Just over one week ago, our daughter Adrienne Naomi entered this world and promised to change our lives forever.
I have composed many pieces based on when we first learnt that we were expecting another baby, the suprise pregnancy experience, the ways we started preparing for our newest family member, the growing anticipation as my belly grew and the weeks counted down and then her arrival on 14 April 2016. But instead of posting them, I have just put some of the writings down in her journal. It took us three kids to realise that some things - even some of our proudest, 'brag-able' moments - can and should be protected fiercely and privately.
Of course, this is the complete opposite to the way we announced our previous pregnancies, blogging regularly about everything from prenatal vitamins to post natal swelling, uploading the birth story within days of our homecoming and sharing more family photos than an advert for discounted deals for group holidays to Mauritius.
As I opened up and dusted off this severely under-used blogger webpage, I came across this post and in many parts, it was like reading a something that I would've written. If you'd like a little taste of the shock, doubt, worry, excitement, elation and God-given peace of my experience to date, have a read.
It's very difficult to explain what has gone through my mind over the last 40 weeks. Perhaps for this reason, I am especially grateful for our decision to not construct a well-written piece on every milestone we've hit so far.
Having said that, I will make sure that our precious newborn daughter knows about how I listened intently to her heartbeat and watched in awe as she moved on the scan... How we rode all day on the theme park rides when cousin Danny was in Town... The things I imagined she was doing in utero when my belly reshaped day and night... How friends and family rallied around us in preparation for her arrival bringing gifts of love so that we lacked absolutely nothing. She will know what I was thinking as I dressed to go to the hospital last Thursday morning, lay on the operating table fully conscious and waiting for the announcement of her birth... and how the tears streamed down my cheek when the nurse put her warm, soft, pink cheek on my lips to welcome her into our family.
She will know how I watch her sleep when I should be sleeping, stroke her long, lady-like fingers and hold them in my hand when it gets chilly and continuously readjust her little beanie when she pulls it over her eyes. And her older siblings will definitely remind her of the way they'd come and fuss over her before leaving for school every morning, checking that she was fine, running back and forth to fetch spit cloths and throw away dirty nappies and make her feel oh so loved.
We are in no rush for this time to pass - as much as we may crave sleep and fight cabin fever - that's not just the oxytocin talking. In this day, babysitters for a brood of 3 aren't exactly lining up outside the door either and that's okay. I could not have merely imagined nor wildly dreamt of the blessing of another child to hold. I am still in awe.
Adrienne Naomi du Plessis
Girl
14.04.2016
09h30
3,8kg
57cm
Ashleigh, as always, so eloquent and heartfelt! May Adrienne be a blessing to your family, and grow up to realise how blessed she is to be born into it, with such a loving big sister and brother! (and loving parents too!)
ReplyDeleteHow have I not seen this before now? Oh precious sweetheart, Adrienne - you are so very loved!
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