christmas!

The Campbell Family spent their first Christmas together in our home. What a glorious morning! We slept in, then I made french toast for breakfast, and then mommy, daddy and Tyler opened our gifts to each other (well, Tyler slept and we opened his gifts for him). My favorite gift was a new camera to take lots of baby photos and Alex got a Bose Soundock for his iPod. And to complete our annual ornament tradition, we purchased a 3-D silver baby bootie with Tyler's name and birthdate engraved on it. Trying not to sound hopelessly sappy, it was the most spiritually and emotionally fulfilling Christmas ever.


In the afternoon my brothers and mom came over. My mom had just received her fourth chemo treatment a few days earlier and was not feeling great. So we kept the festivities low key with appetizer-style food, a couple of movies and lots of baby watching. We had much to be thankful for this holiday: a new baby, my mom responding well to treatment and Dylan getting Christmas day off so I got to enjoy the extra time with him.

santa

On December 23, we celebrated an early Christmas with my dad and Jeanne at their house in Annapolis. Tyler was fussy most of the evening. Do you think it was the outfit?

Nice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nice. . . . . . . . . . . . . Naughty!

favorites

Tyler's: his swing, eating, mom and dad's pinky finger in his mouth, trying to move things with his hands, car and stroller rides, ear tickles, anything the resembles a nipple like our noses, ceiling fans, his hands and arms near his head.

Megan's: Tyler's smile, when he falls asleep on my chest, when he stares into my eyes for minutes, his nose, his blue eyes, giving him baths, that I can recognize his cry, his curiosity, his soft hair, his sweet demeanor, the little noises he makes when he eats, that he's our son.

first christmas tree

Alex and I took Tyler with us to pick out our Christmas tree, the first live one for our family. We dressed Tyler in his snuggly fleece jumpsuit and even put shoes on his feet to keep him warm despite the mild December weekend. I toted him around in the Baby Bjorn while Alex held up trees. We found the perfect one for our house and loaded it on top of the Pilot.

While at the tree farm I overheard an eight- or nine-year-old boy telling his mom how cute our baby was. As we were leaving he came up to us to tell us personally, "That is a cute baby." As if we didn't already know that! :)

heavyweight on the go

Tyler weighed in at 9 pounds and 6 ounces today. That is a 21 ounce increase in one week!! We were told that one ounce a day would be a good increase -- Tyler tripled that. The doctor didn't even bother to give him a physical assessment once she heard of his weight gain.

And finally, we were given the green light to let this boy sleep, rather than waking him every 2-3 hours to feed him. We're so relieved that we have the potential to get more than a handful of hours of sleep at a time. YEAH!!

His large weight increase shows in his face mostly. His chubby cheeks and pudgy fingers have returned, which we only saw for a few days following his birth. And he finally has a belly and some meat on his thighs.

And this big boy loves to be in motion. His favorite activity, other than hanging out in mom or dad's arms, is to sit in his swing. He cranes his neck up to watch the circling animals overhead. He's lulled to sleep by the motion every time. He also loves sitting in his carseat, whether being carried or driven. Snooze time!

more Tyler photos

Tyler pictures

more of me to love

At the doctor's office this morning, Tyler weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce -- the first time that he's been above 8 pounds since the day he was born. It is a three-ounce gain in two days, which is excellent. We have another appointment next week and if he can show a continual gain we don't have to go back for several weeks. But we can already see the plumpness returning to his face and fingers. He can now fit in a few of his newborn sleepers, in addition to his 0-3 month onesies. But nearly all other clothes, especially pants and socks, are much too large at this point.

