Sweet Sarah Deise

She's here! Sweet Sarah Desise (pronounced "Daisy," after Darcy Caires' mom), was born on Friday, July 8, 2011 at 2:12 in the afternoon at Beaches Baptist Hospital. She's a cute little turkey, isn't she?

Here's how it went: I started having early contractions at around 5:30 am on Thursday. They were sporadic and light enough that I had a fairly normal day, managing a nap, and even going to a prayer meeting with Ryan in the evening. Not until around eleven pm did active labor start. At 3 am on Friday, I woke Ryan up and we bundled the kids off to grandma's. From there, things continued to poke along. Dr. Cam Greene, who has delivered half the babies on our church (and is having quite a busy summer - there's something in the water at Beaches Vineyard), broke my water around 9 am, and things STILL poked along. Finally, at 2:12 pm, after more good pushes than I would have preferred, Sarah Deise came screaming into the world. Dad cut the cord. I was lucid - or loopy - enough - to ask if I could see the placenta when it came out (I was curious). It's not an attractive organ.

Around 1 am Saturday morning, after her first bath.

Bath time for all the newborns in the hospital is around midnight.

In the end, Sarah Deise came at exactly the right time. (Our alternate name for her was "Kaya Rose" a play on "Kairos," for God's time; "Kaya" is Hawaiian and Japanese for "sea." We let the kids vote and they chose Sarah instead.) At 6 lbs, 3 oz -- bigger than Sophie, smaller than Daniel -- she was beautiful and bright-eyed right out of the chute. She's a good eater and sleeper, save for during that 4:30-5:30 am stretch when she likes to be wide awake, and remarkably good-natured. Even being poked and prodded at her first doctor's appointment scarcely bothered her at all. In fact, the only way we've been able to provoke her wrath so far is by bathing her. She takes after her big brother and sister that way. Neither of them have any use for that whole cleanliness next to godliness business at all.

L&D Nurse Jackie

The littlest Vineyard member with the biggest Vineyard Pastor (Byron)

Meeting Great Grandma Ardie

Sunday night, before her first at-home bath. Relaxed and serendipitously posed.

After her bath. Not nearly as happy, or as artfully arranged.
(And yes, for those of you who haven't seen our house: our toilet is up on a dais and the bathroom is large enough to hold court in. Why? We don't know.)

With Grandma Marsha

All bundled up, with her siblings. Sophie especially has been beside herself with excitement.

Sunbathing with Dad on the front porch, to clear up jaundice.

Proving that it's never too early in life to sleep on the potty.

We've been practicing EC (Elimination Communication) since coming home from the hospital. I haven't been brave enough to have her go totally diaperless yet, but we've done pretty well just holding her over the potty as soon as she wakes up. In this photo, she really has just peed and gone back to sleep.

Daniel is impressed.

Ryan put together a short slide show of pictures with more family and visitor shots. We tried to post it here unsuccessfully; if you haven't seen it yet and want to, you can find it on Ryan's facebook page.

We are having a great time as a new family of five. Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes!