We have a baby girl!!!

I don't even know where to start for this post, there is so much running through my mind that I want to share but it would take days so I'll have to settle for general info on this blog and can get elaborate individually if anyone has questions by phone or email. We wished we could call everyone with the exciting news but things have been so crazy since Thursday!

This is our new baby, Berlin Noelle Tharp!!! She was 7 lbs. 0.6 oz., 19 inches long, born on Friday night (10/10/08) at 9:41 pm. I was induced on Thursday night and finally in active labor by Friday morning. After 4 hours of natural labor and then a beautiful epidural for the rest she was born after only about 30 minutes of pushing. She's perfect and healthy, no jaundice or negative effects from the birth at all. She is sleeping and eating well, and she is doing her best to help her mommy with feedings. Her daddy Paul is in love, he has become the Master of Swaddling (which I just can't get the hang of!) and is the best at the jiggly-bouncy method of calming her down when she's upset (which is so far blissfully infrequent). My mother has been here since early last week to help out, and she and Laera have spent a lot of time with us at the hospital over the last few days. It has been so nice to have the help and support of the wonderful nurses too, and although we still feel somewhat in shock over becoming parents of a newborn we at least are armed with plenty of information and advice to help us figure it out from here.

Well that's it for now, we will write more and have lots more pictures in the next few weeks! Love and hugs to all, if any of you are close enough to visit you are welcome any time, we would be thrilled to see you. We will do our best to make the rounds of visiting everyone as soon as we get a chance. In the meantime, check back with our blog soon!

Janisa, Paul, Laera & Berlin