Tober Baby

January 27th: Who's baby is this?

Several people have noted that Blakely looks a lot like my brother Ryan when he was a baby. When I was born and when Ryan was born my Grandmother Mimi (my dad's mom) thought that we looked just like my dad when he was a baby. The truth is that the Tober genes are pretty strong. Almost ALL Tober babies look the same. If you line up my dad's baby picture along side mine and my brothers, they are pretty much identical. And now... there is Blakely!!

The likeness is kind of crazy. My mom even had a deja vu moment when she saw Ryan holding Blakely, because it looked just like my dad holding me 29 years ago! Just for fun my mom had my dad bring my baby book down.... and it is kind of crazy. I opened to the first page, and I was like "That is my baby!" I scanned some of the pictures, and I will let y'all decide for yourselves.

Blakely's birth announcement photos are taken with this same crocheted blanket. My Aunt Shirley made this blanket for me 29 years ago!! Crazy how good it still looks.

 Is this me and my dad??? Or is it Ryan and Blakely?

This one looks just like Blakely in the hospital. So crazy!!

Not only does this look just like Blakely, but I have seen Blakely make this exact same facial expression!

I have never seen baby pictures of Richard, so I can't say that she doesn't look like Richard. My mom thinks her jawline looks like Richard's, which is CRAZY because she has never seen Rich without a beard! Ha! Maybe I'll get some baby pictures of Richard from my mother-in-law so we can truly compare.... but for right now Blakely is definitely a Tober Baby!! Without a doubt!

Week 3 Picture

January 24th: Happy 3 Week Birthday, Blakely!!

Today, Blakely is 3 weeks old! I cannot believe how much my girl has grown!! She is getting big so quickly. She is gaining weight beautifully, she is more alert and her head control is unbelievable for her age. I am just amazed by her everyday.

Statistics: 8 pounds, 9 ounces (that is a gain of 11 ounces in a week!!)
Highlights from the week:
-her first bath
-slept for 6 hours straight (yeah for Mommy and Daddy)
-2nd Doctors appointment, surpassed birth weight

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub

January 21st: Blakely's Very First Bath

Last night, Blakely's umbilical cord finally fell off!! Hurray! First, this is a good thing because it was just ugly and gross, but more importantly, it means that she can FINALLY take her first bath. Do not be confused into thinking that I have left her "stinky" for 18 days... she has gotten baby wipe baths and spot cleanings. This just means that she can have her first real bath in the sink!

Look at this sweet girl looking at her Mama! So trusting...

Richard and I had never bathed a baby before, and it was kind of intimidating. You are taking your most precious possession and making it extremely slippery. We were a little nervous, so we called in some baby-back-up... the GiGi!! She helped us gather all the supplies, determine water temperature (use you elbow...who knew?) and then talked us through the process. Thank you Gigi!! Blakely would still be stinky if you hadn't come to the rescue!!

 Blakely absolutely loved her bath! As soon as the water started going, she started trying to lick it up. She was licking her lips and hands. It was all we could do to keep her from trying to lick up the soap too! It claims "no more tears," but what about indigestion? Ha!

Richard and I washing her in the Puj tub. This is such a great idea. It is a foam tub that fits in the sink, but also folds flat so you can store it on the back of a door hook. The foam is great too because it was nice and soft and held her in a great position for the bath. Mommy and Daddy look like they are having too much fun!

This is such a funny face!! So cute!! 

Immediately after her bath, we swaddled her up in her lamby towel and dried her off. She was so slippery!! Thankfully, she didn't get too cold, because I turned the house temperature up to 74 degrees. What a cuddly baby.

I absolutely adore this picture. So precious. 

After her bath, Blakely was very relaxed and sleepy. She loved her bath as much as her Mommy does. Blakely took a nice, long nap after her bath. Will have to remember that the next time she is fussy before bedtime! Yeah for being clean!!

