Singing Baby Roxy to Sleep

Hank came up with the idea all on his own to sing Roxy a lullaby last night when everyone was heading to bed. He made up a song and sang it to her in her bedroom, watch how proud he is at the end! You may have to turn the sound way up to hear, sorry about that...

Settling In

Hi all, here are more pics of Roxy up close, as well as some of Hank and the whole fam as we relax at home. He's having a great time with his little sis so far...he's working on picking her up and handling her very gently. He's not exactly sure yet of what very gently really means.

Mamma I'm Coming Home

Here are pics from Saturday morning, discharge day at the hospital for Mom and Roxy. Look at how small she is in the car seat! The hospital was great, it was really part hospital and part hotel, really nice people and cool amenities like a kitchen full of snacks, nice rooms with good closet space, and unlimited table massages for all new fathers. Ok I made that last part up but you're with me on how cool that would be, right? It's been a fast and intensely eventful 3 days, but we couldn't be more thankful and happy for how smoothly everything went. We feel totally lucky about that and for having 3 of 4 grandparents here with us during Roxy's first days. Hank is excited to have her home with him and is already starting to figure out his new role as big brother and a member of a 4-person family. In some ways it's sad that his days as only child and sole owner of the spotlight are over. But it's also really fun seeing the protective, caring side come out right away. He wanted her to lay next to him right away when she came in the front door.

So Terri will miss the on-demand food and nursery care at the hospital, but not the vital checks every 15 minutes throughout the night. She's healing well, looking forward to getting back to full strength. Take care and thanks again for all the messages. S T H & R

Can't Keep Grandma Away

Hi all - Roxy's grandma Margo arrived today at 5pm and had her new granddaughter in her arms by 545. As I write this she is asleep with her grandson nestled up right next to her - neither of them would have it any other way. Terri continues to recover well at the hospital, was up and around quite a bit today and back on solid foods...a big step as any moms out there who've been through this know well. Roxy is eating great, dropped some weight since yesterday (normal), and sweet as can be. Thanks to you for your great notes and kind words, as you know it means the world to us. Good night and peace.

Sam

Roxy Vi 8.20.2008

Hello dear family and friends. What better way to get back into posting than with this news and these pictures...we are so happy to let you know that Roxy Viola arrived yesterday at 1058am eastern time at Saint Mary's hospital in Richmond Virginia. She is all of 7 pounds 3 ounces and 20 inches long and she is such a sweet sweet girl. Roxy and Mom are both doing great, both recovering and getting used to their new worlds. Roxy is already feeding very well, which we were nervous about since it didn't go so smoothly with Hank. She is super active, flailing arms and legs around and grabbing on tightly to fingers and blankets. Trying so hard to open those new eyes and make them work, make some sense of the chaotic blur happening around her.

Terri is also doing great, she's already been up and walking around (slowly) since the surgery, which is great news. She's on pain meds obviously but feeling good and very relieved. She was great during the pre-op, operation, and recovery. God bless women because if this pregnance/labor thing was up to men, our species would have been extinct long before us! "I'm going to push what out of where?? Uh yeah no thanks, I'm good without that, thanks though." I have great pics and video from the operating room and from the whole day, hopefully they all upload here. I was telling my dad last night that the whole day went so smoothly, it was almost like just stopping in at the baby store and picking up a daughter. Here is a rough timeline of the day:

8am: arrive at hospital
9am: paperwork done, waiting in the recovery room for news on our doctor, who was slightly delayed by an ER situation
10am: all systems go, Terri's IV in, epidural is started but not quite finished
1030am: anesthetics are fully kicked in, Terri's wheeled into O/R, I am fetched shortly after. Surgery starts right away.
1058am: Roxy is cut away and 1 person becomes 2. For a quick moment, she is the youngest of 7 billion people on this planet.
1130am: Terri is done with surgery and in recovery. Family has arrived and seen Roxy en route to the nursery.
12pm: We all get to see Terri in recovery, she's conscious and feeling good (and lighter!).
1pm: First feeding of Roxy's life! She takes to it fantastically.

The rest of the day was just a lot of pictures and hugs, all good. Wish you all could be here with us! But hopefully soon. And maybe some of these pics bring us all closer. I was talking with Uncle Dean last night and, as his daughter (Go Maren!) was packing the car full of things to take to freshman year of college at UND this morning, it struck us that we were at exact opposite ends of the childhood calendar. Here I was 1 day into Roxy's life, and Dean was at 1 day left before his 18-year-old heads out of the house on her own. Yet both he and I on the verge of big changes in our lives, as are our daughters. It does just keep spinning round and round, doesn't it?

Hope you're all doing great and love to everyone far and wide. We're really proud to welcome Roxy but also very proud of our amazing foundation of family and friends. You helped make this happen, congratulations to you too.

More soon.
Sam Terri Hank & Roxy

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