Welcome to the family

Our precious granddaughter, Emily Catherine Hodson has arrived!  Her coming has been keenly awaited for a couple of weeks.  While she was only due on 17 February, we all hoped for an earlier arrival - Nic because she was uncomfortable, we because we wanted as many days with her on the outside as possible before we needed to go home.  Every night we'd say "Goodnight" and hope it would start to happen in the middle of the night - but every morning we'd wake up to find her still inside.

But she came when she was ready!  On Sunday, 19th February she started to make her presence known with her mom's waters breaking and weak contractions starting.  We all thought this was it!  Ray would have a birthday baby after all.  We even gave him his birthday presents at midnight.  But the night wore on with contractions coming and going, and at 8, Nic saw the midwife who sent her home to get some sleep.  At 5, she went back to the hospital to see the midwife and obstetrician, who said they'd admit her overnight in case of infection, and would induce labour properly in the morning.  So the "birthday baby" option seemed to slip away.  But little Em knew what she wanted - and that was to give us all a surprise.  No sooner had the midwife left the hospital, than contractions started in earnest, and she was born at 9.10pm - on 20 February - exactly 29 years after her dad!

Nic had a few problems post partum with a hemorrhage, and Ray didn't even get to let us know till after 10.30 - but with amazing staff at the hospital, she was fine and although she needed blood and was kept in the delivery ward for nearly 24 hrs, she was soon stronger and ready to take on this challenge.

Em was 8lb 7 oz or 3.825kg when she was born and is 47cm long,  She has lots of dark hair and deep blue eyes,  fat little cheeks and a mouth like a little raspberry.  She has long fingers and skinny little feet.  She is adorable!

It's more than 14 years since Kev was born, so I wondered if I'd feel the same about Em's birth.  I was there when Kev was born and held him as soon as he was born.  I didn't get to hold Em for 12 hours, but the wave of love was just the same.  How wonderful to hold a little baby, flesh of your flesh - and know that the circle of love just gets bigger and bigger.  Pete didn't get to hold Kev until he came home - he described how his arms felt empty until he had cuddled him.  I felt the same as we waited for Ray to come home on Monday night and tell us all about it - and yet, once I had held her, my arms felt full of love.

Seeing Ray and Nic with her is just so awesome - they just gaze at her in awe.  Ray is like a kid with the best present ever - he just giggles with delight - and he can't bear to be parted from her.  Nic is glowing - despite the pain and the weakness after the blood loss.  She says that she can't believe that she loves her more each time she holds her.

The Facebook Phenomenon has also added something to this birth - we could post on fb straight away - and as it was daytime in SA, there were messages immediately.  Hundreds of them, if you count up all the "likes" and comments on our pages, Rita and Graham's, Ray and Nic's, Sarah, Laura's and Sihle's.  There have been wonderful comments - like "Where is the LOVE button - LIKE isn't enough" and Pam saying "Where is the Positively Adorable button?"  And everyone has been able to see pictures straight away.  Nic will be selective about who can see the pics after these, which is sensible, but for the moment, everyone needs to see and share.

So our little love is home, Ray is getting some sleep (he's been at the hospital almost 24/7) and Nic's milk is coming in, despite all the blood loss.  We are all so blessed and feeling so complete.

Welcome, little Emily - no longer Ricky, but her own special little self.