525,600 Minutes

How do you measure a year?

I didn't come up with that - I am a huge fan of Rent, the musical, and for some reason I love that song. (I'm actually a fan of almost all musicals). I had some quiet time just now with Campbell. She was supposed to be eating but decided to sleep instead, so she and I were just rocking in a chair in her room for an hour or so. Daddy was out running an errand, there is no TV in there, just some time to think. I started getting all deep thinking about 2008 coming to a close, and that's when those lyrics popped in my head.

2008 has been a monumental year for me. How do I measure this year? I think the answer is pretty obvious. This year has brought me two of the biggest moments of my life - my wedding and the birth of my daughter. Wow.

On March 15, Travis and I got married in Asheville, NC. Our wedding was, in a word, heavenly. :) It poured down rain that day. And I mean poured. I don't know of any little girls who picture their wedding day and envision rain, storm clouds, torrential downpours. I certainly didn't. But when that day rolled around and it was pouring, I didn't care one bit. (I was a little concerned about my hair, but we made sure I was covered and it turned out OK). The view from the mountain lodge where we got married was breathtaking after our ceremony. There were these incredible foggy rain clouds that started to part and made the backdrop more amazing than any sunset could have provided. I'll get back to the rain thing in a minute. Back to the wedding. It really was exactly what we wanted. It was intimate, it felt so personal, and it felt so "us." Our guests were seated around us in a horseshoe - like we were surrounded, literally, by our family and friends. Since it was dark and rainy outside, it made it feel even more warm and cozy inside. We had a ton of candles lit, and the decor was minimal - bare branches, moss, and candlelight. The only music was a single guitar. When I think back on this day, I hear the guitar playing Canon in D as I walked down the aisle. I see Travis' face at the other end, smiling so big, and looking so relaxed. He seriously looked so relaxed, so ready, and so happy. I remember exactly what it felt like after we walked down the aisle when it was over, and we had a split second alone to say, oh my gosh, we're married! I remember our first dance as if it's in slow motion in my head. It was just the most wonderful day. After all the planning, it turned out way better than anything I could've ever planned for. And after that...we got to hop on a plane and head to paradise for a week (St. Lucia). Our days there consisted of laying poolside, drinking poinsettas (cranberry juice and champagne) from sun up to sun down, eating brie and crackers in our room every afternoon around 4pm, scuba diving, reading books, telling stories from the wedding over and over, lounging in the hot tub until we were a wrinkled mess, and enjoying the first few days as husband and wife.

The other momentous event of 2008 was Campbell's birth. I probably won't go on and on about it since that's all I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. I was pregnant most of 2008 which was exciting and fun and scary and irritating all rolled into one. I thought I'd miss being pregnant because I enjoyed it for the most part. But now that Campbell is here, I don't miss being pregnant at all. And I enjoy the little things in life, like seeing my feet again. She changed our lives in an instant. We went from two to three. Back to the rain...it was raining on December 11. I think rain is our thing. We do rain! I usually hate rain. I don't like getting wet or cold or carrying an umbrella. But it seems like when there is a big moment in our lives, it rains. Not sure what that means, but like one of my favorite country songs...Bring on the rain, I'm thirsty anyway! When I think back on 2008, I think I'll hear Campbell's first cry. We didn't know she was sick in that first moment, and I just felt joy...and relief that she was finally here and crying. I'll never forget the time we spent with her in the hospital and how hard it was to come home without her. But only a few weeks out, that memory is being overshadowed by how happy we were to come home WITH her 12 days later. She made me a mommy and made Travis a daddy, something we have each always dreamed of. Life is good, and so much more full these past few weeks because of her. We also got the tax deduction that Daddy was so hoping for. :)

Also in March of this year, we lost Travis' grandfather to a short battle with cancer. He passed away within two weeks of his diagnosis. It was so shocking and tragic and such a loss for Travis' family. And for me too. I know Travis misses him dearly but we also know that we have another angel in our fleet. I wish he could've been here to see our happy moments of 2008, but we know he was there at the wedding, and helped watch over Campbell while she was sick.

So that's how I measure this year. I know I have a lot left to do in my life, but it's going to be hard to top this year. Tonight we may or may not make it up to see the ball drop. We will probably have a glass of champagne with dinner and call that our big celebration. And something tells me it might be the best New Year's Eve yet!

