Day Two

It’s hard to believe how time flies.  Savannah Grace is twice as old today as she was yesterday!  Seriously though, it is amazing to see the changes in her in only one day.  Savannah showed us many new facial expressions and at times looked like a completely different baby than she did yesterday. 

 

  Today was full of all kinds of new things.  You could see her focusing on things like lights, sounds, Mommy and Daddy’s voices,  and our touch.  It because obvious that latching onto a nipple is not as natural for a baby as one may think.  It was neat to see her get accustomed to both the bottle and pacifier.  In fact, as the day progressed, she soon became irritated when she didn’t have one or the other.

Yesterday, Savannah had trouble keeping anything down as she had her tummy full of fluid that typically gets “squeezed” out during a normal birth.  Everything that went into her belly usually came back up when she was “burped”.  Just as the nurses stated, that was soon absorbed and pushed through.  She was taking to her bottle well and was developing a very healthy appetite.  It was good to see that she would eat normally and keep down almost all she ate.

However, one of the greatest things from today was how she became accustomed to both Mommy and Daddy.  It was quickly apparent that she was easily calmed down by the sound of our voice, our touch, and at times, just our presence.  You could see the uncertainty and insecurity of strange new things, such as diaper and clothing changes, frustrate her and then watch it instantly melt away when you held her close - as if she could just say “Aahhh!”  Moments like those are more precious than can ever be described.

Happy Birthday, Savannah Grace!

Expecting to arrive at the hospital as scheduled at 11am, our day began with an unexpected call from Labor & Delivery asking us if we can bump up our appointment.  Having things ready to go days in advance, we are ready in moments after the arrival of Mandy’s parents and arrive at the hospital by 9:30 am.

Before we know it, Mandy is prepped and Brian is in scrubs and on the way to the OR.  At 11:35am, Savannah Grace greets this world with strong cries from a very healthy set of lungs – a sound that is music to any expecting parent’s ears.  She is then cleaned off, presented to Mommy, then off to a brief visit to NICU – a standard practice for c-section babies.  There she is weighed and measured.  Savannah Grace was a whopping 8 pounds and 14 ounces and measured 20 1/8” long.

Afterward, Savannah Grace is taken to the nursery to warm under the little “heaters” and to take her first bath.  She had to stay a little longer than planned to get her temperature up to 98 degrees.  By 3:00pm, she finally arrives into our room with anxious family awaiting her arrival.

From there was a whirlwind of activity for the first hour or two.  Mommy, Daddy, Gramps, Ya-Ya, Papa, Tate, Jeremiah (proudly wearing his “I’m the BIG brother T-shirt”), Tim, Rebecca, and Lindsey were all there to greet Savannah.  Later that evening, a very excited Cody and Emily came with Grammy and Gramps to welcome their little sister into the world.

Although a hectic, whirlwind of a day full of activity, it was a wonderful day.  God blessed us with a beautiful, healthy baby girl as well as bountiful support from family and friends.  We are thankful to Him beyond words.