I'll make this quick...

If my husband finds I came up the stairs, it ain't gonna be pretty. So I will blog quickly. ;)

Minutes old...

Meet Elijah Willem J.

14.5" head, 14.5" chest. Winni measured him three times

because she doubted the size.

9lbs 11oz - 22.25" long

(Willem is a name of three Dutch grandfathers of mine dating from

late 17th century to late 19th century.)

It's over!! I'd do a cartwheel if I could.

I knew I was in labor when I woke at 5:30ish yesterday morning. I felt very achy and different. I called my midwife and let her know I was feeling laborish and called my husband and put him on stand-by. I took the children to piano lessons, stopped at Woods, picked the children up and came home to prepare. Paul came home at 1pm and as soon as he came home things picked up. Contractions were 2-3 apart all afternoon and by 5pm I was entering *miserable* stage. Close to panic, praying through every contraction that I wouldn't loose my head, the fun stuff. I stayed in the tub all afternoon and it helped sooooo much. But at 6:30 I was crying and I needed out, they were so hard. I got out, crawled on my bed and my midwife said those blessed words "your complete, let's have a baby" So with Jessie holding one hand and Paul the other we had a baby.

Pushing is my forte. Even with my first, I got her out in a few short minutes. BUT this guy started coming and I can remember thinking, come on Jennifer, this is nuts. He was my longest hardest pushout baby, but surprisingly not that painful. Remember my post on how "at least I didn't have to worry about having a huge baby"? I laugh at myself now! He is ALL of huge! He fills his onsies and I have to pry his little body into his 0-3m jammies. My chunky little leprechaun(his affectionate nickname for being born on St Patties Day, delivered by an Irish midwife).

Finally, my baby brother. He could have sat there all day...

So, friends, thank you for your prayer, kind words & the 17 kind votes of reassuance that, yes, this baby WOULD come! Another perfectyly safe homebirth provided by my loving Lord who held my hand through it all.

We are so much richer today than we were yesterday.

Unless the LORD builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the LORD guards the city,

The watchman keeps awake in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early,

To retire late,

To eat the bread of painful labors;

For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one's youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate

Psalm 127