Build a Bear

Andrew pumping the stuffing into his bear.

Giving the heart a kiss.

Jonathan's turn to fill his cat.

Giving the heart a kiss.

Stuffing the heart in the kitty.

Giving their new pets a bath.

Andrew and Safari Bear

Jonathan with George the Cat

While Grammy was here, we went to Build-A-Bear and got each of the boys a new friend. They had a great time picking out their animal and then picking out the clothes. They helped stuff the animal and then picked out a little heart and gave it a kiss before stuffing it in. Now they sleep with their new pet every night. Thanks for taking us Grammy!

Hannah and her family

Hannah has a had a busy month of meeting her family.

3 weeks old and checking out daddy

Meeting Grammy at 3 weeks

Hannah meeting her Great Aunt Ruthie at 4 weeks old. Such a special treat to have Ruthie and Dave here!

Grandma, Grandpa and the kiddos

(5, 2 1/2, and 4 weeks)

Meeting Uncle Matt (4 weeks old)

Grammy and Hannah (4 weeks old)

Look at that cute little flower bottom.

Meeting Grandpa at 4 weeks old.

Hannah - 1 month old

3 weeks old

3 weeks and wide awake

First Family picture - 3 weeks old

little snuggle bug

a.k.a. the legless baby as Keith calls her

4 weeks old

Getting some love from her big brothers

starting to look a little chunky again

Our sweet girl is already a month old. It's so hard to believe! And she has given us a run for our money! She is not a good nurser, and we've been to the doctor's office practically every other day for a weight check. We are exhausted to say the least.

In Hannah's first week, she was a little jaundice and required three bilirubin checks. She didn't really gain weight that week, and we didn't worry too much because she was so sleepy from the jaundice. No matter what we tried, we couldn't wake her to nurse so we started giving her a couple of bottles a day to make sure she was getting enough. The little stinker was very happy to drink a bottle while asleep. Something she couldn't do while nursing. By week 1, she weighed 6 lbs 6.5 oz and was in the 10th percentile.

Week Two - Hannah is still not gaining and is not back to her birth weight. The doctor has us come in every other day for a weight check. He calls Hannah lazy and an ineffective nurser. Nice labels for a newborn! She dropped to 6 lbs 4 oz. and then started to gain and went up to 6 lbs 7 oz, and then a whopping 6 lbs 9 oz. The doctor thought we were on the right track and said we didn't have to come back for two weeks. During this time, we were supplementing 3 bottles a day along with nursing.

Week Three - I decided to take Hannah in just to make sure she was gaining on Wednesday. She was not. She had dropped again to 6 lbs 6 oz and was in the 1 percentile. The doctor didn't know what was wrong and called her scrawny and placid. More nice labels. He ordered blood work and said if she didn't gain by Friday, he was going to admit us to the hospital. Needless to say, I lost it. He said Hannah's current diagnosis was Failure to Thrive. (Don't Google it when you are 4 weeks postpartum and already scared!)

Fortunately, her blood work came back normal, and we upped her bottles to 5 a day. The next day I met with a lactation consultant, and we determined as the doctor suspected that Hannah was an ineffective nurser. She knows how to latch, but falls asleep before she fills her tummy. She has just been eating enough to sustain herself, but not to grow. There's no cure except practice. And so we've been continuing to nurse and supplement with bottles. And she is gaining! On Friday, at 29 days old, she was up to 6 lbs 12.5 oz and was in the 3rd percentile! And on Monday, she was 7 lbs and still in the 3rd percentile, but we'll take it! We go back in a week for another weight check and we are hoping that she has continued to gain and has finally passed her birth weight.

We foolishly thought that the third child would be easy and that we would know what we were doing, however, Hannah had other plans for her parents. We are praying that her second month will be easier!

Happy Halloween!

A monkey and a Boston Red Sox player

Even Hannah went for a little trick-or-treating fun.

Last year, the boys weren't too sure about trick-or-treating, but they completely understood the concept this year!

Pumpkin Carving

Friday afternoon, when Hannah and I looked like this...

The boys went out and bought pumpkins to carve. They were very excited to use the new pumpkin carving kit that Auntie and Uncle Dave sent them.

Cleaning out the yucky stuff

Taking turns tracing the pattern onto the pumpkin

Ta-Da!

Andrew checking on the little candle inside the pumpkin.

Jonathan needed to check too!

They carved a cat on Saturday. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it. And the best part of the pumpkin carving...Pumpkin Seeds! Keith carefully saved them all and roasted some yummy pumpkin seeds for us. Andrew, of course, won't try them, but the rest of us are enjoying them!