Sunday, February 08, 2009

Birth Story: Part Two

Take a deep breath. Maybe put in some eye drops. Here's Part Two.

After we arrived at the hospital, we were quickly taken to our room. They called it Lucky Number 13. I changed into my hospital gown and felt that it was slightly less hideous than the gown I wore at Baylor Grapevine. Nurse Cassandra immediately hooked me up to the fetal monitors, which were two big sensors strapped to my tummy. Those things were terribly annoying because they shifted and caused blips on the monitor screen if I moved too much. Plus, they made it hard to feel the baby move. I made sure to take in her last kicks from the inside. Truly, it is the most wonderful part of pregnancy and it's something I will be sad not to experience again.

Then I got my IV, which was even more annoying than the monitors. My nurse complimented me on my "beautiful veins" - something only a nurse would say! Then she put some crazy painkiller in my IV that knocked me out immediately. For the next hour I had the wildest dreams. I was seeing these weird scenes in my mind for five minutes at a time. Then I would open my eyes and study the monitor and see how we were doing. As soon as I closed my eyes, I got a new scene. It was so bizarre! I don't think I ever truly slept, but I was as relaxed as could be and that was better than being scared at home in my bed.

I cannot forget to say that I did get a good back rub from Curtis while I labored. For the past three years I've given him a hard time about not getting the back rub he was trained for in our birthing class with Jackson. In fact, in that birth class he made me rub his back in return, which our instructor was horrified by. That's my man! He is a very selfless person except when it comes to back rubs. And he'll readily admit it. So I have to give him credit for initiating and executing a good labor massage.

At 7 a.m. Cassandra started me on the pitocin drip. I was supposed to start at 6:00, but the baby's heart rate had suddenly dropped when I changed positions and she wanted to observe her before getting things started. Our sweet nurse clocked out shortly after and we got our new nurse who was with us until Annabeth came. They could not have been more different in personality. Our new nurse was very down to business and not the kind of person you could butter up, but she was great at her job. We heard she was one of the best nurses in the hospital. We were very blessed.

Our nurse turned up the pitocin every time she came in and I could definitely feel it. I had a one track mind about getting my epidural and didn't wait long to ask for it. We'd been told that there were c-sections scheduled all morning and the anesthesiologist would be really busy. When the nurse left the room to go put me on the waiting list, I asked Curt to hand me my Daily Light devotional. As eager as I was to get the epi, I was freaked out by it. The thought of having a needle in my spine almost puts me over the edge. I needed some encouragement. In Daily Light, each entry is a collection of verses that have a theme. Some lines from that morning's reading were:

"'Be strong...and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. [Be] strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Strengthen weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong and do not fear!' The Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in this might of yours.' Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Childbirth is amazing but there's a lot that can go wrong. You walk pretty close to the valley of the shadow of death to bring a new life into the world. Those verses were just what I needed.

The anesthesiologist came to our room about 15 minutes later and put me out of my misery before I was even miserable. They told Curt to leave the room for 20 minutes. The nurse held my hand while the doctor did his thing. Shortly after I was blessedly numb. They had me lay flat on my back and I immediately started to black out. I said, "I don't feel very good. I think I'm going to pass out." The nurse gave me an oxygen mask and that helped. I remember telling the nurse I didn't mean to be so high need. I felt embarrassed. I kept the oxygen for the rest of the time. The mask was not as uncomfortable and annoying as the one I had to wear with Jackson, which I was constantly getting in trouble for trying to take off.

I distinctly remember thinking that I, with my epidural tube taped to my back and numb from the waist down, a blood pressure cuff attached to one arm, an IV attached to the other arm, four plastic hospital bracelets, a catheter, and an oxygen mask, was as far from natural labor as it gets. It was utterly ridiculous to think about myself in comparison to how Eve must have given birth. Still, I would not have chosen to do it any other way.

