Welcome Grandchild Number 25!

We, meaning the dad, the mom (of course) and I arrived at the hospital Tuesday evening at the suggestion of the Doctor who said the mom was at 5 cm and should have the baby soon. She was 4 days over her due date.  At the hospital, they were busy, and a mother not having hard labor, (her contractions were spread apart) was not something they wanted to see, so they sent her to the waiting room to "wait and see".  The room was so full, I had to go to the entrance waiting room to wait for word as to whether they would admit her or not.  Sigh.

After an hour, my son-in-law came down and said there was room, would I come up and wait with them.  Sure.  Once there, it was about another 30 minutes before they asked them to come back to the Triage room, only room for the mom and dad.  That's fine.  

They waited until about 11 pm. She wasn't making progress so the nurses wanted to send her home.  A call to the doctor changed their mind. He said, keep her.  At about midnight, she was moved to a labor room, and I was allowed to come back to stay with them.  The dad snuggled down next to her on the bed and I sprawled out on the "couch".  The night was filled with nurse visitations, but no baby. 

The next morning the doctor was doing surgery during the day, so he asked them to watch her and he would be by after his surgeries.  We filled the day with checking on Facebook posts, planning, visiting, and the son-in-law had to attend a web meeting.  Later, we asked if the mom could go for a walk.  Funny girl had me look up exercises that would increase the chance of starting labor.  She was so funny taking large steps, squatting, then rubbing her tummy, followed by taking large steps and then making a lunge.  This was repeated until she says..." I need to rest." Laughing gives you exercise too.  A short rest, the doctor came by and gave her a choices, start a pitocin drip, break the bag of water, or go home.  He gave her a short time to think about it.  The nurses changed; we had dinner, and decision time was upon her.  After visiting with the nurse, she said, "break the water". The doctor, nurse, and the parents were expecting a long night.  I watched.  

Immediately her contractions began their intensity picking up. Their plan was to sing hymns and the dad to speak encouraging words in low tones to keep her calm.

The events during the labor are too long to blog. Once the membrane was broken, it was 1 hour and 50 minutes to the entrance of Matti, our little bundle of joy. She was born on a Thursday. June 10th at 9:50 pm, 7 lbs 6.7 oz, 19 1/2 inches. Her dad cut the cord, and mom immediately reached out to hold her, as the nurse was going to whisk her over to bathe her. 

  Life is good.  As my obstetrician said after my 6th child's birth... "God is good".  And so He is.

The next day, it was decided that the dad would take me home, so I could rest then we would take the four girls down to meet their sister.  (side note: the family lives a little over an hour from the hospital in a different town over a mountain.  I had flown out to California, the reason I did not have a car, and a family friend had my son-in-law's car and he had theirs).

That evening we took the girls down. 

They loved on their mother, 

greeted the new baby,

 and then we took mom and the baby home with us.  

Quite an experience, went with a milestone... number 25 grandchild.  Writing the memory before it fades for Matilda Crystel.