Last week, Cheney and Rumsfeld go into the oval office to brief the president on the day's affairs. Upon entering, and after the normal niceties, Bush turns to Rumsfeld and asks "So what happened yesterday in Iraq?"
"Well Mr. President" Rumsfeld says while looking down at his feet "Three Brazilian officers were killed in heavy combat yesterday."
The president clutches his heart. Reels for a second and then plops into his chair, obviously shaken with the news and says "Oh my God Donald... Just how many is a Brazillion?"
So it's been awhile.
Even as I write this, I do so with one hand. I'm currently feeding the son his "brazillionth" bottle today. He's a pooping, eating, pooping machine. With a side of sleep.
I have been wanting to write more, and I keep trying, I just have so much on my plate right now. But I promise to find the time in this next week. It's amazing how fast time flies. Kiah is a month old today! How crazy is that? In his four short weeks of life, he has been to my hotel twice, church three times, a shower, the mall, a bunch of stores, and the highest suspension bridge in the world! He's gonna be so cool, we won't know what to do with him. He fell asleep during the Cubs beating today. Too bad they can only lose once today, otherwise, we'd appreciate the other nap.
Sarah's been sleeping for awhile. She's needed the rest so badly, and when I can be home, I want to make sure I relieve her of her baby duties. It's nice that he's partially bottle-fed, which means that I can wake up with him at night, and babysit for extended periods. I did two nights ago, and Sarah went for a haircut. It's adorable. Real short. I'll post some pics of her soon.
Oh! Kaitlin, Sarah's youngest sister, is coming out on Wednesday to stay for a couple weeks! We're real excited about it, and are looking forward to Kiah spending some quality time with his aunt. There's still no word on when anyone from my family will be able to come, but Sarah's parents and sister Jessica will be coming out to pick Kait up and drive back home. Its so nice to have family around.
In other family news, my sister Tammy had her baby, Eowyn Jeane. She's pretty cute, for a girl... just kidding, she's adorable. Kid has a ton of dark hair... My mom went out to be with her for a week or so, and my brothers are going to stay with her while my parents go to Africa for a few weeks. They are specing out the city in Tanzania they are going to, and will get to see Tammy, Josh and the baby before they head out. Wish we could go, but it's not to be. At least not now.
Well, I gotta go. Looks like he's going to sleep, and I don't want to wake him.
Peace
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Olympic baby sitter
Here's a pic from today of Sarah's Olympic student, Halie Kim. It'll be neat for him to see that he was held by an Olympic speed skater when he was little... pretty cool.
Tired but happy...
Well I've been wiped lately. The schedule is nice, but I am at work ALL THE TIME. It's hard to get up and leave the baby and my baby every morning, but I am so happy to have a job that's paying off, I know it's the right thing.
In more pressing news, my sister Tammy had her baby yesterday morning. Her name is Eowyn Jeanne. I think I spelled that right. She was only 7 pounds 11 ounces, but she was 20.75" long. Pretty nice sized baby. I'm sure she's adorable, but we haven't been able to see her yet. If you read Tammy's blog, or know her... be sure to send congratulations. Her husbands name is Josh.
The family is pretty excited. My mom is headed out to NY to be with them during the first few weeks, much like Sarah's mom has done with us.
Oh! In other news, I was awarded "Team champion of the month" for May. It's basically "Employee of the month", but has a different name.
It's still an honor, and can't hurt my reputation. I've been doing much better with the employees under me lately. I try not to think of them as "under"... I know that came out wrong. But in this case, you really have to assert yourself, or they'll run all over you. I had to confront someone the other day for the way she spoke to me. I did it privately of course, but since then, she's been friendlier and much more comfortable in our relationship. I just needed to tell her where I stood, and that was that.
I've really put my nose to the grindstone, especially in the area of valet/bellmen. I care about them, and I want to make things better. Now I'm in the position to do just that. We have a department meeting for them on Friday, and I'll lay out our new gameplan that I've developed then.
Pardon the dullness of my writing if it has been. I feel as though my artistic, interesting side has really been under strain lately. Probably due to lack of sleep. I will close with this adorable pic of our son. In true colors.
In more pressing news, my sister Tammy had her baby yesterday morning. Her name is Eowyn Jeanne. I think I spelled that right. She was only 7 pounds 11 ounces, but she was 20.75" long. Pretty nice sized baby. I'm sure she's adorable, but we haven't been able to see her yet. If you read Tammy's blog, or know her... be sure to send congratulations. Her husbands name is Josh.
The family is pretty excited. My mom is headed out to NY to be with them during the first few weeks, much like Sarah's mom has done with us.
Oh! In other news, I was awarded "Team champion of the month" for May. It's basically "Employee of the month", but has a different name.
