10 Days Old.

Abigayle loves Emberley. She's very liberal in trying to hug, kiss, pat, and hold her.  She's still adjusting to not being the baby anymore. She's taking on the role of big sister. She has decided that its time to potty train. Who'd have thought that would be her motivation?

She has more hair than any or my babies thus far with reddish tints around the temples.

Picking up her head.

7 lbs 15 oz 10 days old. She had her PKU heel prick today. Marcile ( midwife) said this is the first baby she's ever done that too that hasn't really cried. She did squeak just a bit.

Emberley May Drake

July 16th started with a possible leaking water bag. My midwife was in town having assisted in delivering a baby, so she stopped by to check at about 11. No it wasn't leaking. I was crushed. So ready to be done.
She left me a homeopathic to try to start labor. This only would work if my body was ready. I was to try a dose every half an hour for a total of 4 doses. 3 Doses later nothing had happened. Taking the 4th dose I started making my kids lunch. Whamoo! Contractions started about 3 min apart. Quite interesting to try to breathe through them while fixing lunch.. I started timing them at 12:52.

About 1:00 I called my friend Amber to come over. She occupied my kids cleaning the house while I dealt with contractions. I messaged Rick. He arrivied by about 2:30ish. Just in time for transition and needed counter-pressure on my back. It was wonderful to finally have him involved.

Lucas helping to fill the birth pool.

When Shannon arrived, I was in transition and about 6 cm dilated. Oddly enough, about 2 contractions later, while in the pool I felt my cervix expand. I asked her to check. Yes, I was at an 8. She called her assistant in Tri-cities. Then decided there was no way Marcile would make it. So Amber stepped in as birth assistant, photographer, and kid occupier.

At 9 cm I asked Shannon to break my water. 20 min later ( 3:53PM) she told me to pick up my baby. What a sticky little baby she was. "Go get the kids! I exclaimed ( I was told I only pushed for 10 min. My hat is off to you ladies who do it for several hours. OUCH!)

She's of minutes old here. 

Check out that vernix!

Abigayle is absolutely in love with her baby.

Daddy's first chance at holding his 3rd daughter ( 4th child).

Amber got a chance too.

All my children together.

Daddy cut the cord long in the tub. Lucas got to cut the cord to shorten it.

 My heaviest baby, 7 lbs 10 oz.

 19 1/2 inches long.

What every baby loves to do. Nurse!

I took a little bit of time the next morning to get a couple of cute cleaned up shots of her.

Baby princess.

39 weeks and counting...

39 weeks and counting.
Lost the mucus plug yesterday. Measuring 41.5 weeks, 3 cm dilated. Two midwives say this baby  is big with a large head. Hopefully next post will be her birth.

Happy 4th of July!