On Tuesday, March 13th, Michelle and Drew had their third girl, Makinzie Brielle Shade. She had some breathing problems, so they took the baby to another hospital an hour and a half away. Kinzie got her first helicopter ride at only a few hours old. Heidi was up at the Shades to help out arriving the day before the baby's birth. Katie and I drove up on Friday for the weekend to help with things.
Here are some photos of our trip.
I drove half way up and Katie drove the other half after lunch. It's about a 3.5 to 4 hour drive.
Look, we've been driving for two hours and we are still in Middletown. Not really, this is a sign for Middletown, PA. It seems just about every state has its own Middletown.
When we got to the Shades home, nobody was home yet. We found the baby swing all ready and one of the dolls was test-driving it. The girls got dropped off a few minutes after we arrived.
Looks like the family is almost ready for Kinzie to arrive. Just missing another 'I' and a 'Z'.
Katie made time to paint Isabelle's finger nails and toe nails.
Katie and Isabelle got busy making a St. Patrick's Day dessert. They are taking the icing off the cookies so they can make a crust of the dessert. Isabelle helped by eating the icing.
Katie spreading the mint ice cream over the cookie crumbs.
Ah, almost ready to put a layer of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup over the whole thing.
It was a very good dessert.
On Saturday morning, Katie and I drove up to the hospital to see Shelly and the baby. Shelly got discharged from her hometown hospital where she delivered Kinzie on Thursday and Heidi took her up to the hospital the baby was at. These are the kind of pictures I get on my camera when I ask Katie to hold it while I park the car.
Since it is easy to get lost at the hospital, we called Shelly when we got there and waited till she came down from the NICU to get us. We got bored waiting, so we took a few pictures of ourselves.
Oh wow, a hospital fire extinguisher.
Shelly finally came to get us. We are going up the elevator to see Makinzie.
Here she is all decked-out in her St. Patrick's Day outfit.
She had all sorts of tubes hooked-up to her for days. Today they took most of the stuff off.
Shelly and Katie with Kinzie.
Shelly and Kinzie.
Shelly, me and Kinzie.
I even got to hold her for awhile in the rocking chair.
Katie and Kinzie.
A little closer shot of Katie and Kinzie.
There was this 3-D mural outside the NICU that was a great Kodak moment.
Katie giving two thumbs up for the 3-D mural.
Katie got a little close to the turtle. She found out the hard way that it is a snapping turtle.
Across the parking lot from the hospital is the Ronald McDonald House, and this is where Shelly stayed most nights. Drew drove up the same day the baby went to this hospital and stayed a few days. He stayed here also. So did Heidi when she brought Shelly up to see her baby.
This is the room they stayed in at the Ronald McDonald House. This was a very nice place with a lot of common areas and lots to do. There were plenty of books and games and toys for kids and even a playground outside.
This is the dining area. There were seven tables.
Part of the living room area.
Another part of the living room area.
The kitchen was huge. It had two dish washers, I think three sinks, at least four stoves and several commercial refrigerators and freezers. And there was a ton of food for anybody that was staying there.
We had lunch there with Shelly before we left to return to their home.
Here is the laundry area for those that are staying there.
Here is a side view of the hospital from the Ronald McDonald House. This is the side we used to go see Kinzie in the NICU.
They have a small 'mother's room' that they invited Shelly to spend a couple of nights at so she could feed the baby every two hours or so. This is right in the NICU. That couch is a pull-out bed.
These bins are in the NICU and full of donated clothing for the babies to use. This is where Shelly found the St. Patrick's Day outfit the Kinzie was wearing.
Drew and Shelly and Kinzie in the 'mother's room'. Drew drove up a few hours after us, when Heidi got there to takeover babysitting the girls.
Kinzie all moved in at her new digs with mom.
She looks pretty peaceful here.
Katie took a picture of me to prove that I didn't make her drive the whole way.
On our way back to the Shades house, we passed Jersey Shore. We kept going cuz we didn't want to see that loudmouth brat, Snookie.
We even went by Zion. Who would have know it was in Pennsylvania?
When we got to the Shades, Isabelle and Aubree were playing on the porch with a neighbor girl.
Isabelle had a sick doll, so the neighbor girl was checking her out.
Isabelle, where did you get those shades?
Aubree was busy picking little pine cones off this tree. When she got all the ones she could reach, she got a chair and got some more.
While we drove up to see Shelly earlier, Heidi was driving down to babysit the girls and make the St. Patrick's Day dinner for all of us. Katie is pouring the green milk while Isabelle curiously looks on.
Isabelle showing us her green milk.
Aubree showing us her green milk, although she doesn't realize that we can't see it in the sippy cup.
Yum, corned beef, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, green milk and that great ice cream dessert that Katie made the night before.
Getting ready to chow down. C'mon Papa, get the picture done so we can eat!
Let's eat.
Time for pajamas and books.
Yep, we always have to get the funny-face picture.
More books.
Heidi and I bought some St. Patrick's Day hairbands and necklaces for the girls.
That night, Heidi drove back up to be with Shelly and the baby, while Drew drove back home to be with us. We went to church the next morning, came home to eat lunch and pack and then KT and I took the girls and drove back to Delaware. The girls stayed with Drew's parents for the week so Shelly and Drew could spend quiet time with the baby. Kinzie was released from the hospital on Monday afternoon and Heidi drove them to their home. Heidi stayed with them for a few more days. Drew's mom is going up to see Shelly, Drew and new Kinzie this weekend, so she will bring the girls back up.
Lots of driving and lots of coordinating things for everyone and it was a quick trip up and back for KT and I. Things all worked out and we are all thankful for that.
The End
