Updated pics and a new vid

We had a nice Easter weekend. Mag spent a good portion of Saturday resting. I managed to get out on the bike between feedings for an hour and a half. It was my first ride as a dad, and the bike I chose was quite fitting...a fixed geared road bike. This bike is actually one of my fav's to train on. A fixed geared bike cannot coast, the pedals always move (I do have a front brake for emergencies). This also means that it only has one gear. Riding it is kinda like life...it always moves forward, and when approaching a hill, you got what you got, there's no changing gears, you just gotta man up and git'r done...and sometimes its hard, but in the end its always fun! I think its very befitting that I unconciously chose to ride this bike as my first ride as a dad.

In addition to the 'exercising' and massage that Christina and I do, Mag is reading to her, so she's getting her first doses of nursery rhymes. Mag also started her on supervised 'tummy time'. Its great for developing neck strength. Now don't get all bent outta shape, we aren't on some sort of super baby development program with all these 'scheduled activities' to promote development, we just love playing with Christina, and it just works out its good for her too. Enjoy the recent photos and the short vid of some 'tummy time'.

The mechanics on the parenting front are starting to come together. We are getting the hang of her communication and moods, as well as NASCAR style diaper pit stops. Ya, you gotta be fast...you never know...seems like she's got that poop chute locked and loaded with a hair trigger. So if you don't want to be doing laundry every day, you gotta be fast. We also had another (sponge) bath today, and that went very well. I'm anxious for the rest of her chord scab to fall off, then its real bath time! Git out the rubber duckies!

Eat, pee, pee, Eat, pee, pee, poop, pee...repeat

That's pretty much the routine that cycles every 2-3 hours per feeding cycle. Broken up by the occational bath or some extended wake time where she gets a combination of a baby workout and massage, and a story read from dad (the stories are typically from GM High Tech Performance, or Rod and Custom as they are the ones usually in reach while we are in the living room). The first bath was quite tramatic. I gave her a second bath while mom rested last night. It was going great and I think she kinda liked it...then I picked her up out of the sink and she crapped all over me...so she got another bath but didn't seem to like that one as much. All you can do is laugh! We had a feeding today and I thought she sneezed but Mag said it was from the south pole, not the north...explosive poo is real!! I had a hard time walking back into the living room, and Christina was almost boucing off momma's bouncing lap. It was hilariouls.

We are starting to get the breastfeeding established. Its a tough road. We are giving it a real go, but are not strictly adhereing to the breast feeding nazi regimns. I am helping as much as I can with getting the supplimental formula and other stuff ready, so both of us are up through the night. Rest (not sleep) comes in 2.5 hour intervals.

If you would like to come see Christina, let us know. We are limiting her exposure to groups per docs orders through the spring flu season. She gets sick, she goes to the hospital, period. She has a doctor's appointment Saturday morning so we'll know how she has progressed since leaving the hospital. I may not have previously reported this, but she lost a bit too much weight while in the hospital (I blame that on the breatfeeding nazi protocols, I'm glad we abandoned that and did what we had to do). Her weight loss was border line allowable for release from the hospital, so a visiting nurse came to the house on Monday. Her stats had stabilized, but tomorrow's office visit will be the true telling of her progress. I'm sure she is fine, I think she is getting heavier, and she already outgrew one of the sleepers we have for her.

Grow baby! Grow!

Christina makes more friends

Well...we're home...

We have so many things to make our lives easier here at home...all these modern baby conveniences...now we are trying to figure out how to use them all! After two days at home we are starting to get into a more efficient groove, using the tools we have.

We got off to a great start. Grands Taillon were on hand Sunday and Grandma T made a great amount of food to stock the fridge. It was great for them to come. They stopped in the hospital last Friday, but they don't like their pictures taken...so you'll have to take our word it. Also showing up for reinforcements were Grands Rodgers with another bundle of ready made goodies.

We've got folks lined up to help us. Its a great feeling. We are truely blessed. Thank you all!

Time to head home!

We are packing up this morning and heading for home probably around 2pm. We can't express how wonderful our experience with Fairview Hospital has been. The facility itself promotes a very abaptable and learning environment. The rooms are very spacious and incredibly quiet. Its just a really nice warm feeling for being in a hospital (and most importantly, it doesn't *smell* like a hospital!).

The staff is incredible. I can't say enough about everyone from the doctors on call, RN's, CCA's, right down to the folks that red up our room. Everyone is acutely focused on what is best for mom and baby. I know that we could never ask for too much from these fine folks, and they are willing to give their all, materially and emotionally. I really feel they have given us a solid foundation to begin our journey with Christina. Its funny, I don't feel much anxiety about leaving the hospital and going home, its more about leaving our new friends behind...but babies keep coming, and babies are what they are all about.

Hey, this aint over folks!! Keep checking the blog for all the latest...including bike racing, home projects, car talk, maybe even a book review from Mag, and of course...more Christina!!

What? What was that?...

