Announcing Aowyn Joy!

Priscilla had her baby! Aowyn was born 9:30 Sunday morning, September 19th. She was 8 pounds, and 20 and a 1/2 inches long. She has gorgeous blue eyes and lots of dark hair and looks just like her big sister did as a newborn. What's funny, is Priscilla called me at like 8:30 Sunday morning to tell me she was in the hospital and having the baby. She sounded just fine, like she was sitting on her couch or something. She said she'd already had the epidural and she was just waiting and the baby would probably be there in a 1/2 hour. "And you're taking to me on the phone?" I said. She's so funny. But we had really thought she would have the baby Friday night, then I called her Saturday and she was so disappointed and frustrated that the hospital wouldn't admit her because her cervix wasn't ready, and she promised she would let me know when she was actually IN the hospital. The earliest they would schedule an induction would have been tomorrow, and she really didn't want to have to wait another 4 days, because she'd been having contractions since like last Thursday, but they weren't close enough together. So we are all so happy that Aowyn is here and healthy and gorgeous.

I got to see her and hold her when she was 9 hours old, and oh my word! I'd forgotten what newborns are like. Jake was a sturdy, stout little newborn (9 pounds, 13.5 ounces), so he never seemed all that small and certainly never frail. So to hold Aowyn as she was so tiny, I just didn't know what to do with myself! She was sleeping soundly, though, and wrapped up in several blankets, so that made it easier. It's amazing how quickly you can love someone so much, when they're not even related to you! Priscilla feels like a sister, though, and I call myself "Aunt Jenny" when talking to the kids. I took a ton of pictures for Priscilla (I think I ended up with over 50 pictures), and I got to visit with Ben's family -- there were like 6 of them there. I always wonder if they think I'm crazy -- I try not to be odd when I'm around people, but sometimes I can't help it. I get a little bossy, too, when I'm trying to get good pictures, and I know I drive Ben crazy about that but deep down he likes me so it's ok.

I got to be there when Elauna met her little sister for the first time, and it was so sweet! I think she's going to do GREAT. She's such a wonderful, loving, sweet little girl, and at 18 months is showing no signs of the terrible two's. She loves other kids and loves babies, so I think she may end up being jealous of her mom not giving her as much attention as she's used to, but I don't think they're going to have big problems like some families do with the older kid. She just marched in the room and the first thing she did was point to Aowyn and say "Baby? baby?" She even knew that if she touched her she had to be nice and be gentle. Mostly, though, she was happy to run around the room (which was huge! The room I was in sucked compared to this one!) and see everyone and be silly.

I went to visit again yesterday after work (Monday) and no other visitors were there so I got to sit with Priscilla for about 90 minutes and just talk and look at the baby. I had spent most of my work day on Monday editing the pictures I'd taken Sunday (this was after I'd caught up all my work from being gone on Friday!!!) and I brought 12 of the best pictures to Priscilla in a little photo album, and she loved it. We both win, because I need to practice taking pictures of newborns, and she doesn't want to deal with a professional photographer or a studio photographer for a while (we had some major trauma trying to get Elauna's picture taken at 1 month.) Oh, and the baby smiled at me! I was talking to her and she totally smiled and Priscilla said she's going to write that in the baby book -- I feel so special! ;o)

I'm so happy that Priscilla has another little girl. People are already asking her if she's going to try again for a boy. Why would you ask someone that? And right after they give birth? She doesn't really want a boy. (I think because she's seen how crazy Jake is, and she has another friend with 3 boys and they're crazy, too.) She and I have agreed that it's fine that we each only have "one kind," because we spend so much time together we get that quality "boy time" or "girl time" that we're missing out on. And our kids will have a close friend of the opposite sex so it won't kill them they don't have a sibling of the opposite sex. I love Priscilla and Elauna for so many reasons, but one of them is that I know that through Jake's friendship with Elauna he will learn how to treat women and to respect women and how to truly care about women and see them as equals. (With lots of conversations with me to help that along, of course.) He's already learning what it means to be a friend, and that's so important to me. Now he has TWO little girls to learn this with, and I'm so glad!!!

Comments

[Jenni]

What a beautiful family! Now, how do you pronounce that name??? ;)

[Jen_Jake'smom]

Aay-oh-whynn. A-o-win. I don't know how to explain it! ha ha ha ha.

[Leslie]

What a cutie! Now we all need to get together so I can hog the baby --I mean so the kids can play together

[Sue]

What gorgeous little girls! That's great that Jake has 2 close 'girl friends' to grow up with and have fun with. Congrats to Priscilla & Ben :)

[Ninotchka]

Congrats to your friend. What a beautiful family and what great pictures! That is one of the prettiest newborns I've EVER seen. Including my girls, so you know I'm telling the truth. lol She's perfect, enjoy!

[CaraH]

Tell Priscilla "congratulations!" She is beautiful!

[Kelly]

She really is beautiful! :) Thank you for the messages on Girly Chat!