Dr's Visit

Today Alex went for another check-up. He is doing wonderfully, just as we had expected!! He now weighs 9 lbs 12 oz and is 21" long. He is in the 60th percentile for weight and the 40th percentile for height. All in all he is doing very well and will return for a 2 month check-up. At this appointment he will receive his first round of vaccinations. We are happy to report our little bundle of joy is growing very well, and is doing an exceptional job of holding his head up too. He's been sleeping for about 4 hours at a time at night, so I'm only getting up twice to feed him. He eats and goes right back to bed. It's great, and we are hoping that trends continues as well.

Tomorrow we are off to Virden for a baby/wedding shower. The baby shower is for Alex and the bridal shower is for Aunt Ashley, who will officially become a Kershaw on July 24th! It should be a fun day of meeting lots of new people tomorrow. We'll let you know how it goes later. Then on Sunday we are headed to another bridal shower for Becky, my friend from work! Busy, busy weekend!!

Meet my New Friend, Ben!!

Alex & Will

Alex

Alex & Ben

Alex & Ben

Yesterday, Alex and Mommy went to Roodhouse to visit Nana & Papa and Trista and her kids. We had a very busy day of meeting lots of other people too!! Alex visited Papa's grocery store and met Lance and Debbie. He also made a trip across the street to the flower shop and met James & Kay. We went to Larson's to use a gift certificate we received at the baby shower, and purchased Alex his first pair of shoes. They are super cute and will be sported during football season. We'll show you pictures when they make their debut. We also stopped at Trista's Grandma Besty's house to visit with her. Alex also met Sharon Sitton and Rebecca Buttita. Quite a busy day for the little man.

We finally got to spend some time with Trista and Abbie, Will, and Ben at the end of the day. Trista and I swapped babies for a little while, but Ben wasn't really up for visitors. As you can tell from the pictures they have matching outfits, so of course we had to get their pictures taken together. Ben wasn't really up for that adventure either. We'll have to try again some other day. Trista and I hope Alex and Ben are as good of friends as we are!! Will was very excited to meet Alex as well, but Abbie wasn't so much into him. That's OK, I can see her being sick of all the boys. I know exactly what that was like growing up!!

Bathtime

So, Alex has a tendency to pee through his diapers all over his outfits. It's a good thing so many people have bought outfits for him because we are getting good use out of all of them!!! On Wednesday night I was changing his diaper and he managed to pee all over himself, including his face before I could get a new diaper on him. He was due for a bath the next morning so we just went ahead and headed to the bathtub. Here are a few pictures of him sporting his super cute bath robe!! He wasn't very happy right after his bath, but as soon as I got a diaper on him he filled his pants, so I think that was the problem!!

Happy Father's Day Adam!!!

Today we got to celebrate Father's Day with both of our Dad's, but more importantly we celebrated Adam's 1st Father's Day. I'd venture to say he had a pretty awesome day getting to hang out with his little man!! I think these first three weeks of fatherhood have treated both Daddy and Alex pretty good!! ALEX LOVES YOU, DADDY!!! (and so do I!)

He's so CUTE!!!!!

Not much to report other than our little man is just cute as ever!! Thanks to Gwen for the outfit!! I absolutely love it!! ENJOY!!

Meeting Dr. Galle

Today, Alex officially met Dr. Galle and all the wonderful nurses and staff. Since the day Alex was born we have been telling him how special he is, and how hard we tried to get him. We really felt it was important for Alex to meet Dr. Galle, even though he won't remember it. But just as important, for the office to get to meet Alex. They were beyond thrilled to meet our little man!! He was passed all around and was awake for the whole event!! They couldn't get over how perfect he was, and of course we completley agree!! We left them with a few pictures of Alex, and promised to send more as he grows and changes. We truly would not be where we are today with out the help of Dr. Galle and the love and support of all our family and friends. Again, we want to thank everyone as we've journeyed down this road. It's been hard, but well worth the wait!!

