A Big Sisters first moments with her little brother...

Today I took Amaiya for a walk through the hospital to the gift shop located on the first floor. We talked about her little brother Jacob and what a blessing it is to have him in our lives. We talked about how his arrival will change all of our lives. Most importantly, we talked about Amaiya's role as the "Big Sister".

Amaiya has been looking forward to the arrival of Baby Jacob since before the day we first found out that we were expecting. I have had many discussions with her about the importance of being a Big Sister. I could tell that today she was really starting to understand what all this means and how it all fits together.

Once in the gift shop Amaiya and I picked out a gift that Baby Jacob asked me to buy for her... a t-shirt that says "I Am A Big Sister". After we bought the t-shirt Amaiya asked if she could put it on "right now". I asked her if she was ready to take on the responsibility of being the "Big Sister"? She responded, without hesitation, "YES". Then she promptly took off her t-shirt in the elevator and replaced it with the one we had just bought.

What does it mean to be a "Big Sister"? It means that she gets to be the one he looks up to. It means that she gets to be the one that he will ask all kinds of questions to. It means that she is the one he will turn to when he wants the opinion of one of his peers who he respects. It means that she will be a source of his inspiration. It means that she WILL be someone he looks up to.

We all know how special Amaiya is and the special spirit that she has. As her father I KNOW how special she is and I know that she is such an amazing person and spirit. She is someone who is a real inspiration and example to everyone around her. She is a leader among her friends. She is my little angel. I am blessed to be her father and the older she gets the more I realize that fact to be true. I love you Amaiya and I am so glad that you are willing, able and happy to be a "Big Sister" to your little brother Jacob.

A Fathers first moments with his son...

Today I had the blessing of laying down next to my new son and taking a nap together. I laid him down beside me while he was still awake and we just stared at each other for probably 10-15 minutes. I am not sure what was going through that tiny little head of his, but I am pretty sure that he was sizing me up. He seemed to be telling me who he was and what I needed to do to be ready to raise him.

It is amazing how a small child can get an adult mind to really open itself up. The simplicity you see in their eyes unlocks the complexities of our minds and lets us evaluate and re-evaluate our lives.

As I lay there with my son and eventually drifted off into sleep I gave my thanks to my Heavenly Father for this wonderful gift. I thanked Him for the opportunity to have Jacob and Amaiya in my life. I also thanked Him for my wonderful father.

My father is a rock in my life. He is someone that I not only look up to, but if I can manage to be even a fraction of the man he is I will consider myself a success. He has taught me many things in my life; large things such as the value of a honest days work and the necessity to provide for your family no matter the personal costs- all the way down to the most subtle of things, such as learning to look for a teaching moment in a child's eyes. To my Dad, I love you and I hope to be someone that you can be proud of.

I am not sure what the future will hold for baby Jacob, I am not sure what trials he will have to endure in this life. However, I am sure that he is a blessing in our lives! We love you baby Jacob!

The Mother and her new Baby

Here is picture of Kristi and Jacob just minutes after his birth. If you look real close you can see the adoration in Jacob's eyes for this person who carried him for nearly 39 weeks and then literally put her life on the line to bring him into this world.

I have said this before and I will continue to say it for the rest of my life....Mothers are amazing people and are truly blessed. How amazing is it that they can grow another human being in their tummies?!!! This is a blessing that I will never get the opportunity to experience. For all of us men out there.... as many times as we all say; "I'm happy that I do not HAVE to bear children" I am of the opinion that we are the ones that are missing out. I think there is a connection that happens during pregnancy, not only between mother and child but between mother and Heavenly Father, that we can not even begin to understand. I have heard many mothers talk about the closeness they feel to God during these months, but it is hard for them to really put it in a perspective or words that a simpleton like myself can understand. I know it is an experience that I will never have and I am OK with that, but I just want everyone to know the admiration and respect that I have for all the good mothers out there.

I am very fortunate to come from a great mother myself. I feel that my mother was the perfect example of charity and love. She is one of the greatest women that I know and I am truly blessed to have her as my mother. I love you Mom!!!

I am also fortunate to have 3 sisters who are all amazing mothers. Each one of them is an example to me in different ways. Love you sisters!

I am also married to a woman who I adore and look up to. Kristi is a great example to me in many ways. I look up to her and try to be more like her in many ways. I hope that she knows how much I lover her.

I try my hardest to be the best father that I can be...I hope that both Amaiya and Jacob know how much I love them.

The Newest Terry Family Member

So after much adieu....here is the newest member of the Terry Family. Jacob Mical Terry was born April 7, 2010 at 1:03 am. He was 6 lbs 12 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. He and Kristi are both very healthy and very happy.

Here is how it all happened.... Kristi was having contractions on Monday evening/night. We timed those contractions at about 5 min apart at their closest and they subsided as the night went on. We decided that we would go to sleep on Monday night rather than call the doctor since the contractions had started to subside. I told Kristi to call the doctor on Tuesday morning if the contractions were still happening with any regularity; they were so she called the doctor and he asked her to come in and let them check her progress. Once in they found that she had dilated to almost a 4 and that she was having some problems with her blood pressure. In order to not have any problems they asked to keep her and induce labor by breaking her water. We agreed that this was the safest course of action and gave our consent.

The doctor broke her bag of waters at about 1:00 pm in the afternoon on April 6th. Kristi received medication to help with the pain at about 4:00 pm. Finally by about 11:00 pm she was dilated to a 10 and ready to start pushing. She began pushing at 11:00 pm and baby Jacob finally pushed through at 1:03 am on April 7th.

Kristi did such a great job with the birth and really bore down when she needed that extra something. Jacob is very lucky to have such an amazing mother! Kristi has since started her recovery and is starting to move around more and more as the day goes on. Keep her in your prayers. I know that she will recover quickly.

We are so thankful for the successful delivery and for the Lord keeping His hand over us during this process. Jacob is a blessing that we can not even fathom yet. I can tell by looking at him that he is a special spirit and he will teach us many things. There are so many things that can potentially go wrong in these situations and it is always such a miracle when it all happens the way it should. We are thankful for a healthy baby boy! Welcome to our family Jacob! We love you so much already!