In the Hospital

After Betty was born around 2:30 in the morning, we finally got settled into our room a little after 5:00 am.  I called my parents to tell them about the delivery and they wanted to come in right away.  They said they'd leave around 7:00 in the morning to come meet our baby.  It was still snowing a lot that day and the morning commute was very messy.  Add a flat tire to my parents' journey and they arrived around 11:30 am.  Spencer headed home mid-morning to pick up his mom and Clara and most of the family converged at the hospital around lunch time.

We had spent a lot of time at home talking with Clara about how I would go to the hospital to have the baby, and how her grandma would stay with her while we were gone.  We also told her that she would come to the hospital to meet "baby sister" and that she could get a special drink while she was there (knowing that sprite is available on tap to patients and visitors in the maternity ward).  She seemed to totally get it and I was anxious to see her reaction to everything when they finally came.

Well, to my surprise - Clara really did "get it."  I wondered how long after giving birth she would still want to hug and kiss my tummy and call it "baby sister."  Not once.  She's transferred all of that love once aimed at my abdomen to her tiny baby Betty.  She ran over to her as soon as they arrived at the hospital, anxious to meet this little one and touch her tiny fingers and toes, eyes and nose.

After Spencer, Clara, Daddy and the grandparents went home for the afternoon, I found myself alone in the hospital with our little baby.  She was such a sleepy little one that she would only nurse for a minute or two at a time (which was a huge contrast to Clara as a newborn).  Thankfully, the doctors, nurses and lactation specialist were all quite encouraging and sure she'd eventually wake up and be a great eater.  Spencer decided it would be easier for everyone if he stayed home with Clara that night instead of coming back to the hospital, so I enjoyed our "celebratory dinner for two" (compliments of IMC) with Aunt Carol who came after work to meet our new baby.

On day two, Spencer and Clara returned for more Lorna Doone's and Sprite... and to hang out as a family.  The hospital is a difficult place to rest or relax, but I loved those first sweet moments together as a family.  The excitement of having a new little baby certainly outweighs the annoyances of being uncomfortable and frequently interrupted.  My doctor said I could go home on Tuesday night if I wanted, but I really wasn't ready to get into "mom mode" yet, and wanted to make sure things with our baby and her feedings in particular were squared away.  She had a little fever that afternoon as well, so I wasn't too anxious to take her out of a setting where I knew she could get immediate help if it were needed.

Just me, or does she look just like Elder Holland here?

Everyone was very anxious to know what we were going to name our baby, and by Tuesday morning we thought we might have figured it out.  We considered naming her Florence Betty, but weren't ready to make it official.  By the late evening, I was feeling really unsure and we kind of felt like we were back to square one.  We had talked about Beatrice for a lot of my pregnancy, but planned to shorten it to Betty (my grandma's given name).  I liked Eloise.  We both liked Florence.  We wanted her name to have some significance and not just be something we liked; a story to tell, a person to admire, a character in a great story or someone who made a difference historically.  We prayed and slept and by morning (about an hour before going home) she was Betty.


Betty Florence Evans.