Happy Halloween

Sick Baby Again :(

Maddie got feverish again on Sunday with a temp of 100.5 and it continued this morning, though a little better at 99.5. She seems to have a full blown cold, as she is sneezing, with a runny nose, and watery eyes. She's doing okay, but is understandibly whiny and is missing Halloween playgroup today. Jessica spoke with the nurse at the doctor's office and she said to not give Tylenol unless Maddie looks like she needs it so Jessica is keeping a close eye on her temperature.

To make matters worse, Jessica is coming down sick too!

9 Month Dr. Appointment

Maddie had her 9 month checkup and the pediatrician was very happy with how she's doing! Her illness seems to have passed as quickly as it arrived and she never broke out into a rash. She weighed in at 15 pounds 1 ounce, which puts her at the bottom of the weight chart, but she had a growth spurt and is perfectly average in height at 27 1/2". Her head size is 30%.

The doctor was very impressed how Maddie is walking around . On her standard form, there isn't even a checkbox for walking like that at her age, just crawling and cruising. She also wrote that Maddie is an excellent eater after we described the amount of food she eats every day and she witnessed Maddie down 2/3 of a banana while we were in the exam room. She thinks Maddie has a fast metabolism.

She also instructed Jessica to try reintroducing dairy into her diet to see if Maddie is able to digest it! Jessica was nervous, but we went to celebrate that night by stuffing ourselves with sicilian pizza!

Maddie's top teeth seem to be coming in, albeit very slowly. They've been keeping her up at night several times this week.

Sick Baby

Maddie got her first illness yesterday

After she woke up from her nap, she was lethargic and running a fever of 101.5+. Jessica gave her Tylenol and rushed her to the pediatrician. The Tylenol did a good job at bringing the fever down and her white blood cell count was good so there's no infection. Dr. Allison says there is a virus going around and if that's what it is, Maddie may break into a non-itching full body rash in a day or two. She could have been exposed anytime in the past two weeks.

We kept her on Tylenol last night and she slept well. This morning she woke up without a fever so we hope it was a 12 hour thing.

Walking

Maddie has started taking some baby steps, one to four at a time! She loves standing and exploring. She enjoys pulling magnets and pictures off the refrigerator. We've added baby gates around the house to let her roam around more, but without her getting into too much trouble!

We'll post a video of her walking after the weekend.

L'Shana Tova! Happy New Year!

Happy Rosh Hashana!

Maddie is crawling fast now! Once she in on the ground, she'll crawl out of a room and be flying down the hall in a flash. Either that or crawling toward the absolute worst thing in the room that she can put in her mouth!

In other news, next Friday is Jessica's 30th b-day! Be sure to wish her a happy birthday!

Growing Up

We retired Maddie's table top bouncer this weekend as she outgrew it. For now, the swing is still safe!

We've also discovered that a sure way to get Maddie very giggly is to play "Shark Attack" or "Jaws" with her. Basically, put her on the bed, then duck down and circle around the bed while humming the Jaws theme. She tracks the sound around the bed and she gets giggle whenever the "shark" shows their head. When the shark strikes, she squeals and laughs a lot! It's the first real game like activity for her.

Maddie is also getting very good at high-fives and will do some patty-cake hand slaping also.

Good News

Maddie and I went to the dr this morning to check on her status and I am happy to report that Maddie has gained 1lb 3oz in the last month! YAY!! She is doing great! The doctor actually expected a little decline since she has been so active, but Maddie showed her! hehehe

I can now start her on soy yogurt and should be okay to give her soy formula in her cereal or for an extra snack if need be.

New Goings On

In the eating department, Maddie had her first biscuit. It was a HUGE mess , but she loved it. She is now eating rice, oatmeal, avocado, peaches, blueberry, sweet potato, peas, green beans, pears, banana, carrots, and apple sauce. Squash, mango, and more are coming up!

Maddie is quickly getting better at crawling! In fact, she's also getting better at standing! And standing unaided (~ 1-5 seconds)

She loves to play with many of her toys and loves rattles and balls.

Teeth!!

Last night Brad noticed that Maddie has teeth coming in! We tried to get a photo, but it was a no go. Apparently she doesn't like when you try to hold her mouth open and her tongue back! hahaha!

It looks like her two bottom teeth are just breaking thru. This could explain the fact that she wasn't sleeping well in the past couple of weeks.

Now all I am worried about is biting!!

