Back To Work

I go back to work tomorrow morning. Micole doesn't go back to work until August, but she's got her work cut out for herself. Cooper is extremely dependent on his mother and she has her hands full with Colton. I'm sure I will be coming home often to one stressed mommy.

Here's a glimpse of tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Poor Colton has a bad cold. He sounds just awful. I'm sure it's not that bad, but when you're little like that and you have all those small passageways it can be extremely hard to breathe. At least he has his one week appointment tomorrow. Happy to report his jaundice is on the wane. No more blood lettings!

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Is Cooper establishing his territory?

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Cheez-It crackers are the official snack cracker of this blog. Cooper loves them just as much as his dad.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Eat, Sleep, Poop, Cry, Repeat

Newborns are boring. I didn't really notice it when Cooper was a newborn (At that point in time I was still excited about my entry into fatherhood and still somewhat nervous about my new role). Newborns don't do much. It's eat, sleep, poop, cry, repeat.

Don't get me wrong; I'm sure 6-9 months from now I'll be wishing for boring. Cooper is already more than a handful. Everything within his reach, that he can lift, and that is not tied down winds up at the bottom of the basement stairs eventually. Boring is not so bad. Besides, the real joy is getting to see Colt grow from this perpetual eating-sleeping-pooping-crying machine into a perpetual eating-sleeping-pooping-crying-walking-talking-laughing-throwing things down the basement stairs machine.

Boring yes, but also sublime.

A photo of our three redheaded boys together.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

I don't know if Cooper has any concept that Colton is his brother. I do know for certain Cooper likes him. He's really curious about Colton, always looking over at him. He has even brought Colt a toy or two to play with. They're going to be good buds.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing


Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Poor Colt still has the jaundice. The bilirubin test he took today was a little high, so he has to go back to the hospital tomorrow and get poked in the foot again. He doesn't seem to bleed enough, so they have to poke the poor boy in both feet to get enough blood for the test. The doctors think he's probably going to peak today, but they want to be cautious.

Colton is much calmer than Cooper was at this age. He only gets fussy when it's time to eat or it's time for a diaper change. It'll be interesting to see if his personality is laid back when he gets older.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Let me just state for the record, the car was parked and not in motion when I took this photo.
Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

The Baby Is Home

Colton's picture is up on the hospital website, here. That's the blanket Grandma Barb made.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Here is Cooper's hospital picture for comparison. Colton has got way more hair and he's one chunky monkey when compared to the Mini Cooper.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Last night Cooper and I left Micole and Colton at the hospital. Cooper has a bit of cold and a rash which is either the hives or some disease that requires you to know Latin to even be able to pronounce it. It was mostly a quiet evening for us. Several times Cooper went up to the window to look out. I think he was looking for his Mommy to come up the driveway, but of course she never came.

Colton has to go back to the hospital tomorrow to have his bilirubin checked. It was a little high, but not too high. They're just being cautious.

Friends and Family

It's been a long day and we've had a lot of friends and family visit us in the hospital. I have more to say about today, but I'll save it until I'm rested.

In comparing Cooper and Colton physically at birth, I would say they look a lot alike, but Colton is a bit pudgier, has more hair (he's almost ready for a haircut), and they have different noses.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Colton is much calmer than Cooper was when he was born.
Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

He rarely cries.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Cooper meets his little brother for the first time. We're not sure he likes Colton yet.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Aunt Marie.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Grandma Sherry, McKenzie, Grandpa Mike, and Uncle Tim.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Grandpa Mike.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Uncle Joey.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

McKenzie and Colton. She's almost two months old, but he weighs more.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Pappy.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Some New Baby Pictures

Here are some pictures from this morning. I'll post some more later this evening.

Cooper with Grandma Stella. He turned 13 months old today. We took him to the hospital with us this morning, where Joyce our babysitter picked him up.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Micole can't believe she was forced to have this baby naturally. I'm sure she wants to ring the neck of the anaesthesiologist who messed up the epidural.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

He looks a lot like Cooper did when he was born except he is a little chunkier and has more hair than Cooper did. At 9 pounds, 7 ounces the kid is a load. I could immediately tell the difference when they put him in my arms. Cooper seemed lighter than air when the nurses handed him to me.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

I'll have more pictures loaded later today.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Colton Bailey

9 pounds, 7 ounces. Micole went natural because the epi didn't take. It went fast. Born at 6:19 AM. I'll put some pictures up later.

WI-FI Basecamp established

We're at the hospital. Micole's got her epidural but it's not working yet. I feel bad for her. The nurses had a lot of trouble getting the IV in her. They treated her like a pin cushion for awhile. She's at 7 cm.

Going

to the hospital! Contractions about 5 min apart and fairly intense.

Contractions: Part Deux!

Micole has been having contractions again. They are about 8 minutes apart. I think this time it will not be a dress rehearsal. I've got to shower and get ready just in case. I worked out in the yard today and I'm all stinky and dirty.

Contractions!

Micole's been having some hard transactions for the last few hours. They're coming about 15 minutes or so apart. So it's nothing for sure or anything, but we're going to get everything packed up for the hospital in case we have to go in the middle of the night. I'm tenatively excited. Tonight would be a good night for the baby to arrive because I was off today and I could make it a long, long weekend.


UPDATE 11 PM: She's had more contractions, but they've slowed down to about one per hour. Might happen tonight; Might not.

UPDATE 7 AM: Nothing happened. False alarm. The induction is scheduled for next Thursday morning.

