Naomi

Do you ever have those days that you wish for, and anticipate for, prepare for, and picture, dream about, and imagine every single possible detail...and the day FINALLY comes...and it exceeds every possible expectation?!? It doesn't disappoint?!?

That is my little miss Naomi's birthday in a nutshell.

Today she is 1 week old. I love her. I love our little family. Life truly feels perfect at the moment.

I know sometimes on blogs people paint really rosy pictures...but this one for me is just plain rosy as can be!

I don't want to bore anyone with a mile long narrative, and frankly I'm just not so eloquent with words, so here it is...the best way I can usually tell a story...in bullets and pictures.

 January 18th, 2012

3:00 am Wednesday morning - my water broke

to say I was thrilled would be a drastic understatement!

Spent the morning in a weirdly hyper state, showering, painting my toe nails, doing laundry, and practicing relaxing through the contractions.

8:00 am - arrived at hospital, put in traige

9:00 am - finally checked, dilated to a 4!

Contractions were still not too bad, still spaced pretty far...

 Found sitting Indian style most comfortable position.

9:45 am - checked again, at a 7!

We were shocked, I think the nurse was as well.

10:00 am - moved to our room
Trying to stay in my 'happy place' during contractions

About 10:30 am - Heidi arrived
 After capturing so many birth stories, felt an overwhelming gratitude to be on the other side of the lens!

Dr. Groom - arrived and checked me again...8!

Could not believe how fast this little girl was moving, she was as anxious as we were I think.

Kenny - I love him. He encouraged me, he supported me.
I love that just like Bennett this baby was 'ours'. Another little person half me, half him.


11:00 am - felt the urge to push
By far the hardest part of labor,
contractions were really intense
felt almost impossible to stay relaxed through them while laying down...wanted back in the comfort of my Indian style

Dr. Groom and the nurse - coaching me on pushing/breathing,
desperately tried to follow their instructions.

Pushing - it was hard, really hard...I felt like it lasted forever...
(Ken said it only lasted 10 minutes)

Heard Dr. Groom say "open your eyes, look at your baby"

...she was coming

Our little Naomi - born at 11:14, 7 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long, and perfect.

How is that crazy love so instantaneous.

Favorite quote of the day - Dr. Groom asked Kenny if he wants to cut the cord....my husbands response
"umm, no, I'm an attorney, not a doctor", so classic Kenny

...so I did it.

Couldn't believe she was finally here.

Felt a desperate urge to memorize every perfect little feature of hers - her petite pursed lips, her long fingers and toes, her profile and swooped little nose.

Felt so much gratitude to finally be holding this little girl in my arms and that she was ours to keep forever.

I love that he's her daddy.

Bennett -  Instantly infatuated.

I love how much he loves her.
I love the huge grin he gets every morning when he walks in our room and sees her.
I love that he has a new little best friend and wants her to give him high fives.
I love that she has him for a big brother.

somebody already has their daddy and big brother wrapped around her little tiny finger...what do you think?

 I love this day.
I wish I could etch into my mind every detail and every emotion.
As badly as I wanted this little girl sooner, I know she came at the perfect time in a perfect way.

just anxiously waiting...

i feel like life is a little paused at the moment, just waiting for this precious little girl to arrive. 

i probably should be enjoying full nights sleep (besides the potty breaks i guess), 

and free arms,
and the lack of spit-up smell,

and my independent (becoming even more so each day!) little man who is potty trained and feeds himself,

i should enjoy the days bennett and i wander costco for hours eating samples and reading all the books in the kids section with no interruptions...

and i do! i really do! i love this stage in our lives...

...but i'm so excited! and so anxious for this next stage!

in a weird way i'm excited to be woken up at night to feed a baby again
i'm excited to change diapers that are so tiny it's hard to conceive a bum that would fit in them

i'm excited to hold and cuddle and squish this new little person

i'm excited to stare at her face for hours and memorize all of her features and try to remember how there was ever a time when we didn't know her

i'm excited for bennett to meet his sister and in no time have a little buddy to play with

(i'm also excited to paint my toe nails without worrying if i'm causing major squishing damage to this unborn child too)

so with all that said...we are just anxiously waiting here at the lee house.