Week 2 Photo

January 17th: Happy Birthday Uncle Ryan!!

So today is Uncle Ryan's actual birthday, but it is also Blakely's 2 week Birthday!! YEAH!! What a great day for the people that we love. This past week has been magical! Richard has been home on Paternity Leave, and we have gotten Blakely on a pretty decent schedule. We have had several moments this past week (especially while Blakely is peacefully sleeping), that Rich and I will just look at each other and say "How did we get this blessed??" or "I don't think it is possible to be happier!" I know there will be hard days ahead, and she won't always be a perfect little angel... but Man! We are so, so blessed! Thank you Jesus for this sweet girl!!

Statistics: 7 pounds 14 ounces (gain of 14 ounces in 1 week!!)
Highlights from the week:
-More walks (weather still in the 70s)
-First trip to Costco
-First Doctor's Appointment
-Smiling more... some for gas, some more specific for Mommy and Daddy's voice

Doctor Barbara

January 9th: Blakely's First Doctors Appointment

The Monday after we got home, we took Blakely to Summerville to see Dr. Barbara for her very first appointment. Barbara is one of my very bestest friends from medical school and residency, which just made this appointment even more special. This was also Richard and I's very first trip out with Blakely since we had brought her home. I had no idea how complicated it could be to coordinate getting myself and a baby out the door. I thought I had planned for plenty of time to get ready, but somehow we still managed to run a little late. Oops!

Immediately when we got in a room, they wanted us to undress Blakely down to her diaper. She loves to be naked, so she immediately like being at Oakbrook Peds. Here she is hanging out with her Daddy as we wait for the nurse to come back and get her vitals.

Next, they weighed her on the scale. She weighed 7 pounds even (which was up 4 ounces from her discharge weight), and she was 21.5 inches long (she had grown a whole inch in 1 week!!). Blakely did not like the scale, and immediately peed everywhere... which prompted us to weigh her with her diaper on! HA!

Blakely did not mind her exam, until Barbara had to check her hips. She is not a fan of Barlow or Ortolani! However, she is a fan of her Dr. Barbara!! Barbara and I trained together in residency and medical school. We have also been in Sunday School and Bible Study together since I was a First Year. It is so awesome for Blakely to have a pediatrician who is not just well trained, but a believer too!! How many pediatricians do you know that would pray for your child?

Blakely and Dr. Barbara. Blakely's pediatrician is getting married in 3 weeks, so we didn't know if we should call her Dr. Miller, Dr. Barbara or Dr. Leverett...? We opted to go with Dr. Barbara, since that name for sure will not be changing. Either way... Blakely loves Dr. Babs!! :)

Overall, her first doctor's visit was a success!! She had gained weight and her exam was perfect.... but we already knew she was perfect!! Yeah for Blakely!!

My First Walk

December 8th: Heat Wave

The week we brought Blakely home from the hospital was unseasonably warm!! Most days that first week were in the 60-70s, which allowed us to take the BOB out for our first stroll. What strange weather for January!

Initially, I might have over bundled Blakely for a walk in the 70s and sunshine! She is so bundled that she can't even bend her arms!! I immediately had to take some layers off so she wouldn't over heat.

Notice that Richard is comfortably wearing short sleeves for this walk.

Blakely absolutely loves to go for walks! Within 5-10 feet from the front door, she immediately falls asleep.... without fail. Thankfully, the weather has continued to be beautiful, and we have been able to go for a walk almost every single day. Hopefully, all the walks will also help Blakely's Mommy get back in shape!! ;)

Week 1 Photo

January 10th: Happy 1 Week Birthday, Blakely!!

Blakely is 1 week old today!! During my pregnancy I catalogued my growth in monthly pictures,  but now we have something way cuter to watch grow!! Pictures will include current statistics and a highlight of the week's events. So.... watch me as I grow!!

