Layla Claire

I went to my doctors appointment on September 8 which was one day before my due date, with the intention of insisting my doctor start me the next day.  After my exam she said she would call the hospital to schedule my induction, but that it probably wouldn't happen until Monday.  I was so disappointed, in fact I was down right pouting after she left the room.  When the nurse came back she asked if I could be at the hospital at 3:00 that afternoon, my jaw literally dropped and my mind went blank.  That was not the answer I was expecting!  We hurried home with only four short hours until we needed to be back at the hospital.  Derek wrapped everything up at work, I arranged a babysitter for the kids for the night, vacuumed, and started the dishwasher.  We hurried off to Allee's school to tell her the good news, and let her know that our great friend Sonya would be picking her up and she and Pierce would be spending the night there.  I gave her and Pierce big hugs and kisses, realizing this was the last time I was going to have two kids, and we were off to meet our little girl.

By the time we checked in it was 4:00.  The doctor broke my water at 5:15, and around 6:30 I was asked if I wanted my epidural now because the anesthesiologist was going in to do an appendectomy.  I had only felt a few contractions, but there is no way I was going to miss getting my epidural!  It was THE BEST epidural EVER!  Around 8:00 I was started on a pitocin drip, and went from 5 cm to 10 cm by 9:00.  The doctor came in and our sweet baby girl was born at 9:24 pm.

I had told Derek right before she was born that if she had blond hair then she would be Emme, but if she had dark hair then she was definitely Layla.  I had dreams of holding a little brunette baby girl we called Layla last November.  They were so vivid, so real, I knew that baby girl was coming to our family.

Sure enough, she has LOTS (by our standards!) of dark hair.  Welcome to the world

Layla Claire

 7 lbs. 11 oz.  19 1/2 inches

 Meeting Pierce, who couldn't get enough of her.  He says her name, "Aya"

 The proud big sister.  Allee couldn't be more proud.

 Getting ready to come home.  Aahh. . . . the adventures that await us!

For now I am just enjoying every second of this little peanut.  I can't put her down, and I feel so blessed to have this sweet spirit in our family.