Ethan turns 2!

Two years ago today, Trisha gave birth to Ethan Gabriel Stefanic.  I can't believe he's already 2 years old!!! My how time flies!

We are having a party for him Sunday after church and I didn't get to see him today so I don't have a 2 year old picture. The one above is just a couple of weeks old, so I guess it's okay to use for now.  He's holding his baby brother, Dylan, who was born Sept. 11.

Ethan is so smart! He talks up a storm and repeats everything we say.  My favorite things he says are:

• "Hi Nana!" when I walk into his house
• When we say, "Are you cute"? He replies, "Yes I am", in the cutest 2 year old voice EVER!
• He says "Diwan" for Dylan, "Baby Brudder" for Baby Brother, oh and the best thing ever, he says "I wub you!" for I love you.  It's soooo cute!

Ethan's favorite shows are Yo Gabba Gabba, Blues Clues and Veggie Tales. His favorite movies are Nemo and Da Munks (Alvin and the Chipmunks).

Ethan is learning to count and can count to 8, sort of, with a little help. His favorite number is 6.

He can jump up and down, lifting both feet off the ground at the same time! Something most kids don't do until they're 4!

Ethan knows the sounds of animals like bears, lions, doggies, cats, horsies and frogs! When he "ribbits" like a frog its oh so cute!

He knows all his body parts, and Dylan's and Alyssa's and Papa Jeff's and Nana's and everyone elses, and is sure to point them out as he names them.

His favorite foods are bologna, pizza, chicken, pickles, and cheese.

Ethan LOVES to play outside! He loves to run around in the grass and would stay out all day if he could. He also likes to play "catch me/hide-n-go-seek" with Karlie in the house.  He loves it when she crouches down and then suddenly jumps up and says "BOO"!

Ethan is a born drummer, like his daddy.  He makes "sticks" out of anything and everything that remotely even resembles a stick: forks, spoons, butter knives, rolled up paper, anything and everything.  He even plays the air drums and air guitar!

He also sings some of his favorite songs from his favorite shows and "Jesus Loves Me"!  I'll have to try to get some video of all this cuteness to post in the near future!

Happy 2nd Birthday Ethan! Nana loves you!

A Birth Story-Dylan Richard Stefanic

As promised in my previous post, I am here to tell you most of the details of the birth of Dylan!

It was a typical Thursday It was September 11, 2008, a beautiful day in Northern Michigan, but I think everyone in America thought of the events of September 11, 2001.  I know I did.  However, I got up as usual and went to my part time corporate job as a bookkeeper for a charter aviation company.  I was busy working, talking to my boss who happened to stop in for a few minutes, when my son-in-law who also works there as an airplane mechanic, came in and informed us that Trisha was having contractions 20 minutes apart.  She was calling her mid-wife and Ben was waiting to hear back from Trisha what the mid-wife had to say.  A few minutes later, Trisha called and said the mid-wife said to just stay at home for now, unless the contractions get closer together and stronger.  They weren't very painful yet.  Well of course Ben and I couldn't concentrate on work any longer so our boss said we could go.  I went over to Ben and Trisha's and just hung out.  This was about 11:45 or noon-ish. 

About 2:00 the midwife called back because she hadn't heard anything from Trisha.  Contractions were still about the same.  The midwife said she wanted Trisha to come in so she could see what was going on. So, Ben's dad came over and got Ethan (their almost 2 year old).  I headed to Jeff's office to pick him up because we had ridden in to work together.  When we got back to B & T's, I got in the car with them and headed for Petoskey, while Jeff headed home.  Karlie was at school, and Jeff was going to wait to see what the midwife said before he got Karlie out of school.  T planned on Karlie being in the delivery room for the birth.

When we arrived at the Dr's office, they checked her cervix right away and she was dilated to 6 cm and 70% effaced. Then they hooked her up to the fetal heart monitor to see how the baby was doing and monitor the contractions.  She was having contractions a little closer together now, but still not very strong or painful.  So, the midwife gave her her options: She could go home with the chances greatly being she'd have to turn right around and come back or they could admit her, break her water and go from there.  Trisha really wanted to stay and have the baby, so she chose the second option.

