The newest member of the Umper clan...
92@tHumperchick & @Humper would like to introduce you all to our newest family member, @PuppyCat! (So called because she makes little puppy and kitten noises when she's happy.)
After months of specialists, tests, and preparation; all of our plans got tossed out the window and @PuppyCat decided to make us go get her last week. All went well, with a few non-scary hiccups along the way.
(Look. At. Those. Cheeks.)
PC turned out to be bigger than anyone expected (9 lbs, 5.8 oz!) and due to that and other complications, she had some issues with keeping up her blood sugar. So they had to take her to special care just a few hours after she was born to pump her full of sugar for 2 days to help her regulate it on her own. She handled it like a champ. A champ that's really, really, really sick of being poked, stuck, and prodded. 
(She quickly learned to swing that arm board like a weapon.)
We spent a lot of time going from one end of the ward (my room) to the other (special care) to feed and cuddle the munchkin. Luckily, the walking was really good for my healing. Unluckily, it sucked not having her with me for 2 days. I got her back at 11 pm the night before we were discharged.
PC's first ridiculously unnecessary outfit!
(She's already got her sassy side-eye down pat!)
(Proud papa @humper, showing off his @PuppyCat and a mediocre t-shirt.)
Here's what her adorableness wore home:
(We picked out that super warm outfit because we expected winter weather in NY in Feb... it was high 40's and she was a bit warm for the short ride home.)
and a bonus pic of your neighborhood friendly thumperchick, complete with mini-mod! 
- 72 comments, 59 replies
- Comment
Welcome to the world little cutie!
Super glad it turned out well even with all the scary complications!
CONGRATTTTTS! Enjoy every minute of it.
And now the fun begins!
Aw, look at that little bundle of cuteness! Congrats to all the Umpers!
Congratulations to you, and the excellent @humper as well! What a beautiful and precious little one she is! Blessings on you and your house, and much joy.
:-}
WHEEEEEE! Congrats!
She's perfect!
Much love and all good wishes to your family.
Congratulations once again, @Thumperchick and @Humper. She is precious and
Congratulations!!! You are all just adorable!
She's adorable. Congratulations! I'm sure we'll see a bit less of you for a while. Though we will miss you, I think we're all very happy for you and excited about the time you will be spending with your little one.
@christinewas this turned out to be so much more true than I was expecting.
Meh.
@G1 (Congrats! She's a keeper!)
Awwww, a little @dumperchick. Congrats -- she's beautiful!
BTW, that should totally be her name. You'll understand why soon
@capguncowboy I am so sorry.....but that shit's just great!!! LOL
Congratulations!
After nine months of waiting, your baby is finally here.
That calls for many a hooray, and a great big cheer!
May life always be full of love, joy and laughter,
and may you all live happily ever after!
Congrats on beautiful little girl! I'm happy to hear that thing went mostly well with only a few minor issues.
Hmmm...if anyone else is expecting a baby girl anytime soon, stay off Meh...apparently there is some curse of having special care baby girls!
You will love her like no other!!! I am so happy for you!!!
Congratulations on y'all's beautiful baby girl!
I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of you on the forums now that you aren't sleeping any more.
She's lovely ! Thank you for sharing her pictures. Welcome to Meh @puppycat --you are anything but that : )
Congrats again TC & H ( and the pups too of course ! )
What a beautiful angel!! May every day you spend with her be a blessing.
@humper @thumperchick congratulations now enjoy the time. It goes by quickly and try to get some slee in there :)
If I may @puppycat give your parents hell ;) Put them through the ringer. You can get away with just about anything right now. It preps them for what's to come just try to get a good nights sleep. :)
She's beautiful and getting to know both of you on the forums, she will soon be a handful :)
I love the purple headband!
Mehgratulations, you're still glowing.
She's adorable! Congrats!!!