Alex is doing great. He's only getting up a few times a night, and it's to eat and go right back to bed. We are hoping this trend continues!! We've transitioned back to breastfeeding, but are going to continue with a bottle as well. We're trying to keep him flexible, and he seems to be adjusting just fine. He will go back to the Dr. next Friday for another check up, so we are hoping that he is continuing to grow. He's doing a great job of holding his head up too.

On a side note, if I can brag about myself for a second. . . I officially am back at my pre-pregnancy weight!! Pretty good considering it's only been 2 1/2 weeks. Not only that, but I'm actually in a size smaller pants than I was before I was pregnant. This too is a trend that I hope continues!!! We've been walking 1 mile everyday, and I hope to increase that as time goes on.

So enough about me. . . we'll continue to keep you posted on our little man and post pictures of his sweet and perfect face!!!

It's Gone. . .

Yes, today Alex officially lost his umbilical cord. Quite an exciting moment, however I don't really know why. I guess because it was the last little sign that he was actually attached to me, his true life line for nine months. It is nice that we won't have to worry about cleaning it anymore. And now Alex can take a good old fashioned bath and splash around a bit. As you can tell, Alex wasn't as excited as we were about seeing his belly button!! I think it's funny that as soon as it came off Adam was off to get the camera. You can really tell we are first time parents!!! At least we are willing to admit it!!

Back to the Doctor

Alex's size 3 diaper!!

Daddy with his wet clothes!!

We ventured back to the Dr's office so that Alex could be weighed again. He managed to gain 7 oz in two days. Pretty impressive if you ask me. That means he's now back to his birth weight and in the 50th percentile for his age and weight. He is also is looking less jaundiced. So, obviously this means Alex is eating just fine now. He's on a schedule of eating every 2-3 hours now, but I'm struggling to keep up with him. Luckily I had frozen some milk earlier, so we are getting by. I'm hoping my body will kick in and keep up soon!!

The nurse took Alex's diaper off to weigh him, but she quickly covered him back up because she thought he was going to pee. As she passed him back to Adam, Alex let loose and peed all over Adam. He had it on his shirt and shorts, including his crotch. We had a good laugh!! Adam said he'd never had anyone else pee his pants for him!!! Of course, I didn't bring the diaper bag in because we were only running in to get weighed. They had a size 3 diaper that I put on Alex until we made it back down to the car. Needless to say, I learned my lesson early in motherhood that you can never go anywhere without the diaper bag!!

We were running to Virden after the Dr's visit, so we had to make an impromptu stop at Old Navy so Adam could buy some clean and dry clothes. I had a $25 gift card, so that worked out well!! Grandma Kershaw showed Alex off to all her co-workers and then we went and hung out at Grandma and Grandpa's for a little while. I think our little man is getting a little spoiled by being held all the time. He seems to get a bit fussy when he has to sit too long by himself. We're going to need to get over that really quick. Alex also really loves his pacifier, but he can't always manage to keep it in his mouth.

Yesterday, Alex also made a visit to both Mom and Dad's work. He's got to meet so many people, and loves being held by everyone (as I mentioned earlier!) I think we are going to take it easy and chill at home all weekend. All this running around is catching up to me. I'm pretty tired. Waiting for Alex to eat here in about 20 minutes and then it's off to bed!!

First Parental Scare

So, every parent overreacts from time to time, especially new parents. Luckily for us part was overreaction, but partly not. Alex has been struggling to latch on to eat lately, if he does latch he eats like a champ. Last night I had to wake him up after sleeping 5 hours because I know he shouldn't go that long without eating. We tried to eat a 3 am, did a little but not to my satisfaction. He fell asleep for a bit and we tried again. This process went on until 6 am when I got so frustrated I had to hand him to Adam and just walk away. I went and pumped and then laid down and cried myself to sleep. Adam woke me up at 8 am because he thought it looked like Alex had some blood in his urine. We immediately called the Dr. and they told us to come in at 9:30. I then felt like a horrible Mom for getting so frustrated with him.

