Ready for My Close-up

Here are a couple pictures of the litlle guy up close and personal. At first, he didn’t like the light in his eyes.

But he finally opened his eyes for a few pictures.

Here’s a picture of Joshua for those who want to compare.

James Comes Home

James made it home this afternoon around 4:oo. Joshua was waiting at the door and got very excited when he saw the car pull in. He wasn’t too sure about his new little brother at first, but he soon warmed up. Below is a pictorial summary of the process.

Michelle "signing our" James

Daddy getting James ready for his first trip outside

 

James in his car seat

Joshua tries to share his toys with James

Joshua wanted to read a book with daddy and his new brother

James and mommy taking a little break; they've both worked pretty hard the last 48 hours

Discharge This Afternoon

James is getting discharged this afternoon. I will have some more pictures for you then. My mother arrived last night to help out with Joshua (and see James of course).

James-Day 1

James has excelled at all the responsibilities of a one-day-old: eating, sleeping, and making diapers. Here are a few pictures

This is where the nurses want James to sleep. (The gloves are to protect James from his long nails.

This is where James wants to sleep.

Mom is thinking, "What a cute little boy." James is thinking, "Lunch. I need lunch."

Dr. Grant Signs Off

Our pediatrician just stopped in to tell us that James looks great! He doesn’t even look like he’s going to have jaundice. We should be discharged around noon tomorrow after James’s circumcision.

A Night at the Nash General Hospital

There are some mysteries in life that I will probably never fully understand: what happens to the socks that disappear in the dryer, why does my grass grow better in the flower beds than on the lawn, and above all else, why do my children insist on being born in the middle of the night? One minute shy of midnight James burst into the world with a falsetto scream that he perfected for the next 15 minutes. Thankfully he has quieted as soon as they gave him to Mommy.

After taking the first pictures and walking to the nursery for some video footage, it was about 1:30am. I’m past the tired point and have moved to hungry. Michelle, being an excellent multitasker and having just given birth, opted for both tired and hungry. So in the tradition of the great hunters of the past, I set off at 2:00am in search of food for my family.

Having gotten directions from the local natives in pink smocks, I descended into the bowels of the hospital to locate the cafeteria. The initial promise of an awning with the word “Cafe” brought me instead to a nearly deserted kitchen area. The menu by the door revealed a variety tasty options had I arrived at a decent hour. But the only staff member willing to serve food until 3:15 was the short-order chef. Michelle’s chicken salad sandwich went back up to the room via hospital room service while I faced the choice of chicken sandwich or hamburger. The chicken won (and is still winning).

James came back to our room around 4am. He cleans up well and looked really cute in his little hat. After two relatively close feedings, the little guy let out a big burp and fell asleep. (Babies have it so rough.) Mommy and Daddy took advantage of the opportunity to get about 2 hours of sleep before the nursing staff visited again.

Over all, we’ve had a great experience here at Nash. The nursing staff, especially in labor and delivery, were excellent. Even the food was good for a 2am special. Thanks again for all your prayers. Truly the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Announcing a New Arrival

I would like to welcome James Robert to this strange place we call earth. He barely arrived on Nov. 2 making his debut at 11:59pm. That means that he only got to enjoy one minute of his birthday before it became Nov. 3. He’ll have to wait a whole year to get a full birthday.

Stats: 6 pounds, 19 inches [Batting average TBA]

He is completely healthy as far as we know. Praise the Lord!!! Below are a few of his first pictures.

James Proves to Be Stubborn

We are back home. The contractions slowed down at the hospital. Sadly, it appears that James is not wanting to make an appearance yet.

Quick update

We are at labor and delivery. Michelle has been having contractions since about 3:15pm and they are 5-10 minutes apart. We came to the hospital around 7:00pm and are waiting for an update.

Fun Times with the Cousins

Faith, Andrew, and Joshua have had a great time together this week!  Not to say that it hasn’t been a little chaotic (my Dad is a prophet , but it’s also been a lot of fun to watch the kids interact.  Joshua has learned to share his toys- not always by choice- and it’s been good for him.  Here are some pics.

The gang!

Faith being Faith

The boys having a blast digging in the dirt.

Playing outside

Playing on the slide