On July 22 our lives were forever changed once again with the birth of our beautiful baby girl. I said this after Reid was born too...Georgia Kate is exactly what I always wanted. God sure knows what He's doing. :)
The whole day was just perfect and magical. Because we had a scheduled repeat c-section, we were able to make plans for Reid ahead of time. Chris and I left the house around 9:30 to head to the hospital. Our precious friends the Myers watched Reid during the day. It was emotional to say goodbye to Reid for the last time as an only child, but we were also so excited to meet his baby brother or sister! We arrived to check in around 10:30 and I felt like things happened so quickly from there! There was a little bit of waiting, but I felt more relaxed than anxious because I knew what was going to happen. Our families arrived around 11:30 and my parents and sister came back to keep me company until it was time to go to the OR. They wheeled me to the OR and the prep time was close to 30 minutes. Chris had to wait in the hallway for all of the prep. I wasn't very nervous, just so so so excited! The spinal tap made me very nauseous, so the worst part was getting sick after I was already strapped down. Yuck. Once Chris got to come in, it was go time and it was so fast! Our doctor had us look at the baby ourselves to see if we had a baby boy or baby girl. It was a little hard to tell at first because of the angle she was holding her. When she said, "It's a girl!" I was truly SHOCKED. Dr. Levin used the word flabbergasted to describe the look on my face and I would say that's about right.
Georgia Kate will forever be one of the best and biggest surprises of my entire life.
One of the amazing changes that they have made at the hospital since Reid's birth is that the babies go to recovery with Mommy after a c-section. I loved this. Chris and Georgia Kate went to recovery to wait for me while they were finishing me up. I got to hold her immediately, which was so special. Something else that was really fun was that I got to be the one to tell our families the gender of our baby! Chris got to tell them with Reid and even though I got to watch a video of that, I loved getting to see their reactions in person! The grandparents all came to recovery first and then my sister, John, and Chris' cousin Christie. My mom's reaction was about like mine...shocked!
Reid came up to the hospital that evening to meet his baby sister. I didn't really have any expectations for that moment. We had talked about Baby Georgia before (when talking to him about his brother or sister) so I was hoping he would at least recognize her name and make somewhat of a connection. Once he got in the room, he was kind of uninterested in her. She got him a big brother gift and that was what he was focused on. He eventually climbed into the bed with me, which was just what I needed. When it was time for him to leave, we told him he was going to go eat dinner with all of the family. He did not want to leave. My dad walked out with him and he was reaching for me yelling, "Mommy come!! Mommy come!" I could hear him crying and yelling all that way down the hallway. It was heartbreaking. After that we decided it was best for him to not come back to the hospital. My dad took him back to the beach for a couple of days because my grandmother and some of the family were going to be there all week. I think it was a good distraction for him, but I missed him SO much. We stayed at the hospital from Monday to Thursday. I really felt like I needed that just from a recovery aspect. Our hospital stay was a wonderful experience. I love how it feels like the world just stops for those few days. I loved the one on one time we got with Georgia Kate. Our time was spent falling in love with her and getting to know each other. I am completely amazed all over again with the miracle of life!
My mom came up to the hospital on the day we went home to help get Georgia Kate dressed in her going home gown and to take some pictures for us. Mumsie outdid herself once again and created a beautiful going home gown with a matching bonnet and blanket for our baby girl. Georgia Kate wasn't a fan of getting dressed, but she looked like a baby doll! For all of those that were concerned that our possible daughter wouldn't have any clothes since we didn't know what she was, you can now rest easy. Baby clothes are Mumsie's thing. This girl had herself a pretty nice wardrobe within a couple of days of birth. :)
We arrived home to a yard decorated in pink! It was so fun! Reid was waiting for us on the porch with all of his grandparents. I had missed him so much and couldn't wait to hug and kiss all over him. He walked over to the car to look at his baby sister and then he and I walked hand in hand into the house while Daddy carried Georgia Kate. The very first thing he said was, "Baby Georgia watch Reid swing!" He wanted her to come outside and watch him swing. Precious. We all went out there and Chris and I pushed him on the swing while Georgia Kate "watched". The afternoon and evening were spent with our families. There were a few challenging moments with Reid and my heart was just hurting for him. He didn't quite understand what was going on. He didn't want me to hold Georgia Kate. Over the last few days we've seen him transform into a big brother and it has been such a precious thing to see. I am so proud of him. Hearing him say her name ("Baby Jo-Ja") is the sweetest sound ever! We had to take Georgia Kate to the doctor the very next morning after being home because she had lost too much weight in the hospital. Our appointment was at 8:30! I was so impressed with us for all four being ready, out the door, and EARLY to our appointment after getting basically no sleep. Yay! I know our parents would have watched Reid, but we didn't want him to feel like we were leaving him again after just getting home from the hospital. Reid was so excited that Georgia Kate was riding next to him in the car. He wanted to show her all of his favorite landmarks that he sees when we leave the house. "Show Baby Georgia horses. Show Baby Georgia a-day (alligator)." When we got to the doctor Reid wanted to push Georgia Kate's stroller. He was SO proud. When a lady stopped to admire the baby, Reid looked up at her and said "Baby Georgia" in his sweet little voice like he was showing off his baby sister. It was a moment I will never forget! Now he's all about his role as big brother. He likes to help by giving her her paci and he loves to point out her little features, especially her feet. He thinks everything she does is so funny!
Reid wore the same pajamas on his first night home, minus the bow. ;)
Reid "holding" Georgia Kate for the first time...
Meeting Uncle Thomas and Great Grandmother Guinny...
Let's talk about her name. I love traditional southern names that aren't very common. I also love double names. Right now she gets called Georgia and Georgia Kate, so we will see if the double name sticks or not. Georgia Kate is a name we've loved since before Reid was born! Yes, she happens to share a birthday with the royal baby. Yes, his name is George. Yes, his mother's name is Kate. HOWEVER, we had her named the second she was born and George wasn't named until the next day. Just funny coincidences!
A new baby always reminds me how blessed we are with such wonderful people in our lives. We have been surrounded by family and friends wanting to come spend time with Georgia Kate! She is a very loved baby girl! Our parents are making sure Reid is getting plenty of attention. I've also been able to steal some sweet one on one moments with my favorite little boy while someone is loving on my favorite little girl. We are so grateful to my mom for helping us around the house with dishes, laundry, etc. and to our friends for the delicious meals! :) All of this has made the transition so much smoother!
I am LOVING and appreciating the newborn phase so much this time around. I just know how quickly it passes. I am eating up every little coo, every little facial expression, every little sleepy smile, all of it. I loved this phase with Reid too, and I specifically remember all of the times I was laying with him sleeping on my chest and thinking to myself, "enjoy this because you won't get to do it forever". Georgia Kate is the BEST cuddler. She wants to be held constantly and I am more than happy to oblige. I don't believe you can spoil a baby and one thing I know for sure is that I will never, ever regret putting off chores or my to-do list to hold one of my babies.
I am so overwhelmed with love for my two babies!