It's still an honor, and can't hurt my reputation. I've been doing much better with the employees under me lately. I try not to think of them as "under"... I know that came out wrong. But in this case, you really have to assert yourself, or they'll run all over you. I had to confront someone the other day for the way she spoke to me. I did it privately of course, but since then, she's been friendlier and much more comfortable in our relationship. I just needed to tell her where I stood, and that was that.I've really put my nose to the grindstone, especially in the area of valet/bellmen. I care about them, and I want to make things better. Now I'm in the position to do just that. We have a department meeting for them on Friday, and I'll lay out our new gameplan that I've developed then.
Pardon the dullness of my writing if it has been. I feel as though my artistic, interesting side has really been under strain lately. Probably due to lack of sleep. I will close with this adorable pic of our son. In true colors.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Double up
Sarah posted these pictures to her site, so you're not seeing anything new... Unless you haven't checked hers... But I wanted them here on this site for memories-sake.
Enjoy.
By the way... Kiah latched on yesterday, and really started breastfeeding. It's about time. I joked in the hospital that we're going to have to get him a little shirt that says "I suck at sucking." Now that he's gotten the hang of eating this way, it'll be alot less work for Sarah, and he won't have to wait for the bottle to warm up. It's a win-win.
Work is going great, but the long days are kind of getting to me this week.
Thanks to all the people who have called, or sent cards/flowers, or cooked meals. We're really thankful for the care you've shown us.
Enjoy.
By the way... Kiah latched on yesterday, and really started breastfeeding. It's about time. I joked in the hospital that we're going to have to get him a little shirt that says "I suck at sucking." Now that he's gotten the hang of eating this way, it'll be alot less work for Sarah, and he won't have to wait for the bottle to warm up. It's a win-win.
Work is going great, but the long days are kind of getting to me this week.
Thanks to all the people who have called, or sent cards/flowers, or cooked meals. We're really thankful for the care you've shown us.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Life with a baby.
Well, I haven't really had a chance to write much this week. I hope the pictures have sufficed to a degree. I will continue to post those... so you shouldn't have to worry about a complete lack of content from the Jim camp.
Hezekiah has been incredible. He is such a good baby. At this point, he really doesn't know what to do if he's awake other than eat, so he can be frustrated, and root around for food even if he isn't hungry. But this morning, he seemed to get that he can just lay there and look around. And that's what he did. It was great. He's been laying and looking for like an hour now. He has such big beautiful eyes. He's very lively, and very strong. He flipped himself over at 4 days old, which is almost unheard of, and he can do it whenever, so it wasn't just a fluke. The good thing is that I got it on video, so I can prove it. I've burned cds with pics and videos for our parents. I'd like to do more, but I ran out of cds. Things always go that way. I want to manipulate the video files into smaller sizes so I can send them via email, but we don't have the upgraded version of quicktime, which would be the best way to do that. So if you want videos, and want to buy the baby a present... just kidding. We'll get the upgrade as soon as we can, and then it will be video heaven.
Work went well this week. I haven't gotten any flack, with the exception of a few front desk agents that feel for some reason that I should inherently know how the front desk software works before I'm a manager in their department. They apparently missed the "Trainee" memo. And even if I wasn't, often times, you are called to manage the people who do a job, without knowing how to do it yourself yet. That's why you learn. Everyone else has been awesome. I got to go to a couple meetings this week, and that was incredible. Such a fun group of people. Javier, my favorite manager, was in a meeting with me, and the subject of conversation among the other managers was mice. Night audit said that they saw something little and brown running from the restaurant to the Summit ballroom. Javier looked up with a guilty look and said "Was it me?" I love these people.
Sarah's healing steadily, and apparently winning the breastfeeding battle. Everyone's emails and myspace comments have really been encouraging her, so thank you. She's droppin weight pretty quickly, despite the fact that Kiah hasn't been breastfeeding from the get-go.
Oh, music. I really gave alot of thought to what Kiah should hear first. What kind of music would be best? Should it be something that matters to Sarah and I? Should it be something slow or fast? Well, I decided that something timeless and high quality. So I decided on Beethoven. I know, it seems so blasé. Tons of people listen to Beethoven, especially with a baby, because "It makes their brains develop faster..." blah blah blah. But I really felt that if one is going to be introduced to music, it should be a moment of unique beauty. One that encapsulates why music matters so much. Why it is what it is. All hard and soft music alike relies on music's amazing ability to stir the soul. And Ludwig Van stirs the soul. In every piece of music he touched... nearly deaf... he felt the essence of music so personally that he can reach into my soul every single time. I decided that the first piece of music by Beethoven that touched me, the moonlight sonata, would be an appropriate place to start. Something subtle, something beautiful... something perfect. I sat in the rocking chair I bought Sarah for our upcoming 5th anniversary. (It's the wooden anniversary, and I couldn't think of a more suiting present for the wooden anniversary. I have to thank Sarah's mom for the idea...) Anyway. He was laying in my arms, and had been grunting around. When the music started, he just stopped moving, tilted his head back, and stared into space. Listening. It was perfect. I had his bottle, and started to feed him, but every now and then, he'd do the same move. Stop eating, lean back, and stare off. It was so touching. I know that many people wouldn't even give a second thought to what their child's first exposure to music was... but I am not those people, and I know the effect it has had on my entire life. My world view. My loves and hates... My being. And I desperately want my son to share that with me, as Sarah has.
