Thank you all for the wonderful messages! I’ve read many of them to my wife and my mother. My mother is so impressed with everyone and with the number of people who have so kindly taken the time to post.
I was too excited to sleep much last night. I finally went to bed about 4, and got up a few hours later. Silly me, since Anya will be helping me do this soon enough, but I’ll catch up tonight.
My wife is doing remarkably well. She was able to get up and walk around a little today.
Anya loves to drink! Reading baby books, and listening to our resident professional nursery nurse (Mom), many babies have troubles learning to breast feed, but not our little angel. That’s one concept she’s completely clear about. Latch on and suck!
Anya continues to exercise her healthy lungs. You watch a ripple spread across her face until it explodes into a wail. Only a day and a bit old and she already lets us know when she’s not happy. There will be no missing her in the dark.
I’ve held screaming babies before, sometimes getting them to stop, and sometimes passing them off to the parent. Today, for the first time ever, I was the parent of the screaming baby. Now we get to try to figure this little one out. Is she wet? Hungry? Tired? There is no instruction book and no OFF switch. Yes, I’ve done this before, but this time it’s my child.
I’m back to work tomorrow, but I’ll rush off to see her and my wife when I’m done. This is what we waited for.
Once again, Tokyo Player, your words are being read through something of a dust storm here. Makes it hard to keep them clear on the screen when my eyes keep tearing up because of all the dust.
I’m so happy to hear all these lovely details of Anya’s first days, and you and your wife’s happiness.
Yeah, weird, huh? This hit me hard with my first child.
I was the youngest in a family of five girls. My oldest sister is 13 years my senior. Therefore, by the time I had a baby at age 25, I had held, fed, bathed, diapered, burped, rocked, etc. Many, many times. Therefore, when I was pregnant, I thought, “Well, at least I know how to take care of a baby”. But geez! It’s soooooo different when it’s your baby, and you don’t have the option of handing it back when you can’t figure out what’s wrong! :eek:
It’s exciting, though, for sure.
That same baby I talked about in my first paragraph is 21 now. Her younger sister is 17. I was reading them your post on the previous page last night, and we were all sitting around the dining room table crying! All of us are so excited for you and your family. You’re going to be a great father!
I have something else I’d like to pass along to you, from one recent dad to another. It came from one throwaway line in a bad movie I was watching, but when I realized what was said and how it applied to me, the long view of fatherhood really hit me. Ready? Here it is:
Along with the entire Doper world, I’ve been watching and waiting for this, and then I missed the whole thing yesterday being too busy at work. Thank you Tokyo Player for this awesome reminder of just how rich this life is. Your little girl is beautiful and the joy in your family just radiates. Congratulations!
So I just spent 20 minutes of my lunch break sobbing here. I was having the worst day and it just completely turned around when I saw that thread title there. I just e-mailed my husband to tell him the wonderful news–yeah, he knows how the suspense has been killing us all.
Tokyo I have always considered you my kindred spirit in another land. I never forget what you’ve been through and what it took to get to this perfect moment in time. You are so sensitive and so eloquent that it is hard not to feel like we are living this experience with you.
This is what life is all about. It’s about creating your own reality and building a loving family and orchestrating joy where there was none before. You and your family deserve every second of this happiness.
Also I think you should save this thread to share with your daughter someday.
And Mama looks beautiful! And Anya… what a beautiful name, what a beautiful face.
cries I know you don’t know me but I have been following all of this seeing as I’m norinew’s oldest daughter. I think Anya is one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen.
(bolding mine) olivemarch4th, that may be one of the most mind-expanding things I’ve read all year. “Orchestrating joy where there was none before.” What a perfect expression of something to align oneself towards.
I don’t have internet at home for two weeks and look what I miss! That’s great news, and Anya is a beautiful name. (RE: emergency C-section babies & mommies: my little brother was delivered the same way, after a long labor–12 years ago, and both he and my mom were–and are–great. These things are very matter of fact now. My mom highly recommends big ugly control-top panties for Mrs. Tokyo Player.)
I have read the heartbreak. I have held my breath in expectation. Now I cry tears of pure happiness. It was way better than Cats!
Welcome Anya! A Thousand Welcomes!!! And some Frajous Joy!
I was secretly hoping Beta Chan would called Betty Chan.
My coworker with the baby (he’s actually three, not four months – oops!) says Mrs. Player looks disgustingly good for just having had a baby – and she sends her congratulations.
