Adam Brennan Johnson - On the day you were born

Adam, we were so glad to welcome you into the world!

At 12:12 AM on September 3rd, Labor Day, 2012, our little baby boy was born.  You came out looking just like your dad!  The nurses placed you on my chest and Derek cut the umbilical cord, which the doctor said was one of the thickest cords she has seen!  Apparently you were well fed and protected in the womb!  When the nurses took you over to the warmer to dry you off and weigh you, dad went with you and Grandma Kelley video taped.  You cried twice, and then once dad started talking to you, you immediately stopped crying and just looked right at him like you knew exactly who he was!  It was amazing!  We decided that you looked just like the Adam that I envisioned in my dreams, as you looked identical to Derek with even a full head of hair!   So you were named Adam Brennan Johnson, weighed 6 lb. 13 ounces and was 20" long.  Adam was given to you because it is your dad's middle name, and Brennan is Grandma Kelley's maiden name, so you got two family names!  I remember having a dream early on in the pregnancy about you being Adam Brennan and looking just like your dad.  I never realized that this would really be coming true!

I can't tell you the emotions that encompassed me the second you were born.  I was immediately a mom, and so excited to just watch you!  Our families came in after the delivery so that everyone got a chance to hold you, except Aunt Tracy, who was still in Boston working.  Everyone was amazed at how much hair you had and how absolutely perfect you were.  Of course we got lots of pictures and some video of everyone holding you.  Then it was time for everyone to go home and for us to get some rest.  We finally got upstairs to the Postpartum floor at 3AM.  The nurses asked us if we wanted them to take you to the newborn nursery to get your bath and so we could get some rest.  Dad was so exhausted that he was okay with that, but there was no way that I was going to let them take you out of our room, even if it meant me not sleeping at all that night!  I really didn't want to miss your first bath and I really just wanted to watch you all night long because you were so beautiful and I felt like I was still in a dream!  So you stayed in the room with dad and me, and actually you slept great.  You got up twice to eat, but otherwise slept in the little bassinet right next to my bed.  It felt like I maybe got a few hours of sleep, because I just kept watching you lay in your bassinet playing with your hands up by your face, yet I didn't feel tired.

Once morning came, we started getting visitors, starting with Uncle Russ, Aunt Krissy, and your cousins Trevor and Gwen.  Trevor and Gwen were very excited to hold you, so Russ had to set the timer so that they each got time to hold you!  Then Grandma Johnson and Aunt Amy came to visit you.  They were able to stay for your first bath, so we all enjoyed watching how you reacted to it!  At first, you cried the second we got you undressed and started getting you wet.  Since it was a sponge-bath, they did not submerse you in the water until they rinsed you off in a little tub, then you calmed right down and seemed to like it!  We got some footprints and then cuddled with Grandma Johnson and Amy for a little while.  Grandma and Grandpa Kelley came to visit in the afternoon.  You were wide awake and seemed to be watching everyone and figuring out what was going on around you.  We sat around most of the day talking about how cute you were and how we could not believe that you were finally here!  The pediatrician stopped by to see you also in the afternoon, and was amazed to see how absolutely perfect your skin was and was in disbelief at the fact that you really had no jaundice.  Dad and I spent another night with you in the hospital.  This time we slept a little more, but you did really well overnight, waking up just to eat every few hours.