Thank you God for another precious treasure!

Anna Claire Elizabeth has been born (!!!) and she's the sweetest little thing with a very dainty form and perfectly round and tiny face.

What's happened & what we've noticed/know so far:

-she's the tiniest of all our babies, weighing in at 7lbs 12.8 oz
-Kim C. won the prediction pool on both the birth day and the birth weight (she wasn't just the closest, she got both predictions right on!)
-Anna Claire was born with her hand coming out alongside her head
-she was born with the darkest hair of all our children, but I think it'll still turn blonde
-her fingers, toes, and nails match her mommy's side of the family
-she cried WAY longer than any of the other children did at their births, and doesn't seem to mind telling you that something is wrong
-she was breathing before she was all of the way out
-her cord tried to come out along with her head and hand, causing some concern (thank you, God, for knowledgable midwives!)
-her feet are not flat as pancakes, like I remember the other's being
-her ears are perfectly formed and her head is not molded or squished, her face is puffy but her nose is straight, unlike any of our other babies
-Somehow, she radiates feminity
-Anna Claire definitely recognizes Pappa's voice, and listening to him sing Gregorian chant last night was the only thing that calmed her



A Big Thank-You To:

~Kim C
*who has given up her bed/bedroom/and prepared meals for the kids and me for the past 8 months whenever I visited the "big city" for my prenatal check-ups
*prepared her house and the supplies for Anna Claire's birth
*scoured garage sales for baby items I needed/wanted
*insisted I come earlier than planned to her house before the birth, even though I would be cutting into her family's time with their son who was on a short leave from Iraq
*slept on the floor for several nights so that my family and I could sleep comfortably
*prepared meals, cleaned house, and watched/clothed/fed our other children making them special treats and having fun (for them) movie times and activities

*done a gazillion loads of wash-towels, clothes, sheets etc for us
*stayed with me during the hard birthing process, giving me loving and comforting support and holding my hand until Anna Claire was born

~Rebeckah C
*over the past eight months has many times given up her room, house, and family time because of my pre-natal visits
*prepared special meals/treats for me and my family
*assisted the midwives in many areas at Anna Claire's birth- I especially noticed help when she helped me deal with a leg cramp during an uncomfortable procedure
* did post-birth/partum check-ups on Anna Claire and me so Brad could have a break (As a nursing student, she's good at it too!)

~John Owen, Benjamin, David, and Mike (for giving up their bedrooms, house, and family time for the past eight months, and especially for this past week when David was home for only a short time)
~Melanie B and Jan H (for giving our other children a WONDERFUL day out during the birth day)
~Melanie S and family (for having our other children over last night so that Brad and I could rest)
~our midwives Kim M, Melissa, and Corinne, who are so sweet and kind in addition to being VERY good at their profession