Mar 3, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood
I am halfway through the typing out of the labour story. Actually, knowing how long I take to get through a story I might not quite be halfway yet. But I promise it’s coming. Hopefully tomorrow.
In the meantime, I thought you might be happy for me to peek my head into the blogosphere again to let you know that Baby Blake is doing exceeding and abundantly well. He had a vaccination yesterday. He cried ever-so-briefly, and I managed not to cry. {Probably because I remembered when we walked home from the Bear’s first vaccinations in Edinburgh — he was fine and I was crying — and decided not to watch, and instead prepared to nurse him happy afterwards.}
Like most wee tykes, he lost a few grams in those first days of life, but was already gaining weight again by the time we left hospital. Yesterday at the vaccination he weighed a good 200 grams (7 oz.) above his birth weight. I felt like a super mom and HH bought me a celebratory cappuccino muffin on the way home.
We also had a couple of great nights of sleep last night and the night before…after a late evening (10:30ish) feed, he just woke us once for a good feed at 3 am, and then we all enjoyed sleeping until 6 or 7. Please let this continue…
As the Bear would put it, we’re excited to be wishing Blakey a Happy Birdie! Well done on a stellar first week on the outside!
Happy Birdie, Blakey!
And in case you’re wondering how the Bear is handling all the Baby Change around here…
We think our little superhero big brother is doing just fine.
xCC
Mar 1, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood
Wow, you guys. Blessed and thankful are two words that don’t even barely begin to describe how I feel about this little guy that we’ve been graced with. But those words will have to do because limited sleep and an aching body tend to limit my capability of thinking of words more profound than amazing and wonderful. What an incredible gift.
Blake is doing amazingly well, settling in to life in our family. We came home from the hospital on Saturday, much to the Bear’s delight. It is really great to get started and begin to find our rhythm as a family of four.
Thanks in part to a little bit of experience, a lot of helping hands, and answered prayer, this beginning seems to be so much easier than the Bear’s. Blake is already nursing very well and I’m looking forward to finding out how much he weighs when we’re at the hospital for a vaccination tomorrow. {Did I tell you the nurses were calling him “Fatty” and he was the biggest baby in the ward while we were there?} He also gave us a couple of good stretches of sleep in the night last night — about three hours once and two and a half the next round. Score!
HH’s folks arrived on Sunday and you know the special place in my heart that gets touched when I see grandparents with their grandchildren. It is just so, so lovely. We are really glad they’re here. More on that later.
The Bear is handling the transition, although I think the upheaval of our “normal” life and schedule have been a bit of a challenge — he has started to use some faces and display some attitudes that my mother-in-love says are very much the manners of a two-year-old. He is slowly but surely learning the new normal. He liked coming to visit me in the hospital but didn’t like it when he realised he was leaving again and I wasn’t. Along with appropriate discipline, he is getting extra bedtime stories, extra treats, extra attention and extra love. Grace for a Bear in transition.
He finds Baby Brother interesting and would like to give him toys (which we have to advise against at this stage, of course) and is happy to give him a wave and an occasional kiss. And he thinks baby brother’s belly button (the part that hasn’t come off yet from the umbilical cord) looks like poo poo. Very disturbing to the Bear.
Hero Hubs, who just last night was busy calculating his average speed on the way to the hospital Thursday morning, is more of a hero every day. The laundry is done and things are moving along and getting done around the house (of course with the help of Agnes, and especially HH’s Mom who is cooking meals!) and he is still helping (as much as you’re able to when you’re not lactating) day and night to keep our baby boy happy and help me though it all. I’m so thankful for him I get teary.
And, finally, I am a very happy mother of two. I’ve been taking regular pauses for thankfulness that regularly bring me to tears — partly because I’m overwhelmed with these blessings, partly because giving birth and starting to nurse a little one are some great ways to take your hormones for a spin. I’m opening this little MacBook for the first time in many-a-day and for those of you who know me, that’s a significant point of interest. Resting and recovering from the (slightly traumatic) speedy delivery has taken priority. I trust you guys have patience for me!
