We didn’t get quite as much sleep this night, so Mommy took a little nap in the morning and late afternoon and Daddy took a nap in the afternoon.  Mommy is SO GLAD that Daddy could take off work and be here with you!  He is such a wonderful Daddy.  He changes lots of diapers, is a master swaddler, and always feeds you your bottle.  He likes to just look at you when you’re sleeping and to hold you.  You have him wrapped around your little finger!  Mommy is officially in love with you as well – you are so beautiful and amazing!  We are so glad that you joined our family and I love you so, so much.  There’s no way that anyone could have told me anything that could prepare me for how I feel about you.  It is so neat that your Daddy and I made you, that I carried you for 36 ½ weeks, that I gave birth to you – and now you’re here, in our world.  We have been taking lots of pictures and sharing them with our family. 

Lynn Wilhelm (neighbor, Maddie’s mom) is bringing us dinner tonight, and Elizabeth is going to come over and bring some things that we need and notarize our will.

We’re looking forward to Grandma and Grandpa visiting tomorrow (Saturday).  Nana is going to come to stay for a while on Monday night.  Daddy is going to go back to work on Thursday, July 5 so Mommy can use the help!  Aunt Melissa will be here on Saturday, July 7 through Monday the 9^th before she goes to Italy, and then will be here again on her way back home to Little Rock.  We need to figure out when everyone else will visit!

Sandy Lackey brought us dinner, a pork tenderloin, green beans, and fruit.  We talked on the phone a lot to everyone who loves you!  Daddy made a trip to the bank and the grocery store.  Thursday night/Friday morning you woke up a couple of times in between feedings, once because of a poopy diaper and once because you had a wet diaper that sort of came off and everything was a bit wet.  (It’s hard to change diapers when you’re sleepy!)  Mommy’s milk fully came in so she has lots of good food to give to you, although it’s harder for you to get food that way than from the bottle so you get a little frustrated.

This was your first full day at home.  You went to the pediatrician at 11AM, and it was hard to figure out everything we needed to take with us.  You definitely needed lots of diapers!  Dr. Sivan Hines checked you out and said that you look great, very healthy.  We made an appointment for the following Thursday to check on your weight gain.  We’re lucky that Sara from church let us borrow her infant scale, so that we can check at home as well.  We know that you are gaining weight and eating well.  Jennifer Sande (Michelle’s mom) brought us a Moses basket and a bouncy seat that Michelle had used, which was really nice!  Heather Steve brought us dinner – fajitas – and Amanda and Dean Matthews also came to visit and brought pork tenderloin.  We have lots of food!

At the hospital you got to see lactation consultants and an occupational therapist to help you with sucking on a bottle.  Since you were a little early, you were a bit reluctant to eat.  Mommy started pumping so that she’d be ready for you when you got stronger, and so that you got the good stuff along with supplemental formula when you ate.  We had lots of help from the nurses, who helped us take care of you and helped Mommy to recover.  We were able to get a little bit of sleep overnight, with the nursery taking over one or two of your feedings.  The nurses checked on you a lot, especially your glucose levels and your temperature, since babies who are born early can’t regulate their temperature as well.  We made sure that you were very warm and swaddled snugly all the time.  They also did a test when you were in your car seat to make sure that you could breathe in that position.  You passed everything with flying colors.  By Monday night we were looking forward to taking you home the next day!  Kristen Moody came to visit you on Monday.  On Monday night Ben went to Mark’s house to install the car seat (we had the car seat itself, but hadn’t installed it yet since we thought we had a bit more time).  Scott Yates from church came by Tuesday morning before we left and brought a present for you, which was very nice.  The pediatrician said that you were doing great and could go home – so we got ready!

Mommy sat in the back seat while Daddy drove us home.  Mommy can only go up and down the stairs once a day while she recovers, so Daddy had a really big job!  That night, Kim Khanolkar brought us dinner, and then Thomas and Christine Lopian (our next door neighbors) also brought dinner and met you.  We are so grateful to have so much help and to not have to worry about what to eat!  Crack (Chris) and Jaime Thomas came to visit.  They brought batteries for your bouncy seat.

