Nate's Newsroom: July 2013

Time to dust off the old blog and get back to writing! I have a bunch of unfinished posts written since January that I could publish...but I think I'll start fresh with what's been happening in the life of the Eaton's!

In March, I sign a "senior reporter" contract with WRIC TV8.

A week later, we buy a brand new house! It's five minutes from our apartment, in the same

LDS ward, and closer to work. The builder asks more than we can afford...but we low-ball an offer AND request a new driveway and deck. We're pleasantly shocked when he says "YES" to everything!

We move in and begin painting, decorating, and getting the nursery ready. I swear we have everything a baby girl could possibly ever need.

Because our little family is expanding, we say farewell to my Honda and buy a Jeep Liberty from some friends down the street. I'm a little sad to see my Civic go - it's been with me since 2006 and carried me across the country to Virginia. I get over it quickly - as I don't have to worry about the Jeep overheating every time I turn on the AC.

Erica and I enroll in "hypnobirthing" classes and spend an hour every week under hypnosis.

We learn skills that will help Erica have a pain-free, relaxing labor and birth experience. Did it work? You'll have to read her blog to find out...

With birth classes out of the way and a house, car seat, nursery, crib, diapers, and boxes of wipes ready to go, all we need is a baby!

She's supposed to arrive May 26. We throw a birthday party - complete with a "Happy O birthday" cake and pizza. She doesn't show.

Memorial Day comes. We buy 15 bags of mulch and spend hours working in the yard. Erica hopes this will help baby along. She doesn't show.

We go to the doctor. An induction date is set - Monday 10 June at 8am.

No need for that though!

The Friday before we're watching "The Rainmaker" and Erica starts to have frequent contractions.

We try to go to bed and get some sleep. It doesn't happen.

Erica labors all night.

At 5am we go to the hospital.

Jennifer, the midwife, meets us there.

For the next 11 hours, Erica endures the most painful experience of her life.

Finally, at 4.02pm on 8 June 2013, I catch Emerson Lily Eaton in my arms and put her on my incredible wife's chest.

8 pounds even. 20.75 inches long.

We are speechless.

We are in awe.

We are grateful.

Now Emerson's three weeks old. It feels like we've known her forever and she's always been a part of our family.

She's changed us so much. (Will we ever sleep again?) I had two weeks off work and didn't want to go back! It's hard to leave the most beautiful girls in the world to go report on murders, fires, scandals, and crime...but thank goodness I get to come home to them!