Rhett Michael

On Thursday, November 12, we welcomed our precious Rhett Michael and we could not love him more.  He is the perfect addition to our family and completely adored!  

My c-section was scheduled from 7:00 am on Thursday which meant we needed to arrive at the hospital at 5:00.  Reid and Georgia Kate both had viruses all week and I was so worried that they wouldn't be able to come to the hospital.  Thankfully, they were fever free all day Wednesday so we decided it would be okay for them to be there as long as we were careful.  Grandma and Grandpa were in charge of the kids Thursday, so they arrived at our house at 4:15 so we could head out, and then everyone met up at the hospital by 7:00.  Reid, Georgia Kate, Grandma, Grandpa, Mumsie, Poppies, Alli, John, Sue and Christie were all there to welcome our baby into the world!  

Our last picture as a family of four...

I couldn't wait to find out who was in there! :) 

With this being my third c-section, I would say I was definitely still a little bit nervous, but mostly just SO EXCITED!!!  There is nothing like the anticipation of meeting your baby and then of course the added anticipation of finding out if it was a boy or a girl just made me want to burst!  We had about two hours to wait and do all of the pre-op things.  Right before we walked down to the operating room my doctor popped in to say hi as well as the anesthesiologist and that's when things started to get real!  Once we were in the operating room I was just beyond ready to get things going and also anxious for Chris to be able to come in.  Once he was in the room, things moved very quickly and before we knew it, we heard the first cry and Dr. Levin was holding our precious baby over the curtain so we could see who it was!  Chris saw first and said, "It's a boy!" and I was instantly in love!  

It seemed so long until I was able to see him again and hold him!  I could hardly stand it!  

Oh how we love our Dr. Levin...

Rhett was our biggest baby by far!  He weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  Reid and Georgia Kate were 7 lb 6 oz and 7 lb 4 oz, so we couldn't believe Rhett was almost 9 pounds!  I love that he has little leg rolls!!! :) We knew from the very beginning that our boy name was Rhett Michael.  This would have been Georgia's name if she had been a boy.  I thought Reid and Rhett sounded cute together, but Rhett is also my baby brother's middle name.  Michael is Chris' middle name, his dad's name, his grandfather's name, and my Papaw's middle name.  I love that both of our boys have strong family names!  

Chris and I decided that he would go get Reid and Georgia Kate to come meet the baby first in recovery and then they would get to deliver the news to the rest of the family!  I had no idea how the big kids would react, but it was such a sweet first few minutes as a new family of five.  They came in quietly and Reid had a nervous little grin on his face.  I said, "It's a brother!" and he said, "See, I knew it!" :) Georgia was mostly distracted by my funny socks and the bed. :) 

Chris took the kids out to the waiting room to share the news that we had a baby boy!  Reid was being shy, so Georgia Kate took it upon herself to say proudly, "It's a GIRL!"  Chris quickly said, "It's not a girl.  It's a boy!" Haha!  He got the whole thing on video so I could watch it and I'm so glad!  Definitely a fun memory!  

Reid and Georgia Kate went home with Grandma and Grandpa for most of the day and then they came back up to visit later that evening and then again on Friday.  Both kids processed the new baby being here in different ways.  Reid preferred to stay away from him at the hospital, but made his brother cards and wrote Rhett's name a lot when he was with his grandparents.  He was definitely thinking about him. :) Georgia was very interested in looking at him at the hospital (even though she was and still is saying she/her)! 

This picture melts my heart...

Good Morning - big yawn on day 2!

We had a great hospital stay.  I am thankful to have had that time to recover from the surgery, as well as snuggle and love on Rhett without distractions.  We had visits from family and friends who were so excited to meet our newest love.  As much as we enjoyed our time in the hospital, we were more than ready to head home on Sunday!  

Mumsie created another gorgeous going home gown, bonnet, and blanket.  I treasure all of the pieces she makes for our children, but especially these.

Getting dressed is hard work.

We arrived home to blue ribbons on our house and trees and an "It's a boy!" sign on the door.  Rhett's welcoming committee consisted of Grandma, Grandpa, Mumsie, Poppies, Uncle Thomas, Reid, and Georgia Kate.  

This little family of mine is beyond my wildest dreams!

Once we were home and took some pictures, everyone left for a little while and it was just the five of us for the afternoon.  The grandparents came back later that evening and we had dinner, gave Rhett his first bath at home, and just hung out for a little bit.  

These pajamas were the very first baby item that we got (from Mumsie) when I was pregnant with Reid.  All three of our babies have worn them on their first night home. :) 

Chris was home Monday and Tuesday and we all loved it.  I am so thankful Mumsie was able to take off and help me on Wednesday-Friday when he went back to work.  

Reid couldn't wait to take Rhett in the car and check out the view from his new seat in the back, so we went on a Starbucks run!  I kept looking back and thinking, "Wow!  We have three kids!" 

Sweet boy at his first doctor's appointment...

This was the first time the big kids held their baby brother.  They were SO proud and it was just the sweetest moment!

He's pretty loved...

This might be my favorite picture of Rhett so far.  Little love!!! 

He looks a lot like Reid to me in this picture.  He has his own look, but I definitely think he favors Reid more than Georgia Kate.  

Well, that pretty much sums up the last week!  We cannot imagine our lives without our precious Rhett!    He is such an easy baby so far and has made the transition from 2 to 3 as smooth as possible!  

Big brother and big sister have done so well.  I'm very proud of them!  I am soaking up every single part of this newborn phase.  It is so fleeting.  I just want to hold him constantly and never put him down, so that's basically what I'm doing. :) 

Rhett Michael, we love you SO much and can't believe you are ours!