We took Harper back to the pediatrician this morning and she has gained a couple of ounces back, so we were really happy. She's still more interested in sleeping than eating most of the time, and I actually have to set an alarm at night so I can wake her up to eat, but she's becoming more alert every day. Here are a few photos from the last couple days.
Tom and Harper studying together again.

Tom's new study buddy

Tom has been wonderful about helping out with Harper over the last few days. He is adorable with her. Unfortunately, he has finals next week and is supposed to be spending most of the day studying. He compromised by making Harper his new study buddy. Aren't they cute?
Here's one of Tom pretending to be asleep while holding Harper:
Here's a couple of Harper in her pack 'n play. She loves to be swaddled. Tom calls her our little glow worm.

And here's her birth announcement. I sent this out via email today, but I don't have very many people's email addresses in my contact list so I'm sure I missed a bunch of people.

Friday update

We survived our first night at home. Harper is doing great. She had her first pediatrician's appointment this morning and is down a little in weight and is a little jaundiced, so she just needs to eat a lot over the weekend and we're going back on Monday to get her checked out again. She has started to be more alert now and we can't get enough of her. Here are a few photos from yesterday afternoon and today

Waiting to get discharged from the hospital
Trying to eat her hand (one of her favorite activities)
Here are a couple of Harper hanging out in her swing for the first time:

home at last

We made it home from the hospital where things are so much nicer. That little room Erica was in was a little cramped. And I was getting tired of the 30 min trip each way. After discovering that the little toot we heard on the way home in the car was in fact Hiroshima, and then going through half a box of wipes to clean things up, everyone is a happy camper. Now we have so much time to sit and contemplate things...things like, what have we gotten ourselves into?!?!?!?!?!?!?


Harper isn't sure she signed up for this guy.

a few more

a post from the hospital

Tom brought my laptop up to the hospital so I thought I'd post a couple pictures while Harper is napping. I am most likely going to leave the hospital sometime tomorrow because I am feeling pretty well. I've been up and walking since last night and it would be really nice to sleep in my own bed.

Both of these photos are from yesterday. We'll take some more tonight, but I'm exhausted and haven't taken any today. Tom has spent most of the day at the hospital with me, but just headed home to take care of some stuff and get some studying done and is going to come back tonight.


Harper is wonderful. She is very curious and loves to stare at everyone's faces. She has been pretty sleepy, but is starting to become a little more active. I think that she looks a lot like my sister Kara did when she was a baby, but we'll have to see how she looks when the swelling goes down a little more. We'll try to post some more photos tonight.

you know you want more

My parent's came down to visit for a few hours today, which was very nice. They are lucky they live so close to the greatest grandchild ever known to mankind. Also, Erica now has about half as many cables and needles sticking into her as she did earlier in the day. She's on the road to recovery. And Harper is the sweetest little angel baby. She is content to lay peacefully until she starts wiggling around looking for a food source. We're hoping one day she does more interesting stuff like turn her head and smile. For now we are enjoying her sweet spirit.

Grandma and Grandpa add another notch on the belt:


Erica pretends to get some sleep for the camera.

BABY TIME

So we made an appointment to do the C-Section today, April 22nd, at 8AM. This is 6 days prior to Harper Grace Jackman's due date (OOOPS, DID I SAY HARPER GRACE JACKMAN??!?!??!?) We got everything ready last night and the plan was to get up at 5AM and get to the hospital in time for our 6AM check in. Of course, baby Harper had other plans. Erica has been having some contractions since Saturday and around 3AM she got out of bed because they were getting stronger and more frequent, to the point where it was keeping her up. At 4:10 her water broke, on our highly fluid resistant leather couch (THANK GOODNESS). It was odd to rush to the hospital, but at the same time just grab all of our stuff which was already packed. By the time we got there Erica had dilated to 5cm. The hospital staff was like, GET THIS BABY OUT. So they did. Check out some sweet photos below. Video and more photos possibly coming up later today and/or tomorrow. For now, admire at how amazingly beautiful and hairy our little girl is (8 lbs. 1 oz | 20"):

new sit-com coming out this tuesday!

