Today is Nea's 3rd birthday!! We are excited to spend the entire weekend at Grandma's house celebrating, having yummy cake, and egg hunting!!
Below are 2 posts I wrote surrounding Nea's birth. The first was written on March 23rd.....
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Dear Miss Ántonea,It has come to our attention that the terms and conditions set upon for "pregnancy" have quickly come to close. You have been uncooperative thus far to make any efforts to emerge from your current dwelling. This current state of affairs was generously offered to us by your current landlord, hence forth known as The Auntie Brenda.
The Auntie Brenda and her mate, henceforth known as Scott the Great Man, graciously agreed to care take you during this particular time of your life. Their offspring, known as Skylar the Sweetie, has also been integral in your care as you have progressed.
It should also be noted that vacating your current home situation would also bring much joy to the landlord as well as your parents, henceforth known as The Mommy & The Daddy. Mommy and Daddy do not have an infinite amount of patience, I am afraid. However, you will find that they have an infinite amount of love and we believe this to be a suitable trade.
Other interested parties include The Grandparents, as well as The Aunts,and The Uncles and very importantly, The Cousins. All have been anticipating your immediate departure from the current living situation. Mason, in particular is looking forward to not being at the bottom of Cousins List, he is happy to hand you the torch.
I must warn you Miss Ántonea, that steps are underway to assist your immediate eviction. We will allow you 5 days, and then we will take action. At the request of the Landlord, The Mommy and The Daddy a procedure known as induction will be placed upon you on Sunday March 28th. If you would like to make a statement directly before that date arrives, feel free to let us know in person.
Again, we are confident that a mutual agreement can be found on this matter. Might I suggest you follow the dark tunnel soon!
Fondly,
Buffy
The Mommy
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And this is the post describing Nea's birth written on April 5th...... (with pictures of the event added!)
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Ántonea's arrival into the world was much anticipated by so many of us. Jon and I started with a blessing of wonderful friendship with Scott and Brenda and had the privilege to participate in an amazing journey with them. But I think I've come to realize that this just isn't our journey, because we took so many of you along the ride with us.
The labor and delivery portion of this story is very sacred to all of us, so I will not share it here. Suffice it to say, that our families came together in ways I could not dare to dream. Spending time with Brenda while she labored is something I will always cherish. I've been with many of my friends when they gave birth to their babies and I'm always in awe of the whole thing. It doesn't matter if it's my baby, their baby, a stranger's baby....being in the presence of a woman while she is bringing life into this world is an honor. I am always changed by each and every birth. Our friend Meg was part of this story too, and we were grateful for her love and patience that day.
Jon, myself, my mom and my sister were all waiting in a room for Ántonea to be delivered to us. There was quite an electricity in the air. My sister was pacing, which I've never seen her do! Jon and I stood by the warmer, knowing that is where they would bring her first. As soon as the nurse stepped into the room with a bundle in a blanket I swear there was a light around that child. I couldn't see her face, her head or any part of her body...she was totally covered. But I could feel her, sense her, and had such an eager need to touch and connect with her.
The nurse laid her on the warmer, and Tarra started immediately snapping photos. She got some awesome shots, which I am very grateful for! I could hear Mom crying....like we all knew she would. :-) Jon and I inspected Ántonea from her perfectly round head to her tiny sweet toes. We talked to her, touched her and began inhaling the scent of her.
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| Mommy and Nea meet for the very first time. |
I think new babies are amazing creatures. For me, in my experience, it's like all of that wonder and potential of a new life is all wrapped up in one ball of energy. And for those first few moments, that energy is surrounding the baby, becoming a part of her....and eventually absorbed by her never to be seen on the "outside" again. But for those precious, mesmerizing moments....we get to see with the human eye what love looks like.
Everyone was able to meet Nea then. Mom held her, Tarra held her, and of course Jon and I sat and held her for awhile. Her eyes were goopy, but she was awake and alert.
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| Aunt Tarra and baby Nea |
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| Poppa and baby Nea |
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| Grandma and baby Nea |
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| After our first nursing session |
Of course Nea knew exactly what she was doing....me...well, I knew what to do in theory, but really had to get good with the dexterity of it all! Nea was able to move to the breast by herself...no forceful latching on. She did it on her time table.....which was something I felt strongly about wanting. The "breast crawl" is a primitive instinct we are all born with and it's amazing to watch. That feeling is about 10-fold when you are participating in it!
Just for clarification, I have been inducing lactation for several months now. I have been pumping, and taking herbs that help with milk production. Right now, I do not have enough milk to sustain life but Nea and I use an SnS. An SnS is a bottle, that has a tiny tube that comes out of it. The tube is placed right next to my nipple. As Nea suckles at the breast, she gets milk from the tube. She has to use the same power and the same motion to get the milk from the tube, just as she would from my breast alone. We are blessed to have a great friend who is donating breastmilk to us. I may not ever make enough milk to sustain life, and if I don't that's okay. I have a supply of breastmilk and Nea and I can continue our breastfeeding relationship. Breastfeeding is more than just "feeding" at the breast....but mothering at the breast. For us, it was crucial to our bonding with each other. Parents via surrogacy or adoption do this type of breastfeeding all the time with great success. We are another success story as well!
After Nea's time breastfeeding, it was time for her first bath. Jon and I watched close as the bath was given, talking and touching her. I had plans to give her that first bath, but I was so exhausted by this time (20 hours no sleep) I didn't trust myself with a slippery baby! After the bath, she was dressed only in a diaper and laid on my bare chest for 2 hours. It was my own body temperature that warmed her back up. Words cannot describe what it felt like to have my child's heart beating right next to mine. It's a moment that changed me and how I looked at everything in the world from that moment on.
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| 1st Bath |
We only had to spend a day in the hospital even with her congenital heart defect. Nea was born with a VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect) and she had to have an ECHO/EKG that morning. We see a pediatric cardiologist for follow up. Nea's VSD is small, and hopefully will close on it's own. She won't need surgery, but may need medication. Time will tell, and we'll know more at about the 6 week mark.
It's hard to believe that 2 1/2 weeks ago this baby girl was born. She is a cherub and a fiesty devil all in the same breath. :-) It is amazing to watch her change, learn about the world around her. Her Poppa and I fall in love with her every single day.
.....all of this I have, because a friend came to me with a crazy idea, perseverance to meet any obstacle and love that only few can know.
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| Brenda, Nea and Mommy |
Blessed Be.
