lookin around

when we got to see those eyes looking around for the first time it was truly amazing!  right now he's got blue eyes, but ive been told that can change over the course of the first few months.  i was a bit nervous at first because whenever he would look around it would result in him going a bit cross-eyed!  the nurses assured me that this was not a permanent situation and that as his eye muscles grew stronger, he would be able to keep them focused together.  by the second day he was already doing better and keeping his eyes lined up as he looked around.  i guess a new dad has to worry about something, right?

in the glass

while we were in the hospital, ledger spent most of his time sleeping.  when he was sleeping we put him in this see through crib on wheels.  a couple times he had to be taken away to get tests or anything, the nurses would just roll him off in this fancy little crib.  when he was all swaddled up, i was always amazed at just how tiny he is!
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hands and feet

once we had gotten our little boy back, i spent hours on end just staring at him!  i kept playing with his hands and feet the whole time!  its so amazing to see those little itty bitty fingers and toes.
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where are you?

oh that's right, what about the dog?!?  in all the excitement over ledger, our old stinky dog must have been feeling left out.  diana's mom and sister made sure he was taken care of though, when they arrived at our place for the night barbara took him for a much needed walk.  she said he was excited to see them, but missed his mom and dad!  before they left, i gave barbara a blanket that ledger had been wrapped in so that she could take it home for poco to smell in preparation of when ledger will be coming home with us.  its a little trick that we had heard about to get the dog familiar with the baby and accept him as part of the pack.
(a cute video of poco smelling the blanket)

a healthy return

finally!  around 9:45 ledger was rolled into the room for good.  we were so excited to have him back.  he got the all clear from the doctors and was released in good health.  his breathing was normal and his temperature was up to where it is supposed to be.  diana's mom and sister were still around so they got a chance to hold him and dote on him along with us!
eventually though, maybe around midnight, the two of them packed it up and headed back to our house for the night.  both of them were going to be coming back the next day to spend more time with us and little ledger.
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heating up

ledger's temperature was a bit lower than they would have liked, so the nurses took him to the nursery to put him under a heat lamp and observe him for a little while.  it was good that they were extra cautious and careful, but we were really hoping that we could get to see him right away!  his temperature took a couple hours to get to where the doctors were comfortable letting him go back to see us for good.  unfortunately, it was getting too late for many of our visitors, they had an hour or two ride home after they left, and an our time change!  as it got around 8:30 or 9:00, mom and papa had to give up and head home.   miranda, lissa, dad, and david all had to head out as well.  it was too bad that they didnt get a chance to hold him then, but we all agreed that they will have many more chances!
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a new room

when everything was taken care of in the delivery room, we were brought to another room in the post natal ward of the hospital.  there was more room for guests and anyone was able to come and visit then.  we packed up all our stuff and headed over to the other room with all our guests!  diana was rolled down in a wheelchair, and i got to push the little crib with ledger in it.  they wanted him to first go to the nursery before he was able to join us in the post natal room.  while we were waiting for him, diana's dad joined us, her stepdad david, and even lissa made it down for a quick visit too!  diana got some beautiful flowers and a stuffed animal in celebration of our son's birth.  we got a chance to enjoy the company and share our excitement.
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mom and papa arrive

it was such an amazing event, having a baby and becoming a father, that all i really wanted was to have my parents there to see my new son!  well, they arrived just in time and got to see little ledger, their new grandson, the one to pass down the Brink name to the next generation!  they were so thrilled when they arrived.  i met them and brought them to the delivery room where they got to congratulate and hug diana and see ledger for the first time.  he seemed happy to see his mema and papa, but didn't quite know how to show it, so he just showed his happiness by crying...

so fresh and so clean

he sure is adorable!  ledger was a bit unsure of the whole thing, crying and fussing through out the whole ordeal.  finally, he got a chance to rest for a bit.  it gave diana and i a chance to rest as well, we were so thrilled and excited about his arrival, but diana had just been through so much that it was good for her to get a moment or two of rest!
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bath time

once his temperature was up to about where they wanted it to be, the nurse cleaned him up and took his measurements.  it was his first bath!  he was not very happy about taking a bath- i think he gets that from his father...  he got a good scrubbing, head to toe.  finally we got a good look at his hair and saw that its... well, we arent exactly sure what color it is just yet.  both diana and i had different colored hair when we were born, so its not exactly an accurate indication of what is to come.  after the clean up, we got to have him back and hold him for a bit longer.

warm up

as soon as he was born the doctors wrapped him up and handed him over to his mom.  diana was exhausted, but absolutely glowing with joy and overflowing with love for our little ledger!  we were both able to touch and kiss our new bundle of joy.  soon after, the nurses put him under a heat lamp to make sure that his body temperature was where it should be.  while there, ledger opened his eyes for the first time- welcome to the world, little guy, we are glad to have you!
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Ledger Allen

please welcome my son, Ledger Allen Brink.  he was born on friday, march 30, at 12:55pm.  he was 7 pounds 4 ounces, 21 inches long, and absolutely perfect in every way imaginable.  (that last part might be my bias opinion...)

