Madeline Monday: Your Birthday!

It was a very special day indeed when you arrived! And each day you have been such a wonderful blessing since.  With the early morning light coming in, you laid in my arms still asleep, little long eyelashes,round little cheeks, you little lips sucking in your dreams of food... and you are such a little treasure:)

You are now 7 months old. You like to chat with everyone with lots of Baa's, Da's and Ma's.  When you are sad or tired you use a lot of mmmmm, and maammm's, so I of course like to think you are calling for me.  The other day you kept saying "ba, ba" and once you got your bottle, you went to town.  You also will say 'ba' a lot for bears, or your stuffed animals like Mr. Peabody, the black and white panda.

You love to suck on Mr. Peabody's nose. He doesn't mind.

Our doctor was right one when it came to your due date of August 16th.  Yes, you were born on August 17th at 12:20 am, but to go into labor on the actual due date was exciting.

At 5 am I woke up with contractions starting. And having been just as bad as any menstrual cramps, I told Matt to go to work, since I had a Doctors appointment at 9 anyway. I continued to have contractions, but not close enough apart.

After my doctors appointment, I drove back home with instructions to keep busy and moving... so I went home and did dishes and ate lunch etc... come 11am, I was in a lot of pain.  Contractions feel like getting STABBED in the lower back again and again. So I called Matt. He came home an hour later.

Now Matt's co-workers thought he was CRAZY! "What?! Your wife is in labor and you came to work!!?  Are you an idiot!"

hahahahhahhahaaa.  East coast people:)

Anyway, I knew that these would last all day, but my contractions were inconsistent, so it seemed like out of nowhere the timing of them was time for me to go the hospital!

Thank goodness for Apps.  With my handy dandy i-phone, Matt found an app for 'Active Labor' for us to time them all very easily. Much easier that pen and paper.

Anyway, as the doctor said, we kept ourselves busy.  Matt loaded the car, then we went on a drive.  We ran errands at Smith's Market Place... and every time I started having a contraction I would just stop and sit down on one of the little shelves... practically on the floor... people must have thought we were nuts!

Then we went to Cafe Rio! Bad idea! I was starving, but in too much pain! So then we decided to go straight to the hospital from there.

Upon arriving we went to check in but none of the rooms were available so we just had to wait. A few others checked in too.  I was dressed and done up somewhat normal, so when a pj's, bathrobed, sickly looking woman came in with slippers and a puke cup and hair a mess and all hunched over... granted she didn't feel well either:) She got to go first! I guess next time I should better dress the part!

Soon enough it was time to waddle down the hall, stop for contractions along the way and get into the room.

Now I won't go into a lot of detail, part because it is personal, and part because when you have babies and are interested and will tell you more are you wish....

But anyway, after vomiting, squeezing any blood out of Matt's hand with each contraction, and focusing on my breathing, I finally got the IV and things were much better! Matt of course was polite and making small talk with the nurses as he does anyone and I was of course a grouch and wanted to be like, 'SHUT UP! HELLO! I am having a BABY here!' ;P lol.

But I wouldn't have had anyone else there but him! He is so supportive and loving and patient and well... AWESOME! And when you are going through something this hard, you need that!

Anyway, from 6pm to midnight, it all went down and crazy fast too! I mean the doctor was checking on other patients and their progress too and after a few check ups, she said we were in the lead! It was a race! And you won! Ha ha!

Between contractions we laughed and joked with the nurses and it was low key.

And about 12:20am, you arrived! When they pull you out, they bring you up to what they appropriately call the 'Angels Landing Pad' aka my chest. And we snuggled. You opened your little eyes and looked at me and your dad and we just cried. Neither of us had seen anything so beautiful that had brought us so much joy! So many emotions fill you in the moment.  Excitement, love, joy, peace, and being scared to death of it all at the same time of being a new parent.

Soon enough they took you away, cleaned you up and brought you back to eat and snuggle up again. The warmth touched my heart and soul.  I love you so much!

Anyway, time to wake you up! You are a sleepy baby this morning! And next time we will share visitors and your first few days of life:) XOXO , mom:)