Mis Tres Hijos: Being on the other side

When things are happening to me, I think I have a more tunnel-like vision of what's going on. I wasn't assuming that things affect others quite as dramatically when you're going through something. I was waaay off. The anticipation for this little baby was a struggle, and I can only imagine what it must have been like for Kevin and my families when they were waiting for the boys to be born. It's exciting, thinking of how your family will grow and change with this new person included. It's amazing how much love you can have for this little person...even when it is not your "own."

Joe and Erin went to the hospital Tuesday morning, after a night filled with contractions. They told her that she wasn't far enough along and they went home to walk. They went back to the hospital at 3pm, Erin was 4 cm. along, they gave her an epidural not long after and then began the wait.

Louie had a game that night and afterward I went over with my parents to the hospital. We got there about 9:30pm. Erin's mom and sister, Pam, waited with us and originally we had planned to leave around 11:30pm or so if there was no progression. Well, of course we weren't going to leave once they kicked us out of the room! The baby was born at 12:27am, weighing 8 lbs. 8oz. and measured 21 1/2 inches. We weren't called in until about 45 min. later. It was excruiciting! Especially when my mom checked at the nurse's station to see how things were going. They told her the baby was indeed born, but she wasn't going to tell us what it was!

When Joe came out he had a look on his face that I had never seen before. He had the weathering of a man who had endured seeing the love of his life in so much pain, but he had glimpses of the little boy I've known his whole life--so excited and so amazed that the events that had just occured. Walking back to the room I got tears in my eyes. Yes, I'm at the end of my preganancy and my hormones are on overdrive, but this was a new experience for me! I got to see a new baby in the first hour of her life, someone whom is connected--in a different way--to me and I already love.

I am very proud to introduce the pictures of Miss Grace Leigh, the child who made Joe and Erin parents, my parents grandparents to a girl, and who made me and Kevin an aunt and uncle!