Just as the decision was being made, Jeff called to see what was going on.  So, he waited for Karlie to get home from school as it was about 3:30 now.  Ben, Trisha and I headed for the OB dept. They checked her in, put her in a gown and pretty quickly the midwife came in and popped her water (about 4:00).  They then had her get up and do some walking around and some nipple rolls to stimulate the uterus.  Karlie had arrived by then, and she and I waited in the room while B, T and the midwife were out walking.

After about 1/2 an hour they came back in the room and Trisha was in active labor.  You could now see the pain in her face when the contractions came and they were much closer together.  Trisha laid on the birthing bed and didn't move from it until Dylan was born.

After just a couple of hours of "hard" labor, the midwife checked her and said the baby's head was right there so she could start pushing.  She pushed just a few times (not nearly as much as she did with Ethan) and out came his little head.  I noticed the umbilical cord was over the top of his head and wrapped around his neck.  They immediately unwrapped it and then they let Trisha continue to push him out the rest of the way.

The baby was born at 6:44 pm, weighing in at 7 lbs. 3 oz and 19 3/4 inches long.  But we didn't find that out till later.  After Trisha delivered the placenta, the midwife noticed she was bleeding continuously and not from the uterus.  So she had Karlie and I leave the room "for just a couple of minutes". After about 1/2 an hour, I headed back toward the room Trisha was in, but was stopped by the midwife.  She said it was going to be a few more minutes.  Of course I was getting worried. Ben's parents, Ben's brother and his wife, my mom, Jeff, Karlie and I were all in the waiting room, waiting to hear what was going on.  And we were all starving.  So, we called Pizza Hut and Jeff went and got some pizza. Still no word.  This time Karlie and I went to the room again, only to be stopped again.  We went back to the waiting room and after I don't even know how long, the midwife finally came in and told us what was going on.  The baby had knicked her cervix on his way out so they had to have a surgeon come in to stitch it up.  She said it was just a small knick requiring only a stitch or two. 

So, finally after a few minutes again, they said we could go in.  Of course as soon as we got in there, they chased us out and made us wait in the hallway by the door.  Ben came and got Ethan first so they could have some family alone time.  We waited patiently for that and then it was our turn to go in. 

Trisha was a little loopy from the drugs they gave her while they stitched her up, but she was doing well, and so was the baby. 

Then the nurse came in and wanted to bathe the baby (who still didn't have a name at this point) and I got some photos of the bath.  They got him all cleaned up and then we all headed to the room where Trisha would spend the rest of her hospital stay.  We stayed only a few minutes because now it was like 10 pm or something like that and everyone was tired. 

Baby still didn't have a name.

The next morning, we got up around 11 and headed to the hospital.  We were meeting Ben's parents there so we could take Ethan for the night until T got out of the hospital. 

Baby still didn't have a name when we arrived, nor did he have one that whole day.  Finally, on Saturday, two days after his birth, Trisha and Ben had to decide on a name for the birth certificate.  So he was named Dylan Richard Stefanic. Dylan is just cute and Richard is after Ben's dad's middle name and Trisha's dad. And Dylan goes with Ethan really well-ha!

So, now 9 days later, things are going pretty well.  Trisha is doing just fine, losing her baby belly quite nicely and Dylan is gaining weight well and nursing really well, which Trisha is excited about.  Ethan is tongue tied so he didn't ever latch on very well.  Dylan has been a little jaundicy so they had his bilirubin checked and he's been wrapped in a bili blanket for the last few days.  Trisha had him checked yesterday, and his bilirubin count went down 2 steps so he's doing better, but they want him to be wrapped in the blanket over the weekend and go in for another check on Monday.

Grandson Number 2 Arrived Today!

Here are the highlights:  I will post a more detailed story later, but wanted to get some info and pics up now.

