As you can imagine, the last week or so we have been quite occupied with the newest member of our family. We are now finding the time to tell you about our new baby girl, how she arrived and how we are adjusting to parenthood.
I started showing early labor signs on Saturday morning the 30th, which happened to be Sam’s birthday. We went about our day and watched a movie and made a tasty steak dinner and squash pie to celebrate Sam’s birthday. By the time dinner was over, my contractions were 5-10 minutes apart so Sam went to Dr. Tim’s house (about 300 feet from the guest house) and Dr. Tim came by and confirmed that I was in early labor and that we were in for a long night.
Labor progressed smoothly throughout the whole night and we stayed in the guest house. I lay on the bed the rest of the night and Sam pulled up a chair next to me and watched my every move, timed my contractions, coached me through relaxation and breathing exercises and was overall the most amazing coach and support a laboring woman could ask for! We knew that we might be able to deliver the baby right in the guest house if everything progressed well, but I was mostly prepared to go down to the hospital (about 300 feet from the guest house) when it came time to push. After an hour or so of some very intense contractions, Dr. Tim checked me at 5:30am and, with some surprise, announced that I was ready to start pushing. He rushed off to get his delivery team (his wife Ann, Jan Cone another missionary and nurse, and Julianne an African maternity nurse) and we got ready to deliver our baby right in the bedroom. After some reposition and a little preparation, I pushed through about four contractions and then Hannah Margaret appeared!
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| Our very first family photo |
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| Hannah's first check up with Dr. Tim Wester |
We couldn’t be more delighted with our baby girl right now. We have survived our first week of parenting and Hannah is eating well and sleeping well for the most part. We are tired, of course, but we are starting to get into a good routine with her. We will leave Gamboula on August 11th and stay in Bangui for about two weeks getting paperwork together for Hannah’s passport. And….Sam’s parents Jim and Ruth Snyder will be meeting us in Bangui and visiting for a week. We are so excited for “Pa” and Mama Luta” to meet their granddaughter!
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| Hannah and her daddy |
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Cuddling with mommy
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| First bath |
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| Tummy time |
I loved reading about your birthing experience, Sarah! It sounds like everything went perfectly and that you have some wonderful memories to cherish. You are a champ!
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