Well, we're off to a baby shower today. I need to go, but I love you all and am so thankful for all your wonderful comments.
Peace and thank you.
Hezekiah has been incredible. He is such a good baby. At this point, he really doesn't know what to do if he's awake other than eat, so he can be frustrated, and root around for food even if he isn't hungry. But this morning, he seemed to get that he can just lay there and look around. And that's what he did. It was great. He's been laying and looking for like an hour now. He has such big beautiful eyes. He's very lively, and very strong. He flipped himself over at 4 days old, which is almost unheard of, and he can do it whenever, so it wasn't just a fluke. The good thing is that I got it on video, so I can prove it. I've burned cds with pics and videos for our parents. I'd like to do more, but I ran out of cds. Things always go that way. I want to manipulate the video files into smaller sizes so I can send them via email, but we don't have the upgraded version of quicktime, which would be the best way to do that. So if you want videos, and want to buy the baby a present... just kidding. We'll get the upgrade as soon as we can, and then it will be video heaven.
Work went well this week. I haven't gotten any flack, with the exception of a few front desk agents that feel for some reason that I should inherently know how the front desk software works before I'm a manager in their department. They apparently missed the "Trainee" memo. And even if I wasn't, often times, you are called to manage the people who do a job, without knowing how to do it yourself yet. That's why you learn. Everyone else has been awesome. I got to go to a couple meetings this week, and that was incredible. Such a fun group of people. Javier, my favorite manager, was in a meeting with me, and the subject of conversation among the other managers was mice. Night audit said that they saw something little and brown running from the restaurant to the Summit ballroom. Javier looked up with a guilty look and said "Was it me?" I love these people.
Sarah's healing steadily, and apparently winning the breastfeeding battle. Everyone's emails and myspace comments have really been encouraging her, so thank you. She's droppin weight pretty quickly, despite the fact that Kiah hasn't been breastfeeding from the get-go.
Oh, music. I really gave alot of thought to what Kiah should hear first. What kind of music would be best? Should it be something that matters to Sarah and I? Should it be something slow or fast? Well, I decided that something timeless and high quality. So I decided on Beethoven. I know, it seems so blasé. Tons of people listen to Beethoven, especially with a baby, because "It makes their brains develop faster..." blah blah blah. But I really felt that if one is going to be introduced to music, it should be a moment of unique beauty. One that encapsulates why music matters so much. Why it is what it is. All hard and soft music alike relies on music's amazing ability to stir the soul. And Ludwig Van stirs the soul. In every piece of music he touched... nearly deaf... he felt the essence of music so personally that he can reach into my soul every single time. I decided that the first piece of music by Beethoven that touched me, the moonlight sonata, would be an appropriate place to start. Something subtle, something beautiful... something perfect. I sat in the rocking chair I bought Sarah for our upcoming 5th anniversary. (It's the wooden anniversary, and I couldn't think of a more suiting present for the wooden anniversary. I have to thank Sarah's mom for the idea...) Anyway. He was laying in my arms, and had been grunting around. When the music started, he just stopped moving, tilted his head back, and stared into space. Listening. It was perfect. I had his bottle, and started to feed him, but every now and then, he'd do the same move. Stop eating, lean back, and stare off. It was so touching. I know that many people wouldn't even give a second thought to what their child's first exposure to music was... but I am not those people, and I know the effect it has had on my entire life. My world view. My loves and hates... My being. And I desperately want my son to share that with me, as Sarah has.
Well, we're off to a baby shower today. I need to go, but I love you all and am so thankful for all your wonderful comments.
Peace and thank you.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Pictures of Kiah...
The pics aren't all I'm postin'!
See the detailed account of Kiah's delivery below!
Here are the pics.
This one is a compilation of some the best pictures from Friday...
Here's one of my favourite pictures of Kiah so far.
Here's our beautiful blossom... and some flowers.
And finally, pics from the nursery. Jaundice stinks!
Here are the pics.
This one is a compilation of some the best pictures from Friday...
Here's one of my favourite pictures of Kiah so far.
Here's our beautiful blossom... and some flowers.
And finally, pics from the nursery. Jaundice stinks!
