Monday, December 9, 2013

Dangerously close to grown up.


I'm out, baby! 

As most of you know, we finalized a baby last week. What?! Yep. Even though I carried the little parasite for most of 2013, her actual physical presence into open air has been wild. For those of you that don't know, Misha Eleanor Ford was born at 9:30am on Dec. 1 in Bangkok. She was 6.8lbs, 20 inches long, and didn't even have a weird cone head. Her name has a lot of meaning to us. Misha is the diminutive form of Michael in Russian, chosen in honor of my dad. Eleanor was Gavin's wonderful grandmother, who passed in 2012.

30 hours of labor was a good time (NO IT WASN'T). Luckily all the talk about a near immediate amnesia once baby is there is pretty true. I have been on strict orders by the doctor to stay in our apartment and take it easy, which I absolutely hate, but am doing. Gavin is doing all errands, dishes, diapers, and unreasonable-screaming-baby soothing. I also have a fun game I play with him now where I settle in to feed her and then forget just one thing that I need (iPhone, remote, water, socks, etc). It keeps him from getting too sedentary.

I'll keep the writey portion of this pretty short, mainly because I only have a tiny window of freedom before it's time to get peed on again. Overall, we're all doing very well and hope to be home in Phnom Penh at Christmas. Having the baby has really driven home how much we miss you all. We should also find out this month the status with Gavin's fellowship applications, so hopefully will be able to soon say with certainty where we'll be in September.

Here are a bunch of pictures from Misha's first week. Disclaimer, some of these are even worse quality than our usual photographic masterpieces. When you are spinning in a no-clue-what-you're-doing vortex, some things just have to give. Apologies to all of you on FB and Instagram who have seen a lot of these already, I hope it doesn't hurt too much to get another look at the cutest/sweetest/probably-a-genius baby in the world!

Love and heartfelt misses to all of you. We wish we could just teleport and clown car you into our apartment with us! Not really, you're probably all crawling with germs...

Waiting to go to the hospital. Contractions 8min apart. "Gavin, this is no big deal! Seriously. I bet I get this done in like 2 hours." #lieswetellourselves
Our awesome natural birth suite.
Isn't it fun how they make it look like a place where you won't soon feel like you're dying? 
Juicing up for a long night.
Lots of hours and gory details later, a wee baby! 
First bath with dad and a nurse to get the funky side of life off. 
And... perfect.  
These feets, though....
Always good for a laugh! 
Quiet time in the hospital. 
!!!
(Eyes a little puffy from crying her precious little face off for an hour)
First bath at home. Absolutely terrifying.
The sleepies.
Cuties. 
We is in love. 

Drunk old man in a onesie, or baby in a shiny faced milk coma? 
We are incapable of getting a clear family photo. 
Or one without hair shadows. 
But nothing wrong here! 
And seriously with these feet! 
Baby's first walk! Through the hotel hallways. 
Tummy time, like most time, turns to passed out time.
Meanwhile, back in Phnom Penh, someone is developing a "habit"....

8 comments:

  1. Very enjoyable blogging there, Ford-Nathans. Keep 'em comin' when you can. Everyone's looking good - including the old man. Oh sorry, that's Misha in the milk coma. But I do like Gavin's beard.

    ReplyDelete
  2. As always, love the updates. They're hilarious. Tell old man Ford (and not the milk face) that he should write a few lines about the Dad's perspective from the last few days. Trust me, he'll wish he had in a few months, when all of the details start to become fuzzy. Congrats on such a cute kid!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome post - really cool to see this window into this time. Looks like you all are picking it up fast. Misha is beautiful. Gavin, your muscles are looking a little shriveled - need to do baby curls. Daisy...poor Daisy! But she has a friend for life coming to meet her soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amazing as usual Leah! So thankful for this blog to get a glimpse of your baby story! We are so happy for you!!!!! xoxoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm working on the teleportation device right now. Glad to see that little person is gathering valuable leadership skills by showing you both who's boss!! Love you all and sending many hugs and kisses and pee-pee repellent

    ReplyDelete
  6. Leah! Congrats to you and Gavin. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to meet Misha and try to get her to smile. Aren't babies the greatest?!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Leah!!!!!!! She is just the most beautiful little munchkin I have ever seen!!! You are hilarious with your picture captions, I love it! Thank you so much for sharing, I cannot wait to get this little girl together with our girls. Hope you are recovering well, best of luck getting back home and settled in, and we will be on a plane to wherever you guys end up, just let us know. Sending so much love! K, B, M & L

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh Leah! Amazing! So happy and proud of you! Sending you love and light! Safe and happy travels home and to Ms. Daisy!

    ReplyDelete