Our world

Allison is our world right now. It's amazing how everything you do & every decision we make is wrapped around our little bundle of joy. Choices of when to run to the store, when to have guests over, when to sleep, when to work, when to travel, & when to have some "Sara & Robby" time. Every decision we make is surrounded by questions of "what is best for Allison." She is everything we hoped for in a child & more. I can't begin to express how blessed we feel as a family!

Sara & I were turned onto a schedule for infants that has worked wonderful for us! We feed every 2 hours on the dot. We try to push it to two if she's hungry before & we don't wait anymore then two even if she's sleeping. The plan also says to not let them sleep during a feeding so cold wash clothes & tickling are our friends. We enforce 10 minutes on each side for a minimum of 20 minutes. Sometimes she will feed for 30 sometimes it's a struggle to get 20. When you are ready for bed, you feed her for the last time & put her to bed. When we do this we let her sleep until she wakes up.

With this method, Ally is sleeping a solid 4-5 hours straight at a time. We wake up about 3 or 4 AM to feed her & then she is asleep again until 8 AM. We are sleeping great & she is sleeping great. For anyone who knows babies, we are happy parents with that schedule! The plan has been perfect for our family & been a blessing since we started her on it from day one of her life. Every baby is different, but they also are creatures of habit. Whatever cycle you let them slip into is what you will live with for a good 2 years. We are very dilberate & cautious with what we allow her to do. We also are very contientous of how we let her act. Sara & I believe parenting is about boundries & limits (yes even for infants). Ally is no saint. She cries when she needs something & let's us know when she's not happy. Overall thought...she has been fantastic. The one common theme we hear from everyone is, "She never cries" or "What a good baby. You two are blessed!" Sara & I know we are new parents & are going to make PLENTY of mistakes. However, we want to not be satisfied with the status quo. We don't want to have the typical baby. We want Allison Faith to be her own person. To strive for uniquness & individuality, yet know her boundries & always behave herself. Parenting is a huge responsibility & we hold the privelage with the utmost care. Parenting isn't a right, it is a privelage. If you don't believe me, ask someone who can't have children.

We don't want to figure things out with Allison & then perfect it with our second child. We want to make this effort the best we can give. So far we have been astounded at how well things have gone & feel blessed to have been given such an even tempered daughter that is so willing to learn what we want. We love her to death & I now know what our parents meant when they said they would do anything for us. I would do anything for her & I find myself staring at her & marvelling at the miracle God created just for us. I am a humbled & very thankful father.

More Allison

Our little girl is growing up so fast! She is 12 days old today & appears to be growing each day. She shows us more about her character everyday & we are absolutely astounded & blessed at what a wonderful baby we have.Allison sleeps at night extremely well! We feed her about midnight & she sleeps until about 4am. After that she's good until about 8am. We are getting a good 7 or 8 hours of sleep everynight. It has been wonderful! Everyone keeps saying "just wait until that is over." I just don't believe in that. I know Allison will have her bad days & moments where I want to pull my hair out, but I believe a child is a total example of their environment. Allison is in a balanced & calm home, & in my opinion we have a very "balanced" child because of it. All I know is we have an amazing daughter & she is such a blessing. I know I'm a bit biased, but I think she is the most adorable baby I have ever seen!

Promise is absoultely addicted to Allison. She checks on her all of the time & any time Ally cries, Promise is there to "solve the problem." She is quite fond of her & incredibly gentle with her. Above you see Ally even making faces back at Promise.

Here is Promise watching over Allison while her & mama take a nap. She stayed in this position for almost an hour.

Here is Promise trying to "save the day" when Ally was crying. She would lick Ally & snuggle her all day if we would let her. However, we prefer a clean & healthy baby so Promise can only get so close.

Allison Faith Gilliam

On August 5, 2009 Sara & I were woke up to the surprise of her water breaking at 2:00 AM. We weren't convinced it was officially her water so we cleaned everything up & went back to bed. At 2:20 AM we were woke up again to more water & then contractions follwed shortly after. We arrived at the hospital at 4:30 AM & Sara was in very active labor. She went from 3 centimeters dialated to 10 centimeters dialated in 4 1/2 hours. At 9:30 Sara started to push & it appeared this labor process was going to go extremely fast. However, our little girl had some plans of her own. Our Doctor found that Allison was "sunny-side up". Every push that Sara gave was moving Allison to the brink of delivery & then she would get sucked back inside. It was an unbelievable 3 1/2 hours of pushing. The most amazing thing is that Sara did all of this with no medication whatsoever. No IV, no pitocin, no epideral, etc. She really wanted to give her best shot at having this baby natural & amazingly she did! Sara by far amazed me in this whole process. She was brave, strong, & took everything in stride that was thrown her way. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Sara was my hero that day. I was so incredibly proud of her & the effort that she gave.

After 3 1/2 hours of pushing our Doctor realized that Sara wasn't going to be able to get this baby out. Little Allison was lodged in Sara's birth canal & had decided not to move anymore. Everyone decided (including Sara & I) that in the best interest of the baby it was time to get her out. The whole C-section process was a fantastic success & Sara did a great job in surgery. I actually had the privelage of cleaning Allison off and showing her to her Mama for the first time. Allison was stuck in the canal since week 36 & all the pushing for 3 1/2 hours caused Allison to have what one nurse said "the worst cone head she had seen in 33 years of delivering babies." It added a good 2 inches to her heighth. The above picture shows it a little bit, but really doesn't due it justice as to how big it really was.

Sara & Allison did such a fantastic job. Allison was born at 1:01 PM. She was 7 lbs 01 ounce & 20 inches long. Every Nurse & Doctor in the birthing center praised Sara & the effort that she gave for the 3 days we were there. Our Doctor was in awe at how great Sara did, especially considering the lack of medication. She made me so proud that day & I am so blessed to have the wife & mother of my child that I do. Both Sara & Allison have been doing great. Allison has been only waking up once every night & hardly cries. She is such a fantastic baby & is by far the cutest baby I have ever seen! Of course I'm just a little biased.

I'm as proud of a Dad as I could ever be & have two fantastic & beautiful women in my life. God has blessed our family & we are so excited to see Allison Faith grow! She has changed so much in the past 6 days & everyday we are amazed at the blessing she is to us.