Tyler is changing almost every day. He's starting to really focus in on objects, especially peoples' faces. His eyes are still the dark blue/grey as the day he was born, but now a lighter blue ring is appearing around his pupils. It seems to be getting wider, but slowly. His hair is lightening. It was a medium brown, but is now a golden light brown. And his eyelashes are blonde. His neck and arms are so strong for such a little guy. He likes to crane his neck up to see who is holding him and his arms are always going. He sleeps with at least one arm near his ear or up behind his head. He's so laid back and has a really sweet disposition. What a good baby!!

all smiles

I've seen Tyler smile but it always seemed to be an accident previously. This morning during some mommy-and-me playtime, I tickled Tyler's cheek and I got a great big grin! I was able to get him to repeat his glorious smile several times. What a cutie!!

up

Tyler was weighed today at his latest doctor appointment. He's up to 7 pounds, 14 ounces! Our goal is one ounce per day. Usually babies are back to their birth weight (8 pounds, 4 ounces in Tyler's case) at two weeks, so we still have some work to do. But he's healthy, happy and cute as can be!

home from the hospital (again)

Tyler's Nov. 27 doctor appointment was not as good as we had expected. He was still 7 lbs. 8 oz., which means that he didn't gain any weight over the weekend. The doctor was concerned (but not alarmingly so) and ordered us to feed Tyler every two hours and return to see her on Nov. 30.

By this time Alex had returned to work and I was taking Tyler to the doctor alone. Not a pleasant visit. When our visit showed that Tyler had actually LOST 2 oz., the pediatrician sent us directly to the emergency room. I was so upset my face looked like a giant tomato, even the whites of my eyes had turned as red as my skin.

Alex rushed to meet us in the emergency room and we spent most of the day and part of the evening there before we were admitted to the hospital. They ran a battery of blood tests to rule out infections and metabolic diseases.

Someone told me that when you become a parent, your heart no longer resides within your chest, but with your child. I can now understand what that means. I've never known pain like that which I felt as several nurses labored to extract blood from our 2-week old baby. His body is so small that they had great difficulty finding adequate veins and had to stab him repeatedly in their search.

I had been concerned about a persistent gooby eye issue that Tyler had developed this past week. The pediatrician assured me that it was just a clogged tear duct and not to worry. However, during our stay the discharge became green showing that it was infected. So in addition to the continuous poking, prodding and blood drawing, Tyler also had to have antibiotic ointment squeezed into his eyelid.

We spent the next three days (discharged the afternoon of Dec. 3) weighing Tyler before and after feeds, weighing his diapers to measure his output and supplementing his breast milk feeds with formula. Sleeping camping-style on a loveseat and a sleeping bag on the floor of Tyler's room proved to be very uncomfortable and added to the stress.

The bright side was that all of Tyler's blood work came back normal and I was able to spend some extensive time with a lactation consultant. She reassured me that both baby and I have the breastfeeding thing down.

So the end result of our hospital stay and "observation" is that we proved that Tyler can gain weight with the proper caloric intake. With no clear or obvious reason for his "failure to thrive," we've made some minor adjustments to his feeding schedule and procedure and will have to monitor him closely.

2 weeks

While I was at the doctor's office yesterday for a post-surgery checkup, we asked to have Tyler weighed again. 7 pounds, 8 ounces! He's been gaining 1 oz. each day which is perfect. He won't be up to his birth weight by his 2-week check (a standard benchmark) on Monday, but he's moving in the right direction.

Tyler has started to grab at things within his reach like his mom's necklace or his cousin Anna's long hair.

it fell off

After two really long nights with a restless Tyler, we were exhausted last night. We just didn't have the energy to keep up the endless feedings, so we decided to let him sleep until he declared that it was time to eat. Eight hours later....!! I fed him twice and when Alex went to change his diaper he exclaimed, "His thing fell off!" Ahh, my son's thing fell off?!! Then I realized that he meant that Tyler's umbilical cord fell off. Whew!

heads up

Tyler is trying to lift his head up already. He's very strong but doesn't quite have the coordination to control his neck once his head is up, so he ends up looking like a bobblehead doll.

making weight

Today Tyler revisited the doctor to monitor his weight issue (or lack there of it). The good news is that Tyler gained 3 ounces in 3 days which is excellent! So mom and dad are supposed to keep up the good work and feed him every chance we get.

