Bringing Home Baby!

On the morning we were released the pediatrician came in to tell us that Elise was a bit jaundice. Not enough to keep her in the hospital for phototherapy, but enough that we needed to see the pediatrician the next day to monitor her color. In the meantime, he told me to supplement some formula after her feedings to get more calories in her. At her appointment the next day her color was still the same (which was good news, as long as her color wasn't a lot worse she's fine). We are just supposed to keep an eye on it, but she looks much better now. She still has a little yellow to her face and the whites of her eyes are still sort-of yellow, but the rest of her has cleared up.

We were released from the hospital last Wednesday and made it home by 11am. We brought Elise inside in her carseat and let Lucas come to her, with 4 adults crowding the scene with cameras to capture this wonderful moment. Well... our wonderful moment was a disaster. Apparently telling a toddler that this is HIS sister lent possession to the equation and Lucas thought that Elise was a toy for him. He wasn't intentionally mean, but he wanted her out of the carseat and in his arms by any means necessary, which was by her neck! Of course this led the four adults into a panic, which in turn sent Lucas into a kicking and screaming melt down... we had Elise and Lucas in separate rooms for most of the rest of the day.

In the mean time, Garen went to Wal-Mart and bought Lucas his very own baby doll! It was a bit hard on Garen's ego, but he knew it was necessary, and it actually worked very well. Lucas played with HIS doll for the rest of the day. When we reintroduced Mommy's baby (which is now how we refer to Elise in terms of possession) it went much better. Lucas still wanted to hold her and we helped him as best we could.

Over the past week he has gotten better every day. We still have to watch him like a hawk near her because he is too helpful and not aware of his own strength. He will pat her on the head one moment, kiss her on the cheek, then whack her on the head! He will try and give her a hug, but he will try and lean on her to do it. When I change her diaper, he wants

to help wipe her and help put diaper rash cream on her. Lucas really is just trying to be helpful!

Elise is such a different baby than Lucas was! She sleeps, a lot! I am certainly not looking a gift-horse in the mouth, and I pray that this pattern continues. She is awake and alert about 1 hour out of 10 a day. I've only had one really bad night. My parents are still here, so I have a lot of help with Lucas, which has allowed me to sleep in some days and take a nap others. I'm trying to regulate myself to going to bed early so I can get up with Lucas and still be alive during the day. Mom and Dad leave on Saturday, and it will be just Garen and me until the new year when Garen goes back to work. I've got another week or so to get ready to be alone with two small children.