At about 9:00, my OB came in and broke my water. It didn't hurt, but I could feel the pressure and was very, very glad I had already gotten my epidural. Thank You, Lord. It was not as dramatic as when it happened with Jackson. By then I think I was dilated to a 5.

My mom and Curt's parents arrived sometime around 10:00. Mom had taken Jackson to mother's day out, the timing of which was a very big blessing. By this time my labor was well underway and I could even feel some cramping on one side from the contractions. The nurse put a pillow under my hip to even things out. Then I started to feel cramping in the middle of my stomach. It wasn't horrible, but I was a little concerned about what it would feel like at the end if it didn't get fixed. My nurse was hesitant to mess with it since I nearly passed out before. As time wore on, I was definitely in pain and had to breathe through the contractions. Luckily, things went pretty fast. Soon I was dilated to 9 cm. At that point I sent my mom scurrying for my hair brush and makeup bag and Curtis scurrying to get the cameras ready. I put on some lipstick and Benetint cheek stain (best stuff ever) and mascara.

I started feeling pressure a little after 11 and the nurse checked me again. I was dilated to 10 cm. Our parents left the room and the nurse went to call my doctor.

Alone for a minute, Curt and I took the chance to pray together. I don't remember exactly what Curt said, but he prayed for a safe delivery and a healthy baby. He thanked God for our new baby and for our son. When he did, his voice quivered. That moment will stick out in my mind as one of my favorites in our marriage.

Our nurse came back in and said the office staff had tried to put her on hold when she called the doc. She'd told them, "No, you cannot put me on hold!" We were more than ready to go. The doctor arrived quickly and baby girl was ready to make her entrance. At this point it went very fast. I was already having a contraction when everyone got into place, so they told me to push. I pushed maybe five times through that one long contraction and Annabeth was born! Curtis and I couldn't believe how quickly she came. He didn't even have to do any counting!

The doctor put the baby in front of me and Curtis and I both leaned in to make sure she was a girl. She was. Thank God! I heard them say something about the cord being around her neck, so I was eager to hear her cry or see evidence of her taking a breath. The doctor clamped the cord and said, "Let's get you crying for your mommy." She did start to make some noise at that point and I was relieved. They wiped her off quickly and laid her on my lap. Curt cut the cord. Her whole body was purplish. I literally watched her skin turn pink over the next few minutes. It was awesome to see the process of a new life entering the world. I watched as she started blinking her eyelids and squinting. I was literally looking at her eyes when they opened for the first time. A very blurry image of me - if she could even see that far - had to have been the first thing she saw. They put a blanket around her and I held her for the first time. I felt bad because she was really crying, but I couldn't soothe her very well while I was just laying there.

Curt and I leaned in and spoke to our little girl and told her how pretty and tiny she was. Her head was perfectly shaped, unlike poor Jackson's. He definitely made the way for his sister's easier delivery. Bless his heart. He bounced back quickly though. Initially, we didn't think she looked very much like her brother. But as the day wore on we changed our minds.

Soon we had our first attempt at nursing. It did not go as well as it had with Jackson after he was born. She was not that interested in nursing for her first 24 hours of life. We came to find out that she had a lot of gunk in her tummy and once she had coughed it all up, she was finally ready to eat. I was very eager for Annabeth to get hungry because she was just so small! I didn't want her to lose a lot of weight.

Curtis quickly sent a text message to our parents that said, "Baby girl!" They later told us how shocked they were that it happened so fast. With Jackson, Curtis got in trouble for not notifying our families for an hour after he was born. We would not make that mistake again. Eventually we summoned our parents in and they got to meet their granddaughter for the first time. My dad had also arrived by this time. Curtis took some pictures of everyone taking turns with her while I videotaped it from the hospital bed. We were all so full of joy. It happened to be my father-in-law's birthday and that made it extra special. I love that we have a picture of the birthday boy and the birthday girl together.

