Baby-

Well, I told my hubby no matter when she came, he was getting a baby for Valentine's Day/Anniversary gift. 2 days after the "I love Us" (HallMark)Day, the baby came. And it was glorious.

On Monday, according to the last menstrual cycle we were 43 weeka long with the baby. After much prayer Tuesday, I went to the chiropractor, as since Sunday I had been experiencing excruciating pain. The Chiropractor, Crystal, found my hips terribly misaligned. After my 45 minute appt, I stood up and experienced WONDERFUL pain FREE movement! I expressed my gratitude several times, while enjoying the fact that standing was no longer painful. On my way out the door I decided I could have the baby now that I could move freely - well, as freely as most women this far pregnant.

Wednesday, I woke up feeling that we should break my water, or at least strip my membranes. Well, my family doctor, who used to be an OB and is trained for such things, is no longer licensed to. My friend, a midwife, is out of town. So after errand running, I was still on a high about being able to move so painfree, I met Hubby at home. He stripped my membranes, having the same *feeling* about it as I did. We prayed. And half an hour later I was in labor and running myself a bath.

2 1/2 hours of labor. That was it. And it was wonderful. Hubby managed to feed the children dinner, and keep them occupied while still being there for me. He was amazing, as he always is. He offered water, ice, hotter water for the bath, and so support verbal and physical support for me during this time. He had his hands perfectly placed to catch our daughter as she came into the world. She tried breathing right away! He brought the children in, gave me everything I needed while we nursed for a while, delaying the cord clamping.

The girls were mezmerized, the boys looked and left, not knowing how to interpret this little naked purple things as their new sister. Our eldest stayed to help. Handing us towels, blankets, items out of the birthing bag we had prepared together, and so on. She thought it was fabulous. She asked many questions and was amazed at this miracle of birth.

Eventually we clamped and cut the cord, storing the placenta for processing into capsules later. While DH and DD dressed the baby, I showered. When I came out I found that DH had tucked everyone into bed and the baby was ready to nurse again. DH made me dinner, then went out to milk the cow. By this time it was very late... who is not impressed with DH yet??

When he came back in to take a shower, he scrubbed the bathroom clean (as is his usual practice after a birth at our house) then took a shower. He tucked the baby and myself into bed before climbing in himself and falling alseep before his head hit the pillow.

There were no complications of any kind. No tearing, or pain that could not be dealt with with the bath water. The baby showed her lusty set of lungs right off, needed no suctioning, or resucitation. The delayed cord clamping allowed her to gain the blood from the placenta. She is very healthy, nursing often and greedily. She is also a very calm little girl.

This was the most blessed experience I have ever had birthing a baby. Much of it is very personal and spiritual and find I cannot share all the reasons here. But I am so very grateful to my Heavenly Father and my husband for making this possible.