Dylan's Big Day Out

Dylan has been quite the adventurer the past few days. In this first picture, Dylan is snuggling with his Grandma Helen. We were all very lucky to have her staying with us and helping us on our first few days out of the hospital. She made the transition much easier, and we really appreciated it!

Yesterday, Dylan made his first trip to the police station. He visited an officer and several of the records staff. He also made his first trip to the bank, as Mommy and Daddy went through the drive-thru. And he also made his first trip to WalMart, but he stayed in the car with Mommy while Daddy picked up some more photographs of Dylan.

Dylan did great through the night, only waking up twice, and going right back to sleep after eating and getting a clean diaper. In this picture, Dylan looks up at his Mommy, very happy after getting breakfast.

Here, Dylan has a full belly and is about to get ready for a nap.

Dylan is dressed for the day in his new outfit. He is still content after breakfast and sleeps all the way to the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood.

Dylan is out of the car, after his longest car trip to date. Mommy and Daddy get the stroller set up for the first time. Mommy and Daddy were both pleased that the stroller came with cup holders. Brilliant!

After showing off to all of Mommy's co-workers at the salon, Dylan did some shopping. He bought a sharp-looking Hawaiian shirt from the Baby Gap. Mommy and Daddy then found the nursing station, and Dylan was able to refuel for the long trip out. Later, as Mommy and Daddy were eating at the food court, Dylan was checking out all the bright lights at the Orange Julius stand (picture above). The lights entertained Dylan for the entire meal.

After leaving the mall, Dylan helped Mommy and Daddy get some more shopping done at Target. Here, Dylan had just gotten home and was tired from his long adventure.

The First 48 Hours Home

Saturday, Dylan tried out his new swing for the first time. He liked the rocking motion and the nature noises that it made, but he let it be known that he does not like to go very long without being held.

On Sunday, Dylan posed for pictures in this new outfit. He also made his first trip out to the store. He went to Target to help Mommy, Daddy, and Aunt Feebs do some shopping. Mommy and Daddy stocked up on more diapers and on formula for emergency use. Mommy and Daddy also had 98 pictures from the last week developed. The picture above was the first one of Dylan, after his birth, to be framed by his Mommy.

Here, Dylan gets ready for bed in his new pajamas. His eyes are heavy, but he is trying to stay awake.

This morning, on 05/29/06, Daddy gave Dylan his first bath. Dylan protested loudly throughout the entire process, but quickly calmed down when he was wrapped in a towel.

Uncle Timber and Brittany brought Dylan two presents today. He got a really soft baby blanket and a pair of Nike shoes. Uncle Timber helped Dylan try on his new shoes, but they were still a little bit big for him.

Dylan was sleepy after hanging out with company. He took a nap for about an hour.

Dylan is doing great at home. He is very strong and alert, and he loves to snuggle. We are very happy that he is finally here!

Dylan's Home!

In the first picture, Dylan just finished eating and was snuggling with his Mommy. In the second picture, Dylan just got dressed in his special going-home outfit, and was hanging out with Daddy.


In this picture, Dylan was having another photo shoot. He likes to show off his new outfits.

Here, Daddy put Dylan in his car seat for the very first time. Mommy supervised with a watchful eye.

Dylan liked his car seat and slept most of the way home. Mommy and Dylan checked out of the hospital at about 1:00 PM today, 05/27/06, after six days in the hospital. Aunt Feebs rode home in the back seat with Dylan, as Daddy drove home very slowly and cautiously. Mommy rode up front and said that she will be very nervous the first time she drives Dylan around in the car.

We made it home! Here, Dylan is about to check out his new home for the first time!

Even More Pictures From The Hospital

Here are some more pictures from today...

More Pictures From The Hospital

Here are some more pictures from the hospital, coutesy of Aunt Feeb's camera. These were all taken today on 05/26. Here, Dylan is sleeping in Aunt Feeb's arms.

Here, Dylan is hanging out on his new blanket. Clearly, he does not like wearing hospital attire!

Here are Dylan and his mommy after nursing. Dylan is figuring it all out. He is very happy to be in mommy's arms!

Here is Dylan in one of his new outfits. He clearly likes it much better than the hospital gear. And he looks so handsome! He is doing great, and he hopes to meet all of you soon!

He's Here!

At about 9:30 PM on 05/24/06, the doctor checked Lynette's progress and observed that she was dilated to about 3 to 4 cm. Dylan's heart rate was elevated and Lynette was starting to have a high temperature. The doctor decided that a c-section was appropriate since the heart rate and temperature could have meant an infection.

The doctor and staff took Lynette to the operating room, just down the hall, and prepared her for surgery. Lynda and I each got dressed in scrubs, and we were called in once the doctor was ready for the operation.

Dylan was born at 10:16 PM and was 9 pounds and 14 ounces! He was 19-3/4 inches long, and had red hair and blue eyes. He is beautiful, healthy, and perfect!

Lynette is recovering well from surgery, and Dylan is doing great! He is a big kid!

