Getting to Utah

The first part of April was pretty much the same as the last part of March. We went about our business as usual, trying to get used to living together. Sam was a great baby, rarely crying for anything, although he did have a voracious appetite and seemed to eat all of the time. Around the 10th we began to prepare for a trip home. I had training in Oklahoma from the 17th to the 27th, so Laura and Sam would venture to Utah and family alone. I would join them when my training was complete.

The logistics of getting Sam to Utah were incredible. Normally we like to travel light, but we no longer had this luxury. With my flight gear, a stroller, car seat, boppy, and clothing/toys to last a month on the road, we had three rolling suitcases and a duffel bag filled to the brim, a carry on for each of us, oh, and a baby.

We drove to Philadelphia airport on the 16th. Mommy was smart and suggested we leave at 4:00 in the morning for a 7:00 flight, and how lucky we were for her guidance. That day, mother nature decided to play with us. The weather had been mellow before the 16th, in the high 70's for most of the previous weeks. Then, when we need to be somewhere, Murphy strikes. It snowed pretty hard that morning, slightly delaying us getting to the airport. I dropped mommy and Sam off at curbside and made sure they were checked in and taken care of (not realizing I wouldn't see them again until Utah, see below). The plan was to meet at security so I could help with Sam and his gear. Did I mention what a pain it is to fly out of Philly? By the time I got to parking and on a shuttle, I was sure I would miss my flight. I called Laura with the bad news, so she ended up taking Sam through security on her own. Luckily there were a couple of true gentlemen around her and they were able to fill in for me. I got to the security line at 6:00, miraculously an hour prior to my flight. Of course, it was a long line, and adding to the pain there were tons of high school kids going on senior trips. By the time I made it through security I had a few seconds to get a quick bite for breakfast before boarding. But luckily we all made it.

Our flights were mostly uneventful except for de-icing. Laura ended up waiting behind a dozen or so airplanes to de-ice, so she ended up taking off 2 1/2 hours late. The flight itself was fine, Sam did very well for being only 5 weeks and 2 days. He slept well, and only fussed a little bit. By the end of the day Laura and Sam were safe in Utah, with Ashley and Grandma Bean meeting them at the airport. Dan was in Oklahoma City, already missing his little boy.

I'm Home

Sam made it home on March 10th 2007. We brought him home to a house that had been taken care of by both grandmothers, so we were in very good hands. In fact, we had a ton of help from them for the remainder of the month. We could not have done it without them, so thank you very much! Grandma Bean was the cooking expert, while Grandma Stromberg helped keep us clean. They were a pretty potent team, enabling us to make it through the sleepless nights.

Once we brought Sam home we had a chance to show him off. We had both Grandpa Bean and Stromberg visit for a few days, and Tom, Alysha, Luke, and Lisa came down from New York as well. Later in the month our best friends Rick and Leah flew in from Charleston while many other friends, the missionaries, and a few other great people stopped by to say hi. We never had so many guests! By the end of the month everyone was gone, and ready or not, it was time for us alone to care for this little guy.

He's Here!

Well, so much for being prompt. I was always taught if you are not 10 minutes early you are late. So we are really late-but only by about three months. So this is the catch up phase for the family. Here is a quick summary of Sam's Birth.

March 8th 2007. The day started like any other. I went to work to give an evaluation to two pilots while Laura stayed home with the two Grandmas. On my way home I was informed that Laura's feet had swollen to such an extent that the threesome went to the Doctor to get her checked. Fortunately it was not Toxemia, however she was ordered to stay off of her feet for the rest of her pregnancy. As soon as I got home we built her a nice little nest on the couch, fit with blankets, food, water, and the remote. Once she was settled I took Grandma Stromberg to the store to get a couple of things, at which point the fun started. We were looking at counter tops in Lowe's when I received a call from Grandma Bean. The calm in her voice belied the fact that my wife's water just broke and that the baby was on the way at any time. I envisioned getting home and promptly catching a slimy baby in my mitt and smacking his backside like in the movies. I quickly dropped everything and practically ran to the car, taking care not to leave Grandma S in the dust. Racing home, she had to remind me it would be better to get there alive and that I should slow down (standard complaint in this house).

We arrived at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly New Jersey by 2:30. By 4 (ish) Laura was having minor contractions, and by 6:30 she was ready for drugs. We had discussed the natural method before, but why suffer when you can do it painlessly? Pushing in earnest began at 9:33 and Sam arrived at 10:08. The four of us in the hospital room had a bet on size/time. Below is copied from the paper towel it was written on. I brought home the money for time, Carol for weight. Pretty good guesses if you ask me.

Carol: 7 lbs 15 oz, 9:47
Laurel 7 lbs 2 oz, 9:25
Laura 7 lbs 13 oz, 9:26
Dan 7 lbs 9 oz, 10:07

What a kid--he was perfect from the get go, from his red hair to his 10 toes. Of course we are super biased, but we think he is the cutest kid in the world. We know every parent thinks theirs is cutest, but that is how it should be! Laura was so strong throughout the entire process. She never yelled, never cried, just pushed with a quiet resolve. As you can see by the pictures above, she still looks as beautiful as ever even after birth. After I almost fainted, counted fingers and toes, and cut the umbilical chord, Sam was weighed and poked and prodded for a couple of hours while Laura was tended to by our awesome doctor. Finally, around 1 am we were escorted to the recovery room, dad, mom, and baby in arms. The grandmas went home while we spent the night in the hospital. What a tremendous experience!

People said right from the beginning that he looked like his daddy. Here is an early picture of me from the hospital. You be the judge.