So after the 20:00 feeding, momma was dozing off to a well deserved sleep, and I got to have Christina all to myself. We must have been staring at each other for 20 minutes straight when all of a sudden...she smiles. A simple little smile, both ends of her mouth go up and she blinks these little green eyes ever so slowly. As if I wasn't already, I turned into mush. I felt like she was holding me, not me holding her. As if just to let me know she knew what she was doing, and to make sure I didn't miss anything, she did it twice more, then fell to sleep. I really wanted a camera at that moment, but kinda glad I didn't have it...that one was all mine.

Some ants (aunts) showed up today!

More visitors to gush over Ms. Christina. Mike and Kate, Tony, Lenor, and Lauren stopped by today so far. We had a great afternoon feeding, and she is very content. Hey Grandma Rodgers, the cake (and supplies) was a great idea, folks love it, thank you!

Its not all dafodills and daisies

Boy, last night was a tough one. Christina was really excersing her lungs and we called in a nurse to help. Something about an infant crying can really pull at your heart. Jean was a saint. She helped us get through it, and today is a great new day. We are all learning, Bob, Mag, and Christina...together

Fresh dafodills and daisies

All this cute stuff just is great...but the only thing I can think of as I sit here next to her is...man can she fart! I know you're not supposed to talk about baby girls like that, but its just one of many amazing things about them...some so precious...others still precious but a little more raw on the surface! Hey, this is a baby blog...more reality tv than fantasy island.

First night with mom and dad

Last night we elected to have Christina stay with us. I went home to check up on the cat and the house and brought back some fresh spring dafodills that were blooming in the front garden. Also managed to take 3 brush loads of fur out of the cat...she hasn't been brushed much in the last week.

Christina slept alot and woke around 4am. Nothing too drastic, just some noises. She took alot better to the breast feeding, and she did so this morning even better. She and mom are starting to get the hang of it. I was helping with the positioning and keeping her awake, but I was pleasantly surprized to come out of the shower late this morning and there they were, mom and baby, latched together.

We gave mom some quiet time this morning with a couple laps around the ward. We hung out alot at the corner atrium where there were soothing background noises, and just enough light through the clouds for a nice gentle glow.

Word has it that Grandma and Grandpa Taillon are on their way back from NY and will be here this afternoon.

More pics and vid

We look good for only 4 hours sleep

She looks better

I'm a swaddling machine!...

...who's yer daddy...ya, thats right.

Visitors and a delivery today!

Christina got to meet Grandma and Grandpa Rodgers today. Sometime during the visit she had a much better feeding and took some consecutive pulls. We think she's gonna be pretty hungry tonight or tomorrow morning and she'll turn into a feeding machine. Speaking of hungry, Grands Rodgers brought a cake to munch on...we're gonna need some help.

Thanks to the folks at Weatherchem for the flower arrangement!!

We also got a chance to tackle our first changing. We did good.

The Fairview Experience

We are just beginning to understand how fortunate we are to have a facility like Fairview hospital for us to use. Today we were visited by a lactation consultant, and the nurses are wonderful. The hospital has an on-demand system for educational videos. Everything from a 4 part series on breast feeding, to 'From hospital to home'. The rooms are great, and anyone that complains about the fold out sofa as a bed has never been camping before...its fine! We've got high speed internet in the room, a flat screen tv, dvd and vhs player. The Environmental Services folks sent Harry up and he gave us a copy of the paper the day she was born, in a plastic sleeve...so when she's reading next month see knows what happened on her birthday.

I'll be heading home for a short spell today to take care of the cat and pick up some incedentals that we left at home (phone chargers, car seat, a bike - I am right on top of the Rocky River Metropark you know...).

Our little over achiever has been awarded her first certificate! She passed her hearing test.

1st Night Visit

We got a visitor tonight at midnight!

She's here!!

Christina Danielle Rodgers joined planet earth at 19:14 on April 1, 2009 weighing 8 pounds 7.4 ounces, at a length of 20". She was delivered by cesarian. Mamma made a great go at it, but she was just a bit too big and was facing the wrong way. She and mamma are doing fine, and both happy that she is out. We'll be in the hospital for 3 days. Enjoy these precious moments:

Update

Looks like she's a bit too big...headed back for a C-section...she'll be out within the hour!

Update

8cm and all the baby stuff is coming in the room...birth cart, sheets on the baby bed, doctor's callin' in

Its time!

Thanks for stoppin in! We created this blog for our many family and friends that are very interested in our new family addition. We are at the hospital today for the delivery of our new baby girl! We arrived at Fairview Hospital this morning. Mag's contractions started at 5am April 1st. They were good contractions, 1 minute long, 6 minutes in duration. Upon arrival she was 3.5cm and considered in the 'first stages' of labor. She was a real trooper and we stayed off the drugs until well into active labor at around 11am. At that point the epidural was inserted. This usually, and did, slow the frequency of contractions, so a recent dose of petocin has really jump started the activity. I'm sure we have a few more hours to go, but if I was a bettin' man I'd say she's coming out today...7cm as of posting

Entrance to the birthing center...Baby's first bed,waiting...Birthing room

Stay tuned, updates to come frequently