Alethea's First Christmas

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We had such a fun time celebrating Christmas as a family of three and starting our own traditions. These first 2 pictures were taken by my sister Kaleigh a few days before Christmas but I wanted to post them because I thought they were SOOOO cute!!

These next pictures are of our Christmas celebrations as a family of 3 and with extended family. It is so nice to  know there are so many people who love our little family.  

After Christmas Eve Service

Alethea's new toy from her mommy and daddy

She LOVES her new playmat

My Pretty Christmas Dress!

I love to stick my tongue out

My first Dolly! Thanks Aunt Pamela!

Christmas Day!

Thank you to everyone for making this a great Christmas!

World Series

(This was written a while ago, but somehow never got posted so here it is)

Our daughter is a HUGE sports fan. Sure she only weighed in at 6 Lbs 2 Ounces. Her birth and first few weeks have been told before, but not from an boisterous/hilarious/sports adventurous angle.

It was a dark night, many nights are dark, but this night, it was very dark. Perhaps someone had forgotten to turn on the night lights in the sky, or perhaps the narrator of this story is wearing sunglasses. Either way, it was dark. It was Friday, the weekend was looming. For many hours labor persisted, with groans, striving, sweat and tears, the labor continued. The hospital room was all in a buzz, nurses shouting, cheering, even chanting. Throughout the night there were ups and downs, highs and lows. Breathing at some points was difficult, but effort was always being given all for the sake of the goal. And that goal was almost in reach. For you see dear reader, it was game six of a best of seven series between the Milwaukee Brewers(the bad guys), and the St. Louis Cardinals (the good guys). The Cards were tied in the series 2-2, locked in an epic battle with their foes. 

But the night of her birth was not the only piece of evidence we had in discovering Alethea's passion for sports. She already has watched many football games, these games usually have been games in which her two favorite teams played: J-E-T-S (NY), and Lions(DET). Is it true that Alethea already has shown more sports passion in 5 weeks than most humans in their entire lives? Yes. Is it also true that Alethea has already learned how to throw a 90 MPH Fastball? No. But even if she never does, Alethea already has had a life filled with sports highlights. 

Alethea, As the narrator of this post I have to convey the message from your parents. They say to tell you they love you and always remember how big a fan you were, even on the dark, dark night on which you were born!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone! We hope you are enjoying time with your family and the Celebration of Jesus' Birth!! Here is a picture we took to ring in the holidays at our house. I will post more Christmas pictures soon, with Alethea in her adorable dress! But for now.. Enjoy!

2 Months!

Alethea was 2 months old on December 14th! (Sorry it took so long to write this post) I am finally in the groove of things. Now that I feel normal and am no longer recovering from surgery and pregnancy, I finally feel like I am doing what I am called to do. I love staying home and watching you grow. It has taken 2 months, but I am now able to take care of you, wallace, daddy and household chores.  Each day I look at you and see how you have grown and changed. You still look A LOT like your daddy and I love that. Although you look like daddy, you have taken on mommy's easy-going personality and whinyness.

Our dear Alethea, as soon as we think we have figured out your schedule you change it up. Most days you are awake somewhere between 730-8am and ready to start your day. If we are lucky you will sleep for 1.5-2 hours sometime in the morning and take another hour nap in the afternoon. Some days you like to go to sleep at 730-8pm and will sleep for 5hours straight and other nights you like to stay up late with daddy.

You have so many funny facial expressions and have started to giggle. I just love to look at you and see a huge smile on your face and listening to you giggle in your sleep.  It is great to see you developing a personality and we are learning what you do and do not like. You love to get your diaper changed! I have never seen a baby who hates to be wet as much as you do and who gets SO happy when they are sat on the changing table. We have some of our best bonding moments while you are getting changed. Not only do you talk to mommy and daddy, but you have also starting "talking" to your toy flower that looks at you during diaper changes. I have a feeling you will love playing with stuffed animals and spend hours talking to them.

Bath time is another one of your favorite activities. You can be pitching a fit but the moment you get in your little bath seat and the water touches you, you instantly relax. I am savoring the moments where you lie still in the bathtub and look up at us with your bath time smile. :)  I know that sometime in the near future you will be sitting up and start splashing in the tub and no longer my newborn baby.

I am looking forward to watching you grow up and start rolling over and seeing more of your silly faces. We love you Alethea!

Look what I can do!

I am a little late in posting this but look what Alethea can do! (she did this on December 10th 2011)

Just so everyone knows, I put the rattle in her hand, but she is now able to hold and shake a toy! She also notices where the sound is coming from. Our little girl is getting so big!