Beach

We are back from our vacation to the beach for the 4th of July and we had a wonderful time. Maddie got to stick her feet in the ocean and enjoyed the company of Great - Grandparents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncle.

Maddie is sitting well now and is still scarfing down solid foods! We think she gained another pound on vacation! On the negative side, Maddie has stopped sleeping through the night and usually will now get up between 1 to 3 times a night! Ugh, that is hard on all of us!

Smile

Today Maddie was introduced to pears. I don't think she liked them quite as much as peas , but she ate a lot!

Growing Up Quick

Maddie weighed in today at 12 pounds, 4 ounces. She gained a pound in 2 weeks! Must be the solid food . The pediatrician was thrilled. She also had a clean stool sample so we're going to reintroduce soy and see what happens.

Speaking of solid food, Maddie has now experienced carrots and peas. She loves both and when she's being fed screams for more and screams for more quicker!

Maddie also experienced her first day at the beach as we went to Marco Island for Father's Day. She got to have her toes dipped in the gulf and the pool, but that's as far in as she got. It was a great time, though Daddy lost his voice completely due to a cold.

We think she'll be crawling soon. She can roll over both directions now with ease and can move around by wiggling. Her knees and arms are all making the right movements so as soon as she can lift her belly off the ground, off she'll go!

New Baby Activities

Lots of new things to report! Maddie is growing up quick! ?

Maddie recently discovered her feet and yesterday after her bath, she discovered she could get her toes in her mouth!

She's also quickly learning how to eat off a spoon and we've been feeding her more. The doctor recommended "feeding her until she throws up"

She is getting better at sitting up by herself, though she hasn't mastered it yet. She does tri-pod and quad-pod fairly well. In addition from rolling stomach to back, which she has been able to do for a couple months now, she can almost go from back to front. She gets all the way over, but can't pull her arm under her belly, so she ends up rolling back over.

That hasn't stopped her from becoming more mobile! If she wants to move toward something or someone, she will arch her back and do a crabwalk, or hop. She definitely requires 100% attention on the changing table now!

In addition, Maddie is smiling a lot, even across rooms at Mommy and Daddy and she has a very cute laugh.

Maddie's First Foods

Maddie saw a gastro specialist today and he recommended starting Maddie on solids right away (the pediatrician had said the same thing, pending the specialist visit). So today, Maddie had her first taste of rice! She was a bit confused at first, but quickly got the hang of the spoon.

Madeline's New Tricks

Maddie is learning new things very rapidly. She eagerly grabs for everything now and loves to play with her toys. Of course, once in her hands, everything goes straight to her mouth. We haven't figured out which of her toys tastes best yet.

We also think Maddie is teething. She's been drooling A LOT for the past few weeks and that is a sign that a tooth is on the way. The teething rings are still a little big for her, but she works pretty hard to get them in her mouth.

She also is enjoying her play pads and bouncer a lot and is very interested in the world around her.

March Maddie Madness!

Madeline continues to keep us awake at night. She just does not like to go to sleep... at least until 3 or 4 am. She's quite the alert baby. Feed her, change her, burp her and she still prefers to keep her eyes open.

We are beginning to see a personality develop, which is pretty cool. Maddie is smiling more and more and is beginning to take interest in her toys and mobiles. We've also been able to take her out of the house a few times. Usually just to Publix or Target, but we did take her downtown to the Gasparilla Art Festival. She slept through it, though she did cry in the car on the way to and from.

Two Year Anniversary

Today is our 2 year anniversary. We are planning to celebrate by bringing in sushi!

9 Pounds 2 Ounces

Madeline is up to 9 pounds 2 ounces and the doctor says she is "growing like a weed". She put on 24 ounces in 20 days. Maddie also measured 22 inches long now!

She got her first vaccination yesterday, the first of three Hepatitis B shots. It was a very large needle and after a slightly delayed reaction, she let out a very big cry! She quickly calmed though and was happy after she got a band-aid.

Yesterday we said goodbye to the last of the N size diapers. They claim to be up to 10 pounds, but she'd leak through the Huggies N size 50% of the time or better. She's now strictly wearing size 1. We've discovered through trial and error that Pampers are the best (and most expensive!).

Road Trip

Madeline's first road trip (and sleepover!)

