Lily is five weeks today!

About a week and half ago she gave me her first smile, and has been smiling ever since! It is the greatest thing in the world!



We also visited Chayne's newborn Norah! Insane how much they change in just five weeks!



Last night in her pajamas right after her bath.

Lily is one month

Wow, this month went by fast. I can't believe my little Lily is one month old. And Wow, how much she has changed in the last month. I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Lily three weeks

Two weeks already

Random Pictures over the last two weeks!

I can't believe she's two weeks already. I've enjoyed all the fart smiles, feedings, sleepy times, stares, squeeks and grunts!

Some pictures taken over the last two weeks from my cell.

Louie and Lily

Louie LOVES her, LOVES her. He checks on her frequently, nudges her forhead with his nose like he is asking her if shes ok.



First time in Swing

Diane, Lily's MiMi got her a swing before she was born, and boy does she love it. So do my arms, this baby loves being held, so the swing gives my arms a break!

Sunbathing the Jaundice away

When Lily was born she developed Jaundice. It was bad enough she was in the 95th percentile and required 24 hours of phototherapy. We we're luckily released because it got better, but under the strict restrictions of bathing in the sun. Although she hates being naked, I think she liked the warmth of the sun.

First bath at Hospital

She hated, and still does hate being naked. So naturally she hated her first "bath", although it was more of a wipedown. However, she LOVED and still loves her hair washed. :)

Here she is, nice and clean and tucked into the hospital bassinett. 

February 24, 2011: Happy Birthday!

 Wednesday morning, the 23rd of February, I realized that I was having contractions. They weren't strong at all, so I thought they were just BH. As the day progressed the contractions builded. At 11pm, I decided to try to sleep, I was up and down, up and down couldn't get comfortable. Took a bath, didn't help much. By 330am, I realized that THIS was it. My thoughts were to labor at home as much as possible, which I had. But these REALLY painful contractions started fast, and by the time they got going, I was having them 2-4 minutes apart, so instead of having my doula meet me at my house, I had her meet me at the hospital.

I called my midwife and let her know, we all thought I was FAR into labor since my contractions were so close together.

We got at the hospital at 430am, I was pretty devastated to hear I was only a four! Why was it so devastating? I had been a 3 for three a few weeks. I got over it, obviously and continued to labor. I was checked again at about 830am. My midwife amazingly told me I was a seven cm! Woohoo. Right before she checked me, I told my Chris and Rosemary, my doula, if I was still a four I might just have to get an epi. They were THAT strong and coming SO close together I wasn’t catching a break at all! No wonder I wasn’t catching a break, my body was working really hard to get through this quick labor. My midwife thought I was laboring pretty quick too, and checked me one more time at 8:50 or so. Amazingly I went through transition faster that I expected. I was already a ten. I pushed hard for a good while, and through a mirror I watched her being born at 9:06am. Chris, was so happy, I think he might have even cried some, he cut the cord. He later told me, that watching me labor was one of the most intense things he's ever witnessed.

When we got home Saturday I looked at my birth plan, it went nearly exactly as I wanted it to, except a few things. We really didn’t have enough time to need aromatherapy or massage therapy. Zen Garden was playing on my lap top, but really I was so zoned out into my contractions, picturing Lily being born, I didn’t even notice the music. I also rented a tub, waste of money! My midwife wanted me to wait until I was at least 6cm to get into it. So, when I was at a seven Chris started pumping and filling the tub. By the time it was situated I got in there and felt the urge to push, but I was hot in the tub and wasn’t comfortable at all in it! I felt like I couldn’t grip anything and a squat was all I wanted to do.

So there she was, my little baby girl. Born at 9:06am February 24th 2011 weighing in at 8 pounds, 19 3/4 inches long.

So there it is my short fast labor. Amazingly, she nursed for the first time just 40 minutes after she was born. Even lifted her head almost immediately.

She is just so perfect, I’m so inlove!

I prayed for nine months that God would allow me the strength to go through labor without the help of medications and pain meds. I have grown even closer to God through me and Lily’s labor and delivery. God has given me the body and to make another human being. God is good, amazing.