I'd thought it would be fun to get in some fall family activities during what I knew would be our last weekend as a family of four. On Saturday, October 27, we went out for breakfast at a favorite local spot. Since Lindsay and I were planning to go to a grown-up's Halloween party that evening, we chatted about possible costume ideas throughout the morning. Despite having felt quite uncomfortable during the previous week, I felt great that day, so after breakfast we took the girls to a pumpkin patch.
Pookie loved being 'as high as the moon!'
on the hay maze.
Murphy Girl preferred to keep her feet on the ground.
Two happy girls.
(I posted this pic to FaceBook
noting that it was our last weekend as a family of four. Ha. Ha. Ha.)
That evening, our sitter arrived at around 5:00 and took the girls across the street to the park. I helped my friend, Byers, with a paper and then chatted with Leslie, Byers' mom, about the impending arrival later in the week. I was telling her how different it would be to have a baby in the morning since Carter and Murphy had both come later in the day. Once they left, Lindsay and I headed out to dinner; the girls were still at the park, so I didn't tell them goodbye. Lindsay and I enjoyed a soul-food FEAST (not kidding; stuffed myself) at Mert's Heart and Soul where one of the servers kidded me that the cornbread I was eating would put me into labor. Ha. Ha. Ha.
We'd decided against going to the Halloween party, and instead went to Starbucks for a little more adult time before heading home. Lindsay was happily occupied playing a game with his new Nintendo 3DS, and I played around online. About ten minutes before we left (8:45 PM), I had a contraction. A real humdinger. Though I'd been having contractions all week, I took notice of this one because it hit me as I was sitting down. All the previous ones had been movement induced and had easily ceased when I would sit down. I motioned for Lindsay to take off his headphones, and I told him about it. He sort of nodded and resumed his game play. I had one more as we were leaving Starbucks, one in the car on the way home, and one-which took my breath away-as soon as I got out of the car at home. (For anyone who's counting, that's four in 15 minutes.)
We walked in the kitchen and I jokingly told my sitter, Ashley, that I may be in labor. Ha. Ha. Ha. Her eyes were as big as saucers as she watched Lindsay and I debating the 'what ifs' of the situation. Meanwhile, the contractions kept coming. I called my cousin Amanda to see if she could come sleep at our house with the girls just in case this was the real deal. When I knew she was free, I sent Ashley on her way. At this point, it was becoming hard to tell when one contraction ended and another began, yet I was in major denial mode. The scenario looked a little something like this:
Contraction. No! I am not ready!
Contraction. No! I am not having this baby tonight.
Contraction. No! I didn't even get to tuck the girls in bed or kiss them.
Contraction. No! My mom won't be able to get here in time.
Contraction. No! Your (Lindsay's) parents and sister aren't coming till Wednesday.
Contraction. No! I'm just imagining it.
Contraction. No! I probably just need some water.
Contraction. No! I wanted to get a spray tan!
Contraction. No! I haven't packed a thing.
Contraction. No! Murphy needs sprinkles for her class party Tuesday.
Contraction. No! I wanted to get a new camera.
Contraction. No! I was going to have a blow-out so I'd be camera ready.
Contraction. No! 10/28/12 is a terrible, all even birthday.
This went on and on and on and was combined with both tears and laughs. In midst of all this, I called my mom, Lindsay texted his parents (whose reaction was 'Holy Crap!' Love that.), we threw together our things, and I called the doctor who, of course, told us to come on to the hospital. Once Aunt Mandy and her hubby arrived, things began moving much more quickly than I would have liked. She's a mommy by nature, so I really didn't have to give her any instructions about the girls, but I could feel myself stalling.
