Future Model?

So I wanted to post this photo sooner, but didn't want to spoil any suprises for Ranae's babyshower. I ordered some collegiate fleece off the internet to make one of those no-sew tie blankets for Baby Sandholm - Iowa Hawkeyes of course! I had ordered 2 yards of it and when I got it, there was definitely way more fabric than I needed for a baby blanket. Being the talented seamstress that my mom is, she suggested we make a few more items out of the leftover fleece. We decided on a hat and then she decided to make a matching jacket. Alistair is modeling the outfit to show how it fits and possibly how it fits him for a future set of his own (not Hawkeye though, no matter what Ranae thinks!).

Alistair's Baptism

Alistair was baptized yesterday at St. Thomas. It was a nice day, but LONG ceremony/mass. There were 9 other babies being baptized along with Alistair! He did very well. He fell asleep right before it was time to go up. Luckily we were able to rouse him enough to be somewhat awake before they poured the water on his head. That would have made for a rude awakening otherwise! Jeff and Michelle are Alistair's Godparents. The Baptism Gown was hand crafted by his 2 grandmothers and will now be a family heirloom that hopefully subsequent Martinson/Hennessey babies will wear for their baptisms! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the ceremony, it was nice to have you there!

MOO! Happy Halloween!!

Happy Birthday Seth!

Today is Seth's 31st birthday! For his birthday, on Sunday, I rented him a Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H. 325 horses under the hood and a loud VROOM when you start her up or stomp on the gas. We had her for the day and drove to Anacortes for some delicious grub at Storks - the restaurant in the bowling alley. They are apparently known for their fish and chips but we have only had and still have only had their breakfast. Next time you are in Anacortes and looking for a place, go there. They are excellent! After breakfast we drove to Whidbey Island. We stopped and walked across the Deception Pass bridge. There were numerous Sea Lions playing in the water below the bridge. It was fun to watch them. Then we drove to Clinton, took the ferry to Mukilteo and got back to our house. Both sets of our parents were there babysitting the grandchild as were Ethan and Jen. Seth was all too happy to take people out for spins and then we gathered for a dinner of homemade pizza followed by an awesome Ice Cream cake from Ben and Jerry's. It was a very fun and day and I think it is safe to say that Seth enjoyed his brithday present! Happy Birthday Seth!

Bouncy Seat Part Deux

Alistair and I have this routine every morning. He has his bottle and then we go downstairs so I can wash all of the baby-related dishes and have my cup of coffee while he has some quality bouncy seat time. So imagine my surprise when I turned around to find him in the positions below...having a grand old time and really trying hard to flip right out...


He is such a stinker...

Natalie is 4 years old!

Our niece, Natalie, turned 4 years old on Monday. This past weekend we celebrated her birthday at the pumpkin patch. We did a corn maze and then picked out our pumpkins. Then we went back to Michelle's parent's house for a party and to carve our pumpkins. It was a fun day. For an added bonus, Alistair wore his Halloween costume and new snazzy sunglasses.

Natalie also decided she wanted to hold Alistair. Once she got him on her lap, she didn't want to give him back. She was quite content to sit there and hold him and talk to him. She has grown up so quick! It is amazing!!

Crazy Bouncy Seat Sessions

Alistair has really gotten into his bouncy seat and the fine mechanics of how it works. He has figured out if he grabs the fish that hangs down that more noises or bubbles occur. He will just hold it and wait for the time to pull it again. Sometimes he will stare at you while holding it and then jusy lift it up enough to make the noise - like he is saying, "look what I can do just with the tip of my hand...what can you do, huh?" He also loves kicking in it and making the seat really go. Because of this I sometimes don't strap him in with the safety straps because he has so much fun when he isn't limited. Of course I do this when he is in sight of me and never on high surfaces! I took him upstairs in it yesterday as he was having too good of a time to take him out. So while I pumped he bounced away and kicked and made happy noises and all kinds of stuff. Well he had so much fun and worked so hard that he practically bounced himself right out of the seat. See the photos below of the before and after of his bouncy seat adventure:

Before: Sitting up high, feet right where he can kick the fish or seahorse

After: Slouched, feet hanging off, right side lower than left side. I think he was trying to roll off the right side as well - he kept bringing his left shoulder over and pushing off with his left foot! You can kind of see the little devilsh smile he has when I took the picture!