Stats: 7 pounds 0 ounces, 20.5 inches
Highlights from the week:
- Came home from the hospital
- Went for our first walk (it was unseasonably warm- in the 70s in January)
- Went to Publix for the first time....Grandpop is so proud!

Homecoming

January 6th: Bringing Home Baby...

After 5 long days in the hospital, it was finally time to come home!! After days of nurses taking her vital signs every couple of hours, doctors examining her once a day, and security alarms going off if she got even a little too close to the door.... they were just going to let us roll out the door with her! No instructions, no lessons, no rules. This was OUR baby, and they were going to let us take her home.... to OUR house! It was just too crazy!!

Blakely dressed up in her "Take Me Home" Kissy Kissy outfit! Such a cute baby!!

 They insisted I be taken to the car in a wheelchair. I could not believe they were letting us take this precious little bundle home with us!!

Daddy working hard to snap Blakely in her car seat. It seemed simple when we read the instructions, but then when you have this very precious cargo it becomes extremely important to make sure you do it right.

 Our Family headed home together for the first time!!

Cutest thing in a car seat ever! I absolutely love this car seat that we ordered off of Etsy! She just looks so adorable and girly in it!

In early December, my mom looked in to renting a stork for the yard, but it was kind of expensive.... so we decided to see if we could make our own. This is the end result.... "Tobey!" I think we did a pretty good job, and now we can re-use him for all the rest of the Tober Grandbabies!! :)

Since we got Max 2 1/2 years ago, I have wondered how he would do with a baby. When we first got home, Max had missed Rich and I so much he didn't even notice the baby... he just wanted to be held. Then.... he noticed the "new arrival." He seemed interested at first, but as soon as she started crying he made a run for it. They currently continue to pretend as if the other doesn't exist, but I know they are secretly best friends!! ;)

Welcome Home Baby Girl!!

Hospital Days

January 3rd-6th: Our Hospital Stay

The next couple of days were magical and surreal. We spent our first days as a family getting to know each other and visiting with friends and family. Blakely is perfect in every way. She has 10 fingers and 10 toes. She has a shock of dark brown hair, and eyes that changed colors every day. Today, they are currently a dark blue with some gray undertones. Everyone loved Blakely immediately!! She is a sweet baby and easy to love.

Gigi and Aunt Alyssa had been working on a "special project" for the whole month of December, and once they got us in a room it was revealed. They had made this adorable door announcement for the hospital. It was so cute that other patients wanted to know where they could buy one! Way to go Gigi and Aunt Alyssa!!

Gigi was one of the first people to get to hold Blakely! She was extremely excited and cried when she held her for the first time. Gigi had been going crazy waiting for Blakely to arrive.

Blakely was under major security detail. We all had to wear multiple identifiers and she had a security bracelet on that went off if we took her too close to the door.

PopPop holding her for the first time in the hospital. Odd, but they kind of match.

Hanging out with Daddy in our hospital room. She is a very alert baby, and loves to look around.

On our last night in the hospital, they served us a steak dinner to celebrate the birth of our baby! Surprisingly it was really good for hospital food. Yum!

 This cute little hat was given to her by her Uncle Ryan and Aunt LuLu. All the nurses thought she was quite the little diva in this hat. The crocheted blanket is also very special. My Aunt Shirley made it for me 29 years ago when I was a baby, and now Blakely gets to use it too. It is just as beautiful today as it was then.

East Cooper was an awesome hospital, and we had an amazing delivery experience. Thank you to all the wonderful doctors and nurses that helped take care of me and Blakely! Ya'll are awesome!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

January 2nd-3rd: Induction Day

I cannot believe it came down to this. I was certain (and I am sure most people who worked with me were too) that I would deliver early. Even my OB was sure we would labor before New Years. The whole month of December I was convinced that it could be any moment. And then Christmas came and went, and then New Years came and went.... and then it was induction day! Unbelievable.

