Introducing our Lydia Jean!

I would like for you to meet the newest love of our life

Lydia Jean

Born March 16th, 2013 at 8:41 am

8 pounds 10 oz

20 1/4 in long

I am not one who is usually short on words but writing a blog about the most incredible day in your life is proving to be very difficult.  The words keep escaping me because honestly, I can't even describe it.

I wanted to write about the arrival of our little girl much sooner than 2 weeks after she was born but as any momma of a newborn knows time is precious!  If I am not holding her, staring at her, feeding her, kissing her or just caring for her I am catching up on sleep and trying to get in a full meal. 

I hope I am able to remember every single moment of that first day.  I have prayed this.  But the whole day was one big wonderful blur.

I began having consistent contractions the night of March 15th around 10:00 after leaving some friends' house.  They were coming every 5 minutes but were not too terribly painful.  Plus, I had been having contractions off and on for about a week so I tried to not get too excited.  But by 1:15 am, it was safe to say I was in pain and I was excited to be!  So I woke up Chris and said it was time to go!

We were at the maternity center by 2 am and were told to walk around for a couple hours to be sure I was in labor.  I prayed and prayed for a change in dilation as we walked around the maternity ward.  I was in more and more pain (and experiencing back labor) and did not want it to be for nothing.  But, yaaaaay!-  I was admitted at 4 am.  

I progressed slowly at first- so slow intially that the doctor didn't think I would deliver before noon!  But after my water broke at 6 am things really sped up (and so did back labor).  As I am typing this, I know that I was in the most intense, incredible pain I have ever been in but I honestly cannot remember what it felt like.  I hadn't slept in 24 hours so between extreme exhaustion and the incredible pain, I am not sure how my body did what it did.

I was given the okay to push sometime after 8 and it felt good to push because my body already was trying so hard to.  At one point, the nurse grabbed Chris and said "daddy, take a look at this".  Chris looked back at me with tears streaming down his face and I asked what he saw.  He couldn't even talk- he just patted his head.  I thought he was telling me he saw her crowning, but what he meant was that he saw a lot of hair!

Seeing Chris' reaction made me want to see her even more.  The motivation worked because I only pushed for 17 minutes and with that last push one of the nurses said "Becky, look down".  (I have tears streaming down my face as I am remembering this).  It was then I saw my beautiful baby girl for the first time ever.  I could not believe something so precious and beautiful had been in there all along.  The first thing I said was "look at those cheeks!" Ha! I wanted her to have squishy cheeks and that she does! 

I cannot describe that feeling when they placed her on my chest.  She wasn't some stranger I had only laid eyes on less than a minute ago, she was my daughter who I already knew so well.  I just remember staring at her.  Feeling her warmth, listening to her very distinctive cry I had memorized instantly and thanking God for this miracle.  She laid there for awhile, I am not sure how long.  I just took her in and didn't care what else was going on around me.

The nurses took her to do all they needed to do and Chris finished off the umbilical cord.  When she was placed on the scale I laughed out loud then they read "8 pounds 10 oz".  I wasn't surprised though.  Chris and I were both in the high 8's, my brothers were in the 9's, and my dad was almost 12 pounds!  I knew all along she would be a chubby baby and I love it!  She measured at 20 1/4 in.

This is the look she gives me when I have to wake her up

We spent the next couple days just falling more and more in love with her.  I am in awe of the bond that God builds so quickly between a child and her mommy and daddy.  That first night I woke up as I would hear her cry when the nurses would be bringing her down from the nursery to eat.  I never woke up from another baby's cry...only Lydia's.  She focused right in on my and Chris' voices immediately.  It melted my heart that she already knew us.  

Here are some pictures from our hospital stay:

Grandma Pam

Grandma Kathy

Uncle Kyle and Grandma Pam

Grandpa Bob

Daddy and Grandpa Bob

Uncle Kyle

First bath- she actually did really like it after the initial shock

All cleaned up!

Grandpa Vern

Pastor Greg

Kisses from momma

First manicure from momma

Dawn and the Curry girs

Zach- our small group leader

First family picture

Daddy showing her Des Moines

Greg and Kristin- future in laws (we have arranged a marriage with their baby boy)

Momma catching up on sleep

Grandma and Grandpa B

Snuggling with momma

Snuggling with daddy

Meeting Kristen

Getting ready to go home- didn't fit into her newborn outfit mommy and daddy brought so she had to wear PJs home

Let's go home!

Needless to say, we are absolutely in love with our little girl and and so incredibly thankful for this precious gift!

As I am typing this, that day already seems so long ago- like a big fog.  I can hardly believe it happened.  I am so thankful for the long journey we had to take to get her and every way God revealed himself- from our first thought of trying to have a baby all the way to over 2 years later when the moment came for us to finally hold her in our arms.

"For this child I prayed and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him."  1 Sam 1:27