Welcome Miriam Gloria Violet

Wow, what an incredible day! First off I want to apologize both for the delay in getting this up, and for any bad grammatical mistakes! It has been a long 24 hours! As was mentioned in the previous post we looked like all was good to go, so we packed up, loaded up, and then sat around waiting! Anna was most frustrated at getting all excited, and then for everything to grind to a screeching halt! After a shopping trip, dinner and playing bathing Naomi still nothing was happening.

Off to bed we all went around 10:30 - 11:00. At around 11:30 Anna started to have contractions. Both Grandma and Daddy were passed out quite soundly. Around 12:45 Mommy got up to have a shower to see what it would to to the contractions which were coming strong and solid about 10 minutes apart. In the 12 minute shower she had 3 contractions! Apparently she explained what was going on prior to the shower, and I (Adam) was suppose to get up and talk to Grandma about the happenings. I have no recollection of that conversation! Imagine my surprise while I had been off in dreamland only to be woken by a screaming pregnant lady saying we need to go. NOW!

After a number of phone calls around (thanks to all those who answered the phone at 1am!) we very quickly made our way to the car, and then to the hospital. I will not mention how long it took here on the web as it may incriminate me! We arrived at the hospital a little before 2 am. It was funny, upon our arrival the fantastic labour and delivery staff did not seem to think things were that serious. After a closer exam they discovered that Mom was at about 5cm dilated. They started to take it a lot more seriously! Within an hour Mom progressed to 8cm! The doctor was called and made it just in time to start pushing!

Anna did a phenomenal job! After a few good pushes we were greeted by a absolutely beautiful baby girl. What a change from Naomi's birth! From the time we arrived at the hospital to the birth it was 2 hours, not 20! Miriam Gloria Violet Kouwenberg entered into this world at 3:50am. She was very kind to her mother, no stitches were required! Miriam tipped the scales at 7lbs even. Because the delivery was all natural with only some nitrous oxide to cut the pain (or make mom fly high as a kite) Miriam was incredibly awake and alert. She took to nursing like she had been doing it for years! What a relief!

By the time she was 6 hours old she had spent more than a third of her life eating! We hope this trend continues for a long time! Through out the rest of the day she was wonderful, sleeping great, eating great, and she even got to have her first bath!

It is now about the same time that we went to bed yesterday. Here is hoping that tonight will be less adventurous that the last!

A very proud and tired Mommy and Daddy going to try and get some rest in the hospital, a exhausted big sister and Grandma sleeping back home, and a beautiful baby girl sleeping like a log, saying a very good night to all!