The Best Christmas Ever .... With a Little Help From Our Friends!

Hello blog friends! Well its been almost a month now since we returned home and life is good.

Emily is doing excellent. Somehow she has avoided catching the colds her parents, grandparents and family friends have had. She is gaining weight and growing FAST. On 12/12 she weighed 5 lbs, 11 ounces. On 12/19 she weighed 6 lbs, 5 ounces. (Oh how I miss the METRIC system!) This means 10.9% of her body weight was gained in only seven days!! (Now if only I could LOOSE weight just as fast...) And she is more active, more awake, her cheeks are filling out, switching successfully to US baby formula, and she looks different every day too. She is doing great!

For Amber and I things were pretty touch and go there right after we got back from India. The time difference, the jet lag, the seasonal darkness, 2.5 hour feedings, lack of sleep, the uncertain routine and some colds/coughs were wearing us down. After Amber's craft show that first weekend back, Amber completely lost her voice. Brian's work deadline came fast and kept him from helping out like he was needed to. Fortunately we had a lot of help with the housework, the nursery, and even a dinner from Amber's mom and dad, her bro and some local friends. Even better, Brian's mom, Grandma Pat, came to stay with us and be here for Emily's first Christmas. She's helped us finish the nursery setup, given us much-needed advice, helped us get a foothold and make forward progress again on the housework, took over feedings so we could catch up on sleep, and babysat Emily so we could start back to work again.

The love and support we've received from our family, friends and workplaces since returning home has been overwhelming! Emily's Nana Tommie made a wonderful Under the Sea themed crib bedding set. The college Brian works for threw us an amazing baby shower right between Emily's birth and our departure for India and since going back to work this month, everyone is asking about her, suffering through pictures and giving great baby advice. Our friends in Fairbanks threw an amazing shower at the Pump House a couple of weeks before Emily was born and every time we try to finish thank you notes, yet another present shows up in the mail! The girl is growing so fast and has so many clothes to wear, her daddy is reminded of the villain in that old Superman movie who boasts that he's so rich, he never wears the same pair of socks twice!

For thirty-somethings like us who are still harboring lingering doubts about our ability to take care of ourselves and each other, having Emily to take care of is a real wake up call! Learning to be parents is a lot different than the last five years of researching ART, navigating the medical business in India and everything that came with that.

She is a Christmas miracle! Made possible by all the love and support from you, dear reader .... and we are eternally very grateful for "a little help from our friends" who we'd be lost without. Thank you!!