welcome to the world, son!

the contractions escalated quickly and before we knew it, it was time for our little one to come!  the doctor arrived only moments before she was fully dilated and ready to push.  after the fourth push, our son was born!  diana did a great job, keeping her cool (as much as can be expected in that situation...), and delivering in an almost shockingly quick time frame!  from the time the doctor came until he was born, it only took about 15 minutes- yikes!
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lay and deliver

we got to the delivery room around 6:30 am, got diana into the bed and ready for the big events.  she and i started to make the phone calls to different family members to let them know what was going on.  most of them were mobilized and on their way!  back in the delivery room things started slowly for diana, the contractions coming harder and harder.  by around 10:15 she was ready for her epidural.  right around that time her mom and sister arrived.  she was really happy to have them with her for this whole thing!  both of them are nurses, so we knew we were going to be totally taken care of- not everyone who comes to the hospital has their own nurse entourage!
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new arrivals

we knew that as soon as we got to the hospital that diana would be able to eat until the baby came, so we took a moment and picked up some breakfast to eat on the way.  it was still really early, before sunrise, and the two of us were slowly starting to realize the magnitude of of what was about to begin.  but before all that, we enjoyed a nice sausage biscuit!
when we arrived i was planning to drop off diana at the door and have the free valet parking take care of it, only it was too early and no one was there.  so instead i looked for a parking spot.  the spot we found was about as close to the door as possible, so it worked out great.
we walked in and had a couple forms to sign, then diana got in a wheelchair and we were wheeled off to the prenatal area.  just our luck, it was a really busy morning, so they actually wheeled us in to the waiting room for a few minutes.  diana and i just sat there.  'so, if everything is full are we going to have to give birth in here?!?'  fortunately we didnt have to find out because about three minutes later they came back and wheeled diana in to a spacious individual room just for us.

one last thing...

see, diana and i had planned to go and meet up with my parents in michigan city on friday.  i knew i needed to have my hair cut before we went to see them.  at first diana was going to do it on thursday, but we both figured 'nah, we can wait till tomorrow, what could possibly go wrong?'  oops.  since the hospital told us not to rush, we took a moment to take care of a few things that needed to be done before the events of the day started, you know, like cutting my hair...
once that was taken care of, i hoped in the shower, diana double checked the hospital bags, and off we went!

a fine 'how do you do'!

my hope was that our little bundle of joy would wait to arrive until my school started spring break.  on thursday,with my spring break starting, i jokingly talked to my wife's tummy and told our little man that he was welcome to come any time now.  i didnt think he would take me seriously...
friday morning i was awoken at 4:30 am by a wife running as quickly as possible for the bathroom.  'wake up! wake up!' she cried as she zipped by.  a bit bleary eyed, i got up to see what the big deal was.  turns out her water just broke! yikes!  as i quickly came to my senses, i realized 'this whole having a baby thing just got real'...
i ran into the nursery and grabbed the two bags my wife had meticulously packed for just such a case.  diana called the hospital and told them what was up, they said to head on in, but we could take our time.  so i calmed down, but diana didnt.  the realization of what was going on had her heart racing- today was going to be the day that our baby was coming!

three years

we are no longer newlyweds.  its official.  i've always held to the idea that as long as you have a piece of wedding cake left, you are still newlyweds!  diana and i did the old tradition of saving a piece of the wedding cake to eat on the first anniversary.  but here's the thing, my mom actually saved three pieces of cake for us!  well, we decided to eat one piece a year, thereby allowing us to have two extra years of being madly-in-love newlyweds!  clever trick, huh?  well, it worked perfectly, but now, three years in, we must finally face the facts: we are an old married couple...  but only in name, that's for sure!  i love her more now than i ever have before!
we didn't really do anything too special for our anniversary this year, that's partly due to the fact that we have no money, and also because we are expecting our first child and he can come any time now, so we weren't even sure if we were going to be able to have a night to ourselves anyway!  we did end up having the night to ourselves, the little guy decided to wait a little while longer!  we went out and about around town, with no real purpose in mind, just a plan to enjoy ourselves and each other.  well, it worked perfectly!  we had a great time, and ended the night with a really old piece of cake...
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bad good weather

this unseasonably warm weather has been great!  we have been able to turn off our heat a couple months early, we dont have to shovel the snow or scrape off the car in the morning, and i've been able to ditch the coat all together!  the unfortunate side effect of all this heat is that the grass has been growing, and that means the most dreaded event of the year: lawn mowing! argh!  well, i knew i couldnt avoid it any longer, so i put on my grubby shoes and got to it.  it was just as terrible as i remember from mowing last year, but it does feel good to have the lawn looking good!

taco dad

diana's dad really wanted to come and visit one last time before our little guy arrives, so we invited him to stop by any time that would work for him.  well, we got the call and down he came!  diana got to show off all the preparations we did to the house.  i made a little dinner for us- tacos!  we had a great time chatting and imagining all the changes that are in store for us as we become parents, and we had a good time ribbing him about the fact that this means he is going to become a grandparent!