19 Weeks

Alistair has just passed 19 weeks! We can't believe how much he has changed and grown! He is stepping on the heels of 12 pounds (within 1-2 ounces) and is now sleeping through the night every night. Last night was his first night in his own room, in his crib. He did a good job, no freaking out or long, drawn-out crying sessions. We are still working on rolling over, but he can lift his head while on his tummy. His favorite activity is standing on your lap, the sofa, bed or whatever surface in available. He is standing against the couch in the photo below, but he does a pretty good job just holding on to your thumbs too!

Oregon Coast Camping

Over this past weekend, we joined both sets of parents for some camping on the Oregon Coast. We camped at Nehalem State Park. We stayed in a Yurt while both sets of parents pulled their trailers. It was a fun trip! The first day was not too nice - raining and cold. We took a ride to Tillamook for some ice cream from the cheese factory and kicked around some other stores before we headed back to hopefuly less wet conditions. Monday was gorgeous. It was almost in the 70's if not in the 70's and not a cloud in the sky! We ventured to Cannon Beach and walked through the little downtown area. Then we headed to Mo's for some famous clam chowder and then walked out onto the beach to view Haystack Rock. We spent the remainder of the day kicking around the park, took the dogs out to the beach and just generally relaxing. Alistair had a good time overall, although the huge challenge was keeping him warm enough. I think we accomplished this for the most part!

E.T. Phone Home

We decided not to pile him completely up with his animals, but he has MANY more than what are shown in this photo. Alistair is going to be 4 months old on Saturday! It is very hard to believe, time is going by too fast! It is fun to watch him grow and change.

Going to the Chapel

This weekend marked the wedding of my little brother to his wonderful bride Michelle. It was a fun weekend filled with laughs and family. Everything was beautiful and well done. Michelle pretty much planned the entire thing and did a great job (a girl after my own heart!). Jeff impressed me too. I have never known my brother to be very expressive or outwardly emotional, but he blew me away with his speeches, his actions, everything. Michelle is obviously the right woman for him because she certainly seems to bring out the best in my brother! Congrats to the two of them and here's to a lifetime of happiness! Welcome to the family Michelle! (:

Kick, Kick, Kick!

Alistair has found his feet! He kicks and kicks and kicks...especially in his bouncy seat. We no longer need to make it bounce for him as he gets it rocking all on his own! He also spends a lot of time throwing his hands and feet into the air when he is on his back! Some of this new found energy and talent could be attributed to the fact that he is beginning to sleep through the night...not every night, but he is starting to trend that way! We thought this was never going to come. Seth was out of town all last week in Nashville for a conference and the first night he was away was the first night Alistair slept all night. Maybe he wanted to make sure I was good and rested to do a whole week of Alistair care without help! (: Here are a few shots of him hanging out in his crib, kicking away!

Look mom, all my limbs can go in the air at the same time!

Coy Boy!

15 weeks Old

Alistair had an appointment at Children's today. Another good check-up! Things are getting better and looking great! He is up to 11 pounds now and is 24 inches long! He is getting so big!! He is very strong too. He holds his head up pretty much all the time and loves to stand on your lap or the bed. He really likes looking out the window, especially if they are sky lights! He changes just a little every day, it is fun to see what he will do next!

Labor Day Weekend Camping

Alistair had his first camping trip this weekend to Dosewallups State Park on Hood Canal. He also had his first ferry ride. It was a gorgeous weekend and we had a good time. Papa and Nana Martinson were kind enough to let us sleep in their trailer to make Alistair more comfortable - and to make it a little easier to deal with middle of the night feedings and diaper changes. Alistair seemed to take to camping just fine. He liked hanging out outside and of course enjoyed all the attention and being held all weekend. His next trip comes in October when we head to Nehalem Bay State Park in Oregon and then again in November when we go to Cape Disappointment State Park. The boy is getting exposed to year-round camping!

Alistair and Daddy hanging out and watching the dogs play in the river

Swinging in the morning while the group eats breakfast

He's a 10 pounder!

Alistair is now officially double digits in the weight department - 10 pounds! Quite a difference from the 5 pounds and 6 ounces he dropped down to in the NICU when he was first born! He had a good time at the Mariner's game as he cheered them on to victory in their sweep of the Boston Red Sox - or at least as good of a time a baby can have since he didn't really watch the game too much and didn't seem to like the cramped seating - can't say I blame him really! (: We decided he could cheer on the Bo Sox when they aren't playing the Mariners!

12 weeks old and changing every day!

