Sunny weather made this weekend quite nice. Despite not being…
Welcome Baby Lucille! (and I Have a Story for You)
We welcomed baby Lucille Marie on Tuesday in the early morning at a healthy nearly 8 lbs. Her appearance was right on time for the 15th anniversary of Rob and I first meeting. What had been quick and almost painless labor unfortunately took a turn for the worse right after that. The next thing I remember is starting to wake up in the ICU later that afternoon after receiving 32 units of donated blood (basically, all the blood in my body replaced twice over) and interventional radiology to save my life. We spent a full week in the hospital – with a heroic show of support from friends and family and amazing nursing care.
I’ll write up the whole story some point soon. In the meantime, I’m loving my lying in at home this week with our adorable girl and a steady stream of even more friends with delicious food. Lucky, lucky us!
Stay tuned. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Go donate blood if you can, please!
Next Post: Thoughts on Being 40 Weeks Pregnant
Previous Post: My Birth Story
Now you are quite possibly the prettiest post pregnant woman ever. So happy you are both doing well.
Welcome sweet Lucille! Congratulations on become a mother! Thank heaven for modern medicine. I am so relieved to hear that all is well now. Enjoy these wonderful moments with your new little family! 🙂
So glad you are all safe and well at home. Lucille is absolutely beautiful!
Congratulations from a reader in Australia. I love reading your blog, you have travelled similar European and NZ destinations to us, and your recipes give me plenty of fabulous ideas. We too had our first baby in April this year, 10 weeks early due to some complications. Very happy to read your baby has arrived and everyone is recovering well. Enjoy this time.
10 weeks early, so scary! I’m glad you are also all doing well, Renee. Having babies is so more fun than getting them into this world.
Congratulations! Allt the best to you and your little one!
I am so glad you are okay. Lucille is adorable. If you have anemia, I recommend Floradix Floravital.
What a perfect little nugget Lucille is!!!! I had a girlfriend experience something very similar after her first baby and it SCARED THE CRAP out of her husband. Poor Rob…hope he’s doing OK with the rest of you.
UNSOLICITED ADVICE TIME (feel free to totally ignore):
You can totally handle this next phase…but don’t forget to REALLY lean on your friends. Newborns should be loved by a community and new parents need all the help they can get. I remember with my first feeling so overwhelmed and tired and at the end of my rope. I read an article in the Smithsonian that said on average, newborns in 3rd world countries have an average of 16 primary care givers…SIXTEEN! No wonder it was hard for my husband and I trying to do it alone…it’s a job that supposed to be done by a group! (that realization really helped me)
Yes, poor Rob was exposed to a whole whole lot in our first week! A lot more emotionally than me. I love your advice and it is what has saved us already. From the very start, Rob got friends to jump into crisis mode and help. He set up a four hour shift program. We have had people drive him to appointments, move our bags, track down garbage bins…everything! And snuggle with the baby too – of course. I’ll have to count if we are up to 16 already.
Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl! So happy you are home and recovering from such a scary ordeal!
Keep your pajamas on for a week and you will not overdo.
Great advice, Marci!
We had no name picked out when our little girl was born (we thought she was a he!) and so drew a name from a hat, choosing between two family names: Lucille and Catherine. We drew Catherine, but I have such a soft spot in my heart for Lucie. (But no regrets — our girl is not a Lucie!)
She’s beautiful!
I’m so glad to hear you’re doing well and have had love and support (and blood donors)– sorry to hear about that scare- it sounds just terrifying. I’ve loved your blog for years!!
Both are lovely names! Thanks, Leslie.
Congratulations Emily and Rob! Your little girl is beautiful. So glad to hear that you all came through the ordeal safe and sound, and I know your future will be so bright!
So relieved to hear you are all okay! So scary. As someone who has recently been through a much less intense version of postpartum hemmorage I can recommend lying low for much longer than you think may be necessary and making sure you are eating plenty of steak and kale alongside all that soup! Congratulations on your beautiful family!
Glad to hear you recovered well, Eleanor! I’m loving this lying in period and – for now – never want to get out of my pajamas again. I think we have steak from friends on the docket for lunch today!
So sorry for your trauma. I’m glad you came out of it with a healthy you and a healthy baby.
Lucille is beautiful!
Always reading and was waiting patiently for this post! AND I am so glad you and your family are doing well. Man, its amazing how unpredictable childbirth and all the goes on with our bodies can be.
Emily,
Congratulations on your little miracle, she is truly adorable. The pool ladies all send their love and best wishes. So grateful that you are home.
May God Bless your family with much joy, love and laughter.
Maureen
Ah! I have read EmilyStyle for YEARS (perhaps from the near-beginning), and seeing this news is such a thrill. So delighted for you and Rob.
Congratulations!!
Oh, I am so very happy for you all! SO glad to hear you are doing well after what sounds like quite a scare. She is lovely and you, mama, are gorgeous! I second the advice above: get help and rest for as long as you can!! Hugs and kisses to your sweet little family!