fussy pants

I’m afraid that although I think Evalana looks like Joshua, she may be taking after me in her personality. She’s been fussy the past couple of days. I’ve read that crying peaks at six weeks, so we have a couple weeks left to go. Generally she’s a pretty happy baby and only cries when there’s something she’s needing. She usually calms down pretty easily when she does get upset, so we’re so thankful for that. The past couple of days she’s been crying more than usual, and, when she does cry, she only calms down if you stand up, hold her high up on your shoulder or in her wrap, and shake her a little. Because I’m still not able to stand up for a long time, Joshua ends up holding her most of her crying time. Besides, she really likes his shoulder better than mine. But he’s getting a little annoyed with her needing him to stand up. She’ll act totally asleep, but, if he sits down, she starts crying right away again. We really don’t know how she even knows if we’re sitting or standing, but she does it every time. So we’re thinking she may end up being picky like her mama, which probably makes for a more difficult child to parent. Oh well. She’s really cute. And she’s still sleeping really well at night.

legacy

Last week I watched the video of my grandma’s funeral. I decided not to go to the funeral since it was just a few days before Evalana’s due date, so I’m so thankful they were able to record it. I enjoyed seeing a church full of people celebrating my grandma’s arrival into heaven. I especially loved hearing the stories of how my grandma had influenced people throughout her life. They showed a wonderful slideshow of pictures, from my grandma as a little girl in those old photos that they weren’t supposed to smile for, to some photos of my grandma and grandpa as a young couple in love, through their having children, to my grandparents with their grandchildren and great grandchildren. It was a beautiful slideshow of her life. I was watching it while holding my little Evalana, and I realized that once my grandma was a little baby like this, and someday Evalana could be in her 80s and married for 60-some years and have kids and grandkids and great-grandkids. I don’t know what her life will bring, but I pray that she will leave a wonderful legacy with the generations she influences. It’s exciting to think of this little life, just four weeks after her birth, and hopefully a long time left to live.

bottle

Look, she’s eating without my even needing to be there! Breastfeeding her is still the easiest, but knowing that I can leave her and she’ll be able to have a bottle of breast milk if she gets hungry is really nice. I read that you can start a bottle without nipple confusion when breastfeeding is well established at 3 to 4 weeks. I’d say her eating is very well established, so Joshua tried giving her a bottle this morning, and she drank it down.

growth spurt

I read that babies are supposed to have a 1-week and 3-week growth spurt. And I think Evalana has finally finished hers. She (and I) are getting in some longer naps in the morning and afternoon. She was eating about every hour, so it’s been kind of nice to have a bit of a break in between feedings. And the past few nights she’s only been waking up a couple of times to eat, and the feedings have been much shorter, and then she generally goes right back to sleep. I expect to still have plenty of difficult nights, but the past few nights have been so nice! Plus Joshua and I get to go to bed at the same time, which is great. This morning Evalana and I had to go back to the hospital again because they forgot to put the date on her blood screening test, so she had to get poked again to get that redone :-(. But she slept both ways in the car, which is much better than the screaming she sometimes does in her car seat. I’m finally starting to feel much better, too, so I can sit up, do a little standing, and am really looking forward to being able to go for walks again sometime soon; the weather has been so nice here, and Samson is really missing his park time. Joshua did take Samson and Evalana to the dog park over the weekend, and I think all three of them enjoyed it. Joshua starts class again tonight, but he’ll only be going one evening a week this semester. I’m enjoying this sweet little girl! Thanks for checking in on us!

good daddy

Evalana has the best dad ever. She loves laying on Joshua’s shoulder. She could be crying about anything, and when Joshua holds her, she almost always instantly calms down into an almost asleep so comfortable mode.
Last night about 1am, Evalana started fussing, so I worked on getting myself out of bed for another feeding. Joshua was still very asleep, but he was patting his chest like he thought he was taking care of Evalana—pretty funny.
He’s a good dad.
Evalana loves her daddy.

what is this girl doing?

is this normal?




okay, i just tried looking it up, and babies have a crawling reflex, so hopefully that's all this creeping is. I want a baby who acts like a baby.

Alea Naomi

We just got to go visit Evalana's new friend, Alea, and we also got to see her friend Lillian! I like picking out Evalana's friends for her. Maybe she'll let me do this when she's a teenager, too. I'm so thankful for these sweet baby girls and my wonderful friends.

me, Evalana (2 weeks), Heather, Alea (11 hours), Lillian (5 months), and Marcy

sleep?

