Hudson 2.0

I took Hudson in this morning for a 3 week check-up with our pediatrician. He is currently 9 pounds, 21.5 inches long with a head circumference of of 14.75 inches (all around the 75th percentile). The best news is that he felt Hudson was ready to be taken off the Apnea Monitor...which leads to the title of this post, a new and improved Hudson is now available for our family; no more hauling him and a monitor around. After being home for a few hours and not having to remember to pick up the monitor or keep the cords out of the way for diaper changes I can say I am extremely thankful and feel so free.

He is a little mischievous looking here...maybe a glimpse

of what is to come.

all under one roof

I hope you have not been looking here to find out when Hudson came home...because he came home on Saturday. Things have been a little busy though so I am just now taking a moment to update the blog.

Needed Blog Name Change...

As most of you know I have needed to change the blog title from "5 Please" for some time now since it no longer applies. I was having a hard time coming up with what made sense to me until Saturday when we were all at home for the first time. I quickly realized things around here were spinning almost out of control between making sure the big three did not hurt Hudson during their aggressive helping, caring for Hudson with his obnoxious (but we are thankful to have it) apnea monitor, and meeting the needs of the others. All of that was with extra adult help in the house of course but Neal and I still found ourselves saying "Wow!" a lot. Around lunch time - which was about an hour after we got home from the NICU - it hit me...From here on out we will have four children...no easing into this it is just ready, set, go with four from here on out. I have often wondered during the past few days if it would not be more accurately spelled "fore" but the verdict is still out on that.

As for Hudson...

He started out with a rocky start spending almost 2 weeks in the NICU. He seems to be doing extremely well now. He is growing well, eating sufficiently (probably not as well as I personally would like but we had to get him used to not taking a bottle when he first came home) and doing the normal infant things...sleeping, eating and pooping. Other than seeing him on the monitor, he appears to be a normal 3 week old. Anna Grace, Dean and Caleb adore him. Anna Grace and Dean have enjoyed holding him and helping me (getting stuff for me). Caleb, who we all feared was going to be extremely jealous, has been anything but jealous; his favorite thing to do is hold Caleb and either kiss his head or point to and name his body parts.

Over all life with four children has been a busy adventure. We are adjusting to our new routine but so far it is slow going. For example, I started this post Friday morning and it is currently Sunday afternoon. I suspect that within the next few weeks we will get it figured out. Thank you all so much for your prayers, support and meals during the past few weeks. They have all been greatly appreciated. Neal and I have truly felt blessed though it all.

Maybe sometime later this week I will post some of the funnier moments from the past weeks because there have been some funny ones that will not be forgotten for a long time.

Pictures...

Hudson's Birth Party

Even though Hudson had been taken to the NICU we went ahead and had his Birth Party. Viewing pictures of Hudson had to suffice for our King Cake celebrate. For the record Anna Grace and Dean did not like that they could not see him but did like that he was in a "special room with a special doctor getting well." Caleb on the other hand was not concerned with the lack of Hudson's presence; he was just fired up to eat cake.

Hudson's Homecoming and First Holdings

Hudson

Courtney wanted me to post the latest goings on with Hudson here on the blog.

He was born on Tuesday 3/1 at 7:36am. He weighed 7lb 10oz and was 19" long. His head is 14" around....a Hatchett head.

Shortly after he was born it was soon discovered that he had some fluid in his lungs so they took him to the NICU for observation. They did a chest x-ray to determine the extent of the fluid and after seeing it decided that he needed to be admitted into the NICU.

Right now he has an oxygen dome over his head to help him breathe and is getting all of his nourishment from an IV. He has been steadily improving so that's good. Because of the dome we are unable to hold him so that's a little frustrating.

From what the nurses have told us, if things keep progressing along it should be about 7-10 days before he can go home.

Please pray that the fluid will continue to go out of his lungs and that he'll be able to come home soon.

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