Spring Arrivals -- Babies and "Babies"

Yes, I know. It's Tuesday, and this was supposed to appear yesterday. For some reason, I got my days mixed up. Can't imagine why, though. It's not like I have anything different happening in my life that would have caused this confusion.

Oh wait. Yes, I do. A brand new baby girl! :)

That's right. Margie announced the birth on April 3rd on this blog, but I'm here to share a bit more for those who would like to hear.

But first, there are 2 other "babies" birthed this month. Not only a daughter, but my husband Stuart's very first book released on April 1st and my 4th book (Copper and Candles) released as well. Stuart has been working hard for years and has finally seen all of his hard work come to fruition. Starfire is available through Marcher Lord Press and will be on Amazon and Barnes & Noble by the end of the month. It's a science fiction/speculative story about an alien race, an ancient artificial intelligence, and a warrior who must make a choice that could save his nation or doom his world.

It has been receiving just as many rave reviews as Stuart's other creative endeavor. :)

For that "baby", Stuart and I are now the proud parents of a beautiful little girl! Victoria Elizabeth Stockton arrived at 3:29pm on Thursday, April 2nd, weighing 7lbs. 9oz. and measuring 20in. long. Labor started at 12:30pm on April 1st but by 4am on April 2nd, I was exhausted, had stalled in dilation, and had to get an epidural. At 7:30am, my doctor broke my water and at 9am, after no progress, a 2cc dose of pitocin was administered. Progress began and that was all it took. By 2, we prepped and after an hour of pushing, Tori was here!

The full story is on my personal blog, if you want to read all of the exciting details and the "novel" adventure we had getting to the hospital. That can be found here.

Baby Photo Album

There isn't much to report from the first week home. As most of you know, babies don't do a whole lot at the start. Eat, sleep and mess their diapers. And we've had plenty of that. The good news is that everything is normal, which brings a great sigh of relief.

Victoria had her first doctor's visit at 4 days old, and she was given a clean bill of health. She is back to her birth weight and gained 9 oz. just in the past week. Healthy eater! LOL! We've been so blessed with a beautiful and seemingly even-tempered angel. Likely due to the laid back attitude of Mom and Dad. :)

For Easter, we bought a dress and had a "Baby's First Easter" outfit given to us. So, we took some pictures and posed her with a little duck given to her by her grandparents (on dad's side).

Other than that, she's been smiling, taking in the world, loving to be rocked and held, and just being a huge blessing to our lives. The days pass so fast, but I'll be glad to get back into part of my old schedule so I can actually know which day is which. They've all blurred together so far. Stu is back at work today after 7 days off, so I'm on my own until Friday when my family arrives.

That's all from me. No treasurer's perspective, but Victoria is definitely a treasure that deserves all our praise and thanks to God for giving us such a beautiful miracle.

---

Tiffany Amber Stockton is an author and freelance web site designer who lives with her husband and fellow author in beautiful Colorado Springs. They celebrated the birth of their first child this month and have a vivacious puppy named Roxie, a Border Collie/Flat-Haired Retriever mix. She has sold six books so far to Barbour Publishing. Other credits include writing articles for various publications, five short stories with Romancing the Christian Heart, and contributions to the books: 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage and Grit for the Oyster.

Read more about her at her web site: http://www.amberstockton.com/.