Due Mesi di Josephine

Our little girl. Our captivating, silly, pleasant, peaceful, trusting, beautiful little girl. Josie Famosie, as Liam decided within a few weeks of her entrance into the world. Given her Italian roots here, that nickname is perfect -- it is a spin on "Famous Josie," which she already is and certainly will continue to be.

Zeke gave you the birth story from his perspective -- which was much more lucid and external than mine -- but I will recap from my viewpoint as I take you through a quick look at the past two months.

Labor Day!

The days leading up to Josephine's birth, I was feeling contractions pretty regularly, but only for an hour or two every afternoon. I made my way to 4cm without even noticing. For the Moms-to-be and Moms-who-still-remember-becoming out there, you know that is just plain fabulous. The day she was born, I started doing slightly weird things. Not out of the ordinary, per se, but things that I knew I was doing because I wouldn't have time again for 6 months or so ("or so" being forever, haha). Things like this.

That sticker goo was not going to remove itself.

Then things started getting exciting. Contractions were every 10 minutes... then 7... then 2-4 within an hour of their starting. I had talked to Labor & Delivery earlier and they told me I was instructed to ignore the standard "wait until contractions are 5 minutes apart for an hour before coming in" rule. I was to come in as soon as they were 5 minutes apart more than like 3 times in a row. They had all decided I was not to be trusted because my tolerance was too high (what are they talking about? Riding a mountain bike to my 38-week checkup is completely relaxing).

While Grandpa Marty received his daily beating from Liam, Zeke was timing me while sipping on a glass of wine and chatting with my mom. I was somewhat oblivious to the contractions but Zeke knows me well enough to keep me in line. He told me they were coming within 4 minutes of each other and we should probably pack the car. I didn't feel like going anywhere but we finally agreed to check in to L&D and confirm we were not having a baby in our bathtub. I was still at 4cm, so they let me sneak back home (but told me not to get comfortable). My nurse/neighbor/bestie of the moment (Crystal) told me she would see me within a few hours.

So we left L&D at 2000. Contractions coming home from L&D were suddenly more vicious. Zeke strapped his TENS machine onto my lower back which made for an insane experience. Waves of electric shocks through my lower back muscles confused my brain enough not to know whether to care more about the contractions or the TENS. After about 15 minutes, I felt like Dr. Yang:

We ripped off the TENS and I awkwardly stood up and paced around the room. Well, I started to pace. After three steps my water broke. Weirdest feeling ever. Time was 2100. After confirming with Zeke that yes, that just happened, I started thinking rationally... I proceeded to the bathroom and hopped into the shower. Because that makes sense. (wtf?) As I stood there, leaning against the shower wall with the hot water beating down on my back, an image flashed into my mind -- a page from a book I had been reading earlier that day, which stated, "If this is your first baby, go to the hospital when you think you are about to die. If this is not your first, go to the hospital when you start doing things but have no idea why you are doing them."

Looks like I should get out of the shower.

I yelled for Zeke, and he helped me climb into some dry clothes. Side note: If that night was any indicator for Zeke's long-term performance, if I turn geriatric before he does, he is going to be so good to me. Love that man.

We got in the car, made it there in three contractions, and in three more contractions we were up to the door, up the stairs, and within the confines of L&D. No small talk was necessary this time; in fact, our nurse didn't get to finish "admitting" us until after Josephine was born. I was at 6cm when we got there at 2150. LTC Morgan showed up within 20 minutes. I wanted to push and couldn't stop it (it was the same involuntary feeling as when you are about to throw up, no joke). She said, "Let's get this baby out!" (Then she opened the ginormous hazardous waste bag, winked at Zeke, motioned into the bag, and quipped, "For catching the baby." Classic.)

So you can imagine the rest. Push once, push twice, push thrice, and at 2237 Baby cries, Mommy giggles, Daddy grins, and she was perfect. Tiny little perfect wonder baby.

Two Months (A Day And A Lifetime Fly By)
Josie is amazing. It took her about a week to learn to trust, but once she got there, she made her niche in this family. She will never suffer from the "ignored second child" syndrome, because she has nestled for herself a unique place that has all three of us keeping her at the top of our lists. Josephine has been a traveler from the beginning, joining us on hikes and sightseeing from Day Three and doing it without complaint (Blog entries on those adventures are coming soon). Having her for a newborn has not impeded us from doing all we want to do -- Josie has enhanced every part of our days from her first moments.

Liam is in love with her, as he says on a daily basis. He asks me regularly why she has such a cute such-and-such, naming every part of her in rotation. Josephine is fascinated with Liam (shocker), and I can tell the two of them will be a pair of besties for years to come.

Her love for her daddy is adorable. Whenever he comes home if he doesn't immediately come talk to her, she gets her diaper in a wad until he does. Then she grins, blows a few drool bubbles, and goes about her babbling.

And for me? My pretty girl is an angel. She eats well, she sleeps well, she loves being held, touched, looked at, sung to, rocked, and CHANGED. Diaper changes are some of the most fun times in this house (which works out well, considering I change her 8-10 times a day or more). She doesn't cry inconsolably. Josie will cry out to receive attention, and once I come to her, she stops yelling, looks at me... and smiles. That trademark toothless grin. Then she cocks her head, brings her ear to her shoulder coyly (how does she already know to do that??), and makes one of those perfectly adorable little baby sounds.

Josie is strong and healthy. She can hold her head up with little exhaustion, she tolerates a pretty fair amount of tummy time, she can hold her head up and even assist in the abs department if I gently pull on her arms to bring her up in a sit-up position, she can hold her weight with her legs in a standing position for a second or two, and she does this hilarious double-kick-double-fist-pump combo when she wants me to pick her up.

For the stats lovers out there, Josephine was 6lbs 11oz and 20.5" at birth. Two months later, she clocked in at 11lbs 4.4oz and 23". That is above-average growth in both arenas. Too fabulous. She isn't roly-poly because she is getting so long so quickly as well. She is just plain fierce.

And for proof of that, check out these pictures. I know that's what you all were waiting for... so for reading all the way to the end, there is your reward. The first chapter of Josie Famosie.