Introducing...

Miss Anna Beth!

Born at 10:03 a.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2010. She weighed 9 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20 inches long.

Fun/Scary facts:

1. The anesthesiologist had to stick me twice to put in the epidural. Jason didn't watch this time, fortunately. I'd had a nice shot of Nubain, so I really didn't care.

2. Anna Beth's heartrate took a big plunge soon after I got the epidural boost. The nurse laid me flat on my back and my blood pressure started dropping like crazy.  I was pretty loopy as a result of the Ambien from the night before ("Good enough for Tiger Woods, good enough for my wife,"--Jason), the Nubain, and the epidural, so it really didn't occur to me to be alarmed until later.  Buzzers were blaring as my BP dropped to 83/38.  My nurse, Laura, called the nurse's station for help.  They brought her ephedrine to try to raise my pressure back up.  I was non-plussed as I watched her squeeze an entire bag of glucose into my veins.  After two doses of ephedrine, my bottom number finally started to come up a little.  I am thankful that my nurse never lost her cool and was totally in control.

3. Right after this episode, I told my nurse that I felt pressure.  She'd just checked and I was only 7 cm or so.  She checked again and I was at 9.  She phoned my doctor who told her to tell me to push when I was ready.  Jason called my parents to find out where they and the kids were.  They were still about 30 minutes away!  I told him not to tell them that I was pushing because I didn't want them to break the speed barrier to get there!

4.  After only 13 minutes of pushing, Anna Beth arrived.  Just like Luke, she had the cord wrapped tightly around her neck.  Also, just like Luke, she weighed the exact same as he did, but was an inch shorter in length.

5.  Emma didn't want to leave the hospital on the day Anna Beth was born.  She wanted to stay on and hold her all night.  She is SUCH a GREAT big sister!

6.  Anna Beth is a really good baby.  I told Jason that if the other two had been this easy, we would have had 10 or 11.  He gave me a serious stinkeye over that comment.  He tells folks that ask if this is our first baby, "No, it's our last."  That cracks me up every time.  It's totally true, though!

7.  I have bounced back from having Anna Beth so much faster than I did with my previous two.  God has really blessed me!

Thanks to all who've checked on us.  We appreciate your prayers as we start this new chapter in our lives.  Also, a big thanks goes to Rachel who visited us.  Not too much longer, Mama, and you'll have your "Cletus the Fetus" here to hold and snuggle! 

Here are some more pics:

Sweet Feet!

My Awesome Kids

Just.SO.Tired!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

She's coming!

As I type, I'm am having one WHOPPER of a contraction...unmedicated for the moment, thankyouverymuch. I was admitted to the hospital to be induced last night due to Anna Beth's expected large size.

So far, I've survived the injustices of a waaaaaay too small hospital gown and having to use the bane of my existence, the dreaded bedpan. *GAG!* (P.S. They fixed the gown problem. The one I'm in now probably hosted the circus last time it was in town.)

Anyhow, I sure would appreciate all your prayers today. We figure on having Anna Beth here by around lunchtime. Emma and Luke are really excited to meet Anna Beth...and to have the day out of school!

I will post an update later with stats and rants and whatnot. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get pics on here from my phone, but if we are Facebook peeps, check them out over there later.


Oh, one more thing...can I just tell you how pleased I am to know I should be back home for the "LOST" season finale!?! A girl's got to have priorities.


In the meantime, bring on the pain meds!

Butterflies

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about butterflies lately.  One reason is that we are decorating Anna Beth’s nursery in that theme.  The other reason is that we had five real butterflies living in our house up until recent days. 

Emma received a butterfly growing kit for Christmas.  Last month we ordered our caterpillars.  The box arrived with lots of instructions and a little jar, full of some really yucky substance and creepy-crawling with these hairy caterpillars.  (Jason was even freaked out by them.)  In about a week’s time, we had chrysalises on the lid of the jar.  In about another week’s time, we had these scrawny, nearly-colorless, weak-winged, so-called butterflies flitting around our mesh butterfly cage.  In about an hour after they’d hatched from their cocoons, these ugly insects had suddenly become spectacularly-hued, majestic, graceful flying creatures.  It was amazing to see the transformation!  

Since the lifespan of a butterfly is only a short three weeks, we decided to release them after only a couple of days of appreciating their beauty.  To watch them fly away was truly breathtaking.

I couldn’t help but make some comparisons between my walk as a Christian and the metamorphosis of the lowly caterpillar into the lovely butterfly.  Before I became a Christian, I had not reached my full potential that God planned for me.  As I learned more about Jesus, my life began to change and take on a more specific direction.  After I gave my heart to Jesus, a definite metamorphosis began to occur in me.  I learned to experience the beauty and freedom of a life that comes from following God’s plan for me.  God gave me freedom when I accepted His Son as my Savior, but He continues to nurture me and facilitate more growth and change in me every day through the Holy Spirit.  

As Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  I know that I’m not as graceful or as beautiful as I will be in Heaven, but I’m going to do my best with the short time I have here on Earth to glorify Him.