Way to go Mom (and Dad)! Congrats on the new addition!! Sorry to hear about the hiccups, but glad to hear everyone is healthy, and happy. Best of luck to the three of you.
omg what a cutie chubber ❤
Congrats!
Beautiful!
Congrats!
Mazel Tov! So happy for you!!
Squeeeeeeee! She's beautiful! Congratulations, @Thumperchick and @Humper! I'm so glad everyone is doing well! Thank you for sharing pictures with us.
congrats to you both! she's gorgeous!
Awww....happy tears....she's adorbs! And you two look so happy.
Congratulations to the new fam.
Congratulations! I am so happy for you awesome people. If you need anything let me know!
Such a beautiful family.
Congrats to all, JU
Congrats! She's just beautiful...too beautiful for the Meh forums? Me thinks so!
Congrats to you both! She's adorable!!
Daww, congrats @thumperchick and @humper! She's so adorable and squishy. <3
Welcome to the world @puppycat!
Awww! Congrats @Thumperchick and @Humper! Welcome to the world, @puppycat. :)
What a beautiful little girl! Welcome, PuppyCat! Congratulations, and I'm so glad you had good doctors. Now everybody can relax, and get used to each other, and wear that lavish wardrobe. Well, one of you can wear it. The others can take a million pictures.
Fabulous! Congrats to all of you!
Congrats Humping....I mean, T/Humper family! She's perfect.
Congrats! She is a little doll!
Congrats T/Humper family! Thanks for sharing photos with the Mehxtended family :)
Such a beautiful baby and she has a most excellent taste in purple headbands. I'm so happy for you!
@Barney I like purple.
Congratulations.
WOW! Congrats!!!!
Congrats! So big!
Pfft... my Fuku didn't have anything nearly this cute in it. (congratulations!)
Wow that's an adorable mini human you produced there, @thumperchick and @humper. I would like to share something, if you don't mind:
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1889-hello-babies-welcome-to-earth-it-s-hot-in-the-summer
"There's only one rule that I know of, babies-God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
-Kurt Vonnegut
Congratulations @thumperchick & @humper!
@puppycat looks beautiful.
Here's hoping you're as lucky as my co-worker who had his first child sleep pretty regularly nearly from the beginning.
Welcome to the big adventure known as life @puppycat!
Giant congratulations to both of you! Such a smart little one to have chosen you two for parents. Wishing you a lifetime of smiles filled with nights of real sleep!
Adding to the chorus of congratulations! Welcome to the Meh family @PuppyCat
CongratulatIons!
Congratulations!
She is beautiful! Thanks for sharing your photos of your family. So cute with her daddy. That must have been a rough first 2 days being apart from her. My recommendation is to be computer free for a day or 2 and get lots of rest. Congratulations!!
I had my first child just before the new year, and it's been a roller coaster! But, the gift of a child surpasses all the rough times, and makes the happy times all the more sweeter. Congrats!
@tmwest87 Congratulations on your new baby !
Heartfelt Congratulations!
The @PuppyCat name is more dignified than LeakySqueaky, which is what I called mine.
Congrats! @humper I found this for you. Watch through the end:
Congratulations! She's georgeous.
Pic update for @OldCatLady
Resting in between poses from her newborn shoot:
Modeling some cute jammies a friend got for her:
Cuddling up on daddy after getting her tongue & lip tie lasered:
(That was a rough day for everyone.)
@Thumperchick
Awww.
@Thumperchick Thanks so much for the update. She's a veritable doll, and please keep pictures coming.
@Thumperchick Humper - that is the best pic. That is what is all about. Daddy's little girl!!!
Hey there, @PuppyCat -
It's your drunk uncle @Pavlov . . .
I'm sorry I was away when you arrived and I'm late in welcoming you - but I'm really glad you've made it here safe and sound.
From the looks of it, you're very healthy and doing just fine - and you're such a gorgeous little baby! We all just know you're going to grow up to be the most adorable little lady!
So, welcome to the world, beautiful little girl!