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Updates on Kiah and Sarah
Hi everyone. Thanks for being patient. We've had a crazy couple days, and I'll go over in part, what's going on now, and a bit of what the delivery was like.
Sarah had some contractions last Wednesday night. We went to the mall, and walked around a little bit, and after we got home, I went to take a nap in case we were going to go into labor that night. I woke up around 10:30 and Sarah was pretty serious about the contractions. I updated the blog, and did a few other things and slept for another hour. She tried to sleep, but didn't, and woke me up at 1:30 with the news that we needed to leave NOW. We did, and we arrived at the hospital around 2:00. We walked to the check in, and at her first checkup, Sarah was 5cm dialated already. She was 10cm by 6am, so 5cm in 4 hours was pretty impressive. The nurses wheeled a baby warmer in, and Sarah started pushing. Her doctor arrived about an hour later and after taking a look at Sarah, let us know that she shouldn't be pushing yet. That there was still some cervix left to dialate, and that we were just bruising the baby. So we did some more contraction handling, and were soon at the pushing stage officially. Now for the uninitiated, dialation of the cervix requires breathing through contractions. You're not pushing, you're simply surviving. Once they let you push, as I understand it, it is alot more gratifying. And shorter. Generally. According to a book we have, the pushing phase of childbirth should last 1 push to 2 hours. Sarah pushed for 3. With no pain medication. No local anisthetic, no epideral. Nothing. She's like a legend now. Doctors were gathering outside the room to see the girl with no pain medication. One of them told me it's one in a hundred, but probably more than a hundred...
Anyway, during the labor, our doctor, a very smart lady, tried to use a vaccuum to help extract the baby while Sarah pushed. But, it was unsuccessful. They only try 3-4 times, because there's just too much risk of hurting the baby. I forgot to mention, that for the doctor to even attempt to use the vaccuum (the modern alternative to forceps) she would have to be able to see Kiah's head. Which we could! Sarah had been pushing so hard, that he was crowning. Almost there. But stuck. It was so hard to see him so close, only to go through contraction after contraction, pushing and pushing, with no forward movement. I asked doctor Schwietzer what she thought, and she said that after a few more pushes, we might have to move to a c-section. She gave Sarah the benefit of the doubt, and waited until even Sarah had given up hope of pushing him out. She said it later, but I'll say it now, the doctor believed that it was the right decision because it was made at a point when Kiah still had a strong heartbeat, and wasn't in too much distress. If we had kept trying, the results could have been very bad.
We moved Sarah to the operating room, while she tried to control her contractions. Go back to breathing... try not to push... It was really hard on her. They had me get into operating clothes, and let me bring my camera. I had to wait outside the room for 10-15 minutes while they prepped her, and got her epideral in place. They called me in, and I sat next to her head while Dr. Schwietzer and another doctor operated. Several nurses, and a pediatrician for Kiah assisted. After a little while of talking to eachother quietly, Sarah heard a squeek over at the pediatrician's table. Then a cry. She said "Is that him?" and I looked to see, and yes it was. They had extracted him a few moments before, and were cleaning him off and giving him oxygen. He was blue, and squished, and looked bruised all over. It turned out that the worst of his bruising was on his face. He had been sunny side up, or facing the wrong way, and would never have come out. We made the right decision and just in time.
The hard part was then going with the baby to the Infant ward where they treat distressed babies, and leaving Sarah behind. But they had to stitch her up and get her to recovery. While I waited with Kiah, they got some saleen going through his system to boost his circulation, and gave him a little oxygen. I took pictures and a video or two, so that Sarah could see him, and when I was comfortable with how he was doing, I went to find her. I found her recovering, and I changed clothes back to my street clothes after showing her the pics and video. She was happy to see him doing well, but wanted to be with him. I ran back and forth between them for awhile, until we all got to be up in the mother/baby ward, where she still is now.
Sarah got to hold the baby for about 20 minutes before I had to take him back to the nursery for them to check his vitals. It was fast though, and I got him back to her in minutes. Her mom arrived soon after that from her flight and shuttle ride from Chicago. That's where most of the pics that you've seen have come from. That period of time.
--------------
Since then, Kiah has been trying to nurse, but hasn't done real well yet. He'll have to get it, and hasn't been peaceful enough to. The first deal was his blood sugar level, so they poked and prodded, and fed him formula. Now he has jaundice, so the poke and prod him and make us feed him formula. We chose a soy formula so that he won't have any bad reactions. Sarah couldn't eat formula as a baby, and we don't want to chance it. The jaundice is pretty bad, so they have him under this crazy blue light. He has to wear these little eye covers, and is away from us all the time. They bring Sarah to him so that she can try and feed him, but he's so comforted by her holding him that he falls asleep instantly when she holds him. He's so stressed and worn. So is she. She misses him, and so do I for that matter, but I've been in the nursery with him alot, making sure that they don't neglect him, or let him scream, or forget to feed him... Every time we just "trust" them, it hasn't worked out, so I ride them like a bull. Every nurse has a different opinion, different info, different levels of interest in our well being. One will say that the baby should never have water, the other will list it has her first suggestion. One will say that she'll wake Sarah up to feed and forget, while another will bust into the room, give Sarah a time limit, and demand she feed him that instant. They're really not bad as a hospital goes, but they try our patience.