We went to the Dr. and saw the nurse practitioner, Tracy. We liked her just as much as Dr. Veronica!! Anyway, she said it wasn't blood in his urine but the skin moving around and healing from his circumcision. His umbilical cord is about to come off, and that had also rubbed on the inside of his diaper. She did say his was jaundiced and that she wanted to run a blood test on him. And there was concern that he wasn't getting enough to eat because he had lost 2 oz and was down to 8 lbs. He also has a blocked tear duct, so his eye is all yucky.

We went back to Memorial and got his blood drawn, but his billy rubin level was fine. We now have to bottle feed Alex to make sure he is getting enough to eat. We have him eating every 2 1/2 hours and he is eating like a champ!! I'm pumping, and that's going well. We go back on Friday to get him weighed again to make sure he is gaining weight. Once we get him back on a better eating schedule, we'll try to incorporate actual breastfeeding back into the mix. Apparently jaundiced babies tend to sleep more and eat less, so hopefully we can get things back in order! While we were at the hospital we got to see the nurse who was with us the day we delivered Alex. We love Robin!! She is soooo awesome!!

So, even though there was no blood in his urine I'm very glad we took him to the Dr. I kept saying I didn't think he was eating enough and everyone told me to let him sleep and he'd eat when he was ready. I've learned that Mom's really do have a natural instinct and I'm glad I followed it!!

Molly's Big 3-0

Well, today is Molly's 30th birthday, so I'm back on the blog to publish a post about the day. The morning began with the continuation of my hunt to rid the yard and house of snakes. Today, Briggs warned me of another snake in the yard, so I went out there and killed it with a hoe. I'm somewhat relieved because it is the size of the first snake that I saw a few weeks ago. Hopefully, that means that the snakes are all gone. In any case, we've got an exterminator coming out on Thursday to double check the attic and crawlspace. Having them in the yard is one thing, but when you kill a snake crawling out of the soffiting, that's something else entirely. I think they're all gone, but I want a professional to reassure me of that fact.

The past week has simply flown by. Molly and I celebrated Alex's one week birthday with his first walk last night. Briggs came along, too. He's done very well adjusting to the new little person in the house. Besides the occasional lick, he's very good with Alex. He's even handled the idea of no longer being the only baby pretty well. (Some inappropriate personal licking and scratching, but otherwise he seems quite comfortable with the idea.)

As for Molly and I, we've just been trying to get into a routine. Alex is sleeping quite well. In fact, Molly even woke him up to eat last night because it had been six hours since he'd eaten. We've realized that the hospital's recommendations for feeding times simply don't fit every baby. As long as we don't try to force the feedings on him, he eats very well, and all of his other bodily functions are quite functional also.

Tom and Karen as well as Thomas, Amy, Gabbi, and Roman (Lil' Thomas) came over for birthday dinner tonight. We had a fabulous meal of fried chicken followed by angel food cake w/ strawberries for desert. There was a bit of a scare at one point as the porch swing broke with Tom, Roman, and Gabbi sitting on it. Thankfully, nobody was injured (besides a bit of a bruise on Gabbi's shoulder). At the end of the night, Thomas gave Molly a card that said he'd been praying for our family every morning since last July. The card included the finger rosary that he'd been using for his prayers each morning, and he told us to pass it along to someone else who needed prayers.

Of course, Molly and I were both touched by Thomas' thoughtfulness, and it is humbling to know that he is just one of many, many people that has prayed for our little miracle. Alex is the most amazing blessing we've ever received, and no amount of thanks could ever repay our parents, siblings, family, or friends for all of their prayers and support. To look into our son's eyes is to truly know the depth of God's love and blessings.

Because of those blessings, Molly and I will never be the same. Having Alex has changed our entire world for the better, and everything--from waking up in the morning to the taste of angel food cake--somehow seems a little different. I know that I speak for Molly when I say that Alex is the best birthday present either of us has ever laid eyes on.

