and these are the days of our lives...

4 weeks ago I welcomed someone incredibly amazing into my life. I wanted to share her birth story so that one day, she can look back on this post and see how she changed two peoples lives for the better. Scott and I could not love anything more!

On Tuesday July 14th, I was scheduled to be induced. Scott and I had dinner with all our friends in Tuesday Night Dinner bunch at Old Mill. Surprisingly, we were both very calm considering we were soon to be holding a baby! We got to Flowers Hospital and met our great nurse Whitney. (Really...she was so fabulous!) Dr. Nichols came in after we got settled and explained how Cervadil works and inserted it so that I could begin to dilate. Mom, Heather, Debbie and Lee J came up to keep me company and make me laugh and Brandi B was on her way from Gainesville to be here for the birth. Everyone left when I got to have my Ambien to sleep.... and everyone was so excited because the next day would be a birth... or so we thought!

Wednesday morning Dr. Mullins came in early and broke my water and I was not dilated. Oh... and this is when contractions started. I (for some reason) would not get the epidural right away, even though Scott was begging me to get it and promising me we would never have another child! As soon as Mom got there she convinced me to get the epi and good lord, I am so glad I did! I went from pain city to "feeling like I was at the beach!" By mid morning, all my good friends and family had come to be there for the birth of LC. Everyone was taking bets on when she would get here. I labored with no pain all day long. Yes. all. day. long. I think I finally dilated to 3 cm at midnight that night. The best part was, all my friends and family stayed. I think the waiting room was full of my friends and family. It was great knowing they were all there to support us!

Finally, around 11:30 pm, Dr. Mullins said it was time to do a c-section because LC was not moving into position, I was not dilating, and by this point, I was running a low fever and LC's heart rate was slowing down. We said good-bye to all our friends, said a prayer, cried some tears and they wheeled me to L&D.

I had watched enough "Deliver Me's" on Discovery so I knew exactly what was going to happen. At 1:03am, Lucy Clare made her entrance into the world. She and Scott went to the nursery while they finished with me. I think this is when my husband became a mushball and fell in total love with his baby! :) All that waiting for my friends and family was now over as everyone stared into the nursery window at sweet baby Lucy! After they finished with me, they moved me back to the room and I was able to hold and nurse LC. It was such an amazing feeling! By this time, it was close to 3 in the morning. I had labored for 17 hours and been up for almost 24. I was exhausted. By the time we got to our real room it was almost 4 am. We loved on Lucy and I fed her and I crashed!

A few days later I became anemic and Lucy started losing too much weight due to my not producing enough milk. While I was very scared, I had a wonderful nurse named Angie who was my angel. She took such good care of me and was so patient as I learned to breastfeed, and later when she brought the news that I needed to give LC some formula, she was there to teach me to pump and help me emotionally through all the scary stuff. She was definitely a life saver and was my sweet angel! I am forever grateful to her!

Lucy and I were finally discharged on Monday, July 20th. She is the most laid back wonderful baby! She loves to be held, loves to hear me sing, and eats and sleeps like a champ. I am so in love.

I have slowly been recovering from the c-section. I have really good days and days I am really sore. All in all, it has been really good.

And it was so worth the long labor and the pain for my sweet little girl!
Much love to all these people who stuck in out at the hospital:

Mom, Dad, Heather, Lee J, Brandi B, Debbie, Amy, Grant, Alicia P, Caroline G, Brandy R, Grant M

Love all of you!

This.

Lucy Clare was born on July 16th at 1:03 am. I want to make an entire post dedicated to our birth story, but right now, I am too enamored with the little bundle of love sitting on the couch next to me. I never knew you could love something this much. I say a prayer of thanks every time I look at her. Amazing love. This was 9 months of waiting.

And it was worth every second.

Babies are a great way to start people.

So...tonight is my last night at home as just me and Scott. Tomorrow night Scott and I will walk into Flowers Hospital to bring Lucy Clare into the world. I am teary eyed as I write this because I am a bundle of emotions. From scared, excited, worried, nervous, joyful, and should I say scared again... I am sitting here feeling LC roll around in my belly just praying everything goes well. Everything is ready for her homecoming. Her room looks amazing, clothes are washed, house is picked up and cleaned. Looks like on the outside we are ready, internally I am not sure how ready we are! (no turning back now though!)

I look forward to hearing her first cry, to counting her toes and fingers, holding her, and seeing a transformation in our little family. What a blessing it is that God lets childbirth happen!
I sit here in the quiet, knowing that this time by myself is short, that my days of being selfish are over, and that my life will never be the same.


And that is so ok with me.

A little bit of hodgepodge...