Alistair is such an amazing little boy. Every day he seems to do something just a little different. Today was posing for the camera, almost. I happened to catch him in a really smiley mood and found it fairly easy to goad a few more smiles out of him before he got tired of it. In general he is doing well and growing quickly! He is up to 9 pounds and 14 ounces now. He has actually outgrown an outfit! He has also rolled over (from front to back) twice now. The first time we thought it was a hoax as he popped over right after we put him on his tummy. But we put him down another time and he rolled over a minute or two later. In a week from Friday, Alistair is going to experience his first camping trip and this weekend he is going to go to his first Mariner's game. Good thing he doesn't understand baseball yet, it should be more enjoyable that way!

5 years and more to go!

Today is our 5 year wedding anniversay! Hard to believe 5 years has gone by - and now we have a house, a dog and a son! So much in so little time! We are going out to celebrate tonight with dinner at El Gaucho while the Sandholms watch Alistair! Should be a good time! This was us 5 years ago today!

Eleven Weeks Old!

Alistair is 11 weeks old this week! On top of that, he is also 9 pounds and 13 ounces! He is getting to be a BIG boy! Additionally he is beginning to smile a little here and there. Sometimes you really have to work to get one, but the reward is great! We are adjusting well to our new lives. Seth is back at work full-time, but wishes he was still home with us! Alistair and I are working on our routine. We need to get up an at 'em sooner so as not to waste the entire morning in our jammies, although I don't think he minds especially! (: We are available for lunch dates, feel free to call! Everyone needs a break from their desks and we like getting out and doing something for a bit! Or if you would like someone to bring you a latte, let us know! Here are a couple of photos we took last night to exhibit his growth and overall change in appearance...isn't he cute?? (:

Bath Time!

Alistair got his PICC line out on Monday and is now free of anything attached to him! Yippee! First thing on the agenda, a real bath! We gave him his first submerged bath since mid-June! From the photos, you wouldn't necessarily think he enjoyed it, but he did - as long as you didn't take him out!

I am sliding down, Mom, make sure you hold on!!

Oh it was the most awful thing, I can't even describe it!

Dad, why are you taking pictures instead of saving me?!?!

Alistair's Favorite Places to Hang Out

In an attempt to get anything done, or not die in the extreme heat holding a little blast furnace, alternate means had to be discovered to hold Alistair and make him happy at the same time. We have 2 pieces of baby sanctioned equipment that has met his seal of approval - the swing and the bouncy seat. He will sit in his bouncy seat for sometime, it is a good place to put him once he is asleep. The swing is a good place to put him to go to sleep. Either way, these give us at least a half an hour of free arms to do other things around the house!

No, I will not succumb to your tricks to get me to sleep...I will stay awake....I will, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"See Bear, when the bubbles go, the fish kiss!"

Judgemental Baby, Patient Dog

In a recent blog entry by Ranae, she remarked on Alistair's proper old grandmother's face and we have been trying to capture it on "film" ever since. We got a fairly decent photo of this - however the full effect includes his hands together with his fingers knitted and his cheeks sucked in even more. But I think you can get the general idea!

"I don't approve of this photo-op, mother!"

Here is also some evidence that Sadie is indeed surviving this whole ordeal. Not only that, but she actually looks happy! We think she is starting to realize that this baby is a good thing - someone is home more, she gets to go for more walks and sometimes those walks include some swimming and fetching time!

We were photographing Alistair and Sadie came running in to get her photo taken too.

Playing Doctor

A little insight into our world as care providers...

...and now Dr. Hennessey will perform S.A.S.H with the Vancomycin - Saline flush, Antibiotic, Saline flush, Heprin flush...STAT!!

Dr. Hennessey obtains the needed tools from the neatly kept medical supply corner

In the official IV administration chair, patient Alistair sits still while Dr. Hennessey uses a highly professional position to do his work.

We are thinking of expanding our private practice.

Catching up on our posts

So I have been a little behind on posting. So much has happened since the last time I wrote anything. Thanks to the Sandholm Ranch blog, it has given me the kick in the pants I need to get up to date on the Hennessey's of Bothell.

So the big news, Alistair has come home! He came home on July 6th. It was a big thing to prepare for to get him home. First off we hadn't done anything with his room other than put up a wallpaper border. So my parents came over and helped us assemble furniture, wash-up clothing, blankets and bed linens and just generally help us feel a little more equipt to have a baby at home. Then off to the hospital we went to learn how to care for Alistair at home. You think I mean bathing him, swaddling him, changing his diaper, right? No - try administering IV drugs, giving him feedings through his feeding tube and learning how to reinsert said feeding tube when he pulls it out and last but certainly not least, administering subcutaneous shots into his arms or legs. Yes Seth and I have become quite the medical professionals. Between obtaining a vast knowledge about the heart and its function to our hands-on experiences in and out of the hospital, we are on our way to obtaining some sort of medical license. Perhaps one that Sally Struthers shills for?

