The Mendenhalls: Baby Lily

Our new baby, Lily Jean Mendenhall, was born on Monday November 17, 2014 at 1:37 p.m. She weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 18 1/2 in. long. I wasn't due until December 6th, but during the last trimester I had a condition called Cholestasis which made the bile number in my liver high and gave me really inchy skin. This can put the baby at risk for certain things, so the doctor decided to induce me after I was 37 weeks. That Monday I was 37 weeks and 2 days. I was quite happy that I didn't' have to be pregnant anymore. Rusty and I got to the hospital at 6 in the morning. I was expecting an all day event at the hospital like it was with Claire. It was slow at first. The doctor broke my water at 10:00. I started at a 4. Then in another hour or so I was dilated to a 5. Then in another hour I was dilated to a 6. I got an epidural, but I started to feel the contractions after I was to a 6. The nurse said that I needed fluid back in my body by the baby, so they put fluid back in me since they had broken my water already. Then the next time they checked me to see how I was dilated I was up to a 10. The nurse hurried and got the doctor, and after only ten minutes of pushing our baby was here. It was so much faster and easier than when Claire was born.

36 weeks.

In the morning before we left to the hospital.

Lily weighed the exact same amount as Claire.

The proud daddy.

Lily has a bit of hair, but not as much as Claire, who had a lot of poofy hair.

My parents came to visit that evening. Claire got to spend Monday with my sisters, Cara and Kristen. She got to sleep over at Cara's and have her first sleepover with Makenna.

Rusty's sister Jenn and her kids came and visited Monday night. Then Claire went with Jenn Tuesday morning and spent the day with her. Our families were very nice to take care of Claire while I was in the hospital.

Alex and Lily.

Boston and Lily. She was born two days before Boston's birthday so now they'll be birthday buddies.

Jenn and Lily.

Rusty's parents came and visited Tuesday afternoon.

Makenna, Cara, Lily, and Chris.

Claire really enjoyed my hospital bed once she figured out she could make it go up and down.

Lily getting ready to go home from the hospital.

Claire helping put Lily in her car seat.

So far Claire has liked having a new baby at home for the most part. She sometimes is a really big helper. Claire likes to help burp Lily, or sometimes she burps her kitty while we burp Lily. She likes to sit or lay by Lily when she is on the ground. And sometimes she will put her stuffed animals and blankets by Lily. Sometimes she will want to hold her, but Claire gets bored of her pretty fast. Claire's life hasn't changed too much so far, but that will change once Lily becomes more alert and mobile.

Lily is very skinny. When we left the hospital she had lost 10% of her birth weight, and a few days later we went to the doctor and she was down to 14% then. But now she is slowing gaining her weight back. It helps that she is now more alert so she will stay awake when she eats. She also had jaundice when she was born and we had to go test her two more times after we got home from the hospital. Luckily it has started to go away so she is looking less orange.

Makenna, Lily, and Claire.

Thanksgiving Day.

We had a 90th birthday party for my Grandpa Wilson on November 29th. When we got there Rusty got Lily out of her car seat and my grandpa was standing by Rusty, so he made him hold her. He still hasn't even held Claire. We hurried and took some pictures before he gave her back.

I tried to get Claire to sit by Lily for a picture, but she decided she'd rather pose with her animals. She set them on the couch after I moved Lily and asked to have her picture taken.