Baby Stefanic number 2, (called so because he does not have a name as of yet!) was born at 6:44 pm, today, September 11.  Weighing in at 7 lbs. 3 oz., he is cute as a button!  I didn't even get his length, bad Nana!  Ethan already loves him! 

Trisha's labor was much shorter than with Ethan, but she had a minor complication afterward.  Baby boy was sunny side up and when he came through he knicked her cervix so she had a small tear in it, which was oozing non-stop.  So, they had to call in a surgeon to stitch it up.  We all were a little nervous about what was happening because we didn't have much information.  Finally the midwife came in and told us what was going on.  Jeff, Ben's parents, my mom, and Ben's brother and his wife, were all there, waiting patiently, faithfully, to hear that everything was okay. 

Finally we were allowed to go back in the room.  We took some more pics, got to see the baby bathed for the first time, then we helped move Trisha to her room for the remainder of her stay.  It was a fulfilling day.

Here he is! Baby Boy Stefanic, number 2.  (I can't wait till he has a name!)

Ethan hugging his mama! Awe!

Awe! Here he looks a lot like Ethan.

For comparison, this is Ethan fresh out of the womb!

And back to baby boy number 2

Nana holding her new grandson for the very first time!

Papa Jeff and ...

Auntie Karlie

Jan. 31

January 31 was Alyssa's one month birthday! I totally wanted to get on here and post the videos we took of her and Ethan, but haven't had the chance till now.

Alyssa is doing everything a one month old should be and more! She is very strong and alert, and growing like a weed! She went to the Dr. last week to get a slight cold she has checked out, and weighed 11.8!!! The cold is slight, and no surprise since everyone else in her little world has been sick! She gags on mucus now and then, which is a little scary, but she does need to get it out of her system! Other than that she is a perfect little girl, with dark brown hair and eyes! Soooo cute!

Ethan is a typical 16 month old BOY! And boy is he all BOY! He does have his gentle side, and is a very loving boy, as you can see in the video, but he is definitely ALL BOY! He loves to climb on everything he can possibly imagine, and everything else is a drum, including the front of the washer and dryer. He speaks "Chinese", which is what his own little baby language sounds like. He certainly knows what he's talking about and the rest of us pretend to know! It's cute. He has been getting frequent ear infections, and appears to have another one now. So, Trisha will take him to the Dr. tomorrow to get it checked out, and hopefully they can figure something out to help him not get them so frequently.

Welp, before this becomes a book, here is the video from Jan. 31!

Alyssa is two weeks old (yesterday)

I wanted to post this yesterday, but couldn't get to the computer.

Alyssa had her two week checkup yesterday and she is doing awesome! Jeff got to drive Kara to the Dr. for the appointment, and he even got to go in the room with her. Boy, talk about really experiencing (to some degree) what it's like to have a baby!

She is now 8 lbs. 12 oz., and 20 in. long! She dropped to 7 lbs. 4 oz before coming home from the hospital (her birth weight was 7-14) and now she's just growing like a weed! The Dr. even commented on how alert and active she is for a two week old. Kara was concerned about her belly button cord, because it was puss-ee (how do you spell that????) and kind of smelly and hadn't fallen off yet. But, the Dr. said it was just fine and that the record for a cord to stay attached was 186 days and if she got to 187 days to call him so they could call the Guiness Book of World Records! Funny. But, this morning Kara got up with Alyssa before I left for work and announced her cord had fallen off in the night. It looked really good too, her belly button that is.
So, good reports for Alyssa Noel Grace!

Oh, and she is strong! She lifts her head and keeps it lifted for quite a while! And she loves you to talk to her...she looks right at you with those big brown eyes! So cute!!!!

I took some pics last night but they are on the camera at home. I'll post some tonight hopefully.

More of Alyssa Noel Grace!!!

She is doing GREAT! She will be 2 weeks old tomorrow.

More pics of Alyssa Noel Grace!

Here are some more pics, taken on Tuesday! I haven't been back up to the hospital to see them again since then because of work and youth group yesterday, but I will be sure to get some more taken as soon as they come home, which should be today or tomorrow!

God bless!

