On September 6, 2011 Abby turned two weeks old. If she was born on her due date of September 5^th than she would just be one day old. That is crazy to think about since in two weeks so much has changed.

Abby has such a strong head and already tries to lift her head (she actually does) and look around. She has such a strong grip with her hands and likes to fight you away. Her hands and feet are always moving (especially when she is mad). Abby wants to eat constantly. She is one hungry little girl. She is like a little bird – if she is awake her mouth is open looking for food. She went from drinking about 10 ml or less in NICU to drinking up to 4 ounces now. That is crazy to me! Abby’s umbilical cord fell off right around the two week mark. Abby has very strong lungs – she screams louder than any baby I know. When she is mad everyone will know it! Abby still has lots of dry skin but it seems to be getting better each day.

Abby likes her swing. She doesn’t last too long but does enjoy it for a moment. Abby also like her bouncer too. She sleeps pretty well in the bouncy. Abby also seems to like music. It calms her down. Abby is a good car rider. We have only been out to doctor appointments in Austin for the most part but she does fairly well. We have been impressed! In the next few weeks I am sure we will be getting out more and more.

Currently, Abby eats as much as she can and we will let her. During the day she wants to eat if she is awake. I am hoping this will improve soon. However, at night Abbygale is doing pretty good. She has gone 4 hours between feedings but can get up every hour too. It all depends. I think we are probably up 3-4 times each night. Overall I have been pretty impressed with Abby at night. We still need to slowly work on stretching our hours between each feeding but she doesn’t cry too much at night, which is good.

Abby is a little stinker. She is pretty gassy but at this point it doesn’t seem to bother her too much. She burps and toots like a grown man. It is hilarious! She is just like her daddy (hee, hee)!!!

Abby is really starting to get a little personality. Since I spend every second with her I am really starting to notice her cute personality. She makes the funniest faces and is just so cute! She’s adorable what else can I say!

Abby has outgrown her newborn clothes and is now in 0-3 month clothing. She is one growing little girl.

Bryan and I have both fell head over heels in two weeks. Life is definitely about Abby at the moment. We have no set schedule whatsoever. We have loved every moment being home and being with Abby. We are tired and our house is a wreck but we are really trying to enjoy this time together. Abby is precious and we love her to pieces!

Abby had her two week checkup on Tuesday, September 6^th. She gained four ounces since last week and now weighs 8 pounds and 2 ounces. Her height is 20 ½ inches and her head circumference is 36 ½ centimeters. She had her newborn screening and it broke our hearts to hear her cry once they pricked her little foot. It was just awful! Abby doesn’t have to go back to Doctor Hughes until she is 2 months old but she will have to get shots next time. Not fun!

What’s going on around us?

On Sunday, September 3, 2011 wildfires broke out in Bastrop County. Sunday night around 11 pm a Sheriff came to our door and told us this area was being evacuated due to the fires. Abby and I loaded up some stuff in the car and went and stayed the night at Bryan’s parent’s house in Red Rock. Bryan opted to stay at the house and watch our place and try to put out any fires, if any came our way. Do you know how stressful and hard it is to try and pack stuff from your house with a newborn and in the back of your head wondering if you will have a home to come home too when it is all said and done? Monday around lunch Abby and I returned home and thankfully have been home ever since. We have been very, very lucky because lots of people in Bastrop County have lost their homes. We have just had smoke real bad and embers all around the house. The fire has burn 35,000 acres and 1,300 homes so far. The fire is still burning and only 30% contained at this point. The damage is just devastating!

Abby Swinging

Daddy and Abby

Abby 2 Weeks Old

Abbygale Sure Knows How to Cry!

Abby In Her Bouncer

My Sweet Girl is Already Two Weeks Old!

Abby's Arrival

On Tuesday, August 23, 2011 we went to St. David’s North Austin Medical Center at 6:30 am. We filled out paperwork and got signed in and around 7:00 am went to our labor and delivery room. I met the first of many nurses (3 nurses) and slowly started to be induced. Around lunch they broke my water and shortly after I got an epidural. I believe I got my epidural when I was around 5-6 centimeters dilated. They never told me about the ‘bonus’ button with the epidural so later on when I was 8 centimeters dilated I got to be in lots of pain and felt a tremendous amount of pressure. They finally told me about the button where every 5 minutes you can push it and get a shot of the epidural medicine. It took about 3-4 button pushes before I calmed down but then went pretty numb from pushing the button so much! Throughout the entire delivery process I pushed the button quite often because I didn’t want to feel that much pain again! I got a fever of 100.0 and then 101.0 during the labor so they determined I might have gotten some kind of infection after they broke my water. Therefore, I was going to have to be put on a couple rounds of antibiotics for 24 hours and Abby would have to go to NICU for 48 hours so she could take antibiotics too and determine if she had an infection as well. I had to push for a long 3 hours before Miss Abbygale (Abby) Kate Helford arrived!! My OB/GYN, Dr. Laurette Smith, did not end up delivering Abby. Doctor Andrea Campaigne delivered Abby. She was wonderful! She was very young and seemed to really love her job. With so many nurse changes and a new doctor I was a little upset because I don’t like change but they all seemed to be great. Daddy did great and was supportive from a distance because he was a nervous wreck and scared to death himself. He sat in the corner of the couch and coached me through it but stayed his distance. He would give me ice chips and tell me to not let the pain get so bad before pushing the epidural button. He thought at one point he was having a heart attack because of all of his anxiety. Poor Daddy but he survived and did great!!