A Rare Midweek Post

No new baby to report on yet. Like I said, I think we'll be inducing about this time next week. I might be proven wrong, but for whatever reason Micole doesn't seem to be biologically capable of spitting out babies early or even on time. She is apparently good at getting pregnant, but not so good at getting unpregnant.

Micole is going to the doctor tomorrow morning, so I may update the blog then with what is going on with her innards. I have not the slightest clue what it all means, I just know the doctor puts on a rubber glove, sticks his hand here and there and says some gobbeldygook about some measurement using the crazy metric system and some percentage that means nothing to me. With Cooper we were certain Micole would go early. The numbers have been about the same with Coltlin, but still no early go.

Since the babysitter is going on a field trip, I have the pleasure of staying home with Cooper tomorrow. It makes me think about all of the time I've spent with him over the last year and all of the precious time shared. Soon I will get to experience all of those same things with a new baby, except this time around I have a one-year-old whose entire existence seems to revolve around finding new things to throw down the basement stairs and pooping. It's going to be so great!

Off the subject a little bit: I used my riding lawn mower for the first time today. It's got a cup holder! So now I can take something I don't like to do (mowing the lawn) and combine it with something I really like to do (drinking beer), which then equals something I like to do (drinking beer while mowing the lawn). I'm loving it, though I'm pretty sure I missed a few spots (perhaps a result of the beer drinking).

I was told I had to post this picture by my wife, because Aunt Kelly bought him this shirt. We do what we can to make Aunt Kelly happy.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

A booboo update. Yesterday when Micole dropped Cooper off at the babysitter's house, Cooper fell and hit his eye on the corner of a table. Cooper's okay except for a little bit of a black eye. The table is listed in stable condition.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Coop's a sleepy baby on this peaceful evening.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Happy Easter

Yesterday we took Cooper to an Easter egg hunt at his babysitter's church. He doesn't quite grasp the concept of picking up the eggs and keeping them. He passed up the chance to pick up dozens of eggs. Considering that some eggs had cash rewards, Cooper would've finally been able to pay his room and board. This house isn't free, you know.

Here's about a 3 minute video of Cooper at the Easter egg hunt.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing


Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Cooper loves playing ball.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Cooper's time at the ducky pool soon turned into a splash fest with another baby.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

We've been enjoying the weather, though yesterday was a little hot.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

We're still waiting on baby #2. Since we don't know if we're having a boy or girl, right now we're calling the unborn baby Coltlin, which is half Colton and half Caitlin.

Despite the fact that Micole says she is full and there is no more room left in her belly, my guess is we'll probably see Micole induced on the 26th or 27th of this month. She's had no movement on that front in a few weeks. She's still 2 cm and 50% thinned. Micole is ready for labor, but Coltlin isn't.

Cooper gets his hands on everything. Anything he gets hands on will eventually be thrown over the gate and wind up at the bottom of the basement stairs. I've had to give him a firm "No!" or two (or three or four or...), which either leads to what I call the "5 second cry" or pouting in the corner for half a minute. He doesn't have the attention span to pout much longer than that.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

The Week In Pictures

It's been a week since my last post. There's not a whole lot to say. Baby #2 is still in a holding pattern. No movement on that front. Still 2 cm and 50% thinned. We went to church yesterday with Pappy and Granny, because Pappy got baptised. It's April 10th and I still haven't finished my taxes, but I did start working on them tonight.

Cooper likes peaches. We haven't been able to get him to eat very much meat. Yesterday he was eating his chicken tenders. When he saw that I had peaches he spit the chicken right out.
Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

We've been treated to an ample share of baby laughs and smiles.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Cooper got his 1 year pictures taken on Thursday.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Cooper has figured out how to turn off the television. And turn it on. And turn it off. And turn it on... You get the picture.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

The weather has been nice.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Another week begins and perhaps by the time we finish this week there will be pictures of a new baby to post.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

"DAAAAAAADDDDDDDDD!"

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

It's been a week since my last post and there's so much to note. Not sure if I will remember it all, but there's so many little things going on right now.

First of all we're just 20 days out from the due date. It seems like our world is about to change by the power of 4. There's a definite excitement in the air. It hasn't been that long since we've been at 20. I looked up my post from February 20th of last year, when we hit 20 days. It starts out "The whole "Micole is uncomfortable" thing has become a cliche, but it remains true today."

Not much has changed. Micole is once again uncomfortable and tired of being pregnant. For sure. Her back hurts and she has the gait of a Weeble. Last Friday's doctor's visit stats are 2 cm and 50% thinned. My money is on the baby arriving a few days early this time. Certainly not another induction. I hope not.


Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Cooper's world gets a little bit bigger everyday. He is a curious boy and enjoys exploring the house. It is so exciting to have a world anew. The smallest things, the things most people wouldn't notice or care about, excite him. Yesterday I rolled a ball to him and he rolled it back. He laughed. I bounced the ball. He laughed even more. I rolled him the ball and the process repeated itself several times.

Micole took Cooper to the doctor today for his 1 year appointment. I didn't get the exact stats, but percentile wise he is 90th in length/height and 25th in weight. He didn't gain much weight since his 9 month visit, but then he's been sick several times in the last few months and he's gone several stretches when he didn't eat a whole lot. The doctor was a little worried about the weight, but he certainly has an appetite now.


Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

For awhile now Cooper has been saying "Mamamama...". He would say it anywhere at anytime. It would be like the syllable "Ma" being repeated constantly on a skipping record player. Now he's yelling "DAAAAAAADDDDDDDDD!". I hear him say it a lot. It's as if he's found a new toy and he wants to play with it all the time. I like like this part of his development.


Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing


Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing