Adelaide loves Vivian

After a long wait, I was so blessed to be there when Vivian Kathleen Armitage joined our family October 1 (10-01-10). Those of you who know me, know that I do not use the word blessed often, but I can't think of a more appropriate way to describe it.

Last Friday, I thought I was getting through just another stressful day at work, and had no idea I would end the night at Rex holding my precious niece. Jenna had called me complaining about symptoms that soundly frighteningly similar to the ones I felt when they diagnosed me as hypertensive and borderline preeclampsic. Sure enough, Jenna went to her dr, and they sent her to the hospital where they decided to induce that afternoon!

It was almost impossible to wait to go to the hospital! Finally at 7pm, I headed over, and I only spent about an hour in the room before Jenna was fully dilated and ready to push. I headed to the lobby, and that was the longest 2 hours, I tell you. I was waiting alone, wondering. I wanted to rush back into the elevator and demand status. My sister is my best friend in the world, and not knowing *exactly* what was happening to her was so difficult.

After the torture of waiting, I got a text from Jenna to head back up. I snapped my Macbook shut mid-Hulu-30-Rock, and ran up there like my pants were on fire. Vivian arrived the tiniest little Cheerio, as Jenna calls her - only 5lb 11oz! She was so mellow, and chill. I got to hold her while they got mommy all taken care of, and moved all of their stuff down to the post-partum room. The look on her sweet face, seeing the world for the first time, is a look I will keep in my head alongside my memories of holding my own precious Adelaide. How lucky that I could be there, and I am so thankful that Jenna and Jon let me be there with them.

This is her pout.

Saturday Ryan, Adelaide, and I went to the hospital to visit, and Adelaide was so excited to meet her new cousin. She held her SO sweetly, with such adoring looks of love. Ade gently stroked her head, and pressed her cheek against Vivian's, with little exclamations, "Look at her little, tiny, little shoulder! Look at her wee little feet!" She really had no intention of giving that child back. When Jenna tried to feed Vivian, Ade insisted, "She doesn't want to eat! She wants me to hold her again!" Which, I think, was actually true. Ade also clued us in that Vivian was bored there. Jenna, who has been like a second mother to Adelaide, was very worried that Adelaide would not feel as special anymore, and she bought Ade a tshirt that says, "Big Cousin;" but, I think we needn't have worried. Ade is not jealous at all, and truly very proud of her new role as cousin.

We went to visit at their house once this week also, and Ade was again very gentle and loving. When we got there, I said to Ryan, "See what this baby is doing? This is called sleeping." Although I admit I am a little "Really?!?!?" when Jenna calls to complain that it is hard to wake Vivian to eat because she just SLEEPS SO MUCH!, I am far more thrilled that Vivian does not have any of the problems that Ade has when she was small. It breaks my heart to think still of those months that Ade spent uncomfortable, and I would never want that for my baby niece (or my sister!). After months of anxiety about little soul, here she is, perfect as can be.

I can't wait to be as special of an aunt to her as Jenna is to Adelaide.