Introducing Thorin John

Thorin John Mayberry || July 26th, 2022 || 7:53 am || 7 lbs 12.5 oz || 19.5 inches

Baby’s Outfits: Knotted Gown (Retro Khaki) + Copper Pearl Swaddling Blanket and Bonnet (Briar)

Hello everyone, meet our SON! After two daughters, it feels so surreal to be writing a birth story for my third child and first son! If you want to go back in time you can click here to read Hilde’s Birth Story & Millie’s Birth Story – it’s so fun to look back on these. My how time flies!

I’m writing this post with a newborn snuggled up in my lap. Breathing the hurried, inconsistent breaths of a newborn with all their squeaks, and snorts, and smacks. I forget how tiny and snuggly they are in these early days. I’m realizing that so many of these moments you feel like you will always remember so vividly fade overtime. Life fills with more memories, firsts, experiences, adventures, and “I better write that down so I don’t forget it” moments.

Each time we head to the hospital, we leave with more photos than the time before (even though our stay ends up being progressively less & less each time!) We didn’t take any photos in Hilde’s c-section (which still is a bummer to me but I had no idea I would want them at that time!) and with Millie we took the bulk of our photos as she was being held up but neglected to take many other hospital photos. This time we clicked away documenting everything. Like hundreds of photos so most didn’t make it into this post including some of my favorites that I want to just keep for ourselves 😉

If you didn’t guess it already, Thorin was born via scheduled c-section on July 26th, two days before my due date! The story is that since I’ve had two c-sections already, the safest choice for mama and baby is to continue with that. By this time I know what to expect with a c-section as far as the procedure and recovery go, so that’s actually pretty nice. We scheduled sitters, prepared for our typical hospital stay & home recovery, and PACKED our days before little man’s birthday!

Gratefully we had another smooth delivery and were taken care of wonderfully by all the doctors and nurses on staff at our hospital. We know so many people were praying for us during the delivery and we could feel the weight of that. We don’t take lightly the precious gift of new life and health. I stared at the miracle who was just seconds before screaming under the bright lights of the operating room, kicking me in the side. All 7 pounds and 12.5 ounces of him was cocooned in me just as he looked snuggled in his daddy’s arms. Isn’t that incredible or what?!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

– Psalm 139:13-16

Thorin looks a lot a bit like Hilde – Google Photo’s face recognition is still trying to figure out the difference – and a little bit like Millie. The perfect mix of our girls with dad’s heavy brow and the Ridings family lips that this mama gave to all her kids! But unlike our bald baby girls, Thorin came out with a full head of gorgeous locks that rival his sisters! Millie cannot stop stroking (or in her words “petting”) his hair commenting on how beautiful, lovely, etc it is. Both girls have already brushed it with their princess hairbrushes and tried to sneak clips in it!

We only stayed one night in the hospital this time (we knew we would sleep better at home & recover faster that way) so we didn’t coordinate with a photographer to get family photos. The girls came with my mom in the afternoon to meet Thorin so we took pictures of that and then Bruce and I took turns taking pictures of each other with our little bub!

Hilde cried leaving the hospital and the whole way home because she didn’t want to leave us there 🙁 That was unexpected because she is normally so independent but I think she was just so aware this time she realized things were different without us at home. Plus she was very curious at the hospital and I was still hooked up to a lot of things so I’m sure it felt interesting for her to see me like that. Thankfully both Thorin and I were able to check things off the discharge checklist and pass the bill of health to go home after just one night allowing our family to be all under one roof again!

My prayer for my son (and all my children) is Romans 12:2, that he will not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of his mind, that by testing he may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect! Lord use me as a mother for your glory. Help me to raise my children to know and love you. And may they too live for you! Amen!