Anneliese Louise Madole's Big Arrival

I've been meaning to write a blog about Annie's birth for the past week or so, but I've been a little busy. :) So...without further ado, here is Annie's story:

We got "the call" at 3:02 a.m. on Sunday, February 20. T was FINALLY in labor! We'd already been living it up all weekend because we knew that if she didn't come on her own, T would be induced first thing Monday morning, but this was a huge answer to prayer, since our sweet girl seemed to be taking her time and T was miserable.

We met Catherine, our Deaconess case worker, at the hospital at 5 a.m. and got to go sit in T's room for a bit as she tried to rest and progress (she was at a 3 when they admitted her and her water hadn't broken yet). After a bit, we went to breakfast with Catherine as T slept and waited until she could get her epidural.

Upon our return, we found out that T had dilated to a 5. It was then that we started seeing just how awesome our experience was going to be. As we were sitting in the waiting room, contemplating a nap, two nurses came out and said, "Are you Rob and Melissa?" "Umm...yes...(are we in trouble?)." "Hi, I'm Laura and this is Brenda. We're taking care of T and we're going to get you set up in your room." From there, Brenda took us around the floor, showed us where we could get drinks, snacks, etc. and got us set up in our room about four doors down from T. They said we would be able to stay there and that since T had given her approval, I would get to wear a hospital bracelet which would allow me access to the nursery and to take the baby in between the rooms. We stayed in our room for a few hours, resting and calling loved ones with updates and every time Laura checked on T, she'd come update us on her progress. She also let us know that T wanted both of us in the room for delivery! Wow! We were honored just to be at the hospital...and now she wants is IN THE ROOM? Awesome!

Around 3 p.m., we went in to check on T and visited with her for a bit. While we were visiting, Laura came back in and declared that T was complete and ready to push! Oh. my. gosh! This is really happening!! As we waited for the doctor to arrive, Laura coached T through some early pushing. T's mom, Catherine and I helped by supporting her back and legs. Having never been in the room during a birth, I had NO idea how much stuff they brought in...but man, there was a whole table full of instruments, gauze, etc. ready when the doctor came in to deliver. The doc was a little gruff and wasn't too thrilled with the idea of four people being in the room with T as she delivered, so Catherine stepped out, leaving me and T's mom with her for delivery. Rob quietly found a seat next to the door, just inside the room. From there, T pushed for about 20 minutes and brought our sweet angel into this world! Here she is just after her arrival at 4:20 p.m.

I have to say that T was a ROCK STAR. She did not scream or cry during labor. At all. Not even when her epidural stopped working right before she started to push. She is officially the toughest person I know. One of the many reasons I LOVE her!

After everyone was cleaned up, T held Annie for a couple of minutes, then handed her to me. Wow. I was holding my daughter. My daughter! Of course, I was the picture-taker, so we don't have a shot of me holding her for the first time, but I did get one of my precious Rob holding his little girl for the first time:

Believe it or not, I only got teary-eyed at Annie's birth and I didn't sob uncontrollably like I always imagined I would. In fact, I still haven't completely broken down and sobbed like I thought I would...thank you LORD for keeping my emotions in check!

I wouldn't trade the two days we spent at the hospital for anything. Annie stayed in our room with us most of the time and T would call and let us know when she wanted to visit or hold Annie. We spent lots of quality time with T and really got to connect with her and learn more about the awesome young lady that she is, despite all that she has been through. She told us time and again how happy she is that we're Annie's parents and we all agreed that we would always be a big part of each other's lives.

Around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, the 22nd, we all walked out of the hospital together, said our good-byes, shared some long hugs and went our separate ways. Thankfully, nurse Laura was on duty that day, so she walked out with us! I am so grateful for the awesome care she took of T and us during our stay. So glad we got this pic of Laura holding Annie. We will never forget her!

I am still in awe of God's amazing plan which brought all of us together. His plan and His timing are always perfect!

~M