Joy is Here!

This is a very quick post (we promise we'll write a longer one when we're able). We just want to let everyone know that our little girl arrived unexpectedly on Friday morning (February 17th). Emily went into labor in the middle of the night, around 12:30. We weren't expecting our little girl to arrive for another 5 weeks, but apparently she had other plans!

Joy Basma Christensen was born by emergency Cesarian Section at 10:01AM on February 17th at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. She weighed 2.885 kg, or 6lb 5oz. They haven't told us her length (as apparently they don't really track that sort of thing here). She's been struggling with jaundice since about 2 hours after birth, but is improving. This morning they finally took her off the "phototherapy" (UV lights around her incubator), which is a sign that she's more able to manage her bilirubin levels on her own (that's the component of her blood that creates the jaundice).

We've taken loads of photos already and we're planning on writing a post filled with great pictures of our little girl. For now though, we'll just post a video. This is Emily's first chance to change Joy's diaper (in the incubator). We took it this morning (Sunday) around 11AM, which means that Joy was 49 hours old at the time.




We'd like you all to know how much your prayers and encouraging words have meant to us. Although we have been physically distant from our families, we feel that all your love has been very near at hand.

Em's mom has just arrived from England to stay with us for the next 3 weeks, helping us out and generally just loving on our little daughter. Thanks Susan! (and thanks Paul for letting us have take her from you for so long!)