Cohen's First Week

Finally induction day was here! After arriving to the hospital 1/2 hour later than we were supposed to due to a traffic accident, fainting because of my great needle phobia...twice, lots of ice chips, a People magazine, two doses of antibiotics, a great epidural, and a long day for my super supportive hubby, Cohen Robert Williams made his way into our world. He was born at 4:51 pm weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs. 14 oz. and was 21" long. What a joy it was to finally meet him!


Jack and Nixin were thrilled to finally meet their new baby brother. Thanks to a wonderful Grandma Becky for taking such great care of them while I was out!

Here is Nixin holding his baby brother for the first time:

And Jack:

Later that night, after our dear families had come to visit our new addition, the nurse gave Cohen his first bath:

Seriously, is there anything more perfect than this?



DAY 1
Today was really not very eventful. We just hung out in our room resting and recuperating from the day before. Chad had gone home to be with Jack and Nixin for the night. I would have liked to have been there too, but because I had tested positive for Strep B, the pediatrician wanted Cohen to stay at the hospital for 48 hours. I kept my camera close and got a few pictures:


All of my boys:




This is a picture of Cohen with my grandpa, Robert Fayle Huddleston, one of the Robert's in which Cohen gets his middle name:


And here is a picture of my family. The man in the back with the orange hat is my dad, Robert Fayle Huddleston Jr., the other Robert where Cohen's middle name comes from.





DAY 2
Woo Hoo! Even though our stay at Alta View Hospital was a great one, we were SO ready to come home. We dressed Cohen out of his white hospital shirt into a cute little outfit and packed him up really good in his new car seat. Off we went.




The first cute little outfit didn't last too long. The second we got home and tried to change his diaper...well, you know. Needless to say, we had another cute outfit in the dresser.


Cohen is so lucky to have two big brothers who adore him. Jack and Nixin are adjusting much better than I expected. They love him.


The Boppy has been the best thing ever! It makes it so easy for the boys to hold the baby. Nixin seriously held Cohen that night for at least 45 minutes.



DAY 3
More family visits today. Our families have been so wonderful and supportive. We are grateful for all of you! Cohen had his first "sponge bath" today. He didn't love it, but we made it through. One of the best smells on the planet- fresh bathed baby!







DAY 4
Cohen got to go to his first doctor's appointment today. His bilirubin levels in the hospital were a little higher than they should have been, so we needed to go back today and have them re-checked. It was pretty traumatic. The girl who poked his little heel really struggled with getting enough blood, but after about 10 minutes of rubbing his leg she had just enough. It broke my heart, but both of us made it! The good news was that Cohen weighed in at 8 lbs. 10 oz., only a small drop from his birth weight. The bad news was that his bilirubin levels had increased a little bit and we needed to come back in 48 hours to have them re-checked. In addition to the bili check, Cohen was circumcised and had to have his umbilical cord cauterized because it was oozy. What a rough day!



DAY 5
Plenty of feedings, poopy diapers, and cuddles today. Cohen is a great baby. We all love him so much and are so happy that he is here. Our first day home Murphy, our dog, had a really hard time with Cohen. She sure has warmed up to him now. She is right by his side at every little whimper that he makes and she snuggles up to him as close as we will let her. It really is pretty cute.



DAY 6
Back to the doctor we go today for another bilirubin test. Cohen bled much better this time and it was much less traumatic for both baby and mom. Today Cohen weighed 9 lbs., he had gained 6 ounces since Monday! He does eat really good. Bad news though...Cohen's bilirubin levels had shot up to a 19.4. That is high. High enough that we needed to start light therapy right away. So, we came home from the doctor's office and put him right under the lights. He has adjusted well to them, thank goodness! It is killing me to have him lay there all the time. I just want to cuddle with that cute little thing all day long. But, it is what we need to do and it will be past us soon.



DAY 7
Happy one week birthday Cohen! It is amazing the love and connection that you can feel toward someone in such a short amount of time. I am so blessed to be a mother. I love my children more than I could ever explain.
It was bilirubin check up day again. In just one day Cohen managed to pack on another 3 ounces, bringing his current weight to 9 lbs. 3 oz. He's growing so fast already! Cohen's levels had dropped a tiny bit to a 18.8, which is good...but not good enough to get him out of those darn lights. Our doctor instructed us to keep him on them through Saturday afternoon and then go in for yet another blood test. Keep your fingers crossed for us!