Monday, August 28, 2006
Heather is the beautiful mother of my beautiful daughter!
But before she was a beautiful mommy,
she was my beautiful wife!
And before that
she was Daniel's beautiful sister!
But before she was a beautiful sister to anyone,
She was a beautiful daughter to Andrea and Rob!
I married a woman that has been beautiful in many roles, but she gets prettier with each new role, and she'll always play every role she ever started, but she'll be most beautiful as a Mother that is a wife, a mother that is a sister, and a mother that is a daughter!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Emmalyn is a week and a half old and bath time was unavoidable. Her umbilical cord mysteriously fell off and found it’s way to the coffee table where it was found Saturday afternoon. (For the record I was only joking when I pretended to eat it, and I didn’t really think it looked like bacon, and it sure didn’t taste like bacon!)
Thankfully Andrea and Daniel are in the Cheney home to provide the much-needed moral support as well as give excellent advice on parenting. Daniel could not have been more clear about that cord not tasting like bacon, he also thinks we should know absolutely everything about Super Mario (who is somewhat of a mentor to him). As a parent I hope to obtain as many stars as possible and eventually beat the final Bowser! That is some sort of metaphor for financial success and Emmalyn’s future fiancĂ©, I think.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
We are home!
It's so nice to be here and out of the hospital. However, when you drive home it definitely kicks in that the baby is YOURS and is not just a fun amusment to cuddle up with and give back to the nurses. I am very greatful for how smoothly everything went and for the little girl we get to keep... for good (unlike all the puppies being given away that I hold outside the doors of the grocery store). I am officially a mom and it is great!
Last night, Ammon went to get some some dinner for the two of us, and came back with a full-fledged night of wining and dining. A kind of "last date" of sorts for the time being. After sending Emmie off to the nursery we enjoyed chinese take out, sparkling juice, chocolate eclaires and the smell of sweet red roses. It was a ton of fun and definitely appreciated and needed. We ended up getting Emmie out of the nursery after about a half an hour of going through withdrawls.
Since being home, Ammon has found many things that he wants to improve in the house to make better for a baby and I am enjoying watching him clean and make those changes :) Just joking, we have had a very relaxing day and evening of visiting with family and enjoying having her home with us. We now have Sonic the Hedgehog playing on the Sega with Emmie asleepin' away- and it seems that we are going to adjust to having a baby just fine! -Heather
Friday, August 04, 2006
Ammon's Account
Aug. 2, 2006 Heather’s due date to delver Emmalyn
7am Heather has the first painful contractions of her pregnancy.
8 am Ammon arrives at work only to be useless as he waits to hear from Heather.
9 am Ammon hears nothing.
10 am Ammon hears nothing.
10:35 am Ammon’s clever female co-workers suggest Ammon call his wife.
10:40 am Ammon feels much better!
I will either kick myself for not writing anything today, or I will just have to write later when I have some kind of organized thought. I don’t know what to think right now. It’s actually a quarter after midnight August 4th. Emmalyn was born yesterday at 3:35 pm. Heather and I drove to the hospital after a sleepless night at 6:30 am. After hours of painful contractions a mishap of sorts with the epideral Heather began pushing at 1:30 pm. I teared up when I first saw Emmie’s little fuzzy head poking through, then after what seemed like hours (because it was I guess) her head just shot out and her right arm right beside it, she came reaching out like she had been digging with her right hand ahead of her. Jackie our midwife exclaimed, “she’s definatley a girl, she’d reaching for a credit card!”
Heather and I each had quite a few messages from concerned parties, I opted to call three people. I gave Heather her phone to call her mother and I left the room to call mine, then I called my good friend Neil Tenney, followed by a member of our ward that I instructed to tell whoever he wanted as long as he calls the bishop for me.
When Emmie was born I cried in a shoulder shaking ball. I was so glad to see Heather done with the pain and to have a healthy little miracle in my arms. I got to hold Emmie for about half an hour or more while Heather was being stitched up where she had torn a little.
The first thing I remember thinking is that I could see similarities in her face and her uncle Shawn and Vincents. Heather said she had my mouth. She had a headfull of dark hair as well as a very hairy back. Her nails were long, but I thought her fingers were as well. Her head was almost instantly perfect shape and a perfect shade of pink. She sucks on the left side of her lower lip. Her eyes looked blue, but I understand that will likely change. Her head looked so small until she popped out and then I saw that her head had been smooshed into a cone like shape, which quickly filled out, she was about three times the size that I imagined, she looked so big to me when I first saw her, I didn’t think she looked like a new-born.
Heather tried to breast feed after she and her bed were all transformed to normal. Emmie seemed to know how, but lacked interest. We tried again when Emmie woke up six hours later, and she definatley knew how.
I like having a daughter. I love holding her and kissing her. It’s nice to have the privledge. I like to hold other peoples babies, but I don’t like to ask others and I have often felt inclined to love little babies that I have held, but that makes mothers uncomfortable, esp. if I kiss the little ones. I’m so thrilled to have all that affection be appropriate.
I love her yawns, and her scowls. I love her snorts and squeeks.
I changed her first diaper at about 10 pm, it was very stickey and black of course, but I think I did ok.
She’s in the nursery now and she will be brought to Heather, should Emmie be hungry. I think we all need the sleep right now though.