Welcome to the world Billie Grace!

April 17, 2009

9:50pm

9 lbs 5 oz

One trip to Florence was all it took to get our 4th child on the way...

No, we don't normally drive to Florence on a Friday afternoon, but this was a special occasion. Mack needed to register for Kindergarten and we did not have an original birth certificate for the poor boy! We decided to drive to the Florence recording office instead of the one in Phoenix to get that taken care of. The GPS said we would arrive there exactly 9 minutes before they closed, so it seemed it would work out perfectly. It was the day after my due date, and I was sure this baby would NEVER come, so we made it a family fun trip. About half way there I felt something like a kick but not in the place where the baby's feet had been... where her head was. I just thought that was strange and didn't think anything else about it. While Ryan got the birth certificate the rest of us waited in the suburban. I started to text some friends and family, joking about being in Florence (so random!). I even teased my doula, Tracie, about finding a birthing center out here and wanting to check them out. (She didn't think that was very funny). Then we drove to BJ's to try these famous green chili cheese crisps - very good btw. And finally we stopped at the dollar store on the way home(Kade's only reason for coming with us) :) This is when I finally get out of the suburban and realize that the "kick" I felt was my water breaking. I immediately started having strong contractions. My kids are in dollar-store heaven, but I had to get out of there! Ryan quickly buys them each something while I walk through the parking lot to Burger King to use the restroom, contracting all the way. I smelt amniotic fluid & knew it was for real! Now I had to call my dear friend/doula, Tracie and apologize for the joking and beg her to believe me that I was actually in labor! : ) J/K she knew I was serious. She told me to count my contractions in the next 20 minutes and she would call me back then. As we sped home, we counted 7 strong contractions in the next 20 minutes. They were short and close together. Tracie went to our house, gathered our suitcases that were mostly all packed and hopped in the suburban as soon as we got there! (Bless her heart) Because as soon as we arrived at Banner Gateway, my contractions became much harder and longer. Grandpa and Grandma Olsen met us in the parking lot and took over watching Kade, Mack and Maren. (What a relief) Less that 2 hours later, our beautiful baby girl was placed in my arms! She was absolutely perfect! It was my first birth without an epidural or being induced. And that made the reward so much greater! I swore I'd never do it again, but I've already changed my mind. : )

That's the beauty of child-birth!

We named her after my Grandma Allred... Billie. The older kids absolutely adore her and I think Billie is glad to be here. We are enjoying her so much!