Getting bigger

We have not posted any pictures of our little Bean for awhile.

Just a few thing about him as you look at these cute pics. He is such a sweet baby, not sure how we ended up with two such wonderful children. 

 He only cries when hunger, tired. 

 He loves to watch LE play and run around.  She can really get him laughing when she is silly. 

He loves Hair- so watch out. 

 He has it timed to the dot how long it takes Ba to leave his room and have her head hit the pillow before he starts to cry in the night. With that said he is a good sleeper, but still wakes up 3 to 2 times at night. 

We still are in hibornation for at least another month. But have loved the warm weather. 

He loves his soft dog he got from an old neighbor when he was in the NICU and an elephant that was also given to him in the NICU. Most of all moms water bottle (it is with us all the time). 

7 months old pics. 

                                                                    Not loving the hat

 Ry and Ba went up to Logan to pertisapate in a little Tri the univeristy was putting on.  One of Bas good friends watch LE and Bean while we were gone.  Here is Bean holding hands with Gwen, she is one month older.

                                                 Dad LOVEs to put him in funny places.

 Eating for the first time. He enjoy his solids very, very much.  We like to joke that he is already breaking the bank with how much he eats. 

 Sitting up, watching what is going on around him and playing with his toys is a favorite pass time for Bean.  Rolling and tummy time are at the bottom.

                                                    Who doesn't love a naked baby!

                                Just look at that smile and big blue eyes, isn't your heart just melting?

 We had to add in Ry birthday, he turned 29!!!! This last month, just look at all those caddles.

Sledding

We have loved playing in the snow; which we have had a lot of this winter.  We built snowmen, forts, castles, slides, a race track, tunnels and just had some good times.

Blessing

A few weeks ago we blessed Bean, it was a very nice day and we enjoyed family that were able to come and support us.  These past few month have not been the easiest but we are so grateful for all the prayers and fast that have been in our behave.  I know that we have been watched over and given special help.

 LE was giving a 'special' dress along with Beans 'special' outfit.  It is pink since she wanted to name Bean Pink before he was born.  She dosen't like to smile and look at the camera these days.

 Proud Grandparents

Great Grandpa, what a guy.  He is 96 and still drives, remolds homes, and goes fishing.  It was special to have him come down to see Bean.  

 

 LE getting better at holding Bean.  We must say, she is such a good helper, and when I say that I mean a real helper.  She will run and get his pacifier if he is crying.  If he spits up she will get a brup cloth, and is always willing to help give him a bath. We are very happy she loves Bean and wants to help him so much.

  Look at those two handsome guys :) So glad to have them both in my life.

 We were very excited it was such a nice day, so that family could eat outside. 

Baby and House Update

It was brought to our attention that we have not posted for some time, and quite a few things have happened.  Bean is almost 2 months old, and he has a great big sister.  Maybe next post will have some fun videos of the two interacting.  I'm sure if LE was writting this post it would go something like this... "I like baby brother most of the time, but he takes my mom away several times a day." When she first saw him she smiled and started playing around.  The first time we gave Bean a bath, LE went wild, and was litteraly bouncing off the walls.  It sure is nice that we aren't going to the NICU any more.  Bean is not crazy fragile anymore, but he is still a newborn so we are being cautious about exposing him to the world.

Lets get to what you really care about, pictures.

The first day at our new house we said LE could run through the sprinklers.  She stripped down and streaked around the house.  I guess we are a classic example of "weird-neighbors-moved-in" phenomenon.

The people before us gave up on yard work, and we didn't start for a bit so our grass in the back got up to a foot and a half long.  This is LE holding up a flower.  You can barely see her.

We had the actual birthday, and a month later, the day we felt that we had a baby.  This is us leaving the hospital about three weeks ago.

We had to get a special car seat to handle babies under 5lbs for the drive home.  To answer your question, no the car seat is the same size as a regular one, the contents are just a bit smaller.

We have pictures of him scrunched in Ry's benie, but he wasn't too happy, so we went with this one.  Ry also has a huge head, so that may throw off the picture.

LE likes being a big sister.  Most of the time she is very soft.

