bouncin' around

today, i got to try out my bouncy seat for the first time. i don't quite have the hang of how to work it yet, so mommy and daddy have to bounce it by hand for me. but i really like sitting in it, especially when daddy makes it vibrate. someday i'll be big enough (& coordinated enough) to make it bounce myself.

my first bath

last night, grammie helped mommy and daddy give me my first official bath at home. i didn't much like not having anything on, and so i cried through most of bath time. i am sure i will come to like it more someday...but for now, boy do i need my paci!!

off to the pediatrician

mommy and grammie took me for my first pediatrician appointment today. it was just a two-day follow-up to check my weight and my coloring. mommy was so excited when the nurse weighed me and i was 7 lbs. 3 oz. - already almost back to my birth weight. the doctor said that meant daddy no longer needed to give me supplemental formula and mommy no longer needed to pump. yeah, her milk is in and i am gaining like a champ!

gampa and grammie

completely relaxed in gampa's arms

making a memory of grammie

gampa and grammie (mommy's parents) came into town the first night mommy was in labor since my arrival was obviously imminent (even though i waited another three days!). gampa stayed until the wednesday after i was born, and grammie stayed two weeks. it was comforting to have other loving family with whom i got to cuddle those first few days in the hospital. and i know mommy and daddy really appreciated having them around for love and support through those difficult days. i can't wait to grow up and spend more time with them. gampa and i can go fishing, play with water guns, eat lots of junk food, and take care of people together. grammie will read me lots of books, give me lots of hugs, and teach me to be a good helper. thanks gampa and grammie for already loving me so much!

my birth story

at peace in daddy's hands

my parents and I had a crazy birth experience. both my mom and dad were dedicated to having a totally natural birth. they even took bradley classes to prepare best for the big day!

the original birth plan was to labor and deliver at mountain midwifery birth center in denver, colorado, where we live. but after 44 hours of prodromal labor at home and 12 hours of active labor at the birth center (where my mom stayed at 7 cm for over 6 hours), my parents and the midwife decided it was in my best interest to be transferred to swedish hospital where my mom could have an epidural and get some rest, allowing her body to recover and hopefully progress. this was a very tough decision for my parents because it was not the way they wanted me to enter the world. my mom had done an amazing job enduring what she had so far and dad was such a great coach for her (he would have made dr. bradley so proud!), but it was time for us to relax a little in order to still have the best chance for a vaginal birth and not go for an emergency c-section.

thank you dr. godina...you're awesome!

unfortunately, due to my position (i was sunny side up - my back was to her back), labor was very painful for my mom. the doctor who stepped in for us at the hospital, dr. godina (a wonderful, patient, and funny man), also determined i was asynclitic - basically, i was coming out a little crooked...there was no way my head would fit through mommy's pelvis if i wasn't straight on. so the nurses began having her lay in different positions to see if i would turn. mom tried pushing for 3 hours, and even let the doctor try the vacuum in the hopes that I would turn just enough to slide out. but nothing worked. what can i say, i’m stubborn!

our first family photo

so, with lots of tears and sad hearts, my mom ended up needing a c-section. it was not the calm, peaceful environment my parents were hoping for, but in the end, we still ended up with “healthy momma, healthy baby”...all that we truly wanted. and my dad was awesome - he never left me alone. he went everywhere i went after i was born, and then was able to take me to see mommy in recovery where i nursed for the first time. after all that, everything was better when i got to snuggle with mommy and daddy afterwards in our room!

during our three days in the hospital, i had to go to the nursery every few hours to get my vitals checked by the nurses. daddy always went with me so I was never alone. when mommy was feeling better, both of them started going everywhere with me. with all the strange faces i saw throughout the day, it was comforting to know that either mommy, daddy, or both, were always by my side. i have a feeling they always will be. they are the best!

so although it wasn't the birth experience mommy and daddy anticipated, we are all very grateful to aubrey and tiffany, the midwife and nurse at the birth center, as well as dr. godina and all the wonderful nurses (mary, lori, ivy, nancy, and mary jo) we came to know and trust at the hospital. our experience was long, sad, and heartwrenching, but at the same time, amazing and rewarding, too. thanks to everyone for making my entrance into the world such a success!