And just like that, she's not a baby anymore. Well, in technical terms. She'll ALWAYS be my baby. A quick look back at how it all started:
When Ali got old enough to walk up and down the stairs by herself, I started seeing something strange. Zoey would run down the stairs, followed by Ali, followed by __________. Yep, I started seeing a 3rd child in different places around our home. At the breakfast bar. In the bathtub. On the swing set.
That feeling - the one "they" say you feel when you think you're finished or not finished having babies - it's real. At least it is in my case. In fact, it's so real, as soon as I found out I was pregnant with Emma, I felt our family was complete. So much so, that I resolved if Jesus took her before she was born, I more-than-likely would still feel "done."
Joel didn't necessarily say "yes" to having another baby. But as soon as he said, "Well, I guess I don't have a good reason not to have another one," I was in the dr's office getting my IUD removed. I was hoping for an August pregnancy and a May deliver, but in true Eisleben fashion, I got a July pregnancy and an April baby. April 16 to be exact. Because, Lord knows, I wasn't going to celebrate the kid's birthday alone EVERY year.
By October, I was telling everyone I should've listened to Joel. I was sick - most of every day; the medicine(s) took the edge off enough to allow me to function, but not much more. The question that came almost as often as the nausea, "Do you think you'll have a boy this time?" "I HOPE SO!" And once again, in true Eisleben fashion, our 3rd girl appeared on the ultrasound screen. Yes, I cried, again, and put the poor ultrasound tech in an awkward position.
Emma was named a few weeks later. Joel was in the living room, I was in the dining room. He said, "How about Emma?" "I like it!" I said. Following our author-middle-name-trend, Kathryn was added a few weeks later, after Kathryn Scott, author of The Help.
Tax season started, I kept up with my daily pill regiment, and April 16 arrived. Wait. April 15. This was supposed to be the easiest one. Show up at 5:30 a.m., have a baby at 7:30 a.m., close up shop at 7:40 a.m. After all, I had only ever gone into labor with Zoey, and that didn't last too long. Emma was ready, whether I was or not. My contractions STARTED at 2 minutes apart and never slowed. I had the "pressure" everyone who naturally delivers a baby knows about, but I was set on another c-section. In fact, I was going to labor until my scheduled delivery, even if it meant I had to do it unmedicated. Luckily, I have a stellar doctor who woke up in the middle of the night and came to my rescue.
It's almost like she came out smiling. I said, early on, "She smiles with her eyes." Now that she's a year old, she smiles with her whole body, but it's still brightest in her eyes. She is such a joy. I parent her like most people parent their first child: I hold her longer, rock her to sleep, have a hard time leaving her in the church nursery, feed her "healthy" food...get sad when I think she won't be little forever. She adds so much more to our family than just another kid running down the stairs.
I'm glad Joel couldn't come up with a good reason for us not to have another baby. I'm equally glad I don't "have" to go through pregnancy, childbirth, post-partum hormonal swings, breastfeeding, and many, consecutive sleepless nights anytime in the near future.
I'm mostly glad Emma is a part of God's plan for our family. My hope for her is she will know the love of Jesus is so much greater than our love for her. I also hope you get to experience her countless smiles, just like we do.
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| Newborn |
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| 2 months |
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| 3 months |
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| 4 months |
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| 5 months |
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| 6 months |
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| 7 months |
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| 8 months |
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| 9 months |
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| 10 months |
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| 11 months |
