"Cottage By The Sea": 9/1/10

20 September 2010

"God Kissed Her Cheek And There She Was"

My eldest daughter Tara, her husband Jason and their (almost complete) family.

I think I see a complete-ness. A completed-ness. A comple-te'. This family is complete! Well, you never know. Only God knows for sure what's in store for these guys. You'll see what I mean in just a minute here.

This post is going to run backwards. Let us start with, once upon a time about a year ago...

I wrote a post titled, "There Are Those Who Think That Families Happen By Chance. If you read that one, you will better understand the one to come. Click on the link, read your little heart out and I'll just sit right here, twiddle my thumbs and wait for you to come back.

Hey there! Glad your back, and now in present time, a birth announcement of sorts from a proud granny. First a quote from Billy Wilder:

God kissed her cheek and there she was.

Abigail Rose

Born 19th September 2010

7 lb. 8 oz.
19 in. long

We have been blessed.

I am the proud Granny of my 6th grandchild. Four boys and two girls. Yesterday morning at around 5:00 a.m., we heard the faint ringing of the telephone. We only just got the thing installed again after moving back into the cottage. Cell phones make having a house phone practically obsolete these days. It was my son-in-law calling to say that he and Tara were at the hospital and that the doctor was going to break her water in about 1/2 hour. She goes fast after that so we quickly roused our youngest sleeping daughter and her sleep-over friend Natalie (who experienced a whole different morning than I think she ever expected!) We were off to the hospital!

Thirty minutes later we were there and everything was pretty calm. Not long after that, Tara said she thought it was time and except for her husband we all left the room. When we got back from picking up some early Sunday morning donuts (the best kind), our little Abby had arrived, healthy and hearty and all wrapped up like a burrito with a soft little cap on to keep her head warm. Then, a wonderful surprise! My niece Shannon was the OB nurse on duty just about to finish her late night shift. She had been there with Tara to make sure all her needs were met, and she was comfortable in her cousins' care the whole time.

Shani was there for the birth of Tara's second baby as well. Now is when the story starts to run backwards again so you can see how we came back to this point. Long ago, about 10 years ago, after finding out they were expecting baby number 2, Tara and her husband decided to switch it up. That was the birth where they decided to go, a la natural, and use a midwife in a birthing room in a little house set up with a birthing tub. No pain meds, no epidural, and if God forbid anything were to go wrong, just a quick ride to the nearby hospital. My daughter wanted me, her sister Kate, and her cousin Shannon all there with her and her husband to welcome the new baby into the world.

In this idyllic setting along with her family, there were the midwife and her assistant, quietly scuffling about and gently checking on and encouraging Tara. There was the music of dolphins singing interspersed with a classical mix now and again. There was a homemade quilt on the bed in a sweet little room sprinkled with candles all around. The scent of lavender incense wafted about as we all waited to welcome this new baby into the world with a gentle, natural birth. And then...came the gnashing of teeth, the writing in pain, the guttural screams, the crying out to God for deliverance, and it wasn't just from me!

When the time got closer for the actual birth, Tara got in the tub which was warmed just to bath temperature. She would have a water birth. Warm, soothing, water. Relaxing and the perfect antidote to relax and bring the baby into the most natural of earths elements — water. Not. When the soothing elements of warm water wore off and Tara continued her labor pacing the gleaming wood floors and alternately laying on the cozy bed, I looked to check on the condition of my other two. Oh, the faces of my precious niece and my younger daughter ~~watching in wonder~~ staring in horror, while clinging to their seats and writhing their hands. They looked at me as if to say, "when does the gentle part begin?" I don't know, I couldn't say because, I myself was too busy praying for my daughter. To watch your child in pain and be able to do nothing to help or hurry or stop it is, well it's a debilitating feeling for a control freak like me, even if pain is a natural part of the process of childbirth. I'd done it a few times myself but, it is easily forgotten when they place a miracle in your arms, the pain stops, and the dreams you've dreamt all come true.

Then finally, all the commotion stopped. Soft music and gentle voices are all that could be heard as my precious grandson Cael entered this world fresh from God.
Sighs of relief could be heard all around. Mother and Father and baby were snuggled up in the bed bonding with their precious new son. ~~Tears of blessed~~ ~~relief~~ placating joy were falling all around and soon Kate, Shannon and I quietly slipped away ~~ran to the car as fast as our wee feet would carry us~~, leaving the new family to rest and relish in their newest member. Cael informed me just the other day that he's still bummed out because his mom changed her mind and didn't give birth to him in that hot-tub.

Post haste to today. It's been ten years and four more kids since that last birth story. Here now, is my daughter Tara, and her newly delivered daughter, Abigail Rose.

Tara and Jason went on to build their family by receiving the gifts God gave them through birth and through adoption. My niece Shannon went to college, graduated nursing school and became a nurse on the maternity floor at a hospital near her home. Sharing in Tara's birth experience compelled her to do something tangible where she could help women when they were in need of living through a pain free birth. She regularly makes sure that they (including her cousin Tara), if they wish, receive an epidural filled with happy juice to ensure a 'gentle' birth. My daughter Kate has graduated college, is still unmarried and chastity comes much more easily when you have post traumatic stress syndrome and are scarred for life from ever giving birth.

Just kidding (I think). We're hoping she'll go on to marry and find her calling as a mommy too. At the moment she is actually thinking of going to nursing school like her cousin Shani. They are doing a lot of collaborating.

Proud new daddy with his baby daughter.

Auntie Maggie (built in babysitter)?

After lots of welcoming, snuggles and kisses, we drove over to show pictures of their new sister to some very anxious brothers and little sister waiting at home. They seemed at once duly impressed and then went back to their video games. Visiting hour would come around noon when they went to meet Abigail. I wish I could have been a fly on that wall but alas, I was having a dinner party for ten and couldn't be there. Today I'll find out all about how that went and soon more pictures of the whole family which of course I will share with you!

Papa Mac falling in love again.

She has a soft fuzzy head, chunky little thighs, she sucks her thumb, and nurses like a champ. She feels as light as a feather yet like you are holding the hope of the world in your arms.

So, IT'S A GIRL, and THANK HEAVEN FOR LITTLE GIRLS.

Love you more than all the blessings that babies have brought to the world since time began. Always choose life.

Blessings,

Tia