Welcome Alyssa Noel Grace!!!

She was born at 2:45 pm today, well yesterday, technically now, December 31, 2007! She is 7 lbs 14 oz, 19 inches long and a full head of long, dark hair! She is beautiful!!! For those of you who don't know, my niece Kara is the mom to Alyssa. Kara moved up here from New Mexico back in the summer. Here's the birth story! About 11:30 today, while at work, I received a voice mail from my mom stating that Kara is going to have a C-section about 2:00 pm. So, I called mom back but got her voicemail. Then Jeff called me, and said he just got a call from my mom (waking him up since he is on midnights this week) stating Kara was going to have a C-section this afternoon. So, while I was talking to Jeff, Mom was calling me back, so I hung up with Jeff and got the scoop from Mom. Kara's due date was anywhere between the 22nd and 27th of this month. Friday, she had a stress test to make sure the baby was okay, and she was just fine. So, they had her go in for an ultra-sound this morning to take a peek at her, and estimate her weight and so on. Well, it appeared she was close to 9 lbs. and her amniotic fluid was low. The Dr. and the midwife told Kara that they could strip her membrane, then give her a sleeping pill, and then induce labor tomorrow (today, now, technically). But, they figured that even if they did all that, she had a 50/50 chance of having to have a C-section anyway, because they thought she was going to be so big. So, Kara opted to go ahead with the C-section now. I must say, not ever having a C-section or being right there when someone who has had one, it was fast! My Mom went in the operating room with her, but I was right outside in the recovery room. They let me wait there because there weren't any other patients in there at the time. They wheeled Kara into the operating room about 2:10 or so, prepped her for the C-section, while Mom got all dressed up in the scrubs (I took a picture of her on her camera). Then they came and got Mom, and about 15 minutes, or so later out came Mom and a nurse holding Alyssa!!! I got to hold her right away! I was the first...yeah!!!! She is so precious! So, while Kara was in the operating room being stitched and cleaned up, Alyssa was being weighed and measured. Then they wheeled Kara out into the recovery room. We hung out there for over an hour, while they finished cleaning Alyssa and checking Kara. Trisha and Ethan showed up for a few minutes. Ethan touched her very gently on the head, but mostly he just stared at her. It was cute! Alyssa is a great "sucker"! She came out wanting the breast right away, and if she doesn't have something in her mouth, almost at all times, she is fussing! Kara is getting the hang of breast-feeding and Alyssa is getting the hang of this big, bright world! It looks like her eyes might be dark brown, but we will see. My sister says Alyssa looks like Kara when Kara was a baby, and yes, I can see the resemblence. Congratulations Kara! And welcome Alyssa Noel Grace! I love you both!!!!! Great Auntie Mary

Babies

Jeff was talking to his parents Christmas day, and was commenting on all the little kids that were at our house for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Let's see there was our Grandson, Ethan - just shy of 15 months old, our nephew, Tyler - just shy of 8 months, Gary, our nephew - just turned 3 on Dec. 11 and Cory, our nephew, who just turned 4 on Oct. 28. The thought was about how Jeff and I have chosen not to have a baby of "our own" together, but, how he's been blessed with all these other babies and has gotten to experience, somewhat, what it's like to have a baby around. Ethan has stayed the night with us a few times, so he's even experienced what it's like to have a baby keep you up at night. LOL. And he's even experience what it's like to wait for a baby to be born. When Trisha was in labor with Ethan, we went to the hospital at 3 in the morning, and while Jeff didn't go in the labor room, he waited patiently in the waiting room until she delivered him around 6 am. And he got to go see him right after he was born. And now, my niece, Kara, who is due any day, and since she moved up here to Michigan when she was just about 4 months pregnant, he's gotten to experience watching 2 bellies grow with babies (Kara's and Trisha's).

I don't know why I was thinking about this right now, other than it came up at Christmas with all the kids running around and how much we've enjoyed watching Ethan grow from a newborn to the rambunctious 15 month old he is now. We can't wait to see more exciting adventures from the little ones! LOL.