Introducing our latest member....

After spending the day packing, I wanted to take a break. As our move next week gets closer and closer, my opportunity to write our baby's birth story gets smaller and smaller since I'll be signing off until we are a little settled in our new location...I start to teared up just typing that last sentence.

Our beautiful A.R.D. was born after 2 hours and 40 minutes of labor on Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 10:40 am. We are all already completely in love with this little one...it's amazing how quickly that happens...

The weekend was filled with activities revolving around our family. My in-laws were in town and Saturday had previously designated a work/play day for the brothers and their father to prepare the yard for new landscaping. It was an early start after a late night. Since we found out we are leaving, I've been desperate to make sure we have enough time with our loved ones as possible. The night before Wonder Woman and I worked on a Super Saturday craft with our kids.

Sunshine and Pokeman, who are the best of friends, 99% of the time spent the night talking and laughing until they fell asleep. I, of course, couldn't fully fall asleep until they and everyone else drifted off to sleep.

The day was full and busy. Most of the cousins came over to help and play. By the end of the day, the yard was transformed and the boys sore and walking a bit tenderly. By about 11:30 everyone was off to bed.

As I laid, drifting off to sleep, my last thought was, "My daughters' room is a disaster! (The girls, upon discovering we were moving, unloaded their closets and started 'packing'.) What would happen if I went into labor and someone saw their room that way?!"

A half an hour later, around midnight, I woke up with a start at that very horrible thought. I jumped out of bed and proceeded to, with the grace of a half alseep bull in a china shop, 'quietly' clean my girls' room. Failing miserably to do it with much stealth, I was grateful for my kids ability to sleep through just about everything short of Nuclear Holocaust.

4 hours later, after cleaning our entire upstairs, I collasped into my bed. Just as I felt myself really being asleep, I felt that oddly familiar feeling. The one I felt twice before, a split second before my water broke. Sure enough, I felt a 'pop'...and my water was broken.

My kids get their freakish ability to sleep like logs from their father. It never ceases to amaze me how normally, he needs to be roused a couple of time to wake up, but how quickly he wakes up when I go into labor (it's happened 3 times now). It's seriously astounding!

At 4:30, Sunday morning, we were off to the hospital and by the time we walked through the front doors of the maternity ward I was leaving a trail of water every where I walked. We were immediately admitted.

Labor didn't really start at the point so He-Man and I had a blissful time revving up for the main event. We walked. We talked. We tried to sleep but were too excited. Then, I got in the tub. It was heavenly! I just soaked and relaxed while He-man rubbed my back, shoulders, hands and arms...he's got skills! I was totally in the zone!

Around 8:00, I began to feel contractions. He-Man had purchased a new piece of equipment, a portable TENS unit, which stimulates the muscles it's connected to, and hooked me up. The theory is that when used during child-birth, it disrupts the pain receptors and lessens the intensity of labor. I really wanted to try this labor without an epidural or pitocin. With all my labors, I had an epidural and with my last two, pitocin. I wanted to be able to compare and contrast; to see what differences were associated with both pain managment methods.

In preparation, I began practicing some visualization techniques to help me cope. My friend Rachel, who I'm convinced is a pro at this and truly an angel with the desire to make every birth experience beautiful, gave me the idea to visualize the way a tree sways with the wind. The tree doesn't fight against it, it flows with it. If the tree resists, it runs the risk of breaking under the pressure.

For the last few months, in the fullest part of summer, there was a beautiful, majestic tree outside my window. I would watch is sway with the wind and other weathering elements and for some reason, those moments became a joyful place for me.

Whenever I felt a strong contraction, I cranked up the TENS and noticed a very distinct change in the intensity of the pain. It was quite amazing. It was still hard, but definitely manageable. I also found that when anticipating the pressure and intesifying the electric impulse at the beginning of the contraction, the sensations were easier to get through.

At about 10:15, the contractions were getting very hard. In a moment of weakness, I wavered. My AMAZING midwife, Jessica, suggested that I change positions and allow He-Man to apply pressure to my knees. It worked wonders and I felt able to handle the contractions. However, I allowed that little voice of doubt to grow louder and louder. I started to believe I wouldn't be able to do the rest. I asked for an epidural.

I don't believe that epidurals make birth any less remarkable or heroic. In fact, my other births with them were wonderful. I was just a little frustrated with myself that I didn't allow myself to accomplish the goal I set out to do. Before I even had a chance to beat myself up about it, my husband swooped in with his words of encouragement reminding me it was my choice and whatever that choice was would be fine. Interestingly enough, I was a very good '8' and just about ready to give birth.

It was at the point I was about to receive the spinal that I wanted so badly to say, "Never mind! I can do this!" but I didn't. Before the medication had a chance to fully work, I felt our baby, like a wave, move through my body. It was quick and the time had come for me to push.

Jessica helped my sweet husband dress for delivery. With his medical smock on and his sterile mushroom hat, he looked so handsome. He was practically glowing. I felt so safe, so loved by him and by God. Nothing else mattered. It was just him and me receiving this baby from our Heavenly Father. The first touch our daughter would feel would be from her father. My midwife and the nurses backed away and let him use his medical training to deliver her.

He handled the whole process beautifully. It amazes me that such strong, able hands can handle such a precious little person so tenderly. She was beautiful. Her first cries came even before she was completely born. My first thought about her appearance was she had a nose that looked like a cross between Bunny and her best friend/cousin, Red.

I held close to me and she immediately started to nurse. She was so alert, so pink, so lovely.

This is where my epidural got frustrating. While she was getting cleaned up, my legs were numb. At that point, the nurses took her to get warm since her temperature wasn't regulating as quickly as they would have liked. Thankfully, her Daddy wasn't about to let 'Reeses Pieces' out of his sight so he went with them. I on the other hand, couldn't move my legs, so I had to lay in the bed for 2 hours! Grrr! Although, since I only got about 20 minutes worth, the epidural wore off really fast!

Once we got to our recovery room, we all treid to settle in for a much needed nap. I couldn't sleep though because all I wanted to do was stare at this beautiful little person. Apparently, R.P.'s older sisters felt the same way since they were clammering to meet her too. :)

Reeses Pieces-1 week old

So two and half weeks later, our home is covered in boxes, it's a mess and moving chaos is swirling all around us. But we are having so much joy in discovering this sweet baby and reveling in the quiet moments when we just get to love her and each other.

Cheers everyone and bottoms up to Reese's Pieces!