Sunday, October 17, 2010

Coming Home to Meet the Family







We received a clean bill of health on Saturday and were able to be discharged in time to watch the Badgers dismantle number one Ohio State on national TV. It was the first time Wisco had beat a number one team since 1981 likely dashing OSU's hopes for a national title. Gavin, Q, Dad and grandpa all were able to enjoy some couch time and watch the first half together before Q had to go to bed. It was a nice generational moment. Maybe Gavin will follow in Quinny's footsteps and be a future player. We'll see. He's smaller than Q was when he was born so maybe a skill player. It would be possible for Q to block for Gavin some day being they are only two years apart. One can dream.

Quentin has been great through this whole ordeal with both sets of grandparents coming down and staying at the house. Through all that transition Quentin has slept well and behaved even better. He's not quite sure how to treat Gavin yet, but does know he's part of the family and has welcomed him in open arms. Quentin pokes him and every time he cries he says, "ungy, ungy" and tries to offer up good food suggestions including sharing is own. We are of course reusing Q's old things like a little vibrating rocking chair and there is some confusion with that. We had Gavin in the chair sleeping and Q comes over and tries to sit in it too. So we have gentle moments of explanation and how he needs to be a good older brother and share. So far so good. I have been giving Quinny the majority of attention while Carrie tends to the baby since Carrie can't pick up Q for the next couple of weeks. It's been working out pretty well so far and we know it will take a while to hammer out a routine.

I think Quentin has really enjoyed the grandparents but he is confused what to call them. He is currently calling everyone Gramma. It's hilarious. My dad came upstairs from the guest room this morning and Quinny was at the top of the stairs and screams, "GRAMMA!" He thinks all the grandparents are called Gramma, except Carrie's dad, who he does call Poppa. I didn't realize he was calling everyone the same name until this morning. My dad was all too aware so for the rest of the weekend I got to call him gramma too. Ahhhh, it's life's little moments that bring true pleasure. Pretty funny.

The Luckster met the newest addition to the family on Saturday with a lot of sniffing and some nuzzling. Who knows what he's thinking. I had a long talk with him before we left to go the hospital explaining that he was about to be number five on the depth chart. He took it pretty well. He's still acting neurotic since moving here. I think he's waiting to head back to Florida still. One can dream. Every time we leave the house he runs out to the car and tries to get in. This is a new behavior for him. He hasn't spent a ton of time in the car so I do think he thinks living in Iowa is temporary. Wait until we move to yet a new house this spring. That should really help!

Everyone did fine yesterday and it was nice to find the comforts of our home. Gavin was circumcised Saturday and I was allowed to watch the procedure. I figure if he has to endure it I should see what he's going through. Solidarity! That was an experience that forced me to go to my happy place. He wailed and wailed through it. They gave him a localized anesthetic but I don't think it took because he never really stopped crying through any of it. And as you can imagine it's pretty brutal. That happened in the morning and then they monitor the bleeding every 15 minutes for the first two hours. Little Gavin only has about as much blood as a coke can so even what we would consider a small amount is a lot for him so it needs to be watched closely.

Gavin has been eating better and a nurse will come out to the house on Monday to weigh him and check him for jaundice. He appears to be eating well so we think he will pass. A lot of younger babies do end up back in the hospital because they start dropping weight once they get home. Q was a good eater so hopefully Gavin is too. When we checked out of the hospital he was down a half pound since being born, which is common. They don't want him to fall below 10% of his birth weight. I'm sure he'll be a 10 pounder in no time.

He hasn't slept at all during the night and Carrie has been taking the brunt of that. You forget how brutal the lack of sleep is. To go through the day on 1-2 hours sleep day after day is nothing short of miraculous. I took Q to daycare this morning and the daycare is 2-3 miles down the street but it's on the same street we live on. Upon exiting the parking lot, I for whatever reason took a left and started driving to who knows where. About a block down the road I asked myself where I was going? I am chalking that up to no sleep. Carrie hit the wall around 2:45 am last night so I was up until about 4:30 with baby G and then got up with Quentin at 6 am. Not sure if it will be a household of napping this afternoon or what but something needs to give. We'll see. I can tell you our goal of 5 children is shrinking daily. I definitely can't keep this up 3, 4, 5 or 6 years from now. I think if you want a big family you need to get started in your early to mid-20's. After that you are either a sadomasochist or an incurable insomniac. We are neither, which means outside of triplets we aren't going to get to 5. We'll see how it pans out. Ask me in 4 years where we're at.

Here are a few pics of Gavin coming home in his car seat, meeting Lucky with Quinny excited to have him home finally and Quinny "petting" his new baby brother.

1 comment:

  1. Josh and Carrie.. I have so enjoyed reading your adventures with your little ones... I can totally relate with you regarding lack of sleep.. I was 40 when I had my 2nd and the 1st was 2 1/2. Everyone tells me that number 3 plus is not bad. Because you are already living in insanity.

    You will all fall into a rhythm,,,but it does take a bit. For me the little things my husband did were the things that meant the most. The getting me a drink or the thought that I might have been hungry when I was feeding this little one all the time.

    Keep up the good work...you are doing a great job and they are adorable...

    God bless psalm 139 Denise

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