Alice Esther!

She is here! She arrived October 25th at 11:53pm, weighing 7 lbs 1 oz. Which means that right before midnight tonight, she’ll be 1 week old.

And her arrival . . . well folks, it hurt like hell. At some point I’ll put together a birth story with all the fun stuff about what I yelled, how long I yelled it, and how I’m already terrified that a future Jenna will think “ooooh . . . I want another baby!”

No, future Jenna! It hurts real bad! Think twice! SERIOUSLY!

But Alice is so precious, you guys.

Anyway, I’ll be MIA for a while healing, resting, learning how to breastfeed, learning everything I can about this new little person, what her little noises and expressions mean, and how to be both a mother and a wife and also just a person. And if the past few days are an indicator, I’ll also be crying a lot . . . but that was always a given.

I want to be here now, not jumping ahead in my brain to Alice’s next stage, to the end of my maternity leave and how I’ll handle that, or any other future situations.

So here’s to staying in the moment.

36 thoughts on “Alice Esther!”

  2. Amy W

    Aww Jenna, she’s lovely! 😀 Enjoy all the resting and getting to know the new little person in your life x

  4. Hannah

    I’ve been checking every day to see if there was an update from you… she is beautiful! Also, it is ok to cry alot… I did too in those first few weeks. Everything feels so new and scary and your heart wants to burst from love for this little person and yet they are also totally dependent on you and it is a huge change! Something my husband told me in that first week was, “Just like you are learning to be a mommy for the first time, he is learning to be a baby… none of us have done this before.” It is good to remember….
    Take care of yourself… I will be thinking about you and praying for you!

  6. Lindsy

    Ohhh I love her!!! Grea job, Jenna. Childbirth is no small feat. And just to prepare you, you WILL want another little one and you will conquer childbirth again and your heart will once again grow in size. 🙂 but being in the moment is perfect. It is life changing and an adjustment, but amazing.

  13. Kate

    Oh, congrats dear Jenna to you and your hubby. She is beautiful and looks long and lean like the two of you. Enjoy each other. It’s wonderful to be more than a couple; now you’re a family. I saw your hubby walking down the street with a bag and I thought she had arrived. 🙂

  14. Suzie

    Congratulations to you and Adam, she is just precious Jenna! I agree with you…stay in the moment. Time goes all to fast my friend. Enjoy each and every moment. You’re going to be a great Mommy 🙂 xoxo

  15. Tonya

    Oh precious friend! I was prompted to come here tonight and check on you, and know I see WHY!!!!!! What a perfect gift from God and I am SUPER DUPER proud of you for waiting 14 days past your due date. Its SO much better to wait it out and allow baby that time in the womb, rather than rush rush rush them into a world they weren’t ready to face. I can’t stand that about today’s society and the mommy to be’s the breeze in with the announcement that their doc said they could induce 2 weeks early so it worked for everyone’s schedule.
    I can’t wait to hear your birth story. Yes, its hard. Very hard, but there will come a day, when those memories fade and you will want to do it again. But take heart, each one gets a bit easier.
    Wish I was close by to bring you some supper, sweet friend. Love your baby, and don’t forget to lavish some love on that man of yours.
    Hugs, T

  16. Circe

    what a beautiful little girl, congrats Jenna, I’m looking forward to seeing more pictures of her as she grows.

    feel better

  17. Sydney

    Eeee she is here! Take your time figuring out life; well be here when you come back. 🙂

    And a huge congrats, Jenna. She’s so beautiful.

  27. giselle

    Jenna! She is perfect. And you’re awesome and can totally do this! You’ve got this. It’s ok to cry, and it’s ok to be scared. Just do your best and remember that Alice is a very lucky baby to have you two as parents. I can’t wait to hear/see more!

  28. Kimby

    Jenna, I’m so happy for you! Alice was worth the wait. (Easy for me to say… but you know what I mean!) 😉 I loved your thoughts on being a mother, wife, and person. I hope you realize how special you are as “all three!” Congratulations and God bless you and your family!

  29. JenB

    Lovely! Thank you for taking the time to post. Blessings on you, Adam, and darling Alice as you learn to be a family of three.

  30. Megan

    congratulations! She’s so precious!

    Give yourself plenty of time to recover. Birthing is hard, breastfeeding is hard, and just learning how to survive the first week is hard, congrats on making it through that first week! Let yourself cry a lot. It’s very healthy. And don’t let anybody bully you around and say, when are you gonna bring the baby to church? and when can I see the baby and when are you gonna…..? etc etc etc. Stay in bed as long as you need to.

    I’m praying for you and wish you the best as you recover and process what’s happened. Hugs from afar 🙂

  31. Stacy Decker

    Congratulations! She is beautiful! Give her lots and lots of cuddles and take plenty of pictures. You can never have too many pictures 🙂

  35. Terri

    She’s here at last! I kept checking back to see if you had posted anything. I’ll confess, I started to get a little bit worried…but then, I’m really good at worrying.

    She is just so adorable, Jenna! Plus, she is so blessed to have you and your hubby as parents. Happy baby day to the three of you.

    Sorry it hurt. I think that the pain associated with childbirth is so totally shocking, there’s no way to prepare for it the first time around. The second time? At least your brain knows what to expect, which is a huge bonus. Knowledge is power.

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