Home Sweet Home

After Lindsey was born on Monday, she and Nicole stayed in the hospital until Thursday afternoon. Dad got to juggle work, hospital visits, and taking care of Aiden...definitely gaining a better appreciation for Mommy!

Immediately after Lindsey was born, Lindsey's blood sugar was lower than normal, but after a couple hours of monitoring, she was fine. We think that Nicole's low blood sugar prior to the C-Section caused the same in Lindsey. The pediatrician noticed Lindsey was showing signs of jaundice, a common condition in premature babies which occurs when the liver can't remove bilirubin from the blood adequately. Consequently, we've been visiting the hospital to test her levels each morning to make sure it is improving. Other than dealing with jaundice and the fun (or lack thereof) of Nicole getting through the healing process, we are doing great!

Now that we are all home, the next adventure is getting into a new routine. Aiden is always wanting to be wherever his sister is, and loves her very much!

And then there were four!

Life has been absolutely crazy lately, but I wanted to put up a quick tribute to the newest member of our family: Lindsey Dawn! She is beautiful. She was born at 1:52 pm on Monday, weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 18 inches long. Her blood sugar was a little low at first, but after a couple hours of close monitoring, everything was ok! We are so excited to have her be here, and there will be much more to come on our growing family!

Ode to Food

I'm not sure if it's exploring the senses, teething, or being underfed, but Aiden sure loves to eat. Lately his passion has been yogurt. However, when it comes to sweets (or ribbon), he rarely discriminates, and is happy to take advantage of the times when his diabetic Mom needs some sugar. On top of that, he is always thinking ahead, leaving enough on his face to save for a later snack.

As shown by the last picture, he is preparing for marriage, as he knows that since he is the only one with dessert, he better be willing to share.

Three Amigos

Let's just say that 2008 was a busy year for the "Rudd" sisters. In June, Patrick and Aiden hit the scene, nine days apart. Not to be outdone, Abigail joined the family in December. Despite their parents, I think the trio are pretty much the cutest kids ever.

Patrick may fool you with his shyness, but is sweet and loving to the core. Abigail can hold her own and has an infectious smile. Aiden is full of life and enjoys being with his cousins.

It has been a treat having them be so close in age, and we look forward to watching them grow up together!

You're My Favorite Deputy!

We felt it was appropriate to introduce our firstborn child before his sister arrives and steals the spotlight. Meet Aiden. Aside from being photogenic (see Mother's Genetics), he is happy, loving, and friendly. Although you can't predict future intelligence on early learning (I was an early bloomer, enough said), Aiden is smart. Often times, Aiden is too smart. He definitely keeps Mom and Dad on their toes. Now if only he slept all the way through the night...

Oh yeah, and he loves Toy Story.

The Countdown...

Lookin' good at 36 weeks! In seven days, we will know the fate of the newest member of our family. On Monday, March 8, an amniocentisis will be performed at the hospital on our unborn child to tell whether or not her lungs are fully-developed. The doctor will then schedule a C-Section on either March 9 or March 16 (Both are Tuesdays, which must be the day of the C-Section. I guess they don't want to forget what kind of delivery to perform).
We are very excited for her arrival!