Avery Nicole

Early Sunday morning - on St. Patrick's Day, my newest granddaughter made her grand entrance. Avery Nicole Judd was born at 2:44 a.m., weighed 8 lbs. 1.3 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. She's the lightest and the longest of the Judd sisters so far. Her birth story unfolded over 56 + hours. 56 hours. That's a long time to labor in case you wondered. I never had that experience with my own birthing stories. They were much shorter (MUCH).

On Thursday morning Amanda's Dr. announced that due to low amniotic fluid, she wanted to start labor by use of drugs. The process began at 6:00 p.m. Thursday night. Friday at 6:00 came and went. Saturday at 6:00 came and went. Still no baby and very little "progress." Two worried Moms kept vigil. Friends and family prayed, sent encouraging texts and Facebook messages. It seemed everyone was waiting. By late Saturday evening, Amanda's naturally positive spirit was starting to wane. The C-word hung unspoken in the air. Finally, the Dr. felt Amanda was far enough along to warrant and Epidural. Though I never had one, or even thought they were necessary - watching my daughter-in-law convinced me that the epidural is God's gift to the modern woman. It is a partial redemption of the Curse in my humble opinion! Being able to relax and rest seemed to do the trick. In just a little over four hours, Amanda's cervix softened and opened up to allow baby Avery safe passage from her warm, watery world into this one.

Watching the birth process is one of the most incredible things I've experienced in life to date. Even though I did it myself four times, it still astounds me to think of how it is even possible. God was incredibly good at creativity. The whole process, from conception to birth is just pretty darned amazing.

Amanda's doctor is a wacky young Chinese woman with an infectious grin and kooky sense of humor. She kept us all laughing - sometimes a big shocked at her over-the-edge jokes. When the baby's head appeared in that bloody, liquid oval, the Dr. played with her thick, black hair between contractions and gave her a faux-hawk. She said, "Look! It's a Chinese baby!" Two moms sat with apple-sized lumps in their throats and tears threatening to spill over and laughed at her audacity.

With the next contraction Amanda pushed that little head out into the oxygen filled room and Avery took her first breath on earth. She let out the first of many piercing newborn cries and we all cried along with her. She was slimy and bloody and bluish and beautiful. With the next contraction, the rest of her perfect little body slid out into the doctor's waiting hands where she was rubbed and suctioned and poked into a full-on wail. Daddy cut the umbilical cord and the doctor placed that squirming, vernix covered human onto her mom's bare chest for some skin-to-skin bonding. Beautiful.

I'm still in awe of the miracle of birth. And so thankful to have witnessed yet another miracle.