At this point, Kiah is still under the lights. Sarah tries to breastfeed every few hours, I feed him soy after she's done. She doesn't want Kiah associating her smell with bottle feeding. It gives us both bonding time, but we miss him. I hope he'll come back to the room with us tomorrow.
Sarah's mom has been awesome. We've gotten to spend some fun time together, and with Sarah. Trying to be supportive.
Well, I am bushed. I'm off to bed. Love you all, hope the update was good. More pics to come!
Sarah had some contractions last Wednesday night. We went to the mall, and walked around a little bit, and after we got home, I went to take a nap in case we were going to go into labor that night. I woke up around 10:30 and Sarah was pretty serious about the contractions. I updated the blog, and did a few other things and slept for another hour. She tried to sleep, but didn't, and woke me up at 1:30 with the news that we needed to leave NOW. We did, and we arrived at the hospital around 2:00. We walked to the check in, and at her first checkup, Sarah was 5cm dialated already. She was 10cm by 6am, so 5cm in 4 hours was pretty impressive. The nurses wheeled a baby warmer in, and Sarah started pushing. Her doctor arrived about an hour later and after taking a look at Sarah, let us know that she shouldn't be pushing yet. That there was still some cervix left to dialate, and that we were just bruising the baby. So we did some more contraction handling, and were soon at the pushing stage officially. Now for the uninitiated, dialation of the cervix requires breathing through contractions. You're not pushing, you're simply surviving. Once they let you push, as I understand it, it is alot more gratifying. And shorter. Generally. According to a book we have, the pushing phase of childbirth should last 1 push to 2 hours. Sarah pushed for 3. With no pain medication. No local anisthetic, no epideral. Nothing. She's like a legend now. Doctors were gathering outside the room to see the girl with no pain medication. One of them told me it's one in a hundred, but probably more than a hundred...
Anyway, during the labor, our doctor, a very smart lady, tried to use a vaccuum to help extract the baby while Sarah pushed. But, it was unsuccessful. They only try 3-4 times, because there's just too much risk of hurting the baby. I forgot to mention, that for the doctor to even attempt to use the vaccuum (the modern alternative to forceps) she would have to be able to see Kiah's head. Which we could! Sarah had been pushing so hard, that he was crowning. Almost there. But stuck. It was so hard to see him so close, only to go through contraction after contraction, pushing and pushing, with no forward movement. I asked doctor Schwietzer what she thought, and she said that after a few more pushes, we might have to move to a c-section. She gave Sarah the benefit of the doubt, and waited until even Sarah had given up hope of pushing him out. She said it later, but I'll say it now, the doctor believed that it was the right decision because it was made at a point when Kiah still had a strong heartbeat, and wasn't in too much distress. If we had kept trying, the results could have been very bad.
We moved Sarah to the operating room, while she tried to control her contractions. Go back to breathing... try not to push... It was really hard on her. They had me get into operating clothes, and let me bring my camera. I had to wait outside the room for 10-15 minutes while they prepped her, and got her epideral in place. They called me in, and I sat next to her head while Dr. Schwietzer and another doctor operated. Several nurses, and a pediatrician for Kiah assisted. After a little while of talking to eachother quietly, Sarah heard a squeek over at the pediatrician's table. Then a cry. She said "Is that him?" and I looked to see, and yes it was. They had extracted him a few moments before, and were cleaning him off and giving him oxygen. He was blue, and squished, and looked bruised all over. It turned out that the worst of his bruising was on his face. He had been sunny side up, or facing the wrong way, and would never have come out. We made the right decision and just in time.
The hard part was then going with the baby to the Infant ward where they treat distressed babies, and leaving Sarah behind. But they had to stitch her up and get her to recovery. While I waited with Kiah, they got some saleen going through his system to boost his circulation, and gave him a little oxygen. I took pictures and a video or two, so that Sarah could see him, and when I was comfortable with how he was doing, I went to find her. I found her recovering, and I changed clothes back to my street clothes after showing her the pics and video. She was happy to see him doing well, but wanted to be with him. I ran back and forth between them for awhile, until we all got to be up in the mother/baby ward, where she still is now.