At The Hospital

We checked in on Monday afternoon at about 4:00. They started her on an iv and on medicine to soften the cervix. At about 5:30 on Tuesday morning, they started Lynette on Pitocin. The Pitocin induced strong contractions, but by 10:00 PM, the cervix had not dilated. We decided to have the Pitocin stopped, and after the contractions stopped, they started her on the first medicine again.

This morning (Wednesday), they started her on the Pitocin again. A few hours later, the doctor broke Lynette's water. This afternoon at about one, the anesthisiologist gave her an epidural. Lynette has been feeling good today, and we are just waiting to see how the cervix progresses. She is dilated to about three right now, and the doctor believes that she will dilate much quicker now.

Stay tuned!

Almost Time For Delivery!

This morning we went to the hospital and checked in for the ultrasound at about 8:15. The technicial advised that the amniotic fluid level was at 16 cm. We later found out that the doctors are happy with amounts greater than 6 cm.

Next, we went to Doctor Jordan's office, for part-two of our hospital visit. Doctor Jordan was pleased with the results of the ultrasound. He checked Lynette's blood pressure and her cervix. Doctor Jordan then told us that Lynette's blood pressure was higher than where he wanted it to be. He told us that he did not want to wait until Friday to induce her, and said he would like the process to start today. Both of us were surprised and shocked, as we were certain we would be waiting until Friday. Doctor Jordan told us that we needed to call the delivery nurse at 3:00 this afternoon to determine if they will have a room for Lynette tonight. If so, we will head in, and they will start Lynette on medicine to dilate her cervix. They will let that work overnight, and tomorrow morning they will give her Pitocin to induce labor . So hopefully we will be parents sometime tomorrow!

We left the hospital without having to go to the third appointment that had been scheduled to monitor Dylan's heart rate. We headed up to Smokey Point and Lynette was able to get her nails done before the big event. While she was there, I ran to the store to buy some snack food and reading material for our stay at the hospital. Next we headed up to Eagle Crest Restaraunt and had our last meal out before going to the hospital.

Now we are enjoying a few hours of rest before we likely will head back to the hospital. Check back soon!

May 16th

First, some baby news... We went in for Lynette's weekly check up today at 2:40. Dr. Jordan said that Lynette's cervix is now %40 effaced, but is still not dilated. He said that everything still appears to be going normally with the pregnancy. Dr. Jordan has May 19th as the due date, and he said that he would not allow the pregnancy to go past 41 weeks.

As a result, we have two important dates next week. On the morning of Monday, May 22nd, we will go in for three appointments. During one appointment, they will do an ultrasound to check the amount of amniotic fluid present. During the second appointment, Dr. Jordan will again check to see if Lynette is dilated. In the third appointment, Dylan's heartbeat will be monitored for 30 minutes, and the results will be charted. If the doctor sees any reason for concern, he will induce labor that day. If not, we will go back on Friday, May 26th, and the doctor will induce labor that day. This, of course, only applies if Dylan has not already been born by then, which would be the preferred way to go.

On May 14th, we were able to celebrate mother's day with the James family in Bellingham. Lynette then took me to a steak dinner at Ruth's Chris in Seattle, and we then had friends over to our home for dessert.

On May 12th and 13th, we were able to help Amy and Kyle move into their new home in Bellingham. Much like our move, we had a lot of people helping out, so it went fairly quickly. The picture is of Amy and Kyle in front of their beautiful new home.

Hopefully we will have more baby news soon. Stay tuned!

May 3rd

Today was the weekly checkup for Lynette and Dylan. The doctor said that everything still looks great, and her cervix is not dilated but is 30-percent effaced. He said that he has seen delivery happen that same day, or not for another week or more, with the cervix at that state. Today we also put up the valence in Dylan's room and the curtains in our room. So, Dylan's room is COMPLETELY ready for him, so hopefully he will know he can make an appearance at any time.

Our blinds arrived yesterday and are all installed. It was easier sleeping in this morning with the light shut out a bit.

This weekend, we hosted our first barbeque at our new home! We had eight guests total, and it was raining as I barbequed, but we had fun. My mom was able to see the house for the first time, and we enjoyed having her overnight.

I also did some work in the garage and made another trip to the transfer station over the weekend. As of Sunday, we were able to park both cars in the garage.

Dylan's due date is still 15 days away, but I thought I'd give directions to the hospital for anyone who wants to visit when he does make his appearance. The address of the Women's Pavilion is 900 Pacific Ave in Everett.

If you are coming from the North and are headed Southbound on I-5, take the Everett Ave/Highway 2 Exit. Stay to the right (the off ramp splits into two roadways, take the roadway on the right) and take a right at the stop sign onto Everett Ave. Go straight until you have to make a turn at Marine View Dr, and take a left onto Marine View Dr. Go straight through several intersections and then turn right onto Pacific Ave. Travel several blocks and the hospital is on the left. The Women's Pavilion is furthest down the hill, just past the parking garage.

If you are coming from the South and are headed Northbound on I-5, take the Pacific Ave Exit. At the bottom of the off-ramp, take a left on Pacific Ave. Proceed straight approximately 1.2 miles to the Women's Pavilion. The hospital is on the left, and The Women's Pavilion is furthest down the hill, just past the parking garage.