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Dear Nicholai,

Today is the 27th of May, and you are actually almost 3 days old today. Shortly after I wrote you the last post, I took your mom to the hospital (Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, just a couple blocks from Fenway). She was experiencing a lot of pain from her contractions that she felt it was time to go to the hospital. Her parents arrived shortly before 2:00 p.m. and we were contemplating whether or not we should pick them up before we went to the hospital or if we should just go straight there. Andrea felt like we had to go straight to the hospital, which ended up being a good decision. They checked her out in triage and realized that her water broke and that she was 4 centimeters dilated. So, they brought her into one of the labor and delivery rooms. Her parents ended up taking a taxi from Boston Logan Airport to Beth Israel and met up with us. LaVerne got to be the second person in the labor and delivery room (of course I was the first, and they only let two people in with the mom). Austin had to wait in the waiting room. Your mom got an epidural (which made a lot of the pain from the contractions disappear). They monitored her for a few hours as she continued contracting and dilating and at about 10:00 p.m., she started pushing. After just about 30 minutes (at 10:33 p.m.) on May 25th, 2011, you were born!

It was so amazing for me to watch you being born. At some point we could see your little head before it came out (they let your mom touch your head to assure her that you were ready to come out). She pushed really well and your head came all the way out. She pushed some more and your whole body came out. It was very incredible. The doctors and nurses moved so quickly with you and you started crying as you were taking your first breaths. I even got to help trim your umbilical cord. I remember you had such great expressions with your little lips that looked like contempt, happiness, anger, and confusion even after only a few minutes after birth. It was so cute. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you.

One of the comments that was made about you by the nursing staff was that you were a very relaxed baby. Your crying was very controlled and for most of the time, you were actually very content. They moved us into one of the recovery rooms, and I took your grandparents back to our apartment in Medford. I came back as soon as I could (which was about 2:00 a.m.), to be with Andrea. They monitored you in the nursery the first night because they were concerned about your slower than normal heart rate. You turned out to be just fine though, and the next day, we got to spend a lot of time with you (learning how to care for you and learn all about you).

We actually had the decision as to whether we wanted to stay until Saturday or if we wanted to take you home on Friday. We ended up choosing the latter because we were ready to bring you home. We jokingly said that Friday was the worst day of your life because that was the day you got your circumcision and they had to do blood work on you (two painful things for a little two day old). You didn't sleep so well your first night here, but your mommy took really good care of you. Because she was up for most of the night, we let her take a long nap today. I got to hold you the whole time and I put you tummy down on my chest (what they call tummy time), so that you could sleep, relax and listen to my heart beat and feel my lungs breathe in and out. It's a very calming and intimate position for babies. In fact, I have a picture with me as a baby in the same position with my dad (your grandpa Tom, who you will probably get to meet for the first time this summer). He always said that that was my favorite position to be in.

You are by far the cutest baby I have ever seen and your facial expressions are just priceless. The hospital clothed you in a white wrap around shirt that we called your "Yoda shirt" because it looked like the little robe that Yoda wears in the movie Star Wars. Whenever you got changed they would take it off and you would start to cry, so we always use to talk for you saying "please put my Yoda shirt back on". Or, when you cried, we use to say "aww, bad dream, bad dreams". It was very cute.

I'm so happy that you're finally home. I got to spend some good time bonding with you during your tummy time today. Your Mimi Laverne loves taking care of you and insists on changing your diaper and carrying you around all the time. Whenever you cry, she gets right up to comfort you (which is good, but bad in the sense that you expect that if we do it every time). But, I will say that you are a good self soother too. It's important that we let her take care of you as much as she can though because she lives all the way out in Texas. So, she won't be able to see you all the time, like she's able to see your two older cousins (Madison and Emma).

Today we are taking you for your first walk in the park, which is very exciting. I'll let you know how it goes. Your Nana Kris is coming in on Wednesday to see you. I can't wait for her to be here so she can see you. I love you Nicholai.

Love, your dad