Sarah got to hold the baby for about 20 minutes before I had to take him back to the nursery for them to check his vitals. It was fast though, and I got him back to her in minutes. Her mom arrived soon after that from her flight and shuttle ride from Chicago. That's where most of the pics that you've seen have come from. That period of time.
--------------
Since then, Kiah has been trying to nurse, but hasn't done real well yet. He'll have to get it, and hasn't been peaceful enough to. The first deal was his blood sugar level, so they poked and prodded, and fed him formula. Now he has jaundice, so the poke and prod him and make us feed him formula. We chose a soy formula so that he won't have any bad reactions. Sarah couldn't eat formula as a baby, and we don't want to chance it. The jaundice is pretty bad, so they have him under this crazy blue light. He has to wear these little eye covers, and is away from us all the time. They bring Sarah to him so that she can try and feed him, but he's so comforted by her holding him that he falls asleep instantly when she holds him. He's so stressed and worn. So is she. She misses him, and so do I for that matter, but I've been in the nursery with him alot, making sure that they don't neglect him, or let him scream, or forget to feed him... Every time we just "trust" them, it hasn't worked out, so I ride them like a bull. Every nurse has a different opinion, different info, different levels of interest in our well being. One will say that the baby should never have water, the other will list it has her first suggestion. One will say that she'll wake Sarah up to feed and forget, while another will bust into the room, give Sarah a time limit, and demand she feed him that instant. They're really not bad as a hospital goes, but they try our patience.
At this point, Kiah is still under the lights. Sarah tries to breastfeed every few hours, I feed him soy after she's done. She doesn't want Kiah associating her smell with bottle feeding. It gives us both bonding time, but we miss him. I hope he'll come back to the room with us tomorrow.
Sarah's mom has been awesome. We've gotten to spend some fun time together, and with Sarah. Trying to be supportive.
Well, I am bushed. I'm off to bed. Love you all, hope the update was good. More pics to come!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Hezekiah Immanuel Miller
Hezekiah Immanuel Miller
Born: May 25, 2006 @ 10:53 am
Weight: 8 pounds, 13 ounces
Length: 21 inches
He was delivered emergency c-section after a ton of natural labor.
Another early pic.
The new mommy.
Kiah and his giant red hat. He was happier than he looks... really.
Sarah's mom flew out to help out in our early weeks with the baby.
Giving eachother funny looks...
Well. That's it for now. I just wanted to run home for a couple minutes to update you all.
I'll write about the whole labor later.
Born: May 25, 2006 @ 10:53 am
Weight: 8 pounds, 13 ounces
Length: 21 inches
He was delivered emergency c-section after a ton of natural labor.
Here's an early picture of me and the boy after the surgery.
Another early pic.
The new mommy.
Kiah and his giant red hat. He was happier than he looks... really.
Sarah's mom flew out to help out in our early weeks with the baby.
Giving eachother funny looks...
Well. That's it for now. I just wanted to run home for a couple minutes to update you all.
I'll write about the whole labor later.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Distractions, contractions and contraptions.
Well. Here we are. Once again in the middle of the night. Obviously things aren't too crazy, or I'd be in the hospital, not blogging, but if we're reading the signs right, and there are a ton of them, we're heading into labor within the next few hours.
Sarah's contractions are about 10-15 minutes apart. Some less than that, but on an average, 10-15. They've been that way for a few hours. Seemingly getting a bit stronger. She's had every sign in the book, short of her water breaking, so we're pretty excited. I got about 3 hours sleep, and woke up around 10:30. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a few more minutes rest before we need to leave for the hospital. Sarah's been resting as best as possible, and drinking more water than Robin Williams on broadway.
We've been trying to remember everything. Charge the camera battery. Remember the iPod and cds... Pack our toiletries... We have changes of clothes in our bags, and snacks for me.
We ended up in the hospital for a few hours on Tuesday. Sarah went in for her checkup, and the baby's heartbeat was a bit fast, so the doctor sent us over to Memorial to have Sarah monitered for awhile. It gave us a chance to see the facilities a bit better. We've been on two tours, but I got to see the little kitchen area, where I can get water, juice or popsicles for Sarah, and coffee for me. We weren't sure what was going to happen, but we had brought our bags, so just in case they needed to induce her or anything... we were ready. But after two hours, they let us go home, and told Sarah to drink as much water as possible. That his heartbeat was fast, but still acceptable. He's just active they said. Which is funny. He seems like a quiet baby for the most part, with active moments.
He's probably just getting ready.
I got an email from a dear friend, and while I think he was joking, I can see how some people would actually think that the name "Kiah" is somehow tied to a certain Korean car company of a similar name. I then realized that I don't believe I've ever explained the reasons behind the name in the blog, and if there were ever a time, I guess it's now.