We've headed up to Tallahassee for the week because I have a business trip and taking care of little Maddie is a job for more than one person! It took about 7 hours over two days to get packed, but we managed to get everything in the car. Sierra road up front, with Jessica and Maddie in the back.

Madeline pretty much slept the entire drive (whew!). Sierra and Jessica both got sleep in too!

Maddie also got to meet Uncle Elliott for the first time. He did not hesitate to pick her up (or pass her on when she started crying). Now Madeline has met all of her grandparents, aunts, and uncles!

Yawn

Baby = Sleep Deprivation

Back up to 7 pounds

Yesterday, Maddie had another weigh-in and we and the pediatrician were thrilled that she is back up to 7 pounds. She gained 8 ounces in just 5 days!

Things are going well in general. Jessica is spending her days taking care of the baby, which is proving to be a time consuming task! Nights are still rough, but Madeline seems to be moving toward a regular schedule... even if that means waking up every 3 hours!

She likes the Swing

Today we put Madeline in her swing for the first time and she seems to like it. At least while she is sleeping!

Also, most of her umbilical cord fell off, so now we'll be able to give her a real bath instead of just a sponge bath.

Other than that, we are down to our last few days of both of us at home as it is back to work for me on Monday. :(

Pediatrician Appointment

Madeline had her 2nd pediatrician appointment today and while she is very healthy, we're told her weight gain needs to increase.

So to further that, we've rented a heavy duty pump that will let us supplement what Madeline is taking out. Jessica is also taking fenugreek, an herb that is supposed to promote lactation.

Maddie's next weigh-in will be Tuesday morning.

Life with a baby and lack of sleep

Things are going well, but we are operating on not much sleep!

Here are some highlights (not comprehensive) since birth:

January 6
- Madeline is born at 8:28 am and stays awake for 3 hours straight!
- Family visits us and meets the newest member of the family.
- That night, we get about 2 hours sleep, as Madeline is up almost all night.

January 7
- A pediatrician visits and so does Dr. Marks
- Madeline passes her hearing test
- More family visits
- We get 1 hour of sleep that night. Definitely the worst night so far. Even the pacifiers don't work.

January 8
- Jessica is discharged by Dr. Marks and Madeline is discharged by Dr. Black
- We bring Madeline home around 2 pm. She sleeps through the car trip.
- We actually get several hours of sleep as we alternate our sleep schedules and get better at meeting Madeline's feeding and changing needs.

January 9
- 1st pediatrician visit with Dr. Allison. Everything goes smoothly (except for having to change her twice in the exam room!). Madeline lands at the 70% percentile in length, 30% in weight, and 50% in head size. Her next appointment is next Thursday.
- Madeline goes for her first stroller trip around the neighborhood. She sleeps through about all of it.
- A bit rougher night than the night before, but still way better than the hospital.

January 10
- Jessica is really getting the hang of breast feeding now and her milk is coming in.
- Brad runs out to some stores looking for smaller baby clothes since almost all her clothing is for 8+ pound babies and Madeline is now about 6 pounds 9 ounces (perfectly normal according to the Dr.)
- The night goes fairly smoothly, getting up every few hours and changing and feeding as requested.

January 11
- All of the morning is spent sleeping and feeding.
- Aunt Eirin has arrived to help!

Back Home

We're back at home after being discharged from the hospital. We are totally exhausted! Madeline has her clocks backwards and is apparently a wonderfully calm daytime baby and a very fussy nighttime baby. After an all-night labor and two nights of crying Baby, we are operating on very very little sleep. Jessica is trying to nap now in anticipation of another tough night, while I am trying to keep Madeline from waking her.

Sierra (our dog) met Madeline for the first time today and while I think she didn't know what to make of the baby at first (friend to sniff, chew toy, unidentified object?), after a couple hours, when Sierra saw a breast feeding session, followed shortly by us rocking a screaming baby, a sudden wave of realization (and anxiety) swept across her face and now she appears to be guarding her.

We have a bunch of stuff to unpack, unwrap, and set up still. Plus, the hospital gave us a whole bunch of pads, cloths, diapers, formula, and some other various goodies we are using to make our changing and feeding stations better! We learned a lot from the nurses in the hospital!

Madeline Rachel Loewy has Arrived!

Jessica delivered Madeline Rachel Loewy at 8:28am, on January 6, 2007 after 15+ hours labor. Mom and Baby are doing super! Dr. Marks was the OB at delivery. Stacy (until 7 am) and Michele (through delivery) were our nurses who got everyone through a tough all-night labor.

