Eliza Hope turns one!

The smallest, spunkiest addition to the Simpson Six turns One today!


In honor of this, I'm reflecting upon this day, last year.


Our little caboose made her much anticipated, long awaited entrance into this world one year ago today. After waking up 9 days past her due date in early active labor we called our neighbor Courtney in the wee hours of the morning to help care for our other kids, and a call to Grandma to make the trek from her home to come stay for a few days, so that we could rush to the hospital. This was not the first birth that Courtney came running over in the middle of the night and Grandma drove 2 hours after 2am to help us with older kids, and we were no less grateful with this birth for loving hands to care for the big kids while we welcomed the new baby. We were hoping for a baby by breakfast.


However, it was not meant to be yet. We were sent home from the hospital--9 days late, with regular contractions and at 4 cm--to wait. Have I mentioned how much I love my OB who knows my heart for natural labor and birth? I don't know of another Dr. who would do such a thing.


After a disappointing drive home, certain that I was doomed to be pregnant forever, Jason and I went for lunch at Tijuana Flats where we consumed copious quantities of delicious Mexican food--not knowing if it might be our last meal for the next 24 hours or not. We then walked around the mall for another hour or so, stopping every 8-10 minutes for a strong contraction, then went home for a nap.


At 4pm I called the Dr.'s office to see what I should do, since it was Friday afternoon and I suspected that I was still in labor. I wanted to know the game plan for when to return to the hospital so that I wouldn't be sent home again. The nurse told me to come on in, that she'd let the floor know that we would be coming, since it sounded like birth was probably eminent (meaning sometime over the weekend), but I still sounded too calm to really be in active labor. I told the nurse that we'd stick around home, eat dinner (because eating is important to me!), then come in after we put our kids to bed.


Not 20 minutes and 2 HUGE contractions later I told Jason that we just need to go. Fortunately Grandma was still at our home, and my bags were already in the car. So we hobbled out to the kitchen, kissed the kids goodbye and were on the road as fast as I could waddle into the car.


We live 8 minutes from the hospital, which is most excellent given my history of fast labors. We somehow made it out of the car and upstairs to the maternity floor. I was greeted in triage by the same nurse that I had that morning, and she picked up my chart where we had left off. As she stepped out of the room to call a Dr. I felt a POP, knowing that it was my water breaking, at just after 5pm. I called out to the nurse (the only other person in triage) that I needed to get into a room NOW. My water had broken and that we have 30 minutes or less. The sweet nurse assured me that we would be in a room within 30 minutes. I became more forceful as I told her that we need in a room NOW--I'll most likely have a baby within 30 minutes.


To make a long story short, I was wheeled down the hall, calmly but loudly shouting orders to everyone around me, the Dr. on call (because it was now weekend hours) came running into the room. And we waited. 45 minutes passed and still no baby. I began to push and after 12 minutes, the most shockingly beautiful, brunette baby that I'd ever seen was brought to my chest.


The blessing in disguise was that she was posterior, or sunny-side up--meaning she was facing the ceiling instead of the floor at birth, and significantly delayed my labor and her birth. Considering from beginning of active labor until birth was only 1.5 hours, had she not been posterior, I believe with every ounce of my being that Eliza would have been an unplanned (and unprepared for!) homebirth. Instead, she came right on time at 6:11pm--just in time to order dinner. Also, she was born on the date that Jason had been calling as her birth date since April. Already giving Daddy bragging rights!

Eliza Hope, you have blessed our lives so much. In the short year that we've known you, our world has been made so much better, just because you are here. You truly have given me Hope and brought healing to me, from the despair that I once knew. I cannot imagine my life without you, baby girl. You are most definitely your Daddy's little girl and your big brother's favorite friend. Your big sisters dote on and adore you and you have made our family complete.


May all of your days be as life-giving, blessed, and full of love as these first days that we have shared with you.