Grandparents Rock

Campbell is so lucky to have four wonderful grandparents and two great grandmothers who all love her very much. Either in person or via webcam, she's had the chance to meet all of them so far. My parents came down Christmas night and left this morning. I alluded to how much help they were in my last post - but allow me to elaborate. It was so wonderful to have them here to hang out and help out. First of all it was two extra sets of hands, which are quite useful. It's pretty amazing how heavy a 7ish pound baby can get, and how hard it is to get anything done when all you want to do is hold the baby. Extra hands can 'go get my water', 'let the dog out', and of course 'hold the baby.' Extra sets of hands did so much more though. Yesterday Travis went to Marion for the day to attend his brother's wedding reception. I spent the majority of the day on the couch, feet propped up, just staring at my baby and watching TV. Meanwhile my parents scurried around me, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, organizing the pantry, hanging things on the wall for us, folding laundry, etc. It was awesome! After they left this morning, I ran the dishwasher, and I was thinking, man, I'm actually going to have to empty this thing myself! :) It was really, really nice to have the help around here. We had real meals, clean sheets on our bed, and a constant "oh my gosh your baby is so cute." What could be better?

And please don't think I'm only bragging about my parents. Travis' parents are wonderful also. Travis' parents are close enough that they can come often for shorter visits. Since my parents are in Virginia, when they visit, they stay the night and therefore the situation is more conducive to them being our live-in cooks/maids/nannies. Anyway, we've just really enjoyed having our parents around Campbell. I know some people's parents drive them crazy. Not the case here! Travis and I are quite lucky in that we both have cool 'rents that we enjoy hanging out with. And even better, that our families mesh well. Campbell's got a good thing going in the family department!!

I've got some pictures to share now. You'd think that with that intro, they'd be pictures of Campbell with her grandparents. Nope, that would make too much sense. In fact, I don't have many with the grandparents! :( My mom does - I'll have to get her pictures uploaded soon. Here are just some of my favorites from the last week. I think she looks so different from one picture to the next. But of course I think she's gorgeous in every one...

Campbell's First Christmas

While Campbell takes a quick afternoon nap, I thought I'd take a second to update the world on our time at home. Things are going so well! Campbell continues to amaze us with how sweet she is. She sleeps and eats really well for a newborn. Now...she's still a newborn. So if you stop by, you'll probably notice some circles under our eyes, and we may or may not be showered. But all in all, we're doing pretty well. My parents came down Christmas night and are here for the weekend. It's been so fun to watch them with their grandbaby. And even more fun to watch them cook and clean for us!!!!! :) It's nice to be taken of. Yesterday we met the entire Justice family, cousins and all, for lunch. The cousins were so cute at the end of the table, eating their chicken fingers together. It's crazy to think that one day Campbell will be down there with them! It was a big deal for her to go out on her first outing. She slept in her carseat the entire time (shew!) and we kept her covered up for the most part. Unfortunately we couldn't pass her around and let the cousins love on her - she's just too young to be out and exposed to all those kiddie germs. It took me forever to get myself and Campbell ready - I see why new parents always run late! Travis' parents and Nanny came over after lunch and got some extra quality time with Campbell.

She is very mellow - so far she's definitely got her Daddy's personality! She is super alert, especially at night after dinnertime. She'll sit there wide-eyed, sometimes for two hours at a time, just watching the world around her. Two nights ago, she stared at the Christmas tree for what seemed like forever, like she was in awe with it. What I wouldn't give to know what was going on in that precious little head of hers! I'm really enjoying playing dress up. It's like having the world's best doll. Travis and I gave her her first bath at home a couple of days ago and Campbell didn't even cry. We expected the worst, and were pleasantly surprised that she seemed to enjoy the warm sponge bath. I know these little details are probably really boring to anyone but us, but we sure are enjoying it and want to remember every second. I have been taking a ton of pictures, so after I take some time to upload them, I'll be sure to post.

Belated Merry Christmas to all! Now that we are at home and settled, Campbell welcomes visitors. There's only one stipulation - you must be well! The hospital drilled that in our heads - having a baby during the winter means being super strict about making sure our visitors don't have colds. So as long as you're healthy, give us a call, we'd love to introduce our sweet little angel to the world!

