Any woman who has gone through childbirth knows what I'm talking about here...wow - what an experience. Oddly enough, labor and delivery were not something that I feared or worried about during my pregnancy, but I must say that Robert Alan and I both commented on how completely surreal our drive to the hospital was last Tuesday night. It was that moment where you knew, even more so than the previous nine months, that life was about to change forever.
We arrived at the hospital last Tuesday (October 23) evening, checked in and got settled into our room. Needless to say, once we were finished with paperwork and being hooked up to every medical machine known to man, Robert and I had a few moments to ourselves and it was at that moment that fear set in for me. It was a fear of the unknown, a fear that something could go wrong, a fear that what was going to happen in the next day was completely out of my control and I was scared. I didn't sleep much that night as each time our room door opened I wondered what was going to happen next. Luckily, I had WONDERFUL labor and delivery nurses who answered each and every question I had with complete concern for me and Robert Franklin.
Twenty-four hours after checking into the hospital and two-and-a-half hours of pushing, Robert Franklin was born at 7:08PM, Wednesday, October 24, 2012. He weighed 9 lbs. 7oz. and was 21 inches long. There are truly no words that can accurately convey our emotions - we are beyond blessed.
Since he has been here, I have relished in enjoying my cup (ok, maybe two some mornings) of coffee each morning. I quit drinking it cold-turkey as soon as we found out I was pregnant and I get so excited each morning when I can set a pot to brew - yet another piece of proof that it's the little things in life that can make you incredibly happy.
We also are completely in awe of the facial expressions and cooing noises that Robert Franklin makes. Robert Alan noted right after he was born how alert he was - he continued to blink his eyes as he surveyed his new surroundings and makes the sweetest noises as he sleeps. I admit, I recorded the sounds one night just so that I can have them to listen to whenever I want.
When people talk about how much having a baby changes you, I now know what they mean. In an instant you become responsible for something other than yourself and your life and purpose seems more defined as this new role becomes the most important part of your world. The laundry can continue to pile up and the dog hair can continue to accumulate under the furniture - these moments of love, peace and adoration for our newly expanded family are, and will continue to be, our priority.
