Having a baby means a lot of firsts...

So as I'm finding out, there's a lot of new things to get used to and learn as a new dad.  The general lack of sleep is much more daunting than I had expected, but as Mandy has said about the labour pains, it's a manageable thing.

 

One of the 'firsts' we had this past week was our first trip to the emergency.  Hardly 2 weeks out of the hospital and we're bringing him back in!  He ate a lot at one feeding and then started to spit up.  Which was sort of expected, but when it started to get to be a lot of spit up plus it turned a yellow colour we got worried.  SO we called Telehealth, and they said should probably have him checked out... so as the nervous first time parents we are we rushed on down.

 

That must have been around 1130 or so.. by 430am they said that he would be admitted and the doctor would get a look at him and the results first thing in the morning.  Turned out to be nothing, but in order to get this peace of mind we had to go through 5 hours of them drawing blood from him (and not just from his heel), an X-Ray, a catheter and an ultrasound.  All very disconcerting for Dean.  Disconcerting for me as well... i really wanted to punch somebody - making my baby cry so much.  OH, well.

 

At least we got that first out of the way and things turned out to be good, otherwise I don't know how I'd be right now.  When they first said there was the possiblity of pyloric stenosis and he might need surgery I was really frightened.

 

Another first was the first time we got to give him over to a 'baby sitter'.  There was plans to leave him with Lindsay one day, but Mandy didn't get enough sleep to feel rested enough to go out, so that got scratched.  But today we stopped by to visit my folks and we mentioned how we were going out to grab some food and take it home when they suggested they could watch him for a couple hours while we go out to dinner.  Oooh, dinner out without the kid... it's so "old couple dating".  But we were glad for it!  Thanks guys

 

anyhoo... enjoy some of the newer pics, I'll keep 'em coming.

 

Just wish I had anything real to report on these days, everything seems to be about Dean, nothing but Dean... all Dean, all the time.  But I guess I'm just still in that awe of being a new proud dad!  (I should get some more chocolate cigars).

HE'S HOME

Say hello to the world dean

It's official, we're a family now.  With responsibilities and everything.  After last night's parenting room deal, they let us take him home and everything.  Take a look at the pics of us getting him ready!  The outfit was huge on him.

 

So we had him home for a bit, changed him a few times aleady and then we thought it's overdue that the grandparents to see him.  We had my dad come over at 6, and Greg and Nancy come over for just after.  Which also brought on the rest of the family, we figured they should see him as well.  So Sandi and John came over (and Kris tried to sneak in without being noticed), followed by Cookie shortly thereafter.  It was a whole Knauff affair... it was good tho'.  I think everybody's just in love with him.  I know I am.

 

Plus Dean has a whole new wardrobe, heck I think he has like 3 wardrobes now.  He'll not want for anything in this family.

 

So we changed him a few more times, let him pee on the old man, and put him to bed.

 

I'm downstairs now, just glued to my baby monitor (thanks Cookie)... boring as heck, but I can't take my eyes off of it.

 

We'll see how tomorrow goes!

 

 

Parenting rooms are neat!

So we've got our parenting room now.  Dean's a little over his birth weight... but having Mandy 'camp out' at the hospital all day to feed I guess is starting to wear them down at the NICU, so they've given her a parenting room.

 

It was pretty awesome being in there.  Finally, Dean has no tubes or monitors hooked up to him, we get to sit and hang out in a small hotel essentially with our baby and a nurse is a phone call away (it's right next to NICU).  It's reassuring... even tho' we're pretty confident we know what to do (but really does anybody really know what to do?).

 

So, here's hoping we can bring him on home for tomorrow... if not, on Saturday would be good too (a good birthday gift for Mandy).

 

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who have sent cards and other stuff.  I really do appreciate it.

more about Hype and his arrival

so, in the telling previously I tend to gloss over a lot of stuff, but it's mostly because it's so fresh and so new, and so awesome, it's hard to remember everything... so I'm going to fill in some blanks, and put some anecdotes in there and see how that goes.

