She’s Here!
February 5th, 2004Introducing the most beautiful baby in the history of babies (in perhaps the most unflattering photo of a newborn ever):
Leta Elise Armstrong
7lbs. 10 oz.
20 inches long
born 3:59 a.m., 02/03/04
A better picture is up at dooce, but I look at this one and weep instantly. She’s right there, getting weighed and breathing and moving; healthy and life affirming. She’s also sucking on her arm, which we soon discovered was covered in blisters caused by _in utero_ sucking. Her other arm has three blisters as well.
I already had weepish tendencies, now it’s full blown. I can’t tell if it’s the profound experience of her birth or the lack of sleep. I will see her wiggle her long toes and tear up. Either way, she’s here and every time she grabs one of my fingers and tries to stick it in her mouth, I lose it. In the hospital, I had fallen asleep weeping and rolled over. The tears that had pooled ran down the side of my face and woke me up.
Childbirth is primal, beautiful and terrifying all at once. And I wasn’t the one doing the pushing. I tried to push (and keep my breath in so that my diaphragm would help push the baby out) so that Heather would know that I was helping, but was told, with a stern glare that translated through the oxygen mask that I couldn’t pass out. I stopped the breath holding and just counted and watched the strongest woman alive give birth to the sweetest, most amazing girl. They are both doing better than I could have ever hoped.
We are a family. Now we just have to re-integrate Chuck into the house. He’s staying with Grandma and getting all kinds of Grandma snacks and treats and we’ll probably have to send him to Doggy Phat Camp for Teen Male Neutered Dogs.
Non-sequitur below:
I’ve never been happier in my life. Thank you all for your kind wishes. o
HURRAH!!! I am so happy for you three and well, Chuck. Such great news. Congratulations. I hope you and Heather find some sleep soon!
Congrats, you two. Welcome to the land of gorgeous babies and no sleep…
Congratulations, Jon! She looks like you! I’m glad to know that mom, dad and baby are all healthy and happy.
congratulations jon and heather!
leta looks great!
(now jon, wouldn’t it have been nice to take a hit off the epidural? see what I mean?)
we’ve sent out a gift membership for the tall girls club–jane’s a member too.
love joe, jen and jane
Congratulations guys! Having a baby with the person you love is the most awesome experience one can have.
It’s always nice to see people in love and happy!
She’s beautiful and I wish you guys the best.
Congratulations Jon and Heather!! I’ve been reading both of your sites for quite awhile, and have enjoyed following Heather’s pregnancy through her hilarious postings over the past 9 months.
Ya both done good!
I am elated beyond belief for the three of you (Chuck included.) She is truly beautiful & I’m oh-so glad you didn’t name her Fawnzelle. Leta Elise is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl! Congratulations, Jon & Heather!!!
yay! Most exciting news! So wonderful.
And now let the stories begin!
Congratulations. May she grow up happy, healthy and W3C-compliant.
Congratulations to both of you!! You’re all so lucky to have each other!
Now I’M weepy, and I don’t even know you. I think I’m ripe for one of those myself. Best wishes to you and Heather. Gorgeous girl, gorgeous name…count your blessings!
Jon, I’m so happy for you both! The baby is beautiful, even covered in gunk. I saw the pic on Heather’s website. She’s right — Leta looks exactly like you! I know you’ll be an amazing father. Congratulations!
Welcome to the world Leta Elise. Congrats to Momma and Papa and condolences to Chuck. It’s gonna suck Senator, you’re no longer the baby!
(I was scared you were actually going to name her partially after a PNW department store “Fawnzelle Le Bon Marche”- very nice name)
Congratulations to the three of you. Your post made my fiancee cry at work, then call me and tell me about it.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! What a beautiful baby; what a beautiful post.
Congratulations to you and Heather!
Congratulations to you both - She is beautiful!!!
Congratulations guys.
Congrats to both of you!
beautiful.
blessings.
SO happy for you both. Thank you for the update!!!
Congratulations! She’s beautiful. I love the folds on her wrists in the picture on Heather’s blog.
and hey - Leta and I share the same birthday! I had big feet too. Still do.
Happy dance! Happy dance! Happy dance! Huge congratulations!
