For the first time in more than a week, I am alone with my little family. My mom has gone home, the bris is done, and my in-laws have retreated to their hotels for the night. As I sit here on our couch--a couch again after a week of duty as a bed--i see the cats emerge from their hiding places and begin to sniff new baby gifts. The only sounds are the rhythmic chirping of two birds, the tick of the hall clock and the crunch of a cat free to eat his dinner. My child is asleep on my chest. There is nothing more I need than this.

To see pictures of Emerson's first days, click here, then click "view slide show."

Baby Cygknit

Announcing the birth of

Emerson Benjamin Ryle _____

Born 15 June 2007
at
2:20 p.m.
weighing 7 lbs. 7 oz
and
measuring 20 inches long

Happy family

Taken outside my bedroom window, about 5 feet away.
There is so much for me to write about. Every time I sit down to compose a post, I get overwhelmed about halfway through and run away from the computer, twitching. Today, in a lot better spirits than I have been for a while, I realized it was pretty simple. I have just a few things that I know I HAVE say:

1. Since the baby dropped in mid-May, my gallbladder has laid off the pain. Any discomfort I have now has to do with just being full-term pregnant, and is, in comparison, not too awful. Thanks for all the well-wishes, though, they really did help.
   
2. Nope, the baby isn't here yet. I took the pictures above yesterday, when I was at a pretty low point. I admit I was a little bitter looking at the happy and complete little family, but after watching them for over a half an hour I had a perception shift. It's hard waiting on someone else to make a decision about what's going on with your own body. He's going to come when he's good and ready, regardless of if I'm sobbing from frustration or laughing with my goofy husband. I like laughing (and my goofy husband) better.
3. I've started taking pictures of the amazing knitted gifts that this little boy has been given, and I hope to start posting them tomorrow. Please know that if you've sent us something and I haven't blogged it, it is due to my rather desperate state of mind for the last few weeks and NOT because I don't completely love what you've sent. I admit to cuddling with more than a few of them and imagining the day he finally does get here.