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In Case You Haven't Heard...

It's been a while! Baby Joel Frankie has made our lives wonderful but a little crazy. Mom doesn't have as much time to herself as she used to, but right now the kids are playing and baby is sleeping, so we're good.

For those of you who haven't heard, we have some big, shocking, exciting news: we're moving to Arizona! Joel is already there as the new General Manager of the Scottsdale Olive Garden, and we'll follow him in a month or so. We're excited for the adventure but of course are very sad to leave everyone we love so much. We'll expect lots of visits during the winter when you're all freezing!

Yesterday my mom asked Clara, "Clara, are you moving?" She paused,looked down at her feet, and said, "No." Then she started walking and said, "Now I am!" What a funny girl! Never a dull moment with her around!

I've had a feeling for a long time that a big change was coming our way. Maybe that was Heavenly Father's kind way of preparing me since I usually do not like change- I cried when we moved 5 miles up the road! I'm sure I'll cry this time too, but I know this is what we're supposed to do. It will be a good experience for our family.

Life With Frankie and Other Things

Noah and Clara LOVE their baby brother so much. Clara gives him kisses at least a hundred times a day! He is definitely a loved child. He is also the sweetest little thing, which makes it that much more fun to have him around. Here is a very long post mostly about him but with a few other family highlights.




Noah started 1st grade! We can't believe we have a 1st grader. Where did the time go? He was so excited and looked so grown up, and to honor his big day I made a special school bus cake. The kids had a lot of fun eating it up that whole first week of school.




We now have THREE adorable, sweet, beautiful children, and we couldn't be happier! Here's a few pics of the kids and their beautiful brother.












On Labor Day we went to Pineview and did some fishing. The kids couldn't stay out of the water for long. Since I didn't take swimsuits, Clara sported nothing but her underwear. It was pretty funny. Noah had fun putting the fish in our leftover treat bag. Poor things, all crammed in there. Oh well, their resilient.






Frankie was blessed on Sunday, and we got to have A LOT of our family at the house for the special day. The house was pretty crazy with all those kids running around, but we had so much fun with all of us together! Frankie got held all day long by aunts and cousins, and he was such a good sport for it all- sweet as always!

He's Home!!

He's HOME!!!

Six and a half weeks weeks old and weighing in at 5 lbs. 9 oz., and he finally made it home. We're so excited and happy to have him here with us! I prayed all week that we could have a miracle- Baby Joel Frankie would figure out how to breathe and be able to come home. I had Joel give him a blessing too. And what do ya know! Our prayers (and I know many of yours) were answered and we got our miracle. He's home!

I had butterflies in my stomach as we walked the halls of the hospital toward the NICU for the last time. I wondered outloud to Joel if this is what it feels like to adopt a baby. It kind of does feel like I adopted my own child. I have this tiny baby but without the exhaustion and soreness from delivering a baby. Even though we love having him home with us it is a little weird too. For so long he was this sweet darling baby we got to visit everyday. Now he lives with us. I don't know how to explain it. Just trust me that it's weird- a very good weird.



He failed his car seat test they do, so we had to rent a car bed. But when they first put him in it Joel and I were not happy because the poor thing looked so uncomfortable, like it was more dangerous for him to be in the car bed than the car seat! But they fiddled with the straps and got them to work better, although I still think he's too big for the car bed. Oh well. It's not like I'm going to be driving him around a million places. It's interesting how things have changed since Noah left the NICU at 4 lbs. 8 oz. He was in a regular car seat, and I remember the straps were way loose, but they still let him go home. This time it wasn't so easy.

Joel was not a happy camper that they made him sit in the car bed for an hour for another test. What were they going to do if he failed it? There's not exactly another option. Would they have made him stay another week or two until he was bigger? Joel and I would have carried him and walked the five miles home if that were the case. Luckily it didn't come to that.




So far he is the easiest baby to take care of. When he's not eating, he's either sleeping or just busy being cute. It's awesome having a newborn and the physical energy to take care of him and your other kids. I guess there are positives to having a baby in the NICU for 6 1/2 weeks.