Anyway life at home is for the most part great! Of course we wish we didn't have all this medical stuff to contend with, but it is a small price to pay to not have to leave our little boy every night at the hospital to drive home and do it all over the next day.

Alistair is doing great! He is a good baby, only cries for a good reason, sleeps a lot at night and loves to be held and snuggled. He is growing too! He had his first pediatrician appointment on Tuesday and he is up to 7 pounds, 13 ounces and is now 20 1/4" long. As you can see in the photo above, he no longer has his feeding tube. We got him off of that as quick as we could. He takes all of his feedings by bottle, some breast. We are hoping to get him entirely on the breast eventually. Part of that depends on him and part of that depends on when he doesn't need to have supplemented food anymore to put on weight.

He is making it mostly easy on us so far getting used to being parents of an infant. I am sure that will all change as he gets older!

A month old and 6 lbs 6 oz.

Alistair is getting to be a big boy! He continues to put on a little weight everyday. His heart is looking better with each echo he has. Now we need to get a handle on his staph infections and medications as well as getting him to take normal feedings instead of a feeding tube and we will begin to see a huge light at the end of the tunnel. We are looking forward to bringing him home to start experiencing life in our home as a family.

Alistair David Hennessey has arrived!!

Alistair has arrived! He was born on May 30th at 12:36pm via emergency c-section. He was 6 lbs 3 oz and 18 inches long. He is now at Children's Hospital and doing well. He continues to make improvments on a daily basis. We are hopeful that we will get to have him home sooner rather than later. He needs your good thoughts and prayers. Here are a few photos of him and his proud parents.

35 weeks, 5 pounds and 14 ounces!

Had another ultrasound this morning. He is growing just great, everything looks good. Mommy's body is starting to complain about the human growing inside now. We are trying to control the systems desires to freak out with medication and hopefully that will keep things in check. They have moved up a desired induction time frame from June 21 to June 7th or so. My doctor wants to get me to 37 weeks, if everything is fine, I can go longer if I desire...which I do! We will see. As always, we will keep you posted! In the meantime, here is a sneakpeak of his cute little chubby face!

Making Comments

So a little error when we set-up an account - we didn't change the setting to be anyone could post a comment, just those with an eblog account. We changed it! Feel free to add comments anytime you want! (:

32 weeks and 4 pounds, 8 ounces

We had another ultrasound yesterday. I know I am going to be disappointed with my second baby because I probably won't get to see him or her nearly as much as I get to see this first one. I was having ultrasounds every 3 weeks, now they want to see me every week for one!! We can virtually watch him grow!!

So everything looks good. He is growing very well and his size is perfect. Things are looking good all around.

There is talk of inducing me around week 38 or 39, but it is mostly talk right now. Once we know for sure, we will share that little tidbit!

We also had a care conference this week where we went in and had a tour of the NICU, where our son will go upon being born and they will get him stabilized and ready for transferring to Children's Hospital. The nurse even set-up a little doll with all the lines and tubes we can expect to see coming out of our son the day of his birth. It is nice to be prepared and know what to expect. We met with a neonatologist as well who gave us a little more insight into how things will work and what they will need to do to our son prior to his transfer. Lastly we met with another nurse/lactation consultant who went over a Care Plan with us for when we come to the hospital to give birth. This is something they put together to know how to care for me while I am laboring, similar to a birth plan. I let them know I have never stayed in a hospital, let alone really been in one for treatment. I also let them know that I have the hugest anxiety about having an epidural - more so than pushing out a 8 pound baby on my own! I also showed her my latest battle wound from my last blood draw and she put in a note about having the most talented phlebotomist on staff that day come in to insert any IV lines. My veins are tiny and role, I get really "pretty" bruises from my blood draws most of the time! (:

Lastly we had our first Labor and Birth class last night. It was very informative and eye opening. I think I can handle giving birth without drugs, given the right tools and techniques. The one downside to having an epidural is that I won't be able to get up to the NICU as quick to see our son as I won't have control of my lower body. I guess that gives me a real big goal to work towards while I am pushing through the pain.

Things to think about...time is a'tickin'!