This past Tuesday morning, we met the newest member of our family. Unlike her siblings, Breelyn Kayt arrived earlier than expected. Lacey’s water broke Monday around midnight, not long after we had gone to bed. Soon we were driving to the hospital. Thankfully Lacey had everything already prepped and ready to go.
Overall, our time at the hospital went smoothly. The main exception was finding a drained car battery at the end of our stay. (It turns out that forgetting to turn off your car lights will do that.) Our time in the labor and delivery side of the floor was similar to previous visits; our time on the postpartum side felt markedly different. Because of COVID-19, the hospital no longer allows friends and family to visit afterward. And so, nobody from outside the hospital came or went during our time there. It was an unusually quiet stay.
We’ve been home for a few days now. Our other children have been welcoming to their little sister; they’ve also been quite curious. For her part, Breelyn’s been doing what newborns do: eating a lot and sleeping a lot. Lacey’s trying to take it easy and give most of her attention to the baby during this time. In an effort to help her do that, I’m becoming better acquainted with all the work Lacey normally takes care of around the house.
As with previous births, I keep thinking about how quickly time passes. It doesn’t seem possible that so many years have already passed since Breelyn’s siblings were born. And yet, they have. Inevitably the children will grow up, and the whole process will feel faster than I might like. Thankfully, we have plenty of good memories from the past to look back on. And already, Breelyn is helping create more memories for us to enjoy one day.
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I’ll be taking a break from blogging for the next few weeks as we adjust to Breelyn’s arrival.