June 2004

John Campbell, born Friday, June 11, 2004 at 3:27 PM, weighing 6lbs. 12.4oz. and 19 1/2 inches long.

John Campbell is here! It has been nine months of a great pregnancy, and a very traumatic birth. John Campbell was great inutero, but coming out was not as smooth for him. He went into severe distress. After an emergency C/S and five days in the NICU, we were able to bring him home. A very unwanted side effect of the situation was that I had a case of PPD. After seeing a couple of good doctors and getting treatment, I'm doing better. I have never been more scared or more calm than when I knew my baby could die trying to be born. It is the most harrowing experience of my life. But, he is here now, and I'm being quite the moma bear - protective and vigilent.

He is tiny - soft, sweet smelling. He has a head full of dark hair and it is wavy, like mine. His hands and feet are so small - those little nails, toes and fingers. He makes the most wonderful sounds. When we finally got home with him, we wondered if we should just put him in a shoe box and place him on the coffee table to make sure and not break him...LOL - he looks so fragile.

Here he is in the NICU - the people there were saints, absolutely wonderful.

He has such a strong grip. Even the NICU nurses remark on his physical strength. He knows what he wants! He also has such a strong suck reflex that nursing probably won't be a problem, even though we are going to be starting late because of his hospital stay.

He has beautiful, dark hair and wonderful blue eyes. He looks like Daddy - especially in the mouth and chin area.

At home, John Campbell sleeps and eats, poops and cries - and that is about it. We spend all our time holding him. Nursing has been a pretty big demand, but John Campbell is teaching me how to do it well - he knows what he is doing and I'm just along for the ride. He doesn't like diaper changes and sponge baths make him cold. He turns his head whenever he hears Daddy's voice. He fits perfectly in my arms. This is a whole different kind of love; all I can say is wow.