Congrats! You and Heather have shared an amazing part of your lives with us out here in the world, and I daresay the sight of Leta on dooce.com gave me a couple of tears, too. Perhaps it was the pain from my fingers doing constant page reloads over the past two days, hoping for news. Or mayble it was just feelings of thankfulness at another healthy life being brought into the world. Whatever the case, congrats again, and welcome to the world, Leta!
Jack Greenwood
Palm Springs, CA
congratulations! she is absolutely beautiful. k-roz is right–our son is almost 3, and his laughter is still like a drug to us. parenthood is AWESOME–it’s not like anybody said it would be. i had made my mind up that i wasn’t ready for a second one yet, but following little fawnzelle’s story has seriously affected me! she is absolutely adorable. here’s to many happy days ahead. soak it all in–it all goes by too quickly!
Cool. This is the beginning of a great adventure.
Congratulations kids. If you don’t feel damn lucky yet, you will. Someday, when Leta is a bit older and wiser, she’ll be looking across the room at you two without your knowing and realize she’s probably the luckiest one.
i’m so relieved — i was actually getting worried by the third day of no posts! from either of you i never thought i could pace the floor over the baby of two people i don’t even know. but it’s your fault for being such good writers.
she’s lovely, lovely, lovely. many congrats, and keep the jpgs coming.
CONGRATULATIONS! I like your picture better too, more personality. She is a cutie. I’m very very happy for you all!
Congratulations on the birth of another rock star family member. She’s beautiful.
Hooray for Leta! Best wishes to you both and Leta’s amazing future!
wow, i’m so happy for you guys. I nearly fell over when I saw Dooce’s site last night. I must have checked both your blogs every hour since the eviction notice.
You guys are so great. Parenthood is such a wonderful thing. I look forward to many photos and stories about Leta.
Nose prints and hand prints on that new fridge of yours…
congratulations on your beautiful little frog baby. she’s marvellous.
Congrats! Just curious as how you pronounce your baby’s first name. Lord, knows I’ve been mis-pronouncing “Dooce” all these years.
Leta and my son share the same birthday! He’s got my big feet too!
What a beautiful name for a beautiful baby born into an undoubtedly beautiful family.
I wish you three the very best in life and look forward to reading more about life with Leta.
Congrats Jon, Heather, Leta and Chuck!
Many, many well wishes from our household to yours!
Congratulations Daddy!
(Do you know how to braid yet? Better learn now.)
Ribbit! Congrats! Beautiful little frog.
As one who has been checking back frequently for news too, I just want to wish you both hearty congratulations.
2/3/04! What a great birthday! Oh, and um, Heather, if you had held it in just an hour longer it would’ve been 2/3/04 at 5:00…
All the best to you both. Here’s hoping she’s like my niece who slept 8pm-7am almost consistently right after she was born.
She’s beautiful. ^^ Best Wishes and Congratulations!
Wonderful news! Congratulations, to both of you! I’m sure dooce will make sure Leta has the best first year biography a little girl in Utah could ever have.
Good work, you two. She’s absolutely lovely, and I’m sure she’s quick as a whip to boot.
Happy Birthday, Leta!
I teared up just reading this and gazing at the picture. There is nothing more gorgeous than this. Leta’s birth and your new family. Thank you for sharing it with the world.
Awww, you guys…I am so happy for you! She looks beautiful and spirited and completely confused, poor little newborn thing. Well, she couldn’t have found two more devoted, intelligent people to guide her through the world. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
i’m not sure you’ll actually see this comment here in the midst of millions of comments, but that is definitely one of the grossest baby pictures i have ever seen.
congrats and best wishes in the ride of parenthood.
congratulations!!! you’re entry just made me want to cry and hug all of you
It’s amazing to see something that has been living and surviving INSIDE of your wife out in the open reality of life. Isn’t it?
Congratulations! I am so happy for you and that I found you. I thought that Dooce was the only one. Now I get to be All In The Family!
Congrats again, enjoy her, she’s all yours.
That little girl is pure adorable. I’ve been following your site (and dooce’s) for a while… congratulations and many blessings to your new family!
P.S. I was born on 2/1 and was a frog baby too, and I turned out just fine!
how do you pronounce her first name? is it “let-a” (sounds like “let us”) or does it sound like “lee-ta”? i have to be prounouncing it correctly in my head when i read about her.
congratulations!
Does Leta get a blog now?
Congratulations!! She is the cutes little frog I have ever seen. Best wishes to everyone.