Getting to know you

Last night Abi laid down next to Gus and just looked at him it was so sweet. Also didn't capture it but got a first real smile and no it wasn't gas.

A pouty Abi

Abi was holding Gus then when we took him away this is what we got.

Abi & Gus

Abigials first baby hold by herself. I am impressed she did really good, the hold was short lived as well he is only 

 weeks old in this picture but we wanted to get some pictures of the two of them together. I realized after the fact and after I trimmed her bangs how much better she looks now. (oh I finally figured out how to get the bigger pictures on here yay for me)

First hours at home

Happy Dance

Will post pictures later but we are happy Gus came home today. We did get pictures of Abi and Gus together but haven't up loaded them yet.

Gus Gus at 2 weeks (well almost)

Tomorrow Gus Gus will be 2 weeks old, yet it seems just like yesterday that he was born, where did the time go, I guess you could say it went in the car driving back and forth from home to the hospital every day. We are still in a holding pattern, waiting for him to eat his amount every single feeding and for him to maintain weight, which he has, this week alone he has gained a good amount today I found out he is at 6lbs, 13 oz so yay Gus Gus we are so happy you have gained a lb since birth well and lost but you got it back. We are hoping one day we get the good news and soon that he can go home. TMC has been good to him and us but the drive is not fun and so ready to sit at home and do nothing except take care of my kids, (that seems weird to say since I have yet to have them in the same area at the same time) The hospital said siblings can come into NICU but we decided not to take Abi in, with her age and all the other babies in the NICU it might be to much for her to handle, plus to explain to her to stay calm and not disturb the other babies, but mainly we don't want her traumatized buy all the machines and babies hooked up to them. She knows who baby Gus is we show her pictures so she knows baby Gus or baby brother. We have not had much for baby sitting the last few days so Bill just took me there and dropped me off yesterday and today I went by myself. Tomorrow we are all going to go and just take turns going in and out, we will be packing a few things for Abi to play with and make sure we have the Ipad which can entertain her for hours. Not much else is going on. Thanks for the prayers they are greatly appreciated. Love to all.

Our baby boy

Here is a little update on Gus, it is hard since he is a big boy for only 35 weeks gestational they forget he was born at 6 weeks preemie, he is doing good, just need for Gus Gus to eat consistently and maintain to gain weight. He was gaining then one night he lost a few grams, so they are going to (tube feed him a few feedings to fatten him up. Once his little brain develops the skills to eat it will take off and they say it will be about 24 hours after that then he should be released, it is hard wish the hospital was closer to us it does take us about 45 mins to get there and I am on driving restrictions not sure why but I am. Off to get ready for the day, Abi's sitter can't watch her till 11 so I guess we are taking it slow need to run to Target to exchange something so will do that on the way.

It is a Abi and Gus blog so here is one of Abi from last Friday she stacked all the letters on fridge like this and was so proud of herself, I am glad Daddy took a picture (uncharacteristic of him, I'm the photo freak in this house its a Johanson thing)

Gustaf William

The Birth of Gustaf William is something I will never ever forget. So sit back and let me tell you a true story that really did happen and it happened to me.

On Saturday October 1st started like any other day sitting relaxing and for me I was resting as I had a wedding to go to that night, a night to get dressed up and enjoy some time with my girls. So I started to get ready for the wedding thinking I am so big but I was going to go with it.

Kathy and Sandra picked me up and off the the Westin La Paloma for a beautiful Garden wedding. It was did rain a little but not to bad the ceremony was so perfect the couple looked so happy. Then it was time for happy hour and to think the thing I was complaining about was that fact that I couldn't have a glass of wine and my feet were killing me so I did take off my shoes I was done with them. Then off to the reception looking forward to some very good food. MMMMMMM the cake looked so good. Wedding party started to come in.........

......I turned to watch felt a little something but didn't think to much about it, then I turned back towards the table then felt a little more and that is when I knew it was not right stood up and looked at chair there was blood, let my friends know it was time to go and go now because I was bleeding (I had placenta previa and was told this could happen) We stood up and left (thank god we were right next to the door) took a couple of steps and I really started to bleed, there was a nice guy at our table Mark who was a nurse who helped me out a lot, he had me lay down on the floor and got sheets, towels and the staff at La Paloma called 911. Over the next few minutes things were a blur, a friend of mine who is a really close friend to the groom and his family is a labor and delivery nurse so she came out and took over everything till the paramedics got there she then instructed them to take me to TMC which is the best for neonatal care.

Once we arrived there was a team waiting to work on me, Bill soon arrived and things started to slow down the girls that I went to the wedding with were still there and had taken Abi into there care. We waited for the doctor to come back and give us the info on what was going to be our next step. She came in and let us know that the baby was doing good, very strong and active so that was good, but I was in labor and they wanted to do a c-section and deliver the baby in the next few minutes. We were concerned about baby (still no name) being so little with 6 weeks yet to go so to ease our concerns they brought in a neonatal specialist who let us know yes it was early but he would be ok. Another thing the doctor who would do surgery said that I could take medicine to stop the contractions but it was not guaranteed to work and I would be on bed rest in hospital for the next 6 weeks and I could still start to bleed and or baby could go into distress. While we waited dr Mead would have to deliver another baby, then it was our turn off to the surgery room. Got me ready with a spinal block and Bill came in and the big cut was starting.

Gustaf was born at 10:49 pm just 3 hours in labor he weighed 5lbs 12.5 oz and 19 inches long, imagine how big he would have been at full term. Bill was able to be with Gus and I did get to see him but not for long they took him off to NICU where he would go through more test and be monitored. While I was being stitched up then they took me to the recovery room which was a big blur I was very out of it, I think we were in there for at least 2 or more hours, once we got to the room it was 3:30 in the morning sent off a message to the girls who had Abi with them the room number. Bill laid down and tried to get some sleep which they told me to do the same but who can sleep with the nurse coming in every 30 minutes to check vitals, plus they had cuffs on my legs to prevent blood clots that would go off every two minutes back and forth between my legs (if you never had that done it is like the automatic blood pressure machine cuffs but bigger on your legs. By 6:30 am Bill and I gave up on sleep, I sent Bill down to the NICU to check on Gus so we could start the phone calls as both of us were about to loose battery power. At 7 calls were started, called the very expectant grandparents that our little man wanted to make a grand entrance and that is what he did.

The first 24 hours were pretty much a blur, I was bed ridden most of the day I had wonderful friends who came and checked on me and the baby, Abi was also there most of the day so she got to see a lot of the hospital, Bill would go and check on Gus and right before Bill and Abi went home for the night I got out of the bed slowly and made way down to see my son for the first time since the birth (they did take me in to see him on the way to the room but I really didn't get to see him that much as I was still feeling the effects of the drugs) Next few days were the same, Bill would come to the hospital to see us and go back home for the night with Abi, I was released from the hospital on Wed, so every day since we come home at night wake up in the morning get ready drop Abi off with a friend and go to the hospital to see Gus Gus.

Right now is the waiting game, we are monitoring his food intake and as soon as he eats a good amount of food and consistently he should be released from the hospital.

I am healing fairly nicely from my surgery everyday I feel that I can move better and it doesn't hurt as much to get up. I am so tired but I guess that is what is to be expected.