Our great friend Amelia started her own photography business (we think she's awesome). She was with us at the delivery (sorry - those picts are not being posted) and she came over this week and took some "2 week old picts".
Directions: goto http://www.amelianreasons.com/
on the bottom right click: client proofing and ordering
a password will box will appear in the middle of the screen enter: ourlink
ENJOY (and hire Amelia)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
One Day at a Time
What an interesting process this is! Learning this little baby is quite an adventure. Between all the feedings and naps, there are these cool times when Link is actually awake. Sometimes his eyes are open so wide and he is just alert and staring. (Totally love those eyes!) Other times he is in and out of sleep or fussiness and we try different things to calm him down. Thank God that he likes to be swaddled and responds to the shhhshhing thing! It's such a strange feeling to want so much to help him be calm and happy and sometimes not know how to do it. As our friend Joy has said, so the journey of living with your heart outside your body begins!
Right now I am super grateful that B's parents are here to help us around the housenand to hold Link. After 45 minute feedings eight times a day, I am okay with other people snuggling with him for awhile. And, knowing that soon enough it will be just B and me here at the house, I am glad that he is getting loved on by people other than us!
e
Right now I am super grateful that B's parents are here to help us around the housenand to hold Link. After 45 minute feedings eight times a day, I am okay with other people snuggling with him for awhile. And, knowing that soon enough it will be just B and me here at the house, I am glad that he is getting loved on by people other than us!
e
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Erica writes a million more words than Benj probably ever has on this blog!
Hi - It's Erica... Benj said it was my turn to let everyone know how we're doing - so here I am!
Must say that this little guy is totally amazing! Every single time I see him with those huge eyes open, I am overwhelmed by this new love I feel...and maybe some of it's emotion b/c of these hormone changes (and there is DEFINITELY a lot of emotion -- read "emotion" as crying & tears!) but it's also just me really experiencing God's love for me and this new little one. Anyway, crazy awesome!
Link and I are working on the breastfeeding thing, which obviously neither of us had a clue about before now. We are getting A LOT of practice as our little man can eat! Benj is such a great teammate in all of this and supporting me with whatever I need like taking two full two hours shifts in the night last night so I could sleep. As for sleep, I have had over 5 hours combined today, which is a record! My mom has been another HUGE support in this. She is cooking, cleaning, holding and rocking Link, going to the store, encouraging me to rest, just listening and talking with me. I cannot express how thankful and glad I am that she has been here all week. It will be hard for me to see her leave on Saturday but this has been such a gift. Finally, our little Luli...may sound silly but I am so proud of her. She is adjusting very well; actually, I think she is afraid of this new thing that is her size and makes all that noise. She keeps her distance from him but will sniff his head now and then...without licking him! And for those of you familiar with Luli, for her not to lick someone is HUGE! :-)
Well, thank you all for your interest in us and our new life with Linkin Urijah. Thank for you the many emails and texts and phone messages. Thanks for understanding when I don't reply or answer the phone...literally, my hands are pretty full and when I am not with the little guy, I am eating or resting. But, please know that I am so blessed by all of your kindness and prayers and encouragement. Please continue to pray that Link keeps figuring out how to eat well (and when to stop eating!), to sleep well (maybe even in for a few good hours straight in his crib), to calm down when fussing (and for us to know how to help him with that). Pray that Benj and I continue to connect to one another and God as beautifully as we have these past 5 days...how I ADORE my husband! (Crying again!) And that we are receiving and fullness of who God is and how huge He is to turn 45 minutes of sleep into enough energy to last many hours when it needs to...
Okay, so here are some pics, which I know is what you all really want!
Thanks! So much love -- Erica
Monday, September 8, 2008
picts from northside
http://picasaweb.google.com/eyespeak.benj/Baby01
I'll work on the video and some picts from home today!
BTW: the word that I have used 100 times in the last 48 hours.... AMAZING.
I'll work on the video and some picts from home today!
BTW: the word that I have used 100 times in the last 48 hours.... AMAZING.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
we're home!
Can you believe it. Link is was born 28 hours ago and we're chill'n at home.
Okay - so let me clear something up, when I posted earlier I did a type (no sleep can do things like that), Linkin's middle name is Urijah. It means "The Lord is my Light".
I know I'm not the best linguist when it comes to typing out events. Normally I can summarize a full day in three or four bullet points and so that's what you guys got. In addition it is a very personal experience that you want to share but there is definitely somewhere in there that you need to draw the line. So, let me take a moment to digress about 32 hours...
Erica was awesome. Labor started just before midnight on Friday with a "What was that?" contraction. It QUICKLY got more intense. Erica has a fusion in two of her vertebrae that has always caused her a lot of pain... it made the labor and deliver very painful. Even when she wasn't contracting the muscles and bones in her back never let up. I was able to get a few hours of sleep in the beginning - but then it was all about supporting Erica. I won't give all the details... but it was really hard. Erica had prepared like an Olympian. She kind of merged a few books she really liked (Ima May, Hypnobirthing, Active Birth stuff) into her version of what she wanted the delivery to look like.
Her philosophy was mostly hypnobirthing but she wanted it to be pretty active (reeeaaallllyyyy). Well her back pain pretty much took out the active part... but she KILLED the hypnobirthing part. I really don't know where she took herself for those 14 hours of labor - but she did. It was amazing to watch... A MAZE ING.
