3 weeks old!!

Austin is now over 3 weeks old!! He has gained over a pound since his last appointment and weighs 8 pounds and 3 ounces today!! I cant believe how time flies! He is doing great and last night he spent the whole night in his crib! I think that Dan and I both slept better without his little noises waking us up constantly! He is now sleeping in about 3 hour periods at night, which is nice to get a little more sleep.

He is starting to be awake more during the day and really enjoying his tummy time mat, especially with his black and white book to stare at! He moves around a lot on his tummy, and it seems that it wont be long before he is able to roll over. Crazy!! He also looks like he is starting to smile at us! We are trying to catch it on video and there is a short clip where he seems to smirk a bit, but wait til you see his adorable open mouth smile!!

A little update about Austin's Coombs positive issues. We were very excited last week when the bilirubin level was finally on its way down and we no longer had to do daily lab draws!! But now his issue is a drop in blood count as the hemolysis of his blood cells continues as a result of the Coombs positive. So we are having to draw his blood count every two weeks until he is 3 months old. His first draw was this week and was a little low. We are hoping for the count to stay up and for Austin to keep eating well!! Fingers crossed!! Hopefully soon his little heels can start healing!!

Weve had quite a few visitors lately and I need to get better about posting more frequently so that I dont have quite so long of a post! But I have photos of Austin with his Great-GG on her 93rd birthday!! Happy birthday GG!!! And there are pics from this week when GGma and GGpa came out from Utah to visit and meet Austin! Also GramaShell, Ric and Great-Aunt Janell came up to visit and help celebrate GGpa's 75th birthday!! Happy birthday GGpa!!

Grandpa Ric and Austin

Guncle Dan and Lexi

How sweet and classic Austin is this pose!

I had to post the one pic I was in!

Great-Aunt Janell!

GGma and GGpa

Sweet girl! 7 months old!

GGpa loves this little guy!

Loving!

Happy birthday GGpa!!

Dan enjoying some guy time!

Austin loves his Daddy!!

Austin's first time in his bumbo

Looking around

Lexi getting to know her cousin!

Gavin loves his little cousin!

Emma and Austin sharing some tummy time!

Austin enjoying some Nana-time!

5 generations!

Great-great grandma GG! Happy birthday GG!!

Tim and Jammie's Wedding, Uncle Ry and Auntie Adg visit, and Austin turns 2 weeks!!

Well Austin managed to be born and get out of the hospital with just enough time to spare so that we could make it to the event of the year: Tim and Jammie's wedding!!! We had a blast and everyone was able to meet Austin!
Uncle Ry and Auntie Adg were up for the wedding and stayed a couple days to spend some time with us and their newest nephew! We had fun hanging out and Ryan and Brandi spent some time trying to learn how to ride my dirt bike(which I still haven't gotten to try out!)
Austin is 2 weeks old today and his doctor is very pleased with how he has done since his release from the NICU. He was weighed today at 7lbs 2oz which is the 12th percentile, and is 20inches long, which is the 24th percentile. And we are loving our little munchkin!!

The whole family

Grandaddy and Grandma Carol showing Austin some lovin'

My Wonderful Family

Cute little boy

Grandma Carol couldn't get enough of our little man!

Uncle Ry and Auntie Adg

Uncle Ryan

Auntie Adrienne

Austin's First Week

The first week of Austins life was much more eventful than I had anticipated. And it didn't help that I was very weak after delivery with my heart rate getting up to 130s and my blood count almost dropping in half! The first night was fine, we didn't get a ton of sleep but Dan and I were just happy to finally have our little boy! The next day we were hoping to go home, but found out that Austin tested Coombs positive, which means that our incompatible blood mixed in utero and creates more bilirubin than Austin's body can process. The pediatrician recommended a swift transfer to NICU and aggressive UV light therapy to counteract the bilirubin levels. Jamie was in town visiting and immediately went to Brandi's to watch her kids so she could come be with us! Thanks Jamie, we love you!!! He was placed in an incubator and I was only allowed to hold him for 30 minutes every 3 hours to breastfeed. For the first day they placed an tube in his nose that goes into his stomach so they could give him additional breast milk that I was pumping. It was so hard seeing my little boy squirm and cry in that bed all alone and only be able to comfort him by trying to hold his hand. Luckily he actually tolerated it pretty well and comforted fairly easily. Every 6 hours or so they would stick his heel for another bilirubin level to make sure that the levels weren't getting dangerously high. The nurses were so wonderful during our entire stay! They were kind, understanding, and truly appeared to be genuinely concerned about Austin's condition. The doctor was great also, but she kept giving us false hope that the levels were going to drop and we would get to go home. Then when the levels kept going up it was quite an emotional blow! We made sure that someone was with Austin at all times, even though that meant one night of both Dan and I sleeping in chairs by his bed. And thanks to Brandi, GramaShell and Grandma Kristy for staying with us for so long and through all odd hours of the night so Dan and I could get at least a little rest and feel so supported!! On Austin's 5th day the levels finally came down enough that we were discharged from the hospital and he was able to put on his first clothes and take his first car ride!! What a day!!
We were still doing daily heel sticks at a lab to check on his bili levels which had rebounded up a bit after taking him home. He had his first pediatrician appointment at one week and the doctor was very pleased with how he looked. He had gained weight, now 7lbs and 20inches!! And although his levels were still going up a bit she was encouraged that they would soon peak and start to fall. Today Austin is 1 week and 1 day old and we got the good news that his levels have dropped and tomorrow will be his first day without a heel stick!!! I don't know if this mommy has ever been so happy!!! Thanks to everyone for their support and well wishes! Dan and I couldn't have made it through this difficult week without you all!!

