Introducing Emma Elise Timmerman

Emma Elise Timmerman is finally here!

Emma arrived early this past Saturday morning, April 16th at 12:48 a.m. She weighed in at 7 pounds 8 ounces and measured 20.5 inches long. She has very long and slender hands and feet, black hair like me, and Will's nose. Her eyes are still a milky dark blue, so only time knows what color they will be as of yet. I will let the below pictures help describe our little girl's arrival.

This past Friday morning I went into the hospital for a non-stress test because I hadn't felt little Emma move in over 12 hours. After everything checked out okay with Emma, the nurses called my doctor and discussed what to do next. For some reason I was no longer able to feel her moving, but the monitors revealed that she was still wiggling around just fine. I felt I was between two difficult choices - to leave the hospital still unable to feel Emma moving and continue to go out of my mind with worry and sleeplessness, or to stay and have them induce me. After discussing in length with Will, the nurses and doctor, we decided to be induced. I would have preferred to have Emma come naturally, but given my past history, I was no longer able to give Emma a calm environment with all of my worry. So three days past her due date I was hooked up to pitocin and praying that we had made the right decision. Twelve hours later when I heard her first cry and got to hold her in my arms and cover her in kisses I knew that we had. Oh, the sweet joy and bliss to finally have Emma safe in our arms! I felt like we had waited forever for her, and finally she was here. It was a moment I will never forget for as long as I live.

Here Emma is below, getting her hair combed after her first bath. Will is very proud of the fact that she has hair to be combed, and that it is the same color as my hair.Here Emma is sucking on her hands, which she has been doing since the moment she was born. The nurses told me this is good and bad - good, because it means that Emma has already found a way to self-soothe while in utero, but bad because sucking on hands is a lot harder habit to break than tossing a pacifier. I will focus on the fact that my daughter is a self-soother.Emma was very alert right after her birth, and gazed into my eyes like she has known me for eternity. It is amazing how even though I met Emma for the first time face to face, I already knew and loved so much about her. The below picture I will title: Proud Parents. Need I say more?

Proud Papa.

Proud and loving big sister.

Proud daddy with his girls.
The day we were discharged from the hospital, the kitchen sent up a Happy Birthday cupcake to celebrate Emma. The timing couldn't have been better. Lucy had just arrived to bring her Mama and baby sister home so it was a perfect way to celebrate our new little family together and made for a great memory.

Here are our two girls, going home to make our dream home even more of a dream come true. As we turned onto our street, Lucy reached over to her baby sister and told her the name of our street. Good to know, big sister, good to know.