We've been home for a week

and surprisingly we all survived. Claire is still loving on Jenna as much as possible and Jenna is still sleeping great. Dan and I would much rather stay up late and get Jenna to bed than get up in the middle of the night. I usually nurse Jenna and get her down around 11-12. She goes down great, wakes up once, about 4-4:30ish and then sleeps until 8:30-9. We have had longer stretches, but lucky for us, no short stretches of sleep at night. And she is great going back down to sleep after she eats. Now, if we could only get Claire to not wake up while I am feeding her - Dan loves his girls, but I am sure he would prefer to not have all of us in bed and awake at 4:30 AM. It's just so hard to tell Claire she can't help...she just wants to watch me feed Jenna, change Jenna, and of course sing to her and kiss her and kiss her and kiss her. And now for what you really care about - more pictures.

She constantly wants to hold Jenna - I love it!


Nana worked more than double duty this week...spending most days with me and nights working to help get Andreas new place cleaned up and settled. Well, it's not really "hers" yet, but it looks like it will be come Tuesday.
Love love love this picture - Claires smile is priceless!
After a long week in Germany, Pipere also did lots of work this week. If you didn't hear, Andrea hurt her knee Sunday, MRI is pending. She can't walk so she wasn't able to help much with the moving. Unfortunately, her new townhouse has the garage on the first floor and the second and third floors are living space. Needless to say, Mom and Dad had to do most of the packing and moving. This is how Claire set up Jenna
Claire being a goof....she thought she was soooo funny (and I'm too tired to flip the picture)



Hope you enjoy the pictures - say a little prayer for Andrea as she has a big work decision to make this weekend. I'm sure she'll be happy with whatever decision she makes. Tomorrow Dans brother and his family are coming into town until Wednesday - Dan turns the big 3-0 on Tuesday!! Claire is so excited to see her cousins and I am sure we will have lots of fun. We are heading to Massachusetts for Memorial Day weekend - we would love for everyone to meet Jenna!

Settling in

We are all settling in at home and doing well. The back to normal routine began today as Dan is back to work and Claire went back to daycare. Everything went surprisingly well this morning.

Before Jenna was born I had convinced myself that Claire was such an easy baby and we were destined to have a not so easy baby this time around. So far around we have been proven wrong and we are left wondering what we did to deserve this wonderful baby. First night home Jenna went down around 11:30 and I had to wake her up at 6:30! I was convinced that was a fluke. Next night we put her down again around 11:30, she woke up fussing at 4:15, I nursed her and she was back down and slept until 10AM! Sunday night was the first night it was just the 4 of us - Claire went down without much trouble - she just kept poking her head out to check on "my baby Jenna." Jenna went down around midnight and woke up at 5:45, just about the time Claire was getting up and running into our room. She sat with me while I nursed Jenna, then Claire got up with Dan to get ready for school, Jenna and I went back to sleep until she woke up again at 9:30. We're just hanging out until her pediatrician appointment at 3:00.

Jennas reverse sunglass tan after her stint under the lights. I feel like the pictures make it look worse that it really was.
Claire never liked having her arms swaddled up and so far Jenna likes to have only her right arm swaddled. She looks nice and comfy in her bed.
Hanging out getting ready for bed on Saturday night
Guess these pictures aren't in the right order....this is us breaking free from the hospital. Claire didn't quite understand the wheelchair.
The entire time I was pregnant, Claire said her baby sister was going to bring her a stuffed lion and she was going to bring her baby sister a stuffed elephant. She makes sure Jenna has her elephant at all times.

Jennas umbilical cord fell off Sunday so she got her first bath - it entailed her peeing all over her towel before she got in and then pooping in the tub - fun times!
Snuggling with Mommy :-)
Pictures with Titi before she had to head back to Vermont.

Claire enjoyed giving her baby sister a bath!

More updates

*Update* - Jennas bilirubin levels were down slightly to 10.7 so we were discharged around 7:30 PM. Claire came to the hospital with Daddy and was happy to bring her baby sister home. We will take Jenna back to the hospital in the morning for one more blood test.

Where do we start - I feel like we have been at the hospital forever, but it sounds like we are breaking free tonight.

The name...Miss Jenna Marye Snider. Dan & I had decided on a short list for first names - Jamie, Jenna, Emily, or Abby. It was just a matter of meeting this little girl before we decided for sure and we definitely made the right choice. Jennas middle name was Dans grandmothers first name - pronounced Mary, spelled Marye (there's a story behind it, but I'll let Don explain so I don't mess it up).

Claire has been up to the hospital twice and has enjoyed loving on Miss Jenna. Claire generally pays attention to Jenna for about 15 or 20 minutes and then seems to lose some interest. There is just too much going on. Kristin arrived yesterday to meet Jenna and will be around for the weekend. Pipere arrives from Germany tomorrow night.