We were scheduled to be admitted to the hospital on Monday night to start the induction, which made Monday day the longest day ever!! I was a wreck. I oscillated between elation and fear. I kept telling Richard, "This is the last time we will do _____ without baby here!" "We are going to leave here today, and come back with a baby!" Basically, I was an emotional mess.

We were finally admitted to hospital Monday night, but not much happened until the next morning. Tuesday morning they broke my water and started the induction. They immediately noticed that Blakely was not tolerating the contractions well, and was having "late decels." This was concerning for the umbilical cord being around her neck! This made things kind of scary for a while. They attempted to have me labor on my right side, but after about 12 hours of labor they decided to move forward with cesarean section to be on the safe side.

After they decided to section me, everything started moving really quickly. Within 10 minutes of making the decision, they had us moved back to the OR. Because of my rotation in OB/GYN during medical school, I have been in the OR for C-sections many times. However, it is such a strange feeling to be on the other side of the drape. Richard held my hand, and within 5 minutes they had Blakely out and we heard her first cry!!

Perfect! 10 Fingers and 10 Toes!

What an amazing moment!! How do I even express what that moment was like? All the fears and concerns regarding her health, the delivery were gone... she cried immediately! She was here, and she was healthy! I couldn't see her yet, but I could hear her. Rich got to go and see her first, and he got to tell me how perfect she was!!

I love this first picture of our girl! I feel like she is saying, "why did you get me out?" So cute! 

Blakely's first picture with her Daddy! Rich was so excited....he even got a little misty! Love you both so much!!

After they had examined her and made sure she was okay, they let me see her for the first time! Because of the surgery and epidural, I couldn't move so they had to bring her to me. I couldn't even hold her yet! I got to kiss her and see her little face, and I was totally overwhelmed. She was beautiful, she was perfect and she was ours! I couldn't believe it. I cried with joy, kissed her, kissed Rich.... and then she was gone again to get cleaned up.

The world's most beautiful baby!

While we were in the OR, our families were anxiously awaiting Blakely's arrival in the waiting room. Ms, AnnMarie and my mom paced from one side to the other over and over again. Finally, Ms. AnnMarie gave out a shout that she could see Blakely through a tiny window as they moved her down the hall. Pandemonium ensued! Everyone ran to the door, elbowing each other to get a good view. Nursing thought they were hysterical.... kind of like a human totem pole! HA! There were just too many people who loved Blakely!

This is the first picture that Aunt Alyssa was able to take with her phone. This picture was immediately sent out to everyone we know. Yeah for a healthy baby!!

It took them about 15 minutes to finish everything in the OR, and then they took me to the recovery room and let me hold Blakely for the first time. After all the craziness of the day, it was strange to get 30 minutes alone to quietly hold Blakely. She ate for the first time, and I marveled at the miracle that was our baby girl. This was the sweetest of moments, and a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life.

One of my very first pictures with my girl. I am a little overwhelmed in this picture.

Our First Family Picture in the Recovery Room. These are two proud parents!! We love you, Blakely-Bear! We are so excited to get to be your Mommy and Daddy!!

Thank you Lord Jesus for a safe delivery for me and Blakely! We cannot thank you enough for this most precious gift!

Beautiful Baby

January 5th: Blakely's Newborn Photo Shoot

I promise to write more shortly on Blakely's birth, hospital stay and homecoming... but I have been a little busy recently (Ha, ha). So far being a new mom is harder than I could have imagines; it is also better than I could have hoped or dreamed. That being said,  I find I am far less verbose these days. Hopefully, I will find my stride and start writing again, but until then I'll let you sneak a peek at my little bundle. After all, a picture says a thousand words.

On Blakely's second day of life Bella Baby Photography came and took pictures of her in the hospital. I KNOW she is the world's most beautiful baby, but I'll let you decide for yourself.

 

 

Happy Anniversary Mama and Daddy Tober!!!!

Hope you don't mind, but we got you a grandbaby for your anniversary. Can PopPop say "filler up"?