Friday night we had a great treat--the entire family went to bed at 9pm! Evalana and i were still up in the middle of the night, but it was so nice to go to bed at a normal time and with Joshua. Then last night, about 11pm, Joshua and i made a bet about how quickly Evalana would go to sleep or need to eat again. I thought he'd need to come get me about 11:30, and Joshua thought she'd go until 2:30. So I went to bed, and thankfully he won; I think she woke me up about 3am. Although, because he won, he now gets to hold Heather and Jon's baby before I do. Their baby is being born today--yea!

2 weeks

This morning Evalana had her two-week checkup. The appointment was at 9am. This was the first outing that the two of us have had, and I was nervous about getting us both ready and there, but we actually got there on time, and she didn't even cry in the car. She weighed 9 lbs, 8.5 oz. Eleven days ago she weighed 7, 13. The doctor said babies are supposed to gain at least .75 oz each day, and Evalana's gaining about 2.5 per day, so she's a healthy eater (no wonder i feel like i'm always feeding her). She's grown 1 inch since birth. Her height of 21 inches is in the 74th percentile, her weight is in the 87th, and her head circumference is in the 90th at 15 inches (which makes her daddy proud). The doctor commented on her strong muscles, and i told her that Evalana had already rolled from her back to her stomach a couple of times. Dr. Kaufman put her on her tummy, and Evalana immediately pushed up and rolled over onto her back. Dr. Kaufman said "Wow, oh my! She's really advanced." and confirmed that my due date was really only three weeks ago. I just think that Evalana should act two weeks old while she's two weeks old. The doctor said she's more like a six-week old baby, so have I missed a whole month of newborn-ness? At least she's still really cute, no matter how quickly she grows.
We've had some very easy days and then some nights when she decides not to sleep (last night she finally went to sleep in her crib at 5am). Overall it's still been easier than what I thought the first couple of weeks might be like. When she's a month old, we'll be able to give her a pacifier and bottle, which I'm really looking forward to. I keep telling myself, just two more weeks and then she'll eat and poop less often, be able to be soothed with the pacifier, and be able to eat without my even needing to be there. All of the lactation consultant people have recommended to us that we wait until she's a month old so that she doesn't have "nipple confusion" and have difficulty with the breastfeeding. Just two more weeks. My mom has been over a few afternoons this week, which has helped with my being able to nap. I didn't think that I should need to sleep more than a newborn baby, but sometimes Evalana just decides not to sleep even though I want to. Joshua has been a huge help with taking care of Evalana, too. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful husband, family, and friends.

bath time!

Who does she look like?

I think she looks like Evalana, but here are some comparison photos for you.


Rachel and Evalana, first day

Rachel 1 month, Evalana 13 days (same outfit, same furniture, 29 years later)

We don't have any baby pictures of Joshua, but here is Evalana's cousin, Noah, who everyone says looks just like Joshua at his age:





Noah and Evalana, aboout 4 days old

muscles

When Evalana was in my belly, I knew she was working out her muscles, but I don’t think she should be as strong as she is already. Last night when I was putting her to bed, she rolled over onto her side and then onto her tummy (on her knees and forearms with her head lifted up). I put her back onto her back, and she did the same thing again. I told her that I don’t think she’s supposed to do that for a couple more months. Maybe she’s been watching too much Olympics with Daddy.
Evalana has posted one of her workout videos below. She practices her Tai Chi several times a day, but she prefers to do it with her diaper off.

home alone

Today Evalana and I had our first day home alone together. I was very nervous about it, but Evalana was great as usual. We even both got in a couple of naps. Grandma (my mom) came over at 2:00. And we were both glad to see Joshua when he got home. I'm so thankful to have such a terrific husband.

1 week

We've had our first week with our sweet little girl now. It’s been wonderful. She keeps getting bigger, though, and I kind of like her little. Everything’s been going great; she’s pretty easy to take care of so far. She sleeps well and eats well and seems to have increased awake time each day. We’ve had lots of great visitors this week. And I’ve been so thankful to have Joshua home this week. Having a baby might be even more fun than being pregnant! So far Evalana’s favorite place to sleep is on Joshua’s chest, although she does great in her crib and also in her wrap on me. Evalana and Samson pretty much just ignore each other at this point. We’re looking forward to another week of getting to know this cute girl!

