Little Leelee

I'm finally getting around to posting our baby story. Around the first week of July I was starting to get excited for Leelee to join us and as the dates started to roll by I kept hoping I'd go into labor. July 7th would have been cool since her sister's birthday is 8/8, or 7/8 would have been fun too, or lucky 7/11, or 7/13 (my birthday), 7/15 (Michelle's birthday), 7/17 (I just like the numbers), 7/20 (my grandma's birthday), or 7/21 (Kris' grandma's birthday).  Pretty much any day in July would have worked. My due date was the 19th so I was praying that whatever day she did decide to come it would be before that date.  I was going out of my mind crazy being super pregnant in the middle of this hot summer with all the kids home. Out. Of. My. Mind. Crazy. Just ask Kris or the kids. On second thought, don't ask them as I'm sure they would be brutally honest and I'd rather pretend like it didn't happen.

I had lots of contractions starting around the second week of July thus feeding into my furious desire to go into labor. I dragged Kris on many hot summer night walks around the neighborhood trying to get them to progress into something serious.  We had an unfortunate trip to the hospital after having several hours of regular contractions that were getting seemingly stronger and were less than five minutes apart. We dragged the kids out of their beds in the middle of the night and hauled them to my mom's only to be sent home from the hospital after 5 hours of being monitored and walking the halls. I don't dilate early and I was too far from my due date for them to "help" me along so they sent me home and of course eventually the contractions stopped. That had never happened to me before, I felt so dumb. Here I am having my sixth child, I KNOW what it's like to go into labor for crying out loud! I thought for sure I would not leave that hospital without a baby.  And to top it off Kris wasted one of his precious vacation days that would've come in handy when the baby actually got here!

Further into the month I began to get increasingly discouraged but eventually came to the realization there was nothing I could do to speed things up. So we waited and waited. We watched her due date roll by (the kids were certain she would be born that day since it was her DUE DATE after all!) At my appointment that day the doctor left it up to me, whether I wanted to be induced or not. At this point my frazzled brain and hot, heavy laden body could handle no more. Induce me! Please! I was SO ready!

I really wanted to go into labor on my own but I don't think she had any intentions of coming out anytime soon so on the 22nd we headed to the hospital to help her along. We had an awesome nurse, same one that had been there the night we had the false episode and she remembered us. We laughed and joked the whole time. She has a son named Rush, how cool is that? Everything went so smoothly. The anesthesiologist jokingly asked us if we were going for the big family discount, buy 6 get one free.

Me, moments before changing into that lovely hospital gown.

Kris moved his chair across the room so he could sit next to me in the rocker. This is the scene our nurse walked into and she asked us for our camera. We were like two little old people sitting in our rockers watching TV. Reminds me of my great-grandma and grandpa, they had two recliners together in front of the TV.

The labor and delivery were great. Once my water was broken she was born quickly. In fact, we had been watching Wheel of Fortune, my mom was there and if you know my mom she doesn't miss Wheel, not even for a grandbaby :) and Leelee happened to be born right during the middle of it. Not that we were watching or anything (well, Mom might have been) and we joked about naming her Vanna. Such a happy, wonderful time. We are so blessed.

Our Little Leelee

July 22nd

8 lbs. 15 oz.

21in.

(2nd biggest, I can't believe I thought she would be my smallest!)

It's good to start life off with a few good leg rolls.

Finally a sister!

Big Bro Colbs

Daddy and daughter

Meeting Grannie, part of her namesake. (Actually, she'd already met her the day before...)

A family portrait for me at the hospital by Owen

Big Bro Matt

Big Bro O

Big Bro Rex

(this little girl is going to have some serious protection)

Our happy family

We feel so blessed and happy to have Leelee in our family. She has a sweet and calming presence. She is loved by all. Colby has his moments of picking on her but mostly he loves to hold his little Weelee (as he calls her). I am just trying to savor the days of her newborn babyness, I know they will be gone far too soon...