas craft together. We made Shrinky Dinks and a Christmas tree to hang them on!

Only a few more days of bed rest. The new baby is scheduled to arrive a little early on Wednesday 12/9/09.