Welcome Miss Emilia

I thought it fitting that my official first blog post be Emilia's story since, let's face it, I created this blog to show off my adorable creation! 

Emilia Cathleene made her grand entrance into this world on Saturday, December 28th, 2013 at 9:08 in the morning. After weeks of waiting and thinking she would come early (even my doctor thought so!), Dan and I finally headed to the hospital around 11 pm on Friday, December 27th, where we were promptly sent home.  This was serious bull, because the last thing you want to hear when you go to the hospital in labor is, "yes, you're in labor and yes, you'll be back again tonight, but why don't you go home for a while and relax?" (I totally hated that nurse until we became BFF's two hours later when I went back and she didn't send me home, held my hands during my epidural, and came upstairs to meet Emilia the next day since her shift ended before she was born.)

So after a whopping two hours spent back at home, Dan and I headed back to the hospital around 1:45 AM.  The wonderful nurse, who at this point was still my frienemy, suggested we walk for an hour around the lovely birthing center.  Dan and I walked for exactly 30 minutes before I marched up to the nurses station and politely said, "I don't normally do this, because I'm a rule follower, but I need to quit, so I'll be in my room." At exactly 3 am my frienemy came in and I told her I was so sorry that I didn't follow the rules, but she shouldn't hold that against me and send me home a second time.  And bless her heart, she didn't.  And we became instant BFF's.  

When people asked me what kind of birthing experience I wanted, I thought I was hilarious by telling people that I wanted to show up at the hospital, get an epidural, and nap until the baby decided to come. And it definitely defies all the laws of the universe that it would happen that way, one, because what kind of a b actually says that and then get's that experience and, two, because that's not how babies are born.  Well, (and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit how extremely and undeservedly blessed I was), that's exactly what happened next.  I was admitted at 3 am, got my epidural at 3:30 am, and slept til about 7:30 am when it was time to have a baby!

 

 Dan snapped this amazing photo of our gorgeous girl when she was just minutes old!

I could not believe the instantaneous and overwhelming feeling of love and pride I felt when that little peanut was placed on my chest.  I remember telling her how beautiful she was over and over.  And as they announced that she weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces, I could not believe she was so tiny.  Now knowing Emilia for exactly one month today, that picture of her just cracks me up.  She is known in our house for giving extremely dirty looks.  I think this one may have been her first.  Did I mention how proud I am of this sassy little peanut?

I adore my little side-kick so much.  Sometimes I still can't believe she's mine.