We were so thankful for God's perfect timing for our daughter's birth. The fact that we were able to have both sets of our parents there with us, as well as my sister later that day, was absolutely wonderful. Since we had not planned on having a scheduled birth this time, we knew we were taking a chance that we could be alone when she was born. We were at peace with that possibility and trusting the Lord with it, but we were obviously hoping that they could all be there. Curt's parents live 12 hours away and my mom had a conference in El Paso the following weekend. My dad as well as my mom's BFF Johnnie were on call to be with Jackson in the event that Bibby and Nana weren't nearby. It could not have been better timing, except for the fact that mom had to teach Bible study THAT NIGHT! But the Lord even took care of that. She'd already done all her preparations and, mercifully, Annabeth was born early in the day. It was actually really fun knowing that she was going to get to announce the baby's birth to all our Bible study girls that night. We were even able to get them some pictures to show on the screens.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us during this pregnancy and during my labor. I know that God heard your prayers and that a thousand things probably turned out better than they would have otherwise because you all prayed. That is huge to me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

We are thrilled to have our sweet Annabeth here with us. She has been a delight. I have much more to say about our princess and now that I've gotten this birth novel out of the way, I can do that!

71 comments:

Fran said...

Amanda....I'm so glad you have taken the time to write all this down because it is soooo important to remember....it just fades with time.

I have loved praying for you. I'm still praying for you. I'm thanking God for your precious family and simply ask Him to bless your days as "mom" when you are tired and emotional. :)

Much love,
Fran

Heather said...

This has made me cry, rejoice with happiness, laugh, and to be honest...get a little anxious about my baby girl's birth in 3 months!!! It's weird, because with your first one, you are blessedly naive (I think) and now this time around I have a lot more to think about. I love the verses you listed, though, and I will be adding them to my "hospital verses" that I took with me when Connor was born.
Thanks so much for sharing your story...it is WONDERFUL! Welcome to the world, Annabeth!!!

Kristen said...

I just read the full birth story while waiting for the bachelor to finally hand out his roses! What a beautiful birth so perfectly put into words! Annabeth will love hearing her birth story over and over - Ellery always asks to hear hers!

su said...

Loved your birth novel. And the part where you watched Annabeth's little body turn pink. I'm so glad for all of you.

In your next entry would you tell us about Jackson's reaction to his little sister? How is he doing?

Tomorrow morning she will already be a week old. It is amazing, isn't it?

Blessings on all of you.

Marla Taviano said...

You did it! You wrote it all down and didn't leave out a single detail! That is so awesome!!

Can't wait to hear more about beautiful Annabeth!!

Kylie said...

Beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing. As a mom to a 3 year old boy and a 1 year girl, I know the feeling(s)! Unbelievable joy!! I'm feeling all weepy over my own children thanks to your last several posts :)
Congratulations again on your beautiful baby girl. I am so happy for you that everything went so smoothly with her delivery and that y'all are doing well at home (has anyone suggested to you that you put cold cabbage leaves in your bra to help with "the Pamela"? It worked for me :))

Ashley said...

I loved reading the story. And I count it a priviledge to pray for you. Get some rest!

Ronda said...

Congratulations on the birth of your baby girl! What a blessing to know she was born safely. I'm sure you are enjoying her to pieces!

Brandy said...

Amanda,

I live in Houston and have gone to several Tuesday night Bible studies. Thanks so much for sharing "Bibby" with us last Tuesday night. It was soooo much fun to see her so excited over your beautiful baby girl. When they showed the pictures, it reminded me of when Beth brought Jackson out to meet all of us that Tuesday night when he was a tiny little baby. Time really flies! Enjoy your new little one!

Tara said...

What a beautiful birth story! I'm so glad that all 4 of your parents were able to be there and that you and Curtis had some really special times just the 2 of you! I am rejoicing with you and praying for you!!!!

Smelling Coffee said...

It was a pleasure to have a part (through prayer) in your darling daughter's entry into this world! So glad the Lord worked everything out in the way that He did. May our Lord bless you with REST these days!!!