In the end we decided it was time to go to the hospital about 9:30. When she got checked upon arrival she was 7-8cm and fully effaced. It didn't go as quick as we expected from there. A bit after 1pm her water fully broke - from there it was VERY SHORT until PUSH TIME.
It took a minute to get a grasp on how to make her body work perfectly with the surges, but she did it - and before long we say a big head of hair and a second after that... a penis!
So - no... I didn't leave out the drugs part... she had nothing... not even a Tylenol. She knows she doesn't get a trophy for doing it that way - but she wanted to join the club of women from all areas of the globe and throughout time that have felt the pain of child birth. She did what she wanted and felt awesome afterwards - especially with such an awesome and alert new son.
I'd say more - but need to get back to tending to the family. Thanks again for all the support. I promise some picts and vids before long.
Okay - so let me clear something up, when I posted earlier I did a type (no sleep can do things like that), Linkin's middle name is Urijah. It means "The Lord is my Light".
I know I'm not the best linguist when it comes to typing out events. Normally I can summarize a full day in three or four bullet points and so that's what you guys got. In addition it is a very personal experience that you want to share but there is definitely somewhere in there that you need to draw the line. So, let me take a moment to digress about 32 hours...
Erica was awesome. Labor started just before midnight on Friday with a "What was that?" contraction. It QUICKLY got more intense. Erica has a fusion in two of her vertebrae that has always caused her a lot of pain... it made the labor and deliver very painful. Even when she wasn't contracting the muscles and bones in her back never let up. I was able to get a few hours of sleep in the beginning - but then it was all about supporting Erica. I won't give all the details... but it was really hard. Erica had prepared like an Olympian. She kind of merged a few books she really liked (Ima May, Hypnobirthing, Active Birth stuff) into her version of what she wanted the delivery to look like.
Her philosophy was mostly hypnobirthing but she wanted it to be pretty active (reeeaaallllyyyy). Well her back pain pretty much took out the active part... but she KILLED the hypnobirthing part. I really don't know where she took herself for those 14 hours of labor - but she did. It was amazing to watch... A MAZE ING.
In the end we decided it was time to go to the hospital about 9:30. When she got checked upon arrival she was 7-8cm and fully effaced. It didn't go as quick as we expected from there. A bit after 1pm her water fully broke - from there it was VERY SHORT until PUSH TIME.
It took a minute to get a grasp on how to make her body work perfectly with the surges, but she did it - and before long we say a big head of hair and a second after that... a penis!
So - no... I didn't leave out the drugs part... she had nothing... not even a Tylenol. She knows she doesn't get a trophy for doing it that way - but she wanted to join the club of women from all areas of the globe and throughout time that have felt the pain of child birth. She did what she wanted and felt awesome afterwards - especially with such an awesome and alert new son.
I'd say more - but need to get back to tending to the family. Thanks again for all the support. I promise some picts and vids before long.
the first night of life
Okay - so Daddy's awesome streak of being right by mom's side pretty much shut down last night once my head hit a pillow.
Mom was awesome feeding every 2 hours. Link has pretty much aced Breastfeeding 101 - which of course is a great relief as it can be not easy.
I'll try to get some more picts or even a video online today... but it's really not my priority... sorry yaw.
Thanks for all your prayers, support, friendships and humor (in the comments).
Mom was awesome feeding every 2 hours. Link has pretty much aced Breastfeeding 101 - which of course is a great relief as it can be not easy.
I'll try to get some more picts or even a video online today... but it's really not my priority... sorry yaw.
Thanks for all your prayers, support, friendships and humor (in the comments).
Saturday, September 6, 2008
pictures
8lbs 1 oz.
baby is in the transition nursery for another 1.5 hours - then hopefully back with mom. Everything checked out fine - he just had a lot of fluid and a faster heart beat.
Here's some picts... more to come I'm sure!
it is a boy!!!!
Linkin Urijah Miller
crying, wide-eyed, and a FULL head of hair!
crying, wide-eyed, and a FULL head of hair!
--
Benj Miller
// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com
no news yet.
1 pm.
I guess this thing doesn't listen to me already... I thought we agreed on noon!
grounded!!!
--
Benj Miller
// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com
over 8cm...
still working... but I guess we may have a little visitor arounf lunch.
benj
--
Benj Miller
// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com
hospital time
we're off.
This is your last chance to put your guess out there... boy, girl, other?
weight?
height?
favorite food?
Leave it in the comments!
This is your last chance to put your guess out there... boy, girl, other?
weight?
height?
favorite food?
Leave it in the comments!
still working
E is amazing. Still focusing and trying to relax - but she can't hide the massive pain. Not sure when we're headed to the hospital. The doula is on the way over and will better assess the situation then I can.
I wish so bad I could take her pain. God is good. And here.
I wish so bad I could take her pain. God is good. And here.
beautiful day for a baby
It's 7:35. The sun is coming up, a beautiful September the 6th. My lovely bride is in a lot of pain. I suspect the trip to the hospital is nearing. Prayers are very welcome.
long night
It's 3:26... erica's been "surging" all night and is yet to sleep. this is either false labor (that would suck) or GO TIME BABY.
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