Daniel Louis! Internet debut and update.

He's here! And it is indeed Daniel! Big brother Anthony was right all along.

 Daniel Louis Keane

born Thursday, February 12, 2015

12:16 a.m.

4 lbs. 11 oz, 18"

He was born a month early. I promised a birth story, and I do want to write that all down for my own benefit as well. Bottom line: God is good. But first I want to jump ahead a bit to today, for the friends and family more interested in the immediate present. Feel free to skip and come back for the exciting stuff.

 

Here's a photo from yesterday.  He does that furrowed forehead exactly like his Pop-Pop! I had a very long night last night, trying to get him to eat. He is very small, even for being born at 36 weeks. See how the whites of his eyes are yellowish? Yes, jaundice. At the pediatrician on Tuesday she said she wasn't concerned that he needed photo therapy, but to bring him back in if he slept through more than one feeding or just started to feed poorly. Well, he did that last night and I did not want to take him out in -12 degree weather if I could help it! This was not quite unexpected, since jaundice in babies of his gestational age tends to peak at about one week. By morning he was doing better, thank God. 

A curious thing about jaundice is the yellow tinge starts at the top of the body and works its way down. As it gets better, the yellow disappears from the bottom up. If you press on the skin, it's definitely yellow or white. So if you're seeing yellow on the legs, that's really bad. His was down to his belly button and now it's about at upper chest, so definitely improving! He's also much more alert, staying quietly awake for a full hour this afternoon. He hasn't be awake that long since he was born.

 

 

Anthony and Katie Rose both love their brother very much. Anthony especially dotes on Daniel. He's very proud of choosing his name! When we've had the older children hold the baby Anthony says, "I get to hold him first because I named him!" 

Anthony won't be able to hold him for a little while longer at least, because today he suddenly came down with a fever and very sore throat. I discovered the fever WHILE he was holding Daniel, so please please pray that our baby doesn't get sick! For a four-year-old he has an amazing grasp of how the immune system works, thanks to The Magic School Bus books. Seriously, I was able to explain Daniel doesn't have very strong white blood cells yet to fight off any germs, so he has to stay away from Daniel until he's all better. Anthony should be better in a few days, but if Daniel got sick he would probably have to go to the hospital again. I've heard no fuss about it since. He's been very good about washing hands and covering coughs, things we'd have to remind him constantly of before.

Taken yesterday, before illness!

 Let's end with something happy. How we came up with Daniel Louis: "Daniel" is the name given to him by Anthony when I was about six weeks pregnant. My belly was perhaps ever so slightly bigger, perhaps only noticeable to someone who is eye level with my belly button. He hugged me around the tummy and said thoughtfully, "Hmm. Is there a baby in your tummy?" 

Well, I could hardly deny a point-blank question, and said, "Yes there is."

"That's my baby brother Daniel." He's consistently called this child "Daniel" ever since! I've never received any explanation as to why "Daniel," but pretty soon all of us were calling him that. Too late to change it by the time he was born! 

"Louis" is after three saints to whom we have devotion: St. Louis de Montfort, King Louis IX of France, and Blessed Louis Martin. Daniel's godfather Tom's middle name is also Louis, so that seemed like a neat and subtle tribute.

Since he has three Louises, we'll celebrate his feast day on July 21, the feast of the Biblical prophet Daniel.