It surprised me to see that my last blog post was about still anticipating the arrival of our holiday babe. Though the last couple months have been a whirlwind, I didn't realize I hadn't shared anything about our little (big) addition.
On December 31st, Vaughn Charles joined our family. Arriving fashionably late, he is very much his mother's son. Though he was due on Christmas, one week later, I found myself still very pregnant. We ended up being scheduled for an induction at 8:00 AM on New Year's Eve. Late into the night on December 30th, I was busy packing, prepping, and checking off lists. I finally got into bed around 1:00 AM, thankful to get a few winks of sleep before we needed to get up. Not five minutes into laying down, my water broke. I jumped up to the bathroom in a "I can't believe this just happened!" moment. But the time had come. Vaughn decided to move out on his own before he was evicted.
The birth was very similar to Sterling's in that I hardly dilated as the time passed. Fifteen hours later and just barely at 5 cm, the doctors told us the baby was going into stress and it was time to plan for a C section (this is exactly what we experienced with Sterling).
Though this would not have been my preferred birth plan, our biggest priority is, of course, for the babe to arrive safely and healthy. And oh boy was he healthy! Vaughn measured in at 21 inches and weighed 9 lbs, 9 ounces.
His middle name, Charles, is a family name from both sides. Just like Sterling's middle name of John, we loved that it brought together both families into one little guy. Vaughn was chosen, simply because we liked it. We seem to have a thing for surnames as first names and loved that it felt traditional and classic while still being unique.
Considering the circumstances of giving birth during a pandemic and in the middle of another big wave of cases, our hospital experience was actually fairly calm and positive, if not just a little lonely. While we missed visitors and Sterling getting the chance to meet his brother in the hospital, we cherished the first day and a half of dedicated time together with our new little guy.
Sterling instantly clicked in his new role as big brother, wanting to hold him the first night and showing off for his new best friend (something that continues to this day). We’ve continued to be impressed with his adjustment to a fourth family member. Our Sters is still the happy go lucky bundle of energy that he has always been.
Our first few months with Vaughn were a little more intense than what we experienced the first time around. Vaughn had some pretty bad colic, which broke my heart more than anything else. It’s defeating to want to fix things for your child, especially when they are so little, and to not be able to do anything about it. I’m thankful for our pediatrician (who is a former bridal client turned great friend). She helped us through what would otherwise have been parent panic. Even though we are still in a time of social distancing, it’s been simple acts of care like this that have meant so much to us. We have been blown away by gestures from family, friends and neighbors. From “welcome” cards, weeks’ worth of groceries delivered, and thoughtful gifts, our support system came out in a big way and it will always be something I cherish about this time.
While Vaughn is still in his basinet next to us at night, we spend a considerable time in his nursery. It's actually the walk in closet nook off our bedroom. He naps in there during the day and I’ve taken to working in the rocking chair next to him just because I love the space so much. It’s also really peaceful working next to a sleeping baby rocking away with lullabies in the background.
My approach for this nursery was a little less themed than Sterling's Forest-y classic tale nursery (photos here). Since we once again did not know the gender, I was careful to keep things fairly neutral, though looking at it now, there is certainly a lot of blue.
I was inspired by nurseries of the 80s and 90s. Wicker baskets, toile fairytale crib sheets, velvet, woven rug, monograms, and blonde oak fill the space. Much of the big pieces come from Sterling's nursery and I was excited to repurpose it in an adjusted design motif.
We've been relishing these newborn baby days. They go so quickly and already he's rounding out his "fourth trimester" and growing into a more engaged and lively baby. Welcome to our family little man. We can't imagine our lives without you in them.
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