Jennifer

Anonymous said...

I love your "birth novel" LOL! thank you for sharing it!

kim said...

Loved your birth story! Annabeth is such a beautiful baby! It was so fun to read the differences in Jackson's birth and her birth. Congratulations! I pray your new family of 4 is blessed and doing great! Can't wait to see more photos and hear how she is doing at home and with big brother Jackson (:

Moose Mama said...

Ok, part two was even better than part one. I teared up over Curtis's prayer with you. Sniff.

I did laugh at the "primping" before the birth. I certainly was not thinking that clearly for my children's births.

It was such an honor to pray with you and your family for this precious child. It will be fun to watch her grow.

Melana in Wyoming

Lindsee said...

I loved every part of the story! How exciting that it is all written out and you will have it now forever.

And yes, it was so fun for your Mom to announce it at Bible Study!

She is beautiful, Amanda!

Lindsee said...

P.S. I am going to have to look into that "tint" makeup stuff. Sounds great! Where do you get it?

~Jodi~ said...

I have so loved getting to know you a little more and the privledge to pray for you through this all. I have loved reading your birth story and the way you put it all together for on here. You are such a sweet person and maybe that is odd to read/hear from someone you hardly know. Its just a joy to truly see what a blessing you are to so many obviously and to your family! Thanks for sharing your life in type!
I do have to say ever since you mentioned the whole water breaking in public idea.. I've been praying that would NOT happen for you as I knew someone that did happen to .. at our church mother daughter banquet and it was well it made an impact that's for sure :)
Glad you are home and praying for you!
blessing!

Bev Brandon @ The Fray said...

Oh Amanda, how precious! The Daily Light was so for you and all of us fear-hearted at times. And the beautiful God in you so strengthened your feeble knees. Childbirth is a daunting dependent experience. But you did it so well, so honoring---your account is so full of childlike faith. We'll all continue to pray for you as you recover from 38 weeks and ajust to a family of four. He's right there with you! Can't imagine what Curt felt as he quivered and watched his wife "labor" in love--- for Curt and for Annabeth and for HIM.

Heather said...

Congratulations! This baby girl will bring your sweet family such joy! And what a beautiful name!

Andreea said...

Thank you again, for sharing your story. :) Amanda I think Curt must be the sweetest man ever, except for possibly your dad. The stories your mom tells are so sweet.

Congratulations!I was very happy to have had the chance to pray for you, and will continue to do so. You should have seen me, the first thing I did after I saw your mom's post that you were in labor was that I texted my best friend and told her that Baby Girl was gonna be born that day. Can't wait to see more pics of the little princess!

Tara G. said...

Precious, precious!

Pitocin is not my friend. I breathed a sigh of relief after you said you got your epi soon after it started to really kick in- whew, I was about to relive labor #1 and I seriously need to sleep well tonight!

creative gal said...

Thank you again for sharing! Beautiful story!

Theresa said...

Beautiful....tears falling on my cheeks. Thank you for sharing the details. You bring back many great memories. It seems like so long ago. The days are slow but the years fly by. Enjoy all of it.

....and about that cheek stain Benetint????

God Bless all of you,
Theresa

Deidre said...

Wonderful story that you will cherish forever. So glad it all went well (and for the most part pain-free - glory!).

Brittany said...

You're the only other woman I've ever heard mention those last kicks while the baby is inside. I missed them both times and really regret it. If I have another I will make note. I'm so glad you were able to take note. You have a great birth story. Congratulations!

beckyjomama said...

Amanda, you sweet thing, I read your blog all the time but rarely comment (guess that makes me a lurker!) but I have to now.

What a beautiful story and how wise you are to write it all down. Annabeth is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen straight out of the womb - and she wasn't even c-section!!! What a blessing! And, the name - oh, that sweet name! I love it!!!

Know that I am praying for your sweet new family! I am anxious to hear how Jackson reacted to her and about Mama Beth and Melissa's first meetings as well! Love you and your whole family!