This world in which you've landed isn't perfect. The species to which you belong occasionally does some really stupid shit, and for some reason the most dreadful things we do are often to each other. Know one really knows why. They might think they do, but I'm telling you right now - don't listen to anyone that says they have all the answers. Especially on that point. Yes, even me.
Anyway . . .
You arrived here because you were conceived out of the love that your parents have for each other. In this mad, crazy, sometimes brutal world, they found a way to rise above it all and find the beauty in things and in themselves and eventually they found it in each other - and then they made you. And when they did that, yes, they knew that this place you were coming to wasn't at all perfect.
But, they knew that this is the place that they found each other. And this love that they have for each other is the one thing that no matter what, it always makes it worth being here. So, they made you, to share in that love. They knew that by making you that the best parts of them would carry on in you and you would have a chance to find in another person someday that which they felt when they found each other.
Yeah, that's how good love is.
And no matter how bad it all may seem or how weird it all gets (and man, it gets weird sometimes), love is all that really matters.
Hear me little one - LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS.
But love isn't easy. You have to work at it.
Love means you have to let go of fear. That's a hard lesson for many of our kind to learn. It isn't comfortable - but when you're uncomfortable, you'll know you're growing inside. It's that way for us all - you're not in this alone, you never will be.
And love means you have to truly love yourself before you love another. It is only fair after all, and being fair is important. Being fair is part of the golden rule. One (or both) of your parents will explain that one to you when you're just a bit older. If you're like many of us, you might have it explained a couple of times before it sinks in.
It is all hard work - hell, it's a bitch sometimes. Trust me, I know (your Mom might say "only on that do you absolutely trust uncle Pavlov" - and that's cool, we're good),
But, I know you can do it. I have faith in you. And your Mom and Dad and the rest of your family and all their friends - well, they know you can do it and they have faith in you too. They will make sure that you're on the right path and they'll help you out along the way because someone did it for them and someday you may do it for another . . . at least that's the hope, kiddo - that you are one of the bright shining lights that helps carry us all along for as long as we can.
Okay . . . Well, it's getting late and I'm about out of beer - and I know this is a lot to tell you, especially when you've just gotten here. I get it, you're tired (if you sleep through the night - all night - it'll help - do that soon).
But hey, before I go - you know how I know these things about your parents? I know all this because I see the love in their eyes for each other in their pictures and all over their faces when they hold you. And I can feel their love for you in their words here when they write about you.
And they know from each other, from experience, that the payoff of being here and loving yourself and someday having the chance to love another is more than worth it --
It is really all there is. (Do you see a theme developing here, small fry?)
So, no sweetheart, the world isn't perfect. But with you here, and with the love you will carry on, maybe some day it can be.
And with that hope, we will all of us always be glad you've come along to join us.
So I guess with that, goodnight sweet girl.
Congratulations, @Thumperchick and @Humper -- remember to party on (forge ahead) - and be excellent to each other.
Good on you both for bringing another bright shining light to us all. I am so pleased this wonderful thing has happened to you.
Peace.
@Pavlov Loved this! - also the Kindle version of this post is available for $1.99 :)
@mfladd I suppose I deserve the Kindle joke for pulling a @joelmw when "Congratulations" would have worked too . . . Just wrote what I was feeling. It's probably just the beer. Anyway, I'll go with that, lest I ruin my reputation.
@Pavlov No, you know I always have to joke. @joelmw was on my mind there. Beer can be therapeutic. But you missed the part of where I thoroughly enjoyed it. So well done, my friend!
@mfladd
Citation please? I want to show my doctor next week at my physical after he reviews my liver enzymes.
: )
. . . And, thank you.
@Pavlov Hope this helps...
https://www.fix.com/blog/health-benefits-of-beer/
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/12-unexpected-benefits-beer-that-give-you-good-reasons-drink.html
@Pavlov So - how are you going to come back and play the asshole now tough guy? Hmm? You're gonna wake up in the morning and regret you didn't listen to me when I told you to just come to bed and write them congratulations tomorrow! They always suspected deep down you had a few redeeming qualities - then you go and just tip your hand. Well, no, I guess you just dealt to yourself face up is really more like it.
