Looking Back...

Our lives changed so much on two separate occasions...May 4, 2004, when we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Rachel Jane Milligan was born on a Wednesday morning at 10:33am via c-section. She was 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 in. long. She was a delight because she was our first child and we didn't know what to expect. We really didn't know what we were doing. We were first time parents, we were scared, overwhelmed and tired. But, it was so much fun figuring it all out along the way. I was extremely over-protective of Rachel. I wanted her all to myself. I enjoyed every minute with her and couldn't stand to be apart from her. This is probably why she NEVER spent the night away from me until November, 2007, when she was 3 1/2 years old! I don't regret or feel sorry for that either. I truly loved all of the time that I was able to devote to my first child. I know that no other child will receive as much individual attention nor could I give that intense attention again. And, that's okay with me, because I'll love all my children just as much, it will just be more spread out.

July 22, 2006, when we were blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Bradley Franklin Milligan was born on a Saturday evening at 10:17 pm via VBAC. He was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 21 in. long. He was a delight because he was VBAC, which meant I got to experience all the really cool things about childbirth that I've always heard my mom talk fondly about...my water breaking, contractions, pushing a baby out of my body...there's just nothing cooler or amazing or miraculous. Then, it was so cool because he was a little boy and we knew everything would be different from Rachel, for the most part. He was such an easy infant...sleeping all the time and nursing constantly. Thanks to my laziness, he kept up the nursing for 14 months! He's been an absolute joy, but of course he's fit into our family and I've had to divide my time between both kids. It's actually been very easy most of the time. Rachel has loved Bradley so much since he came home from the hospital, that she's wanted to include him in everything. I certainly haven't felt as overprotective of him as I did of Rachel. In some ways, I've gone entirely in the other direction. I've welcomed anyone who wanted to spend time with us and even take the kids so I could have a break or go to an appointment. And, he spent the night away from me for the first time when he was 16 months...a far cry from what I did with Rachel!

But, boy have they both been such fun and such little blessings. It's hard to believe that Rachel is about to be 4 and Bradley will be 2 very soon. My, how time flies!