God Bless you mightily!
Becky Jo

Sarah said...

Yay! I love birth stories! I'm so happy for you--little girls are SO sweet! And you're going to love seeing Jackson's protective nature come out over his baby sister!

Susan B. said...

Thank you so much for sharing this with us. It brought back memories of the birth of my son - 15 1/2 years ago! We, too, had a sweet, sweet nurse for part of the delivery process. The birth of a child is such a miracle. God is good!

Lauren said...

I loved this Amanda! Thanks for sharing with us about sweet Annabeth's arrival. Can't wait to see more pics of the precious one!!

JottinMama said...

Such a beautiful story :) Thanks so much for sharing, Amanda. Again, it gets me all excited (and a tad anxious!) about my 2nd little one arriving this summer :)

It was a pleasure to pray for you!

Have a wonderful week!

- Kate :)

Anonymous said...

Sweet Pamela! That was so much fun to read! We're praising God and rejoicing with you. She is precious and so are you! Love, Emily

fuzzytop said...

Amanda,

What a beautiful birth story! It has been a joy to pray for you and your sweet family.

Blessings,
Adrienne

Mary H. said...

I think it is wonderful how you have captured this special event in a blog. Thank you for sharing. Brings back memories for me.

Hope all is going well today.
God bless.

Brittney said...

Amanda thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I am awaiting the arrival of my first little one and I feel a bit anxious over the whole process of giving birth. Reading your story has put much of that anxiety to rest, and replaced it with much more excitement than anything. I also plan to have some Scriptures readily available to draw strength and peace from. Your daughter is beautiful and we can't wait to see her life unfold in God's master plan. Thank you so much again.

Amanda May said...

What a beautiful story...thank you for sharing!
I think it's great that you have written everything down. I didn't do that with either of my children and I wish I had...the details just seem to fade with time!
God bless you and your sweet, sweet family!!

Mary said...

You are so kind to share the lovely story of Annabeth's birth. We rejoice with you! I am so grateful God answered my prayer for you to receive the epidural before the pain got too severe. He is more gracious than He needs to be....and we praise Him for it!!

Anonymous said...

Part 2 was so sweet! It definately took me back to having my second son and all the excitement and hurry and scurry. Thanks for sharing! Blessings, J

Aunt_Nette said...

My friend Rene was pregnant at the same time you were. She had Isaac Will the day after you had AnnaBeth. I am so happy for both couples.

Unknown said...

Amanda,

I can so relate to so much of your second delivery in my story about my second child's birth.

Thank you for sharing with us and giving us the opportunity to share the journey with you. My second birth involved the doctor having to come from his office for the delivery and my girl's cord being wrapped around her neck. The nurse held her in until the doctor arrived - it was very alarming for everyone but me who was blissfully unaware and just concerned that they were not letting me push.

May the Lord bless you all... I'm putting together something very special for you all... I will send it along when it is done.

Thanks a bundle.

Blessings,
Michelle

HIS Child said...

Amanda it is such a blessing to hear your story. It has been a privilege to pray for your and baby girl Annabeth. I am so glad that you have chronicled her birth story it will be an amazing gift to her when she is old enough to hear it. You are a beautiful mom and the Lord loves your tender heart. Have a wonderful time with your princess and the mister the "big brother". God bless your day.
Much love and hugs,
Celeste

MITZI said...

Thank you Amanda for lots of details. God is so good and you are soooooo blessed!!

--Grandmamitz

Anonymous said...

I love birth stories...thanks so much for sharing yours! I can totally relate to missing the feeling of having a baby inside and not doing it again after 2 kiddoes. I was also right there with you when you mentioned it being about as unnatural as possible but I wouldn't have had it any other way either!

She's such a precious little sweetie! Congrats to all the Joneses and Moores!

Lauren said...

Oh man, I need to get me that Daily Light devotional! "Be strong...and work"??!? What better words for a woman in labor?!

