Georgia's Baby Blessing

The happiest baby in the loveliest dress.

Gammy made this dress for Georgia and I love every stitch on it.

Christian gave a beautiful blessing and his tears began from the very start.  He blessed Georgia to find joy in her life, to be a companion to her mother (loved that), and to find strength from the words penned by her namesake.  It was a great day.

The master seamstress with her first granddaughter.

All tuckered out.

The Hospital, Round Two

Home sweet home!  Mom put out pink balloons (I've always wanted them) and flowers to announce Georgia's arrival.  We all look a bit disheveled and we were - all week.

Trying out the Bjorn - Christian's favorite way to transport a baby, not Georgia's.

This is not the maternity ward, but the cardiac floor.  It's kind of a long story.  I did not feel well all week and finally went to the ER because of chest pain, heartburn, a bad headache and swelling in my legs.  After my blood pressure spiked (I can't remember the numbers because they checked it every 5 minutes) and my heart rate dropped to 40 they did EKG's, ultrasounds on my legs, a CT scan, and even wheeled in the paddles to re-start my heart, just in case.  After two morphine doses, a magnesium shot in my IV, and what seemed like a slew of other meds, they finally sent me up to the cardiac floor for the next few days to be watched, poked, and "figured out" since nobody could decide what was wrong with me.  Since Christian was on the train back from a meeting in Chicago (he still feels guilty about that, even though he shouldn't), Laura was with the boys, and my mom was on an airplane back to Utah, I was alone with baby Georgia through this horrible experience.  It was scary, just so darn scary.  I never want to re-live that.  I'll leave out the rest of the details and just say that Christian was my absolute hero through this from the moment he burst into the ER room.  When he was nearby, my body seemed to stabilize itself better and once we both stopped sobbing, we were actually able to laugh about a few things.  We had so much help through this - the seen and the unseen.  I know my sister, Georgia was with me, I just do.  I know the prayers that were said for me worked.  I know they did.  I felt it over and over again.  One of the most touching parts of this story is how Laura, my sister in-law took Georgia home during the nights I was in the hospital and nursed her along with her own baby.  She was only one week old, and it put me at ease knowing Laura was giving her the nutrition I couldn't give her while I pumped all of those meds out of my system.  Now there is true sisterhood.  Our ward brought meals and set up playdates for the kids.  Thank you to everyone, a million times thank you!  And here are some pictures of our angel family who came to take over as the parents for our shaken family:

Paddy and Genevieve were the perfect medicine for Jack, Winfield, and Charles.  I think I only saw them a few times in three days since I slept around the clock, but they kept everyone happy, fed, and clean.  Who could ask for more?

Aunt Genny and Georgia

My mom flew back to our house just days after she got home to Utah and stepped in as my personal aide, answering the door and phone for me, making sure I was well fed, rested, and emotional stable.

Caroline took over once my mom left and had probably the most uneventful Memorial weekend of her life.  The two helped me decorate the nursery (okay, I sat and nursed while the did all of the work).  They took me out to lunch for my (and Georgia's) first outing.  We went to a quiet and relaxing tea house and had crumpets, no kidding.  

Our little sweetheart.  She is worth all of the pain.  I'd do it all again for her...just maybe not right away!

Georgia Evelyn Mitchell

She is here!  Our most vocal newborn weighed in at a whopping 7 pounds - a shock to us all.  After a month of worry about her growth, Georgia was pink, screeching, and healthy.  She was 20 inches long, a height to rival her tall brothers, and had a respectable head of brown hair.  Labor lasted about four hours and was yet another "new" experience for me.  Ever heard of a Foley Bulb?  Look up that crazy contraption.  No doubt Dr. Foley is male.  You would think on my fourth I would have this process down, but my body does not like epidurals.  Just a tip: don't try watching Young Victoria while in labor.  Way too much concentrating required.  I had much better luck with Rudy.  Christian cried as he always does at the birth of our children, and has completely adored this girl from the moment she was born.  It's very sweet to watch him with a daughter.     

A visit from three curious brothers.

Charles waving "Hi" to Georgia

Mom came and picked me up from the hospital because Christian had to present to "the board."  Evelyn and Evelyn together.

