Fiona Smiling? Yeah... well, labor has yet to kick in! ;)

Rough way to come into the world, wouldn't you say?

Here's the proof that he's gonna someday beat up his big brother that was only 8 lb 2 oz!

Snuggles with Daddy

Nothin better than Daddy time!

I look like Yoda when daddy burps me!

For some reason, my big brother & sister liked to play with the silly putty more than me!

Grandpa Ripplinger was my very first visitor... about an hour after I was born!

Tiredness aboundeth...

Yes, sometimes I do venture to peak at this odd world of yours!

My mommy thinks my skin is sooo soft!

No more tickles! I refuse to wake up!

It's great to be so loved!

Emma and Joshua helped dad make frosted cookies to have a party when Daniel came home.

Daniel Paul Feickert is named for his great paternal grandparents, Daniel Feickert & (pictured here) Paul Ripplinger.

Joshua thinks it's pretty cool being a big brother, and loves to remind people to be careful of the baby's fontanels (soft areas of the cranium).

Emma has set aside her demands for a sister (for a very short while) and has been tickled pink to have such a sweet little brother.

Almost the whole family...

Marc's determined to wrap this boy around his finger early on.

But they were very excited to see Daniel... Fiona just couldn't reach the camera from her bed when Joshua & Emma got to hold Daniel.

(Traffic was so bad, that well, wouldn't you use the excuse of a new grandson to visit to wait for the roads to clear up?!)

Daddy took Joshua and Emma for a walk around the hospital. When they saw the gift shop, they both kept asking what present they were going to buy for mom, so Dad (easily) caved in and let them get her a flower. Emma made sure they got a pink one.

But Emma was concerned that they had no balloons for the party. So... she has created her "Dora" balloon, a "castle" balloon, and a "tool box" balloon... the whole living room was decked out!

(On a funny side note, Marc is so used to following up the name Paul with the name Ripplinger, that he keeps almost filling out forms with our son's name as Daniel Paul Ripplinger.)

Now that Daniel's a few days old, he's giving us an hour at a time of loverly eye contact and cuddles.