Watching the Laker game...

Father's Day

So today is Brian's first Father's Day of many many to come. Baby Justin is 3 and a half weeks old and has already changed our lives forever. We went over to Brian's parents house in Thousand Oaks and spent the day with his mom and dad, and his grandparents, all of whom spent turns fighting for the opportunity to hold the little man. Justin obliged, and put on a good show for all. I think he is going through a growth spurt, since he is more ravenous than usual, and I am happy to cater to his catering needs. Nursing has come quite naturally for us so far, and it really makes me feel close to him (maybe because he is attached to my boob ;)

For his Father's Day present, Brian got a new Craftsman tool stand for the garage ;) He has become quite the handy man, so it was only natural that we would start shopping at Sears! Then this morning, Justin made daddy breakfast (with a little help from mom and dad himself). Dad got breakfast potatoes and croque monsieur... not too shabby, Justin.

The only dark cloud on this otherwise perfect California day is the absence of my own dad. Although we had not been close for some time, my only wish is that he could have seen Justin. I optimistically hope that his arrival would have helped mend a rocky relationship, and I miss the opportunities we never had. And now we will never know since he passed away exactly one week after we found out that we were expecting... I can't help but feel the circle of life at work and hope that Justin inheritied all the good qualities that my dad had to offer.

Happy Father's Day to all those wonderful dads out there... Brian is already in the the Father's Hall of Fame in Justin and my eyes...

Justin Michael Lee's Story

Baby Justin Michael Lee arrived at 5:32a.m. on May 22, 2008. Weighing in at 7 pounds 7 ounces and measuring 21 inches, Justin did everything he could to get the name Jake (troublemaker name choice), but mommy and daddy decided he was a sweet Justin.

Though he was four days late, Justin decided that mom would not be induced. Instead, mom went into labor on Wednesday, May 21, at 3:30 am. One false alarm at 7:00 a.m., in which the hospital sent us home, telling me that I was only dilated 1 cm and my contractions weren't strong enough. So we went home and the contractions got worse and worse. My mom and brother showed up around noon, and by 2:00p.m., I couldn't stand it anymore. We went back to the hospital and low and behold, I was dilated... still only 1 cm! My doctor wanted to send me back home, but the strength of my contractions persuaded her to admit me. No epidural until 3 cm, though, so I had some work ahead of me. From 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., I experienced what my pain tolerance labeled 8 1/2 - 9 out of 10 on the hospital pain chart. (The pain chart is a series of smiley faces that go from Wal-Mart sticker smiley to grumpy face with sweat beads). Finally at 6:00 p.m., the nurse checked me and I was 3 cm!! Yay - send in the anesthesiologist!! A funny man who talked nonstop about golfing came in, inserted the long needle into my spine, and made me a very happy woman. Which, in turn, made Brian a very happy man. The Laker game started at 6:30, and when he returned to the room, he said I was a totally different woman! On my cell phone, chatting with the nurses, and ready to watch the Lakers beat the Spurs!

But the good times didn't last until the end. My water broke around 10:00, and the nurse was not happy to see that it was full of meconium (baby poop). While not harmful to him while he was in the womb, if Justin swallowed in during delivery, he could get very sick. Issue number one. Issue number two was when Justin's heart rate seemed too constant for the doctor's liking, and around midnight, she came in to the hospital to discuss options, meaning the possible need for a cesarean section. Justin's heart rate dipped with every contraction, which the doctor called an "intolerance to labor." Since I was not dilating fast enough, and Justin's head was super hugh still, Justin was getting stressed out. But, every time she discussed a c-section, Justin's heart rate went up and I was dilated just enough to hold out hope for a vaginal delivery. So the doctor stuck with us and it looked like things were going to work out.

Around 1:00 a.m., I started to get intense back pain -- uh, oh, the epidural was wearing off! And as we soon discovered, the pain in my back meant Justin had turned sunny side up (opposite of how he should be turned!). But with another dose of meds, that pain too went away... and then the fun started. Around 3:00 a.m., I was dilated 9 cm, and it was time to think about pushing. Sparing the details of the super fun two and some hours that followed, Justin was born, crying out loud, at 5:32 a.m. The neonatal team was there to make sure the lungs were working and indeed they were. Although he was covered in his own green funk, underneath the slime was a beautifully pink baby boy!

Since that day, life has been changed forever. Sleep has lessened, trash output has increased, and Brian and I couldn't be more amazed at what a wonderful little person we created and brought into the world.