Jen is writing a longer post. This is a very quick press release. Javi went for his first walk around the neighborhood.

He slept most of the time.

It was sunny and beautiful. 

Good times:)

It is official. We have a birth certificate and it says Javier Oliver Amaya-Petersen. Ok. Javi.
The day has continued uneventful, except for visits from our friends Brie, Marty, Jon, and Pam. Of course, we also had all the nurses, lactation consultant, well, people come and go. Javi seems to be getting the handle on sucking, latching, and sucking, and latching. He is right now awake, on his mama's arms, who is singing to him a classic song by Mercedes Sosa ("Duerme, duerme, negrito, que mama esta en el campo, negrito":). He, with is hiccups, is keeping rhythm.

It was a sunny day in the afternoon. The view is great! And the landscape behind is not so bad....

Javi enjoys the sunshine as well. He is nice and alert when he is awake but also sleeps very well. When he is gassy is kind of looks like he is smiling at us.

Yesterday was great. Overnight, Javi was taken by the wonderful nurses to a room with other newborns. That allowed us to sleep between feeds and we were able to sleep one 4.5 hour block and a 2.5 hour block. It felt great. Although yesterday's feeds were not necessarily successful (the baby probably got just a little bit of colostrum), today, around 7:30am, he had a nice long feed. It felt closer to what it should be. Jen is not yet producing milk, only colostrum, but all is part of the process. Javi is wonderful. The skin is incredibly soft... wow!
Although Jen and Javi are strong enough to be discharged, we may stay until tomorrow morning at the hospital and take advantage one more night of the wonderful nurses. One extra-night of ok sleep is probably a good idea.

Jen and Javi this morning, October 19, in the recovery room. I took this photo so that you would have some sense of the space. This is the part of the room where we stay. The stripy couch at the back becomes a bed and that's where I sleep. In addition, there is a second area with a more medical feeling and a nice bathroom with a shower (no jacuzzi here:). Now, the best part is the view. We are a bit higher up, and you can see the beautiful hills around Charlottesville, with the beginning colors of the fall. 

Daddy in training

Yes! he is nonchalant. Yes! he is like 'Whatever'!. Here is Jen, the mighty, introducing..... ratatata,  Javier (Javi) Amaya-Petersen. What a vision!

Our son was born at 12:10am, on October 18, 2012. He weighs 7 pounds and 11 ounces and measures 20" 1/8. He has a fuzzy but almost bald head of dark blonde or red-hair (we don't know for sure). His eyes are dark, but it is hard to tell whether they are dark-blue or dark-brown

Our beautiful son one minute after birth

After his first bath

Here he is being measured. All is perfect

9 months and counting

In Durham, N.C., with Jen's sister

In the Blue Ridge mountains, probably out last hike for a while.

The nursery is (almost) done