As I sit here in a coffee shop (surprise, surprise), sipping my mug of hot coffee, and Reya sits next to me just snoozing away, I am in awe that I have only known her for such a short time. She seems like she has always been my little, squishy BFF. I figured while I am caffeinated, and free from Hezzy and Naomi (thank you family), I would try and jot down a little bit about Reya’s (pronounced “Ray-uh”, kind of like “ray of sunshine”) birth and what it’s been like to be a family of FIVE.

My pregnancy with Reya brought Nathan and I so much joy. We always knew we wanted more kids, and so we were overjoyed when we found out I was expecting. Her pregnancy was filled with a lot of naps, a lot of movie afternoons and a lot of times that Hezzy told me “Daddy is big, but Mama is really REALLY big”. Thanks Hezzy boy. Naomi loved to blow raspberries on the my belly and say “hi” to the baby in my belly.

Fast forward nine-ish months, and our sweet baby was very comfortable in my belly, and I was very uncomfortable. We scheduled an induction for Thursday morning—ready to meet this sweet babe. The last few weeks of pregnancy were filled with lots of appointments, a few OB triage visits (FYI—don’t drink a big glass of cold brew before your appointment), and some more naps.

Nathan and I headed to the hospital Thursday morning and while I would have loved to go into labor naturally, I’ve been induced with both Hezekiah and Naomi and felt pretty confident in our decision. The induction started off pretty slow going, Nathan and I watched Big Daddy (quality movie choice), and we looked at pictures of both Hez and Naomi when they were newborns. This induction was very up and down in terms of intensity, there were moments that were very calm and serene, and then moments that were the complete opposite. I had the best support team, and am immensely grateful for the ways they took care of me. Things took a real turn of intensity, and I decided to ask for an epidural. It took a hot second to kick in, but let me tell you, whoever invented epidurals is a straight gift from the good Lord himself. From there it was a bit of a waiting game, trying to labor in different positions to get our sweet baby in a good position for delivery. Again, I am just so grateful for my nurses, midwife and sweet husband for their constant presence, help and encouragement. When it was time to push, it didn’t feel real. I couldn’t believe we were finally going to meet this sweet babe that we had been waiting for for so long. Reya was born at 8:07 pm. She pooped like three times, and was just so calm. Nathan says that this was the most peaceful, calm birth out of the three. Which kind of makes me laugh, because when I think of the rest of the day I remember the chaotic moments where in between puking I stated that we are never doing this again, and that I was going to die (I tend to err more on the dramatic side of things when i’m in pain, if you can’t tell).

The next few days were a blur of feeding, cuddling and just staring in awe at our sweet daughter Reya. The kids were able to visit the hospital, which was SO fun and also a bit chaotic. Hezzy was smitten from the first moment he laid eyes on her, and Naomi was really more interested in doing anything in her power NOT to acknowledge Reya.

We feel so blessed to have had so much help from our families these last few days. From playing with the kids, to cooking meals, to washing laundry and snuggling Reya so I can shower—we are so grateful. It has made this transition feel so smooth. Hezzy is absolutely in love with his littlest sister. He asks very frequently if he can go look at her. He loves to hold her, and rub her fuzzy little head. Yesterday he asked me if he could change her diaper and carry her carseat. Naomi is very slightly interested in Reya, but would prefer to run around and play with her Mimi or Aunty Emmy.

Sweet Reya- You are loved by so many already. You are a delight. Your middle name means “my father’s joy” and it is so obvious how much joy you bring to Nathan and I. Even more than that, I pray you would know that you bring your Heavenly Father joy. You are loved with an everlasting love, and the creator of the universe is rejoicing over you. I can’t wait to see your little personality develop. I am so happy God chose me to be your mother.