Meet Maggie. Maggie is the one week old little peanut of Betsy and Steve. They graciously let me come over and spend time with her last week.
When Betsy first told me about the schedule they have of waking her every couple hours during the day, I thought she was a little crazy. Then I realized that this kid really has mixed up day and night. She wanted to sleep the entire time I was there. The only time she made a peep was when we were poking at her to keep her from going over her allotted daytime nap.
Maggie was born 1 week late. Betsy’s sister had come to town with the mission to walk this baby out. They planned a sightseeing tour all over Philly that day. There were tickets to Independence Hall in the afternoon after working through the Museum of the American Revolution.
Betsy had Braxton Hicks contractions throughout the day. They varied from 8-15 minutes apart so she walked through them. As the day progressed, she would stop as one was coming and considered going home twice but her sister convinced her that there was no need. After all, Betsy was walking along pretty well and didn’t seem in much distress.
As the time got closer to the tickets and the contractions had progressed to 4 minutes apart, she cheerfully called the hospital for advice. She was put on hold and told that she might as well come in but no one was very concerned. Not wanting to miss the tour, they pleaded with the people at Independence Hall and might have put on a little bit of a show to get into an earlier tour and get curbside pickup afterwards.
Of course you don’t want to miss more Philly institutions so they stopped at Reading Terminal Market and pointed out Rocky at the Art Museum on the way to the hospital.
Betsy was still calm. Of course the contractions didn’t feel great but she’s highly suggestible and her demeanor reinforced others’ thoughts that she was still in early labor. The nurses at intake were expecting her to be sent back home.
Then she was evaluated. She was 8cm dilated! Those had not been Braxton Hicks. Those had been the real deal.
This is a sassy little lady born to a warrior of a mama. And Steve? He’s over the moon and performed his job of calling out the sex of the baby to perfection.
Margaret Claire is named for Steve’s mom’s middle name (well, technically her confirmation name) and Betsy’s grandmother.
I know that these two are going to be incredible parents. Steve has a constant smile on his face and is not easily ruffled. Betsy is kind and generous and has more gratitude about the big and little things than anyone I know.
Maggie is a big and little thing well worth all of the gratitude and love in the world.
I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.
~Robert Munsch
