Thursday, October 18, 2007

Best Sister, Best Aunt


I could not have had this baby without the help of my sister. Which, should not come as much of a surprise after she managed to plan my entire wedding two and a half years ago. Similar to the wedding preparation, I called her daily with a question about this or that while pregnant. I am her elder by 11 months, but she knows all about this baby thing. She has just left from her second visit since Samuel was born which adds up to about twenty hours in the car coming from Memphis. While here she shopped, cooked, cleaned, consoled, laughed and cried with me, woke up with me, ran errands for and with me, and much more. At one point I had to tell her not to vacuum the dust bunnies that are hiding under my bed, nor sew up the hole that is already in one of Samuel's sheets. I do love that when she left my house was clean, laundry done, and my fridge full of goodies, but really it was just good to have her here. Thanks Nik.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

First Bath, First Doctor Visit



So yes, I am a bit behind in the bathing area. My son went 8 days without a proper (sponge) bath and hair washing. I was waiting on Niki to arrive and help me. She is so good and confident with that kind of thing. He loved it and has had another since his first.

Today we went to the doctor, and, I am proud to say he has gained 1.2 pounds since leaving the hospital five days ago. He now weighs 8.14...a hair shy of 9 pounds. So much for me being concerned that he was not getting enough to eat. We are thankful that she had nothing but good things to say about him.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

WELCOME HOME SAMUEL - SLIDE SHOW

Proud Papa and Other Ponderings


We began this blog thinking that I, Ashley, would be the main contributor to it. We were wrong. It turns out that David's desire to get back into photography and love of learning anything tech-related has teamed-up with his new love, our little man. He has taken great delight in photographing what seems like every moment and then doing all the posting. He has been working on Samuel's first motion picture, which will be coming soon to a computer near you sometime today, I believe. So, for those of you who can't get enough of little Samuel...especially to our families who live so far away, I give to you my inhibited self as David is snapping so many pictures, often with me in them, less than a week after delivery. I have to admit, I love that David has found such delight in all this. We hope you do to. I am also happy to say I have been so impressed with Daddy's keen sense of what the baby and I need. I did not anticipate this to the degree I have found. Nor did I anticipate that he would be more comfortable changing diapers and dressing Samuel than I am. Now if we can just get him to put Samuel down and open a book for school. He has four mid-terms in the next week and a half. Please pray for him.

We are doing well. Looking back, and being vulnerable to tell you, for most of the pregnancy I just could not imagine delivering a healthy son. I worried about him so much. Every day I would look at all the healthy, cute, bright students in my school and be reminded that healthy babies/children are far more common than not and that mine probably would be one of them. When I would see large crowds of people I would, again, use this as an encouragement to see that these people are all so normal and all were once carried by their mothers for nine months, only to be born healthily. It was a strange phonomenon. I think it goes back to my biggest struggle in life: I believe God is real and active in our lives, but how good is he really? Does he really love me and teach me through joy, or is it most often through pain? I know the answer to this question. He is very good. Often his goodness has shown itself to me through struggle, but so often through joyful things as well. As a pessimist, I tend to remember the pain. I have to stop, recall, and submit to both. And really, be thankful that I have experienced both as they have taught me so much.

So all that to say, the feelings that were rushing through my body as I looked over and saw the nurses cleaning off Samuel were unbelievable. Yes, tempered with tons and tons of drugs, but so full of praise. A very healthy, unbelievably adorable little person, now free from my body and with us. Of course we have no idea what is in his future. Sickness and hardships will accompany all his days, and as his mother I know this will be hard to see. However, by God's grace I will continue to go back to what is not only my biggest struggle, but my bedrock faith; his father in Heaven is caring for him far better than I ever can and loves him even more than me.

Okay, time to wake him. His days and nights are really mixed up right now. I think we will try a short walk.