Baths and More Baths

Yesterday morning while Claire was enjoying her breakfast, I noticed that she was working from both ends. She was eating, but something else was going on at the other end. I wanted to make sure she was finished pooping before I changed her diaper, so I kept feeding her for a few more minutes. Well, by the time I changed her, she just needed a bath! Some poop had escaped from the diaper and had gotten on her clothes. So when I took the clothes off, poop got on her back. - So I just decided to give her a bath. Here she is all clean!!!


Then, last night, Jordan and I finished cleaning our apartment. Claire was soooo good because she ate, and then she slept for the entire 2.5 hours that we cleaned. Thanks, Claire!


We put her in the car, and she kind of woke up, but I think she slept some on the way home. Then, five minutes from the house, she started crying. It was time for her to eat again, so I figured that's why she was crying. When we got inside, we started getting her ready to eat. And then I saw it! Her cute onesie that had a white background had a yellow ring ALL around her midsection. And it was a WIDE ring! It was as if she was wearing a yellow tutu! (And in case you don't know, babies who breastfeed have yellow poop).

So Jordan started the bath water, and I started undressing her. There was so much poop that her diaper wasn't even connected on one side! No wonder she was crying!!! Who in their right mind would want to sit in that? - in ALL of that?!!!

So Claire had two baths yesterday - both because of her fully-working digestive system! At least it's working well!

In other news, Claire went to the doctor today for another weight check. She is now 9 pounds, 4 ounces. So she has finally surpassed her birth weight! And she's 23 inches long, so she has grown 2 inches in 5 weeks. I told Claire that it probably took me 5 years to grow 2 inches! Doesn't she look long here?!!


The doctor is very pleased with her growth and progress, and now we don't have to go back until her 2 month check-up.

Methodist Hospital

No, we did not have to go to the hospital again!! Claire is going to the doctor on Thursday for another weight check, but that's it for now. Thank goodness!

Up until March, Jordan worked at Methodist Hospital. One time he was bathing a patient, and he found this shirt mixed in with the washcloths! So he claimed it as his own for our then-unborn little girl. I think she makes it look good!

One Month

Claire is one month old today! I can't believe it's already been a month since she was born! These past four weeks have flown by. Claire is a wonderful joy to have in our family. We love her so, so much, and we are so glad she is with us!


Jordan and I have so much fun with her. We love talking to her, taking her on walks, taking care of her, bathing her, and loving her! And when I'm feeding her in the middle of the night, I try to remember that these days will fly by so quickly, so I just need to enjoy every single moment. Sometimes I think about the fact that one day she'll eat food from a spoon, or one day she'll crawl. But then I just think about how wonderful she is right now, and I just want to soak up every moment with her.

We also LOVE the funny looks she makes!

Chris got a chance to feed a baby for the first time today! I must say, he has certainly learned much more about babies since I first met him! :-)

Happy one month birthday, Claire!

Moving Day

Moving Day 2010 - Part 1

Today we moved into Jordan's parents' house. Our lease in our apartment is up at the end of this month, and since we're moving to Baton Rouge in August, we moved here to save some money in the mean time. We appreciate being able to live here for a few months.

One thing that I learned about Jordan the first day I ever talked to him is that he likes organized moves. (It's because the first time we really met was when he came over to help me move. - And before he came over, he asked what kind of move it was going to be. He didn't want to come over and pack; he wanted to come over and move. I think it all worked out for the best!) :-)

So we've been packing and preparing for a while. It's a little more complicated to pack when 1) you have to separate the "put it in storage" items from the "I'll need those this summer" items, and 2) you have a baby! Thankfully, we had lots of help packing. My mom, my Aunt Debbie, and Jordan's mom all helped us pack. That was great help! We started packing during spring break, and we began stacking the boxes in the garage. Here's the garage last night:


This morning the move began at 9:00, and the entire U-Haul was packed before 10:00! That was pretty good! It was all because we had lots and lots of help. - Thanks for helping, everyone! We really appreciate it!!! (And just look at all of these smiles! What happy helpers!)




These girls also got to come over for the move. They didn't last too long watching the movie, but it worked for a little while, and it was good while it lasted. But when they weren't watching the movie, they were either eating breakfast or playing at the park at the apartment complex, so they were really no problem!!

And this little guy had lots of fun with Rebecca!

Jordan designated me as the supervisor, so I directed which boxes and furniture went where, (some went to the Cooper's house, some to the storage unit, some to my dad's truck for my sister, and some to the dumpster. - We didn't want anything going to the wrong place!) And I was able to delegate different jobs, too.

After getting the storage unit set, we took a break for lunch, and then we made the trip to the Cooper's house with all of our stuff. So far tonight, I've set up Claire's room and unpacked her things, and I've unpacked the bathroom stuff. Our room still has boxes and suitcases everywhere. Right now Jordan and Chris are working on the electronic items. We'll get to the rest later!

