Kaela is 24!

Hours old, that is. And she's doing great. They have her off the CPAP machine and on nasal air with minimal oxygen support. They say that the first 24-48 hours can be the "honeymoon period" and that things can go down from there, but we're enjoying every minute with our little girl. Here's a BUNCH of pictures for you.

Also, I know we've been posting like crazy, but Rachel wrote a really beautiful post during the waiting period in the hospital that I believe merits being mentioned again. If you haven't already read it, read this post: Who am I? by clicking on the link. Rachel did a beautiful job of articulating why we can have strength, hope, and peace during this time of upheaval and uncertainty.

If you have dial-up, you may want to consider going to broadband because of this post:


Kaela late last night, on the CPAP machine, holding Daddy's finger


















Some shots from this morning, with Mommy and Daddy's hands (yes, that's a ManCamp shirt I'm wearing!):































































































Unlike the NICU where Christopher stayed, this NICU has some more relaxed visitation policies. In Lexington, the only people who could see Christopher were his parents, and grandparents. Here, as long as they're not sick, we've been able to take our siblings in to see Kaela as well. This is a welcome change and a real blessing as we are able to share the joy of this miraculous little girl with so many more people in our lives. Here are some pics from family members getting to visit her. With shots of people outside the isolette, you get a better sense of scale and how small she really is!

A visit from Christopher's "Buddy", Auntie Meg. We're sure Kaela will grow to love her if Christopher doesn't keep Auntie Meg all to himself!



















Sho Sho, Aunt Anna, Uncle Silas and Babu




















































De-Da and Aunt Jenny



















Gramma (I forgot to snap one of Papa and Aunt Stephanie, but they were here too!)




















Christopher is too young to go into the NICU to see his baby sister right now, but he did amuse himself watching the "wurkers" outside climbing the ladders and making phone calls. Everytime he saw one on the phone, he said that they were calling "Megnan". He also insists that the workers are using "Babu's Truck" to get around, and they are also using "De-Da's Tools" to fix things. He's going to be such a great big brother, as he's already helping to hang up "Kae-ya's Clodes". He's such a blessing to us and a constant source of smiles.


































When Megan came into the NICU with us, and I broke out the camera and started snapping pictures, she said to Kaela: "Kalea, you'd better get used to a camera in your face, because this is how it's going to be for the rest of your life!" Probably true, but I think she likes the camera.


















We love you little girl! Stay strong!

--Andy