3 Weeks Old!

Many Praises......

We have so many things that we want to praise the Lord for this week…..

First, we are so thankful for our precious baby boy that is already growing and changing his first 3 weeks. He has been such a blessing to our lives.

Second, after I had Andrew, I was told that I would have to go on unpaid maternity leave since he was born before my sick days renewed at work. We knew this would all work out, but it was a little stressful since we were expecting the money. I was on the phone with our HR department at work today, and I was able to get paid for my time off after I filled out an FMLA form to protect the maternity leave. Initially, I thought I had to wait until I got back to work to take care of this, but the HR rep for State Farm advised me to go ahead and apply for the FMLA protection and everything else fell into place. The Lord has always provided for us, and we have so many examples like this since we’ve been married. It’s amazing to think that we could ever worry or fret about our finances because the Lord has always supplied all of our needs.

Third, before Andrew was born, I talked with my boss about the option of working from home a few days a week, so I wouldn’t have to be away from Andrew almost 50 hours a week with work and my long commute. Thankfully, it was approved, so I am excited to be able to spend this time during the week with Andrew and still work for State Farm. Also, 2 of my friends have offered to watch Andrew the other 2 days during the week, and I am truly grateful for them. Jenn and Jana are amazing moms, and I am so blessed by their friendship and their willingness to serve our family during this time.

Fourth, Gary is almost done with seminary. Gary has been very, very busy these past few weeks with his school work, but we are now 3 weeks from graduation! We have mixed emotions about leaving Wake Forest because we love our friends and our church here, but we are eager to serve the Lord through a youth ministry. Gary has done an amazing job of balancing work, school, and time with family. He’s been a wonderful father for Andrew, and I am so thankful for the way he serves our family.

We are so amazed by the Lord’s love and grace, and we are so incredibly thankful for the way He has blessed us. We just want to praise the Lord for his goodness and for his faithfulness in our lives.

A growing boy.....

We took Andrew to the doctor today for a check-up, and he now weighs 8 pounds. Andrew is having some trouble with nursing and eating from a bottle, so we met with a doctor to discuss the option of cutting his frenulum under his tongue. This is the connector between your tongue and the bottom of your mouth. I had never heard of this until a few weeks ago when the lactation specialist had recommended the procedure for Andrew. At first, I was really nervous about it all, but we've talked to many people since then and found out that it is much more common. After all of this, the doctor told us today that the procedure is not necessary at this time. I was pretty relieved! They are planning to monitor his tongue over the next few months to make sure it isn't a problem in the future. He said Andrew is very healthy and is doing great. The doctor did tell me that nursing was not an option for him because he has an extremely slow "suck and swallow reflex," so I am planning to pump instead of using formula for now. To make it easier for him, we were told to purchase special bottle nipples that will help him swallow a little better. Overall, he's doing so good, and we are so blessed. Our next appointment will be his 2 month check-up in June.

2 Week Appointment....

Andrew had his 2 week check-up on Monday. He's now back up to his birth weight, but the doctors want to monitor his weight right now since he only weighs 7 pounds and 2 ounces. We are having to feed him every 2-3 hours, and we are so thankful that he quickly falls asleep at night after he's been fed. I am starting to get used to sleeping in 2 hour increments, and I am trying to sneak in a nap throughout the day when Andrew is sleeping. He's such a good baby, and it's already been so amazing to see how much he's grown and changed in the past 2 1/2 weeks.

Our first 2 weeks at home

2nd Trip to the Doctor

We took Andrew to Wake Med again today to check on his jaundice, and he's getting much better. His bilirubin level is now down to 12, and he will only have 1 more day on his glow blanket. We had a follow-up visit at the doctor's office, and everything went really well. Andrew has gained 7 ounces since Thursday, so he is now 6lbs and 14oz. The nurse said we can start feeding him every 2-4 hours now depending on when he's hungry, and this will help us a lot since we've been getting up so much during the night the last few days. The report from the doctor's office was an answer to prayer, and Gary and I were so excited to see that he is doing so well!

First Trip to the Doctor

Gary and I took Andrew to the doctor today because his bilirubin level was a little high when he left the hospital, which means he has jaundice. The doctor's office sent us to Wake Med to get a blood test, and his bilirubin level was really high at 21. They ordered us a biliblanket, and Andrew will have to stay on it until Monday. He looks just like a little glow worm with his little blanket attached to his back.

Also, Andrew has lost a little more weight (he's 6lbs and 7oz), so we are now feeding him every 2 hours. I have been so blessed to have my mom here, and we've taken turns feeding Andrew throughout the night. Gary is also helping on the nights that he doesn't have school and work.

I have to say that I am incredibly thankful for such a wonderful husband! He has jumped right in and helps me so much with Andrew. He's already been an amazing father!

We are beginning to adjust to our new life with our precious baby, and we are blown away by God's goodness!

ANDREW IS HERE!!!

The Lord has blessed us with the most incredible gift!

Andrew Ray Snuffin was born on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 2:47 a.m. He was 7 pounds and 1 ounce, and he was 20 inches long.

Nat after 18 hours of labor.

Proud Dad!!

Going home from the hospital.

Andrew has a little jaundice, so he's sunbathing by the window in order to get his bilirubin count down.