The first weeks at home

I'm back!! Shiloh is a week and a half old already!! The week has just flown by and has been filled with countless visitors, countless feedings and countless moments of joy. (Notice I didn't mention anything about countless hours of sleep...I think we can count those!). Shiloh is such a blessing.

First of all, thank you all for your prayers and for all the great posts on our guestbook. They are so fun to read!

I see that Chris has been doing a great job of updating pictures and narrating the events. (We will be adding a link soon to a new picture page since we've about filled this website up!) I really don't have much to add to the birth story. Chris was an amazing coach, I never could have done it without him! He also had some important jobs he failed to mention. It was Dad's job to cut the cord and announce the sex. He of course did great with both tasks, although we were both very surprised that our baby was a girl! We were so pleased with the care of our midwife during and after delivery. It was definitely an intense experience! The most difficult part for me has been the postpartum recovery. Each day I'm feeling better, though.

Shiloh was welcomed at church on Sunday with a huge cheer. It was so strange to walk to church last week pregnant and this week holding a baby!

We had Shiloh's 1 week check Monday with Dr. Kontos. She is gaining weight and looking very healthy.

Breastfeeding has been a challenge but we're getting used to each other and learning together. I have great support from the lactation consultants at Allen and went to a support group on Friday there as well. It's such a miracle that I can make what she needs! I'm still at the point that I get excited for diaper changes because it means that all of our hard work is paying off and she is getting the nourishment she needs!

The worst thing in life for Shiloh has been getting those diaper changes and even more so changing clothes or getting a sponge bath. She just screams and screams and gets so upset! But it seems as if she might be accepting the fact that these things are going to happen on a fairly regular basis and the diaper/dirty outfit change in the middle of the night last night was quite uneventful. We started her on cloth diapers this week and absolutely love using them! Shiloh seems to respond much better to the soft diapers and she also tells us sooner that she needs a diaper change!

I often have moments of just looking at Shiloh and wondering how she started out so small, grew inside of me, and then managed to come out. It is the most incredible thing I have ever experienced. I love her facial expressions and could (and do) watch her for hours. She is so amazingly beautiful!

I want to hang on to these moments forever, keeping her so small and precious. But then I get a smile from her and get so excited for the day when it's a real smile and not just a reflex. Just yesterday Shiloh started focusing on someone's eyes intently-I love it! I'm excited to see what she'll look like and who she will be. We're both so excited to teach her and grow with her and read lots and lots of books to her!

More soon!

Daddy entry #2 (still from the hospital)

've been thinking that I didn't give all the information I could have about the day yesterday and figured those of you who are checking the site as we keep adding pictures might appreciate a bit more info as well :)

For those of you who are coming here for the first time, see our last journal entry as we welcomed Shiloh into the world. Also, if you hadn't noticed, please view our photo album (click on the thumbnail below) to see some great shots of Shiloh.

So, back to the update....
Yesterday was a crazy ride! Erin started having a few "serious" contractions Sunday night (Erin was so hungry, but Dad was trying to make sure she took it easy and slept well so she got toast instead of pizza). "Real labor" started around midnight and Erin tried to sleep through what she could. I knew by 3am that we were starting the real thing and by 6 Erin was sure and called her work to let them know she wouldn't be in. We labored for a while at home, keeping track of length and frequency of contractions, practicing our Bradley-style relaxation and coaching and by 10:30 Erin knew we needed to get to the hospital, so I stepped on the gas and we made it pretty quick. After we were finally admitted (we were a bit miffed about how we had done everything to "pre-register" and it still seemed to take forever to get us in) Erin was already dilated to a 7 or 8 and by 12:42 Erin pushed Shiloh into what is going to be an exciting and blessed life. Erin was a champ in the whole thing. She was able to stay relaxed and respond to my coaching throughout the whole labor, she was in tune with the baby and listened and adjusted to the midwife and the nursing staff and gave birth with no medication or intervention. She was able to walk and get in to the tub soon afterwards and we're expecting a speedy recovery. We definitely recommend the Bradley Method and if anyone's looking for instructors, we fully endorse ours and can give more information for any interested parties :)

After things settled down last night, Shiloh got some good rest and we finally got a little time to sleep. She's nursing pretty well and seems very mellow. So add that to being a gorgeous little gal and you've got about the most perfect little daughter I could imagine.

Our whole experience-pregnancy, labor, hospital, delivery, and everything else has gone so well. We couldn't have hoped for a better delivery experience. Thanks again for all of your support and prayers. Hope you can all meet Shiloh soon!

We Welcome A Perfect Little Girl Into The World!!

Well, this is the first official daddy entry and I'm overjoyed to be able to make it. Today at 12:42pm Erin gave birth to Shiloh Elizabeth Tripolino. Shiloh weighs 7lb, 11.4oz and is 20.5 inches long. She was rated a 10 for her color, etc (a perfect score!) and has been nursing well, and crying and is just so sweet and soft and beautiful. We are overjoyed and will be excited to share more pictures and video and hugs and armfuls of this bundle of Joy. Shiloh Elizabeth means "gift of God consecrated to God." That is what she is-a true and abundant blessing. We'll keep you all posted. Thanks so much for your prayers and for all that you've done to take care of the Tripolino family.

Gratefully,
Chris, Erin, and Shiloh