3 more weeks until I meet Lucy Clare. W.H.O.A. I am getting pretty nervous! I have a feeling my prayer warriors in Heaven are tired of the same prayer everyday! I have watched more birth stories, baby stories, and bringing baby homes than I want to share with you. I have screamed at the husbands on TV and laughed at the wives who were going "all natural." I have seriously enjoyed my summer! At any rate, I am taking on the mantra of a little yellow friend of mine and saying.... "I'm ready, I'm ready!"

On a totally different topic, I am fed up with some TV personalities these days. Don't get me started on Jon and Kate + eight. I am so disgusted with how all of that drama went down. No... the persons I would like to comment on are Heidi and Spencer. Better known as "Speidi" from the Hills and now from I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here. I could not have been more excited to see these two leave the show. I cannot stand their attitudes. And I think what makes it worse is that they threw Jesus up in the mix. Watch out now. When the going gets tough, the tough find Jesus? And get baptized by a BALDWIN brother in a river? Ok. I get you want some ratings, but don't make that sacred act something so trivial. So the two reformed souls act like fools and Heidi makes a big deal about wanting to be like Mother Teresa and prays with Patti Blagovich. Nice. Then she gets back to the states, and what does she do???? She poses for PLAYBOY. Yes, Jesus is so proud of you now! You have set the bar so high! You, my dear, may have a spectacular body, but come on... ooh. Totally fires me up!

I also want to tell you about a smoothie I made last night. I really should have taken pics of it. I cut up two mango's, two kiwis, added orange juice and ice and blended it. OMG. It was fabulous. If you have a problem with things being too textured, this is not for you, because the seeds in the kiwi give it a little crunch. I loved it... and was happy knowing how healthy it was for me and my little one!

Well, that about sums up my feelings for the day. I've got my swollen feet up. I'm feeling a baby roll around in my belly, and I am on my way to go swimming. I love summer, but honestly, I am missing teaching too. I love this time of year because it so rejuvenates me as a teacher. I have ideas brewing over for next years theme... "hopping around the world" and can't wait to take LC up to school and get busy decorating. Praying for a good class so Mom has an easy time doing my maternity leave!

Hopefully next time I write I'll be holding a sweet little baby in my arms! :)

~Nikki

I love Lucy

I am so in love with this fat cheeked little wonder. Since seeing her yesterday, I have been so enamored with my belly. I can't believe something so wonderfully perfect could be growing inside me! Scott and I have slowly begun putting her room together and hours don't pass before I just walk in there and stand. I try to imagaine what my life is going to be like in 6 more weeks. How I know that everything I thought I knew about babies is going to change. How my nights and days will be confused and how I will never know love like I am going to know love then.
So we wait for the next 6 weeks, enjoying the time that it is just Nikki and Scott. And watching every kick and roll on my belly, thinking about that fat cheeked little wonder.

Love!

Happy Mother's Day to a fabulous woman I am lucky to call my mother and my friend. Being a mother will be easier knowing you will be around to guide me. Lucy Clare will have the honor of you being her grandmother and experience all the joys I have experienced with having you as my mother. I love you!

A list of prayers

I have a few prayer requests for you. I believe in the miracles of my Lord and I know He will prevail over any evil or pain. I also believe He does not give us things that we cannot handle and that He will walk us through any valley. I know these things because I believe in the Word and the promises I read. I also know that situations may not always have the outcome we want or like, but the growth we receive in our walk may be just the thing we need.
Please please please pray for these people!

1. Lilly--- Lilly is a former student of mine. She is 7 years old and an amazing kid. She drew the cover for my wedding program and helped pass them out at the wedding if you were there. She has been diagnosed with a rare disease called "histiocytosis" and it is a really scary illness for such a little kid. She is undergoing chemo once a week and it is taking a toll on her little body. Please pray that the chemo will work to keep the weird tumor-things off her body. A full recovery from this illness would be a true miracle.

2. Caroline---Caroline is a teacher friend of mine. She is one of my best friends and she is also pregnant with her 2nd child. She is having a girl too! She received news today that there is a possibility that her unborn child could have something called "trisomy 18". She is very worried and scared (as would anyone be) but she has hope in our Lord! She goes next week to Birmingham for further tests. Our prayer is that the tests were just wrong and that nothing is wrong with sweet Baby G!

3. Lisa--- Lisa is my cousin Brian's wife. We got to meet her when their family came to Grandma's funeral last month. She has become very ill and is the hospital. Her illness is called "cytomegalovirus." Please pray for a quick recovery and healing. She has a very adorable little girl to take care of!

4. Lyndsey---Lynz had her baby way too early. She was due to deliver on May 29ish and Sam decided to show up last month! He is doing great and growing well, but I still think Lynz needs prayer. She is also a teacher and has had to be gone from her kids during the craziest time of year. My prayer for her is that she finds a peace and a stillness in her crazy schedule with Sam and that God will give her the strength for her so tiny baby! You can read up on their blog at www.samuelgodhears.blogspot.com

God is good... all the time! Lift these people up whenever you think about it!