Welcome Little Girl

Karis Nicole Cherese

November 27th, 2007; 2:41 PM

8 pounds, 1 ounce

20 inches

We were blessed the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and welcomed our third child, and our first daughter, Karis, to our family. I went to see my doctor on the 26th, and asked if we could maybe induce, since it was my 39th week. He said, "Sure, how about tomorrow?"

You know, you can think you are as ready as you possibly can be and then your doctor says, "How about tomorrow?" and you think, "Wait...I'm not ready!"

And then you stand up and your body tells you that you are oh so ready.

So I got induced and things were going along great until there was an emergency C-section at the same time as I was ok'd to get my epidural. So we wait for an hour and a half. No problem. We wait for a while, and then I get my epidural and all things are great once again, except that my doctor is now in a meeting and wouldn't be back to see me for another hour or so. Finally my doctor is able to see me and we crank up the contraction drugs. Not thirty minutes later, Karis is born.

Yes, I know - I am blessed as the longest I have spent actually pushing any of my three children was thirty minutes. I think Karis, once we started pushing, took ten minutes, if that.

Karis, Mom, and Big Brothers Chase and Ryan

Ryan was thrilled from the first second with little sister and held her four of five times within the first half-hour. Chase, on the other hand, could not figure out what I was holding or why it was taking up his spot on my lap. He got even more upset once he figured out we had brought her home with us.

What were we thinking anyways?

Karis and Dad at the Hospital

Karis is a wonderful baby. She eats well, seems to be very content, and has hair! Yes, I had a baby with hair. I didn't believe it either. As she was crowning, I even asked the doctor, "Is that hair?!?!?" So far, at three weeks, she hasn't lost it yet so I keep hoping she'll keep it like Angela's two boys.

Karis gained over a pound in her first two weeks, weighing in at 9 lbs, 3 oz at her two week appointment, and yesterday she went back to the doctor (since she has a cold - poor little girl) and she gained almost another pound in just one week: 10 lbs, 1 oz as of yesterday.

Daddy wants to nickname her Rowdy, but I have a feeling her nickname is going to be Little

Girl. Ryan is partial to Stinky when she needs a diaper change. Let's hope that one doesn't stick.

Overall, we have many things to be thankful for and we feel very blessed.