Surprise Arrival

Well, it isn't the first time that God surprised me with a different version of life than I had expected.  I'm not sure why I was convinced my baby would go full term.  Mom was planning to fly in just a couple of days before my due date, and I think I was expecting to greet her at the airport and drive straight to the hospital, because of course, the baby would wait for her arrival.  However, my water broke three weeks before my due date.  It wasn't all of a sudden, just a slow trickle.  Truthfully, I thought I was just peeing, but after talking to a nurse, she urged me to go in and get checked.  I called Ted, who was in Pueblo (an hour away), to tell him I needed to go get checked.  After getting off the phone, I started to feel like I was having contractions.  I raced around the house doing last minute preparations, laundry in the drier, kids fed, bag packed.  At the time, Ted was going 120 on highway 25.  Before long my sweet friend, Meg, showed up at the door with her husband (Ted called in backup).  She helped me get the kids ready for bed while I finished packing.  I jumped into the car with her husband, and we met Ted at the King Sooper parking lot.

There's nothing like running into the hospital, knowing that you are about to meet your child. The entire process went so quickly.  I went from a 2 to a 6 in about 30 minutes.  We arrived at the hospital around 8 pm, and Dailey Joy was born at 12:45 am on Thursday, June 21st. She was another unexpected surprise as I was convinced she would be a boy.
Ted and I chose the name Dailey for a couple of reasons.  First of all, we just liked it.  It's unique and pretty.  Coupled with her middle name, we felt that it was a reminder of the consistency of God's blessings. This pregnancy brought on a lot of different emotions for me.  Excitement, fear, hesitation, and joy.  A new child, a new set of complexities, more unknowns.  One thing I wanted to focus on is that she is a daily gift, someone whom I know will be a constant source of joy. As we were debating middle names in the hospital, I came across this verse that sealed the deal: "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11.  

It was a really sweet moment when the two kids walked into the hospital room to meet their new sibling.  I laughed so hard at Ryder who was too preoccupied with his slurpee to notice anything.  Fin was over the moon, and continues to be.  I can't get either of them to stop squeezing, kissing, holding and staring at her.  She's like a new toy to them.  Nonnie gave Fin her own little baby doll to change, bath, burp and feed. She often sits right next to me on the couch while I'm nursing and nurses her own doll.  She believes that once you get married, you get pregnant.  So, she talks about marrying Ryder and having another baby, which is sweet but really twisted.  Ryder is learning what "gentle" and "fragile" mean.  He takes his big golden retriever paws and pats her as softly as he knows how.  One day, he found me nursing her in the rocker with my head back and eyes closed.  I was just enjoying a quiet moment.  He turned the sound machine on, crept out of the room, and slowly closed the door.  I can only imagine how these two girls are going to shape this little guy.  Honestly, it continues to amaze me that God entrusts me with these three little people.  I still feel like I'm 16, pretending to be a mom.  I'm so thankful for each of them and the wild journey that lies ahead.