Meet Abigail May!

Wow! I can't believe Miss Abby has already been here 6 weeks!! I have gotten really far behind on my posting, but I am back for now with hopes to stay that way. Keeping with two under two can be a challenge, but I am loving every minute! They both keep me on my toes for sure!

I want to start with Abigail's beautiful birth story. For those of you who don't know, we planned a homebirth for our little girl. After weighing our options, we decided to go with a midwife here in Springfield. Her name is Mary Ueland, and she gave us an amazing experience, from my prenatal care all the way through to my 6-week check up. I truly believe that our midwife provided us with the best prenatal care our there. She keep me accountable for my nutrition and exercise, made some great recommendations, and educated us throughout the entire process.

After an amazing 40 weeks and 5 days, I went into labor. My contractions started around 3 pm, and Steve and I thought we would get a few errands done while I was in early, light labor. We went to Aldi, the Post Office, St. John's to purchase some diapers, and then stopped at Krispy Kreme on the way home for a little snack. :) We came home, ate some dinner, and then tried to get some sleep. My contractions started to get longer and closer together around 10 pm, so we called Mary and she came to the house to check things out. After she arrived and said I was progressing nicely, I called mom and Jackie and told them to get on the road. They arrived around 3:30 am and I was glad to see them. It was a nice distraction talking to them between contractions. My doula, Shelley, arrived around that time, too.

Labor went really smoothly, and I was ready to push around 8:30 am. Shannon and Jackie took Cooper to Shannon's apartment for the day (they were amazing! Thanks so much again sissies!), so that I wouldn't have any distractions. Everyone was so encouraging and helpful; I had really bad back labor, and everyone took turns rubbing my back). My midwife, Mary, her assistant Amy, my doula, Shelley, my mom, and Steve were all there and I was so glad for each of them! I can't imagine a better birth team than the one God blessed me with. They encouraged me, prayed for me, and supported me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Although we plan things a certain way, they don't always work out. God had different plans for me, so after 7 HOURS!! of pushing at home, we made the decision to transfer to the hospital. With help from God, my birth team, the nurses, and the doctor, Abigail May Sharp arrived on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 3:25 pm via forceps delivery. My little VBAC baby! Praise God! She was 7 pounds 14 ounces, 21 inches long (the exact same and Cooper!), and a perfect little angel baby!

Again, I cannot even put into words how blessed I was throughout my pregnancy, labor, and delivery. God put some amazing people in my life at the exact time I needed them most. When we arrived home (on Thanksgiving), Steve's family had prepared a Thanksgiving lunch, and then, for the week after that, friends brought us dinner each night. Thank you so much to everyone who has been a part of Abby's story and a blessing in our lives. We are so thankful for you!