It is a rare moment at this house...all the kids are sleeping. Well, that's not entirely true. Esme is chatting quite happily in her crib but I think the boys are both asleep. Either way...I have a second to work on the blogaroo! I thought it would never happen.
I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for this one. He came. He arrived on March 1st at 11:02 pm. There is so much incredibly less backstory with his arrival than there was with the last time I wrote a post about babies coming to live at our house. He came simply, right on schedule. That was the first of soooo many differences between this newborn baby experience and our previous one. And let me tell you what...there is a reason babies usually come one at a time!
Anyway, he's here and we are thrilled.
I had been feeling contractions for some months, so I was worried (because it's so fun to worry) that I wouldn't know when I started labor. There was no need to worry. I knew. Chris was over playing with the kids and keeping me company earlier that night as I had recently cut myself off from any more afternoon outings. (Our last trip to Cost-co I could barely make it through the store!) As soon as he left I did our bedtime routine. Close to the end of that I remember telling Esme that Mommy needed to sit down. Soon after they were in bed I called Paul at work to tell him I wasn't sure, but I thought I was in labor, just to give him a head's up. Soon after that I called him back and told him to get home now! Johnny from across the street came to stay with the twins while our overnight watcher, Corrie, was on her way. I've said it before and I'll say it again...thank goodness for good friends.
We arrived at the hospital around 9:00 and he was born at 11:02. Felt longer than that at the time! We got our very favorite nurse, Ruby, that had helped us when we first got to the hospital with the twins. We liked her so much then and I had prayed that we could get her again. And we did! She's so calm and so gentle and I just really really appreciate how she cared for me and my little family. And of course, Dr Richey is maybe the calmest person I have ever met. I was thrilled to have both of them with us for such a special experience for our family. Couldn't have had a better team. (And of course Paul Wall, who knows exactly how to help me. Which translates to sitting out of the way and shrugging when I desperately ask him, "What am I going to do?" in between contractions.)
We didn't have a name picked out for a boy, even though for the last month or so I was convinced we were having a boy. So that first precious time with Thomas was spent mostly in silence with every once in a while Paul saying a boy's name and me saying No. No. No. Until he said Thomas. It was like something clicked in my head and it felt so right. Immediately. So Yes. Thomas it is. I asked Paul what it means, because I really like to have meaningful names for my babies. The answer...Thomas means twin. Ha! I feel that my baby Thomas is full of goodness and that he is going to be a solid person. I think Thomas is a good name for a good, solid person. His middle name is Mitchell, after an influential and incredibly kind and loving person in Paul's (somewhat turbulent) adolescence and also after Mr. Mitchell, my dad's high school shop teacher that introduced him to the church and influenced him in many ways.
Right after Thomas was born I was braced to descend into the pits of despair and wretchedness that accompanied the twins' newborn time...but it was soooo much better. From the get-go. I kept/keep waiting for it to get awful, but (fingers crossed, wood knocked on) so far so good! That very first night was a world apart from the first night with the twins.
The next morning Paul went home to gather up the troops and bring them to see Baby Thomas.
My biggest worry in preparing for Thomas to come was the twins. I was worried that they wouldn't do well being left with someone else to take care of them, even though our friends are so great. I just wasn't sure how they would handle not seeing mom. Well, the combined efforts of Corrie, Christine and Johnnie made sure that my worries were completely unfounded. Of course.
So I was left at the hospital, free to adore my new little guy. And what a guy!
Then lickety-split it was time to go home.
So sweet.
We got out the real camera to make sure we had some real pictures of Thomas.
This one may be my favorite. I just love Esme peeping over the back of the couch.
The peaceful Thomas photo shoot very quickly turned into...something else.
Aaaaaand, so did Esme. For a while, every time I pulled out my camera, she would say, very happily, "Sad pictures!"
Kathy came to help ease the twins through the transition of not being the center of the universe. She gets her own post next. Such a great grandma!
Welcome T-Money!
I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for this one. He came. He arrived on March 1st at 11:02 pm. There is so much incredibly less backstory with his arrival than there was with the last time I wrote a post about babies coming to live at our house. He came simply, right on schedule. That was the first of soooo many differences between this newborn baby experience and our previous one. And let me tell you what...there is a reason babies usually come one at a time!
Anyway, he's here and we are thrilled.
I had been feeling contractions for some months, so I was worried (because it's so fun to worry) that I wouldn't know when I started labor. There was no need to worry. I knew. Chris was over playing with the kids and keeping me company earlier that night as I had recently cut myself off from any more afternoon outings. (Our last trip to Cost-co I could barely make it through the store!) As soon as he left I did our bedtime routine. Close to the end of that I remember telling Esme that Mommy needed to sit down. Soon after they were in bed I called Paul at work to tell him I wasn't sure, but I thought I was in labor, just to give him a head's up. Soon after that I called him back and told him to get home now! Johnny from across the street came to stay with the twins while our overnight watcher, Corrie, was on her way. I've said it before and I'll say it again...thank goodness for good friends.