Tyler also got to visit the other doctors and nurses in the office. Like usual, he was showing off - eyes open wide, exuding cuteness and flirting with all of the ladies. All thought he was adorable, including a male doctor whom we've never seen before who declared Tyler the cutest baby he'd ever seen. Hear, hear!

a star is born

Columbia has a new star. No pictures please!


Ok, mom and dad were able to sneak a few photos of the new celebrity.

first family stroll

Now that Tyler is here, we finally get to break out all of the baby gear and put it all to good use. On the same day as our doctor's appointment the Campbell family (Alex, Megan, Tyler and Daisy) took advantage of the great weather and strolled through the community. Tyler's carseat clicks into the stroller with ease and makes life easy for a family on the go. We're hoping to take a walk around the nearby lake before the weather gets too cold.

first visit to the doctor's office

Tyler visited the doctor to monitor his weight loss/gain. Unfortunately, he's down to 7 lbs, 1 oz. The good news is that he still appears to be very healthy and the doctor said that we are doing everything right. For the time being we're supplementing the breastfeeding with some formula that we sneak in his mouth while he sucks on our pinky finger.

While the nurse was trying to take Tyler's temperature rectally, he decided to make sure that she knew how well he could poop....and pee. The table, nurse and even his own forehead were not spared from the fountain. Nice!

home from the hospital

After spending five days and four nights in the Howard County General Hospital recovering from the cesarean section arrival of Tyler, the Campbell family (now plus one) went home! I'm still walking funny and having trouble getting out of bed (weren't those symptoms supposed to end after pregnancy?). I'm hoping to be much more comfortable after the staples are removed on Nov. 17. I'm also supplementing the little rest that I get with some nice pain medications and a healthy dose of new mama euphoria.


Tyler is the most adorable baby with such a sweet demeanor. Am I biased? He's getting even more attention than thought possible because of the extra feedings and supplemental food he needs. The poor little guy has not been able to maintain or gain weight since his birthday. This is a normal occurrence for newborns, but the doctors get worried when a baby loses more than 10 percent of his birth weight.

Despite our efforts so far, he's lost a pound which is more than 10 percent. He's an excellent feeder and has been latching and getting milk with little troubles. But he's also a big pooper and has a fast metabolism (didn't get that from me!). And as the nurses explained to us, C-section babies also tend to spit up more often in the first few days because the amniotic fluid isn't all squeezed out like those who pass through the birth canal.

I've been pumping extra milk and supplementing Tyler's regular feedings. Tyler has his first doctor appointment Nov. 17 to see if our efforts have paid off and he's packed on some weight.

last days before baby

In the days leading up to my due date (Nov. 9) and Tyler's actual arrival day (Nov. 11) I received many phone calls from friends and family. One of the funniest calls was from my nephew, Andrew, who requested to speak to Tyler. I held the phone up to my stomach. As I eavesdropped, I could hear Andrew tell Tyler that they were going to be best friends forever. He also asked Tyler what time it was where Tyler lived. And then he finished the conversation by jesting, "You're mean...No, you're mean," as though Tyler was playing along with him.

I worked until Nov. 8 and then spent that Thursday and Friday putting the final touches on the nursery. The first picture shows our changing table and six canvases that I painted. The second shows Tyler's name displayed on the wall above a bookshelf already full of books and toys! (We swear Daisy is not a prop; she just loves this room.) The third picture shows the crib, above which are open, square shelves housing many from my collection of Boyd's bears disguised as other animals. The fourth photo shows the new closet system that we mounted to maximize space in our oddly shaped closet.

happy birthday

TYLER EVAN CAMPBELL has arrived! He came into this world on 11/11/2006 at 1:45 pm. He weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 20.25 inches. He’s healthy and happy, a great sleeper, a great pooper and a pretty good feeder so far. He looks like a mini-Alex, with Alex’s nose and possibly Megan’s ears and lips. He’s perfect.

Above is a picture of the new Campbell Family – Day One. Below are some shots of the proud parents.

due date

Today is my due date. Our baby has not arrived yet. But it shouldn't be long now. At my appointment on Monday, I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. I've been having contractions sporadically and some lower back pain started late Sunday night. I'm still relatively comfortable but my mobility is severely hampered. Every movement is a big effort.

