Baby Gumdrop

 Welcome to the world little gumdrop! You are a joy and happiness to each of us. We love you so much!

The birth story goes like this: Two tuesdays ago I felt contractions starting around four. I thought it might be labor, but also felt that maybe I was just thinking wishfully. The end of pregnancy is always such a wait. At five I called Jed and told him I was having a few contractions, but wasn't sure if they were labor contractions or braxton hicks contractions.

At five fifteen I was sure they were labor contractions and called Jed to come home. At about 6:40 our awesome neighbor had arrived and was serving dinner to our kids. (thanks Emily!!)

At almost seven we were in the driveway of the hospital dropoff. My water broke. Jed popped me into a wheelchair and we went dashing up to labor and delivery. They admitted me right away after asking me what number child this was, without even a check.

At about seven I was in the delivery room. Jed had to go and park the car. We thought there would be at least an hour at this point. Probably more. Maybe six hours. You never know how the baby is turned, although most of my labors do seem to progress quickly. Anyway, I needed that hour to get the epidural that I always count on getting. (Im not really a going natural type.) Anway, I changed in the bathroom while Jed was parking, and there noticed that the contractions kind of stopped coming in waves, and that they just kind of never let up. It hurt a lot. I came back out, and the anesthesiologist was there. I said to cut the speech and shoot me up. He wanted to chat. I was not really in a chatting mood.

All of a sudden it was clear that the baby was going to be born and that there was not time for an epidural anway. Jed reappeared at my side and was the excellent and supportive partner that he is. I felt relief with him there. I didnt want him to miss the moment. This time I could tell by the fact that he started sweating that he was nervous that there wasnt going to be an epidural. We both love epidurals.

At 7:15, about fifteen minutes after we checked in, our beautiful little gumdrop was born. She was pink and calm with dark hair and lots of sweetness. I loved every moment of recieving her. What a miracle new life is, and each and ever time a completely new miracle. Later, Jed handed my little bundle of love to me wrapped in a hospital blanket and I felt deep feelings of gratitude for her in our family, and for the blessing she is to us. All the while Jed was looking very handsome at my side.

When I was pregnant with our sweet gumdrop I was concerned about her disposition. She kicked SO MUCH... "Like an eggbeater" I always said to friends. My other big kicker, twin A, turned out to have a firey emotional side, and be a hard to settle infant. I really thought that this time we should expect a cross between a firecracker and a hornet. But sweet baby gumdrop is calm and dear. She is a great nurser, sleeps at night, and only cries when hungry. Her wakeful times are dear and tender. She does not carry the usualy feeling of burden of work that a baby usually brings in early days. She carries a feeling of nobility and of serene joy. She feels like relief or a remote still lake. She is delicous to hold. We all feel it. I have to say that she truly is a blessing of joy and happiness to each and every member of our family. She has been very easy to knead into the rythm of our life. She likes to gaze around the room, and be held by all of her siblings. They adore her, and in the morning in bed with us, we pass her around, each taking a turn drinking in her sweet newness.

...and I have to admit that I feel great. It helps that the labor left me pretty much unscratched this time. It also helps that my awesome mother came out for a full five days to help during the very last week of summer. (moms of the world know what that week is like). .... and it helps even more that this week we are all back in the swing of things, including dance, school, soccer, preschool, etc. I love to be on the go.

We feel very happy and very blessed and very very grateful. And now, what better than for me to do than enjoy the fruits of that summer pregnancy, and hug and kiss my little gumdrop for every day of the rest of her young life. Actually, in order to do that, I really need to get in line. Her brother and sisters are just as intent on loving, kissing, and cuddling her. After all, as they tell me, they are also her mothers and father. She is our team baby, and they are right. I thought it was so cute today with little Mrs. said to me "Mommy, baby M is just the right baby for us" She is, of course, more than right. And it shows. This little J fits right in, and we just love her so much!