We've had soooo much help with this move - today AND before today. - Thank you so, so much! Thanks to the help we've had, we had a great moving day! (Stay tuned for Part 2 in August!)

Miss Pirate

Here's our little Miss Pirate! She is able to open one eye at a time, and she is equally talented with each eye! She actually did this much more often the first two weeks that she was here. Now she doesn't do it as much, but I'm glad I got a picture of it!


Last Friday night, Claire slept for 8 hours straight!!! That was absolutely wonderful! And she wasn't even crying Saturday morning after 8 hours. I woke up after 8 hours and went to check on her, and she was still in her waking up but not crying mode. How wonderful!!!

Since then, however, she has decided to fight going to sleep in the late afternoon/evening. She is absolutely exhausted, but she fights taking a nap. That's not fun for her or me!

Comfy & Cozy

After Claire eats, she curls up. She especially likes sleeping on her dad's chest after a good meal. I love seeing these two like this!!!



These pictures are from this past Tuesday. On Tuesday I really thought that she looked bigger. She just looked bigger all of a sudden! (I'm sure that will happen much more as she continues to grow!)

And on Thursday at her doctor appointment, she weighed in at 8 pounds and 13 ounces. She's not yet back to her birth weight, but she's getting there! And the doctor didn't even think we needed to have another bilirubin level drawn, so she didn't have to get her foot stuck again! Side note here: I was talking to my grandmother a week or two ago, and I told her how often Claire had to have her foot stuck for a blood draw to check her bilirubin level. I was saying, "Oh, her poor feet," and she said, "Well, at least she doesn't have to walk on them." - What a great perspective!

Playtime

Playtime for Claire doesn't usually last too long because she gets sleepy or hungry. But sometimes she'll hang out in this for 30 minutes or maybe even an hour! Tonight she didn't last very long in playtime because she needed a diaper change, and then she was tired. But here is a little glimpse of playtime for Claire.

Swingin' to Sleep!

Claire likes her swing. She basically always ends up falling asleep in her swing, too. I love this picture because it shows how she so often has her hands up by her face.


And I love this picture even more! No, I did not put her in the swing with her face covered and her feet exposed; in fact, it was just the opposite when I put her in the swing! But she moved her feet and hands so much that she got her feet free and covered up her face!!

Extended Family

Last Friday, Steve and Lou brought Grandma Wanda over to see Claire.

Great Grandma Wanda with Little Claire


Proud and Happy Grandparents - And they got another grandchild on Friday! Take a guess as to whether the grandchild is a boy or a girl...



... That's right, the new grandchild is a boy! - That's why they wore blue! (Little Ryan is so cute, too!) (You'll notice that they wore pink the day Claire was born).

Cherries and Yawns

I just love this little cherry outfit! My favorite part is the little "shoes."

And I love how Claire has her left hand up by her face. - She often does that!


Here's a yawn-in-action.



Claire is such a good girl. She really doesn't fuss too much. (I hope I'm not jinxing myself!!) :-) She just really is a very good girl! She'll cry if she needs a diaper change, if she's hungry, and sometimes if she's tired, but she doesn't really cry otherwise. Jordan and I are enjoying her so, so much!

Lower Levels!

Claire is doing better! On Wednesday, her bili level was 12.5, so the doctor had me take Claire off the bilibed. - So I actually got to hold her more, and she got to sleep in her own bed. :-) And today her level was 11.9, so (drumroll, please...) we DON'T have to go to the doctor tomorrow for another level check!!! Yay! And that means she doesn't have to get her heel pricked again for a blood draw! The doctor simply said if she starts looking yellow again, we need to take her back.

She did lose two ounces between yesterday and today, but we'll keep feeding her to get her back up to her birth-weight.

Claire has enjoyed some other sleeping places - besides the bilibed. She likes being all wrapped up in her bassinet. (And Dad put that Tech hat on!!! Cool, huh?!!!) This was taken on April 2.


And here she is enjoying a nap with Dad on April 3. She does look a little yellow in this one. But she's more pink now!!

Bilibed

The saga continues...

Reminder: Saturday morning, we took Claire in for a checkup after her hospital visit. Her bilirubin level Saturday morning was 10!

Monday morning, I took Claire in for another checkup, and her bilirubin level was back UP to 16.8. The doctor ordered home phototherapy, so at least we are not at the hospital again! I am VERY thankful for that! The Bilibed arrived Monday afternoon around 5:00, and Claire has spent the majority of her time since then on the lights of the Bilibed. (At night, with the lights off, she's our little glow worm!)


The doctor thinks Claire might be experiencing breastmilk-induced jaundice, so she told me to breastfeed her and then supplement her with formula, too. The good thing about this is that she's starting to gain weight. The doctor has been concerned that she has continued to lose weight; (she got down to 8 pounds, 2 ounces). But Saturday she weighed 8 pounds, 2.5 ounces; Monday she weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces; and today she weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces. So that's good.

