Flashbacks

So recently, while hearing about a delivery, I thought back to the birth of my sweet Leah. I could recall the scenes in the delivery room and the exact conversations. I am writing this down for my own sake. I want to be able to look back and recall those moments forever. This is what I thought of:

• One of the nurses asked me as I laid there in stirrups whether I knew it was a boy or a girl. I said it was a girl, and I hope they were right, because we never could think of a boy name. "Otherwise, we'll just name it Baby [Last Name] Number One." My ob laughed and said, "What did you say? Baby [Last Name] Number One?" She was quite amused.
  
• I also remember being in stirrups and thinking, "This is it." I couldn't believe it. I told the nurse I thought I was going to cry, and she told me that was fine, as long as it was out of joy. :)
  
• It was so weird to watch my belly get lower and lower and disappear. I remember thinking, "Wait, this is it? She's out?" Then I heard the tiniest little cry I had ever heard. I had never heard a newborn baby cry, and couldn't believe how quiet it was.
• "Well, it IS a girl!" my doctor announced.
  
• Right before delivery, they put a blanket on me. When they placed her on my chest, I remember studying her as she screamed. She was curled up, and I couldn't believe this tiny little thing was a human, my baby.
• Watching them place her on the baby warmer while they were stitching me up. I couldn't believe it was over. This was the moment I had dreamed of for 9 months. Actually, I had dreamed of it for much longer than that. I remember passing by the hospital before I was pregnant, dreaming of the day I would go in there and have a little one.

Honestly, I tear up just thinking about delivery. Those moments are just so amazing and precious to me.

Things I never want to forget

Leah is growing up so quickly, and it has me thinking of what moments I want to remember when she's grown. So far I have:

• The feeling of her falling asleep on top of me as I sit reclined on the couch.
• The satisfied look on her face and the post-meal stretch she does after a feeding.
• I once heard my husband singing lullabies to her over the baby monitor when he didn't think I was listening. It made my heart swell.
• The cute noises she makes when she's waking up. I also love the look on my dog Popcorn's face when she hears this. She's not quite sure what to make of it.
• Leah staring me in the eye as she nurses. This is one of the reasons I love breastfeeding.
• The cute, crooked little yawn she has when she's sleepy.
  

I'm sure there will be more times like this, but I never want to forget these. I wish time would slow down a bit sometimes.