Our Little Egg Has Hatched

Micah David's much anticipated arrival finally came on February 28 at 5:55 in the evening. We could not have been more in love with our, 7 lb 6 oz and 21 1/2 inches long, bundle of joy. And I am pleased to announce that even after two weeks of no sleep, asking the question "what's that smell?" more times than anyone would care to know, an ER visit, being used as dispensary for various bodily functions, developing some questionable hygiene habits, and adjusting to life in general with an infant we are STILL as in love with him as we were two weeks ago and probably even more : )

For those whom this sort of thing fascinates I have been asked to share some details about how the birthing process went for me. I was extremely fortunate in that my labor went as easily as my pregnancy had gone. My delivery from the time we got to the hospital, they induced me, I pushed, and he arrived, lasted a little under 8 hours. The staff at the hospital were wonderful and very attentive. We were fortunate that both my doctor and the pediatrician that we selected were both on call that weekend so we were able to see our own doctors throughout our entire stay. Brandon was the most supportive and patient birthing coach I could have asked for. The nurses commented on how well we worked together and I attribute a large part of having a successful delivery to the way he kept me calm and comfortable. Overall the birthing experience was quite pleasant and I praise God for keeping Micah and I safe throughout the entire process. Now I am not bragging, ok maybe a little, but I feel justified because the days that followed were not quite as easy. Micah was and still is a good little eater, but he was working too hard because by the time we had come home from the hospital he had lost 10% of his body weight. Initially doctors were not concerned until day 4 and 5 when the poor little guy did not have a bowel movement for over 24 hours (sorry if that is TMI but to be fair you were warned). Now in this day of "information" I did what any new mother would do I jumped online and begin diagnosing Micah and myself.  I convinced myself that Micah fit the description of at least 5 different diseases including Hirschsprung disease, which according to the website now matter how funny it is to say is no laughing matter!  I became more and more alarmed with my "research" so I called his doctor which then turned into a recommendation to go straight to Childrens Mercy's ER. Now I would like to consider myself a rationale person, poised if you will, but at the very mention of the "ER" I broke down! After a very anxious hour of waiting the doctor saw Micah and she confirmed what all those around me were saying that he was fine, but perhaps a tad hungry. We were able to speak to a lactation consultant and come up with a feeding plan to include supplementation. Micah is much happier and we are much more rested. When we went back to the doctor he had gained weight so we are headed in the right direction. It is still a slow process, with moments of frustration, but I am confident that if we keep working at it it will eventually work itself out. And if it doesn't we are happy as long as Micah is a healthy, chunky little baby. It is reassuring to know that God's hand was, and still is on that situation and we will continue to trust.

It is obvious that Micah is one of the most loved babies on planet earth! I have written almost 200 thank you notes in the past few months for people who have given us things for Micah. We could not be more grateful for all the generosity we have received. In addition to all the generous gifts we are loving having a revolving door of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends coming to visit us. At this rate he may never learn to walk because he is constantly being passed around from one adoring set of arms to another ; )

We have been staying with my Mom and Dad until our house is completed (our new move in date is now April 1st) where I have been enjoying having my Mom's help. It has been especially helpful to have Mom around after Brandon went back to work last week. Now that Micah is a little over two weeks old we seem to have found a routine. He is a wonderful night time baby and would probably sleep all night if I let him, but we are still trying to wake him every 3-4 hours to eat so we can keep practicing the feeding thing. During the day he is somewhat of an energizer bunny and chooses to be awake and active more than most newborns, or so I am told! He settles in the evening and starts sleeping for longer stretches. Now, the burning question is always "and Mom how are you feeling?" Well other than the usual adjustments to having a newborn and that fact that every time I pass a mirror I wince, I'm great…ha! All joking aside, I am soaking up every second of being an overly cautious, picture obsessed, baby hog, first time Mommy. As I write this post Micah is happily curled up in my arms taking a snooze and as I watch him sleep I can hardly remember what life was like before him. I am truly blessed : )

Andrea

p.s.- I will leave you with a few of the best pictures from the Micah photo collection, which I am almost ashamed to admit has reached a total of over 1,000 already in his short life.