Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Meet My New Little Sweetheart: Abigail Grace

After months of waiting, back pain, chiropractor visits, doctor's visits, cartons of strawberries and boxes of Dunkin Donut chocolate Munchkins, I was ready to meet this girl.

Her due date was February 24, although it looked like she would be here a week or two earlier than that. I was ecstatic!

Well, February 24 came and went, amidst a lot of false labor starts and stops. One night I had contractions for six HOURS, and then they just... stopped. So we waited some more.

March 5 came around, and at my doctor's visit that day my doc said, "Hannah, you need to have this baby. I'm going to schedule you for an induction tonight," and I was so relieved!! Little miss simply didn't want to come out on her own!

At 8:00 that night, Scot and I went to the hospital and were shown to our room. We had a nice LDS nurse who knew where Mesa was, and we talked about the snowbirds while she tried to get an IV line into my arm. She couldn't, and it took two other nurses and the anesthesiologist's assistant to finally get one in just above the bend in my right elbow, which meant I could not bend my arm for the rest of labor and delivery. Fun.

Well, things progressed nicely until the next day when I requested an epidural. It took the lady three tries to get it in, and she kept picking spots that were right where my back injury is from those falls back in high school marching band (side note: if Abby ever wants to march with a bass drum, I'm telling her no!), which made me jump. Thank God I didn't paralyze myself!! Once it was in though, things were hunky-dory until it came time to push, because little miss was sunny side up (can you say back labor much?) and insisted on an hour and a half of me pushing to get to meet her. But oh, how cute she was! And is!

After 24 hours of labor, Abby made her appearance at 7:05 p.m. on March 6, weighing in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 19 and 1/4 inches long. There are no words to describe the joy I felt looking my daughter in the eyes for the first time, and her little eyes looking back at me; to see her cute little cheeks and watch her move her arms and kick her legs. Scot held her first, and she just looked and looked at him. We were in love from the start, and in amazement at her that first night. All the nurses said she was a very cute baby, too. Cuter than most. ;)



Today she is just over a month old, and is growing and changing every day. She laughs in her sleep (grandma says she remembers playing with the angels), and is starting to smile more and more. She has the sweetest disposition, and loves her snuggles and kisses. Nothing smells as good as she does after a bath, and I love burying my nose in her downy-soft hair. Her hair, by the way, is both light and dark-- she hasn't yet made up her mind what color hair she will have... but she has a lot of it. Her eyes are the same way; some days they look brown, and others they look hazel. We don't know yet what they are, although I'm betting on hazel. She holds her pacifier in her mouth, and is working on putting it back in when it falls out. She can hold her head up and move it around, and doesn't hesitate to change it to get comfortable when she's on someone's shoulder. Her little baby noises are purposeful. She will definitely let me know what she wants and doesn't want, a little scary for one so young, and she is very curious about her world already. Particularly the crinkly plastic bags I put her diapers in, she is all about those.



I had no idea this little person would change my life so quickly. I knew that babies did that, that someday I would probably have kids and do the "mom" thing, but I had no idea it would come so fast and with such joy! I absolutely love being her mom.


I can't wait to read her my favorite books, and to show her the classics when she's old enough.

I can't wait to have her "help" me in the kitchen, spilling flour everywhere and playing with dough.

I can't wait to get her a big floppy hat and let her dig beside me in my garden, and to see her face when little seedlings sprout up through the ground.

I can't wait to grow flowers and have her take some to the residents in the nursing home down the street from our house, to teach her about love and caring for others. About gentleness and the simple joys in life.

I can't wait to have tea with her and her stuffed animals, as an honored guest.

I can't wait for all of the little girl things, that turn into big girl things, that turn into womanly things.

Guys, I have a daughter!!

I couldn't be more thrilled.

But for now, I am content to hold her in my arms and marvel at her silky baby skin, and smile when she smiles back at me. To sit quietly for long stretches of time because this baby girl needs her mom, while she holds my finger with her little hand to tell me so. These days will go quickly, and I don't want to miss them! Not any part of them.


I'm officially in the mom club now.


1 comment:

  1. Oh Hannah, she is Beautiful! I am so very excited for you and Scot. Abigail sounds like huge blessing and life-changer already. And your sweet little girl shares a first name with my 6 month old niece - yay! Your post made me smile inside and out... :)

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