Welcome, Baby Anna!

Caution: Labor and Delivery story ahead:

On Monday, June 11th I called the doctor's office who had been holding my records hostage without communicating with me for over a week and was ready to demand to be seen.  The receptionist on the other line heard my name and quickly replied, "oh, we've been trying to get in touch with you since last week, but lost your phone number, and the doctor needs to see you!"  Finally!  With my due date fast approaching (June 15th), I met my doctor for the first time that day, then went into labor Tuesday morning.  A friend I had just met from church, who lives 5 houses down from us, offered to watch my girls that morning while I went to the grocery store.  Although I was having the same sparatic contractions I had been for days, I felt different and wondered if I would deliver soon.  When I talked to mom on the phone that morning, I shared my prediction with her that I would deliver that day or the next.  Walking around the store, I felt the contractions more frequently.  About noon is when Jenna and I decided to start timing the contractions.  She kept the log, and after an hour we called Justin to announce "this baby's coming!"  He rushed home, and his sister, Shirley came over with our niece.  Then we hung out at home doing our typical analysis of "should we go NOW, or should we wait a little... ugh, I don't want to be at the hospital forever, nor do I want to deliver this baby on the side of the freeway."  So, we left about 4:30, were admitted at 5:30, epidural around 7:30ish, ready to push at 8:30ish, and our beautiful baby, Anna arrived at 9:45pm.  We all adore her and feel blessed to have her in our family.  Jenna loves to hold Anna, and is very helpful about bringing me things for the baby.  She also plays well with Morgan and helps Taryn a lot.  I am so grateful for Jenna, and I love watching her be a responsible and loving big sister.  Morgan is very sweet and caring toward Anna.  I love Morgan's sense of humor.  I can count on her for a clever comment that always makes me laugh.  Taryn likes to walk up to Anna while she is in the swing, and put her head on her tummy, then points out Anna's facial features: nose, eyes, mouth.  Justin is a wonderful father to all four of our girls.  I love his determination to help each one of our girls learn, grow and succeed.