Christmas Eve Cioppino

The Arterburn family tradition is a family meal of cioppino on Christmas Eve.  This year we had a special guest, the cutest baby in the whole wide world!  Ezra!

He's Thriving!

This is what a happy mom looks like.

This is a face only a Grandmother would love...a little like Benjamin Button or Uncle Festus.

This is an unhappy Ezra, he doesn't like to be naked.

Cute, but still not happy to have his diaper changed.

We received very good news from the doctor.  His weight is up and his bilirubin count in down, the bad trend has been reversed.  Jessica is so happy that she won't be continuing twice a day visits to Kaiser.  Now it will be truly a Very Merry Christmas!

Ezra - Day 4

I got to hold Ezra for 2 hours while Jessica took a long nap. That might sound boring, but it's quite a thrill!

He had a checkup today and we're still concerned. His bilirubin level is high, just under the number where they would re-admit him to the hospital and he's still a tad bit yellow (but still VERY cute). And his weight is low, just above the level where he would be re-admitted. So he really isn't out of the woods and all prayers would be greatly appreciated. They're headed back on Weds. for another checkup.

Jessica is feeling much better and getting stronger every day so that is a praise.

More cute photos-Day 3

G-Pa Gets to Hold Ezra

Finally, Dave gets a chance to hold Ezra...on day 3

Coming Home!

Jessica isn't too happy with the bottle, but he needs to get nourishment.

That's one cute baby..he'll grow in to the newborn outfit.

G-Ma finally gets to hold the baby.

At the last minute, we got the word that Ezra would be released and allowed to go home.  He has to come back on Monday to check out his progress.  The word is that babies who have a difficult delivery, like getting vacuumed out, are slow to eat, etc.  Things are not progressing as usual, but with lots of prayer and encouragement they will improve.  Ezra had a bit of difficulty latching on to the breast and nursing for any length of time.  He lost over 8% of his birth weight and was a bit dehydrated, requiring an injection of fluids, and then was borderline jaundiced, requiring a lot of time under the lights.  We can see how anyone less determine than Jessica and Wills to breast feed their baby would be discouraged.

The new family has come home and hunkered down to work on being a new family unit and enjoying each other.  G-Pa and G-Ma have gone home to get some rest.

Still adjusting to our new role

This is the mechanical breast pump.  As Dave pointed out, here is a person that wanted a home birth with no drugs and now can't live with a manual pump.  This is sort of like a backpacker buying a trailer!

Sweet little baby Ezra under the lights for his jaundice....aka tryouts for the Blue Man Group.

Hearing test for newborns.

The sweetest little baby getting taken to his hearing test.

Brand new daddy Wills in the NCU with Ezra.  They were whisked away since Ezra suffered a great deal of stress during delivery.