No wonder I love you so fucking much.
Sentimental schmuck.
@MrsPavlov @Pavlov
@Pavlov Don't make eye contact and just go to bed. I will always hold to the story that you are an A-hole with no redeeming qualities. We good?
@mfladd He passed out about a half hour ago now mumbling "fuck it, I wrote it anyway, woman" when he laid down, so I jumped on to see what he did.
I'm sure he can bring his asshole quotient back up quickly.
@MrsPavlov It is a yin and yang thing for some of us. We love being bad, but sometimes the good sneaks thru. We can't help it.
But I promise I will keep him on a dark (and sometimes good) path.
@Pavlov that was beautiful and well said. Thank you.
(PS - I knew you were a sentimental sap.)
@Pavlov Awwwwwww ................
@Pavlov Maybe when you retire, you can get a gig as a motivational speaker?
That was an inspired speech!
@Pavlov
Apparently, I missed the most important label on the bottle:
. . . won't be taking those anymore; I'm not stopping drinkin'.
@PuppyCat, one more thing: Always read the labels.
@Pavlov What labels?
I love you, Uncle @Pavlov.
@Pavlov I laughed, I cried. It was better than Cats.
@squeege Damn right you did. Damn right it was.
Is that you, @carl669????
@Pavlov 'tis not me.
@Pavlov I came back to this thread for the link and had the pleasure of reading this again. You made me misty eyed all over again, thank you.
Also, this is permanent proof of your sappiness.
@Thumperchick Shhhh.
Oh wow oh wow oh wow oh wow!
@Thumperchick I've been off in the wilds of my life & not on the forum, but this morning I spied a new family! I had been wondering how you were doing & now I know. Hurray for the not-so-little @PuppyCat!!! Those CHEEKS! She's so squishably adorable!
My mom always swore a bigger baby would start sleeping through the night early on. Fingers crossed it holds true for her. A rested mom (and dad) can take on the world!
@LaVikinga She definitely loves to sleep. Though that may still be an after effect of her being jaundiced. It's pretty nice to have a laid back baby, though! (Even if I still have to wake her bummy baby butt up to sleep.)
Congratulations guys!!
So… If @PuppyCat made you get her a week before Feb 3, 2016, then does that mean she’s one already?
@PlacidPenguin indeed. Her party was Sunday.
@Thumperchick adorable kid not nearly enough frosting to make a huge mess
@CaptAmehrican My in-laws tried a smash cake for my daughter, with plenty of frosting, and my daughter had the last laugh on them – she refused to get her hands dirty!! muhhhhahhhaa…
I concur @Thumperchick’s baby is beautiful!!!
@mikibell cake is just a frosting delivery system.
@CaptAmehrican see, unless it is realllyyy good chocolate frosting, I am not that into frosting… I know, not American at all…
@CaptAmehrican she is allergic to dairy. So she got sorbet instead of froyo and no frosting on her cupcake.
@Thumperchick My second was too… we had the most miserable tasting cake for his 1st birthday – I would have hoped they have done better with technology…
(and because of the milk allergy, no nuts, no other allergens had been introduced either)…
@mikibell I made the cupcakes, but didmt want to work on a dairy free frosting the night before, on top of everything else. We are lucky that they have changed recommendations for allergies and she still got to have some other things. We are hoping to green light the rest at her checkup today.
@Thumperchick
(thought there was a fingers crossed, but can’t find it – close enough)
@mikibell @Thumperchick
Here ya go:
@PlacidPenguin
thank you…
@Thumperchick @mikibell My nephew is allergic to dairy, but interestingly is only sensitive to cow milk. Sheep & goat (ha!) milk and the cheeses made from them don’t seem to cause a reaction. Might want to check with the allergist…
I know goat’s milk is available at Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Central Market & Whole Foods. Probably pretty expensive for everyday, but perhaps for special occasions (like birthday frosting, etc)?
