A baby changes everything.

It has been one month and one day since Gabriella Grace entered this world. Ella filled you in on the events of the big day and I, her father, am here to fill you in on the last 31 days or so. The ride home from the hospital that day was an emotional one. We pulled away from the awning of Parkwest Hospital and I was quickly overwhelmed knowing that the most precious thing in the world to me was dependent upon ME for her safety during her first ride home.
My parents, Jerry and Susan, and my brother Bryan were able to stick around for a few days after we left the hospital on Christmas day. I am so thankful for their visit and it was very hard to say goodbye to them on Saturday night. I'm thinking Ella may see her Nana and Granddad move back to the Knoxville area before too long. Also it was great seeing my oldest brother for the first time in a long time. Next up, Ella must meet her Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jamie...
The first few days of having Gabriella home were tiresome because of our altered sleep schedule but we loved every minute of it. It was not long though before we were tired from the stress of learning how to calm an upset baby. Sara and I laugh at ourselves now but we definitely experienced some desperate nights the first few weeks which included several three o'clock in the morning drives around Knoxville soothing Gabriella into a deep sleep

Ella has had a couple of dr. visits since her first week home. She is continuing to grow and get chubby like little babies are supposed to. Actually, I need to recount that statement. She is in the 85th percentile weight wise but she very long too and so she doesn't actually seem chubby. I know that the body types of babies are not indicative of what they'll be later in life, but Gabriella is her parents' daughter. Long. lean, and ready to compete in swimming and running events.
During the several weeks after we were home, Heather (Sara's sister) and her mom were a crucial help as I returned to work. Whether it was just helping out a new mom with grocery runs, staying caffienated, questions of the "how to" variety, and that's not mentioning the help of Sara's mom while she had mastitis a couple of weeks ago. It was a very hard five days and I don't know what Sara would have done without her mom by her side.

But things are smoothing out five weeks into it. Gabriella's sleeping habits are still unpredictable but they are regulating to a tolerable level. Also she is getting more responsive and we are learning how she likes to be soothed.
A list of things that I'm learning. It's harder than you'll ever expect. You can do more than you ever expect. You can train your body to function on six hours of sleep. You shouldn't train your body to function on six hours of sleep. It was possible to love my wife even more. It's hard to train for a marathon with a newborn around, but it is easy to run once you hit the road. God is good. Babies are funny.

Stephen