If indeed we are having a boy, and not just an incredibly devious girl with athletic sonogram abilities, we are naming our baby Hezekiah Immanuel. We'll call him Kiah for short, but the name Hezekiah is one that I've grown up loving, and that Sarah has fallen for as well.
Hezekiah was the name of a king of Judah in the old testament. His father was an evil man, but despite that fact, when Hezekiah took over at the age of 25, he didn't waste a day turning the country around. Within 3 weeks he had instigated a complete turnaround. He brought the people back to God. Back to where they should be. Under his kingship, the nation of Israel withstood some of it's heaviest attacks and continued to prosper. In his entire reign, he only made one serious mistake, the consequences of which, he'd never even see. When we think of the things we want for our son, we think of leadership. Wisdom. A heart for the needs of others. And the name Hezekiah is a fitting one for someone with those qualities. Kiah seems like the best shortening of the name, and is kind of fun to say.
Immanuel means "God with us." If there's been one all encompassing statement that's surrounded us this year, it's that God has not, and will not forsake us. No matter the circumstances of life. We've been so encouraged by all He's seen us through. Plus, a short name after Hezekiah would sound stupid. "Hi, I'm Hezekiah Joe!" Sounds like a forty niner or something... "Hi, I'm stinky Pete!"
Well, I'll keep you updated. Hopefully we'll have a picture post soon that won't consist of internet humor, but will instead having a healthy baby boy. Not to mention, that if we have him today, my brother Ezra will be insanely happy. I mean, insanely happy. He turns 11 today, and has been pushing us to have the baby on his birthday since he found out the due date.
P.S. Sarah and I went to the mall yesterday and saw baseball caps on sale. 2 for $14... so Sarah got her Cubbies hat, and I got a Sox hat. So now we can represent! Nice. Jim, don't give her too hard a time. Her grandmother was a fan, and Sarah's love of her grandma clouded her judgement growing up. We can't all be St. Louis fans...
Sarah's contractions are about 10-15 minutes apart. Some less than that, but on an average, 10-15. They've been that way for a few hours. Seemingly getting a bit stronger. She's had every sign in the book, short of her water breaking, so we're pretty excited. I got about 3 hours sleep, and woke up around 10:30. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a few more minutes rest before we need to leave for the hospital. Sarah's been resting as best as possible, and drinking more water than Robin Williams on broadway.
We've been trying to remember everything. Charge the camera battery. Remember the iPod and cds... Pack our toiletries... We have changes of clothes in our bags, and snacks for me.
We ended up in the hospital for a few hours on Tuesday. Sarah went in for her checkup, and the baby's heartbeat was a bit fast, so the doctor sent us over to Memorial to have Sarah monitered for awhile. It gave us a chance to see the facilities a bit better. We've been on two tours, but I got to see the little kitchen area, where I can get water, juice or popsicles for Sarah, and coffee for me. We weren't sure what was going to happen, but we had brought our bags, so just in case they needed to induce her or anything... we were ready. But after two hours, they let us go home, and told Sarah to drink as much water as possible. That his heartbeat was fast, but still acceptable. He's just active they said. Which is funny. He seems like a quiet baby for the most part, with active moments.
He's probably just getting ready.
I got an email from a dear friend, and while I think he was joking, I can see how some people would actually think that the name "Kiah" is somehow tied to a certain Korean car company of a similar name. I then realized that I don't believe I've ever explained the reasons behind the name in the blog, and if there were ever a time, I guess it's now.
If indeed we are having a boy, and not just an incredibly devious girl with athletic sonogram abilities, we are naming our baby Hezekiah Immanuel. We'll call him Kiah for short, but the name Hezekiah is one that I've grown up loving, and that Sarah has fallen for as well.
Hezekiah was the name of a king of Judah in the old testament. His father was an evil man, but despite that fact, when Hezekiah took over at the age of 25, he didn't waste a day turning the country around. Within 3 weeks he had instigated a complete turnaround. He brought the people back to God. Back to where they should be. Under his kingship, the nation of Israel withstood some of it's heaviest attacks and continued to prosper. In his entire reign, he only made one serious mistake, the consequences of which, he'd never even see. When we think of the things we want for our son, we think of leadership. Wisdom. A heart for the needs of others. And the name Hezekiah is a fitting one for someone with those qualities. Kiah seems like the best shortening of the name, and is kind of fun to say.
Immanuel means "God with us." If there's been one all encompassing statement that's surrounded us this year, it's that God has not, and will not forsake us. No matter the circumstances of life. We've been so encouraged by all He's seen us through. Plus, a short name after Hezekiah would sound stupid. "Hi, I'm Hezekiah Joe!" Sounds like a forty niner or something... "Hi, I'm stinky Pete!"
Well, I'll keep you updated. Hopefully we'll have a picture post soon that won't consist of internet humor, but will instead having a healthy baby boy. Not to mention, that if we have him today, my brother Ezra will be insanely happy. I mean, insanely happy. He turns 11 today, and has been pushing us to have the baby on his birthday since he found out the due date.
