Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Baby Boy…

Here’s the update from the Loma Linda NICU as of last night. The antibiotics appear to be working. The infection is looking better and the doctors are encouraged. The surgeons came to see him while I was there yesterday and said that he is looking good and that at this point it looks like this can be managed medically. The neonatologist on call yesterday told Josh that baby was doing well so far and that he would probably stay in the NICU to finish off his 10 day course of IV antibiotics.

He is eating like crazy. Again, it’s like he thinks we never feed him ;) He has about 4 1/2 ounces of a combination of breast milk and formula each meal at this point. (My supply is definitely not enough to sustain him at that rate). It makes sense to Josh and I though because he was feeding hourly at home this week, so since he’s eating every 3 hours or so in the NICU, his feedings would be larger.

He has had really great nurses so far. We are sooooo thankful that we live right on the same street as the children’s hospital (it’s about 4 miles away). It makes going and coming a lot more feasible, and I can pump a few times and then run the milk to the NICU.

Anyway, as we get more information, we will pass it along.

As for me, it turns out that my headache/fever were stress induced. As soon as I got some IV fluids and Tylenol, I was good to go. That makes me feel better (and a little nutty). ;)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY…..

To Rick Erquiaga and Mike

Stewart: THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you for helping us

become the people that we

are!! Thank you for loving

us!!! Thank you for showing

us how to be great parents

to Chomp! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

I love my daddy!

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Little Chomp and his silky…

We tried to put Chomp down on his silky after his lunch to see what he would do. He seemed to like it. YAY!

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Chomp Videos part deux…

This was just too cute and funny!!!

I kept trying to get him to coo as he’s been doing this occasionally when he’s happy, but he apparently didn’t want to get caught on video. ;)

The Poor Cows…

FYI: this post may be a liitle TMI, but at least it’s honest :) Read at your own risk.

I have a new found respect and intense pity for the dairy cows along the highway in Bakersfield. I’ve seen the “Dirty Jobs” episode featuring dairy cattle but never thought of their pain until now.

Pumps are helpful, and at the same time, sooo mechanical and painful. I can’t imagine that a cow wouldn’t go through similar pain that every new human mother goes through when learning to feed her little one. It makes me sad to think of a creature hooked up to a pump to give milk not to her baby but to a whole other life form. I sure wouldn’t pump milk for a kitten, only for Chomp.

I’m not sure that drinking milk will ever be the same for me (not that I like it any way), which will prompt me to also mention a book I finished recently: The Face on Your Plate. While the book has yet to turn me into a vegan, I appreciate the consciousness and may find myself heading more in that direction. Disclaimer: don’t read the book unless you are prepared to be disgusted at America’s food choices and standards and have a hard time with your next burger.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Week #2 with Little Chomp ….

So, it’s been awhile, I know!!! We’ve been a little busy. We have had three helpers this week. Nana stayed until Monday. Then, Grandma Kathy came to help out for a few days, and now Tia Daniellie is here! Thanks to the helpers! We couldn’t have done it without you.

P1060002 Nana is reading me my first story about Monkeys!

P1060003 I love hanging out with Grandma Kathy and sleeping in her lap.

P1060023 Tia Daniellie is getting to be an expert at taking care of me!

Chomp had his two week doctor’s appointment on Monday. He had only gained a few ounces, so we get to go back next Monday to make sure that he is making some progress. We are feeding him like crazy and he seems to be growing, at least from what we can tell. Check out these cheeks.

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We have been going on walks every day and Chomp now stays awake for them. He seems to really like them! YAY!!!

This is just a really cute shot of his giant feet…now I know why my ribs always were feeling crushed!

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Sunday, June 14, 2009

Life with Little Chomp: Day 11

Well, we have had a good couple of days. Chomp, Josh and I are at least getting used to sleeping when we can, eating when we can and congratulating ourselves with each success.