Labor of Love

Alex ate so much better today. It's amazing how much difference a day can make. We were both really frustrated yesterday, but today has been a completely different story. I can definitely understand why so many women choose not to breastfeed. It's a true labor of love!! We've labored a lot to get Alex, so we're always up for another challenge! Not to mention how can you not completely do whatever this cute little face needs of you?!

First Bath at Home

On Thursday (June 4), Alex had his first bath at home. He didn't much care for it, but managed to survive. It will be better once he can actually be in some warm water. Hovering above the water isn't much fun. We'll just have to wait for his umbilical cord to fall off!!

Time is Flying!

So, time is flying around this house. I truly don't understand where the days are going, but they are moving quickly. Thursday night Alex slept much better, so we didn't spend a good chunk of the day in bed like the day before. We didn't have a choice because Alex had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Veronica. He weighed in at 8 lbs 2 oz , so he gained an ounce since leaving the hospital. All in all things checked out well, and we'll go back in 2 weeks for another follow-up.

After leaving the Dr's office we made our first official visit to Target!! YEAH!! Adam told Alex to get used to coming here, because Mommy could spend hours here. We weren't there to terribly long, but got what we needed. We made two other quick stops and then we were on our way home. Alex had his first bottle in the car, and managed just fine.

I've been having to pump quite a bit, as I truly have turned into a mass producer of milk!! I have so much that Alex is struggling to latch on and feed. It's been a bit frustrating, but we are working through it. We both just need practice. Adam has been such a great help, and there is without a doubt no way I could get through the breastfeeding process without him. He's such an awesome Daddy!

Last night after our busy day, Grandma and Grandpa Kershaw came and brought us dinner. They also brought along both Ma and Grandma Furness (Alex's Great-Grandma's), as well as Alex's Great-Great Aunt Pat. We had a nice visit, and of course they were all in love with our little man!

We made it through the night much better than the night before. Got a few little things done this morning and then Aaron, Liz, and Seth came over for a visit. I think Seth ended up liking Alex a bit more than he thought he would. We ended up all going to Steak-n-Shake for lunch. Somehow the whole town of Springfield showed up to eat though. We got our table stolen from us, and had a sub-par waitress! Alex managed to sleep through it all!

We came home, Alex ate and napped and Dad mowed the yard. Then we got ready for our first trip as a family to go to church!! Alex did wonderfully again! Everyone at church thought he was so cute. Fr. Kemme said he was beautiful, and you know you can't lie in church!!!

So, that brings us up to speed. We plan on giving Alex a bath in a bit, but are going to chill on the couch for a little bit. Briggs is even inside with us right now. He's done really well with Alex today. He's just really curious and want to lick him a lot. He'll eventually get it all figured out.

Hope this satisfies everyone's blog desire. I've had quite a few request for new pictures and updates, and for the most part I think you all just got a play by play of our last few days!! Thanks for thinking of us. All in all, we are doing great!!

We Made it Home!!

Sorry, but yesterday was so busy we didn't have time to update. We were released from the hospital around 12:30 yesterday, after Alex was given the A-OK by his Dr. He lost 6 oz, but as you know is normal for a newborn. We go back to visit Dr. Savage tomorrow to make sure he is gaining weight and has not become jaundiced. The little man is eating like crazy now that he's figured it out.

Nana and Papa came over and cooked us supper last night and made another meal that we will be eating shortly. Grandma and Grandpa are coming over tomorrow night to bring us supper. This not cooking thing could get really easy to get used to, but I know it won't last!!

Alex was up most of the night last night and that made for a very very tired Mom and Dad. We both took turns up with him, and ended up not getting out of bed until 11:30 today! We all got a nap in this afternoon after Alex was awake for about an hour. The plan is to give him a bath later on and try to wake him up for a little while, so that maybe he'll sleep a bit longer tonight. I know he's on his own schedule, but I'd like to help him get on a schedule that works for Mom and Dad too!

