Today is Sarah’s first Mother’s Day as a mother. She hasn’t had a lot of experience, but she has the job down pat. My lovely wife has simply done an amazing job with Micah over the past 3 months (and before!). She is dedicated, loving, and long-suffering towards both Micah and me. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful woman with whom to share my life.

When we were dating, in the midst of an argument, i once said, “You are not the center of my world, ya know.” But looking at things now — the amazing love that we share, our partnership in raising Micah, our conjoined faith life — Sarah is indeed right at the heart of the most important things in my world. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Life is good!

Sarah is now writing down her reflections on her life as a mother… And there is no better day to highlight those writings than today! Be sure to check out her new blog: www.catholicmama.com. Happy Mother’s Day, Sarah!

My own mom has returned to the country (with my sister). My mom and sister have spent the last few years in Brazil working with various church ministries along the Amazon River. It’s exciting to have them both at least a little closer. Micah can’t wait to meet them!

Being a parent myself, i have a new respect for moms everywhere. But i am especially appreciative of my own mother who nurtured, fed, and cared for me, working hard to teach me what i needed to know, in school and out. Thanks, mom. Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Easter, everyone! Micah turned 2 months old on Easter Sunday. We had a great time celebrating (both events) with Sarah’s family in Gig Harbor. I think we have actually spent some time there every weekend for the last 6 weeks. Micah loves getting to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Riggio.

In these 2 month, Micah has already been changing so much. He can hold his head up now, and is just starting to interact with toys and inanimate objects around him. And he keeps growing — longer, fatter, smarter!

I heard it said that “The days and nights may drag, but the weeks will fly by.” Sarah and i have found this to be very true. We are experiencing entirely new types of time distortions.

So, on to the photos! It has been an exciting time for Micah. He got to spend time with some East Coast grandparents when my dad and his wife came out to visit. It was wonderful to see them, and to get to introduce them to our little guy. Micah’s middle name is Glock, my father’s family name.

Week 4 Photo Album

On a recent weekend in Gig Harbor, Grandma Riggio got to help give Micah a bath in the sink. Parts of it he loved, parts he wasn’t so sure about, and some parts he surely disliked. His facial expressions make it all so clear!

Week 6 Photo Album

Enjoy!

at long last, photodocumentation of the last 30 hour is now yours for the viewing. we were prepared for newborn funkiness, but i don’t think it is just my bias in insisting he is a cutie.

He was born at 6lbs, 13oz, and 18″ long. he has currently lost 3% of his body weight, which is very normal. he continues to pass the full battery of tests with flying colors, and will be on his way home tomorrow (saturday). but that’s a whole ‘nutha post.

without further ado…

newborn cuteness!

(you can view as a slide show with the play button in the corner. can you believe we were all that small?)

Wow, what an amazing 24 hours. perhaps the most intense joys and pains of my life.

Sarah is doing well, with minimal tearing. she made it through the entire process with no pain killers. Labor was mercifully short — she impressed 4 nurses and 2 doctors with her strength. she is my hero.

Group Health thinks we are such a great family, they want to keep us until saturday.  for now, we are both exhausted. so do we get to sleep now?

After a very intense last 4 hours, he is born!

He’s healthy, happy, latched, and loving life.

We haven’t even weighed him yet, but eye-ball estimates put him in at around 6 pounds.  He was born at 5:08pm, pacific time.
Many, MANY thanks to all the encouraging emails we have recieved from people.  You’re prayers and encouragement are so valuable to us.

Many many pictures to follow!

It’s early (or late). 5:20am. we have been able to sleep on and off, disrupted by nurse visits, restlessness, contractions, and uncomfortable beds (even with all those shaping/tilting/lifting options).

Sarah’s contractions are still a little irregular, ranging from 3 to 6 minutes apart, lasting from 30 to 90 seconds. they aren’t too strong yet, but definitely strong enough to prevent deep sleep.

we only attended one week of birthing classes. luckily we learned the signs of labor, and got some critical questions answered… but we currently know very little about breathing patterns, pain management, and what to actually DO during contractions. so between naps and contractions, i’m flipping through a few books trying not to read about everything that can go wrong to find some helpful instruction.

slow breathing. massage. mental focal points. signaling breathes. repetitious prayers. these things really seem to be helping. ok, now i just gotta find the strategy for the next phase… Sarah, what page are you on?

The hospital staff here at Group Health Central has done a great job of helping us to get comfortable. It’s now just past midnight, and Sarah has been sleeping in her robotic bed that moves in 12 different directions to create whatever shape she desires. She has an IV drip for fluids and antibiotics, and has two monitors on her belly — one for tracking contractions (which she can barely feel most of the time), and the other for monitoring Micah’s heartbeat.

The heartbeat ranges from 130 bpm to 160 bpm, more than double Sarah’s. The staff really like his heartbeat. the variance shows he is healthy, apparently! That’s really encouraging to hear for a pre-termer (he missed “full-term” by 3 days, not bad!).

Here’s his heartbeat, as recorded by the crummy mic on my Treo:

thub thub thub thub

Hopefully some pictures will be coming soon…

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my proud honor to introduce you to the future: Micah Riggio!

Isn’t he cute! i’m so in love already.  for those who aren’t used to ultrasound images… this is not a practical joke!  there really is a baby in that picture. this is a profile view, with the outline of his face visible near the center. his hand is near his mouth, but you only get one slice at a time so we see his wrist, rather than fingers. the dark “C” shape in his chest is his little heart which beats about twice as fast as his mommy’s.

Brace yourself for many more photos, once we get this baby air-born!