We have Dr. Shirley on speed dial

So I know I have been slacking majorly on keeping everyone updated on Eli. I don't guess it would surprise you that I have also been slacking on taking pictures of important events. So I'll give you what I have in that area.

Eli's first bath: 9/3/11

(I realize this seems a little late, but the way Eli's umbilical cord fell off it left some exposed tissue that probably shouldn't get wet. And let's face it, he's the second child.)

Lela's first pig tails: 9/3/11, a banner day in the Clardy household.

(Nathan was actually the one that put her hair in pig tails and I think I have decided he is the official hair dresser for Lela from now on ;) )

So we'll begin with Eli's second doctor's appointment. This was August 19th and he weighed 7 lbs 7oz so he had regained his birth weight. It was pretty uneventful except for the fact that the doctor's office had installed a TV in the waiting room with looped videos on various and asundry topics like a proper workout and who married/divorced whom in Hollywood this week. Did you know that quinoa can be brewed like beer? Such invaluable information. It's quite loud and is not easily ignored and the sub-par actors in the medical videos left Nathan and I in uncontrolled restrained laughter. I wish I could remember what it is we found to be so humorous but I have a feeling it was a "you had to be there" type of moment.

Anyway, just a couple weeks later, I found myself back in the doctor's office. We noticed Eli was a little constipated and had the doctor check him out. At that point he weighed 9lbs 4oz so we knew he was getting plenty to eat! They checked Eli for everything that might explain the excessive spitting up (which had increased) and the constipation. After the usual things were ruled out, the doctor decided to do a rectal exam. This made him go immediately and Dr. Shirley said his sphincter was tight he was having trouble releasing it. This was a new word for me (which I'm hoping is the case for some of you as well) and I thought I was experiencing another Dr. Shirleyism. But because she continued to use this word with all seriousness, I realized I would have to look it up since I have a habit of shaking my head knowingly even when I have no idea what someone is talking about.

So, just yesterday we were at the doctor again because Eli had only pooped once since the last time we saw Dr. Shirley six days ago and it was with the help of a suppository so he hadn't gone on his own for a week and a half. Dr. Shirley called me in the afternoon and asked me to come in as soon as I could so she could do another rectal exam and loosen his sphincter. So I packed up the kids without changing clothes or diapers and then dropped Lela off at a friend's house. We got to the doctor's office and Eli was emitting quite an unpleasant smell, but this wasn't anything new because he's had some bad gas accompanying his constipation. So we got in the exam room and I set Eli on the table and I could see instantly that I had just made a pointless trip to the doctor. That's right, he decided to let it go sometime on the way up there. And it was a doozy! I no longer have to wonder what four days worth of poop looks like. On top of all that, I got poop on my shirt so I had to walk out of the doctor's office and pick up Lela with poop on my shirt all the while :)

So, basically I paid Dr. Shirley $25 to weigh him (he came in at 9lbs 14oz, by the way) and look in his ears. I guess that's just Murphy's Law. But I am glad he finally went, the timing just could've been slightly better.

If you want to be added to the list for the daily poop report, just let me know :)

Saying Goodbye

You were our first baby.

You were instantly a part of the family.

We celebrated many years together.

You hated bath time . . .

But you loved to get dressed up.

You saw our family go through many changes.

We will always remember you as the "good buddy" you were.

You will truly be missed, Teddy.

Eli's First Doctor's Appointment

On Friday, we took Eli to meet Dr. Shirley and she automatically dubbed him "the precious" as well (see post about Lela's first appointment). But to avoid confusion we'll have to refer to him as "the precious #2" and since I'm feeling especially lazy I think we'll shorten it to p#2.

Well p#2 demanded to be fed as soon as we were in the waiting room and I realized immediately that it was the first time, believe it or not, I had to breastfeed in a public place. So I was slightly hesitant at first but I figured if I was nonchalant about it, no one would notice. As far as I could tell I wasn't getting any looks and no one seemed to care that my indecency was was only concealed behind a thin piece of fabric. Eli did good too despite the fact that his feeding skills are touch and go at this point.

Once we were in the doctor's office, we realized Eli looked a little yellow. You can kinda tell in this picture.

Dr. Shirley noticed it too so she tested him for jaundice but it came back normal. P#2 weighed 7 pounds even so he hadn't quite gained back to his birth weight which is normal for a four-day-old infant. Everything else looked good but we did leave with a prescription for baby Zantac since he has been spitting up just like Lela did. Hopefully we'll only have to use it for a few months.

And in case you're wondering, this is what happens when Nathan is in charge of photographically documenting the event:

He would probably want me to share with you that he successfully completed the butterfly puzzle. He was quite proud of himself.

This picture requires some explanation.
There was a mural of Noah's Ark painted on the wall and Nathan felt the need to point out that the bird bearing the olive branch was not the theologically correct species. I guess a blue bird was more pleasing on a white wall rather than the obligatory dove.

Anyway, we go back to see Dr. Shirley this Friday so there's more to come.

Eli's comin' better hide your heart

WARNING: This post is extremely elaborative and mostly serves to remind me of the experience years down the road. Read at your own risk.

I am aware that Eli came without a whole lot of warning. That's not to say we didn't know he was on his way because I was having contractions all day Sunday, but by the end of the day it had tapered offsome and I wasn't sure if I had made any progress. So I went to bed Sunday night convinced I was in for another long day of labor judging by how labor went with Lela. I was awakened at midnight to consistent contractions and I timed them for an hour before I woke Nathan up. So we took our time and got ready to head to the hospital. I could tell the contractions were stronger but I just knew I had at least six hours before Eli made his appearance. Nathan packed up the car and then asked me one more time if I thought we could wait a little longer (we didn't want to spend twelve hours in labor and delivery like last time) and I told him we better go because I was determined to get an epidural this time and didn't want to wait too long.

So we got to the hospital around 2:00 am (after turning around to pick up my purse that I forgot) and got checked in by 2:30. I was surprised/relieved to hear that I was dilated 7 centimeters when I arrived but again I was sure I had a few hours left if not more. The contractions started getting stronger really quickly but I was comforted by the thought that my epidural was on its way because again I was convinced I was in for a long haul. Suddenly the contractions were very intense and I began to panic because I didn't think I could handle it very long. My water broke a few contractions later and I immediately had the urge to push. At this point the nurse asked me if I could sit up to get my epidural and I told her I didn't think so. (My actual response was more like a panicked "Well am I about to deliver!?!" She wasn't much help so I simply declined.) To make a long story short, Eli made his appearance at 3:42 am, just an hour and 42 minutes after we arrived! Good thing we didn't wait any longer!!

We are now officially a family of four :) Crazy.

Waiting . . .

So, I really thought Eli would be here by now. I was for sure he was coming early but I went to the doctor on Tuesday and nothing has changed in the last week. So he seems very content inside me and I don't think he has plans to come out any time soon. I'm still four days away from my due date so maybe I'm just being impatient. Especially since Lela was right on time (born in the wee hours of the morning the day after her due date), I have a feeling now that Eli will be the same way.

I forgot what it was like to have this feeling of anticipation to meet my child. I think it might be more intense this time since I was so convinced he'd be early. With Lela I knew she would come right on the due date and she did. I guess Eli likes to keep me guessing, and I suppose I'm okay with that ;)