Showered...make that Soaked

Check out this spread!  That is the magic of Cortney Huber's creativity.  She and Laura gave me the most fabulous baby shower.  There were potted flowers with little seed packages stuck in, veggies in lined pots, and tiny little flower pots with quotes in them from my mother (things like, "Elbows off the table" and "Be interested and interesting").  I wish I had added "grits and sausage are married" but maybe I would be the only one to get that.  In any case, it was a gorgeous spread and the food was incredible.  Just check out this lemon tart with raspberries, and no, I didn't take the pictures.  That would be Melinda from our ward - she's a genius with photography. 

Laura put together my first every diaper cake, complete with a tiny pair of black, patent-leather shoes on top and home-made flower clips.  Each diaper was tied with one of those unbelievably skinny rubber bands that mothers of girls use with a magical ease.  The next day I practiced on Audrey's hair and saw what a long way I have to go with hair-dos.  In any case, it was a really cute addition to the already decorated house.  Laura had painted a big "Baby GEORGIA" banner on fabulous paper and it was less shocking to me than I thought it would be.  I just have to again say how thrilled I am to use that lovely name in honor of a lovely person!

Okay, I have not been this spoiled at a shower since I had Jack.  There were something like 25 women there from church and they all were in the party spirit.  It really was a girls' night out kind of party.  So, kudos to Laura and Cortney for planning such an event.  

This is me with Audrey before opening presents.  Just add two more curious hands and a mound of gift bags and you get the idea of the shower.  I was surrounded - by children and gifts.  But hey, I'm not complaining.  I felt so utterly loved that night.  So, thank you a million times to Laura and Cortney!!

I just had to add this last picture.  As you can see, I am one of the last in the ward to have a baby in this ridiculous surge of births.  Luckily, 4 of these 5 baby carriers are for girls, so our little one will have lots of friends.  Adam stayed downstairs during the shower with the toddlers for as long as he could manage, but they all made their way up, along with Adam - the sole male at the party.  With a baby on his hip, he seemed quite at ease among the moms, albeit a little frazzled with the kids.  Way to be comfortable with your manhood, Adam!  (oh, and thanks for babysitting).

Caffeine Jitters

It is 12:19 am and I am the only one awake.  After a week-long headache (and I'm not kidding), I decided to go ahead and order a Barq's root beer tonight.  All Utah folk know that Barq's in Utah was caffeine-free, but out here, that isn't the case (such an odd phenomenon, now that I think about it.  How exactly did the Mormons pull that off?).  Anyway, I ordered it hoping a little caffeine would help my headache.  It did!  But, I've got some kind of restless leg/body/arm syndrome.  So what better to do than blog and eat Special K?  I'm sorry I haven't posted more lately, but I will.  I will.  However, no more caffeine for me.  I value my sleep way too much.

AHH! A GIRL.

It's true.  We are having a baby girl in May.  I knew it the minute I saw the lack of boy genitals on the ultrasound, but I wanted to make sure even then not to get my hopes up.  I let the technician tell us and then asked him to double check, just to be certain.

The real truth is, I knew long before that.  People always ask if you have a "feeling" that it will be a girl/boy, but I haven't ever believed you could really tell just by instinct or morning sickness.  Okay, so I was a lot sicker this time, but what really allowed me to believe it was a girl was how I felt about the name and the frequent thoughts of Georgia.

I would be doing dishes and bam, I'm crying about Georgia.  It happened often, the closer I got to the ultrasound, I just didn't want to admit it, in case we had another boy.  When I asked my mom about using her name, I was surprised at how happy she was about it, just another confirmation to me.  And then there was the morning of the ultrasound.  I was listening to the TAB choir sing Rutter's "What sweeter music" and I felt so close to Georgia, again I knew it would be a girl.  When we found out later that day I told Christian I wasn't surprised, but I would have been shocked if we were having a boy.  I guess there is something to that instinct people ask about.

So, with great joy and satisfaction I am slowly embracing the world of baby girls and tights and bows and (fingers crossed), calmness.  After sitting with the Marriotts at church and holding Audrey on his lap, Christian came home and said, "If we could have a girl like Audrey, I'd be so happy!  She sat still the entire meeting!!!"  It is like getting into a hot tub when you swap wiggly Charles for docile Audrey - my whole body relaxes into my chair.  So if that is the way things roll with a girl, I am so ready.