@compunaut Luckily mine outgrew his allergy… he now drinks milk like he was deprived a lifetime of it… seriously, it is his go-to drink of choice! Thank you, though.
@compunaut
I knew a physician who had a serious allergy to cow dairy products life-long. He had no issues with goat milk, goat cheese, and other non-cow dairy.
@compunaut We have a great goat cheese place not too far from here. We’re working on introducing different food still, goat cheese is on the list!
Jeeze, Louise. City people. Goat milk is closer in property to human milk, and is a reasonable substitute when mother’s milk is not available. Cows have a different amount of fat, and it’s difficult for many to digest. Very few people who are listed as allergic to cow’s milk actually are, it’s just that they can’t digest it. In a strange and unrelated fact, beef is also more difficult to digest.
The fat content are closer in goat milk and human milk.
Here you go, more information than any sane person would ever want to know:
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/feeding-infants-toddlers/goat-milk
@Shrdlu
Always nice to have the intelligent and experienced souls on tap jic.
Thx. Did not know.
@Shrdlu Easy now. It’s not just city folks; the finer points of goat farming are not common knowledge to most.
Grew up in fairly rural area (end of the rail line going into Chicago) - corn & dairy country. Mom’s immigrant family originally owned/ran a dairy farm, and neither they nor any neighbors for miles around had goats. I don’t believe the well-respected Dept of Animal Science at Uof Illinois had any ‘goat husbandry’ classes in the 80s when I attended (that was the Stone Age, when dinosaurs & Fred Flintstone roamed the Earth).
I’d seen many interesting nuggets online about cow vs sheep vs goat dairy, but never spent time on real research. There are lots of alt facts out there, you know
@compunaut
Your slight knowledge about Goats and Goat Farming, minuscule as it may be, suggests that a certain sort of celebratory monthly honor may be due to you as some point in the future.
PS
Locally:
Want goats? Mansfield/Rendon areas.
@Shrdlu City schmity.
we’re half hour from a fantastic goat dairy farm.
To expound on your point for those curious: A lot of infants have what is referred to as a cow’s milk “allergy” when they simply lack the enzymes to digest it. Most outgrow this issue. The reaction does present as an allergic reaction - rash, eczema, and pain.
Most do outgrow the symptoms. I really hope the kid does, as it’s easier to be able to eat cow’s dairy in our society. She’ll get to enjoy chevre either way.
@f00l Don’t know about goats. We were talking about possible dairy products for @PuppyCat
@compunaut
possibilities arise from strange beginnings.
@f00l What Ever…
PSA
is a total delight.
(Regarding delightfulness: Caregivers are allowed some small moments of doubt, caused by extreme fatigue.)
Marshmallow fondant is dairy free. Just fyi.
Since this thread is still up here, I’ll share some extra special cuteness
@Thumperchick @Barney
There’s a baby among the purple.
@Thumperchick That’s fantastic! A little wood fairy! Or nymph. Whatever - something magical
That’s my baby girl. I saw that picture tonight and I immediately teared up. So much beautiful.
@Thumperchick - Tutu cute!!
@Humper How do you not spend your days kissing those little feet??? I would never get any work done!
Ok, and those ears, and neck and the inside of the elbows… I love baby hugs… (I am not a weirdo, I promise!! ((on second thought, I might be a weirdo, but not for loving babies))) My kids are still covered in kisses, but they are sooo ticklish that they don’t get as many kisses as I would like to give them.
@Thumperchick
That kid has already figured out how to do “The Look”.
I predict her parents will be as putty before her wishes.
I predict some interesting teenage years.
Calling @Barney. Come see!
@Thumperchick I love purple and cute lil’ babies wearing purple.