2 Week Check Up

Hannah had her 2 week check up this morning. Here are her stats:

Weight: 9 lbs 8 oz, 75th percentile
Height: 21 inches, 75th percentile
Head: 75th percentile

Basically our girl is perfectly healthy and well proportioned! It was heart-breaking to watch the nurse prick her heel to get a blood sample...but Hannah handled it like a trooper! Jake would have liked to punch the nurse in the face, but he restrained himself :-)

2 Weeks Old!

Our little girl is 2 weeks old today!! She is growing up so fast! I was reminded of this when on Dec 15th she lost her umbilical cord. Now she can bathe like a big girl :-) She has been such a joy to have in our lives. One of the most amazing things has been to watch Jake take on his role as dad. He absolutely loves his little girl and hates to leave her to go to work every morning. He is really good about helping me with everything I need and gladly changes her messy diapers without being asked. I love watching him interact with her. He enjoys making up songs for her and slow dancing with her in his arms. I'm so grateful to have him as the father of our beautiful child.

Here are some of Hannah's favorite things:

Spending time with daddy
Looking at the Christmas tree
Nursing
Swinging in her cradle swing
Being held
Sleeping
Being kissed

I've been meaning to post some pictures of her from a week ago. So here they are!

Hannah and Grandpa Ron
Such a little angel
Her first smile caught on camera!
Her first sponge bath at home
All bundled up in her cute little robe
He loves his girl!

This one makes my heart melt: Hannah clutching on tight to her daddy's hand
I love this picture. She is so beautiful!
Hannah and her Uncle David meeting for the first time.
Hannah with Grandma Geri and Uncle DavidShe loves her Uncle David

Hannah's Birth

I decided I better write a summary of my labor experience before I forget what transpired :) I had scheduled an induction for Dec 5th after coming to the realization that she just might not want to come out on her own. However, that changed on December 3rd.

At midnight I woke up with strong contractions. I woke Jake up and told him they were becoming uncomfortable and he said "really?" and quickly fell back asleep. My mom (who was a labor and delivery nurse and now a maternal/child public health nurse) had been staying with us for a while to help with the birth, so I then went to her room and told her about the contractions. She coaxed me through breathing patterns and timed the contractions which were 5 minutes apart and lasting 45-60 seconds. Jake woke up and finally realized what was going on. He then became really excited and nervous. Here is a quick example, Jake said "I'm gonna go pack a hospital bag!" and quickly left the room. Not a minute later he came back to the room and said "What do I pack?!" It was adorable. At 2:30am my water broke and 15 minutes later we were off to the hospital.

So it turns out that contractions are not the most pleasant thing in the world. That's an understatement, they hurt like crazy. So upon arriving at the hospital I requested an epidural and by about 4am I was a happy camper again. Epidurals are amazing. Within 10 minutes the Dr. asked if I had any feeling and I said that I wasn't sure. He then informed me that I was in the middle of a contraction and I said "Oh, well I guess it is working". Labor from that point on was actually a wonderful experience. We became worried when after contractions Hannah's heart beat would decelerate and be slow to recover. But with a change in position it normalized, which made us all rest a little easier.

By 11am I was fully dialated and ready to push. My friend Megan, who recently had an adorable baby girl, suggested that I use a mirror to help me see what was going on and push more efficiently. That was the best advice ever because as soon as I saw the top of her head nothing mattered but getting her out. 45 minutes later (at 11:51am) our beautiful baby girl, Hannah Joell Pollard, entered the world.

Now for the best part, the pictures!

Baby Hannah

My sister-in-law took a couple of pictures while she and her family visited us in the hospital yesterday. She sent them to me, so I decided to share them with you avid blog readers :-) We will upload the ones we have taken tomorrow.

Introducing Hannah Joell

Jake and I are pleased to announce the birth of our beautiful baby girl! Hannah Joell Pollard: 8 lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long. Yes she is cute and chubby. She is such a good baby and pretty much just sleeps. The labor went really well. I checked into the hospital at 3:30am and had her by 11:52am. We are recovering well. I will post pictures and go into greater detail about the birth as soon as we get home in a couple of days.

Yes, I Am Still Pregnant

An update for those of you anxiously awaiting the news of the birth of our little girl.....Well, my due date has come and gone and I am still pregnant. Today I had a doctor appointment and things are progressing well. We scheduled an induction for this Friday, just in case she doesn't come sooner. It is crazy to think that she will be here sometime this week! We will keep you posted!