Abby was born on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 8:51 pm and weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces. She was 21 inches long. Mommy was exhausted and so excited to meet Miss Abby. Daddy cried when Abby was born because he was in love!

After Abby arrived, they weighed her and cleaned her up in the room. Then I was able to try and feed her for a few minutes. Mom, Eva, and Kristen came in to meet her while I was feeding her for a moment. Then right before she was taken to NICU Dad, Mackey, and Clayton got to come in to see Miss Abby for a second. Dad was like TMZ walking in snapping pictures of all us in when we looked like we had been hit by a train! He is so funny! Daddy went with Abby to NICU, where she had to stay until Wednesday evening. On Wednesday she was released to our room but the NICU doctor and nurse stopped by frequently and took her to NICU for her medicine and exams.

Since Abby was born so late on Tuesday, all the post-delivery rooms were full so we were told we would stay in the labor and delivery room until the next day. However, at 2:30 am a nurse came in and told us we would be moving to the post-delivery room. Needless to say we were so exhausted so Daddy wasn’t very happy with the late night move.

I went to NICU every 3 hours to take Abby’s temperature, change her diaper, and feed her while she was in NICU. All test and cultures she had to get came back normal and negative. Abby was one healthy little girl!

Right before Abby could be released from the hospital she had to have her hearing test. She passed the test and can hear out of both ears! Bryan and I were scared for a second because it took Abby up until the very last minute for her brain waves to reach 100 percent on the test (which was needed to pass). I think she scared us on purpose. They say the test is better when the baby is sound asleep and Abby started the test wide awake so that is probably while it took a while to complete the test.

We were both dismissed from the hospital on Thursday, August 25^th around 7:30 pm. We got home around 9:00 pm on Thursday night, which I thought staying until Friday morning and coming home earlier in the day would have been a little better for both of us but it turned out to be just fine. We made it all work out.

Abby was beautiful and such a big girl. She came into this world screaming her little lungs out. She has been perfect and we love her more than words can say. The labor and delivery process was not a great experience but worth every minute of it because Abby joined our family. She is so little, beautiful, and just absolutely adorable! She’s our perfect little angel!

Since We've Been Home

Since we have been home from the hospital things have been going pretty well. We all are having to adjust to our new lifestyle and having to get use to not having any sort of routine at the moment. Our first night at home we were up all night because Abby was really gassy and had an upset stomach. Her upset stomach, gasiness, and fussiness seem to go in cycles. Sometimes it is not an issue and fine while other times she is screaming her lungs out because of her pain. I feel so bad for her and hope giving her Gripe Water will help.

Grandma Eva has been staying with us at night to help us out and help us find some sort of routine. She has been great and we probably couldn’t have done it without her since Bryan and I are so use to sleeping sound during the night. Neither one of us are night owls so that has been the biggest adjustment for us.

My colostrum and milk came in on Saturday, August 27^th (5 days after Abby was born). I was just pumping at first to try and get the milk supply to come in but now I am breast feeding but trying to pump a few times a day as well.

Abby had her first bath on Saturday, August 27^th, 2011 at 2:45 pm. She cried and cried; I am pretty sure she didn’t like her bath but know it made her feel so much better once she was warm, dry, and clean. Her second bath on August 30, 2011 went so much better. She had a full belly and was calm throughout the entire bath. I think she enjoyed it except for when she got out because she was cold.

Abby went to her first doctor’s appointment on Friday, August 26, 2011. She did so good riding to Austin and didn’t cry at the doctor’s office even though she was so cold in the exam room. She lost 2 ounces so weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces. Abby was 19 ¾ inches long (did she shrink or they measured her differently – who knows). Her head circumference was 35 ¼ centimeters at 3 days old (and grew to 36 centimeters at 5 days old).

Abby has had lots of visitors, especially during her first weekend home. We had a full house all weekend; she is one popular little girl! She did very good and was excited to meet all of her family and friends.

Daddy has never been around babies before so since Tuesday when Abby was born he has learned so much! It amazes me how he use to be so frighten of hurting Abby because she was so small to now picking her up on his own and holding her. He has done AMAZING and has had so much patience with the both of us.

Well one chapter of our lives has ended and one very exciting chapter is just beginning. Abby has already brought so much joy to our lives. We LOVE her so much – happy or fussy. We are ready to get back into some sort of routine but couldn’t imagine our lives now without Miss Abby. Abby has made our lives just perfect…

At the Hospital