Meet Emelia

Emelia Michaela Haag

February 9, 2012

7 lbs 5 ounces, 20.5 inches long

Its been less than a week and I'm so in love.

Delivery was very different this time around--having a scheduled C-Section is a very surreal way to "deliver" a baby--if you can even call it that!

I woke up early that morning and took a shower and spent a few minutes cuddling with Oliver in his bed.  Oliver had a low grade fever (arond 101) and a yucky cough for a few days and when he woke up on day three and still had a temperature I knew we had to send him to the doctor.

I called my sister and let her know she wouldn't be taking Oliver to daycare but would need to take him to the doctor instead.  The C-section was scheduled for 9:30 am, and I was able to get Oliver an 8:00 am appointment.

We left Oliver with Auntie and headed to the hospital with strict instructions to keep us posted.  We went to the maternal assessment center.  They took my vital signs, monitored the baby's heartbeat and then I basically sat there for two hours waiting to walk back to the OR.

Those two hours were horrible because my emotions were swinging between being excited and anxious about meeting the new baby, and being worried about Oliver.  Susan called, as instructed and Oliver had pneumonia and the flu, and (obviously) would not be able to come see me and the new baby until he had been fever free for 24 hours.

My heart was breaking because Oliver's wasn't feeling good and just wanted to be with his Mama (and Papa) and instead his world was about to change in a major way!  Autie was awesome, and took good care of Oliver, but of course, it is not the same as Mama and Papa.

I walked to the OR that morning swimming in feelings of guilt, excitment, sadness, stress and anxiety.  Like I said, it was surreal.

The C-section itself went very smoothly.  Andy got to be the one to tell me "it's a girl" and I cried, it was an emotional release I really needed.

Here are some pictures from the OR.

I love how her weight is displayed over her soulder.  She showed off a healthy set of lungs, screaming angrily the entire time she was being cleaned up.  The nurses and the doctors all commented on how fiesty she was.

Thats my girl!

And that is how our little family of three became a family of four.

Dear Oliver,

Today is the last day you will be my only baby, Oliver.

I can't believe how much fun we've had together in the last two years.  You are such a smart, silly and sweet boy!  Tomorrow, you will be a big brother and I know you are going to be so good at it! 

Before we talk about you being a big brother, I want to talk about some of the things you are doing now.  You ask so many questions, you are curious about every new thing you see.  Your vocabulary has exploded and you are talking in full sentences.  You REALLY like to pretend to cook, so much so, that it is hard for Mama and Papa to cook when you are around because you drag a chair all over the kitchen and get into things you shouldn't.  Sometimes I distract you by letting you read my fancy cookbooks.

You are the most active little boy I know, running, jumping, dancing.  It seems you never stop moving.  You love to count busses on the way home from daycare, distinguishing between school busses and city busses like an old pro.   You seem to understand that some big changes are coming--but I'm not sure you know what to think. 

So many of the things that I love most about you are going to make you a great big brother.  You are very affectionate and loving, and your new baby brother or sister will soon be the recipient of that affection (gulp).  You love singing and having us sing to you, and I think the baby will too!  You are also very helpful.  Like this winter, the two times it snowed, you were happy to pick up a shovel and do your share.

While you are all boy, and very rambunctious, you also have a sweet, nuturing side that melts my heart.  You love babies right now and I think that you will be very protective of your little sibling and will be good at helping to take care of him or her.  However, while Mama likes the game where you pretend to be a lion, and Mama pretends to be scared and crys so you comfort me with lots of hugs, and kisses and your blankie, the baby probably won't like being scared by a lion. 

You've been changing your toy's diapers for a while now, and lately you've been working on your feeding technique.

I have tried, over the last few months, to make sure that we have had lots of quality time together.  And with the new baby, I will be sure that we still get to spend plenty of time together, just you and me. 

Lots of things are changeing, but I promise you this, my Oliver. 

I love you through and through. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow too.

And I always will.