It's a GIRL!

Wow! In case you don’t already know, Rachel is a superhero! After 41 weeks of gestation, we now have our second gorgeous baby girl, Hannah Joy. This is how it went down:

17 Jan 08
1345L: Rachel is at home, the kids are napping, and Mary, a friend from the base was at the house. The discomfort she had felt off and on all day had finally progressed to the point that Rachel realized it was actually the beginning of active labor. I was at Project “X”, a task-based exercise with my team at SOS, checking my phone regularly for any updates.

1445L: Mary left the house after praying with Rachel for a quick labor. Rachel called me with no answer and left a voice mail. Additionally she sent me a text message to call her back soon. I got the message a little after 1500L and called her during a break between two tasks. I asked if she thought it would be at least another 45 minutes before I needed to leave the base and she said she probably thought so. So, I stayed around for the next task.

1531L: “Come home NOW!” was the message on my phone once I completed the second to last task with my team. That was all I needed. I turned to my Flight Commander and my team and told them I needed to go. Of course, everyone’s been tracking this pretty closely and been extremely supportive, so it was little surprise that I ran off to the dorm surrounded by the cheers of my teammates. What an awesome feeling! God is so good, to bring the right people into your life when you need it. The run to the dorm was a little over a mile and I had to slow down twice due to the backpack and boots I was carrying, but 8 minutes later I was in my room packing a bag and calling Rachel for an update. She was definitely in active labor with contractions just minutes apart. Bonnie, a great friend in our neighborhood and the wife of a coworker, was already at the house with her kids to pick up and Andrew and Elizabeth as planned.

1610L: I arrive at the house and Andrew tackles me as I come in the door, “MOMMY’S GOING TO HAVE HER BABY TODAY!!!!” Over and over again; he had never been this excited about anything! It really was amazing. Elizabeth understood too, but she was a little more reserved. Rachel was in the nursery rocking chair breathing through some heavy contractions. I loaded the van and changed out the car seats, preparing to take Rachel to the hospital. Once Bonnie had loaded up the kids and drove away, we hit the road.

1650L: We arrived at the hospital and checked in to the OB Triage unit. There were two other couples in the waiting room watching us check in. Rachel was definitely uncomfortable and breathing through some serious contractions as I signed some paperwork. The other couples were apparently there for scheduled inductions and chatting away as if they were waiting for an oil change! Rachel, however was a little more urgent, so we skipped to the head of the line. In the triage room, the nurse checked Rachel and discovered she was “rim” – an expression that apparently means fully dilated and 100% effaced – basically ready to go! So, they did some coordination, placed an IV, and shortly whisked us away to a small L&D room.

1722L: After we got into L&D, I left briefly to move the van to a parking spot (I had left it at the entrance of the hospital) and get some things for Rachel. Thankfully, I didn’t take my time, as things were about to speed up!

1730L: The doctor finally arrived, as the nurses were getting the bed taken apart and everything in the room ready for delivery. It wasn’t Rachel’s OB through the pregnancy, though it was one of his partners. He ruptured Rachel’s sac and the water finally flowed, relieving her of some pressure. With a few strong contractions Rachel began pushing and I began counting.

1735L: She didn’t push for more than a couple minutes (I think I counted to ten about five times total) before Hannah had been introduced to the world. The doc quickly suctioned fluids from her mouth and nose and cleaned her off. It was truly remarkable to see my amazing bride as she gently forced our third child into the hands of the doctor with no drugs or anesthetics at all. Praise the Lord!

Well, that’s our story and we’re sticking to it. I hope that I covered most of the details you would’ve asked about. At birth she was our lightest child to date, at only 8 lbs, 10 oz. Hannah Joy is 21 in long and has deep blue eyes that will more than likely change to green, like her mommy and big sister. The miracle of life is truly a marvelous thing and Hannah’s birth was no exception. The Lord was by our side every step of the way, encouraging Rachel through friends, family, and His word. The outpouring of calls, text messages, and offerings of assistance have been greater with this pregnancy and birth than ever before. We are truly grateful for the countless loved ones who have followed that desire placed on their heart to be there for us in this time of need. God bless ya’ll as you, too, continue to enjoy in His many creations.