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| Skinny jeans! One week old! |
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| Four generations |
Although I had made it very clear to Jenna and Trey that they were not to get pregnant while I was in South Africa they announced that they had completely disregarded my wishes back in July of 2010 when they told me they were expecting their first baby in the early part of 2011. I was not planning on going home, but as the time drew near, I made a good decision, bought a ticket on short notice and rushed home.
I had expected the whole labor and delivery to be well over by the time I got there since it was well passed her due date, but when my plane touched down in Phoenix at 10:00 on the 25th of February Jenna had not even begun to have contractions. About an hour later they started and later that night Montana Louise was born while I suffered from jet-lag curled up in a chair in the waiting room. How nice of her to wait for her Auntie. I was very grateful as it was a special time and nice for me to share in those moments since I missed the whole pregnancy. I spent the first two weeks of her life sleeping on the couch of their rental home, waking up so I was able to be present for most of the night-time feedings even if it was just to sit there, the first couple poop explosions, shopping misadventures and was the first one Jenna left alone with her!
It was clear, to me at least, that my time in South Africa has changed me. This I realized as I calmly watched a movie and did a little yoga while my sister had contractions in her bedroom! Normally I would have been freaking out insisting she go to the hospital or that we google something! But no, Africa has taught me that things will work out however they will regardless of whether I freak out or stay relatively calm! Relatively - I am still very rarely in a state of complete calm! I still found extreme satisfaction in organizing her clothes but imagining Jenna disregarding all my efforts as soon as I left did not upset me at all!!!
Montana is so freaking perfect and right away was flung full force into the lifestyle of Jenna and Trey. Dinner out at two days old and before she turned three months old she had traveled to California, Vegas, been camping and hiking and done a little boating. Come to think of it, she made her first trip to CA before she was a week old. No big deal!
I miss her desperately and can't wait for her first African adventure next April!
