These are the best days of my life...

I know I am totally slacking on this blog. I promise I will do better; just been a little busy lately! Top Ten Tuesday will return next week I promise!

I want to start with updating everyone on what’s going on with my sister. Jaclyn delivered Adrianne Paige Rubin Smith (Rubin is the father’s last name and a “silent” middle name) on Friday the 13th a little after 1 p.m.

The delivery happened extremely fast. When I got there (around 11:00 a.m.) she was dilated to a 5. She thought she needed to use the restroom so she kicked us all out of the room. Turns out she didn’t need to go to the bathroom at all, she needed to have a baby! Within 30 minutes she had completely dilated and it happened so fast they didn’t even have time to move her to a delivery room. The nurse had to run to the cafeteria to get the father, my mom and me and we took off running towards the room. Of course only the father was allowed in, but I impatiently waited in the waiting room. I called our other sister Tamara to tell her the good news, and she had the audacity to put me on hold to order Taco Bell! (I’m never going to let her live that one down) Literally not even 5 minutes later we received a picture mail of the new family member. After only three pushes, Adrianne entered the world at 32.4 weeks weighing a grand total of 3 lbs and 2 oz and 15 ½ inches long, and to me was the most beautiful niece a girl could ask for! Yes, I was the only goober in the waiting room that cried when I saw the picture, but I was overwhelmed with emotion, partly because that beautiful baby girl is my niece and secondly holy wow, my little sister just became a mom!

I spent the next three days playing my sister’s nurse and earning the title of “Breast Pump Queen.” I loved it because I got special moments with my sister and Adrianne that no one else got to experience. I was the one who wheeled Jaclyn down to see Adrianne for the first time, and I was the one that got to watch her hold her for the first time (well, it took a little persuasion to the nurse on my part for the hold to even happen).
My favorite part was what I called my “midnight visits.” As soon as Jaclyn would fall asleep (which was after midnight most of the time) I would sneak down to the Neonatal ICU and spend alone time with Adrianne. I would pray with her, give her “auntly” advice, rub her tiny feet and let her hold my finger. Those seriously were some of the best times I have ever experienced in my life. No matter how tired I was, how much I hated the cafeteria food or even how uncomfortable the vinyl chair was that became my bed, I would not have changed a moment for anything in the world.

Of course this is just some tidbits of all that happened this past weekend but I wanted everyone to know that mom and baby are doing well! Jaclyn has been having some problems but they seem to be better and she hopes to be discharged today. She will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House for a while to be close to Adrianne while she is still in the hospital. Adrianne is definitely a little fighter. She was off the ventilator in less than 12 hours and breathing on her own. That’s outstanding for a premie! Everyday she keeps getting better so hopefully she will be discharged sooner than expected. They originally said she would be in the hospital for a month, but we can only hope for less since her progress is amazing.

Ok, another update on my other sister Tamara. She went to the doctor yesterday and just like I predicted she’s having…..A BOY! Franklin Riley (as seen in the photo directly above) is due in February and I am so ready to meet him. The name Franklin is in memory of the father’s brother who passed away and Riley is after our amazing step-dad. Let the countdown to February begin…

I want to say “thank you” to everyone for all the thoughts and prayers. Power of prayer is awesome and I can say it was felt by all of my family this past weekend.