Sarah's Birthday! and birth story.

Eighteen years ago today I was welcoming our beautiful, 10 lb 8 oz baby girl into the world! The pregnancy had been Oh! so long, due to my expectations. My previous son had been born 3 weeks early when my water broke, so I assumed (WRONGLY) that Sarah would make her appearance in the middle of July. I waited, and waited, and waited. My belly grew, and grew, and GREW! I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever. She ended up being nearly three weeks late - which was six weeks of waiting for me!!

I was admitted into the hospital on the 22nd, and they tried inducing labour with a pitocin drip. Nothing much happened as far as I was concerned. The 'tightenings' were no trouble to me. But when I had an 11 minute contraction, according to the monitor, the medical staff panicked and took me off of the drip immediately.

I was so tired, so discouraged, and totally fed up. I had been at the hospital all day, and still was not in any kind of labour. My doctor had broken my water, and then left for Vancouver to go and see Expo 86; my husband had gone home to get some rest...and there I was, upset, fed up and exasperated. The docs said that if I did not go into labour by morning, I'd have to have a C-section.

One kind, Christian nurse, came into the room and found me crying. She was so sweet, and asked if there was anything she could get me. I said, in a pitiful voice, "Could I just have a little cup of tea and a bit of toast?"

Gasp! Because my water had broken and they were expecting to do a C-section, I was NPO - nothing by mouth. But the sweet little nurse went and made me one piece of toast with a bit of butter, and a nice cup of tea. It was like giving a cool glass of water to a dying man - it went down SO WELL! Hit the spot!

Not 20 minutes after I had indulged, I found myself in hard labour. They phoned Rick, and he rushed to the hospital. A doctor I'd met only once before came in, and measured my belly, and informed me (in a supercillious kind of manner) that my dates were wrong, that the baby was premature, that I should NOT have had my water broken, and that when the baby came we would be lucky if it was 6 lbs.

I gave him *that look* - the one that can kill - and went on labouring, knowing that I was definitely overdue and that my baby was far more than six pounds. At one point I vomited up the tea and the bread, and the wee nurse whispered in my ear to not mention the food! I assured her that I wouldn't say a word, and was convinced that it was the tea and toast that finally put me into labour.

In less than 2 hours, baby Sarah's head was visible - POSTERIOR! Oh, no, I thought. That was what made Matt's birth so painful. The doc said that if I pushed really hard, the baby might turn. I pushed, and turn she did! Yay!

The next moment she was born - a HUMONGOUS child, half grown. Where was the six pound baby?? Hmmm.

I couldn't resist: " Some six pound baby," I said to the doc. He ignored me. No apology, no admittance that he had made a mistake!

Sarah was obviously overdue. About six hours after her birth, the pediatrician noticed that she was not well. She wasn't taking in nearly enough oxygen from the room. Blood tests indicated a very high white blood cell count. She had a full-body infection.

They put her in NICU, on oxygen and an IV antibiotic. Here was this HUGE baby with all the 3 and 4 pound little premies. She looked like she was from some other planet!

Thankfully, Sarah responded to the treatment, and was released from the hospital on the sixth day. She has always been a special treasure to us. Of all twelve children, she was the frowniest - she looked like she was always thinking really deeply when anyone tried to talk to her. She also was the only one who, at 18 months - 2 years old, liked to haul my pots out of the cupboard and SIT in them. We actually have pictures of Sarah sitting in a pot!

She is now 18 (where did the time go?) and beautiful in form and spirit. She loves God, and her family, more than anyone or anything in the world. She is happy that her married sisters (and their husbands and children) and big brother are coming home tonight for her birthday celebration.

Sarah is an artist, and a writer. Perhaps some day she will be famous. She will always be one of my MOST FAVOURITE people in the world!

Happy Birthday, Sarah-Say!

Lord, thank You that You gave this treasure to us, to be part of our family. I pray that You will continue to bless her in every way - spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially! I pray that You will prepare for her a husband she can serve and be a suitable helper to. Thank You that her desire is to follow You, and to wait for You to open the doors of marriage, if you so choose. Thank You that she trusts You with her life, that she rests in You, that You are her hope, and that she delights in You. It is only by Your grace that her eyes were opened to see You.

Thank You, Lord.

In Christ, I pray. ~Janet