Photogenic

Kelly Mack took some pictures of Bennett today, and we had one in particular that touched our hearts. Such a beautiful little man!

Ouch!

Mr. Bennett had not one, but two vaccinations this morning. He took em like a champ, but the look on his face said it all (see below picture). We haven't told Bennett that his next visit is for circumcision yet. I think he'll be just as shocked.

A brand new Doctor from Chicago, Dr. Chase, saw Bennett this morning. He is up to 5 pounds 13.5 ounces, and is "right on track" according to the doctor. So far, so good!

Bigger and Bigger!

We are quickly approaching Bennett's actual due date, August 30th, and he is packing on the pounds! On Thursday he weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces. He should tip the scales over 6 pounds by his due date. That's not too bad for a guy that didn't grow much in mom's tummy for at least 3 weeks.

It's been a quiet week at the Kruse house. Grandmom Linda is still keeping everybody on track, and mom and dad are getting some sleep.

We are about to sit down to dinner with Mimi (Griff's Mom) and Grandmom Linda, so we'll leave you with a few pictures of a visibly heavier Bennett.

The First Week

It's been a week of adjustment, but we couldn't be happier to have Bennett home. We can't say we've been sleeping lots, but we've been catching a few z's here and there. It's not as easy without nurses close by, but we have Grandmom Linda living in, and Bop & Mimi helping too.

Bennett arrived at home, and clearly could tell he was in a new place. He was very observant the first couple of days, and probably wondered where his favorite nurses from Riverbend disappeared to. He is really good at telling us when he needs something, and mom and dad are getting better at picking up on the cues.

We've had lots of visitors, and lots of help. Meals from friends have been especially helpful, and delicious!

He is gaining weight, and eating lots too. We expect him to weigh in over 5 pounds tomorrow at his check up.

Without further-a-do, here are some pictures from the past week. We are accepting visitors, so please drop in if you would like to say hello. Thanks for keeping Bennett in your prayers and thoughts!

Welcome to Bennett's Blog!

It's been a long month at Riverbend Hospital, but we are headed home today! We are so thankful for the support from our family, friends, and community that have helped us deal with the challenges involved with Bennett's early arrival. For those of you that haven't heard the story of Bennett's birth, here's the Reader's Digest version.

We were headed to Jen's baby shower in Seattle on July 11th, and decided to schedule Jen's third ultrasound in Eugene for convenience. The third ultrasound was scheduled because the second ultrasound showed the baby's growth was falling on the low end of the growth chart.

Jen's blood pressure was high that morning (still July 11th), for the first time in her pregnancy. After the ultrasound, we sat in our room by ourselves for quite a while and figured that something was not right. Dr. Balderston, a very kind and tall man, told us that they were going to admit Jen to the hospital for monitoring, so we were admitted to the labor and delivery unit.

As Jen was admitted, we were of the mindset that this course of action was very precautionary. When the doctor made her first visit after Jen was admitted, we quickly learned that things were more serious than we thought. Jen was ordered on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, and recommended that Jen stay in the hospital as well. This was a total shock, since Jen's pregnancy had no sign of complication to date. We were quickly faced with the reality that Jen could be in the hospital for up to one month.

Throughout the night, we learned Jen was fine, but by evening the baby's heart rate was unstable. Every 15 to 30 minutes, the baby's heart rate dipped from 160 to 90 or 80 beats per minute, which triggered team response many times through the night. Finally, at 4:59am the baby's heart rate dropped to 50 beats per minute, and did not recover. The decision was made to perform an emergency c-section. Our sweet boy Bennett William Kruse was born on July 12th at 5:29AM, only half an hour after the decision to go to surgery.

The name Bennett means "blessed one". We selected the name before he arrived, and he was so blessed to be at Riverbend Hospital that day, which may have saved his life. Jen felt no signs of distress that day, and it is scary to think what could have happened had we made it to Jen's baby shower in Seattle.

Bennett came into the world looking like a little old man, and weighing 3 pounds 8 ounces. Dr. Hoffmeister, a Neonatologist, examined him and said he was a "vigorous baby". Before he was whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, they showed Bennett to Jen while she was still on the operating table. She was able to kiss him, and said "I love you Buddy!"

With dad in tow, Bennett was moved to the NICU, and was placed on a C-PAP breathing machine, an IV to support his blood sugar, and monitoring devices. After a couple of hours, The staff was able to take Jen to Bennett's room to hold him for the first time.

Bennett's first visitors arrived the same day. The first to arrive were Mimi and Bop (Chally and Denny), followed by Grandma Linda, Grandpa Bill, Aunt Michelle, and Cousin Deanna.

We love our baby Bennett, and look forward to helping you all get to know him too. Again, welcome to Bennett's Blog!