THe blue light special is over!

So we finished home phototherapy yesterday and after one more doctor visit she got the all clear for the jaundice. Finally, no more heel sticks every day. But Sam has been a trooper. So far she has been very laid back and although we are not sure if it will last, we are enjoying it while we can. She is also back up to her birth weight, which many babies do not reach until 2 weeks. Already ahead of the curve! We laugh some at her double chin and fat rolls, but we are really thankful she is so healthy. The only time in life when you want your child to be fat.

Hard to believe she is already 1 week old! We are thoroughly enjoying her. It is already hard to imagine life without her. She is our bundle of joy.

Sam's Grand Entrance and if its not one thing its another

Samantha finally made her grand entrance in style. I started feeling pains at 8:30 Sunday night and assumed they were Braxton Hicks since they were about 2 minutes apart and I was like who starts labor at 2 minutes apart. So I tried everything to make them less painful, but to no avail. They started radiating to my back and getting more intense, even though they were not totally regular we decided to call in and were told that I was in early labor and to hang out at home until the pain got too intense. I went for a long walk and felt a little better so I tried to lie down to at least rest, as it was now about 1:30. I told Nick evidently lying down was not the answer as they got more intense and then my water broke, which meant we needed to head in. We got there at about 2:30 am and I was almost 5 cm. I got the IV and epidural (praise to the person who invented that) and then was fully dialated at 6:30, but we waited an hour because her head was not all the way down. I started pushing at 7:30 and she finally arrived at 9:31. Turns out she thought you should enter the world head and arm first. Plus she was pretty big, 8 pounds 4.3 ounces, 21" long, and her head was 14.5 inches. I am pretty proud I even got her out.

She is pretty healthy other than jaundice, which required a night in the nursery, which was really difficult on me. So we did not get home until wednesday, and since her levels went up a little more, she is now on home light therapy. But everything should be resolved by tomorrow.

The other interesting one is that Wednesday night after a few hours home, our dog Phoenix had some episode which may have been a seizure. That was a little rough, but she seems fine now and the vet said it is nothing too serious. we think it may have been the overstimulation, but both dogs seem to be adjusting well now.

Thanks for all the well wishes. Sam sends her love.

Hello Cruel World

Since I was put in charge of making this update (as Ang is quite busy), of course it is late. But we wanted to put some additional pictures up for all to see. All are still well. Sam has a very healthy appitite and although seems to believe that the world is a little unfair (she was very upset during the state of the union), seems to be holding up very well. I am sure we will be putting up more picture shortly, but I thought that this would tide you over for now.

Snow days in ATL

So we have about a week (8 days to be exact) until my due date. I am getting huge! But I am still not too miserable. The main excitement in Atlanta recently was that we got snow. Here is a picture of our house in the snow. The dogs seemed to like it, too.

The nursery

So, there are two and a half weeks left until my estimated due date, but I have been told that I should expect, but not count on, going about 8 days past as 1st kids are often late. Nick is betting that I will be in labor on Super Bowl Sunday, the Sunday after my EDD. We have been getting the nursey ready and so here are some pictures. Nick built a fake murphy bed to store the mattresses and allow us to have more space, so he is pictured next to it. He also built something to put the changing pad in on top of the dresser and he carved Precious Little One in it. You can also see the shelves, one set are attached to the wall and the other are part of the murphy bed. Plus we have the crib set up and the bassinet ready. Both were used by my brother and me, but have been fixed up to make sure they meet safety standards. We are very excited.

Lab Baby Shower

The wonderful ladies in my lab, plus Jodi our honorary member for a day, threw me an amazing luncheon shower. We played tons of games and had a great time. Here are some photos of our fun! Thanks so much ladies, you gals are great.

It is just 5 weeks to go! Hard to believe it is almost Christmas and then it will be New Years. Hope everyone has a great holiday season.

55 days and counting

So, we are getting closer. Yesterday was 55 days to go, exciting for me since 5 is my favorite number for some unknown reason. But we have less than 8 weeks until our due date, and so much left to do. The semester is almost over, which is great because it has been a bit overwhelming. Of course, there will be plenty to do over the break and into next semester. We are trying to get the nursery ready. Nick has almost finished the fake murphy bed to hide our mattress and help deal with a small room that has to do double duty. We also have more baby related things to do. We went to our infant safety and cpr class Monday night. This weekend is breastfeeding school and our baptism class. And now I go to the doctor every other week instead of just once a month. I am getting really big now, gaining about a pound a week. Pictures to come soon. Hugs to all!