We got to the hospital by 10:45, and I was immediately hooked up to the monitors. The baby looked great, and I was most definitely in labor. The contractions were never any greater than three minutes apart but more often one and a half to two. Once I was monitored for thirty minutes, we got the news that, ready or not, baby was coming! Things then moved very, very quickly, and I felt overwhelmed and a bit scared. This was the only time Lindsay and I had ever been 'alone' during this process, and I was in a new hospital which seemed to have many policies that were quite different from my previous birth experiences in Denver. I tried to remain calm but the rush of forms to complete and IV's to start and the introduction to a not-so-kind nurse (who, incidentally, would become less and less kind as the evening progressed) got the best of me. When I learned from the anesthesiologist that Lindsay would not be able to be present during the placement of my spinal, I pretty much lost it. Throughout all of this, though, my amazing OB was with me providing a calming voice and words of comfort. She actually let me lean on her, literally, during the spinal and provided a peace that I so desperately needed. I know I must sound like a novice at this C-section business despite it being my third, but I think I became overwhelmed at both the surprising timing of the event as well as all of the newness in the procedure. Once the spinal was inserted, I became calm and so, so excited. I realized that we were minutes away from a meeting our little angel. Lindsay was let into the OR once I was all prepped, and he took over the role of chief hand holder. We chatted during the surgery itself, both of us getting more and more excited about the coming moment. I felt the pressure and pulling and tugging and knew that any second we would be hearing those first cries. At 12:51 AM the doctor pulled out the babe, and the anesthesiologist looked over the curtain and said, 'Oh BOY!' to which the OB followed up with 'It's a GIRL!' Tears poured down both of our faces. My first words were, 'Our family is perfect.' When we got our first glimpse of Wright Genevieve Lewellen, Lindsay and I immediately noticed that she looked just like Carter as a newborn. As I knew we would be, boy or girl, we were smitten with our newest little love.
I spent the next six hours in the recovery room (this part of the story is not pretty, so I'll just leave it at that.)
After the pumpkin patch pictures above,
this was the very next picture taken on my phone.
Daddy got in some sweet newborn snuggles
while mommy was 'recovering.'
Our new, precious, perfect gift.
After pulling an all-nighter, I was happy to get settled into my room and get my hands on my sweet baby girl.
When I wanted her to nurse her,
she had other things in mind.
We got as much rest as we could during the day on Sunday as I knew there were some big sisters who couldn't wait to meet their newest little. Late in the afternoon, my parents, who'd arrived sometime in the middle of the night, showed up with some very excited visitors.
Murphy Girl was obsessed with her eyes.
Carter couldn't believe how tiny her tootsies were.
Getting a closer look.
Baby Wright did not arrive empty handed.
She brought Murphy a Winnie the Pooh set.
And Carter was super excited about her Jake set.
(She'd been verbally making her request known
to my belly for weeks... as if Santa lived inside.)
Proud Pa and Nanny holding their fifth granddaughter.
Over the next couple days, Wright and I got to know each other, and I took advantage of texting and emailing to arrange logistics for the care of the big girls. (If baby girl had kept cooking till our planned c-section, Lindsay's parents would have been on big girl duty.) We were excited to have several special friends pay us a visit.
Sweet Byers.
It had been less than 48 hours since I'd been helping her write a paper!
Lilly giving me an easy hospital hair style!
Carter popped by for an after-school visit.
My biggest and my littlest.
Leslie and her baby.
Lilly kept our baby name top secret until the big day!
Aunt Mandy couldn't wait to get her hands on our newbie.
Aunt LaLa showed up with sweet treats
and sweet Baby Emerson who is just four weeks older than Wright.
On Wednesday morning, Halloween!, we were getting all packed up to head home when a nurse practitioner came in and informed us that Wright's bilirubin levels had doubled overnight, and she's need to spend the next 24 hours under the lights. Grrrr. I was so very sad that I'd be missing Halloween night with my big girls, but I knew that we needed to do whatever necessary to be sure we were taking a healthy baby home.
Nestled warmly in her home for 24 hours.
Sweet sunglasses.
Itty bitty feet.
Knowing that I was sad to miss the trick or treat night, Lindsay brought the gang to me...
Scooby Doo and Crew!
(Can't get enough of Pops as Shaggy!)
'Daphne' took off her wig for some goofing-off
in Mommy's hospital room.
'Scooby' getting a peek at baby sister.
Aunt Kiki!
I was still sad to miss celebrating the actual holiday with the big girls but was kept in the loop with pictures and videos throughout the night.
2:00 AM and bright eyed...
Nanny returned to spend the night with Wright and me
so that Lindsay could visit with his parents and lead the trick or treating.
We were thrilled to get word early the next morning that the lights had done their job, and we could take our sweet girl home. After five nights in the hospital, I was more than a little anxious to sleep in my own bed. We packed up, dressed our littlest beauty, and hit the road!
Obligatory pic by the elevator of Daddy and baby in seat.
Misha finally able to get her hands on the sleeping angel.
Another girlie to melt Pops' heart.
How much do we love having family close by!
It's been just shy of two weeks since we brought Baby Wright home. Life is being lived in three hour increments, and Mommy's cute pj's have been traded for nursing bras and a belly binder. We're all loving watching Baby Wright's integration into our family. I couldn't ask for better, more helpful big sisters, and we're all melting in newborn snuggles.