What's Up Doc

We took Addison for her one month check up on Friday (yes she has been in our lives for a month now, yikes). She was up to 8 pounds 7 ounces and 21 inches, so she gained about 2 pounds and grew about 2 inches. Here growth is right along her line for here percentile which is good and the doctor said that everything else is looking good. We have a good and healthy baby. She has begun to sleep a little better at night. We usually try to get her to sleep around 9 and then she will be asleep for 4 or 5 hours and wake up hungry and then go down for 3-4 more hours. Granted we are not 8 hours of sleep a night or anything but if I get 5-6 hours I am good and Danica usually takes a nap during the afternoon.

Went to Danica's parents house with all the in-laws (without Joan who was out of town. Watched some basketball and ate some dinner and hung out for the evening. A good time was had.

Danica is getting better slowly but surely. She is kind of down sometimes but we are trying to stay positive and keeping busy. We got a Netflix account so we have been watching movies and t.v. shows among them Harry and the Hendersons and Ahhhh Real Monsters. Any suggestions for shows and or movies is welcome because wandering around Netflix without a goal can be kind of mind boggling.

Calling it a night.

RCJH!!!!!!

Intro video they play before the game. Believe me it is amazing to see when you are in the fieldhouse.

Baby's Day Out

So yesterday we took little Miss Addison out for some shopping and a visit to Barb at the office.  We had to go to Target and Babies R' Us so we decided that both baby and mom could use a little time out of the house.  Addison was great the whole time except for when we checked out at Target where she was going bananas, but we think she was just hot in the car seat.  Although it still went better than this Baby's Day Out.  Other than that she was delightful. 

Danica had another doctor's appointment today and while they said her wound is coming along they still are not sure how long she will have the wound vac on so we are just playing it by ear and taking it day by day.  Just as long as she gets better that is the important thing.

I have gone back on Weight Watchers so I can hopefully watch my weight go down besides pool season is rolling around and gotta get that six pack going.  Along with that I am going to start working out a bit to stay active and my goal is to work out 3 times this week (with one down already).  

Addison's sleeping habits have been a bit erratic as of late sleeping for a few hours and then deciding to explore the night life for a couple.  While it is rough we have time to take naps here and there and if not the two cups of coffee that I have daily helps.  While in a sleepy state my mind came to the conclusion that the cuteness of your baby is directly related to the amount of sleep that you have had.  If you are 4 or fewer hours then cuteness is often at an all time low where as more sleep than that increases the cuteness factor. Don't worry I made a graph.

Bath Time and Time with Family and Friends (not at the sametime though, that would be weird)

We decided to subdue Addison with a bottle while we bathed here this evening.

We are starting to get bath time down a little better. Definitely easier actually using the bath tub then the sponge bath.  Addison doesn't like it but she will get used to it. We are finally starting to get into a bit of a routine (although the sleepless night last night was a bit rough). 

Aden and his cousin Addison

 Had a good week with visits from friends and family sprinkled throughout the week including us baby sitting our nephew Aden. After baby sitting a 5 month old while taking care of our baby, even with Danica's aunt Kelly here, it blows my mind that people have kids crazy close together. Kudos to those people that can survive but I never would be able to.

And now for something completely different....

Things are coming along

On Tuesday we went in to have the dressings changed on Danica's wound.  It took 3.5 hours, which is much longer than it will normally take. They are coming to the apt tomorrow to change it, as long as they can get through the Snowmageden that has occurred.

We are trying to acclimated to being home with Addison again and it just feels like we won't feel completely at home until that wound vac is off (4-8 weeks).  While things are starting to get routine again the sooner it is off the better. Addison is constantly becoming more alert and gaining more personality, which makes the 3 am feeding a little better, but still not all that great.