Yesterday, we got to visit with Uncle Matt (Heather’s brother) and Grandma Nancy. Chomp let both of them feed him and he slept in Matt’s arms for a long time.

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Today, Tia Nana, Tio Sergio, and Cousin Camille stopped by for a little bit on their way to a graduation party. Again, Chomp was very nice to his guests. He slept and was happy to be held.

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We went on our first outing yesterday-ironically, back to Redlands Community Hospital. Our good friends Dustin and Sarah Gray were blessed by the arrival of Olivia Janelle Gray on Friday. So, we took Chomp over to say hi. Well, really, he hung out in his stroller and got pushed around the floor, while Josh and I took turns meeting the new little friend.

He did such a good job, we decided to take him out again. It was finally a sunny afternoon in Redlands (I know….you’d think that it wouldn’t be that rare, but we’ve been having the june gloom lately—thank goodness I might add because I’m not sure how new baby and 100 plus degree weather and c-section would have all gone). I’m loving the 75 degrees. Anyways, we went for a walk around the block. Chomp slept through it, and I was excited that I felt good enough to make the walk.

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This morning-I decided that it was time that Chomp understand that he is going to be a fourth generation UCLA Bruin or at least a fan. :) So, here you go. He should fit into his beanie just in time for football season (Thanks Auntie Laura for the really cool beanie!!!!).

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And, to end the post for the day, here are some obligatory cute Hanging with Mom and Dad pictures.

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Friday, June 12, 2009

Daily Chomp Photograph…

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Hi! I’m 8 days old!

Here’s what has been brewing the past few days. The big fat bruise on my head from the delivery is almost gone!! YAY!!!!! I’m doing a good job of healing! I keep having fun resting and sleeping with the family. Daddy likes to hold me high up in the air, and I like it too. Nana snuggles with me and I can’t help going right to sleep. Yesterday, I decided that it was time that I push my mommy right over the edge. Did you know that when I bite, it hurts? I didn’t either but my mommy said it did through her tears. Poor Mommy. So, Mommy called her friend Erin whose Mommy, Mrs. Beaver, came to her rescue today. I got to eat lunch today without making Mommy cry. YAY!!!

Here’s the look of success!!!

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Tomorrow’s going to be a big day as we are going to have lots of visitors from the family! Talk to you later!

Little Chomp

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Guess who’s a week old????

Happy 1 week birthday to Little Chomp!!!!

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Tonight at 10:06pm, Chomp is turning one week old! WOW, that went fast!! I guess that when four of those days are spent in the hospital then it goes even more quickly. But, wow!

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In honor of Chomp’s 1 week celebration, here’s a list of what we’ve learned about him so far.

1. He loves being held!

2. He hates having a dirty diaper, but hates having a diaper changed even more.

3. We are pretty sure that he is either going to suck his thumb or fingers because they manage to find themselves in his mouth often.

4. He waits until his dad gets home from work, and then will poop three or four times in a row as a “welcome home” present.

5. He is a snuggler.

6. He is a pretty mellow child as long as he’s getting fed and attention.

7. He gets the hiccups like crazy, morning, noon and night.

8. He is not so sure about his swing, but loves it when his mom, dad, and Nana swing with him.

9. He proved the other day that babies really can hear in utero. His packNplay has a music component that plays Mozart for Babies. It happens to play one of the same pieces that I used to play for him during pregnancy. When he heard it for the first time “on the outside” yesterday, he stopped crying, his breathing changed, and he listed to it as though he recognized it. :)

10. He’s already made his Momma laugh and cry more than any other person in the world.

11. WE LOVE HIM SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

BOB!

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Little Chomp took his first ride in the BOB today, out to the mailbox and back. He wasn’t a big fan of it, but we’re hoping he’ll warm up to it, since Heather is planning on going running with him a lot once the doctors say she’s rested enough.

He also got a visit from a rockstar! Josh and Heather’s friend Ben is leaving to write some music for the next month or so with his band, so he made sure to stop by and see Chomp before he left.

