Granny & Pop's Visit

Jack met his Granny and Pop shortly after he was born - it was so fun having them here and they were such a great help around the house, too! (I definitely appreciated that!) Granny was gracious enough to stay an extended period of time to help ease us into parenthood by feeding us, folding laundry, and cleaning. Thanks!

Jack Gains; Peanut Loses

After Jack's two week appointment - we have come to find out it's a whopping 7lbs 8oz. Considering he dropped to 6lbs 9oz from his original birth weight - we're going places. He's in the 25th percentile in both his weight and head but in the 50th percentile for his length. It's crazy to think that he wasn't even due to arrive until this week. He was still jaundice, so we had to go BACK to the hospital to get his foot pricked again. He definitely cried a lot more this time than the first time. But - we're still just having to 'watch' his color. Hopefully he'll turn pink sooner than later.



On another note - Peanut went in for his annual haircut - or shall I say 'shave' - however, the 'stylists' in Statesboro are not that of Atlanta. Ha. They took the Lion's Cut all too seriously. The poor guy, er, cat. When Bryan brought him home, I nearly peed my pants I was laughing so hard. Mac, our other cat, thinks Peanut's new haircut is god-awful. She hisses and growls every time she sees him. Poor thing is going to get a complex, if he doesn't already have one. ( I am actually embarassed to post this picture. )

Egypt

Bryan's infamous lost, found, then lost again Egypt pictures finally resurfaced! I decided to take the opportunity to order them so we have hard copies for his keepsakes. Here is my favorite one of the bunch.

Around the House

Other than having a new baby boy to enjoy, a lot of time at home lets you appreciate things you may have never noticed. It's amazing how much wildlife we have in our backyard - so many beautiful animals that are probably there all of the time but we're often too busy to take a moment to look out the window. We thought we had just finches in our backyard - but it looks like we have much more than that. We believe we have a Red Shouldered Hawk that frequents our Pecan Tree; plus, since we've cleared out the woods - we get to see deer loitering behind our shed. We've seen as many as 6 at one time.


However, at the same time - spending a lot of time at home makes you realize the faults in your house. Next to our dishwasher, our kitchen sink was the worst. The fact that it was 6 inches deep and couldn't fit a large pot made me scream. So, we decided to upgrade. We installed a gourmet bathtub with a removable shower head for Jack; thanks to his Pop for helping us (Bryan) install it :)

Next on the list - a dishwasher that only needs one run to get the dishes clean...


Let us not forget that Jack is 2 weeks old today. He's brought such joy to our lives - we can hardly stand it. He changes a little bit everyday. So far, he's next to perfect. Knock on wood - 'colicky' isn't in his vocabulary. He eats and sleeps well. He's a little more alert than last week and he makes the most funny faces. Tomorrow, we go in for his 2 week appointment. Any guesses as to how big he'll be?

Naughty, Naughty

As precious as our little Jack is, he's already learning some bad habits.

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Thanks to Cousaunt Nia and Cuncle Brandon for helping us celebrate the birth of Jack! They surprised us with a birthday cake to document the day. Jack didn't have any ... but we definitely did! Yum!

1st Bath!

Quite an interesting time giving Jack his first bath! The nurses make it look SO much easier at the hospital. He screamed, kicked and wiggled all around. Then, he managed to pee on me and himself ... in turn, giving himself another bath.




But, all gets better for Jack when he holds his daddy's hand. It's amazing how much he calms down.

Visits!

Jack is so lucky to have so many people who love him! We've had so many people stop by - both in town and out of town guests - to meet our little Jack.

Ashley

Brandi

Tom

Robbie

Nick

Keeb

Jen

One Week Old!

Jack's already growing up too fast! We had to go to the doctor because Jack hadn't gone number 2 yet - but he's good to go now. He's back to his birth weight, too! Each day he stays awake a little longer than before and he's super alert. It's so fun to have him with us.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our first holiday as a family: Valentine's Day. The Holiday of Love. :)

Awww... I know, I know. Onesie compliments of our good friend, Brooke, when we realized we'd be having Jack prior to the 14th. Thanks!

Lounging around the house

Lindsay came over to hang out today. We lounged around and stared at Jack. He's going to get sick of us.

Jack is Home!

After two days in the hospital, Jack was granted to come home. Hooray!

World, Meet Jack. Jack, Meet the World.

After a low heart-rate scare, Jack Michael Neal joined Bryan and me on February 10, 2009 weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 19 inches long (- for those of you who are curious - his head measured 13 1/4 inches).


I was admitted to the hospital on Monday during my weekly check-up. LBN's heart-rate came in at 85 where it's supposed to be between 120 - 165. By the time I was admitted, it jumped back to normal. But, my doctor wasn't going to let me leave without LBN in my arms.

So, he alerted the Red Cross to get Bryan home. We had a baby coming.

We watched the heart-rate very closely throughout the night to make sure I didn't have to get an emergency C-Section. Robbie, Ashley, Lindsay and Miriam all stayed well into the night. Thanks to Miriam for going home and packing a hospital bag for me.

Lindsay spent the long night with me in the most uncomfortable looking chair. Meanwhile, Bryan was somewhere in Louisiana trying to get from point A to point B with an entire alphabet worth of stops in between. Thanks to Tom for helping us coordinate the logistics, seriously. Bryan was due home at noon on Tuesday.

I woke the next morning to get my water broken at 7:30 - Bryan was landing in Atlanta soon. I got an epidural shortly after. Before I knew it, it was twelve. My contractions were getting bigger and closer together. I luckily had Lindsay, Ashley and Brooke by my side.

12:30 - After a speedy carride from Atlanta, Bryan walked in the door - the girls jump up, give him a quick hug and exit while I clenched my teeth through a contraction. He was right on time. He had about a minute to sit down before the doctor and nurses came in to help us get our baby out.


We couldn't be happier. We decided to go back to the name we talked about when we found out we were pregnant in June: Jack. (But I get Brogan if our next is a boy, ha!) He came out hardly crying and had one eye open while the nurses cleaned him up. He hardly made a peep. We're 'hoping' that he'll make that a habit. :)

Bryan and I know how lucky we are to have a very healthy baby. We couldn't be happier. We are also so thankful to all of our friends who came rushing to our sides in a time of need. Lindsay, Robbie, Ashley, Miriam, Brooke, Tom and Brian - thanks for your speediness and bedside manner. We definitely could not have made it through these last couple of days without you guys. We owe you a big one.

We all agree - there was a reason the heart-rate was low at the exact time the doctor checked. Jack was ready to come out and wanted to make sure his daddy was there to greet him. He's SO smart already. Let's not forget how great of a day February 10 is. Jack now shares his birthday with Great-Grandma Alyce's birthday. Pretty awesome, huh?

In the meantime, we are in the hospital until Thursday. After that - we're open to visitors. :) Thanks to those of you who have already stopped in; Matthew, Brandi, Lauren, Russell, Josh and Jeb. It was great seeing you, as always. It's great to see the 'family' we have right here in Statesboro. :)

Come on over and meet our Jack!

Bryan's Off!

Bryan left today for Louisiana - Ft. Polk. He will be there until LBN arrives. So, here's our last family picture as just two of us.

Week 37: A Stalk of Swiss Chard

Hooray — LBN is full term!

This means that if he were to arrive now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though my due date is still three weeks away. LBN weighs approximately 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel.

Happy Birthday, Derich!

Some things never change!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROTHER!