Pat-a-cake

Avery just loves his new sister. He does have a hard time when she cries though, he will say,"Baby is crying, pick her up."

The other morning while I was making breakfast for Avery and I, she was in the swing and started to wake up and fuss a little bit. Avery let me know she was crying and then I hear him singing. I look around the corner, just to be sure that he is not trying to pick her up and I see him bending over and holding her feet and he is singing pat-a-cake. I wish that I had the video camera, but who does when you really need it? Azrielle loves to listen to her big brother sing, he can almost always get her to calm down when she is fussy.

Here is my little rock star.

Here is our sweet red headed, blue eyed little princess.

Baby's Home!

It has been crazy today. Back and forth to the hospital. Drop Avery off at a friends house while we pick up baby. Pick Avery up, scouts at 7pm. Its 6:30. We get home, I start packing the trailer on the back of the jeep, and Avery does not want to get out. I check on him a couple minutes later, and there is white all over his mouth...he decided that he would see how sunscreen tastes. I look on the back of the bottle and is says call poison control. Great, he has poisoned himself on my watch. Poison control put me on hold for the next available person. 5 minutes later, they tell me that he did not eat enough for me to take him to the hospital, but he might vomit. He surely wont die. Celin comes home. Its time for me to go, Avery and I have not eaten, I need to change clothes, its 6:50 and Avery is in the corner pooping. But baby is home.

No more drugs!

One of the first things that the doctors did when Azrielle went to the NICU, is they took her off of everything. No milk, breast or other. They hooked her up to an IV, and gave her a sugar based fluid to keep her going while whatever was in her stomach either processed, or left. The IV started high, but when they started to give her milk, the doctors reduced the sugar based fluid in the IV. As time went on, they continued to reduce the amount of fluid given through the IV and this morning they took it out altogether. She has not vomited since yesterday, and has been eating well. This means that within the next 24 hours, if things go well, she will be released!

Having fun

So while all of this baby drama has been going on, daddy is trying to give Avery the time of his life. He has been going to aunt Shannon's house and having home made Popsicle's and swimming in the pool. Today we went to the greenbelt and did a long bike ride, then pulled out the kayak and put it in the lake. Avery paddled sitting in the cockpit for a while, but when we took a break, he decided he wanted to ride it like a horse. We sat back to back while he let his feet drag in the water. When we were done it was time for swimming, followed by dad swimming while pulling the kayak behind me with my kayak leash. Lots of sweets, and fun. Everything a growing boy needs. I am hoping he does not have withdrawals when I go back to work.

Turn for the worse?

Projectile vomiting is bad for anyone, but vomiting blood is usually something you see right before someone dies, (at least in the movies) but that is exactly what has been happening to my sweet baby girl. The doctors have put baby Azrielle back on mommy's milk no longer thinking it is allergies, and now believe that she may just have a stomach ulcer. I guess that babies can get ulcers in the womb, and come out with them. They have started giving her some medicine that helps heal any open wounds in the upper digestive tract. The GI specialist is optimistic that if this is the problem, that baby may be coming home soon.
Mommy on the other hand is trying her best to manage getting Avery time and Azrielle time. She needs to be at the hospital to feed, but she is really missing the boy. She is being a trooper through all of this. It is one thing to talk about things after it has happened, but a complete other thing to see your newborn daughter with blood coming out of her mouth, and not know what is wrong.

NICU

Another Baby, and another visit to the NICU. This was NOT in the plan, but rarely things like this are. Projectile vomiting is the cause for her to go to the NICU, but the cause of the vomiting is unknown. The doctors originally suspected allergies, but after giving Azrielle hypo-allergenic formula, and having no luck, they don't think that anymore. They have done an X-ray and an ultrasound, and say that they cant find anything physically wrong with her. I told the doctor that he is really a "Practicing physician" Because he does not know, so he just does his best guess. He made a face like the one in the picture. I don't think that he appreciated the comment.
Mom has been released, but has to go back to feed the baby. I though that it is kinda like saying that you are released from jail, but make sure that you check in every 2 hours.
Avery Loves his new sister, (so far) and enjoys spending 30 seconds with her every time he visits the hospital.

A new member of the Flock

Azrielle Marie was born at 1:42 am this morning August 4th 2011 to a very happy mom and dad.Curly hair and 8 lbs. 9oz and 21 3/4" long was where it all began. She is super content.

Mommy is so excited for this little one to be in the outside world. Celin did an amazing job, using her self hypnosis, she did the whole thing without medication, and has only taken a bit of ibuprofen since she was born. She did way better than last time, looks happier, less pain, (so she says) than having the epidural with Avery.
Avery go to meet Azrielle today, and was way excited for 30 seconds, then he was way excited about mommy's bed.
The happy family.

Swimming with the Carlsons

Just getting into the water.

Kaitlyn found friends and did her own thing.

So cute.

You know you are in trouble when you see this look in his eye.

Jumping to mommy.

Water Fight!

Cold, Tired, and happy.