Bella's Birthday: Baby Girl is One!

      One year ago today, I was recovering from giving birth to Miss Bella Elizabeth - what a joyous, albeit exhausting, day that was!




The year has flown by, but at the same time, I cannot imagine what it would be like without her.  Since I wasn't really blogging back then, here's a quick run down of Bella's birth story.  I feel like birth stories are motherhood legends that become part of the annals of family history.  I remember parts of my birth story, like my parents watched Little House on the Prairie (how cute is that?) and did a lot of walking.  So, I want Bella to be able to read her's someday - here goes.

      Saturday, October 9, in the evening, I started to feel sort of sickly and then threw up everything I had eaten for the last week.  That is what it seemed like, at least.  What a great way for a birth story to start.  I realized that I was having contractions and began timing them, and we called the doctor because of all the vomiting and the somewhat consistent contractions.  Since my doctor was out of town, the on-call doctor told me to head on in.  Which sounds easier than it was, since we had to do something with Lily.  Great friend to the rescue!  Matt Henry, whose wife Jenn was out of town with their children, came to our house willing to stay the night, if necessary.
      When we got to the hospital, they had to pump me full of tons of fluids since I was so dehydrated, and they decided that I was, in fact, in labor.  Probably.  They had me stay over night, hooked up to everything, having contractions every so often.  Sunday, October 10, they decided that my contractions were regular enough to just keep me and start some Pitocin.  Matt took Lily to church with him dressed perfectly with a bow in her hair, while he waited for Ellen to come relieve him - that really is a great friend.
      Since the date was 10/10/10, we were pretty excited that she would have that birthday.  I was progressing, and though 10:10 a.m. came and went with a news crew there for a lady who waited for that time to give birth, I was hopeful that by 10:10 p.m. at least, we would have a baby.  Which was not to be.  The day wore on, and John ended up getting the same stomach bug that I had had.  As I was getting my epidural, he vanished, and I later found out that he was sitting on the bathroom floor sweating, trying to hold it together for me.  Needless to say, we were thrilled to see my mother roll in from Kansas to help hold it all together for us.
      Turns out, Bella was face-up, which means it takes a lot longer.  I went through two bags of epidural and four shifts of nurses, and at 2:02 a.m., October 11, 2010, Bella entered the world, into the waiting hands of the nurse who was there on the second push.  My doctor, who had rushed in from his vacation, missed it by about five minutes, because once it was time, it was time.  I think my mother's heart stopped when the nurse seemed to bobble Bella a bit, but I was so exhausted and glad to be done, I did not care who caught her.





      We were so glad to have her join our lives, and she enriches them all the time with her sweet smiles and giggles.  She is a happy, contented baby who seems to radiate joy, and I am so thankful for the way God had already blessed us with her life.  We love you, Bella!