New beginnings

 

A new year... A new baby... A new freshness to life, and I have remembered my long forgotten blog and decided to dust off the pages and write a bit more here.  I like to return to these pages to remember the wonderful events of my crazy life...   

Sarah Joy was born to us on Christmas Day 2013 and has been keeping us all smiling ever since.  She is my eighth child, and adorable just like the rest of them.  We are all smitten with her and kids can be found all over the house holding her, talking to her, changing her, and smothering her with love.  While we haven't done as much school as I would have liked, we have certainly learned many more important things.  

Here's the story of her entrance into the world...

She was due on December 28th... So close to Christmas that we weren't sure how to plan for everything.  All of my other kids except Sammy had been born before their due date, and I was a little worried she might come on Xmas day.... But really wanted to have the baby long enough before Xmas so we could still celebrate with everyone, or the day after.  

Well, the day I wanted her to be born came and left and so I started to pray that god would allow me to celebrate Xmas with the kids and keep the baby inside for a few more days.  I had been having false labor every night... And the kids were scared that I wouldn't be there when they woke up in the morning, as this baby had to be born in the hospital.  

Of course Xmas eve arrived and all the false labor went away so I thought I was safe.  We had a nice day of decorating, being with the kids and reading the Xmas story together by the light of the advent wreath and the Xmas lights.  Everyone prayed that mommy would still be here in the morning for Xmas day.  I went to bed knowing that God would take care of things and hoping that he would do it my way LOL...  

I woke up at 5 am Xmas day, however, with contractions.  I have quick labours, once they get going, but I have a good sense of where I'm at, having done it so many times.  I knew I wasn't in imminent danger of having a baby in the next little while, so I ignored them, and prayed earnestly that I could get through the morning present opening that was so important to the kids..., and so fun for me as well.  I managed through it, but the contractions got progressively uncomfortable as the morning wore on and was very glad to see my in-laws show up so I could go upstairs and pull my husband aside to let him know what was going on.  We were all planning to go to mass in the morning together and then head over to my mom's house for presents and dinner.  

  Being the crazy catholic convert that I am, I reasoned that I could either head to the hospital and walk around the halls to speed up labor, or head to mass and walk in the narthex... how could I miss Christmas morning mass?  Especially on my baby's birthday!!  So we went to church and managed to make it all the way until communion, at which point we left the kids in the capable hands of the grandparents and zipped to the hospital to open our special Christmas gift. 

I was only there for a a little over an our before she was born... healthy as could be, with a sweet and calm disposition that hasn't left her yet.  Our little piece of Joy... Sarah Joy.