Hello Baby Sister

 When we walked into the house, everyone was busy and didn't know we were there until Yukon started barking. Excitement, curiosity, and happiness shown on their faces as they gathered around. I could see Kelsi's grave caution yet welcome hug to her kids. Both Grandma Bettridge and Kelsi did a great job introducing a little sister to her siblings.

Touching her soft feet

Great news to share!

By the next day the kids were all well and had an opportunity to hold their new sister!

She has a name

 It took awhile for Kelsi and Nate to decide on a name for their little girl. She was born on Monday night and it wasn't until about two hours before they left on Wednesday afternoon that they decided that Emma Rose Adams would be her name.

They hung out in the hospital room on Tuesday while Emma had all kinds of tests and procedures that are typical for a newborn. I spent quite a bit of time holding the new baby, but went home early to play with the other grands. 

I had decided to get chicken nuggets but couldn't find the fast food place and my map was telling me I had to go 28 miles - I don't think so!

Hey Winco popped up on the corner, so I stopped in and bought lots of snack foods like pretzels, chips, hummus, bean dips and of course chicken nuggets and chicken. I did thrown in grapes and tangerines to be healthy. 

Dani Bettridge was such a trouper! She took the Jayson to school, helped the other two with their homework while continually doing laundry loads and dishwasher loads, keeping the house clean and checking on the children's eyes to help them heal from the pink-eye infection. They got better quickly because of her zealous watch.

When they moved to a regular room, Nate was given the other bed to sleep in.

There is something in my heart watching my son with his daughter

This was such a wonderful experience to see the birth of a baby. The miracle that happens over and over is still a miracle - of life, hope, and expectation. 

I am so grateful that Kelsi asked me to come and share this experience. I held her hand on one side while Nate held her hand on the other. The nurses, doctor, and aide were all women. Who knows what other women from the other side were there too.

Joy and thankfulness fill my heart.

Monday Deliveries

 On the same morning Kelsi's baby was born, the family had another delivery. The range was installed and the stove top and oven were hauled out. Thanksgiving was all done with the old oven and stove top and now a new range is waiting to be used!

In spite of all the excitement and wonder of a new appliance, the children had all gotten pink-eye after Thanksgiving. Grandma Bettridge kept doing back to back laundry batches to cut down the contagious possibilities. Poor Caleb got it in one eye that spread to the other. Of course everyone was concerned about the risk this could pose to a new-born.

Joy overflowing!

 On Sunday Kelsi called and told me that she was having more than braxton hicks. I took off around 9 pm - after Jeffrey came back from Andrew and Briona's place. He had a great scripture study with Andrew, Michael, and the Aarons, then gave Michael a blessing. Good Sabbath day.  I was lucky to have negligible traffic and arrived in Redding before midnight. 

Nate met me at the door and showed me where to sleep. He said Kelsi's contractions had slowed down and she was trying to sleep. But the next day around 2:30 pm they started in with vigor. By 3:30 we were on our way to the hospital. Kelsi had shaking in her hands and feet when the contractions would start. It looked to me like she was a little in shock - which can happen with pain.

Packed up and on the way

Kelsi was cold in her hands and feet but her body felt sweaty. Nate put his coat on her feet to help with the shivers. Once the epidural had been dripping for twenty minutes, she was fine.

Active Labor

Wow! What a miracle these drugs are. Kelsi looked calm and happy and only felt pressure but no pain.

Then came crunch time. She had to bear down and push that baby out. With Nate's help she did a great job. I felt very privileged that Kelsi let me be part of this miraculous birth. I had no idea all that was involved as I had always been on the other end.

The unnamed baby was born at 9:52 pm on November 28 weighing 7.9 lbs with a covered head of hair and was about 20 and a half inches long.

I was intrigued and amazed at how the procedures happen in the hospitals now.  The doctor taking the cord gently from the neck was not new, but the rest was. The baby is immediately put up on the mama's chest and a nurse for the baby comes over and suctions out her nose and mouth, while dropping a towel over the wet baby then wiping the baby down (and making her cry) until the baby turned pink. The baby nurse takes care of the cord and checks the hips, spine, toes and hands. The other nurse is checking vitals and fluids while the doctor is delivering the placenta and stitching up the rip. I have a vague impression of another woman but can't remember who she was or what she was doing.

We found out there were three babies arriving that night and Kelsi's baby was the first. The baby nurse had to rush to the next birth. Everyone else took their time making Kelsi comfortable and well.

Hello Baby Girl!

The staff left the new family to get acquainted and bond together before they even got the details of her birth. It was a good hour and a half before they weighed, measured and washed the baby. So different from the day where the baby was scooped away to another table and the mom watches from across the room while the doctors and nursed do their thing for both.

Approximately an hour after the baby was born, Nate held his little girl. There is a feeling of deep joy in my heart watching my child hold his new child.

Were you aware?

After I had gone home, Kelsi sent some other pictures. She sent her new baby's first bath picture - immersed! Maybe all babies first bath is immersed as the baby has been floating in water for so long, but it was a shock to see after all the cautions and advise I was given to "not get the cord wet." There is no nursery visit, all care is given in the mama's room, so maybe this is not a new thing.