Now for something a little different.  Here are the top 5 things I have learned from fatherhood thus far:

1. The most terrifying few seconds you will have at this point is when you look at your sleeping baby for a few seconds and think, "is she alive or dead?"
2. ESPN is always running something I am willing to watch, whether it be mid morning, afternoon, midnight, or 3 am. Easy to turn there and fight sleep to feed Addison.
3. Never turn down free food, either for the baby or for parents.
4. Enjoy all the little things that the baby does at this point so you don't lose it when they are crying uncontrollably.
5. Patience is king.

We would also like to thank Danica's aunt Kelly for taking some great pictures of Addison. They look fantastic and the consensus number one is below. 

Update

Danica was discharged on Saturday and is at home healing up, from the inside out. We have a doctors appointment on Tuesday where we will find out a little bit more about the treatment that she is going through as well as getting the dressings changed on it. Good to be home and hopefully now we can avoid the hospital for awhile. Mom went home today after being here since Thursday so that she could help us out with Addison and around the house. I again want to thank our friends and family for all the help that they have given us and will continue to give us.

Addison has been sleeping better that past couple of days which is good because we need the sleep. Danica slept this afternoon and allowed me to watch the Pats play terribly in their loss to the Jets. We have people coming over off and and on and while the situation with Danica's infection is a downer it is nice that we will be able to have some extra quality time with Addison and with family and friends over the next few weeks as Danica continues to get better.

With all of that I will leave you with the following video this fine evening. Background was that I was sitting on the coach with Addison on my lap and I leaned forward to get something and Addison's reflexes made a showing.

*Update: Addison's body parts are beginning to fall off, I was worried but I guess it is natural for the umbilical cord to come off. Seems alright, but I will keep an eye on her fingers just in case.

Update on Danica

Danica has been in the hospital since Tuesday with an infection (cellulitis). She has been on antibiotics to fight it but they are going to have to go in surgically to clean out the infection and then leave in a wound vac that they will leave in to continue to suck out the infection for a few weeks.  We are doing the best that we can to stay positive and Danica is doing a great job.  Addison is being watching periodically by us during the day and by family over the night time so that Danica can catch some Z's at night.  The surgery will be at noon tomorrow and should last about 45 minutes.  Family and friends have been great to us throughout this ordeal and everything that they have done has helped and realize that we will be leaning on those around us.  We have great support and can only hope that someday we can repay them for what they have done for us.

Please send us your prayers, good vibes, and words of encouragement all are helping us.

Intro to the world...

Maybe watch/listen to the below video to feel the real power of the introduction of my daughter.



I began this blog to convey my words of wisdom and my experiences as I stay at home with my new daughter. Most people that will read this will already know myself and my wife but any that don't I will give you some details.

My name is Lucas and my wife is Danica. I stay at home and do some computer work and also some political consulting work (which I am trying to get more of). Danica is in her second year of teaching kindergarten in the Kansas City KS school district and loves her work but is definitely going to miss Addison when she goes back to school at the end of the month. On December 28th, 2010 we welcomed our first child into the world. A bouncing baby girl named Addison Marie Mitchell. She came out beautiful and loudly, tipping the scales at 6 lbs. 15 oz. She decided that Danica had made too comfortable a home and we had to go in after her and she was brought to the world via C-section. Danica is still recovering so a lot of the work has fallen on my shoulders and I am doing as much as I can to help out baby and wifey.

Since we have been home Addison has been great. She has been sleeping well (and often) and she is making the transition well. She has plenty of little quarks already that we are noticing and it is exciting to already see her growing and developing.

I wanted to create this so that I didn't have to bombard my Facebook with baby stuff and it also allows me to do it in a little more personal a manner. The ultimate goal is to make my own website with my own know how (that I have been slowly teaching myself).

Most of all I want to thank the tremendous amount of support, help, and food that our friends and family have given us. It has been great seeing people and introducing Addison to the world a few people at the time. We look forward to the continued introductions that we are going to make to those people that have not met our little princess yet.

Well that will be it for this evening. I really just wanted to throw something up to get this started so that I can hop on and do updates.

Thanks for reading.