Evalana's birth

Joshua could probably tell this story better than I, but I’ll give it a try. On Thursday I was having a little more contractions than the day before and feeling a little less comfortable, so I was hopeful that Evalana might be coming soon. I’d been telling Evalana that Friday morning would be a great time for a birthday. When we went to bed on Thursday night, I was never able to get to sleep because of the contractions I was having. I woke Joshua up around 1:00 to let him know that the contractions were seeming to get a little more intense and were making me feel nauseous and shakey. Some were about 10 minutes apart and some were more like a minute and a half. Some were short and some were longer, and some were fairly intense and some were pretty mild. Anyway, because of the inconsistency, it seemed more like what we had heard of false labor being, so we weren’t sure of what to do. I got up and drank some water and took a bath, but the contractions kept coming, so we decided to head over to my dad’s house since they live just a few minutes from the hospital, which sounded better to me than the 25-minute drive from our house. I didn’t want to show up at the hospital if I wasn’t really in labor, but I also had in mind that my mom had me in about 2 ½ hours, and I didn’t want to cut it too closely. Some of the contractions were still making me feel nauseous, and, before we left for my dad’s, I threw up all the water I had been drinking. Joshua got everything together in the car, and I think we probably left for my dad’s house around 3:00. the contractions got stronger while we were there, so Joshua called our doctor, doula, and family, and we got to the hospital about 5:00. It was a little overwhelming to know that I could be walking through those doors for our daughter’s birthday. When we got into our room, the nurse checked me and said that I was 3 or 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced (cervix thinned out), so we’d be having a baby today. I was so relieved to hear that; I didn’t want to be having all of these contractions for nothing. It was so exciting to think that we were going to see and hold our baby soon. We had told them that we didn’t want IV fluids unless I was dehydrated, but by that time, I was really dehydrated which was causing no break in between my contractions at all, and I was still vomiting. Once I got some fluids, I had a few minutes break in between contractions and Evalana’s heart rate improved, so I was very thankful to have them. My water broke about 7:00, and I started having to push. When they checked me then, I was 8 cm dilated. The pushing that happens really surprised me. I didn’t realize it would be so strong. It felt kind of like vomiting backwards, and I had no control at all. It’s amazing to witness with my own body how God created this whole process. Other than the encouraging words Joshua, my mom, and Cami (our doula) were saying to me, I was fairly unaware of anything else going on. I was on my hands and knees for about half an hour, and then they checked again and said that I was at 10, so we could go ahead and start pushing the baby out. I pushed on my side for about 45 minutes. I could see her getting closer in the mirror, but, when she seemed right there, it still seemed like it took so long to get her head out. But it actually did come out. The doctor got her shoulders out and then, at 8:17am, said, “Okay, Rachel, reach down and pull out your baby.” So I grabbed her and pulled her onto my chest, and everyone laughed at me because I said, “There really was a baby in there.” And then Evalana looked up at me, and I said, “And she has a face!” the nurse said she had a little goo left in her lungs, so she took her and suctioned her, but then I got her back on my chest and got to look at her and feed her for a couple of hours, and it was great. My sister, stepmom, dad, and brother all came in to meet her. Then, after pooping out at least a few ounces, she weighed in at 8 lbs, 11 oz. and 20 inches long. They said her apgar scores were 8 and 9, so that’s good. Then Joshua’s mom got there, and, soon after that, his other set of parents came in. It was so great to have everyone there. It was an exciting day. Everything went better than I could have imagined, although very different from what Joshua and I were expecting. And even the pain was much less and different than what I had expected. I thought it might be really intense sharp pain, but it was more like just the strongest cramps ever. They sometimes had asked me to rate my pain from 1-10, with 10 being giving birth, but even as she was being born, I still wouldn’t have rated it the 10 that I expected it to be. The whole thing so far (pregnancy, labor, having a newborn) has gone much easier than we had expected, and we are so thankful for all the blessings that God has poured out on us with our little Evalana. So that’s my version of Evalana’s birth story, typed out over several days with one hand while feeding Evalana.
11/03/10: a little more detail on the labor experience.

 

great baby

so far things have been pretty easy with this cute girl. we had a great night of sleep last night, too. she's a good eater and sleeper. after she finishes feeding, she flops over onto her back, sound asleep, like in this picture (she's in the exact same pose right now). she's enjoyed having some visitors this week, and we've really appreciated the meals that have been brought to us; that's been a really great treat. we're so thankful for this week at home together.