Austin and Teddy before the Coombs result

Austin in his incubator with UV lights on, mask to protect his eyes, and feeding tube in his nose with Daddy comforting him

Austin sleeping soundly with mask on after feeding tube removed!

Feeling good after a 30minute feeding

Discharged!! Austin in his first outfit!

Time to take my little munchkin man home!!


What a sweetie!!

Home at last!!


Happy and relieved new parents!

Its good to be home!!


First 4th of July
Cousins!!
First Bath!
Hanging out with Aunt B

My Birth Story

So my little boy is one week old today and I decided I should probably sit down and let you all know my birth story.(Great idea Cindy and Trinette!) Around 10pm on June 26th my water broke. Although I tried to convince myself otherwise, it was pretty obvious that night that I was going to have this baby soon! Unfortunately, I had not started having any contractions despite walking the block and bouncing on the birthing ball. So with the doctors urging I headed to the hospital. We got there at 10am on June 27th and I was 0cm and 0% effaced. I wanted to try and get some contractions going naturally and the doctor agreed this was okay to try. So we walked and walked and bounced and bounced, but to no avail.
At 8pm after only mild cramping I agreed to start Pitocin to encourage contractions and labor to progress. At about 1130 that evening I started having regular contractions about 4 minutes apart. This was hard, intense work! I was glad to have such a wonderful birthing team to help me through this whole process! I don't know what I would have done without my wonderful, patient, and loving husband! Also my moms, sisters, and grandparents who stayed with me despite the long hours, pitiful looks, and short temper! I definitely know how lucky I am and how lucky my son is to be born into two wonderful families full of loving support for one another!!
6 hours into labor my contractions started getting really close together and I was vomiting so the nurse finally decided to check me again and I was only 1cm!! I almost lost it! How could I be progressing so slowly!! I had a mini breakdown but was able to work my way back with the help of my family! It took another 5 hours or so to get to 2cm and then 2.5 hours to get to 3cm. But after that things really started happening! I went from 3cm to 8cm in 2hours and from 8cm to pushing in 30min!! I was able to push him out in 3 contractions and couldn't believe that I was finally a mom to a beautiful baby boy!!!

Jammie and Dan helping me be strong!

How lucky am I to be so supported! Love you all!



Austin Keith Jones born 6/28/2011 at 1:05pm, 6lbs11oz, 19inches

My wonderful family!!

My little boy!

PS: the rest of our hospital story coming soon.

37.5 weeks and 1 year anniversary!!

Dan and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary this past sunday!! I cant believe its already been a whole year since our wedding day! Amazing! We didn't really do anything since we spent the weekend apart, Dan at his brother Tims bach party and me at Jammies bachelorette party! But we were able to have a nice dinner out and quiet evening together.
And now for the big news that I am finally TERM!! yay!! 37.5 weeks today!! Tomorrow my doctor will check and see if I have started dilating or anything yet. But here are some belly pics!

Dan's First Race

Over the weekend Dan entered into a dirtbike race at a track here in sacramento! I think he did GREAT especially since it was his first time ever!! Dan is on the blue bike and wearing orange and blue, Here are some videos...

Belly Pics! 34 weeks!

I finally have a few more belly pics!! I cant believe that we have less than 6 weeks before my little boy could be here!!! Getting excited and anxious to hold that lil monkey!

34 weeks

Big ole belly!!

Me and Trinette at her baby shower

Washington DC

Dan and I were able to take our last long vacation before having to take kiddies along!! We went to Washington DC for 3 days and then drove down to south carolina to meet up with his dad, siblings and significant others. We met all of Dans aunts, uncles and some cousins that all still live around where Richard grew up! We had fun both places, but my camera stopped working so I only have DC pics...SC pics to come!

The white house preparing for the annual egg roll

View of Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial

At the Lincoln Memorial

Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (it was quite a ceremony!)

Capitol building