Our new arrival!

Savannah Lee Alder joined our family on Saturday, June 27, at 7:18 P.M. We could not be happier or more delighted to have her with us. I spend so much time each day just staring at her hardly able to comprehend that I am so blessed to have her be mine and how amazingly beautiful and perfect she is. We adore her. Her entrance into this world was, well, much different than Logan's and frankly, much different than I ever would have planned but in the end it all turned out perfect.
On Thursday (two days before she was born), I wrote this in my pregnancy journal in a section where it asked for my birth plan:

Do laboring at home and then go to hospital when I feel like I am far enough along. Get epideral and then wait it out. Push a few times and have baby! Jared will cut cord...(there's more but it's irrelevant)

Instead we almost had baby here:


So here's the story. Saturday afternoon I start to feel what I think are Braxton Hicks that are just more painful and uncomfortable. Don't think much of it because after all, I'm only 37 weeks and surely she wouldn't be coming this early. Wait a while and they become more and more painful each time so I start to think, "maybe this is labor, but surely not". Call my brother who is a doctor in St. Louis and ask his opinion. He says I may just be dehydrated and that can cause false labor that will go away after a few hours. Tells me to drink lots of water and rest and see what happens. I think this must be it because come to think of it, I haven't drank hardly any water. So I wait it out, take a bath, drink water and think they will probably go away. But I do start timing just to be sure. They are sparadic and 9-13 minutes apart. Well, if it is labor they say to wait until about 5 minutes apart to go to hospital anyway. So I just keep timing them but man they are really starting to hurt. They never get 5 minutes apart but dang, this has to be labor. These REALLY hurt! I tell Jared that we have to go to the hospital. I'm thinking this because I'm not sure it is that big of a rush, but I surely I have to be far enough along for pain relief and I want it NOW. Tells me he will take a quick shower and Logan is in the bath...wait what?!!! We realize no hospital bag is packed so we throw some things together and head to the hospital with Logan in tow. He calls his parents to meet us at the hospital to take Logan so he can help me throughout the labor and delivery. On the way to the hospital (which is seriously 2 miles down the road might I add) the contractions are SO strong and suddenly RIGHT on top of each other. No break at all. Uh oh, this can't be good and where in the heck were the 5 minute apart ones? We pull up to the hospital and Jared lets me out at the front door and I proceed to registration while he parks the car. I've never considered myself a patient person, but answering basic questions and signing paperwork and all the registration formalities while in serious labor was a true test and I was nice and pleasant the whole time so I guess I passed right? It felt like an hour but probably only took 3-4 minutes. I was practically done when Jared walked in. So the registration lady wheels me to triage right around the corner and passes me off to the attending nurse. The nurse tells me to change into a gown so they can check me and see if they are going to admit me or not. I look at the gown and realize the contractions are so intense there is no way I can undress myself and change into a gown. I tell Jared he is going to have to help me. He helps and then goes to talk to the nurse for a second. When they come in I tell them I think I have to go to the bathroom and the nurse says to get on the bed. I have an incredible urge to push and then realize the baby is coming right now. The nurse looks at me and tells me that I HAVE to get on the bed but I am in too much pain to move and my muscles are seriously frozen. Jared puts Logan down and comes and picks me up wedding day style and puts me on the bed. Nurse says "head is out!" and one push later Savannah Lee was born. No doctor around, just 4 nurses that were extremely freaked out and very obviously (although failing) trying not to panic. I think from the time we pulled up to the hospital and when she was born was about 8 minutes. I can't believe that if we would have waited at all to leave the house or if the hospital was further than 5 minutes away, Jared would have delivered her in our Jeep. I can't believe that almost happened to us. So needless to say things went quite differently than my birth plan. No epideral - I can't believe I delivered a baby naturally...zero pain medication. Thank heavens it was quick. From the very first tiny contraction to delivery was under 5 hours. Next, no doctor! Never would have planned on that one. Then, almost not in a hospital. DEFINITELY wouldn't have planned on that one. And finally, Jared didn't even get to cut the cord because there was too much chaos, one of the nurses did it. By the way, afterwards the whole thing was such a whirlwind that I couldn't remember where Logan was during all of it and he said Logan just stood on his tip-toes and watched the whole thing! I was traumatized, but at least Logan is under 2 so he won't remember it right?! His parents arrived a few minutes too late to help with Logan and the doctor about 10 minutes later. Needless to say, next pregnancy I am going straight to the hospital the second I feel the first contraction!

Here are Savannah and I a few minutes after delivery:



Savannah:















Mom with kids (Dad is taking the picture)