4 days old

This little girl is still really cute. We're having such a good time together. Evalana's eating and sleeping well. Joshua and I enjoy watching her faces and just staring at and praying for this beautiful blessing. It really amazes me that this sweet girl was inside of me just last week. We're so thankful that everything is going so well. We had our first doctor's appointment yesterday, and everything looked good. Evalana's face got a little scratched up since we haven't cut her fingernails yet, and her chin and cheeks got chapped from feeding. The doctor suggested that we put breastmilk on the sores, and they healed right up. Every little detail of this process God created is truely amazing. I'm not going back to work until the beginning of October, and Joshua's off this entire week, so we're really enjoying our time together at home with our little family. If you'd like to come meet Evalana, we'd love to see you; just give us a call or email so we can check our schedule. Thank you!

guestbook

http://www.babysites.com/sites/vaughnbaby/default.asp?page=guestbook&seq=1&cmd=view
Date
Guest
Comments
08/04/2008
Ann Hutchins
Congratulations to all 3 of you! We were all thinking of you on Friday!
08/04/2008
Jessi and Kyle
Yay! She is finally here. She is gorgeous (just like mom and dad ;] )Can't wait to meet her.By the way we babysit...Evalana's health is in our prayers!
08/03/2008
Michele Jarchow
Congratulations to you all on the birth of your little princess! Enjoy God's gift to you. I can't wait to meet her. :)
08/03/2008
Peggy Gorenflo
What an awesome name! I love it! So thrilled for you!!!
08/03/2008
Ashley Hockersmith
Congratulations!! Hope you are getting some sleep :)
08/02/2008
Sherri Privitera
Yeah! Congratulations and praise the Lord! We are so excited for everyone. I look forward to meeting Evalana!
08/02/2008
The Richardson's
Congratulations!! Simply a miracle and gift from God. Can't wait for our first playdate!!
08/02/2008
Melissa and Jake Cline
Evalana is just a doll. Jake, Jack and I are excited to meet her!
08/02/2008
The Agee Family
Congratulations!!! She is beautiful, just like her mama. You are going to LOVE being parents.
08/02/2008
Jeanne and Danny Koontz
Congratulations! We're so happy for you and can't wait to meet Evalana.
08/02/2008
GREAT Aunty Deb
WELCOME Evalana! How exciting it was to get the phone call that you had arrived. Love getting all the pictures from Grandma Diane but can't wait to see you in person. Big HUGS to Mommy, Daddy, & Samson. PTL!
08/01/2008
Ja'Zan
I barely got in my chair at work this afternoon, when people flew to me saying "did you hear, did you hear?!" It was so exciting to hear the news, and she is a doll. CONGRATULATIONS! ~ Ja'Zan
08/01/2008
Shelly Finuf
Praise be to God! Evalana is bea-u-ti-ful! She shouldn't be that pretty this early on! It's just not natural! Speaking of natural.... God has obviously honored your complete trust in Him on "His timing!" =) Couldn't possibly be happier for your new little family!!!!
08/01/2008
Amy Clarkson
Congrats! I have been visiting your blog & waiting to see when she would decide to enter the world. Look forward to more pictures! Best wishes-Amy (practicum buddy from Downey Side :)
08/01/2008
Heather, Jon and Baby Gogo
Yea! We are so excited that Evalana is here and healthy!!!
07/31/2008
Great Aunty Deb
She's not here yet because Great Grandma Moser is getting to know her first!It's all in God's Timing!
07/19/2008
Tincy
I was just thinking about you, Rachel. Glad to be done with school? Hope baby preperations are going well. Can't wait to see the baby pics. Congrats!
06/23/2008
Leah
Hi Rach! I love the pink stipe room and Evalana's crib set! Looking forward to meeting her. :)
05/06/2008
Jennifer Gustafson
We are so excited to see you this weekend and so excited to wait the arrival of your daughter. Hope you are feeling well. I am glad you are making my brother, Tom, become a grandpa! Jennifer
04/18/2008
Kendra
I am so excited for the three of you. A girl- what a blessing, and what a beautiful name. I can't wait to meet her.
02/28/2008
Leah
The video is great! I am so glad you posted it. :) It was nice to see you in the parking lot! I forgot to say, "congrats." I look forward to meeting baby girl Vaughn.
02/25/2008
Shelly
I'm just going to say the first thing that popped into my head when I heard this awesome news about you having a girl.....I'm tickled pink! My baby girl (Nikki) is turning 22 today. I guess that dates me. Oh, the precious moments you'll have with your little treasure! You will be incredible parents! I rejoice with you both! =)
02/24/2008
Laura Tonielli
Steve and I couldn't be more excited for the two of you. Well I am just a little bit ahead of you, I can't wait to see both new babies. Congrats!!!!
02/24/2008
Cousins Chris & Kevin in Ohio
Hey there! Thanks for the update! YAY! A Girl! She's going to be beautiful! Rach, you absolutely glow! So glad to hear that everything is going well! Love to all of you, Chris
02/24/2008
Ja'Zan
Hey Rachel...did I call it or what?! Remember at work on Thursday I said "I think it's a girl!" It is exciting to find out, but either way would've been so neato!So glad to be working with you, and so happy for you and Joshua that all is well with the baby and parents. :)
02/23/2008
Maleah
Congratulations!!! Little girls are wonderful.
02/23/2008
Peggy
Girls are so wonderful! I am so thrilled for you! Rachel you are going to be a fantastic mommy! God Bless You!!
02/23/2008
Jon, Heather and Baby Nelson
Happy Day a Girl! I was wrong! That doesn't happen too much with babys to be. I guess Nelson Vaughn is out. Maybe next time! :) Congrats!!
02/22/2008
Leah
Awww! How exciting! Pink it is. :)Blessings,Leah and Wade
02/14/2008
Ali Morris
Congradulations!!! I'm am absolutely thrilled for you two. That's one lucky baby you have there to get such great parents. Rachel, you look fantastic! Hopefully the boys and I are coming for a visit mid-March so I'd love to see you!Love, Ali
01/22/2008
Heather and Jon Nelson
We are excited to be on this journey at the same time! We are excited to meet your little one! You'll be great parents full of love!
01/13/2008
Jess Wiederspan
CONGRATS! I am so excited for you! This is a great website and my favorite part is the expressions on your mom's face! So cute! :-)
11/26/2007
Great Aunty Deb & Uncle Ken
Welcome Little One! We can't wait to meet you!
11/25/2007
Shelly (finuf)
How totally awesome!!!!!! This child is so very fortunate to have the two of you as parents! Just ask your furry children...they'll give you a huge "paws up" as a mommy and daddy! I couldn't possibly be more giddy over this announcement...and that's pretty giddy!I will be praying for your little family. God is so very good, isnt' He! Cograts! Love, Shelly =)
11/25/2007
Marcy, Mike and Baby Richardson
Yippeee and congratulations!! We are so excited for both of you. This is going to be such a fun and memorable time of your life. We will be in prayer and support for all 3 of you. Oh yeah, Baby Richardson says she is excited to have a playmate.