Plus, I think it is so sweet that you got to see her turn pink, and that you were the first thing she ever laid eyes on. The Lord had his hand on you in so many ways! Welcome, Annabeth!

Mocha with Linda said...

This brought tears to my eyes and took me back 13+ years to my own baby girl's birth! Enjoy every moment. . . . and I hope you are getting some sleep!

Dionna said...

I got tears in my eyes as you shared about watching her turn pink and blinking her eyes and looking at you as the first thing she saw. What a beautiful, beautiful image Amanda. :)

Holly said...

What a beautiful story...you told it well. I love how you not only are intentional, Amanda, but that you notice details. They do matter...and will be so special to Annabeth one day. Praise God for her safe delivery, for your family and for the beautiful blood that runs through your beautiful veins.

Love you!
Holly

Marc and Charity said...

I loved part two-thanks for sharing it with all of us. I have my copy of Daily Light near by as well, that is really cool how it was just for you that day! I'm scared to death, and 2 days overdue. So tonight I'm clinging to the hope that the Lord would allow our Baby Girl to come soon and safely.

I can't wait to see a picture of the proud big brother! :)

Dee said...

The LORD bless thee and keep thee. The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.KJV Thank you for sharing these most precious intimate details. I pray that the Lord bless your recall of this blessed event.
Love,
Deidra

Amanda said...

I LOVE IT! Thank you for recording it and letting all of us read it. ;)

Kiki said...

Love the story. And I agree, hate the monitors and iv!

It brought a tear to my eye to read it. I'm so happy for y'all and can't believe it's only been a week!

Krysty said...

Congratulations and thank you for sharing the full story of Annabeth's birth! What a blessing to have a baby girl after Jackson...I'm sure there will be plenty of pink to go around after those few years of blue! :-)
I am due in a couple of weeks and your 2 posts have me really excited to get this labor thing in process. Yes, I am excited even after hearing about the pain, the pokes & all that. It's been 4.5 years since the last one, so maybe I'm just a little removed from it to remember the full effects of labor. But it is so rewarding and miraculous, isn't it?
Thank you again for sharing and making me laugh about being so distant from Eve's day. I'm with you there!

Joyce said...

Hi Amanda,

I've read your blog recently but never posted. Your birth story is so sweet and you are fortunate to have it recorded to smile over in the future. My girls are now 18 and 20 but I want to write down all I remember about their birth-day after reading your post. I think I may have blocked out some of my labor experience with my youngest-let's just say it wasn't me at my best : )

There's a quote I love that says...

'When I look at my daughter I see myself...only better.'
-- Author Unknown

It's so wonderfully true. Wishing you all the joy that only a new baby can bring. Enjoy these days...Joyce

Kelly @ Love Well said...

Sigh. I love it. Thanks for sharing.

When you first posted her picture, my first thought was, "Look at her perfect head. She's not squished at all. She's definitely not a first baby." Like Jackson, my Natalie was bruised and swollen and coned by the time she was born, poor thing. Guess that's the role of the oldest -- pave the way for the siblings.

Kristin said...

This was so fun to read! I loved hearing all the details and what you were thinking and feeling. Those are such special things that you won't remember unless you write them down!
I totally thought she had a great head in her pictures...now I know why. And you looked so great for just giving birth. You are too cute to think about the make-up and hair brush right before she came out. Wish I'd thought of that!!
~Kristin

Sherry said...

Congratulations!

Thank you for sharing your wonderful story!

Rhonda said...

So very honored to have been a prayer partner in this endeavor. Sounds like the Lord was with you all the way and showed Himself strong! Praise Jesus!

Emmy said...

I LOVED reading all the details... so precious... makes me want to have another baby! I cried just reading about Curtis' voice quivering while he was praying before she was born!

It has been an honor to pray for you all... she is absolutely beautiful! Have a blessed evening Amanda... hope you get some sleep!

God Bless- Emmy : )

Kathy Butryn said...

