1st Hospital Stay

We're at Mercy hospital in Des Moines, IA with Tucker. He has influenza and RSV. They are both respiratory viruses. Since a week ago Thursday he was having a hard time breathing and doing a lot of coughing and wheezing. We've been here at the hospital since Saturday morning. Because it is a virus, they can't give him any medicine for it. He was on oxygen and monitors. At 1:30 they turned his oxygen down to 21% which is the same as room air. At 2:30 they took off the nose tube and he's doing pretty well on his own. He has to keep his oxygen levels in his blood above 90% overnight on his own before we can go home. We're hoping that will be tomorrow, what a GREAT christmas present! It's been pretty rough on all three of us, but we're hanging in there. Thanks for all the calls and prayers. We'll keep updating.

Happy Christmas!

Tucker meets Isabell

Generations

Tucker, Jessika, Jerry Avise-Rouse (Jessika's Dad), Velma Rouse (Jerry's Mom)














Tucker, Doyle, Phillip Spence (Doyle's Dad), (Ruth Spence (Phil's Mom)), Leota Houlette
(Ruth's Mom)











Tucker, Doyle, Phil, Charley Spence (Phil's Dad)













Tucker, Doyle, Christy Spence (Doyle's Mom), Melva Conz (Christy's Mom)











Tucker Allen, Doyle, Christy, George Allen Conz (Christy's Dad)

Just Pictures

Leia wants all of Dad's attention even when he's feeding the baby!












I love this shirt and have been calling him my "funny bug" since the day he wore it!



















I think he's sleeping in the Heisman pose!















Awe! Loving the puppy!

First Smile!!

Tucker gave us his first "real" smile on the 6th of December. Mommy was talking to him and grinning at him and he smiled right back. Then when Daddy got home from work he smiled at him too. Now we can't stop him! It's adorable, but I haven't been lucky enough to catch a really good on one camera. Here are a couple of almost smiles.

Decorating for Christmas

TAS with his Taz ornament for this year! We tried to get a cute picture with Tucker and Leia in Santa hats, but as you can see, neither of them would cooperate! Our tree is getting too small for all our ornaments, we may have to get a bigger one soon!

1 Month

Tucker turned a month old on the 30th of November. We got him weighed that day and he was 9 pounds! He's really a great eater. On Monday, he had his one-month checkup. He weighed 9 lbs 5 oz which is in the 25th percentile and was 20 3/4 inches long which is in the 10th percentile. We didn't really expect him to be very tall considering how short both of us are! He does pretty well at night, only waking up to eat mostly. But, he's very loud, when he's eating and even sleeping. He grunts and sqeaks all night. He's beginning to be awake a lot more during the day, which has really been fun. He's so close to smiling back at us, I can't wait! Even though I'm very sleep deprived, it's been amazing. He is a great baby! Here he is at one month!

Things that Change When You Have a Baby

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
16. You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have.
17. You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night.
18. You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having.
19. You discover an inner strength you never thought you had.
20. You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule.
21. You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one.
22. Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog.
23. You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late.
24. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury.
25. You realize that you can love a complete stranger.

Copied from babycenter.com

Random Cute Pictures

His first milk mustache!













We love this hat, it's so cute! Outfit from Great Grandma Rouse and Grandpa Avise-Rouse












Anyone seen Zoolander? This is his male-model pose!












Tummy-time on his quilt from Grandma Spence













Sleeping in his pack-n-play













"Daddy's Little Wingman", he wore this shirt when we met daddy for lunch in Loveland last week.











Hanging with Dad













Meeting Uncle Miah for the first time













And Aunt Korey


















Tucker's first snow!!!!

Growing like a weed!

Tucker has been eating great and growing like crazy! We've been going to the breastfeeding clinic 2x a week to check his weight. On Nov 5th he was at 5 lbs 10 oz, on the 8th he was at 6 lbs 1 oz and yesterday, the 13th he was at 6 lbs 10 oz!! The goal is 3/4 to 1 oz a day, and he gained 9 oz in 5 days this week! They have all been very impressed, I guess boys in particular are harder to get up to weight if they are born small, but he's doing amazing! He's a very vocal boy, he has tons of grunts and squeaks. And he pees all the time. Just yesterday he got dad, his face, the wipe box and all over the changing pad. Doyle headed back to work yesterday. It was hard on him and us. We did well together, but we missed him! We are so excited for Thanksgiving and for Tucker to meet Uncle Miah and Aunt Korey.






Tucker and Dad in their firefighter shirts. Tucker's says "Daddy's Hero"


First Bath!!
Hooded towel from Great Grandma Rouse
Sleeping like Rouse's

Leia still wants in on everything

Our VERY little man!

Everything is going great here. Tucker is an amazing baby. He doesn't fuss much at all, and just had his first "big" cry on the way home from church last night. He was hungry and doesn't like his car seat (I think it's a little too big for him) . He is off the supplemental formula and doing great, he's almost back up to his birthweight already, 5 lbs 12 oz at the breastfeeding clinic today. I had my first appt to check my stitches today and eveything is going well for me too. I can go up and down stairs now, but I still have to wait another week to drive, or lift Tucker in his car seat. Thanks so much for all the congratulations. We can't wait for him to meet all of you!

Our first "full" family photo! Not quite professional, but still pretty cute!


I am in love with all his dark hair!













He's really found his fingers the last day, and loves to eat on them.











Tucker in his firefighter preemie outfit from great-grandma and grandpa riding on his fire truck from the Olsaskys!




















4 generations!













Leia has been doing pretty well. She didn't want anything to do with him at first, but now she'll sniff at his head. She still thinks she's being neglected and so she tries to get in on anything she thinks will get her attention!