Best and Worst Chicago Weekend!

I planned a trip to Chicago this past weekend because a bunch of my sorority sisters were getting together to reunite and hang out.  While I planned on attending the event, I was always really planning on being in Chicago for a VERY different reason.  My sister Amanda was pregnant and due August 24th, but I was hoping she would go into labor a few days early and have that baby while I was up there.  Everyone thought I was joking around about that baby coming early when i was in town, but she must have known I was coming because sure enough Friday morning Amanda went into Labor!  She told me in the morning she felt "crampy" and I knew she was in labor but tried to hide my extreme excitement.  I hopped in my car around noon and headed up to Chicago (as planned) and got a text in the car that said they were headed to the hospital.  As I visited with my friend Lauren and her beautiful baby Lillian I was told that Amanda was already 6 centimeters dilated and we would be having a baby by 10 pm!

The rest of the evening was spent with my cousin Megan "babysitting" our little cousins Holden and Billie (babysitting is in quotes because the kids went to sleep and we just ate pizza and hung out).  I was anxiously checking my phone for updates every few minutes and by 10pm we got the news that Mackenzie McClure West was born at 8:15pm weighing 6lbs 13 oz!!  I was bummed because visiting hours were over but planned to be at the hospital FIRST thing in the morning.

Ryan and Amanda didn't get much sleep that first night and I went to the hospital so I could keep Amanda company while Ryan went home to get some uninterrupted sleep.  I couldn't keep my hands off that little girl...we did a lot of snuggling and picture taking.  I was responsible for sending pictures to the entire family and keeping everyone updated as much as possible.

After spending the night at their apartment with my mom and getting them as organized as possible the next day I got in my car to head home.  This is where the best weekend of baby snuggling and pure love turned from amazing to absolutely HORRENDOUS.  It took me 3 hours to get about 3 miles on I90/94 west in Chicago...8 months pregnant with only a quarter tank of gas.  I had to turn my air conditioning off because it was draining my gas so I was sweating with nowhere to go for over 3 hours.  I was calling Dane, my dad, my mom ANYONE to help me find an alternate route but ultimately I just had to wait it out.  After 2 pretty serious hysterical pregnant meltdowns I made it out of the traffic and my usual 3 hour ride home from Chicago only ended up being 7 hours...

On a lighter note here are a few pictures of little Mackenzie :)

First time VERY happy Grandma!

We are all very smitten with this little one and can't wait to meet her little cousin in just a few weeks!!