First Week Home, Birthday, & Lights

Our first week home has been great. Brooke seems to be adjusting to our home very well and the older girls are also adjusting very well to having a baby around. It really feels like Brooke has always been here - except maybe that we got a little more sleep before :)

At least one of us around her is getting sleep though...

In the words of Clint, she is a "Dave-baby" - we sure think she looks like her Dad.

Brooke didn't love her first bath so much...

she liked the towel a little more...


our new precious girl:

Sunday was McKenna's 2nd Birthday. It was so fun watching her. It was obvious that she really did feel special on her birthday and was loving having all the attention on her.

Grandma Hopkin made McKenna this Ariel cupcake-cake.

Impressive, huh?!

McKenna LOVED it and even burst out in Ariel songs a few times.

Birthday cake was definitely what McKenna was looking forward to on her birthday. She was asking for it all week and was so excited when it was finally time to eat it! Whenever we would mention anything about her birthday she would say "my cake!" And for the days following she asked for her Ariel cake every chance she had until it was gone.

McKenna also scored in the present department. Her grandma's knew her well and got her the two favorite presents - backpack from Grandma Jensen and Little Einstein's baton from Grandma Hopkin.

Thank you Grandmas!!!

Brooke & McKenna sporting the birthday hats we made:


Birthday Girl!

The girls woke up on McKenna's birthday and found tutus and dressup shoes so they would dress up for the special occasion (and everyone could have something special. We still struggle in the sharing department...)

Our three tutu princesses:

My favorite part about newborns...

All weekend Brooke's bilirubin levels were testing high. Sunday morning we went back to the hospital again for her to be tested. Her levels had jumped from 15 (Sat. results) to 19. Right before McKenna's birthday party started the doctor called and wanted to see Brooke right away. I brought her in and the doctor said he wanted to admit Brooke in the hospital for the night to lay under the bili-lights. He wanted her there right away. Me, being the hormonal post-pregnant woman I am right now, burst into tears. He was trying to calm me down and reassure me that her condition wasn't serious and that everything was going to be ok. I told him I wasn't crying because my baby was going to the hospital, I was crying because I was missing my other baby's birthday party. Oh goodness - I am emotional.

Anyway, he let us go home for a few hours to celebrate McKenna's birthday before checking into the hospital. Thankfully, my mom is here which allowed Dave to come with me to get settled and help me keep it together. He went home later that night to be with the girls.

Here are some shots from the hospital:

It broke my heart seeing my brand newborn baby lying in only her diaper all night. I "wrapped" her in her blankie as best I could so she could have some sort of comfort.

Her levels went down low enough by Monday morning that we could go home and continue treatments at home. We got to bring this suitcase home and have her lay in it for the rest of Monday and through Monday night.

Luckily Tuesday morning when Brooke was tested again, her levels were low enough (11) to be done with the lights. This morning we brought her in for another test to see how she was doing off the lights. Her levels went back up to 14, but she doesn't have to go back under lights. We have ONE MORE (hopefully) test tomorrow to make sure her levels aren't continuing to go up. This poor girl - she had SO MANY pricks on her heels. Today when I took off her sock at the hospital she started crying. She knew what was coming. Poor girl :(

We're just glad that she is doing well and home with us. Hospital stays are never fun, even just for one night.