Baby’s butt?  Really?  I don’t know who coined that phrase, but i don’t think they changed many diapers.  Guess where babies get diaper rash?  Rash isn’t soft.  Guess where baby waste goes?  The diaper doesn’t absorb it all.
Add to this mix elastic band impressions, chubby folds of skin that are hard to clean, and not getting a lot of air…  Soft isn’t the first word i would use.

But there are many parts of a baby that are indeed soft.  I’m particular to Micah’s calves myself.   Maybe the bit of belly off to the side, beneath the ribs where love-handles may one day form.

I guess “Soft as a babies lower leg” just doesn’t have the same ring (and daring-do?) to it.  So don’t be surprised if something described by this inacurism actually turns out to be… sticky?

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?)

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!