....welcome to the world, baby girl!!!

  If you could only use the word awesome to describe one thing, it would be BIRTH.  Childbirth.  I am just blown away, once again, by the absolute miracle of a a baby coming into this world.  

I am not going to get into all the details about the birth, because it's not really my story to tell, which is the story of my life.  "Hmm, how much should go on the blog?"

The contractions started on Wednesday, and by the time she was admitted last evening, she was five centimeters.  Rhys Harper was born at 5 this morning.  Between those two sentences, heaps of sufferings.  Arduous, unrelenting, exhausting.  In the end rewarding, but the process is not for the faint-hearted.  I've heard giving birth compared to running a marathon, takes a similar toll on the body.  

The vibe in the birthing room, that good spirit, woman together urging and supporting, it's powerful.  The strength in the mama, the strength she doesn't know she possesses, that is awesome.   She might feel like she can't do it, she might say she can't, but the fact is, she can.  Then it's over, and she sees the truth:  she can, and she DID.  

I am super thankful I was able to be there, in these times.  Their policy right now is that the labor support person has to leave two hours after the birth, then only the spouse/significant other is allowed to visit and stay.  The fact that they allowed me there at all is joyful.  

Coming back here this morning for a nap, oh dear was I tired!  Having babies is for the young!  Missing a night of sleep, especially being in a different time zone, and having missed half a night sleep traveling here on Tuesday, wow.  I feel like I've had one too many, and the only thing I've actually had is coffee.  

Jonathan and I are here with little Achilles, he's napping right now.  We are going to take him out this afternoon and buy him a new ride-on toy, then take him to a playground.  We want to plan a nice dinner for tomorrow when mama and new baby come home, and stock up on some easy foods for them.

When baby Rhys Harper (pronounced Reese) was skin to skin with Kathryn, all wide-eyed and crying, we all copied her and were also wide-eyed and crying, Kathryn asked me...how did you do this so many times?  I wondered through the whole ordeal how I ever did it even once!  It's different to see it from the other side of the bed rail.  Wow!

The midwife asked Kathryn how many times she meant, and when she said she has ten sisters and five brothers, and pointed to me, well, I realized this:  I'm crazy.  Yes, I went from an innocent middle aged mother sitting nicely on the sidelines, to a certified crazy woman, right before their eyes.

No twins, no sections, no epidurals.  It does make me wonder how on earth I DID do it, but the answer is simple:  one at a time, by the grace of God.

God is very close in times of need, and answers prayers.  

Here she is!

Thank you for prayers!!!!  (and wowza, I got to cut the cord!)