Hospital Stay

Our hospital stay after birth was sweet and sleepy and happy.
It was full of naps, visitors, the sweetest nurses, recovery, eating,
adjusting, nursing, pinching ourselves to make sure it wasn’t a dream,
and mostly just quiet moments soaking up the miracle of our baby.
We delivered at 9:40 PM, then spent two more hours in the delivery room
doing skin on skin, taking pictures, facetiming family, getting stitches, etc.
By the time we got into our room and all settled it was almost 1 AM, so we
had all been up for about 24 hours since I had awoken with contractions the
night before at 2 AM. Safe to say between the no sleep, birth experience
and emotion of it all we were tired beyond belief! It’s true what
people say that they have never been as exhausted as after birth.
Everything is hazy but I remember my mom heading back to our
place to sleep, Chase passing out in the sleeper chair next to me, and
the nurse taking me to the bathroom and then helping me try to nurse.
I could not even keep my eyes open and I felt so delirious while she was
talking to me that I almost felt like I was dreaming. I didn’t have
much luck with nursing but we did some hand expressing and then
they swaddled her up, put her in the crib right next to me, and I fell
asleep staring at the tiny little human that had come out of me hours
before. My mind was so blown and even though I was so exhausted I
kept waking up all night to check on her and stare at her and remember
everything all over again. I really kept wondering if it was all a dream!
We stayed two nights and one full day. My mom came back in the morning
and we all just stared and held baby all day! She got her first bath by the
nurse and Chase which she loved, got some shots and checkups, and we
went to a little breastfeeding class at the hospital. Later I got to take a
shower and wash my hair (that has never felt better) and then we had
some visitors from home! We were so lucky to have the Tempest girls
come out to visit…Di is basically my sister and Ann is my second mom!
It made me teary to see them walk in and I was so happy they could meet her.
Reagan & Rocky, destined to be future besties ^^
Di is also pregnant with her second so another bestie is on the way!
We also had our best friend Kendall visit early in the morning right when she got
back in town. She brought all the best things – flowers, doughnuts, and a new outfit!
Reagan meeting her Auntie Kendall ^^
Truly our closest thing to family out here!
We also got a fun surprise when Chase’s uncle walked in the room!
Clay lives in Salt Lake, but travels to the Bay for work every week…
so he came by with gifts from Chase’s family and was so fun to see.
Little blondie wiggling around after her first bath! ^^
^^ That little shampooed head just about kills me.
^^ Cutest grandma Linny
So cute knitting her blanket for Reagan (she has already made an amazing quilt) but this
one she’s worked on the past months and I love that she was finishing it up at the hospital!
Gorgeous flowers sent by Chase’s mom! ^^ We had to take some pictures by them.
I woke up and caught this sweet daddy daughter moment in the morning light ^^
Reagan got some of the cutest gifts at the hospital!
New little Kate Spade outfit thanks to darling Kathryn ^^
We were missing having my dad there, so we took some pictures with
Reagan and his missionary tag to let him know he’s close to her heart :)
She won’t get as much in-person time with my parents her first year of life,
but I love that she’ll always know they were doing the most important thing
that blesses us so much! We are so lucky that my mom has been able to be
here through the birth and we really have felt my dad so close through her.

We’ve also facetimed lots (even really early in the morning or
late at night for him in South Africa, he always answers :) He’s the
sweetest grandpa and even had gifts waiting on our doorstep when we got
back from the hospital…he might be Amazon Prime’s biggest customer- ha!
I was blown away by how darling of a dad Chase was from the first second.
I thought he would be, but he has exceeded all expectations by being so
excited and darling about it all. Nothing better than seeing him hold her!
Sleepy but happy faces ^^
We were the popular room with doughnuts to share for nurses and little
Rocky when they visited again our last morning in the hospital :)
Linny and Chase had some Chipotle dates since it was so close to the hospital..
(They were even there when my water broke during labor! Haha!)
The nurses took amazing care of us. Our favorite was Krista ^^ and this is
the only picture we got with her, before delivery! Loved her so much.The last morning we dressed her to take home, in disbelief we got to keep her!
Darling new dad wearing his pink polo to bring his baby girl home ^^“Stop embarrassing me, dad!”
Little princess leaving the hospital! ^^
Proud dad ^^
Those first hospital days are such special memories, but
it has only gotten better since bringing baby home!
That is coming next, and see the birth story here!

xo