Baby Zada!!!

She came!!  She finally came!  And on Halloween!  We have a little Halloween baby!

About 1:45 AM my water broke.  I was awake in bed, and felt a little trickle.  I thought I should probably drag myself out and check, but as soon as I stood up, fluid GUSHED everywhere.  I woke Jon up quick saying my water had broken.  My water has never broken before!  And it was just like the movies.  With broken waters, they say go right in, and this time I knew they weren't going to send me home!  By the time I got there I was 3 cm and the contractions had started in earnest.  Feeling much more powerful than those of the last few days.

I had felt so strongly about having an unmedicated birth, but as time went on and I didn't progress as quickly as I would have liked, or as quickly as my strong contractions indicated I 'should' be.  I started to panic in the pain, which was crazy, and finally asked for the epidural.

Once it set in, I was feeling great, and wanted to put makeup on, which Jon thought was funny.  We also laughed together about how, despite everything we said we wanted, this baby was coming ON Halloween!

Finally, at 3:51 PM, 10/31/2018, Zada Emeline Gravenstreter was born, and she is perfection.

My mom had the girls there at the hospital when Zada was born, but we had decided we wanted to just be us int he delivery room.  As soon as she had nursed and we had a bit of time to settle, the girls came in with my mom and met her for the first time.  They are so excited to have her finally here!

It's an emotional experience for everyone involved, but for Jon this was transcendent.  He has waited for this moment for such a long time, and he is completely head over heels for this little girl.

It's also extremely surreal.  You are just kind of in this hospital room and they come in what seems like every 15 minutes, and there's this BABY, and then you have people coming to see the baby!  Jordan and Alicia were the first visitors this evening, and they were sweet to bring Jon some dinner.  The hospital feeds me, but not him!

Jordan was pretty smitten himself, and this picture is one of my favorites.

Leiden had gone out trick or treating with friends, but Grandmere and Bapa came back later with Mac and Mimi.

Bapa got to meet Little Miss for the first time.  Bapa loves these little girls in his life.

And I do, too!!  Mac and Mimi held little Zada for the first time.

Mac was too young to remember when Mimi came, and Mimi hasn't ever had a little sibling that she can remember as a baby, and certainly not one that would live with her!

She is beautiful and perfect.  I had forgotten how amazing it is to have a baby be born and laid all slippery on your chest and suddenly there's all these FEELINGS.

We are so blessed and grateful to our Father in Heaven for sending her to us and entrusting us with her care and keeping.  It was an emotional day, a beautiful day, a long day.  She is finally here with us and our family has grown in love.