And then there were five...

Introducing Hannah Joy Aust...


(Let's just ignore the fact that this post is coming over a week and a half after her birth.)

Since I've become a mother about 4 and half years ago, I have loved hearing about birth stories. I think if we had cable, I would watch A Baby Story non-stop.

I think giving birth is one of the most amazing things that women can experience...despite the pain, contractions, blood...and so on.

I never get tired of telling my children about how they entered this world, and I never get tired of looking at the pictures of their birth and reliving those wonderful days in my mind.

Hannah Joy's birth was just as amazing as Sammy and Caleb's...though she came a LOT faster than the other two.

Tuesday, April 6 began like every other day. I was incredibly uncomfortable, my feet were terribly swollen, and I was plain old tired of being pregnant.

I remember dropping something on the kitchen floor and standing there thinking, "it's really not worth it trying to bend over and get it..." Thank goodness I had Sammy around to pick it up for me!

Sammy and I went to my 3:30 appointment, and I learned I was dilated to 3 and about 90% effaced. Within a few hours, I began to think that my water had begun to leak. It wasn't the rush of water I felt when my water broke with Sammy, but I just felt something was going to happen that night.

So, after convincing Brad to let us go out to eat at Perkins (it was a Tuesday night and the kids ate free), I began to feel contractions.

But they were nothing like what I had with my other two children. I had always heard about contractions starting out small, but I had never had that. Once my water broke with both Sammy and Caleb, I was in active labor and the contractions were HARD.

At about 6:30, I think contractions began. We finished eating, headed home, did dishes, tidied up the house (yes, I was either nesting or procrastinating!) and I called one of our youth group students just to check to see if she was able to come over and sleep with the kids that night...just in case. By 10:00, I felt more confident that I was actually feeling contractions.

We got to the hospital around 10:45. When I finally got checked at 11:30, I was only dilated to a 4.

It was then that I thought..."it's going to be a LONG night..."

But I was bound and determined to do everything I could to move things along. So Brad and I started walking the halls. By 12:45 a.m., I progressed to a 6 and at 1:00 I could feel my body start to fight against the contractions. I asked the nurses to call my doctor, who, by the way, tries to deliver all of her patients' babies, not matter what time of day.

She also is the only doctor in town that does a para cervical block...which is a drug straight from heaven!

The nurse checked me again around 1:15, and I was at a 7.

All I kept thinking was, "when is Dr. Rice going to get here!!!"

Around 1:30, Dr. Rice arrived, and after checking my progress, she told me to give it one or two more contractions. I remember thinking, "just give me the drug!"

As a side note...after Hannah arrived, Dr. Rice took my hand and said, "I knew there wasn't going to be time for the para cervical block because the baby was already coming. I also knew I couldn't tell you that you weren't going to be able to get it. I'm so sorry."

Nope, pretty sure she did the right thing.

I would have completely flipped out if she had told me no drugs.

Anyway, about 10 minutes later, while the nurses were still getting the room ready, I felt like I had to push. Dr. Rice broke my water, and after 1 LONG push, and a couple of small ones, Hannah entered the world. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, but Dr. Rice quickly removed it.

Praise God that she came as fast as she did!


Brad was one proud daddy!


After Hannah was born, Brad and I were able to sleep a bit, and in the morning, Brad brought Sammy and Caleb over to meet their new sister.

They are both pretty smitten with her!


What a joy it was to spend some time getting to know our third child.


I love calling Sammy and Hannah -- "the girls."


What a sweet little thing!


Daddy loves his little girl! Aren't they cute!


And then there were five...


Welcome to our world, little Hannah Joy!