Also yesterday morning the pediatrician let me know that Jenna had a mild case of jaundice, with her bilirubin level at 10. He wanted to make sure I was pushing fluids on Jenna and wanted her levels to be tested again Thursday night. She is breastfeeding great and also taking a bottle as part of her feeding. Last night around 11:30 her bilirubin came back at 11.7 - boo for it going up and not down. Around 3AM, the nurses woke me up to let me know they were going to put her under the lights. I woke up around 6 and asked them to bring her in so I could feed her. She had a great feeding, took a bottle and we sent her back to the nursery around 8 AM for another blood test and to be put back under the lights. I passed back out until almost 10 and then found out her levels went up very slightly to 11.9 :-( Now I was getting worried that they were going to keep Jenna and discharge me, but we had to wait for the pediatrician to make his rounds after lunch before we knew anything. After getting up and showered, I asked to nurse Jenna around 11:00, but she was passed out under the lights so we waited a little bit. Just as I was finishing up nursing her and giving her a bottle, I wheeled her back to the nursery just as the pediatrician was walking in. He recommended we keep her under the lights until 6 tonight and then he will order another blood test. Assuming her levels don't shoot up - we will be free (all of us!) to discharge tonight. BUT, we have to bring her back first thing in the AM for one last blood test.

Claire enjoyed giving Jenna a bottle

and so did Auntie Kristing
Claire wasn't really into the pictures as you can tell


Claire was pinching Jennas cheeks to give her a better kiss.
I felt much more rested on Thursday
You can see the yellowish tinge to her skin here - poor thing!




Under the lights on Friday afternoon - hoping this helps!
Can you see how yellow she is around her little eyes where the mask was?
We're still keeping our fingers crossed that tonights results are the same if not lower than they were this morning - we would really love to bring Jenna home with us tonight. Say a little prayer for us...we will keep you updated once we hear something.

Claires Visit to the "hostable"

Dan took off this afternoon to grab a nap and shower at home and then pick up Claire from daycare to bring her to the hospital. Claire was so excited to see "my Jenna" and she gave her lots and lots of love. Here is one of her first kisses for her baby sister.
Sweet kisses for Miss Jenna
Andrea had to take off this afternoon for a late night conference call and then she is heading to Virginia tomorrow for a wedding. And did you know she is closing on her house on Monday?!?! Claire just couldn't stop with the kisses

I guess this is our new normal. Don't mind me - I look exhausted. I mean, I am exhausted. We will send Jenna to the nursery shortly so Mommy and Daddy can hopefully get a good nights rest and maybe tomorrows pictures won't make me look like I have been run over by a mac truck - you can't even see in my eyes!
Daddy and his two little girls.
Thanks for all the E-mail, texts, phone calls, and well wishes. Since Jenna was born at 1:07 AM and we have to stay in the hospital for 2 nights, we are here until Friday. Kristin is heading down tomorrow afternoon and Pipere will be here on Saturday to meet Miss Jenna. We'll try to update with more pictures tomorrow - enjoy!

Welcome Jenna

Jenna's stats:

7 lbs. 11 oz.
20.5 inches

No rest for the weary

So, this time was just about as polar opposite as the labor with Claire. We arrived at the hospital around 9:45 and got admitted quickly thereafter. Once Meredith got her epidural we turned the lights off and got a little shut eye. While I was sleeping, or trying to, Meredith's contractions were getting closer and closer together and stronger. Our doctor was called/paged, but was unable to get here in time. They had to call in the in house doctor and he got ready. Meredith told him it was time to go and after about 10 minutes of pushing, the newest member of the Snider family was born at 1:07 AM. The nurses all say she is gorgeous and that she looks like a C-section baby (round head.) Once we get some sleep and some food in our bellies, I'll upload some pictures and hopefully report a name.

Something's happening!

A7 lb 11oz, 20 inch long baby was born at 1:07. Name and picture to come...

11:15 - Mere just called and sounded good! She has had her epidural and was 6cm - she was going to try to take a nap for a bit...

Mere and Dan are settling themselves in at the hospital and she is 3-4cm dialated. She started having contractions this afternoon and it seemed to move pretty quickly after that...it went from me heading up after my 9PM kickball game to leaving my house at 8:30 and having to pick Claire up from Mere's friends house because they were already at the hospital! Claire is settled in on the couch watching Curious George with her baby doll....shhhh...don't tell Mere and Dan :)

Good luck Mere!!!

Nothing happening

Last week I was convinced this baby would arrive early, but now I'm not so sure. Last week I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced and the doctor said I probably wouldn't see my due date, which is this Saturday. Today I went back for my 39 week check up and things are exactly the same - 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. So we are back to waiting....maybe for Pipere to return from Germany??

We have another appointment scheduled for next Monday morning if we make it that far - time will tell!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day!

Baptism

I know that I have sent out a message on Facebook about Charlotte and Lauren's baptism but for those of you who don't have Facebook or don't check it regularly here are the specifics:

 

Date: Sunday, June 5th

Time: 1 pm, after the noon Mass

Location: Jericho, 537 Northampton Street, Holyoke

Party to follow at Jericho

 

Please post if you will or will not be attending, either on the blog or reply on Facebook so I know what to order for food following the baptism.

Charlotte & Lauren Easter Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of the twins on Easter. I can't believe I somehow forgot to get a picture of them together in their dresses. I have also thrown in a picture of Claire holding Charlotte when we went to see them the weekend they were up here. The last picture shown is also on Easter but at the end of the day. They are in their tights and onesies. I love the picture becuase they are looking at each other, and I can only imagine what they are thinking at that moment after seeing so many people in one day!