Lalla

She arrived on her due date.

8/10/10

9:03 pm

7 lb 3 oz

18.5 in

She has 2 very proud and attentive big brothers.

2 proud and loving grandmothers

and 2 humbled and excited (and tired) parents

I went to the doctor the morning of her arrival for my appointment. I was convinced at this point that Lalla was never going to make it out of my body (:)) So silly now to even admit. But I was beginning to believe (after 2 false alarms and trips to the hospital) that I had forgotten what labor feels like.

I had my first real contraction leaving my doctor's office. They continued on the ride home but I wasn't convinced it was really time. Wes went to work and I came home. Three hours later my mom (who rushed up from one of the earlier false alarms) asked me if I wanted her to time them because they seemed to be closer together and more intense in pain. At one of our false alarm trips, Wes mentioned to me that he remembered my face changing with each contraction. That I wasn't able to just breathe through them, but that clearly I was in pain. I called him 20 minutes after mom started timing the contractions and asked him if he would come home. He came home and said "That's the face I remember!" I did what any girl in labor would do - I cried. The contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and INTENSE!

Wes and I quickly got into the car (clearly our bag had been packed). We arrived at 4:30 - they checked me at 5pm and I was dilated 5cm.

I labored without ANYTHING until 8pm when I received my epidural.

At that point I was 8cm.

40 minutes later I was fully dilated and ready to push

20 minutes later she had arrived

at 9:03 pm.

She is a doll. She reminds me a lot of my other babies (when they were babies). She looks like Walker when her eyes are closed and Wyatt when they are open. She has dark hair (slightly shorter on top than in the back).

She is doing pretty well with sleeping - at first during the packing/move, she was waking every hour and that was just difficult. But she's progressed to eating every 3 hours.

We are settled into our new place. A loving body of believers coordinated the move for us - and about 25 selfless pairs of hands and feet moved us in. Put our beds together, hung shelves, unpacked our kitchen, made our beds, etc. We were showered with love and service upon Lalla's arrival and our move. And while it is hectic, we are thankful and humbled to be in this place. Right now.

"For all things are of Him, through Him and to Him. To Him be glory forever."

Romans 11:36