2 Month Dr. Appointment

Alethea did GREAT at her doctors appointment. She only cried for an instant when she was given her vaccinations and spent the rest of the day sleeping. I was expecting to have a very fussy and cranky baby for the entire day and enlisted the help of Nana. Nana came along to the appointment with us and was a great help during the day. (for me) I anticipated that I would have a horrible time watching her gets shots. I heard from so many other parents that it was harder for them when their child got their shots then it was for their baby. I must say, that I am pretty proud of myself for not crying and handling her shots well. 

Waiting to get shots

Another part of her appointment that I was worried about was her weight. Since she was born, Alethea has being a tiny girl and had some trouble gaining weight. I have been weighing her at home, but wasn't sure if the weight I had would match the one at the doctors.  But we were quite surprised!

               Alethea's 2 month Measurements

                           Height: 21.75inches

                           Weight: 8.88 (8lbs 88ounces)

                           Head Circumference: 36.8cm

She is still a very little girl (I think around 10th percentile for weight) but is growing wonderfully! She gained almost 2lbs exactly in 3 weeks!! Its so weird for this mommy to see her so big! I am consistently telling people how big she is compared to when she was born, but she is still SO little (the size of most newborns).  She was around the 15th percentile for height (not long at all). So we will see if Alethea becomes as tall as her daddy, or short like her mommy. 

Sleeping on the way Home

7 weeks old!

Dear Alethea,

You are 7 weeks old today and so big! You are now over 8lbs and almost completely out of your newborn clothing. Everyday I look at you and see that you have grown. You are now smiling all the time and love when your daddy sings to you.

This is a little video of you and daddy. Daddy was finishing up a paper for one of his classes while you watched and helped him sing.

You are so big and awesome Alethea! We love you and love sharing life with you!

Mommy and Daddy

Help

I have been working on this post for a while and meant to have it posted a while back, but now it seems very fitting that it will be posted during Thanksgiving. Over the past 6 weeks Jacob and I have recieved so much help from friends and family and wanted to thank everyone! We have had a hard couple of weeks and are thrilled to be back in the swing of things. Thank you to everyone who has helped us.

One of the main reasons we chose to attend Convenant Church was because it felt like home and we felt like family from the first day we visitied. Since then we have become members, been invovled in Bible studies, and Jacob is even helping in the office. We have been so blessed by these brothers and sisters through everything they have done. Our Elder's wife threw us a baby shower during our 8th month of pregnancy and introduced me to many women from our church. My entire pregnancy I wished that I could have a baby shower in St. Louis, our new home, but didn't know enough people to throw one. I was so shocked by everyone who came to the shower to support our family! Especially when many who came had never met us. Not only has Covenant Church made us feel welcome from the beginning, but they have been a wonderful help since Alethea's arrival. They coordinated meals so Jacob and I had dinner for the first month we were home, and have also helped out around the house with all the things that need to get done to maintain a home. Thank you so much! We don't know what we would have done without all the help from our Church.

We are also very thankful to my mom and sisters who have gone to great extremes to help out. From laundry to babysitting to watching Wallace they have been an immense help.  We have received many prayers from family and friends far and near. We are also thankful for Jacob's professors who have been extremely understanding and accommodating during this crazy time in our lives. Each day we are reminded that St. Louis is exactly where we should to be and how much this has become home. Thank you to everyone who has physically helped out and also those who have been diligent prayer warriors. We have had many  requests for prayer over the last year, and who knows what our lives would be like if so many faithful brothers and sisters were not praying for us.

This Thanksgiving we are thankful to ALL YOU who have helped make this time with our daughter special and memorable. Thank you!!

1 Month Old!

Alethea is 1 month old today! Tuesday November 14, 2011.  (I apologize this is late but I'm having a hard time keeping up with writing and posting on time.)

Our Dear Alethea,

I can not believe that you are already 1 month old! It seems like only yesterday we were anxiously awaiting your arrival. You have brought so much joy and love to our lives that I can not even begin to explain. It amazes me that you know your mommy and daddy. Sometimes I can't believe that you are the little child that was inside me for so long.

You are such a laid back baby girl. Although you are fussy at times when not being held, you are generally happy. You have done great with letting people other then mommy and daddy hold you. (I really hope that is something that stays) One of my favorite things is when you are upset when someone else is holding you and how you calm down immediately when I pick you up. You already know your mommy and prefer me to other people.

