Annie Rose is here! Her Birth Story

I'm so thankful to say that Anastasia Rose was born of her own accord (sans induction!) at 6:33 am on Tuesday, December 30th. I was scheduled to go in to the hospital at noon to get induced, but I actually woke up to a contraction around 3am! Totally new experience for me. 10 minutes apart and I'm thinking, maybe I won't have to wait until noon to get labor started! Within the hour they were 5minutes and strong. So I woke Matt and he said, "hmm this is your 4th baby you should definitely call in." So I did and the doc on call said, you don't have to RUSH, but come on in. So we arrived at the hospital around 4:45am and made our way up to the 6th floor. Contractions in an elevator totally new experience. haha.

So I was 5cm when they got us to our L&D room. Monitoring showed a strong labor pattern and a healthy baby. The doc offered to immediately break my water, but I chose to see how things progressed first, since I find the pain more manageable with them intact. But when I was 7cm almost 8cm I wanted SPEED! haha.

Several things were NEW to me with this 4th L&D. I didn't have an IV. No need!! I could move around the room if I wanted, and I spent one contraction on a "labor ball" (I actually got back in bed pretty quickly, most likely because I was already entering transition) Anyway, it was nice to not feel tied to the bed, even if I still stayed there!

I was feeling great pressure and great DESIRE to push even though I was still at 8+ almost 9cm. The Doc was great. She said that she thought that if she held things back for me and let me push through a couple of contractions I'd be there. Its funny to me how 2 contractions coming minutes apart feels LONG at that moment. It took 5 contractions all told to get her born. She got hung by a shoulder and I had to reposition in the middle of the last one to get her out, but it took only seconds. 6:33am only a little over an hour and a half after we arrived, Anastasia Rose was born! WHEW!!!

As an aside, I have to mention one of the things that got discussed between the doc and Matt! here's my memory of a snippet of their dialog. It may be paraphrased but it really is the jist of it!
Doc: So I read on your chart you are thinking maybe 6 children?
Matt: Oh yeah, she'll be talking about the next one by tomorrow.
Me: THIS IS NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS!!!!!...
(I really knew that was funny then, but at the time all I could do was grimace)

We only had to stay overnight so were able to come back home on Wednesday by noon! WHOOHOO!! No poking or prodding in the middle of the night and being in my own bed meant much better sleep and Annie actually slept a 5hour stretch! (no I didn't sleep a 5 hour stretch, I kept waking up and checking on her)

The kids are doing soooo well with her. They are doing a great job of understanding the amount of time she's going to need from Mommy and are being very patient to let her eat first, etc. And Annie is a GOOD baby. Thank you, Thank you, Lord! My fears were groundless and my heart is so blessed by His lovingkindness and faithfulness!

Anastasia means "resurrection" Her life verse is John 11:25. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Our prayer is that she will know Jesus as the "Resurrection and Life" and that her life will be an instrument of resurrection and life to those she touches as long as she walks on this earth.

Rose is my Grandmother's middle name and I love the image used in Isaiah 35 of the rose blooming (KJV) "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God..."

Annie Rose! We are so thankful that you are here!