Drum Roll Please

Introducing...
Spencer Blaine Peaslee
Born 9 April 2008
9:20 pm
6 lb 18 inches

Here are some pictures from the hospital from when our lil' Spensoo (as Ben calls him) was born. He is now 2 1/2 months old and is an absolute cutie! We named him Spencer after Thomas Spencer Monson, the new prophet as of this year, the year our Spencer was born. Also, Blaine is Jessi's dad's name so we stole it for Spencer's middle name. We love Spence so much and he has brought so much joy to our home. He has three older brothers who absolutely adore him and love to help Mommy take care of him.

Jess, 37 weeks prego- three days before Spencer was born. This is Conference Sunday- the day I decided I really loved the name Spencer every time I heard President Monson speak. Thomas is a great name 'n all, but I liked Spencer better. :)

Around noon on the 9th, I went into labor. My neighbor watched the boys and Gary and I had a leisurely drive to the hospital.

Once we got to the hospital, I was feeling fine, so we decided to call people and set up babysitters and call our parents.

Hi, Mom. I'm in labor!

After nine hours of labor- my longest labor by, oh, five hours, Spencer was born. He had been posterior and stuck. I do not recommend letting your baby be posterior. He was grounded right when we got home! I was sure he would be 16 pounds or something, because he just wasn't coming. But it turned out he was a teensy little six pounder and a little shorty at 18 inches long.

Spencer had respiratory distress when he was born and they immediately had to take him to the nursery to give him oxygen. It felt too much like when Andrew was born and he had to be transferred to another hospital that had a NICU. I sat and cried and worried alone in my room that I wouldn't get to be with this baby either while Gary went to the nursery with Spencer. Luckily, we were at a hospital with a little NICU and Spencer got to stay in the same hospital with me.

Gary and Spencer. He's doing a lot better in this picture. Phew!

Aw! Look at the little fella!

Once I was all taken care of, they wheeled me in to see Spencer. I didn't get to hold him yet, but I saw that he was OK and I was able to relax.

Me and Spencer just before midnight. He's doing great!

Spencer and Daddy

The next day, the boys came to meet their new brother, and get used to the idea that he wasn't a sister. :) I think they were OK with another boy once they met the cute little guy.

Andrew

Ryan

Benjamin

Spencer and my Mom

Cari, my baby sister holding my baby. Shouldn't she be sitting down?
How old does she think she is?

Jenn holding Spencer. Little did she know, they would become very close pals over the next couple of weeks, and Jenn's Ashton in the background would have a temporary little brother.

My view of the Timpanogos Temple (where we were married 7 years ago) out my window

All my kids get jaundice really bad. Andrew had to be in the NICU for ten days after he was born. Ryan had to be tested everyday for a week, as did Ben. But Ben had to be in the bili bed for about a week. I noticed Spencer's eyes were looking yellow the day after he was born. They tested him and he was jaundiced. They put him under the lights and gave him an IV to help flush out his system. His jaundice was very high, which, if it gets too high can cause brain damage. Luckily, we caught it in time and even though he went really high, it never got too bad. After he got home, he was on the bili blanket, which is nicer than the bed because you can still hold them. Jenn got to deal with that more than I did, though, because he lived with them when I went back to the hospital.

Spencer had to stay in the Level II Nursery because they had the lights and the IV. He didn't get to stay in my room with me, but they would call me when he was hungry and they'd wheel me to him in my wheelchair to feed him. "Luckily", I had had the whole NICU experience with Andrew, so this time it was easier to handle. He had great nurses who loved him and took great care of him and I got to rest.

All healthy and ready to go. Well, Spencer is!

Sweet little guy!

They always look so tiny the first time you put them in the carseat! I wish I could just hold them all the way home! Oh well. It's not the 70's anymore I guess. :) It's better this way, of course, it's just crazy when the buckle is wider than they are!

Well, that was our hospital experience with Spencer. Every labor and delivery and aftermath is different and exciting in its own way. It's always different than I imagine, but it's always been perfect and amazing!