Thanks to everyone for their advice about jaundice. Madeline also was jaundiced, but since she was already in the NICU it was just one aspect to her treatment. We very much wanted to avoid any sort of hospital stay (we just do not need to deal with that kind of emotional trauma), not to mention any possible side effects the jaundice could inflict on little Annabel. She was already very lethargic, and that is why we opted to follow our medical team’s advice and give her formula for 24 hours. Mike and I absolutely researched both sides of it, believe me – we don’t make any decisions lightly when it comes to our children. The good news is that Annie’s bilirubin numbers dropped to 12.1 and she is officially back to breast feeding like a champ. And, now I have a nice little stash of milk frozen for any sort of emergency. Win!

I’m definitely happy that Annie’s bilirubin levels went down because her yellow skin tone was starting to make her act a little strange. Earlier today, for example, Mike turned the TV to an episode of MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” and Annie immediately locked her gaze on the screen. Mike and I joked that it must have been because she felt a connection to all the orange-skinned, overly tan guidos and guidettes on screen, then left the episode on as we went about our day. This was a mistake. Check out how I found her only a couple hours later:

gym

I immediately took the weights away from Annie, I mean those things could really hurt a newborn! But she wasn’t done acting out. Not ten minutes later Mike found her like this:

tan

Okay, so Annie’s tanning in indirect sunlight was actually a good thing considering her bilirubin levels, but where the heck did she get those sunglasses? Mike took the glasses away and told her she was too young for them (they were totally for 3-6 month olds (but of course they fit her giant Spohr Head)) and that she shouldn’t try to grow up so fast. Annie seemed to get what Mike was saying, but then, five minutes later, we found her like this:

laundry

What baby does their own laundry? Mike and I weren’t sure why Annie was acting so strange until it hit us… GTL! Gym, tan, laundry! Annie was only doing what ‘The Situation” taught her to do on “Jersey Shore!” Wow. I guess kids really shouldn’t watch TV. And those Jersey Shore people? Totally not role models. Thankfully, once we learned from Dr. Looove that Annie’s bilirubin number went down, Annie was less interested in imitating Snooki and the gang. Still, it’s cartoons only from here on out…although, I wouldn’t mind if she kept doing her own laundry.