Briggs is still getting used to the idea of having someone new around the house. We've brought him in several times, but for short periods of time. He really just wants to lick his face, which I know how dogs communicate but that is not acceptable! I know over time he'll be fine with him, but we are definitely going through a transition stage right now.

Overall, things are going very well. I'm interested to see how our first outing will go tomorrow. We have a few things we need to do after we go to the pediatrician. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!!

As a side note. . . I think it's funny that I was so worried about getting the baby's room all finished and the little man hasn't even been in there for a split second!! Oh, well it's ready whenever he wants to go in there!!

Meeting the family!

Alex's 1st Official Birthday Cake!!

Singing Happy Birthday to Alex!

Well, we made it through the first night. Alex hasn't been interested in eating yet. I'm breastfeeding, and he just hasn't quite got it figured out yet. I've been assured it sometimes takes up to 24 hours before they get the hang of it. I'm not going to worry about, because he's got enough weight on him to keep him going for a little while. Plus, the staff here is awesome and said there is nothing to worry about!

Dr. Savage, the pediatrician came in to visit Alex this morning. She said he looks great and is doing well! He passed his hearing test last night, and his blood glucose level was good as well. The first blood glucose test came back very high, but is common with newborns.

Alex met quite a few people yesterday in his first few hours of life. Nana and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Travis & Aunt Sara, Uncle Trevor & Aunt Ashley, Aaron & Liz, Trista, Manda, and Janis. It was quite a busy day for the little man, and we anticipate today will be just as busy. We're glad to show him off though!!

Uncle Travis brought in Twinkies and a candle and we officially celebrated Alex's first birthday. Travis says you only get one true birthday in life, and we were very glad to celebrate it!! We've decided this will become a Kershaw family tradition, and we are glad we were able to start it off celebrating the beginning of Alex's life!!

Thanks to everyone who has sent us well wishes and prayers. We truly appreciate it! This little miracle has truly been a very long time coming, but worth every step of the journey. Ok, I just started crying so I'm going to go now!!

It's a ...

...Boy! Alexander Stephen Kershaw was born at 5:10 p.m. He was 8 pounds 7 1/2 ounces, and 21 inches long. Mom and baby are doing very well. He is without a doubt the most beautiful thing this Dad has ever seen!! Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Today is the Day!!!

UPDATE: I'm adding my final belly picture. We took it right before we left for the hospital!!

Well, Molly has informed me that this is part of my job today. My job is pretty easy compared to hers. Anyway, Molly woke me up this morning a little after six and said that she thought this was the day. So, I called into work (Williamsville will have to make it through report card day without me, and Aaron, Steve, and Paul will have to make it through a round of golf without me, too.)

It's now just past noon. At last check, Molly was dilated to a five. We're in our "birthing suite," and Molly's contractions have been getting stronger...I just had to stop in order to help Molly breathe. She said it's the strongest one yet. In any case, Molly has not had an epidural yet, but she might be getting one soon. Dr. Putman should be coming in to check her soon, and we'll see how we've progressed.

Nana Meehan is here, and so are Grandma and Grandpa (Grandad?) Kershaw. Papa Meehan is at the store, a little annoyed that Molly would have the nerve to have a baby on the first of the month.

Ok, it's now past 1:30. Since I started this, Molly's contractions came faster and stronger until they were about a minute and a half apart. Then, the epidural doctor came in and gave Molly some happy juice in her back. Dr. Putman has been in and broken Molly's water. He says Molly is dilated to a strong six, almost a seven, and breaking the water should push things along a little further.

So, everything is coming along very well. At this point, we're just waiting until Molly can push. Anyway, I'm very excited, and I look forward to posting something later today!

Since we've been here, the baby lullabye chimes have gone off three times. It's a busy day here on the maternity ward!