We have learned that the catch position is much better than the hug position (as seen above) for when LE wants to hold Shane.  Don't you like the white shirt and tie?  Ba is opposed to white socks but does that apply if you don't wear pants?

As you can see LE likes to help feed Bean.

Ry has found this new hobbie to hidding Bean in random places like on top of the fridge.

The first time we used the phrase "Go outside and play" LE fell off the monkey bars and sprained her foot.  We happy that she isn't scared to try new things, but that could be bad.

"That boy is a rock star"

Barb, the head nurse that is in charge of all 50+ babies in the NICU, told us that Bean was a rock star.  We didn't realize this until we went to a discharge class, and everyone was expressing how things were not going very well.  Bean has been doing great.  So good as a matter of fact, that he is now living at our apartment.  That will change in a week when we move to our house, but that is just a technicality.  One senior nurse said she can only think of a few babies out of several hundred that were able to go home at 35 weeks.  We are happy that the driving has ended, but a little sad the sleepless nights are beginning.

There are several things to consider when dealing with a premature baby that are  little different than full term babies...

1. They have no immune system.  This means that if Bean gets sick, a visit to the hospital is certain (and that is best case scenario).  This is why we are discouraging visitors right now.

2. They don't have very much energy.  Just eating gets Bean exhausted.  Most babies eat until they are full, but Bean gets too tired to eat until he is tired.  Just holding him tires him out, and we want all those extra calories to go to weight gain (wouldn't that be nice if we all had that problem).  This is why we are discouraging visitors right now.

3. They like to have their hands by their faces.  No burrito wrap for Bean.

4. They can't be bounced or stroked.  They get soothed by just holding.

5. They have a hard time breathing.  Bean has to have his chin up and head straight, otherwise, he starts to have a hard time breathing and it takes a lot of effort (See note 2).

Even though you may not see us for two months, we can answer our phones, and we still like you.  We just need to be paranoid parents and make sure Bean has a good start to life.  Bring out the soap and disinfectant.

Fragile

Quick update for those who are interested...

We have other things to post about like our anniversary, Ry surfing, and our house purchase, but those will have to wait until we aren't so tired...

Bean is doing well, but he is still very slender.  It is quite the task just to get him out of his incubator for mom or dad to hold him once a day.  It is tough, but we are happy that we get to hold him instead of just poking our hands through his incubator.

He is weighing in at around 4 lbs which is slightly above his birth weight.  We are excited, but it is still crazy to think that Ry has eaten burritos that are bigger than Bean.  He is in coasting mode until he is able to maintain his body temperature, eat every three hours from mom, and have a constant weight growth.  Not a whole ton to update really.  

The snuggle fest is the best!

Bean

Our child has really made it big in life and has become a real person because he now has a blog name.  The only thing left is a Facebook account, and then a few smaller things like a social security number and birth certificate.  We were going to call him Little Ricky (what we called him before he was born), but Ry keeps slipping and calls him that anyway.  Bean really does suit him well for now because that is what he looks like.  I guess you can be the judge of that one.

This also helps to show how big he is compared to Ry's hand.  Ry does have big hands, but that is still a little guy.  He doesn't even fit into his own skin on his thighs.

The biggest obstacle to breaking free of his "plastic egg" (incubator) is getting his eating figured out.  He has a feed tube that goes into his stomach.  We are happy to announce that he no longer receives any other supplements except for momma's milk.  I really don't think he will have a problem gaining weight, especially when I looked back at others who have had that very same diet.

LE had rolls on her rolls, and could really compete for baby sumo.  Her thighs were so big, she got stuck in her bumbo.

Pumping is not very fun, but we do all sorts of unpleasant things for those we love.  We have to give Bean a binky when we let the milk drain into him so he starts to learn that sucking means happy tummy.  As you can see, when we keep him fed, he sure is happy.

"Milk Coma"

The closest thing to a smile that we have documented

It is common for babies to lose weight after they are born.  Bean dropped to 3 lb 4 oz, but is starting to climb on the charts.  Since these photos were taken, he has also had all but two of his chords, and pipes detached.