Thursday, March 31, 2016

March 2016 - Welcome Home

March was a great month for our whole family. We started off the month in the best way possible. By bringing home Bridget! She got to leave the hospital and join us at home on March 2nd and we were so happy! A few days before she got to come home, Abe and Monet made a poster for her! 
I love watching the two of them work together and how focused they get!
One of the last times Tyson held Bridget in the NICU
We HAD to get a picture of her hair! So dark compared to her siblings!
Tyson and I had to pass a few tests before we could take Bridget home. We needed to know infant CPR and how to place her feeding tube. We each had to place the feeding tube in front of the nurse so they knew we could do it at home if we had to. It was hard because it was uncomfortable for Bridget but worth it so we are prepared for anything!
About to go inside!!!
Abe and Monet were at home waiting for us to return. They were so excited to FINALLY meet their new little sister! They could not stop staring at her sweet face! It was the most wonderful thing to have our family all in one place after what seemed like such a long time. We were blessed that Bridget didn't have to spend too long in the NICU, my heart goes out to the parents who spend months and months there.
We let Abe hold her and he was so excited. It is amazing to see the bond he has with her. We knew they would be close when our sweet Abe named his little sister and we can already see how strong their bond is. 
Monet has also been as excited as can be. She didn't want to hold Bridget right away and we are okay with that. We will give her a little time to warm up to it.

Bridget got her feeding tube out! She met with her pediatrician just a few days after being home and he cleared her feeding. She is eating like a normal newborn and it seems that being at home has calmed her and allowed her to eat better than she was in the NICU. I am so proud of this little baby!

We tried to catch a Leprechaun again this year but were not able to! Abe woke up early and could barely wait for us to wake up Monet to see if the trap worked. At least that tricky Leprechaun left us some fun prizes!

Can't tell you how good it is to have all the kids in one place.
We had some family pictures taken and we are really happy with them. I think I will post later just pictures so it is separate from this month update but here are two of my favorites.

Bridget turned one month old! She is doing great. She is steadily growing and is so sweet. She is still on oxygen but we hope that doesn't last too long.

Grandpa and Grami took Abe and Monet to the dinosaur museum. Now that Tyson is gone each weekend I get a little worn down with the two toddlers and a newborn. I am so glad to have family close that can take some of the kids out for some play so I can get a break.

The kids are happy to have them close too! They had a blast together and will be talking about the fun trip to see dinosaurs for a long time.

Always have to take a picture of the first bath at home! We can't give her full baths often because of the need for the oxygen. She mostly gets wiped down with a washcloth, but when she does get a chance to soak in the water she LOVES it! She kicks and splashes.

Monet was showing Bridget her toy and I was reminded of when Abe did the same for baby Monet! 

Bridget still has a lot of appointments just to make sure everything continues to go smoothly. She had an EKG done and it looks good! Her heart is still stable, still low HR but stable.

Monet took a few weeks before she was ready to hold Bridget. Once she got to, she didn't want to stop. She asks us all the time "hold her? hold her?" Such a good big sister!

She even likes to make sure baby B has friends to snuggle with. I often find little surprises in the pack n' play.

It is so sweet to see everyone together and how the kids love to take care of each other. Bridget is such a blessing to our family.

We did have to improvise a few outfits so her monitor cord wouldn't jam. There are a few sets of jammies that I had to cut holes in! Anything for our kids, right?

We decorated eggs and had a family Easter celebration a week early this year. Tyson started a new job where he will be traveling every weekend and Easter weekend happened to be his first. I am glad we were still able to celebrate together.
Monet LOVED the Easter eggs. She would crack them open the moment she picked them up and would eat the candy inside. Abe was more focused on getting more eggs than anyone else. It is so fun to see their different personalities develop and how unique they are!
Another appointment for baby B. This was an Ear Nose Throat appointment to see if we need to continue to worry about her tongue tie. While she was in the NICU we were told she might need surgery to help bring out her jaw as well. Because of her small jaw and her tongue tie she has slight sleep apnea and this is the main reason for the oxygen. No big news at this appointment, we will continue to monitor her and see if she grows out of it.
I love seeing Abe and Monet play together in their clubhouse! These two have become such close friends and it makes my mommy hear warm.

We are so glad when daddy is home!

The kids and I had Easter dinner with the Ellis family. Tyson was unable to attend because he was working. I am glad I love my inlaws and that I still want to spend time with them even without Tyson. It is so great to be a part of their family!

4 cousins born within 6 months of each other! We have Luke, Gabe, Owen and Bridget.

And here are the two-year-olds! 6 cousins born within 18 months! Here we have: Lincoln, Yogi, Stan, Monet, Thomas and Evan! Such a fun bunch.

Lincoln LOVES Bridget. This boy is very tough and we were all worried he might be a little rough, nope! He is so sweet with her and kept calling her "My baby".
These three are my favorite kids in the world.

We had an Easter Egg Hunt at the Crown household. Of course there was a pinata! Why not!?!

Kyle was so sweet to help Monet. She got distracted quite easily but Kyle was right there to help her out and keep her going.