The kids love him soooo much! Clara likes "feeding" him with this binky. She sticks her finger in the hole and feels him suck on her finger. I can tell she's going to be a little too helpful, but I love it anyway. I'm so glad they love him so much. He's going to be a spoiled little boy!




He is a very noisy boy! I tried last night to sleep with him in the room but finally moved him to the hall in the middle of the night. He's a great sleeper, but he grunts and groans all the time because he's also very gassy. Luckily the gas doesn't make him crabby. Just noisy and stinky.



We are one big happy family because our Baby Joel Frankie is finally home! I'm so happy that I get to be his mom now. It gets old having other people in charge of your child's well being. They did a great job and I'll actually miss seeing those sweet nurses everyday, but now it's my turn.

Teeny Tiny Guy

You can tell he's growing. His skin doesn't hang on his body quite as much, and his cheeks are filling out everyday. He's not going to stay skinny for long because this little guy likes to eat!




While I was still pregnant and still at home I made Joel Frankie a hat, and at the time I thought it was so teeny tiny. That is, until I put it on him. For his little head it is humongous! But it's still super cute.




As of today, he weighs 4 lbs. 13 oz. That's what Noah weighed he was born. He'll be 5 lbs. by the time he's home. We thought he might come home tomorrow, but he's still a little shaky with his breathing. If we're lucky it might be Tuesday or Wednesday. I keep praying that he'll get better at breathing so he can be home and so I don't have to worry about him. He's such an angel! I want to enjoy him every minute instead of just a few hours each day.

Our Sweet Boy

Joel Sr. and Joel Jr. So sweet! Joel hadn't seen him for two weeks and was so excited to see and hold his little guy.



As of today, Joel Frankie weighs 4 lbs. 5 oz. I've already forgotten what 3 lbs. 2 oz. looks like. He gets bigger everyday and is looking so good, and I'm more and more excited about him coming home.

Right now he's doing this thing called periodic breathing, which is where he breathes, breathes, breathes...pauses...breathes, breathes, etc. You and I can pause our breaths, but his tiny body can't handle those pauses. That's why he's been on oxygen the last little while. Periodic breathing is very normal for premies, so don't worry. He does this breathing when he's in deep sleep or when he's nursing. He'll most likely come home on oxygen, which I kind of don't mind.

He's nursing usually 2 times a day and doing pretty awesome at it. It's a little scary when he stops breathing, but we've learned how to get through it. Once he nurses or bottle feeds at every feeding and can get rid of his feeding tube for 48 hours straight, he'll be able to come home. I'm really hopeful that will be next week sometime. We pray every day that he'll reach these milestones of eating and breathing better so he can come home soon.



Isn't he such a cutie!

For Lack of a Clever Title, Here's Another Update

I got on the computer to upload some pictures Baby's nurse took of the kids and me gazing at our cute boy, and somehow the pictures didn't take. They're not on my camera, but I'm pretty sure I remember a flash and everything. Grrr. They would have been super cute pictures, and now this post is pictureless. Plus, I still don't have any pictures with Noah and Clara and baby brother. Grrr.

I'll give you the update anyway if you can stand to read it without pictures. He's doing awesome! I tried nursing him last week for the first time, and he did so great and does better each time we try it. They are wanting me to go in and nurse twice a day to see how he does, and so far he loves it- so much that he forgets to breathe. So, he needs a little help with the oxygen while he nurses.

They all seem really surprised at how well he's nursing because of how small and young he is and because he's a boy (boy premies tend to be slower at things than girls). It makes me think of Noah when he was born early (6 weeks). He also surprised everyone by only needing to stay in the NICU for a week and being a natural nurser. Our Orton boys are tough!

I do have to not get my hopes too high because they said that often babies get excited about eating but then just get too wiped out and don't want to do it for a few days. So far, though, he just loves it! Today he was gulping the milk down! But after only three minutes he was out for the count. So cute and sweet!

By the way, he ways 3 lbs. 14 oz. He's almost 4 lbs! We're so happy he's done so well and feel so blessed.

I'll get some pics of all three kids together soon. Hopefully they'll work this time!