So I've had this weird sensation that's been building lately. Being the youngest I never actually saw any of my siblings get born. Actually, I've never even been in the presence of a child birthing process or seen a newly minted baby (although I think we heard the screams of a woman in labor when we at the hospital a few weeks ago for the baby flipping attempt).
This compares with the fact that I've seen babies being born on TV (sadly) dozens of times, in every form, fashion, and setting imaginable. There is something about the highly manipulated presentation you get when you watch something on television (or in a movie) that completely distances you from the thing which is occurring. I mean, if I actually saw someone get hit by a car I hope it would get more out of me than a brief grimace.
So here I am about to experience this massively massive event for myself and I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to feel. Like that one guy from that one show or that other guy from that other show? I'm sure the feelings will take care of themselves on the appointed day, but standing in the way of them are all the experiences of those I've seen faked or manipulated, making it hard for me just let the day happen. It's almost like I'm staring in an episode of "The World of Tom" and while I may be the director, I have all these previous shows I've seen telling how I should "shoot" the show.

Erica Is Alone In The Pain Department Again

After receiving some crazy treatment for my weird chest pain (read: ibuprofen), I awoke this morning to discover only a small reminder of the discomfort I was in yesterday. YEAH!

Ouch me too! Tom Suffers Sympathy Pain

So I woke up this morning about 2 hours before I normally do sleeping on my back. I was a little stiff and sore in that position and it felt like I hadn't turned naturally for awhile so I just kinda rolled left. Or at least I tried to. After only lifting my right shoulder a few inches I was rewarded with a very sharp pain underneath my left pectoral muscle. Laying still on my back resulted in the pain subsiding but any attempts at turning to my side quickly brought back the sharp pain, something along the lines of someone stabbing me with a pen. After a while of dozing in and out of sleep and reminding myself of the pain in my chest by trying to roll over again it occurred to me that something wasn't quite right.
I woke up and called my Dad (a physical therapist) and he informed me that I was most likely suffering from a dislodged something or other. Hey it was early, my mind takes about 6 hours before I really start grasping the world around me. Long story somewhat short the best case scenario is that I take it easy and hurt bad for a day or so. Worst case scenario I have to get some medical attention to correct whatever is dislodged (something to do with your rib cage and some tenuous connections to your spinal cord that can move a bit, resulting in exactly what I'm experiencing). The up side of this is now Erica isn't the only one who can complain about being in severe discomfort. Neither of us can easily get up from a sitting position and we are both hobbling around and moaning about aches and pains like a somewhat older couple (I know this topic is a sensitive one to some of our readership). Hopefully my body goes with option A and things get better quick, because I hear hospital chairs are far from an ergonomic nirvana.

Ouch

My feet are swollen. I whined about them being swollen a few weeks ago, but it has gotten worse. Notice from this picture that I no longer have ankles:
Sorry, I know you don't want to see my ugly feet, but I need to share my pain. Tom took this picture the other day when I got home from work. Normally I have what I refer to as ugly step-sister feet (they are long and skinny), but for the last week they have looked like this (or worse) every day. Ouch. It is a good thing I wear comfortable shoes.

Here is an updated 38 week photo. I had my last doctor's appointment yesterday and I had gained more weight in a week than I thought was physically possible (although I think some of that can be blamed on the swelling). Scary.

We are still on for the c-section on the 22nd so it looks like we're going to have an Earth Day baby. The c-section is scheduled for 8am. I'm not sure what the internet situation is going to be in the hospital, but we will try to get some photos up sometime on Tuesday. We have made a bit of a naming breakthrough. We now have a short list of names, but it may take us a day or so to decide. I am SO excited. I just have to make it through one more day of work and clean the house this weekend, but that is easier said than done.

By the way, I was just going through some stuff and we have two free passes to either the San Diego Zoo or the San Diego Animal Park if anyone wants them. They expire on 4/30 so you'd have to use them pretty quickly. I would gladly send them or bring them to anyone who could use them. There are also two coupons for $5 off an adult ticket or $3 of a child ticket which also expire on 4/30.