We weren’t sure what to expect from our first night, but you really slept a lot the first few days.  We had to wake you up for your feedings the first night.

After that, you were born quickly – at 12:01AM – just in time to be born on Sunday, June 24.  The doctor brought you to me so that I could see you, and Dr. Allen handed the scissors to Daddy to cut the umbilical cord.  Daddy said no thanks!

Daddy got to go with you when the high-risk team checked you out (they were there just in case, since you were early), but your Apgars were great – 8 after the first minute, 9 at 5 minutes – and you didn’t have any problems breathing at all.  They left quickly, and the nurses got you all cleaned up.  Mommy couldn’t wait for the nurses to bring you back to her.

We had a little time in the delivery room to bond as a family before they took you to the nursery to run some tests.  Mommy was absolutely exhausted – getting you out was hard work! – and a bit queasy so she needed some rest.  They brought you back to the room early Sunday morning.

On Sunday, you had several visitors.  Mark Griffith came by with some much needed essentials – some preemie diapers and 5 onesies and a sleeper in preemie sizes (since we hadn’t expected you to be so small, we didn’t have anything for you to wear!) Amanda Matthews and Elizabeth Boylin and Paula Pahl, Kristin Buehlman, and Katie all came to meet you.

Mommy woke up at 1:30 AM and thought that her water might have broken.  Since you had only been inside me for 36 ½ weeks, it was a bit early to go into labor!  Mommy waited a little while, but decided to call the doctor to see what to do.  Dr. Allen said that we should come to the hospital that night.  We hadn’t packed any bags yet, but Mommy had a list of things to bring, so Daddy and Mommy threw things together and drove to the hospital.

There they tested and said that Mommy’s water hadn’t broken yet, but that she was having regular contractions (which she couldn’t feel – they didn’t hurt yet) so they wanted to monitor her.  We walked for 45 minutes and then were monitored for a while longer.  Some of the nurses said that it was just false labor, but one nurse said that she thought she’d see us back that evening.  Eventually the hospital said that we could go home. 

We stopped for chick-fil-a for breakfast and then took a nap.  Then Daddy was going to go to the Braves Bus Trip, where every year a bunch of our friends rent a bus and go to a Braves game.  He was in the parking lot at 2:00PM and ready to go when Mommy called.  She thought again that she was leaking amniotic fluid but wasn’t sure.  Daddy made the very good decision to come home! 
We tried to take a nap but Mommy started having some contractions.  She thought that they were Braxton-Hicks contractions since they felt a lot like the back pain she’d had throughout her pregnancy.  So she rested a bit and waited.  They started hurting more around 4PM, but we still thought it was from the lack of sleep and stress. 

After waiting a bit, with the contractions much stronger and close together, we finally decided to go to the hospital about 6.  Daddy was writing down the contractions as he was driving!  We got there at 6:30, and by the time the nurse checked Mommy at 7:00PM, she was 4 to 5 cm dilated!  Mommy got some quick narcotics that were supposed to “take the edge off.”  Daddy called our family and friends to let them know that I was definitely in labor.  Derek was still on the Braves Bus Trip and announced the news to everyone who was there, and there was a big cheer – they were all looking forward to your arrival!

Even though she was still nauseated pretty much the whole time and afterwards, by 8:30PM Mommy got an epidural that made her feel MUCH better.  It was a little weird – like her legs were asleep – but she couldn’t feel the contractions, just pressure.  Jean was our nurse and she was really nice and helpful.  By 10PM, it was time to push.  Daddy did a great job – even though he passes out at the dentist’s office and doesn’t like blood at all, he was right there helping Mommy push and even saw your head!  After a lot of pushing, Dr. Allen said that he needed to use forceps for the delivery.  Mommy and Daddy looked at each other – since this wasn’t what we hoped – but decided that it was the best way to get you out safely.  So even though you have a little conehead at first, it will go away fast.