Day 1

Grace, at six pounds, seven ounces, is already bringing her family an intoxicating mix of joy and exhaustion: Her first night in the hospital, she dozes in 15-minute spurts, preferring to be held, so Scott and Carolyn catch sleep in bits and pieces, too. Grace also performs spurts of another kind by filling four diapers, shedding her stomach of the meconium infants ingest in utero. Grace sounds stuffy, though the hospital nurses assure the new parents that it?s the mucous and fluids clearing out of her nose. To get through night duty, Scott pulls two chairs together to sleep on (only realizing on the second night that the chairs pull out into beds). Both parents are clearly tired but continue to share the exciting news with friends and family via their cellphones. ?I had to confiscate Carolyn?s phone because she needed sleep,? says Scott. ?She only slept for 15 minutes but she was out, snoring. She never snores.?  Day 2

After being released from the hospital and arriving home, Carolyn and Grace are working on breastfeeding. Carolyn worries about Grace not waking up to feed, and since Grace left the hospital at five pounds, 14 ounces?having lost almost nine percent of her baby weight?feeding is Carolyn?s prime concern. (Most babies lose weight after birth, although if they lose more than 10 percent of their weight, paediatricians often start recommending feeding alternatives). ?It?s like she lost her sucking ability,? says a slightly frustrated Carolyn. ?She will ro...