Happy First Birthday Ellie!!

Gosh, where to begin. Of course I am going to bore you all with the details of her birth. Even after having 3 previous babies, she was such a suprise in so many ways. We didn't know her sex. And I just assumed her labor and delievery would be similar to the others.

As you all may remember daddy was leaving on his hunting trip less than a week after her due date. Which I didn't think would be a problem. The other three were early. But, as her due date approached I started to get nervous. Thankfully, in the middle of the night the day before her due date, I started labor. Her birth story is truly text book as far as everything happening like the books say. I was able to do most of the laboring at home (even though I didn't know I was doing it.)

By the time I got to the hospital I was half way dialated and didn't really want drugs. It all seemed relatively easy. After an hour at the hospital my water broke and I walked to my labor room. As I was walking down the hallway, things got increasingly more painful.

Mom, Sissy and Paul along with a couple of nurses were in teh room. In between contractions I wanted to see each of the kids. Boop was the first to come in. But about 5 minutes into my visit with him, I had some one take him out. It was soooo painful and I just couldn't seem to get a grip!

I had already asked for an epidural figuring I had at least 10 hours of labor ahead of me. As the nurses were out getting what I needed, I felt this incredible urge to push and only daddy was in the room. The nurse came back just in time. Checked me adn realized I was ready to deliever a baby. I was certain it wasn't time yet. There was no midwife. I didn't have my drugs. Teh nurse started putting on scrubs and I asked her what she was doing and she said delievering my baby. With no drugs and no midwife?

The midwife got there just in time and I continued to push. It was so painful and I was so confused and freaked out. But once I got "in the zone" it all happened so quick. Even though the pain was intense, I would not change a thing. The minute she was delivered it was all just so natural, so real, so right.

I thought for 9 months I was carrying a boy. We just assumed because this pregancy was so much like Boop's. Imagine my surprise (along with everyone elses) when the midwife said "It's a girl." "It's a girl." Disbelief. "IT'S A GIRL!!!" Absolute joy in less than a second!! One of the great things about a natural delivery is you are able to get up and move around and take an active role in all the activity. Instead of waiting in the bed for the drugs to wear off. I really liked that!

EG was here. And we were so excited. It took a little while, though, to adjust having baby number four, BUT, she has so wonderfully completed our happy, healthy little family. I am so humbled and thankful how God has blessed us so many times over . . .