Welcome Maya Annabel Carver

Welcome to the world little one!! Oh, where to start? She is beautiful and magical and, as Mary Poppin's would say, "Practically perfect in every way." (Okay, Ella has been watching it A LOT!) Maya was born last night, Monday October 29, 2007 at 10:59 pm. She weighs a slight 7 lb. 2 oz. and measures at 20 1/4 inches.

Sandi made labor look more like leisure sailing than actual work. She breezed through yesterday afternoon of ever increasing contractions. Wary to alert anyone of another false start, she waited to call the Carver clan until they were regular and close together. Even still, she was up walking, eating dinner, reading to Ella. Not too long after she says, "I think it's close to time to go." The contractions were 45 -90 seconds apart. Yikes! So to the hospital we go- for me I am acting as an extra on "ER" rushing around, bossing people around- saying retroactively embarrassing things like, "Hello- we're in labor!" to slow moving staff and waving our baby pre-registration card like a Platinum Gold credit card. We got up to the labor "suite" (employee perk) and admitted around 8 pm. Just before 9 pm, the nurse said Sandi was only 4 cm dilated (far from the holy grail of 10 cm). She was breathing, doing her peaceful hypnobirthing and things started to pick up significantly - the contractions were right on top of each other and she was shaking when they would take hold. They checked her again at 10 pm and she was still only 4-5 cm - a real downer of news when you're working that hard.

But hold tight, it gets better... Shortly after 10 pm she says, "My body wants to push." I tell the nurse, alarmed by this progression at 5 cm. She checks her again- only 30 minutes later and says that Sandi is now 6-7 cm. We agree it's time to call Debbie, our midwife. Within 15 more minutes, Sandi is getting a bit frantic blowing air out in short puffs to try not to push- no joke- by now she is fully dilated and ready to push. Synopsis- this is only 50 or so minutes after she was only half way to full dilation. Debbie showed up just in time for Sandi to push through three solid contractions and out comes the baby. She made it look as easy as Mozart playing Mary Had a Little Lamb. From 5 cm to holding the baby in one hour. A-maz-ing.

Present for the birth were Sandi's sisters Trish (Tia) and Kristi (Auntie Kricka) her mom Patti, our wonderful midwife Debbie, our friend Bridgette who took pictures and Sandi's dad Dwight who came in minutes after the actual delivery because he couldn't get there fast enough from the parking lot where he was napping in the car (now that is a fast delivery- he was called just before Sandi started pushing.)

So Mommy and baby are happy and healthy. Maya is eating like a champ. I am over the moon. But perhaps the one who is shining the brighest is our dear little Ella who was such an example of love and welcoming when she came in today to meet her little baby sister. She asked to have her beloved security blanket (yellow blankie) retrieved from the car and when she got it she took it over to where the baby was being held by Grampie- put the blanket over her and said, "There you go baby."

Pictures to follow when we get home from the hospital. I stand in wonderment today at the beauty and fullness of life. Sandi and I feel so appreciative of all the love and support everyone has shown us through this incredible journey. We'll be calling on it in the days and months to come. Love, Suzanne