to sleep, perchance to dream

All is quiet in the Richardson household. Mom and Cassidy are fast asleep and I am trying to quietly run around and get things done around the house that don't require power tools. All in all the past two days have been pretty smooth. Cassidy's weight is back up, we are getting good snippets of sleep and seem to be getting into a rhythm. Of course, conventional wisdom tells me that this will all change as she sleeps less, eats more...

We've had some visitors today; Alyssa's father came, then Caitlin and Asha, then my sister. Guests are exhausting, but it's worth seeing everyone light up when they hold her. Mailaina and Ryan are coming over soon to drop off dinner. One of the great things about all of this is that everyone brings you food!

That reminds me, there's a blueberry pie from Atkins with my name on it...how quiet can I be in procuring said pie?

Homecoming Day!

Well, after a few days at Cooley, where we were treated like royalty, we had to say goodbye to the wonderful staff there and see if we had listened carefully enough to make a go of it on our own. Dad drove slower than the earlybird traffic in Tampa all the way home, finally breathing when he pulled into 10 Plaza Ave.

Here's what I've learned so far:

Even if you are skittish (I never could watch the surgery channel) You have to be there at the birth of your child, there really isn't anything that I can do to explain it, except to say that it will be the most incredible thing you ever see, so don't miss it (and don't travel anytime near the due date, this is just a bad idea)

There is an oil that the nurses put on babies when they are born that makes them smell really good, for a long time. I used to think it was natural, but it has to be a J&J product.

Eat before hard labor. Not the mothers, the people that are in the room with them.

The fine people at the La Leche League are actually nuts. I'm pretty sure that they classify as a paramilitary organization.

Don't go to the Fire department to have them put in your carseat. It is so easy that if you can't do it, there's little hope that you will be able to put together the crib, pack-n-play, etc., so you should think about getting a fishtank instead. I can say this because I almost went to the FD, then tried it myself. If you can put your pants on, you can do this. It's true.

Look at these feet!

She's here!

Monday, January 22nd at 8:15 P.M., Cassidy was born at Cooley Dickenson Hospital in Northampton. She weighed in at 7lbs. 10 oz. and was 19.75 inches. Mom is doing great; labor was long but the outcome was beautiful!

contratctions 7 minutes apart. We are going to try to lay down and rest....

countdown

It is Sunday evening at 11PM and the contractions are currently 10 minutes apart and are pretty consistant. Mom is feeling pretty good, Dad is turning a pale shade of gray, everytime a contraction happens. Suzanne (our midwife) wants us to call her back and check in with her.

Pats just lost, baby is imminent...