Jude found his thumb

Smile, Jude!

Jude already smiles all the time.  I wish we had a picture of a big one.

He lifts his legs all the time while he’s sleeping.  This nap he did it so much he completely destroyed the swaddle.

We took him for his first doctor’s appointment on Monday and his skin tone was so good that they didn’t even test for Jaundice, but he weighed the same as when he left the hospital.  I had been only breastfeeding up to that point since we’d been home, so we started also bottle-feeding him breast milk on top of breastfeeding so we could start making sure he’s getting enough.  Because he’s so little it’s hard because he constantly starts falling asleep while I’m trying to feed him, but Grandma figured out the other day that we just need to burp him more – he gulps down so much air while he’s eating!  The lactate consultant also said that he may be falling asleep because he doesn’t have to caloric intake yet to give him the strength to eat better.  Hopefully, once he gets his strength up, I can go back to just breastfeeding but for now we’ll do what it takes to fatten him up!

 

When we went back in for a weigh-in on Wednesday, he had gained 3 ounces.  Go Jude!

I’ve considered making a “–1” onesie.  Seems more fitting, right?

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Home at last

Saturday morning we called to find out that Jude’s jaundice levels were the same as the day before – which was good because they expect them to get higher every day, so his not increasing was encouraging.  After that all he had to do was pass the car seat test, where they put him in his car seat and watch his vitals for an hour and a half.  Luckily he passed with flying colors and we were home by 7 pm.

Here is Jude during his car seat test.  One of the nurses stopped to look at him because she was so entertained by the positions of his hands.

We love his Moses basket.  I’m convinced he sleeps better in it than in his pack’n’play since I seem to have to get up with him more frequently at night….

The first time we changed him after bringing him home he turned on his side a little bit and then peed across the changing pad and the ottoman.  We have since learned that Jude really likes to pee while you change him, and it is usually delayed so you never know when it’s coming.

Acting like he didn’t just pee all over everything…

Grandma loves holding baby Jude.

I love hanging out with him after he eats – he usually stays awake for about 15 minutes and just stares up at you.  It is adorable.

This kid is pretty stylin’.

Grandma is here

You know what that means.  Lots of pictures and the apartment is already spotless. 

I was discharged yesterday but Jude is still at the hospital in the NICU for a few extra days for a little more development before he comes home.  He’s mostly working on his Jaundice levels, and hopefully he will pass his carseat test tomorrow so we can bring him home.  We miss him.

Meet Jude Randall Bready

Born September 20

6 lbs 6 oz

19 1/4 in

We love him.

I’m really large

is what I thought as soon as I saw this picture.  Yikes.

 

 

Also, if you hadn’t noticed, I’m a little swollen these days.  Mostly my hands, calves, and especially my feet.  This is what my feet looked like when I got home from work today.  Needless to say, I will most likely be working half days at work and the second half at home from now on.

Remember these days?

Mike left for San Antonio tonight to spend tomorrow with his parents and brother at the BYU football game in Austin.  I cried before he left – I’m 35 weeks pregnant, ok?  Actually, I started crying not just because he was leaving but because we had been trying to nap together before he left but he had to go out into the living room because I was snoring too loudly.  And after he left I couldn’t go back to sleep – I was just so sad that it was our last hour together and we weren’t even in the same room.  So he came back to bed and I started crying.  And then it really was because he was leaving.  We didn’t try to go to sleep again, we just laid there enjoying being with each other and feeling how big the baby is and how much he presses out nowadays and how we’re going to meet him in a month (or less…or more).  His little butt is always sticking out straight from the middle of my stomach.

Anyway, while we were laying there I started thinking about some of the pictures below that I haven’t looked at in forever.  The ones in the street are from one of the first times Mike and I hung out together (when I had a big fat crush on him and he couldn’t care less), and the black and white is from a month or two into dating.  It’s so crazy to think about where we were four years ago and where we are now.  Would I have believed that night on the street that in four years we’d be married, closer than ever and soon-to-be expecting a little baby boy together?  That we would miss each other sometimes from being apart the few hours we’re at work, much less for a whole weekend?  We love every second of our life and are grateful for it and for each other.  We know we are so lucky.  I wish everyone could understand the relationship you can have with someone when you commit to them for eternity – what would the world be like?  It’s incredible.  I’m so excited to add another person to our life and for us to be able to share that love with him too.

Sorry for the cheese – I’m usually good at staying away from it (maybe a little too good) but I guess I’m in a mood tonight and missing Michael.  Oh, and I’m 35 weeks pregnant – good enough reason for you?  Speaking of that, maybe part of the reason I was crying was realizing how much I rely on Michael when we’re home now that I’m so awkward.  What, I’m actually going to have to help myself off the couch and pick things up off the floor that I drop there?  Lame.