Part One:
A New Arrival
At 8:00 am on June 12, 2013, I was laying in a hospital bed quoting movie lines with my dad while Patrick and a nurse were coaching me through each push and my sister fed me ice chips. The doctor said we were getting close and that she bet the baby was around 7 pounds at most.
At 8:05 am, Lucy Joy came into the world at a whopping 8 lbs 11 oz and 19 inches long. They placed her on my chest and she gave a single soft cry that sounded like "hey" and opened her eyes and stared at me. She was so soft and slippery that I was almost afraid to touch her, but one look into those shiny little eyes and I knew I was a goner...she already had me wrapped around her little finger. I wanted to protest when the nurses came to take her away to clean her up and weigh her, but then I caught sight of Patrick--hovering protectively with that wonder struck expression--and I knew he needed his moment to stare into those little eyes too.
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| The nurses said that she must have had "two pounds in each cheek" when they weighed her! |
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| Me as a brand new mom drifting off to sleep while snuggling my little girl for the first time. (And yes, I think my smile still looks slightly drugged.) |
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| We both marveled at how much hair she had! I was certain that she was going to be bald as I was...I'm glad I was wrong. She's so adorable. Especially after a bath when she's rocking the hair do that I have dubbed "the fluffy duckling."
I don't recall much else from that day. I was worn out and heavily medicated. I remember Patch's parents coming in to see her, but then the meds took effect and I don't remember anyone else coming or going--even though I know they did. The next day was better. I was awake and able to visit with family as they all came by to say hello and have a turn holding our adorable little chunk. And the day after that, Lucy and I were given a clean bill of health and were free to go!
Our first days after coming home from the hospital were a blur of naps and semi-successful nursing sessions. (It took us both a while to get the hang of breastfeeding, but I'm glad we stuck with it, despite tears on both of our parts. I really enjoy having that time together with her...And I fully admit to loving this "eat as much as I want while still losing weight" thing. It's freaking awesome.) We didn't leave the house much. Heck, we pretty much didn't leave the bedroom unless we absolutely had to. And I'm so grateful to all of our wonderful family members who came up to help us during this time. Patrick and I couldn't have made it through that first week without you!
Part Two:
A Month of Firsts
There is no way I could cover every detail of our first month as a family. So I've tried to include as many of the highlights as possible.
Her First Photo Shoot:
This was a gift from my States sisters-in-law, and I'm so happy to have received it! The photographer did a marvelous job and I had a hard time narrowing down my five favorite pictures...
Her First "Tubby Bath:"
She takes after me in the fact that she appreciates a good soak in warm water. This is now part of our nightly routine...a bath for her and a bath for me!
Our Firstborn Baby Blessing:
My sister made her beautiful outfit. She modeled the design of it after our favorite Jane Austen costumes. She also knit the sweet lacy little bonnet. (I had made matching mitts to go with the bonnet, but I didn't count on her getting so big, so fast! They definitely didn't fit, but it was okay anyway. I did knit a white lace blanket to keep her warm in our chilly chapel.)
We were so happy to share this moment surrounded by friends and family. And even though some of our family was too far away to attend, I know we were in their thoughts, and it was wonderful to feel the love stretching across the miles.
I felt so blessed as I watched my little girl be surrounded and supported by such a large circle of worthy priesthood holders. It was a very humbling moment to visually realize how much the gospel is woven into the fabric of my life. Patrick gave a beautiful blessing that made us all get teary-eyed--he told Lucy what an influence her Mima Kim had been in our lives and blessed her that she might honor her memory and continue her legacy of "finding joy in the journey."
 
Our First Family Trip:
We went to the Bar M Ranch on the Wyoming/Idaho Border with the all the States clan. It was so beautiful up there! The house was cozy yet spacious and the scenery was fabulous. There were so many fun activities to do; but even better than that were all the helping hands available to hold and snuggle and play with the baby--mom actually got to read a book while listening to a bubbling brook and birdsong outside her bedroom window!
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2 comments:
We missed you! Glad all is going well and that you've had a chance to stop and smell the roses!
I love those newborn pictures of her, and it is so great to read about how you've fallen in love with your baby! :) Parenthood is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Also, the quilt and bear are very cute. I think it's awesome you made her a teddy bear. :)
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