4604 Visitors since 11/21/2007

home!

We’re so glad to be home. This afternoon we all got in a nice nap, and then this evening Evalana provided us with plenty of entertainment. Everyone’s doing great. I’ll have to write more soon about our birth experience, but I couldn’t have imagined anything going better. It was incredible to feel God pretty much take control over my body in this amazing process he created. We’re so thankful for our amazing little girl God gave us!

Day 2

Hi everyone. So sorry we weren't able to send out our notification email yesterday. From the hospital we're able to receive emails but not send. Everything is going great! Evalana's still really cute today, too :-). We'll be leaving St. Joseph's around noon today to head home. You're welcome to come visit us at home this weekend or whenever; please just call or email first to let us know. Evalana would love to meet you! We're having an amazing time with our little girl so far. She's a great eater, sleeper, face-maker, and observer. Thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers for our family!

Happy Birthday Evalana!!!

At 8:17 this morning, Evalana Christabelle Vaughn came into this world wih God's perfect plan and Rachel's absolutely breathtaking strength. Evalana tipped the scales at 8lbs 11oz and was 20 inches long. More to come soon. Oh, and if anyone wants to visit we'd enjoy seeing some folks etiher later this afternoon or tomorrow, but please call first. We' are praising the Lord Jesus Christ for his provision through all of this. Thank you all!

Happy Birthday Evalana!!!

At 8:17 this morning, Evalana Christabelle Vaughn came into this world with God's perfect plan and Rachel's absolutely breathtaking strength. Evalana tipped the scales at 8lbs 11oz and was 20 inches long. More to come soon. Oh, and if anyone wants to visit we'd enjoy seeing some folks either later this afternoon or tomorrow, but please call first. We are praising the Lord Jesus Christ for his provision through all of this. Thank you all!