Our Precious Kellen

It's been a busy last few days! Kellen is doing great. He's very snuggly and has been eating like a champ. Ellison was not great at feeding - I remember being extremely stressed out and anxious whenever it was time to feed her and (both of us) crying quite a bit in the hospital because things just weren't clicking. I had to start pumping right away, and even though she got breast milk for a year, it wasn't the greatest breastfeeding experience. This has been completely different! Kellen definitely likes his food and has been doing his job well. He weighed 8 lbs, 6.6 oz at birth (on 3/4) and got down as low as 7 lbs, 14.1 oz on 3/6, but was up to 7 lbs, 15.5 oz at discharge on 3/7. At his first weight check (3/8) he was 8 lbs, 1 oz. So he's on track to be back to birth weight quickly!

About to leave for the OR...yikes!

Daddy trimming the cord

The first day of Kellen's life was jam packed. When we got up to the postpartum room, I got pitocin and then a bag of fluids, and IV pain medication as often as I could. We wanted Ellison to meet "brother" before anyone else did, so we set up a time for her to come to the hospital. She came in very timidly and just gave Kellen a quick glance. She showed us the band aid she had on (apparently she had seen in a picture we sent that Mommy had a band aid and she wanted one in the same spot). She opened her "Big Sister" gift (a shirt, book, and some miscellaneous stickers and other little things to play with while she was visiting). And then she said she was "all done with brother". I don't think she really knew what to think of him, but she warmed up to him more the other two times she came to see us. The hardest things for her seemed to be seeing me hooked up to equipment and not understanding why I couldn't get up and move around. We had some other visitors later that first night (Gramma & Papa, Grandpa Jeff & Grandma Nancy, Auntie Konny & Ryan) too. I was pretty much stuck in bed, which I did not appreciate!

Holding Kellen for the first time :)

Meeting "brother"

I don't really understand why anyone would CHOOSE to have a C-section. I hated the SCDs, having a catheter, not being able to get up and down out of bed comfortably, and having to sit down to take my first shower (which was over a day after Kellen was born, yuck). I wanted everything out of me and to get out of bed as soon as possible. There are all these restrictions I didn't have after Ellison was born (lifting, driving, stairs, etc). I know I should be taking advantage of the situation, especially since Jay is home, but I want to be able to move around and help. So I'm probably doing a little more than I should...

They brought the warmer into our room for K's first bath, since I couldn't go to the nursery!

All clean!!!

A lot happened on our second day in the hospital. I got my dressing off, and my catheter and IV out. I was able to get up to a chair, and later walk around the unit (more like waddle) and even shower! After all that I didn't have to wear the SCDs anymore, thank goodness! Kellen's pediatrician came to check him out (and said he is perfect and very strong), and he passed his hearing screen. We saw my regular OB, someone from anesthesia, lactation...it seemed like there was always someone in the room. We also had visitors - Jay's family, my grandma Tea and her husband Joe, my mom and Ellison, my dad, and Auntie Konny (who brought us movies, custard, candy, flowers, and more - THANKS KON).

We weren't sure what would happen on the 3rd day in the hospital, and were thinking we would finally be "bored". We had movies and games just in case! But it was still a pretty full day. In the morning Kellen went for his circumcision. Later, Ellison came with Gramma and brought us lunch. It was nice to get up and sit on the couch and eat with E! We missed her SO much while we were in the hospital!!! That night we got broken in as parents of a boy when the little man peed on both of us :) We had a few more visitors, including a surprise visit from one of the pastors at our church, which we really appreciated.

Dressed for the first time!

Lunch with my baby girl!

Family photo!

Kellen's first "onesie" picture

Friday the 7th we got to come HOME! The hospital stay flew by, even though it was an extra day. We managed to play one game of Sequence and watch the first season of Modern Family, but that was it out of all the games and movies we brought! We got home around 1:30 and we were welcomed by a big baby sign in our yard, just like we had after Ellison was born. Thanks Gramma Janis and Papa Ron! Ells came home shortly after we did, and brought some balloons for baby brother.

We are very happy to be home as a family of four! Ellison has been such an attentive, affectionate big sister. She wants baby brother to do everything she does. She has a chair picked out for him in her room, so we have had to explain a few times why he can't sit yet. Also why he can't walk or talk, or eat the foods that she is eating. It is so cute when she says his name in her little voice. Sometimes she calls him "Kellen James", which is adorable coming out of such a small person! Every time she asks if she can give him a kiss, my heart hurts because it is just so adorable!

We have survived our first two nights at home. Kellen hasn't woken up Ellison at all yet. But he hasn't let Jay and I get much sleep! It's pretty hard for me to get into our bed (it's a little higher bed) and to get down on the ground to change diapers, so Jay has been up every time I am to help. He has been doing so much for me and the kids. He is the absolute best husband and daddy! Hopefully we will be able to survive without him when he goes back to work...

Last topic for now (I swear) is Kellen's name, which we have been getting lots of questions about. It's not a family name, a combination of names, or anything like that. We just liked the name! It was the boy name we had picked out if Ellison had been a boy, and I'm glad we got to use it this time. It's different enough to fit my taste - I'm actually surprised by how many people have said they've never heard it before, I didn't think it was that uncommon - and not too unique for Jay's taste! James is Jay's middle name, so Ellison and I share middle names and now so do Kellen and Jay. I think Ellison and Kellen are a cute sibling pair of names, too!

We really appreciate all the texts, Facebook messages, calls, visits, gifts, cards, and food we have gotten over the past 6 days. Thank you so much to everyone for your thoughts and prayers! We are very blessed to have so many people care about us and our new little guy! Here's a couple more pictures of our little man's first few days of life!!

First sponge bath at home!