I finally held Justin…

and I’ve been on cloud nine all day. Yesterday when we left the hospital the nurse mentioned that we’d probably be able to hold him by the end of the day but when I walked in this morning I was surprised when she told me that we were going to kangaroo*. After 3 ½ weeks of being told by the nurses when I could or could not touch him it was a surreal feeling when they finally placed him on my chest. And it’s hard to believe since he’s just over a pound, but after an hour my arms actually started hurting. But I think it was more from me being a little nervous and trying not to move so my arms were a little stiff.

*Kangaroo care is a way of holding your baby to allow him or her to be closer to you. The baby is held naked (except for a diaper) between the mother’s breasts or next to the father’s chest. Some of the advantages for the baby are: 1) a more stable heart rate and more regular breathing, 2) improved circulation and better use of oxygen throughout the body, 3) longer periods of alertness and longer periods of sleep, and 4) more rapid weight gain.