 

UPDATE - Hype is fine (and still unnamed), his blood sugar was a little low, so he's in the NICU for a little bit.  They're seeing if he'll take to some regular feedings.

 

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So, Dr. Victory (the doctor that delievered) was supposed to be in earlier, but the plane he was coming in on, slid off the runway into a snow bank here in Thunder Bay and needed to be shovelled out.

When Mandy started to have contractions after we got back from teh hospital the first time we thought we'd start to measure them.  But, we couldn't find her Scooby-Doo watch (had a second hand to it) so I HAD TO go and get a program for my palm to time... Mandy was not impressed.

The cord ended up bein wrapped around Hypes neck 2x, plus he was upside down, so the doctor named him "trouble".

Mandy got 2 hits of fentenol (sp?) but later on when she asked about epidurals, the nurse said "yup we still give 'em..."  To which Mandy added on a few pauses later, "can I get one?"  and the nurse said no.  Mandy also asked about using the jacuzzi, and the nurse said "you have to pop out your baby first."  It was not going well for Mandy's requests that night.

Turns out that Feb 2nd '08 is NOT 90 years to the date after my grammy was born (just her 90th birthday party was that day, Grammy's birthday is the 6th).

When Mandy was pushing... she not only bruised my hand (I had marks... no skin broke tho... *phew*), she ended up gripping the railing so hard that even after it was all done and over, 20 minutes later when the nurse came around, she was still gripping it, and we had to pry her hands off the railing.  It took her a while to relax and untense her legs even.

Mandy was so tired after, when I bought her breakfast, she couldn't even finish her chocolate milk

Well, that's about all I can think of for anecdotes.  If you want, she's in room 162 at the hospital (still can't visit her, just give her a shout).

Below is a video of Hype crying.  First time I got to hear him cry (hopefully the last too).  Anyways... I got to calm him down eventually (held him and patted him until he burped like his mom).

 http://images.video.msn.com/flash/soapbox1_1.swf
Video: hype crying

arrival of the hype

So, in true geek fashion, I'm going to blog this event (just be grateful my camera's batteries died so i didn't take thousands of pictures).

 

Anyways, here's the story of the hype:

Mandy comes to my work to pick me up for like 3:30.  Justin stopped by and wanted to go for a period 6 (unwinding at BP).  Of course Mandy goes because she loves their virgin Pina Colada.  Plus, it's an excuse not to cook (turns out it was probably our best suggestion to date - thanks Jay!).  Before we head out, Mandy says that she's starting to 'hurt down there'.  Adding a "who knows" kinda thing.

 

Well, Bp goes off without a hitch.  Good salads, nice conversation, no dishes to clean up.  We get home and Mandy is now saying she really is starting to feel something.  So she calls the one person she trusts in this issue - Rain.  Rain says "maybe, call Telehealth" who then tell us to go to L&D.  L&D gave her the once over and said "could be it, rest up, and see us in the morning".  6 hours later Mandy said "enough of this" (back pain, feeling nauseous, etc...) that we went back to L&D at 2am.  This meant cancelling Mandy's game night with Kris & Doug.  She even turned down a phone conversation with Kelly (hard to talk through contractions). And there, they set us all up with people and a place to hang out.

 

6 hours later, he appeared.  5lbs 12.9oz the li'l boy was born.  It was a wild ride according to the doctor (who had a fun ride himself - he's from Windsor and cmoes to Thunder Bay for every other weekend - his plane apparnetly slid off the runway here in Thunder Bay and couldn't get to Toronto to get him)... anywhoo... somethin gabout baby upside down, something about cord around necks, something about bouts of low fetal heart rate, and about being a trouble maker... oh yeah, and mandy was discomfited.

 

All in all they were really proud of her (as am I) as to how she handled herself.  Baby's fine... batteries died just as I took the first picture.  Which is ok, the first picture he was really grey and wrinkly... nobody wants to see that.

Check the pictures I did put up.  When we have a name for this little hype, we'll let y ou know!

 

note - the pictures I took with my cellphone camera, so they're not so hot... sorry

cute li'l guy tho'... has more hair than anna so far!  and long fingernails...