Where A Schaeffer Boy Sleeps

Now that the young man is home, we finally got his room pretty much the way we like it (so far). As I mentioned before, my pop and I painted a John Deere theme in the nursery. Friends of my wife then made a valance (for the window), a hanging diaper stacker, a crib bumper, crib dustruffle, and a quilt all with a John Deere theme. Today, the in-laws brought the crib. Happiness is putting a crib together with your father-in-law. So here's the finished result:

Oh, and by the way, midnight feeding isn't so bad... yet. Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: First Doctor's Appointment and Lamar Goes Back To Work...

HE'S HOME!!!!!!

Alex made it home and life is good!! We got home about 9:30am Saturday with him and everyone was waiting! My mother and step-father were there with his daughter and grandson. My pop came out as soon as we put the car in park. It was wonderful.

He slept the whole way home. Mommy watched him in the back seat with him.

Grampa couldn't stop holding him. Well, it was the first time. He couldn't hold him while he was in the box. Something tells me he'll be holding him more and more...

But, of course, Mommy holds him the best. Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: 2 AM Feeding!

Mommy's Little Blue Light Special

This was taken on Sunday. As of this morning (Tuesday), our man Alex is off the U V light. He's doing very well and is still a go for coming home on Saturday. (Woo-Hoo!!!) He was tranferred to a crib today so he won't be sleeping in a box anymore. Watching him sleep today (and yesterday) makes you wonder what he's dreaming about. I say he's watching his Guardian Angel fly above and around his head. Also it makes me want to fall asleep too. just look....
(don't worry moms, the nurse was watching him while he slept this way.) Well that's today's update. Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: More Alex updates if needed, but most likely be him coming home!

Thank you!!!!

I want to say thanks to all for the support in this trying time. Today, Alex is doing better but is a little jaundice so that have him under an U-V light to help him. Michelle got to feed him a couple of times also. Plus other good news, most of the tubes have been removed from him. Unfortunately, he's hooked up to some sensors and one was measuring his heart rate. Well it dropped below the level it's supposed to stay at and hospital rules state he must stay one week without this alarm going off after it goes off once. So my boy won't be home til next Saturday if this alarm doesn't go off again. But he's doing so much better.

So, it's upsetting, but I Have to deal with it for now. Of course I use humor to combat this stuff. It's a father's duty to embarras his son as much as he can. I want to start early...

"Thats a Spicy Meatball!

Catch you on the flipside!

NEXT TIME: Hopefully the monkey will be home....

All Ways Look On The Bright Side Of Life!

Every time there is something life changing in a person's life. Well, that moment was at 3:27am Thursday January 17th, 2008. At 6lbs and 10oz and 19 1/2 inches long meet Alexander James Schaeffer.

There's just a few I took these couple of days. But, the last one is the one I'm hoping not to see ever again after he comes home. As you heard in the video I put up, he was whimpering like a puppy. When he came into this world, he didn't have all the fluid squeezed out at birth and some was still in his lungs. After about 2 hours the doctor put him in the NICU (Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit) at the hospital. He's been there ever since, hooked up to a breathing tube and an IV. Now he's breathing room air but he needs the pressure to help build up his lungs and clean out the fluid. The IV is there because if you would feed him, the formula would have a chance of going down the wrong tube due to his breathing. I can tell you this, i don't care how freakin strong or tough you might be, seeing your firstborn hooked up to this and being almost helpless to do anything, really makes you worry that something bad is going to happen. That's where the Monty Python song came in. I thought of that last night and said he's gonna be alright. As of 10:15 am today (01.18.08) he's doing better and resting comfortably. For having this buddle no less than two days ago, Michelle has been stronger with the situation than I have. I love her so much!

Speaking of Michelle, she is doing good and of course, sore. I tried to keep her spirits up during the 12 hour labor with jokes and love. There was one time that she thought I was going to pass out. That was when they gave her the epidermal. She said I go white. I had good reason. The needle they put in her back was long and thick! When Alex was born, it only took 5 pushes and boom! there he was. I of course made the crack afterwards that he looked like a Smurf.

So there you go. Michelle gets out tomorrow. Unfortunatly, I don't know when Alex will be coming home. It all depends when the doctor feels he's in the green. But until then, I'll keep thinking about the bright side. Catch you on the babyside!

NEXT TIME: Alex Comes Home!

Down To The Wire...

Sorry again for the delay. Things are getting tense and exciting here. The baby's room is almost finished. The only thing we need is the crib. We have a basonet in there now. The crib is at a friend's house waiting to be delivered. I wish I could show you pictures but I'm writing this somewhere where I shouldn't again. So the room (as the Swarrior put it) is bright. There is a John Deere tractor border hugging the top of the wall. Half way down is painted yellow and the bottom half is painted green. Friends of ours were working on John Deere curtains but I haven't heard anything yet. Furniture is in (except the crib) and clothes are all ready to go.

The wifey has her bag packed for the hospital and the diaper bag is also ready to go. My bag is somewhat ready, but I think I will be changing some things. Right now I have my laptop in it and I'm debating taking it. I will be taking J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit to read during that long period where the wifey is in labor. Hopefully it will be a short time. Her one friend was in labor 68 hours. My mother said she'll gut me if Michelle goes through that. Don't worry, kids. I'm not about to.

Last week, Michelle and I (more me than her, I think. I definitely wasn't ready) had a concern. She had a doctors appointment and they noticed her blood pressure was really high. So they took her to the Triage section of the hospital and hooked her up to all sorts of machinery to monitor her. If it didn't go down, they would've induced labor. Luckily, as soon as I got there it went down. The doctor said it wasn't time yet. We were 36 weeks in and if the kid can wait one more week, that would be great. Now we're at 37 and the kid can come anytime. Just last night I had the dream that Michelle's in labor and everyone is working like clockwork to get her to the hospital... except me. I'm running around like an episode of Benny Hill with his music playing.

The kids in my church youth group (by the way 100 times better than last year!) are doing a baby pool in preparation to the fun. The person who comes closest or on the date and the weight wins a special prize. And everyone wins in the end, because I'm going to treat for a pizza party. I feel it's like giving out cigars only I won't because that would get me into a LOT of trouble.

On a side note - I have given up cigars. In fact the last time I smoked one was the day before Thanksgiving and I'm still going strong.. Well, I've had cravings but thanks to Michelle, I've stayed clean. Instead I read all the Harry Potter books for the first time in a week and a half. Not bad, though I didn't care for the epilogue that much.

So thats where we stand in the world. The next time should be the announcement you've all been waiting for: Who won the Presidental Election? Well the rate I post that's probably true too.... Ha ha. Catch you on the flipside!

P.S. - I want to mention also: Thanks to everyone who has helped us lately! Especially my parents, Michelle's parents and the Swarrs! Oh and I think the cats know something is up....

SERIOUSLY, NEXT TIME: MEET THE NEW BOSS, NOT THE SAME AS THE OLD BOSS!!