After the Intermission: October 2015

Jubilee's birthday present. I thought the doll had pretty eyes.

I think this one is the last one of me pregnant. I think I was 34 or 35 weeks here?

Jubilee named this dolly "Flower Phillip". SHE is a girl. (I get confused sometimes.)

The kids told me that Jubi had dropped papers down the top loading lint trap. I didn't know how dangerous it was to have papers down there, but there's no accessing that area from the top as it curves around at an angle your arm can't reach and the vacuum hose couldn't do it either so, since I NEEDED my dryer and I didn't want to start a fire...

I flipped it around and opened the back.

There weren't any papers in there but there was a LOT of other stuff. Glad I cleaned it out.

When we moved in, we used this half of a vent thing...it's about 14 inches long. there is EXACTLY enough space for the dumb thing to stretch between the wall and the dryer. I was back behind it screwing the hose back on all of 8 months pregnant and wishing I'd left the job for Brandon when he came home from work but at the same time feeling proud that I'd figured it out so I took a picture. :)

Emma really really really really really really loves this book. If I could find others in the series, I would. She repeatedly asks for them and she's read it maybe 4 times this year?

Goofy sisters

And then he was here! I STILL find it surprising that he made it in October and that he made it in the MIDDLE of October.

Under the lights for jaundice

Abby liked knowing that she and Phillip were "carrot babies"

Pumping milk for him was sooooooooo hard. They wanted me to pump to keep up the hormones and stimulation and whatever but they wanted to feed him bottles of formula every other time so that they could flush the jaundice faster and since he wasn't nursing well, I had to pump extra to keep my milk. At first, there's almost nothing there. That's Phillip's shoe next to that bottle. His newborn, baby shoe!

My body were soo swollen after the surgery. I hear this is normal. They kept asking me how my incision felt but really, THIS bugged me as much as anything.

I was lonely because Brandon was home with the kids and my baby was in the nursery under the lights all the time and I could really only hold him for a little bit at a time when I went to feed him every few hours, but at least they had really good chocolate cake. That was one of my few "pick me ups." I'd order it at most meals and then have them bring it right when I was getting back from nursing so I could eat it while I was lonely. I mostly watched movies on my phone and pumped while I was in my room.

Feeling lonely. Texting Brandon. He told me being a fully stay at home daddy was hard.

Feet up for the swelling.

And finally allowed to stay with me again!!!! :) I thought he looked happy to be back cuddling not just sleeping and being put under the lights.

Ready to go home.

(This outfit has a story. We bought a different outfit. It was an online store and was marked as their newborn size but when it came it was HUGE. So Brandon took the kids to get a better fitting outfit. He picked up this one and brought it to me at the hospital when they came to visit me. Neither of us thought of it at the time until Phillip was wearing it the first time, but it kind of reminds me of Papa Phillips. He wore plaid and suspenders in all of my memories. It seems kind of fitting for a child who bears his name.)

And then I put the sweater and hat on and it was a different "little old man" look. Still cute though.

I'm so happy to be going home!!!!

Phillip's position as I tried to draw it based on the doctor's description to me.

A) His head was turned looking back over his shoulders as far as he could.

B) his shoulders were twisting downward toward my feet.

C) His legs and hips were twisting upward toward my chest.

D) his arm was caught in the birth canal

Bar of soap for size comparison

Maddie feeding Pip

I think she looks so proud and serious.

How I spend my days. (Still in January!)

Everyone wants to take a turn.

They were drawing Pip going camping in a tent.

Emma drew an elephant with our whole family riding on it.

How little he was

those are American Girl doll ear muffs

Having a tea party with her brother

Sleepy

Owl hat

Morning love while I'm getting him dressed or changing his diaper

Tiny little boy

At night sometimes when I'm not tired, I read a book before bed. I lay him down by me and read. This time, I noticed he was curling up so that he had his feet on me up higher than normal.