ANNA GRACE!!!

I was thinking about labeling this blog something like "Laughter and tears" or "rollercoaster" because that pretty much sums this week up, but mainly it's going to be a documentary of Anna's first week in the real world!

The hospital experience was basically the worst experience of my life... After being awake all day, I was in labor for over a full day and well...ended up with a cesarean. Thankfully though, the doctors and many or our nurses were awesome, but it was rather traumatic, and do they really have to take your vitals/babies vitals every hour at the hospital and serve primarily jello? :)

However, hearing Anna cry out, even though I couldn't see her from behind the sterile sheet was AWESOME! We cried and cried! They took her directly to peds to check her out, but quickly came and got Daryl (WHO IS AN AWESOME FATHER AND HUSBAND!) to go see her. She was perfect on the charts! Praise God! They swaddled her up and while the sewed me back together set her on my chest. Beautiful. If you aren't convinced she's our child...here she is...(her eyes are looking less slanty by the day though!)

Thankfully my family (my poor brother and his wife drove in at 10am on Saturday and waited around all day for Anna to arrive) kept us pretty entertained until things got rather scary at the end. This is a great shot of Anna resting with Grandpap for the first time...
Anna got to meet lots of our WONDERFUL friends! Thanks everyone who stopped by, and everyone who sent flowers! Our room smelt AWESOME! :) And everyone who has dropped by food! You have brightened our days!

She got her first bath at home this week.
Needless to say, that wasn't entirely her favorite. Daddy didn't so much like her crying, but we got to do what we got to do, right?


Anna took her first walk this week in the jogging stroller with mommy and daddy - that was a blast! Thanks to God for a speedy recovery by the way and a great husband and great parents who were so helpful while I wasn't supposed to take stairs, lift things besides Anna, etc.

She also got to go to Wal-Mart and to a doctor's appointment with mommy. She has squirted poop across the nursery (I'm serious), enjoyed her new bouncer, and loved life in the car seat. She has been stuck with needles, and held all night!

We absolutely love her. I must confess, however, that the first week of her life was certainly also one of the most difficult of my life. I guess you can chalk it up to many things - lots of missed sleep, crazy hormones, and my own selfishness (will Daryl and I ever get more than a couple of hours together where we aren't wondering if she will cry and will I ever sleep through the night again?), and fear (is she eating enough, is she eating too much, is she sick, why is she crying, am I doing the right thing?).

But each day gets better and while I still sometimes cry over whether or not I'm doing the right thing or being so tired or missing Daryl time, I have also spent many moments crying over how pretty and amazing she is and what an awesome gift she is!