This announcement was posted in the window at the drugstore in Petersburg.
(They post all the new arrivals but Colette might just be the cutest of them all.)
Hello again friends and family! So much for a blog to keep you updated rht!? Our little girl is now 3 weeks old (wow!) and it's my first time back on a computer. Despite mostly sleepless nights, seemingly constant nursing and a little muffin who prefers to be held constantly, life is wonderful. Colette is "a good eater" and very alert when she's awake so Nick and I have spent many hours just watching her explore things. She's also a mover and shaker during those alert times so whether or not she chooses to dance we're pretty sure this girl is going to be active!
"Hello World! I have arrived!"
Let me back up a little and tell you about her arrival. Be forewarned, Details included :)
Sunday morning, October 16th, I woke up at 5am with some cramping. At this point we were 4 days shy of her due date and I had completely convinced myself that she would not make her grand entrance until at least the 21st. I didn't have any tell tale signs of going into labor so I didn't think much of the cramps. However they were uncomfortable enough to keep me from getting back to sleep so I gave in and got up. By 6am I realized these cramps were coming and going . . . and my handy contraction counter said they were 6-7 minutes apart. Although they were close together, with them being so mild I was positive that this was a trial run. Mom got up at 6:30 and we decided to take a stroll down to Starbucks. Ha! Our walk might have lasted 15 minutes total and by the time we were home, it was decided that it was time to call Nick, book his flight and call the midwife. We made arrangements to meet the midwife at the birth center at 9am (now about an hour and a half) figuring that it would be a good time to go and check to see how I was progressing.
Well, I was progressing quickly. While mom busied herself around the house packing bags for a long day of labor, Dad stayed with me through contractions which were becoming more intense with every one. I focused myself on breathing through each one, mostly preferring to be on all fours or bent over a counter, chair, exercise ball, basically whatever was closest. Dad finally told mom (twice apparently) "You need to go - NOW." By the time we got in the car the contractions were 3 minutes apart and I was dreading sitting upright. The change in position seemed to also change the pressure I was feeling and I knew then that this baby was not far away.
I'm rather fuzzy on details from this point on but I know I could hear and comprehend the midwife's instructions, Mom was frantically getting a hold of Colleen to hurry up, and she did arrive shortly after. That nice big bathroom at the birth center was quickly crowed with 5 of us in there but I was content and didn't want to move to any suggested places, mostly because I didn't want to actually move and the contractions were very close together. I was able to sit up, perched on my throne, and push through contractions, and then completely relax back onto the provided pillows in between. For the final pushes, I started standing/squatting, shocking my sister and making way for Colette. A few big pushes later and there she was, the 6th person in the room! (Make that 7 because Dad had been just outside the bathroom door listening and stepped in at just the right time) The umbilical cord was loosely wrapped twice around her neck and Susan and Olivia swiftly unwrapped it as they cleaned her off and handed her to me, my daughter.
As I began crying I looked up from her face to see my Mom, my Dad and my sister - making such a special moment even more amazing. I wish with all my heart that the situation could have been different and Nick could have been there too but the way it did happen was something pretty spectacular. And after all the difficulties of the past few weeks with Dad's accident and surgery, it meant the world to me that he was there to cut the baby's umbilical cord, just like he did mine 27 years ago. My dad also called Nick right away with the news and he could hear his little girl in the background making her first cries. Keep in mind that Nick was rather stunned since the last phone call he received from me, I was still saying it could be awhile. From looking at the paperwork later on, I was admitted to the birth center at 9:13am and Colette was born at 10:04am, 6 pounds, 6 ounces and 18 3/4 inches long.
Over the past few weeks she has been held and loved by so many, first at home in Tucson and now at home in Petersburg.
Daddy's first night with his baby girl.
Grammy and Grandpa
Uncle Kevin and Auntie Colleen
Great-grandma Burke
Great-grandpa Boggs
Opa (Grandpa Boggs)
(Officer) Uncle Joe
And so many more!
Nick and I thank everyone who has offered continuous love and support throughout this amazing experience. We are lucky to have you all in our lives and now so is our daughter. I hope to keep writing as our adventure continues and share with you some of Colette's milestones - hope you keep enjoying my stories.
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