She is here!

And she is absolutely perfect.

Leilani Mikayla Abel was born on March 20th, 2010 at 8:49 a.m. weighing in at 7lbs 6oz and an even 20 inches long.

A week and a day has gone by since I experienced one of the most incredible ... experiences that one could possibly... experience. A surreal Friday dawned with contractions every 8 minutes for 4 hours that sent us to the midwife at opening time. We arrived riiight as they stopped. "Nope, no dilation. Tight as a clam, but those sound like they are something! So she will be here soon. I am sure of it." Went home to then have the classic "...oh! I think my water just broke?? Yeah! YEAH!! It DID! Honeeey???" moment that sent us back to the midwife right as the leak decided to not leak. She smiled at us and looked at me skeptically "Well... I am not seeing anything still... no contractions? Ok well... Uh, I will go test this to see if it is what you think it is..." A few minutes later she returned with a surprised expression and the announcement of "You ruptured!" And we were off to the hospital. I must say after all the "Is it? It is? No really, I promise they were comming regularly, no really I KNOW my water broke" moments I was relieved to get the official "Yes, you are not paranoid and crazy, she is on her way... Kinda." We checked in, I got hooked up to a drip, donned a fashionable backless hospital gown and sat down to wait. And wait. And nothing happened. So they started (very lightly) the dreaded Pitocin and THEN something sorta started to happen. Very slowly. 24 hours, millions of contractions. an epidural and 30 minutes of pushing later, there was a wet and sticky squirming little girl crying in my arms. Compeltely and utterly one of the two most profoudly amazing moments of my life.

She is a perfect little dreamboat. Nursing great from day 1, sleeping soundly (mostly) in between feedings, and content and peaceful the rest of the time. Unless she is hungry, soggy or in need of a burp, then she lets out the most heartbreaking wails I have ever had to endure. They end as quickly as they come though. God is so kind.

I have fallen in love again, and lost my heart to a teeny little bundle of Grand that leaves me every day in awe of her Creator.