When you were first born you looked a lot like your daddy and now you look like a perfect mixture between the two of us. You have you daddy's ears, eyes and feet as well as his "go with the flow" personality. You did a great job switching between nursing and bottles from day one in the hospital which gives mommy a break and allows daddy to feed you. Daddy feeding you has been such a great bonding experience. You also amazed us when you were the perfect angle (not crying at a well, and taking formula) the whole time mommy was in the hospital and recovery (you were 3 weeks old). We have already been through a lot as a family this past month and you have handled it wonderfully! We are so thankful to have you as our daughter.

You are such a tiny little thing! At your 1 month doctors appointment that doctor said  that your are a tiny feisty little baby. You only weighed 6.89lbs but had grown to 21.5 inches. Mommy and Daddy are now working very hard to get more meat on your bones. We spend a lot of time feeding you and are enjoying the special time to bond while you are staring into our eyes and eating. Although you are not sleeping through the night, most of the time we get a good 3-4hours stretch of sleep. You love to be held in the middle of the night and look at mommy and daddy as you fall asleep. As tiring as it is for us to be up with you so long rocking you to sleep, I know these times won't last forever and are treasuring them.  You are eating every 2.5-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. You are still in newborn clothes, although they are fitting you more snug and are also in newbonr diapers. You are our tiny little girl and we thank God every day that you are in our life.

We love you so much and could not imagine our lives without you. Our family feels more complete with you apart of it and I can't remember what life was like without you. We would do anything to provide and care for you. We are treasuring the time we have now when you are this little and just learning to see the world around you and are also so excited for the future! You have recently started smiling at us and we can't wait to see more smiles as you grow. We love you!

First 2 weeks

Today (Friday the 28th) you are 2 weeks old. I meant to write a post about your first week outside the womb, but things got a little crazy taking care of you. Now that you are more on a schedule, I am able to tell you about your first two weeks at home, but more particularly your 2nd week outside of the womb.

After a few days in the hospital we were both able to come home. While we were in the hospital 2 of your aunts (Pamela and Kaleigh) came to visit. They were both so excited to hold you and get to be the first people outside of your parents to hold you. Your nana also came to the hospital to meet you. She wasn't planning on driving down to St. Louis until you were released to go home, but when she heard you were born she couldn't wait to come down. She packed the car and drove the 10 hours straight to the hospital. You got to meet your grandpa on your 2 week old birthday. He was unable to make it as soon as you were born because of work but came as soon as he could. He was so excited to meet you and hold you. You always stopped crying and calmed down as soon as he held you. I have a feeling you will have be a daddy and grandpa's girl.

Your daddy and I are so happy and thrilled to have you in our life. Even though you may keep us up all night and sleep all day we love you dearly. We have had so many great firsts with you these 2 weeks such as; your first bath, first car ride, first diaper change at home, your first doctors appointment and your first trip to someone's house. It is so exciting sharing all these first with you and we can't wait to share even more!

2 Weeks old

1 week old

Praise God for His Mercy!

Thank you all for your prayers and intercessions on our behalf. Amy, Alethea, and Jacob are all home and resting. I am sure a more detailed posting will come later, but for now prayers may be shifted from intercession to praise.

This afternoon Amy had successful surgery to help with the problem she was having. The last few days have taken quite alot out of us between 2 ER trips, a surgery, and way too much time in STL hospitals. Thank you all so much for your support, prayers, phone calls, and emails.

We already are setting up visits with family, friends, and helpers. If you would like to help, or contact us in any way, please email Jacob @ toman.jp@gmail.com.

Prayers Please!!

We are currently at the hospital as our little family grows and learns about life. Amy has had a few complications during her recovery from birthing and will shortly have a little bit of surgery to help her recover further. Please be in prayer for Amy as her body goes under this procedure, pray for Alethea that she would be able to rest and grow during this time, and pray for Jacob to be a loving support in this time.

We will update here as soon as we are able.

Thank you for your prayers,
Jacob and Amy

First's

Here are some of Alethea's First... (sorry they are not in order of her age)

First trip to someones house (we went to Pamela's house 10-23)

First Held by Aunt Pamela (10-15)

First held by Aunt Kaleigh (10-15)

First held by Grandma C. (10-16)

First bottle fed by daddy (10-16)

First time as a family of 3 (10-14)

First Car ride (ride home on 10-18)

First diaper change at home (10-18)

First Visitor (10-20)

First Walk (10-21)

First Sponge Bath (10-22)

First time meeting Wallace (10-18)

First Bow (10-18)

First time in your swing (10-18)

First held by Grandpa (10-28)

First "toy" 

Welcome Alethea Rose!!!