There's No Place Like Home

Home. Home Sweet Home. With our baby girl. What could be better???

Yesterday went really well. As expected, it took a while to get out of the hospital. We finally left around 2pm. Coming home was really pretty easy! Lexi was a little freaked out for the first hour or so. We let her sniff Campbell in the car seat, but she was still very curious. We put Campbell in the car seat up on the island in our kitchen, and Lexi paced around the island, whining and anxious. But since we've gotten settled and Campbell has been out and about, Lexi and Harley don't seem to mind or really even notice their new little sister! Lexi likes to be where we are - so she just kind of follows us around and lays down near us. She even laid on the couch with us and Campbell yesterday, only because we invited her up there. And she was unnerved by any noises or movement Campbell made. We are so glad we did all that training!!!!!!!!

The one wonderful thing about Campbell's stay in the hospital is they got her on a schedule. Actually I can think of two more wonderful things. The extra time gave me time to get a little more energy back and I'm getting around really well now. And also, I was able to get Campbell used to breastfeeding before we came home, and that can be a really stressful thing. She eats every 3-4 hours, which is fantastic for a newborn. I think she has smuggled a little stopwatch in her onesie somewhere because she really is like clockwork - which is great! I imagine that we had a WAY easier first night than most new parents. Campbell knew the drill - she went to bed and got up about three and a half hours later. Now did I sleep? Not really. I listened to her breathe, checked on her after every grunt and coo, and just watched her. But then Daddy got her up and brought her downstairs this morning and let me sleep in an extra hour or so, so I'm feeling OK now.

Gotta run - no more time to sit leisurely at the computer and blog. But things are going great and we are happy to have her home!

The Sun'll Come Out...TOMORROW!!!

Sorry for the cheesy title, but I'm so excited I could sing the theme song from Annie. Tomorrow is the big day - Campbell comes home!!! She was born on Thursday the 11th...and will finally come home on Monday the 22nd. That might not sound like a very long time, but I can assure you that this waiting period of 12 days has seemed longer than the 9 months I was pregnant. We have met other families whose babies have been there for months. So yes, we recognize that in the big scheme of things, we are so very fortunate and our stay at the hospital was short. However, it's all relative, and to us, this has been an eternity. It has been mentally and physically exhausting. We have been dealing with an insane mix of emotions - total and utter joy, fear, frustration and sadness. And hopefully tomorrow, all of those will disappear and be a distant memory - except for the total and utter joy. :)

Today we had to watch a video and sit through a class. Remember all those baby classes we took? We were already quite educated in baby care, but as procedure, we had to sit through some more. Anything to be one step closer to coming home! The nurses can't say enough great things about Campbell. They are just amazed at how chill she is, what an easy going personality she has, how rarely she fusses, and how long she sleeps. Other than the long naps, I'd say it sounds like she's going to be just like her Daddy. :) And we assume those long naps will be a thing of the past as soon as she gets home.

I have been in an awful mood today. Bad with a capital "B". Which seems crazy considering tomorrow it's all over and I can finally bring my baby home. I think just being this close to the end, I just hit a wall. I am so tired of scrubbing in, of driving to the hospital, of wearing paper gowns, of eating in the hospital cafeteria, etc. It's also been quite a challenge to keep myself on Campbell's feeding schedule since she and I aren't together all the time. Let's just leave it at that - my body is a bit confused. Hopefully that will go away tomorrow too. My mind has been racing about stupid nesting things. It's very weird to have this much notice about when the baby is coming home. I feel the need to reorganize everything one last time. I know when I wake up tomorrow, that the bad mood will be replaced with excitement. I just had one of those days where I felt sorry for myself and I was tired and just wanted my baby!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for all of your prayers over the last week and a half. Please keep them coming - they have certainly worked, and I'm sure we will need more as we tackle parenthood for the first time. We also won't breathe a total sigh of relief until we walk through the front door carrying our precious cargo...so that is my prayer tonight...just that tomorrow goes smoothly and Campbell is as happy to be at home as we are!

Like Mommy, Like Daddy?