Madeline weighed in a tad under 7 pounds, 3 ounces. She was 20 inches in length. Dad got to cut the cord. She is beautiful (we are exhausted), and we'll get pictures up asap.

Heading to the Hospital

Contractions are starting to hurt more and are coming on more frequently, so we're headed to the hospital soon!

Contractions!

Jessica has been having contractions for a few hours now. They aren't super strong, but they are stopping her in her tracks when she gets them. Right now, they are about 10 minutes apart and lasting around 20 seconds. They do hurt her back pretty badly for those 20 seconds though!

We brought in some Chico's (Mexican) for dinner and we're getting the bags repacked. This time we'll be bringing the birthing (aka exercise) ball.

Jessica just spoke with Dr. Marks and he told us to stay put until the contractions are 5 minutes apart. If we went to the hospital now they'd send us back home anyway. No idea how long we'll be waiting...may be a few hours or it could be until morning.

Looks like there's a pretty good chance at this point that the baby will be born on her due date!

We'll be keeping everyone posted and will make another round of phone calls when we go to the hospital. For now, our poor cell phones need recharging and Jessica is going to try and rest too

Back at Home and Induction Scheduled

Whew! We had an OB appointment this morning and we thought it was going to be another simple checkup! But instead, Jessica was hooked up to a fetal monitor and we ended up doing a two hour test. Then Dr. Marks came in and told us we should immediately go to the hospital because he was concerned the tests were showing the baby would not tolerate labor well. If the hospital tests confirmed that, it would result in a C-section.

We checked into the hospital after noon, got a birthing room, and Jessica was hooked up to a fetal monitor. She was also put on a clear liquid diet, after having only a banana for lunch and a light breakfast. They then brought her downstairs to do a lengthly series of ultrasounds. Then it was back upstairs to the monitor again and waiting for Dr. Marks to review the test results.
That wait lasted many hours, as Dr. Marks didn't arrive at the hospital until 8:15pm, but we got good new, as he said everything looked as good with the baby as possible and he felt completely comfortable sending us home.

He had us schedule an induction for Tuesday at 5:30pm if labor hasn't started on its own by then. If that happens, it'll likely be a multi-day process, with Cervadil being given Tuesday night, Pitocin given on Wednesday to start contractions, and the water being broken on Thursday, with the baby likely born Thursday or Friday.

So after the crazy day today, tomorrow is back to "normal"!

Going to the Hospital for More Tests

At our appointment, the doctor was concerned the baby is showing signs of not being able to tolerate labor well, so he is sending us to the hospital for more tests.

We'll keep everyone posted!

Baby Watch

No baby yet!

Baby Wagers - Results Posted

Two baby betting pools have been started for anyone interested! The first pool is the birth date and time (6 hour increments). The second pool is the birth weight in pounds and ounces. An entry in either pool is $5 with half going to the winner and half to the baby. Eirin is keeping track of the entries, so to enter, contact her, Brad, or post to this website. Since each time or weight slot can be taken by only one person, entries are not final until confirmed by Eirin.

Here are the final standings!

Weight Pool
**Congrats to Dave Loewy in the weight pool, for coming closest to the actual weight of 7 pounds, 3 ounces, narrowly beating out the daddy who guessed 7 lbs 1 oz.**

Name Pounds /Ounces

Elliott - 6/ 8
Dave - 6/14
Brad - 7/1
Dave - 7/4
Dave - 7/5
Elizabeth - 7/6
Ira/Jackie - 7/7
Peder - 7/8
Dan - 7/9
Rob - 7/10
Christine - 7/11
Clerley - 7/12
Ira/Jackie - 7/14
Lucia - 8/0
Dave - 8/2
Bob - 8/3
Brett - 8/4
Pat - 8/11

Date and Time Pool

***Congrats to the new Grandma and Grandpa Loewy for hitting the date and time! Maybe we're establishing a pattern of Loewy's arriving on their due dates. Brad was born on his!***

Jan 3
Brad - 6:01 am to 12 pm

Jan 4
Dave - 12:01 pm to 6:00 pm and 6:01 pm to 12:00 am

Jan 5
Dave - 12:01 am to 6:00 am and 6:01 am to 12 pm
Bob - 12:01 pm to 6:00 pm
Clara - 6:01 pm to 12:00 am