I took her in this morning for another blood test, (her poor little feet have been pricked so many times for blood!), and I just got word that her bilirubin level is down to 15.7. That's going in the right direction, so I'm glad! We'll go back to the doctor tomorrow morning for another level check. Hopefully she will continue to improve.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He Is Risen!

Claire's Easter present to me was letting me sleep - a lot! Last night I finished feeding her at midnight, and then she woke up at 2:15 ready for more. I put her down at 3:00, and she slept until 7:00!!! Yay!!! - Four hours in a row!!! Then, I put her down at 8:00, and I was surprised when I woke up at 11:30, and she was still sleeping! That's 3 and a half hours in a row!!! Yay!!! Thanks, Claire!

Here she is stretching this morning. I remember when my nephew Taylor would stretch when he was about this size, and I just loved it! And I love it when Claire does it, too!


We got Claire dressed in her Easter dress. The dress came with bloomers, but they are WAY too big!


Here's an Easter present from Grandmom and Granddad. - Claire is pretty interested in the ruffle at the top of her dress! She kept wanting to eat it.

Thanks for the present, Grandmom and Granddad! She likes it!

Texas Children's Hospital

On Wednesday I took Claire on her first real outing - to the pediatrician's office. Little did I know what kind of major outing we would end up having as a result of that! The pediatrician was concerned by Claire's yellow-orange look, so she had a blood test run STAT to determine her bilirubin levels. Around 1:15pm, I received a phone call from the nurse at the doctor's office. It went like this:

Nurse: Hi, Mrs. Cooper?
Me: Yes,
Nurse: This is the nurse from the doctor's office. Claire's bilirubin levels came back very high, so you need to take her to the emergency room at Texas Children's Hospital. I'm going to call them to let them know you're coming. (Her bilirubin level was 21).


Now, I know that high bilirubin levels, (which lead to jaundice), are pretty normal in some babies, and I know that the babies just need to sit under some lights, and they'll be fine. But I was a bit shocked to hear that I needed to take my daughter to the ER at Texas Children's. Thankfully, my mom was with me, and she helped me. She suggested that I take more things (clothes, etc.) for Claire than I thought I needed. I'm glad she said that because I did use many of the extra clothes, burp cloths, and other items that I ended up grabbing.

Here she is the day before.

You can really tell that she's yellow-orange in this picture because of the contrast between her skin and my aunt's skin!

And here she is the day we went to the doctor.

So she was a yellow-orange baby! And we were on our way to the ER. Also thankfully, Jordan had gone into work early that day, so he got off around 1:30, (instead of 5 or 6). He was able to meet us there. He was, of course, very calm, and I appreciated that very much!

At the ER, they took her blood again and ran another bilirubin level. This time it was 24.3. She was admitted very quickly. The doctor wanted to send her to the level 2 NICU, but any baby with a bilirubin level greater than 20 has to go to the level 3 NICU. (Level 3 is for the most severe cases).

We ended up spending Wednesday night and Thursday night in the hospital. Claire relaxed under the bilirubin lights, and she really didn't seem to mind it a bit! - She's such a good little girl! - I guess she wanted a suntan. She got to wear these cool shades. (I took this picture tonight, which is why she's a more normal color here). The shades make me think of the Red Baron, but I was more inclined to call her the Orange Baroness!!


Thursday morning her level was 16.9, so the doctors decided to stop the phototherapy and see how she did on her own. Thursday night, 9 hours after turning off the lights, her level was 14.9. She was on the mend! And she was eating better, too!

On both Wednesday and Thursday night, we were able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, which is actually on the same floor as the level 3 NICU. The Ronald McDonald House was really great. We had a simple room and access to the kitchen - with food - all for free. Thursday I also signed up for a room to be able to take a nap between 1-5pm. It was very nice and very convenient. Because we were able to stay there, I was able to feed Claire at night. Jordan put it well when he said that he'll look at the Ronald McDonald House donation boxes differently now.

Friday we were able to go home!!! We were all so glad! My mom, who stayed about 5 minutes away at my grandmom's house Wednesday and Thursday night, and who came to the hospital all day every day to be with Claire and me, and Jordan when he was not working, took us home again. Once again, it was so nice to have her there. I know she was watching out for me while I was only thinking about Claire. - Thanks, Mom! Here they are Friday night - at home!!!!


This morning, (yes, a Saturday), we took Claire back to the pediatrician's office. They did another level check, and today it's 10. She is continuing to get better and better. They want to see her again on Monday for (hopefully) one last check.

One last side note: Claire's neonatologist at Texas Children's was Dr. Jen Arnold, one of the stars of the TLC TV show, The Little Couple. She was very nice and very personable. I have never seen the show, but I will probably look it up and watch an episode of it now, since I watched her examine Claire!