It was early Christmas morning when an at-home pregnancy test confirmed what I had already suspected. What a timely and beautiful gift. I could hardly contain my excitement while with friends and family, but I did my best to keep it under wraps until we were a few weeks in. I couldn’t help but dream about what pregnancy and motherhood would be like – protecting and nurturing this new life! And as a planner and a first-time mom, I was undeniably excited about the “projects” that come with such a major life event: decorating our baby’s nursery, designing the baby shower. Unfortunately, I was plagued with low energy and a lack of motivation for much of my pregnancy (any new mommies relate?!), but I was able to make the most of the times I did feel inspired with the best circle of sisters who took care of the difficult tasks for me.
This community has been such an integral part of each big life step of mine, and I just had to share this one too!
Decorating the Nursery It took some time for me to determine the feel of the nursery. For the life of me, I just could not decide! I did know, though, that I wanted to go the traditional route. The rest of my home has a neutral/gray palette— so I figured I’d keep with that color scheme. In the end, we decided to go with an animal-inspired nursery with gray, navy blue and gold accents.
Baby Shower: Micah Classic
Considering I would have a summer shower, I wanted to do something informal, relaxed but still classy! We decided to throw a Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic inspired baby shower. The yard was adorned with greenery, shades of orange and hues of blues! The attire was stylish picnic meets chic garden party. My sister-in-law came up with the ultimate garden party menu, but many of my (very Caribbean) family members insisted on bringing curry goat, jerk chicken, salmon, and plantains for good measure. In hindsight, I’m so glad they did; everything was so delish! We enjoyed polo-themed games like large checkers, chess, and cornhole. Guests also engaged in traditional baby shower games, led by my sister-friends. It’s safe to say that we enjoyed being showered with love!
Micah’s Arrival
The days counting down to Micah’s delivery were spent working from home and attempting to stay off of my feet. My physician’s office had scheduled my induction in the event that Micah had not arrived by his due date. I actually didn’t feel nervous, and an hour before my scheduled induction I snuck off to get a mani/pedi.
After being admitted to the hospital, I was so sure I’d be holding a baby in my arms within the next 24 hours—how naïve of me! After about 36 hours of several induction medications, I was finally in active labor. By the time the delivering physician came in to introduce herself, I intuitively knew I was ready to push. My nurse, Ashley, started to get me prepped and told the OB that she would page her if I started to bear down. Well, within 2 minutes of the OB leaving the room (to deliver another baby), I could no longer wait; I HAD TO PUSH! Ashley attempted to reach the OB; however Micah was on his way, and I could not stop him! But no worries! Ashley sprang into action. Almost instantly, I could hear her instructing my husband to look at Micah’s head, which was peeking out. I remember the resident physician showing up around that time; it all happened so fast. After 4 pushes, Micah had made his arrival (thank God, because I honestly did not think I would make it if I had to push one more time lol). Micah was born on September 6, 2019 at 7lbs .07 ounces, 21inches long. Check out his pictures below:
This journey had its ups and downs, but he was certainly worth it all, from preparation to birth. To the moms out there, what did you enjoy the most about your pregnancy/birth experience? Comment below!