Jan 6
Clerley - 12:01 am to 6:00 am
Ira/Jackie - 6:01 am to 12 pm
Brett - 12:01 pm to 6:00 pm
Eirin - 6:01 pm to 12:00 am

Jan 7
Eirin - 12:01 am to 6:00 am
Christine - 6:01 am to 12 pm
Peder - 6:01 pm to 12:00 am

Jan 8
Liz - 12:01 am to 6:00 am
Dan - 6:01 am to 12 pm
Elliott - 6:01 pm to 12:00 am

Jan 9

Jan 10
John - 12:01 am to 6:00 am

Jan 11
Lucia - 12:01 pm to 6:00 pm

Jan 12
Rob - 12:01 pm to 6:00 pm

Jan 13

Jan 14

Jan 15
Pat - 12:01 pm to 6:00 pm

Baby FAQ

Hospital Information

Q: What hospital will the delivery be in?
A: Mease Countryside HospitalMap of Mease Countryside Hospital:727-725-6111 3231 N Mcmullen Booth Rd Clearwater, FL 33761, US

3231 McMullen Booth Rd.Safety Harbor, FL 33761(727) 725-6111

Q: How far is the hospital from Jessica and Brad's house?
A: The hospital is 15 minutes southwest of the house.

Q: Where is the birthing center?
A: It is on the 5th floor of the Shafer tower.

Q: Are we allowed into the birthing area or room?
A: Only the prospective parents are given security wristbands and the hospital only allows a small number of visitors to be escorted in at any time. We are not planning on bringing visitors into the birthing room until the baby is born.

Q: Is there a waiting room?
A: Yes, on the 5th floor there is a waiting room with chairs, a couch, and a TV.

Q: Is there a cafeteria and/or gift shop?
A: Yes, both are on the ground floor. The cafeteria is inexpensive.

Q: Is there anything you need us to bring to the hospital to assist in the birth?
A: We do not believe so, but if necessary, we will be happy to direct you to the nearest Babies R Us or Target!

Q: Is there any kind of food we can bring for Jessica after the birth?
A: Yes. Sushi . The closest sushi restaurant to the hospital we know of is in the Publix shopping center a few minutes north of the hospital. We believe Sushi will be safe to eat, but if you do get Sushi, make sure some does not contain raw fish, just in case the nurses object.

Q: Can we take pictures?
A: Yes, once the baby arrives.

Hotel and Restaurant Information

Q: Can we stay at the house?
A: Assume No. We are very excited to share the baby with family and friends, but please find alternate accommodations.

Q: Are there hotels close by the hospital and/or house?
A: Yes, the small suburb of Oldsmar, which is directly in the middle between the hospital and house, has several new hotels. Oldsmar is about 20 minutes from the airport. These hotels are all next to each other.

Holiday Inn Express
3990 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL 34677
Tel: 813-854-5080
Fax: 813-854-5189

Hilton Garden Inn Tampa NW
4052 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL 34677
Tel: 813-891-9990
Fax: 813-891-9980

Marriott Courtyard Oldsmar
4014 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL 34677
Tel: 813-925-8887
Fax: 813-814-7884

Residence Inn Marriott
4012 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL 34677
Tel: 813-818-9400
Fax: 813-818-9004



Q: Are there restaurants near the hospital, house, hotels, etc?
A: There are a number of restaurants in Oldsmar and by the house. The closest restaurants to the hospital are a quick 2 minute drive north, or towards Oldsmar.

Q: Are there stores near the hospital, hotels, house, etc?
A: There are two shopping centers with a Target, Publix, Albertsons, and smaller stores two minutes north of the hospital. Countryside Mall is less than 10 minutes west of the hospital. There is a Super Wal-Mart, Lowe's, and Publix in Oldsmar. There is a Publix near the house.

Contact Information

Q: What is the best way to reach Jessica and/or Brad?
A: There are three ways.
1. Call the hospital and ask to be transferred to our room phone.
2. Call Jessica's cell
3. Call Brad's cell
Depending on where Jessica is in the birthing process, it may be necessary to leave a message.

Miscellaneous Information
Q: What can we do to help?
A: We are looking for volunteers to walk and feed Sierra while we are in the hospital. She only needs to go outside 2-3 times a day.

Q: Anything else?
A: We don't know since we've never done this before! We imagine we could use help in getting and preparing food, running errands, laundry, and other seemingly boring, but crucial, everyday tasks.