Our baby is here!

We haven't quite decided on her name yet, (surprise surprise!)but we thought we'd post pictures.

Born June 2, 2009 5:32pm
Weighing 5 lbs 15 oz. 19 inches long



Birth story:
After FHE on Monday night we all went for an evening walk around our block which helped start my labor. Around 10pm I started contracting. At 1am contractions were 20 minutes apart. I called Melody, my midwife in Utah, and she booked a flight and would arrive at 11:43am. By 5am contractions were 5 minutes apart. By 8am they were 3-5 minutes apart. I told my body to slow down and laid down. Contractions stopped and I fell asleep at 8:30am. I woke up at 10am but contractions didn’t start up again until 1pm, just as soon as Shane and Melody walked in the door. It’s amazing how much control your mind has over your body in many respects. Melody checked the baby’s heart tones and position. She was slightly posterior so she had me get in the “stink bug” position for 20-30 min. We were so happy to see one another. We talked about everything from gardens to birth stories and food storage.
She checked me and I was dilated to a 6, completely effaced. Shane pressed my knees in to relieve pressure on my back and pelvis during contractions. Melody was in back of me pressing down on my hips and back, relieving pressure upward and all over, taking away 50 % of the pain. Shane then made homemade warm packs using chucks pads and towels and Melody got a warm bath going. I got into the tub and felt immediate relief. Melody played soft music and put a fan on to cool the upper part of my body off. I silently prayed, asking for nothing, because I knew the Lord knows what I need much better than I do. I was then prompted to pray for “strength.”
Melody called for Shane and told him to get into the tub with me. He sat behind me and we all chatted, then Shane asked if I wanted a blessing. To my surprise, in the blessing, he said the Lord would give me added "strength.” He reiterated that the Lord would give me STRENGTH three more times. We both couldn’t hold back the tears. It was neat and special how that worked out! I didn't tell Shane about my prayer until after the birth. I am thankful that Shane could be so in tune with the Spirit!
Melody checked me and I was dilated to an 8. I told her she couldn’t be serious because I was hardly in pain. She said I was progressing very quickly and had me change positions, so that I sat long ways in the tub with Shane in front of me and Lisa in back of me. I had 3 really hard painful contractions and then they subsided. We all chatted for a little bit, then she checked me again and said I was at a 9 ½ and ready to push. I asked her how that could be because I wasn't in anymore pain then I was before and didn't feel the urge to push? She said, “you will, just give it a push. She’s ready when you are.” So, I breathed in and pushed hard, and suddenly I was thrown in to a long (5 to 10 min straight) laborious painful push and I couldn’t stop it. Melody encouraged me to slow down and do little pushes so I wouldn’t tear. I did that for a couple minutes and then her head and half of her body slipped out into Shane's hands. Melody instructed him to leave her face down and keep her that way as he pulled her up out of the water so she wouldn't get water in her nose. Everyone encouraged me to push again but I was still caught in too much pain and felt I couldn't go on. They gave me additional encouragement to finish. I knew I had to, to get the baby out once and for all so the pain would go away. I breathed in and pushed until the rest of her body slipped out into Shane's hands. She had a little bit of a hard time breathing at first so Melody siphoned her nose and patted her back gently and she made a little cry. I was relieved! It was a beautiful birth. I was more tired to begin with then I was with Aleah's birth because I was up for so long. I'm really grateful for that blessing of added strength. I know without it, I would have been in MUCH more pain.
We are so excited to have her here! She’s tiny...We have her in premie diapers. She is a real sweetie. She is eating and sleeping well!







Aleah loves the new baby so much. She throws a tantrum when her brothers hold her!