I can’t wait to share more photos and especially share the labour story when I have a moment to sit still and type it out. “How to Have a Baby in 60 minutes or Less” and “My TV Birth Story” are appropriate titles I’ve been pondering. 🙂
Thank you so much for the encouragement, the sweet wishes and the congratulations. This grace-filled and peaceful transition is an answer to so many prayers — many thanks to many of you for praying them!
More soon!
xCC
Feb 25, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood
Although I don’t have the energy to type out a detailed update or labour story for you just yet, I do have the energy to share some photos of this amazing little guy that has finally graced us with his presence on the outside!
Here’s Blake!
Just as we expected, God’s perfect timing in every detail.
Your sweet comments and congrats have been wonderful, friends. {HH was afraid my Facebook was going to break when I opened it. I’ve never had 44 comments on a status update before!} Thank you for celebrating with us!
Can’t wait to share the stories with you guys! Joy!
xCC
Feb 24, 2011 | The Parenthood
Great news, dear friends who’ve been anticipating this birth for forty weeks…or at least four or five days…our bonnie little boy finally arrived this morning! After the days and days of waiting, he decided it was time, and made his way into the world…fast!
Contractions started just before 3 am, we left for the hospital just after 4:00, and Baby Boy entered the world at 4:21 — 9 minutes after Mr. Potato Head pulled into the hospital parking lot! My head is still spinning!
I’m looking forward to sharing photos, and a few more details of the wild ride that was this labour story…but for now I need to rest and recover a bit! The baby is a big one — 4.160 kgs (9.17 lbs) — eating well and sleeping sweetly. I am a little dizzy, a little sore and a lot exhausted…but amazed at how quickly this came about. God has been good to us.
Oh, yeah, and his name!
Blake Darrow Collie
Another story that deserves its own blog post. 🙂
Pictures and details coming soon — thank you for the love and congrats in the meantime. And for those of you who prayed for a speedy delivery — WOW, but those were some effective prayers! Thanks!
Love you guys — thanks for hanging in there with me!
xCC
Feb 23, 2011 | Stories, The Parenthood
Although the world thought Baby Brother’s appearance ought to be in close proximity to the 18th of February, 2011, it rather seems that Baby Brother forgot to check his email, and didn’t get the message.
So we’ve continued to have our cookies, and bake them, too, while we wait for this wee-lad-on-the-way to decide the time is right. As my Mom put it, as many folks put it to her when my brother was two weeks late, When the apple is ripe, it will drop from the tree.
And the Bear paused to consider the profundity of that axiom.
In the meantime, we found an adorable kiddie-sized apron ripe for the picking at a steal of a price at the mall a few days ago.
So we wait, and we bake. {And our happy new apron makes it even more fun!!}
Though it wears a thousand faces, it is all a part of life being created. Stitched together day by day, it is life, and it is good.
xCC
Feb 18, 2011 | The Parenthood
Two and a half years ago today, our lives were changed forever. This incredible tiny person became a part of our family — and it felt like we went from being a couple to a family within the space of a few hours. Though the progress toward labour was long and difficult, thirty months have passed and we still feel privileged to have been blessed with a tiny miracle. We heard it said, and it was true: life has never been the same.
Today is this little Bear’s baby brother’s due date. At least in the technical, 40 weeks equals full term sense. I have secretly relished the thought that this one would come on his due date, just like his big brother, and on the 18th. The Bear’s birthday is an 18th. My birthday is an 18th. They would be a nice and tidy exact two and a half years apart. I like tidy.
Baby Brother’s appearance could happen the way I hope, or we could be in limbo for another week or two. But my trust is in a God whose timing is much better than mine. We may have news to announce today, tomorrow or next week, but I’m learning good lessons about God’s perfect timing — and finding peace and patience in the waiting room.
The miracles never cease.
xCC
P.S. Thank you for your prayers. My Uncle Bo had a difficult surgery and a rough first night of recovery, but my Mom says he seems to be improving already. Please lift him up again!
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