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Other than that, it’s been a pretty mellow day. Josh went back to work today, which was a little sad, but he was very happy to come home and see his son (even though it’s still a little shocking for him to be able to say “my son”). Another good day!

Coming Home Outfit….

So, I had a cute little trendy striped onesie for him to wear home. However, in our style, I found this onesie at Goodwill and had to have it as his welcome home outfit. In this family, a little spunk and personality goes a long way :)

So, here’s Little Chomp the pirate!!

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He will be wearing this onesie as often as possible before he outgrows it. I love it!!!

Cute Mommy/Daddy Pictures…

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Visitors…

Little Chomp has had many admirers and visitors since he decided to come into the world!

IMG_2379 Aunt Lissy got to spend three days in a row in the hospital with us. She was in the area for her Grandma’s 92nd birthday. It worked out perfectly! :)

IMG_2392 Aunt Danie and Uncle Tom came up from the OC to say hello!

IMG_2393 Nana got her school stuff done and raced down from Murphys to be with us.

IMG_2397 Papa E. and Grandma got to come see you twice while you were in the hospital.

IMG_2400 The second time they brought Tia Daniellie, Tia Kixxy, and Tio David! YAY!

IMG_2424 Granddad and Grandma got to come spend the afternoon with you at home! Look how happy I made them. :)

We also got visits from Dustin and Sarah Gray, and Danielle and Erin Beaver and Heather’s boss Cindy while we were in the hospital. (Sadly, we have been relying on pictures from others and keep forgetting to take pictures ourselves, so we don’t have any of these wonderful friends).


We are just waiting to meet Uncle Matt, and Uncle Trevor and Katie to finish out this part. The extended family starts to visit next weekend! YAY!

Little Chomp Update…

So, this is our second day home. Chomp did great yesterday and last night. He seems to have adjusted a little bit to his new environment. Plus, he got to visit for the whole afternoon with Granddad Mike and Grandma Nancy :) He played in his bouncer for the first time, and LOVED it.

He also got to have his first visit with the pediatrician yesterday. When we left the hospital he had lost 10% of his body weight, and everyone was pretty concerned about him developing jaundice. (We will forever be thankful to his night nurse Josetta who patiently syringe fed Chomp three feedings in a row to make sure that he was getting as many nutrients as possible to help with the weight loss/jaundice). Anyway, so he got to go visit with the pediatrician and have his first well-baby check up. He is doing well. He has continued to maintain his weight (and gain a few grams here and there). He gets to go back next week for his 2 week appointment, and he and Mommy get to make sure that he gets fed every 1-2 hours until then. Once he gets back up to his birth weight, then we may be able to extend the time between feedings. To this, Chomp says, “YAY, FOOD!”. To this Mommy says, “YAWN, yawn, yawn!”. :) He did do the typical boy thing though. When Josh went to unwrap him so he could be weighed, he had a dirty diaper and then managed to pee over his entire body. He had pee on his head. Poor child! Anyway, Josh and I were really thankful that it went Ok. Taking an infant out of the house to do anything is stressful.

Josh and I are doing well and continuing to adjust to having this little guy’s life in our hands. What a awesome gift, and what a tremendous responsibility! We are thankful to my mom’s work schedule and that she can be with us for this whole week. It is very helpful since I am recovering from the c-section, and Josh had to go back to work today. (WE MISS HIM!). C-section: For a girl who is incredibly independent, not having a choice, and being forced to be dependent is pretty difficult. The whole pregnancy was a learning experience in letting others help me, and the c-section recovery appears to be the biggest test of that learning of them all.

We love you and thank you for your love and support! Josh, Heather, and Baby Chomp

IMG_4379 Chomp’s nurse in the NICU, Yvette, made this for him. We think that it pretty much shows our family in a nutshell! Thanks Yvette for taking such good care of me and helping my parents feel comfortable and understand what was going on with my health!!! Love, Chomp

IMG_4385 In honor of Game 3 of the NBA finals, Chomp is sporting his “I’m a Lakers fan ‘cause my Grandpa said so!!” bib. Go, Lakers, Go!!!!!

