One Week Old

Yesterday was Susanna's original due date. We were very glad to spend the day with her at home, and not in the hospital!

Napping with Daddy

To celebrate her first week, we all bundled up and made our first family outing - to the market & back.

Dressed extra warmly for her first outing.

Mommy is very happy the stroller fits into the elevator!

We received this duck as a shower gift, and we decided we'd take Susanna's picture with it as she grows. It may be awhile before she's as big as the ducky!

Susanna Jane Brande - one week old

Coming Home

Thursday morning around 10:30, I called Christiana to find out what the doctors had decided and was very excited to find out that she and Susanna had been given the "all-clear" to go home.  So I scrambled and in about an hour, wrote out lesson plans for all the classes that needed to be covered Thurs afternoon and Friday.  Around 12:30, some friends from school  -- who had offered their car -- picked me up at the apartment, and we drove to the hospital.  When I got there, I learned that all the paperwork was done and everyone was ready to come home.  So we packed Susanna in her snow suit that was 3 sizes too big, put her in the car seat and headed home.  We were all very thankful to be home, especially Christiana! After sleeping on a hard hospital bed for 4 nights, our bed was the perfect way to catch up on rest.  And praise the Lord, Susanna slept almost 5 hours her first night home.  What a joy to have our family together in our own apartment!

Brande New Baby

We are excited to announce the arrival of our daughter, Susanna Jane Brande, on November 10, 2013.

She arrived at 11:22 am, Prague time, and weighed 5.3 lbs, measuring 18.5 inches. Christiana labored at home, and we arrived at the hospital barely an hour before she was born. We were blessed to have excellent nurses and a doctor who spoke English.

Because she is so small, Susanna had to spend her first day in an incubator, which has been very hard on Christiana, but she's now with her mommy, and we're praying she'll be coming home very soon.

Thank you for the many prayers you have prayed for Baby B's safe arrival.We can't wait to have Susanna Jane home with us!