the arrival of my daughter

When our son was a little under a year old, we decided to start trying for our second child. We wanted them to be about 2 years apart. I never went back on the pill after our son, so that was not an issue I worried about this time. We found out in January 2004 we were pregnant! We were very excited. We also found out there was a house for sale in the northwest part of town. It all happened very quickly. We bought the house. The house was in the city limits which meant my officer would have a take home car and it was closer to my work. 3 or 4 days before we were to move into our new house, my officer was at work so my mother-in-law was at my house. Since my son arrived early, I was scheduled to have an very early ultrasound with this pregnancy. My mother-in-law watched my son and I went to the doctor. We were able to see the baby - it is like the size of a pea or smaller. My husband and I also got to hear the heartbeat. When we left the doctor's office, we were very excited. My husband went back to work.

Pretty much as soon as I got home I started to cramp and spot. I called the doctor (I still had my woman ob, but there was another doctor on call that weekend). The doctor said if I continue to bleed it could be that I was miscarrying. I was so upset. My husband came home from work to be with me. I was 10 weeks along and we lost the baby. Our hearts were broken.

II KINGS 20: 5
….I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.

PSALMS 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

PSALMS 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

PHIL. 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

We moved into our new house that weekend. Within a month, we found our we were pregnant again.

PSALMS 40:5
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

JEREMIAH 29:11-14 (my favorite verse)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all you heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity….

God provided the desires of our heart. The pregnancy with my daughter went well also. I had no morning sickness. I truly enjoyed being pregnant, feeling the baby kick - even if it was in the kidneys. I was due Dec. 31, 2004. I made it past 33 weeks and I was in new territory now. I had not made it this far with my son. I did not realize how uncomfortable women got in their 8th & 9th month of pregnancy. I endured as we all do.

I had a baby shower at work and that evening I went home to relax. I was talking to my friend from Tulsa again and I started having contractions. I knew what they were this time - not cramps - since I had been through this before. I got off the phone with my friend about midnight. I went to the restroom and when I came out of the restroom, my water broke. This was new for me too because I had not felt my water break with my son beacause I was in the hospital. I thought, "hmm that's funny, I just used the restroom and thought I had gotten it all taken care of and here I am peeing all over myself again.". The thought came to me maybe my water had broken. I told my officer and he told me to call the doctor. I called and the nurse advised me to wait 20 minutes to see if anything else happens. I waited. More leakage. I called the nurse again and she said to come to the hospital. We called the in-laws and my neighbor, and headed to hospital. It was about 1 a.m. by the time we got there. I was at 3 c.m when we arrived. I received an epidural at 2:30 a.m.- (let me just say right now - I LOVE EPIDURALS) By 3:30 a.m. I was at 10 c.m. They said the doctor would be there very soon. I started to feel pressure from the contractions again so I pushed my button on my epidural because I did not want to feel anything. I actually had my ob doctor there. After the death of her husband two years ago, she had decided to move back home. My daughter would be her last delivery in Oklahoma. She had said she would stay around to deliver her. I think the doctor literally moved back home the next day. Anyway, the doctor came in at 4:26 a.m. I pushed once and the doctor said, "wow, okay she's coming, DON'T PUSH!" What???? Do not push - this does not seem right. My daughter just came right out and was born at 4:30 a.m. Very easy delivery!

She came home with us a couple of days later. She was completely healthy except she had jaundice. For the first two weeks she was home, she had to go to the lab to have her heel pricked to check her billirubin. For about a week, she had to sleep in a lamp bed. We could take her out of it for about an hour a day and whenever I fed her, but then she would have to go back in it. We would take her out and lay her in the sun. It was hard to have her at the house, but not be able to hold her much. I think it did help my son get used to having a baby in the house. She was there but did not intrude on his life too much. Who am I kidding, he probably did not care because he got to spend so much time with daddy since I was breastfeeding. After about two weeks, the jaundice went away and she was all ours. She was perfect.