Campbell Reese. Let's see whose baby picture she most resembles!

This is Daddy. He was very sick as a baby - decided to come over a month premature. But as you can see, once he got healthy, he really got healthy! And happy!

This is Mommy as a little baby.

I think these pictures are a little deceiving because in my opinion, based on the pictures, I'd vote for Mommy. However, in person, I see nothing but Travis in our little angel. She seems to have her Daddy's mouth and personality - she is so chill! I guess only time will tell, but we thought it'd be fun to compare her to our baby pictures.

Campbell had a great day today. We are getting ready to head back after dinner for an evening meal or two with our precious baby. We found ourselves worrying about EVERYTHING today. She got a little red and splotchy after her lunch. The nurse agreed, and we had the nurse practitioner check her out. The splotchiness started to go away, so she's most likely just got fair, sensitive skin like her Mommy. They'll keep an eye out to make sure it's nothing, but of course Daddy and I spent a good hour wondering what a rash could mean. We also worried about how much she was eating, how much time she was sleeping between meals (four hours!!!), and every little noise she made. I guess we are officially parents, so we can expect to worry for, say...the rest of our lives! As of last night, she weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz. That means at six days, she had not only gained back the weight she lost, but packed on a little extra! Good job, baby!!

The Penthouse Suite

Last night around 10:15pm, Campbell got upgraded to the Penthouse Suite! We were able to move her from the NICU to the NPCN, Neonatal Progressive Care Nursery.

The NICU

The NPCN - the Ritz Carlton of baby accomodations at the hospital!

What a huge milestone! We loved our nurses in the NICU and the care she received, but we were so happy to say goodbye to that chapter of our lives, hopefully forever. Progressive care is in the new Levine Children's Hospital, where the NICU was in an older wing of the hospital. In the NPCN, we have almost like our own little room. We have three walls, and the fourth is open, but has a curtain we can close completely. This is ideal for feeding Campbell and having some quiet family time. We have a cozy chair and a little table...room to spread out our things...and the flexibility to really be more in charge of her care. In the NICU, the babies are on strict feeding schedules. That was really nice because we always knew if we arrived at a certain time, we wouldn't miss a feeding. Plus, I've never had a newborn, but I know that "schedule" and "newborn" typically aren't used in the same sentence. But in the NPCN, we are getting more of a taste of what it will be like when she comes home. She can feed on demand and eat as much as she likes. The nurses are giving us the reigns (when we're there visiting) to decide when she needs to eat and what she needs. It's very quiet - there isn't a constant alarm going off, the buzz of all the scary NICU activity, people coming and going. We can really take more time to just enjoy Campbell and try to figure out how in the world we take care of this tiny little life. It's so funny - we arrived for one visit and they'd already changed her diaper, and we were honestly disappointed and a little irritated. Like, hey, that's our job!! I have a feeling that will change soon and we'd do anything to change one less diaper. We talked to Campbell's nurse practitioner this morning. There is literally nothing to tell us anymore. She is just healthy and happy and they are doing nothing but giving her a nice place to stay while they finish her meds and count down the days until she goes home. They are still saying Sunday or Monday. That is so soon - although sometimes it feels like lightyears away. We are tired of going back and forth and of the hassle of all the scrubbing in, wearing the paper gowns, etc. Patience is NOT my strong point, but I'm trying very hard not to get fed up with it. At least the end is in sight! She makes faces at us and has this hilarious little smile. I know it's not a real smile yet, just some sort of reflex or gas. But it is so funny - usually comes after she eats and is like a drunken smile. She is definitely not fussy and seems to be able to soothe herself to some extent, which I totally feel is something positive she's taken away from this experience. I'm sure all this will go flying out the window when she comes home, but for now, she seems to be a perfectly well adjusted 6-day old baby. And she is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ridiculously cute. We are so proud. Enjoy a few pictures below!

Campbell's jaundice is better, so she's off the blue light special. This was taken on Sunday - although we weren't happy she was jaundiced, isn't she adorable in her spa mask?

Long fingers!

So alert!! Last night she stayed awake after her dinner for a good two hours. Not fussy, not restless, just soaking up the world around her.

Enjoying a bottle with Daddy.

Campbell is rockin' the plain white tee.