P1030001 Thanks for my onesie, Cousin Brandi!!! Have I mentioned that I love my bouncer?! It vibrates and plays songs to keep me occupied.

IMG_2414 YAY!! We get to go HOME!!!!!!!!!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Short Baby Chomp Videos

So, Nana (Heather’s mom) gave Josh a really fun daddy present, a Flip Video camera! It’s great for getting some cute videos of Chomp, so here they are. The first one is Chompy sleeping:

And we also have one of Chomp with Grandma E.:

It’s so amazing having Chompy here. We’ve been waiting for him for 10 months now, and are so glad to have him joining our little family. He got to come join us in our room today after his short overnight stint in the NICU to make sure that he was able to transition from the birth to being here. It’s amazing how we take for granted things like breathing, heart rate, and body temperature, and they are all things that little babies have to figure out how to do for themselves once they are born. We are so thankful for the blessing we’ve been given with Chomp!


EDIT: I wrote this post while we were at the hospital, but it didn't get uploaded until a couple days later because of the video, so I think the timing is off. Sorry!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

He’s Home!

Baby Chomp got to come home today! We’re pretty excited about it, and the new found knowledge that he likes car rides (which also put him to sleep). A couple of new pictures for you:

Collin in his Car Seat Collin and Dad 2

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Baby Chomp is Here!

I sent this out on TwitPic earlier, but in case you haven't joined the Twitter revolution, here it is, a quick pic of Chompy and his mommy:


He arrived at 10:06 PM, and weighs 8 pounds, 7 ounces. He's 20.5 inches long. He got to spend the first night in the NICU (just for observation, he's doing fine), mostly because he had a pretty stressful day, what with being born and all. :)

We'll try to post a couple more pictures in the next few days, but for now we've got to try and get some rest. Thanks for all the prayers/positive thoughts!

Monday, June 1, 2009

39 weeks…..YIPPEEEEE!!!

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Yikes!!! Yep, the belly is huge!!!! (Note, this shirt is not actually shiny, that’s just how stretched out it’s become.) I’d say that we must be pretty close to being done growing Chomp! :) He definitely has no where else to go. I can now feel him from my ribs (pretty sure he’s bruised the bottom two ribs on my right side) down to my hips and everywhere in between at the same time. I didn’t even know that I was this big until I looked at the picture :) It’s amazing that we can expand like this.

Chomp and I have our next doctor’s appointment on Wednesday, so we’ll see how he’s doing then. I’m still expecting a great report. The full moon as everyone has been saying is Sunday. There is some truth to the fact that both maternity and psych. wards are busier during full moons. I’m not sure if Chomp is going to be the kind of kid who wants to be arrive at the big party with everyone else or be the one who wants to make his own entrance. I guess we will find out within the next week and a half or so.

Other than that, I’m reading lots and getting little things done. A new thing in the last week is that I really am no longer able to bend to the front if I’m sitting down. It’s also a lot trickier to get up off of the couch or up out of bed. It has to be done in steps. :) Luckily, I can still reach things on the ground if I’m standing. Josh and I have been working these things out as a team. This morning he brought the laundry down to the garage. Then, I could do it, and fold everything. And, he needed to be the one to haul it back upstairs. We are doing really well at teamwork!! We can no longer travel together in the Nissan XTerra though. It’s really hard for me to get into ;) Silly things that I never considered. :) The PUPPS rash is getting both worse and better. Worse in that it continues to spread. Better in that moving is no longer unbearable, and parts of the rash are starting to heal. I’m hoping that it will be mostly (if not completely) gone by the time that Chomp arrives. I’ve been really lucky in this marine layer that’s come over southern California in the last five days or so. 75 degrees is so pleasant compared to 100. It really has made living much easier in this big body.