P.S. Sarah and I went to the mall yesterday and saw baseball caps on sale. 2 for $14... so Sarah got her Cubbies hat, and I got a Sox hat. So now we can represent! Nice. Jim, don't give her too hard a time. Her grandmother was a fan, and Sarah's love of her grandma clouded her judgement growing up. We can't all be St. Louis fans...
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Friday, May 19, 2006
Middle of the night.
It's the middle of the night. Or the beginning, depending on one's perspective. Either way. It's 12:30 am.
I went to bed at 7:30, having been up since 3 as usual. I wanted to try to get a full 8 hours, but when I woke up to get a drink about 11:30, Sarah was in bed too, and still awake.
I asked her how she was doing, and she has been having contractions. Not steady yet, but we're getting there. I'm so excited right now, I just can't sleep. I should be trying... if today is the day, we've got alot ahead of us, and being rested will help a ton. I got up and finished a mix cd for Sarah during labor. (They let you bring your own cds...) I will go to work at 4 if nothing is steady, but I'll be ready to run home if she needs me.
In other exciting news... I GOT THE JOB! Pretty awesome. They made me an offer yesterday, which I accepted. I start on the 30th. So just a few more days of being a valet. I'm very excited. All these changes at once... feels, well... feels like normal. I won't be starting in the restaurant like I first believed, instead, I will be starting in the front office/desk area. My least favourite area, but who knows? I may end up loving it. I can't wait to wear a suit to work.
Well, I'm gonna go try sleeping. Before I go, here's the playlist to the cd I made Sarah for labor. If you want a peaceful, but inspiring mix... look no further. I'm real happy with it.
Labor Day (ha ha) mix
1. The Golden Age, by Beck
2. Switching Off, by Elbow
3. Bob Dylan's 49th Beard, by Wilco
4. Gravity, by Vienna Teng
5. The Princess Bride, by Willy DeVille & Mark Knopfler
6. Baby Mine (Dumbo cover), by Allison Kraus
7. Tomorrow, Tomorrow, by Elliot Smith
8. Boadicea, by Enya
9. Bothered, by Over the Rhine
10. Time After Time, by Cindi Lauper
11. Halo Friendly, by Damien Jurado
12. I Didn't Know About You, by Karrin Allyson
13. Miles, by Over the Rhine
14. Lullaby, by Pedro the Lion
15. Rest Easy, by Audio Adrenaline
16. Fade Into You, by Mazzy Star
17. Sleeping In, by the Postal Service
18. Let Down, by Radiohead
19. Tell Me How, by Rosie Thomas
I went to bed at 7:30, having been up since 3 as usual. I wanted to try to get a full 8 hours, but when I woke up to get a drink about 11:30, Sarah was in bed too, and still awake.
I asked her how she was doing, and she has been having contractions. Not steady yet, but we're getting there. I'm so excited right now, I just can't sleep. I should be trying... if today is the day, we've got alot ahead of us, and being rested will help a ton. I got up and finished a mix cd for Sarah during labor. (They let you bring your own cds...) I will go to work at 4 if nothing is steady, but I'll be ready to run home if she needs me.
In other exciting news... I GOT THE JOB! Pretty awesome. They made me an offer yesterday, which I accepted. I start on the 30th. So just a few more days of being a valet. I'm very excited. All these changes at once... feels, well... feels like normal. I won't be starting in the restaurant like I first believed, instead, I will be starting in the front office/desk area. My least favourite area, but who knows? I may end up loving it. I can't wait to wear a suit to work.
Well, I'm gonna go try sleeping. Before I go, here's the playlist to the cd I made Sarah for labor. If you want a peaceful, but inspiring mix... look no further. I'm real happy with it.
Labor Day (ha ha) mix
1. The Golden Age, by Beck
2. Switching Off, by Elbow
3. Bob Dylan's 49th Beard, by Wilco
4. Gravity, by Vienna Teng
5. The Princess Bride, by Willy DeVille & Mark Knopfler
6. Baby Mine (Dumbo cover), by Allison Kraus
7. Tomorrow, Tomorrow, by Elliot Smith
8. Boadicea, by Enya
9. Bothered, by Over the Rhine
10. Time After Time, by Cindi Lauper
11. Halo Friendly, by Damien Jurado
12. I Didn't Know About You, by Karrin Allyson
13. Miles, by Over the Rhine
14. Lullaby, by Pedro the Lion
15. Rest Easy, by Audio Adrenaline
16. Fade Into You, by Mazzy Star
17. Sleeping In, by the Postal Service
18. Let Down, by Radiohead
19. Tell Me How, by Rosie Thomas
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