Home!

We brought Lincoln home last night! Thank God. He is perfectly well, and all the blood tests came back negative for infections--but at least the doctors played it safe with the antibiotics. The Care by Parent night was very difficult, partly because it was our first night with Linc and partly because of the horrible room (no rocking chair, one small hospital bed, etc.). But we are home now and SO happy to be here. And I am also overwhelmed, exhausted, scared and hyper-emotional. I know this will pass, but I feel like I'm drowning with all the emotions & lack of sleep. Poor George! He's been so great; don't know what I'd do without him as my rock.

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and support. We are blessed with such wonderful friends!!

Care by Parent

We're going to the hospital for Care by Parent today & tonight. Basically, we're in a room and have Lincoln the entire time, but NICU nurses are across the hall should we have any questions. I'll also finally get to nurse him! We're excited to get to spend so much time with our boy, but I'm also ridiculously stressed out about it. What if he won't nurse? What if we can't calm his crying? What if I dislodge one of the zillions of lines he's hooked up to? I know it's stupid, but it would be different if we had him home. Guess I just don't like the idea of people looking over us, judging our parenting skills--not that the nurses do, and not that they'll even be around unless we call for them. Still.


Here are a couple of photos my mom took Sunday. Hopefully more coming soon, if I ever get my camera hooked to the computer.

Isn't he beautiful?!!!

Introducing our little man!

Lincoln Atticus Welch

made his debut at 6:48 pm

on 23 January 2009!

7 pounds 8 ounces

20.5 inches long

Apgar scores: 8 (1 minute), 9 (5 minutes)

Short story:

18.5 hours of labor or so

When he arrived, he had a fever (as did I), some trouble breathing

and probably an infection, so they whisked him off to NICU for antibiotics and kept him there.

We came home last night without him, but he is doing MUCH better.

Fever is gone, breathing is strong and normal, and he's eating from a bottle.

He was moved from NICU to the "annex," which is still intensive care,

but with fewer and healthier babies.

We got to feed, burp, hold and change him before we had to leave the hospital,

so that made coming home without him not as difficult, but still so heartbreaking.

More details later!

One week out...

and check out the ginormous, scary profile! Yeesh! At least I cover up Renee's wet pants (from a water spill).

Me, Renee, Kristen, Beth, Marcia

Hope this elephant baby arrives soon, or I won't be able to fit through doorways!

8.5 months pregnant

With 2 weeks & a day until the due date, this is baby & me!

What a difference a couple of months makes...

This was 11/17/08. My butt no longer fits in this dress!

I've discovered that I severely hate photos of me pregnant--could be hormones messing with my hair, skin, or just perception!--but had to post one more belly pic since baby boy could come at any time. The not knowing/not having control over when it starts is the hardest thing ever!