Day 5: June 24, 2006

Sleeping Beauty









With Daddy







With Mommy

Day 4: June 24, 2006

Getting ready to breastfeed (with warm compresses to relieve the pain...oh, the pain!)

Sleeping after breastfeeding...

Day 3: June 23, 2006

getting gussied up for Baby's First Day Out


do we love the hat?


oh, you think I look cute in the hat? aw shucks!


I'm ready to go!


Maybe not so ready. what's with this baby car seat?


well, it's not so bad, I guess.


Out like a light.


Daddy shows Noa the local Wal-Mart.


back in the car to get to the next destination...


Denny's!


after a little nip of breastmilk, the baby is drunk.

Day 2: June 22, 2006

Noa trying out her Papasan vibrating chair.




hmmm...do we like this or not?


oops! it's... vibrating!


Daddy multi-tasking


snug as a bug in a Bjorn


Daddy and Noa test out the Baby Bjorn


back to some good vibrations!

Here She Is...

more soon...

Day 1: June 21, 2006

welcome, noa grace!

noa grace was born at 1:25pm Alaska time zone, weighing in at 7lbs 1oz. mom and baby are doing great. more info to come. (this is noa grace's aunt blogging)

Day Zero: June 20, 2006

Some additional photos of NG's first day out of the womb...











And the hospital gave her a cake...

Origin of a Name

In case anyone is wondering about NG's 5 names, here is a breakdown for curious minds:

Noa - We thought early on that the unidentified fetus in the womb was a boy, mostly because of old wives tales. I was carrying low, not high. I was craving spicy foods, not sweet, Fetal heartbeat was slow, not fast. The Chinese Gender Charts online all said it would be a boy. So we picked Noah as a name. When all sonograms began pointing to girl (3 lines between the legs instead of something resembling a "turtle" - their words, not mine), my sister suggested Noa - removing the "h" from Noah - to make a girl's name. The name is popular in Israel, as is my name.

Grace - Thinking of a middle name, I was toying with the idea of a Spanish name (my sister and I both have Hebrew first names and Spanish middle names). But we were also thinking of honoring one of our relatives. When I started naming them, Grace - my father's mother's name - just sounded wonderful paired with Noa. We finally decided on Grace.

Pascuala - When my mother heard that we were naming NG after my father's mother, she asked - very non-forcefully I might add - if we might not also honor her mother. The reality is that I was closer to her mother through the years. After much discussion with the hubby - who was alarmed at the growing length of NG's name - he finally admitted that he did like the name Pascuala and relented after I explained that it was only for the birth certificate and when she was old enough, she'd be able to pick and choose from the myriad of names we are giving her.

She also has a double last name - NOT hyphenated - combining my maiden name and hubby's last name. He, in turn, legally changed HIS last name to the double last name - went before the judge, changed all his credit cards, bank accts, etc. I wanted to keep my maiden name to honor my Dad and hubby also felt strongly that he wanted to do the same (even asked Dad's permission to do so). Now we both have 4 names and NG will have 5. Lucky girl!

Just checkin' in...

We are waiting for the momentous day when Princess Noa Grace enters the world. And we are ready! We have all the latest and most advanced gear. We are either going to need a bigger house or get rid of some books or something. Love it! Love it! Love it!

The Proud Father

I feel you knocking...

Well, about 9 days before the EDD of June 16. Dates schmates. I hear her knocking but my door hasn't opened yet. So she'll have to wait a little longer, but not too long mind you because we're anxious for her arrival.

I have to keep saying "but I'm not trying to rush things, of course" because I'm not. It will happen when it is meant to happen.

And nothing makes me want to draw on my deepest and most snarky reserves than when women say "I bet you just can't wait for it all to be over! I remember when I just couldn't wait..."

But instead of the snark I want to dish out at that presumptuous and stupid remark, all I really say in reply is, "No, I'm actually not feeling like I want it to be over. I'm feeling pretty good, thank you."

This, of course, is not what they want to hear and they follow up with, "Oh I just couldn't wait to get it all over with!" Whine, complain, bitch, moan.

Am I aloud to say "bitch" on a baby blog? Well, she will hear these things coming out of my mouth in due time.

Knock, Knock. I feel you knocking, and we're ready for you, baby!