Birth Announcement and Story

Before she turns 10, I wanted to share the pics we used in the birth announcement that we sent out to family, taken by our wonderful photographer and friend, Michele Barnett, when Mags was 3 weeks old and also record Maggie's birth story here.


Well, Mags, I guess is was worth it that you came on your due date, August 8th, because you were a healthy, chubby baby (8 lbs., 4 oz.) and you had a great head of hair! However, I was expecting you two weeks earlier because Natalie had been 8 days early. I had a lot a false labor--lots of contractions but nothing that progressed into anything more. We tried a few techniques to get you to come out, even eating black licorice, but no one makes you do anything you don't want to do (as I've discovered about your personality thus far). The morning of August 7th, I started having regular contractions but didn't think much about it since I had been having them for weeks. That night around 7:30pm we went to a concert at the library where, for the first time, my contractions turned into mild cramps. By 10pm they had become stronger, but we figured we would go to bed and the contractions would desist by morning. As we lay in bed talking, I realized that there was no way that I was going to be able to sleep through these contractions. We decided to wait until 11pm to notify Grandma and Grandpa Robinson, who were driving three hours from Buena Vista to come stay with Natalie, that something might be happening. By 11:30pm we called back and said come now! Papa went across the street and asked Chris and Steph to come stay with Natalie (who was sleeping and oblivious to all that was going on) until Grandma and Grandpa could get here. We headed to the hospital a little after midnight. We were there for two hours (with no medications or interventions thankfully) and you showed up! 2:23 am, Saturday, August 8th. Two hours of hard contractions and only 10 minutes of pushing! But wow was it intense pushing! At one point I cried out, "I think I'm splitting in two!!!" Nobody said anything to me and I thought, "Hello, didn't anyone hear me???" After I pushed you out on my hands and knees, exhausted, I had to ask what we had because nobody yelled it's a girl. : ) You were beautiful and chubby. We knew immediately that you would be Maggie Jane even though we had another girl name option. We were thrilled to have another beautiful girl and that Natalie would have a baby sister to grow up with. We love you, Maggie Jane. You are delightful, smiley, social, driven, observant, resolute.

Here are our other favorites that Michele took: