September started amidst a flurry of joyful unpacking. Ryan Michael loved rediscovering packed toys. The whole family was excited. As we neared Ryleigh’s birthday we started preparing for her in fun ways. Here Ryan is standing on his KiddyBoard, a special gift from Gma Rissa! This is a sort of skateboard that is attached to Ryleigh’s stroller. He can ride along behind her as I push them through the stores. Ryan was so excited and required many rides before she actually arrived!
When the day finally arrived, Ryan and Tasha drove up to help. Tasha was so excited to meet her niece! She also brought me a hospital gift pack of Gas-X and sugarless chewing gum. According to a study she read, the gum helped in stimulating the intestinal track post surgery. Funny thing was, during the C-Section, the doctors and nurses were discussing this very same study and its validity! Way to stay ahead of the game Tasha!! Here we are comparing our pregnant bellies in my final pregnancy hours!
Here Mike and I are posing for a picture before leaving for the hospital.
This is Mike and I as we signed in for delivery. The staff was exhausted and unready for us. The tension was high and we could feel it. However, everyone responded so well to our cheerfulness. In fact, my anesthesiologist exclaimed that we were the perfect way to end a shift, especially a shift like they all had had. We were honored. My anxiety was high in the 36 hours before the surgery and I had been praying Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” How fitting that this verse (and our honoring of it that day) would be more nurturing to those who were serving us than it was for me. Our gentleness and confidence in Christ helped a distraught staff and allowed them to start their weekends on a better note. While sitting on the OR table later that day, I reflected on this truth and marveled on how God always seems to go deeper when you are willing to just simply meet Him! He always goes the Extra Mile! I thought the verse would only help me stay focused and fearless, but God used it to do just that but also to help those with which we came into contact. Beautiful.
Our Labor and Delivery Nurse Stephanie prepping me before heading to the OR.
Mike being silly.. ..keeping our humor high. The nursing staff was in love with his disposition!
It was only minutes later that Ryleigh Miquelle made her presence known to the world! Her proud Dada was by her side the whole time! What a good father.
I was allowed to hold her almost immediately. What a difference from Ryan’s arrival. I was only allowed to see him until much later. We were so calm and cheerful that I didn’t have to have my arms tied down to the table as they usually have to be. So when Ryleigh was born, I was allowed to hold her and comfort her. It was so beautiful. I was sad when they had to take her away. But I was still fascinated with watching the surgery through the mirrored lamp above my head, so it was all good. I was well entertained until I could be reunited with Mike and Ryleigh again!
When I was all stitched up, Mike and Dr. Fraser shot the breeze!
Mike and his new daughter.
My Daddy congratulating me post-op.
Ryleigh swaddled and sleeping in Papa Reid’s arms.
Our first visitors, Don and Dor. Here Pop-pop got to hold his newest granddaughter.
Our favorite nurse, Rita, who was our labor and delivery nurse for Ryan Michael, stopped by many times to visit us. Here she is holding Ryleigh. It was so good to see her again!
In fact we had many of the same nurses and nurses’ aides. We were honored to have been remembered and we rejoiced to catch up on their lives since three years ago. It was amazing. But our stay with them was shorter than last time. We were only in the hospital for 48 hours, so all too soon we were saying good bye and heading home (although, I will easily admit to being very ready to go). I missed Ryan so much and I was anxious to be in my own bed. So after a few delays (thanks to a faulty Billy-meter) we were on our way. It was on our trip home that everything began to hit me. (It was probably due to the meds, hormones, and stress too… but we don’t have to get into that just yet…;) We were not driving to my parent’s house with a looming airplane trip to Colorado; we were driving to our comfy bed in our home with my whole family gathered to welcome us back from the hospital. It was overwhelming to think of how God had so greatly blessed us. Poor Mike had deal with my emotional reflections while driving us home. He was patient and sweet, what a good man!
Here is Auntie Tasha holding her newest niece, so sweetly curled up on her shoulder.
Gma Rissa holding her too!
Even Ryan was allowed to hold his sister!
He was so proud to be such a big boy!
Although, he still knew how to be the center of attention….
Ryleigh finally sleeps in her bassinette, adorned in many of her shower gifts, she slept peacefully; a vision in raspberry pinks!
2 comments:
You beat me to it! She's beautiful.
I can't get over how much hair she has! Beauty!
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