For the first few days after Dahlia was born, we had two friends over from Seattle – Kris and her daughter Kim. They were the MVPs of Dahlia’s first 10 days of life. They provided us with words of wisdom, nourishment and support while we got rest, and encouragement when spirits were low. When they left, my parents and my sister visited us to see the new baby. My family was very surprised at how efficient our baby handling operations had become!

As we get a break from visitors, we have been reflecting on the lessons we have learned in the first two weeks. We don’t need to feel isolated as new parents. We’ve been able to go out for walks, enjoy some meals at restaurants, and attend many doctors visits without stressing out. This weekend, Dahlia will take her first flight to Michigan where she will see Megan’s parents. While I am stressed about the trip, I’m recognizing that I am stressed out about any new experience for Dahlia. . day-trips Fortunately, Megan provides me with a reality check on my anxiety.

Dahlia is currently 8lbs 5 ounces and 21 inches tall; this is 7 ounces and 2.5 inches more than where she was when she was born. She just graduated from the lactation clinic as an expert milk drinker! As a team we are getting at least 6 hours of sleep a night which is helping us stay happy and healthy.

Some of the highlights from this period (other than the visitors): Dahlia’s first bath, realizing that Dahlia’s little digestive system doesn’t take a nap when you change her diapers, getting her footprint and handprint as a keepsake, and the strange question about what to do with a baby’s umbilical cord when it falls off.

Our professional photographs are in! These were taken at Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, FL.  We worked with a skilled photographer who captured the wonders of this big milestone for our family.

Before Dahlia was born, one of our big concerns was how Silly Goose, our 8 year old cat, would take to the new family member.  The first day, Goose stayed far away from all of us and isolated himself on our tiny patio.  The next day, he joined us in bed but stayed awake for all our hijinks.  Afterwards, he was as exhausted as we were. .  Last night, he got back into his normal spot above my pillow and even gave us his normal 5:15AM “get out of bed” alarm. .  We think Dahlia and Goose will be good friends!

Enjoy the photos!  In the next post, we plan on discussing the importance of friends and family during this special time.

Hi!

I once said that the tattoo on the back of my arm was the male version of childbirth in terms of pain and endurance. Now that we’ve experienced childbirth, I would like to personally apologize to every female on the planet for underestimating this miracle.

Dahlia Jean is here! After 10 hours of labor when my wife was induced on August 10, our baby was born at 5:41 PM Eastern at a weight of 7lbs 14 ounces. She is a beautiful, healthy, and vivacious baby girl. Megan and I are in love. I think she has my eyes and my hair. Fortunately, she gets everything else from her gorgeous mom. I suspect that everything in my life prior to August 10 (pre-DJ) will no longer be as memorable as all the events that occur after.

Right now, our lives revolve around Dahlia’s needs. We use an app called Baby Tracker to record her every action – you’d be surprised at how much hard work that is even for a newborn that can only eat, sleep, and poop at this point – and it might as well account for all of our activities too. Even when I’m away from the little one, I can’t stop thinking about her. Physically, getting enough sleep is a huge struggle!

Megan has many additional challenges to deal with. Her body went through tremendous changes during pregnancy and childbirth takes a huge toll on the body. I’m glad I can be here to help during the minimum recovery time of six weeks while we learn how to take care of our precious new DJ.

I’m taking one month off from work for “baby bonding time” using FMLA (America’s 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act); it will only scratch the surface of how much time we truly need for a good foundation for Dahlia’s care. Reading about all the companies and countries that are doubling their current alottments (Netflix has switched to an unlimited allowed leave), I’m glad that there are changes coming when it comes to parental leave. There are tremendous benefits to being able to safely transition into the immense challenges of raising a child. No one should have to do it alone and unsupported.

Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes 10,000 hours to become world class at a skill. If this first week is any measuring stick, Megan and I will soon become masters of the swaddle, breastfeeding, and diapers. . Having friends visit during this time is awesome. Special thanks to Kris and Kim for helping out! We’re looking forward to getting help from our families as well.

Enjoy our photos from these first few days! A photographer took professional photos of us while we were in the hospital; I will upload them as soon as possible.

Hi!

It has been five years since we last spoke.  Since then, I have gotten married and we have moved to Cape Canaveral, Florida.

But that’s not what this post is about.  Megan and I (from here on out, referred to as “we”) are expecting Dahlia Jean Koorse in the next few hours.  She is named after our favorite flower and the middle name is for Megan’s grandmother who is our role model. We are anxiously awaiting her arrival.

While we wait, I’ve been reviewing how we want to communicate with our friends and family about her.  Given that I’ve paid for this domain for years without using it effectively, it is a great tool for this.  We will provide at least one update a month about our progress as well as any important pictures or videos.

I’m surprised at how much I think about my mom and dad at this moment.  As I think about what it means to become a parent, I realize that all my concepts of being a good parent come from them.  They were amazing!  I think that the next few years will be an incredible opportunity to learn more about their strategies and show them how much I appreciate what they did in providing us with clear rules, stability, and optimism.

I would also like to thank Mark and Erin – my friends from the Peace Corps – who created an amazing blog to write stories about their son, Chance.  Although I have not spent much time with them since Chance was born, I feel like I’ve been with them on the journey.  Their blog has inspired the direction for this site.

I’ve included some pictures of the past nine months to show how far we’ve come.

Love, Rohm-Koorse Family