We arrived at the hospital around 9:00 and he was born at 11:02. Felt longer than that at the time! We got our very favorite nurse, Ruby, that had helped us when we first got to the hospital with the twins. We liked her so much then and I had prayed that we could get her again. And we did! She's so calm and so gentle and I just really really appreciate how she cared for me and my little family. And of course, Dr Richey is maybe the calmest person I have ever met. I was thrilled to have both of them with us for such a special experience for our family. Couldn't have had a better team. (And of course Paul Wall, who knows exactly how to help me. Which translates to sitting out of the way and shrugging when I desperately ask him, "What am I going to do?" in between contractions.)
We didn't have a name picked out for a boy, even though for the last month or so I was convinced we were having a boy. So that first precious time with Thomas was spent mostly in silence with every once in a while Paul saying a boy's name and me saying No. No. No. Until he said Thomas. It was like something clicked in my head and it felt so right. Immediately. So Yes. Thomas it is. I asked Paul what it means, because I really like to have meaningful names for my babies. The answer...Thomas means twin. Ha! I feel that my baby Thomas is full of goodness and that he is going to be a solid person. I think Thomas is a good name for a good, solid person. His middle name is Mitchell, after an influential and incredibly kind and loving person in Paul's (somewhat turbulent) adolescence and also after Mr. Mitchell, my dad's high school shop teacher that introduced him to the church and influenced him in many ways.
Right after Thomas was born I was braced to descend into the pits of despair and wretchedness that accompanied the twins' newborn time...but it was soooo much better. From the get-go. I kept/keep waiting for it to get awful, but (fingers crossed, wood knocked on) so far so good! That very first night was a world apart from the first night with the twins.
The next morning Paul went home to gather up the troops and bring them to see Baby Thomas.
My biggest worry in preparing for Thomas to come was the twins. I was worried that they wouldn't do well being left with someone else to take care of them, even though our friends are so great. I just wasn't sure how they would handle not seeing mom. Well, the combined efforts of Corrie, Christine and Johnnie made sure that my worries were completely unfounded. Of course.
So I was left at the hospital, free to adore my new little guy. And what a guy!
Can I just say, I did such a good job marrying Paul. He is really truly a sweet, loving, super patient, incredibly fun dad. He is so tender with our newborn babies, it melts my little heart.
Then lickety-split it was time to go home.
When we arived at home, Tracy was there filling our freezer with ice cream, which came in super handy during the next few weeks. Christine was there watching the tots and Paul's mom came in later that night. And the fun began of what I like to call..."The Transition." That is, the twins getting used to a new way of life. Mostly, they are super sweet with Thomas. Ezra has a sweet little smile that he uses especially when he is being soft with Thomas.
He is so easy to adore!
We got out the real camera to make sure we had some real pictures of Thomas.
This one may be my favorite. I just love Esme peeping over the back of the couch.
The peaceful Thomas photo shoot very quickly turned into...something else.
Naturally, Ezra wanted his picture taken too.
Aaaaaand, so did Esme. For a while, every time I pulled out my camera, she would say, very happily, "Sad pictures!"
Kathy came to help ease the twins through the transition of not being the center of the universe. She gets her own post next. Such a great grandma!
We are thrilled to have sweet sweet baby Thomas join our family. He's a joy. He's so chill. I think he got every single ounce of calm DNA that Paul and I have between us. Which is a good thing...because we've got TWO TODDLERS!!!
So now we're a family of 5. Just like that.
5 comments:
Congrats! He looks so sweet!
Oh! I can't believe I haven't heard this story yet! It sounds like such a perfect (quick!) birth. And HE IS PERFECT. I love every single picture of him. He has his own look - like he already knows that he is a unique person - and yet he totally matches your family. Also, I think the name Thomas is exactly right, and I laughed out loud when I read that it means "twin." But then I thought for a minute, and decided maybe it's perfect, because that means he is on equal grounds with the twinners. Because of his name, he is just as "twin" as they are, so they will all be equally loved and adored and will contribute just as much to the Rigg family. Or something like that. Also, I didn't know about the Mitchell namesakes. So special. Yay!
I'm so glad you shared this whole story (including his middle name, which I just realized I didn't know!) And I'm so glad this has all-around been so much easier on you all. Your family is so lovely.
I didn't know you had such a hard time with the twins. :( You have done such a good job with your littles! You are a good mama and Thomas is a doll. Congrats to your cute family. I am so happy for you, especially that things are going smoothly. We love you.
I didn't know you had such a hard time with the twins. :( You have done such a good job with your littles! You are a good mama and Thomas is a doll. Congrats to your cute family. I am so happy for you, especially that things are going smoothly. We love you.
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