The nurse called me on Tuesday and was surprised that I answered the phone. She thought that I'd surely be in the hospital already. She predicted that I'd be in labor within 48 hours. That remains to be seen. I have a backup C-section scheduled for Nov. 16 in case I don't go into labor beforehand. However, even my doctor doesn't think I'll make it until that day.

The picture shows me on Oct. 27 (38 weeks and 1 day).

One week before our big day, we spent the night celebrating our friends' big day - Phil and Jamie's wedding! Thankfully, Tyler cooperated and let us enjoy this beautiful ceremony and night. You can see how I look at 39 weeks and two days.

flip flop efforts

With Baby Campbell still breech, I've received much advice on "tricks" to get him to flip flop to the head-down position. I've been trying several that a couple of nurses suggested. Whether there is really something to these wives’ tales remains to be seen. But in the meantime, I'm feeling like a moron trying them out. As often as I can stand it (supposed to do it three times a day), I'm stacking up three or four pillows under my hips so that I'm nearly upside down. I stay in this contortionist position for about 20 minutes while I hold a frozen bag of spinach on the upper side of my stomach and point a flashlight on my lower abdomen. The theory is that he'll move away from the cold and toward the light. I'm thinking this is just the first of many ways that our baby during his lifetime will make me feel like an idiot! :)

aversion to version

Alex and I spent yesterday in the hospital, my first time ever being a patient. We were there to try version, a procedure where the doctor pushes on my stomach in an attempt to move the baby from a breech position to a head-down position. I was given a shot that relaxes my uterus, but it also causes heart palpitations and anxiety. Unfortunately, the procedure was very painful and unsuccessful. So unless our baby flips on his own, it looks like I will be facing a C-section in the upcoming weeks, which saddens me greatly.

On the bright side, we were able to check out the hospital (Howard County General is a division of Johns Hopkins Medicine) and see the types of rooms where we will stay. We were pleasantly surprised with how nice they are and how wonderful the staff is.

And because I had to be prepared as if I was having a C-section just to be on the safe side, Alex got to try out his OR outfit.

belly x 2

So I'm feeling like my belly is twice as big as it was recently, but the title of this entry is actually refering to the two pictures. The photo of me in the white shirt was taken Oct. 11 (35 weeks and 7 days) and the one of me in the brown shirt was taken on Oct. 16 (36 weeks and 5 days). Nine months. Women keep telling me that my belly is small for nine months, which is hard to imagine when I'm feeling rather round right now!

room in progress

The weekend following the showers was a busy one. We made the big push (no, not that one!) to make significant progress on the nursery. We picked up our crib, crib mattress and bedding. We installed the curtain rod and hung the curtains. The glider and changing table/dresser are in place. You can see lots of items such as burp cloths, diapers and clothes from the shower strewn about the room. The room is getting there! And of course Daisy is hanging out in the room - her new favorite place.

shower the dad-to-be

Early October was the week of showers for the Campbells. This time it was the dad's turn for some pre-baby attention at a Johns Hopkins University shower hosted by his boss, Christine S. Alex feigned surprise for the camera's sake and then opened gifts with not-quite-accurate descriptions (an incline sleeper for the crib received the comment "Oh, look it's a baby holder!"). Check out the cupcake cake and another adorable diaper cake! (Thanks Jennifer K. and Jennifer S.)

shower the mom-to-be

My "surprise" baby shower was Oct. 1, hosted by Joy Johnson, Stacie Howes and my mom. Unfortunately, my mother wasn't able to attend the shower because she was recuperating from surgery, but she was there in spirit and made the beautiful diaper cake!

It was great to see so many of my friends and family, especially those who made the long trip from out of town. We shared baby stories, guessed the diameter of my belly, and opened LOTS of gifts. Thank you so much everyone! I finally feel as prepared as possible for our son to arrive soon.

even bigger belly

This picture was taken Sept. 25, 2006 (33 weeks and 5 days). Getting bigger!