We're a family of five!
Welcome baby William John Meek!
October 23, 2014
6:47am
7 lbs. 4 oz.
20.5 in.
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| Dad & Will shortly after birth |
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| Mom & Will |
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| Biggest sister is a pro this time around. |
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| (OMG, we have three kids!) |
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| Nothing like seeing your baby brother for the first time. As much as Annabelle knew what to expect, Emeline was able to experience the new baby through entirely fresh eyes. Amazing moment. |
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| Our threesome. |
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| Smitten |
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| This set up never gets old (for mom)... |
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| Baby Will - rare alone photo.
Will's birth was a wild ride, starting with an unassuming stroll through Cantigny while Grandma Meek was visiting. I had experienced false labor with Emeline, so any signs that started that day, I tried to ignore. But of course, as all our little Meeklet's arrivals, by the middle of the night, it was clear there was a baby on the way. We made it to the hospital by 5:30am after a long night of laboring naturally. Despite arriving at the hospital at 8cm, and progressing to 10cm in minutes, hopes and plans of a natural labor were dashed when baby was discovered breech. (I entirely believe I could have had this baby breech, just as God had intended, but that's another blog post...and probably some therapy, so I'll keep this simple.) It's all a blur once I was told I wouldn't be allowed to deliver as I had planned, but our baby BOY Meek was removed via cesarean at 6:47am.
He didn't have a name right away. We ALWAYS go into our gender surprise births with names ready, but we had struggled with the boy name. In the last few weeks of pregnancy, I had decided to stop stressing , we had narrowed it down to two boy names, and we had our girl name. If by some crazy chance, we actually had a boy, we'd figure it out. (Should have know that theory would guarantee a boy.)
So, this wasn't to be Rosemary Jenny. (This IS last baby, so I can officially spill all name plans ;)
After getting to a recovery room, we quickly tried out our two names and William John it was. (I was still loopy from the cesarean ordeal, so luckily Dad was feeling pretty confident about the name.)
Grandma Meek brought the big sister's to the hospital to visit as soon as possible. We also had visits from Grandpa Meek, our lovely neighbors, Paul & Cecilia, our dear friend Mary, with Molly & Maggie, Aunt Shannon & Uncle Scott and Aunt Colleen, Miss Janine, and Carolyn, Lucy & Norah
And because I know everyone wants to know, but doesn't want to ask, Will is galactosemic, just like Annie.
We've had "the" galactosemia call three times now. These three calls have proven to me just how much we adapt, and how fear is almost always just the unknown.
In 2009 we got the call for Annie, introducing us to the world of galactosemia. We scribbled down g-a-l-a-c-t-o-s-e-m-i-a, immediately googled and cried. I spent the next year secretly crying more days than not, terrified of our daughter's future.
In 2012, we had a handle on galactosemia. Our lives as parents, WAS galactosemia. I was fully prepared (and assuming) our next baby would also be galactosemic. When we received the call that Emeline was merely a carrier, I cried again. I quickly mourned the fact that the sisters would not share this genetic rollercoaster, and moved on. All that I worried about was soon washed away in the every day, and I immediately saw the girls definitely didn't see each other as galactosemic or not, but merely as sisters.
And here we are in 2014. I hadn't really given much thought to whether a third baby would be galactosemic or not. So when we got the call that Will was galactosemic, I felt bad, our genetics team was trying to break it to me so gently. But they may as well have called to tell me he had two eyes and a nose, it was not an issue to me.
Third time parenting is awesome. If only we had the confidence and knowledge the first time, when we only had one to care for. But of course, we don't realize how easy one kid is...until we have a small heard ;)
Will has been loved on since the moment he arrived. His sisters are smitten with him as are his parents. He sleeps well, cuddles well, wiggles well and even seems to smile already in these first couple of weeks. I'm trying to take in every little breath in my ear, and the feeling of his squirmy little body nestling into ours as we hold him. I know all too well we will blink, and it will be hard to even imagine those first few weeks. Making people....truly is a miracle.
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