Oh Amanda, thank you for sharing your story. This is the first time I've dropped by your blog, and I truly enjoyed it. So amazing to hear yet another testimony of God's grace in the events of our lives!

CAROL LIVIN FOR GOD said...

CAROL ALBUQUERQUE NM
THANK YOU AMANDA FOR LETTING THIS SINGLE SEISTA TO BE PART OF YOUR LIFE AND SHARING YOUR DAUGHTERS BIRTH STORY IT WAS GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR MOM WITH US SEISTAS SHE TOTALLY ROCKS SHE IS AN AWESOME LADY YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SUCH A BLESSING TO ME.
ENJOY ANNABETH GIVE HER LOTS OF HUGS AND KISSES FOR US
SHE IS OUR LITTLE SEISTA
LOVE AND HUGS CAROL

twinkle said...

Your Birth Story is a wonderful love story this week of Valentine's. Thanks for sharing the details with us, Amanda.

katiegfromtennessee said...

Oh My, Little Momma, I do not know what to say!! I loved reading about everything! The epidural, the kicks, the pain, all the things attached to you, Lord have mercy! He is GOOD:) AND, you got to put on some mascara and brush your hair! That ain't bad:) The comparisons between Jackson's birth and Anna Beth's were fun to read too. The timing was perfect! You had your fam there, and your Momma still got to share in Bible study-can't beat that:):) Perfect devotion for the day too, amen, Sister!! You can do all things through CHRIST, He makes you strong, do not lose heart, In Him is victory. LOVE IT MUCH:)

Blessings to you, Love and ((HUGS)),

katiegfromtennessee

Anonymous said...

Congrats! That is a great story! I love the prayer part from Curtis! Great job momma!

Keri said...

I really love reading your "Birth Novel". Probably for the same reason I still love watching A Baby Story. It brings back very good memories......and makes me want to do it all over again. Yikes!!!

The Chappelles said...

Congratulations Amanda,

I got to see your sweet baby girl on the big screen this week and last. She is adorable. And that is one rightfully proud Grandmother! You have such a precious family.

Love,
Amy

Annika said...

Hi Amanada,

I never comment and am SUCH a lurker. But wanted to say congratulations and well done on the birth story. I think it's so interesting that even after going through labor before, maybe even several times, we women still enjoy reading each others stories! You did a beautiful job on this...something she will treasure someday.

You and your fam are such a blessing in my life; your mom has been a spiritual "mama" to me in many ways through her studies. I'm sure you hear this all the time, but I still had to say it. :)

Welcome to sweet little Annabeth! Hang in there, Amanda.

annalee said...

what an arrival story! it is truly amazing what God does through deliveries. i was eating up every word of sweet annabeth's delivery. enjoy today with your 2 munchkins!

Gayle @ thewestiecrew said...

Sweet Amanda (Pamela), I am so glad to have been able to read your birth story in one fell swoop since I've been away from the computer. ;) And what a sweet one it is.
I hope you are getting all the rest and help that you need. And I hope that little Jackson is doing well with the transition. <3

Suzi K said...

lol I had that nurse everytime!:)

"not the kind of person you could butter up!"

Praise God for all the prayers on your and Annabeths behalf!

So glad it all went well and that the cord didn't pose a problem. He is so good! And how 'bout that timing...

Get some rest!

petrii said...

Amanda,
I'm so glad that all went well and fast!!! She is just beautiful!!

Will continue to pray for ya'll.

Have a Blessed evening,
Dawn

Traci said...

I so loved reading your birth story. It brings back memories of mine, although 10 years for my first and 5 for my second. Seems like yesterday though when I read your counts of it.

Curt praying over you made me sob. I wish my husband had that gift of prayer. He has many other gifts but that is surely one to be cherished.

bethany said...

I loved reading your birth story Amanda...that is so awesome that you will always have it written down so that when she asks you about when she was born you can tell her everything!
I sent her boots in the mail to LPM today! Sorry it took me so long!