We welcomed Alethea Rose into our arms on Friday, October 14th 2011 at 11:31pm. She weighed 6.2 lbs and was 19.5 inches long.

We are both so thankful to have Alethea here and hold her in our arms. She is such a precious gift from God that we love so much! We wanted to write a post about her birth mainly so she would always know the story and have a record. This blog will change now that Alethea has come and will focus more on stories that we would like her to know about her life and letters from us to her. Please be aware that this story may be graphic or too descriptive for some. We go into ALL the details.

The best place to start this story would be early in the week on Tuesday. I went to my normal doctors appointment at the hospital to be monitored and to check Alethea's growth. I have been going to this hospital twice a week for the last month or so to have fetal monitoring done. During my routine ultra sound to check my amniotic fluid levels they found that my fluid was around 5. (It should definitely be over 5 and they like to be more around 10) This wasn't too big of a surprise to me since my fluid tends to be low on Tuesdays and increase by Fridays. I was told to go home and spend the next few days drinking lots of water and resting as much as possible.  We spent Thursday night joking about how I could get induced on Friday (because my fluid was low) but didn't truly believe they would induce me on Friday. Well low and behold I get to the hospital on Friday and my fluid was at 3, the magic number! Low enough that they wanted to induce me right then.

Now I said I was already at the hospital, but I was at the wrong hospital. There are SO many great hospitals in St. Louis and the one I was at was not the one where we planned to deliver Alethea. Although it is a great hospital it was not the "baby" hospital and was farther away from Jacob's work/school and our church family.  After receiving the news that they would induce me, I called Jacob to let him know so he should turn in his paper at school and get home. I spent the next hour waiting around to get the "ok" from my primary OBGYN that I could leave the hospital and drive to the one where we intended to give birth. During this time, Jacob was able to get home, walk Wallace and quickly clean up the kitchen.

Once we arrived at the hospital we got checked into our room, were hooked up to penicillin (I tested positive for Group B)  and waited. We had to wait about an hour before they started the pitocin, around 1:30pm. Even thought\ I was dilated to 3cm when we checked in, they were unable to break my water until I had 1 bag of penicillin in my body which would take about 4 hours.

4 hours later......

After 4 hours of sitting, watching t.v and just hanging out without much pain, the nurse and resident doctor came in to break my water (5:30pm). After breaking my water my contractions instantly got intense and could be felt.  I was able to talk through some of these contractions and had to just breathe through the rest. Around 8:00 the nurse came in to check me and see how the pitocin was doing and found out that I was 5cm. (I was so happy. After hearing how long people can get stuck at 3 or 4 I was dreading hearing her say I was still 3cm). Jacob and I continued to be able to talk in between contractions and joke around.  At 8:40 we wanted the nurse to check again since contractions were getting more painful and found that I was 6.5cm. dilated. Again we were thrilled! In about an hour I had progressed 1 and 1/2 cm yay!! We figured we would have little Alethea somewhere around 2 or 3am Saturday morning. (based on the norm that most people dilate a cm an hr)  Now was the point when I really needed to stop thinking/talking/walking and work through the contractions. Previously I had been laying on the bed breathing through contractions, but now I had started to walk around and used the pregnancy ball. I LOVE the pregnancy ball. I firmly believe I wouldn't have been able to have a drug-free (other then pitocin) birth without the pregnancy ball. Contractions began to get VERY painful and I began to feel the urge to push and of course was told not to since I wasn't anywhere near 10cm. Finally, it got to the point where I really needed to be checked. There was NO WAY that I was going to continue with this pain or worse for another 4 hours; I NEEDED to know if i had progressed at all. Well Jacob called the nurse and we proceeded to move to the bed. Once I moved to the bed I involuntary began pushing. Jacob called the nurse and said "umm we are going to have a baby in here" (he had to call cause she had not come in the room yet). When the nurse came in at 10:40 I fully dilated and ready to push. I started "officially" pushing at 11pm; my doctor came in at 11:10 and Alethea was born at 11:30.

She was perfectly healthy and so beautiful. I was able to pull her up to my stomach and hold her for a few minutes before they took to wrap her up. Alethea stayed with us in the delivery room for about 15minutes and was then taken to the nursery to get admitted and cleaned up. While she was being cleaned I was finally able to eat! (I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast at 8am that day and only had a piece of toast) I was so excited to have a turkey sandwich. It was delicious!! We were then moved to the recovery room and got to spend time holding Alethea and even breastfeeding. It was wonderful!