Jacob Edward

On the morning of August 19, 2009 Tom and I drove to the hospital.

We did our usual stop at the convenient store to buy the newspaper so our child could see the headlines and events that happened the day he/she was born. Tom had to buy a few this time - I didn't like the headline on the first paper he bought.

We arrived at the hospital and I was hooked up to the monitor and made comfortable. I find comfort in listening to our baby's heartbeat. I enjoy watching the lines go across the screen that show me when I am having a contraction - especially after I have the epidural.

I get an epidural everytime. I like to enjoy our children's births.

This time however, the epidural wore off. After hours of being pain free, the pain came back. Big time!

I was crying and telling the nurse I was in a lot of pain.

She called the anesthesiologist to come in. He was in the OR, but

would come help me as soon as he could. Then the nurse decided to check me. I was complete. She called my doctor and he was on his way.

My doctor made it to the room right as the anesthesiologist was walking in to check my epidural. Tom was holding my hand and trying to keep me calm. I was in a lot of pain - so when my doctor told the other doctor not to worry about my epidural, I was not a happy woman. My doctor told everyone that I just needed to give a couple of pushes and my pain would be gone.

And he was right. A couple of pushes and Jacob Edward was born. Our beautiful 7 lb baby boy.

I got asked many times if we named him after Twilight. In the series, Jacob was the name of the werewolf and Edward was the vampire.

I enjoyed the books very much, but it was a cooincidence.

Our 3 girls were named after women in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Jacob was a man in the book of Genesis. (Rachel and Leah were both married to Jacob.) And Edward is my father's name. Jakey was born on Tom's dad's birthday - Jakey got my father's name. Seems fair.

One of my favorite all time pictures is Sarah holding Jacob for the very first time. She just looks very "bothered." Everyone else was excited to hold their new baby brother - and Sarah loved having a little baby brother soon after he came home. She loved holding him. 
And I was filled with joy having another boy to raise.

With this child, our tie was broken. No longer did we have 3 boys and 3 girls. The boys won!

That is what was on our Christmas card that year.

(Leah held up a sign in the photo.)

Tom had a busy couple of days while Jacob and I were still in the hospital.

School was starting.

I missed watching Leah get on the preschool bus for the first time.

She was excited to go to school.

It was wonderful having Tom home for a week when I did come home with Jake. Life was busy. We had 5 children going to school everyday. That makes for crazy busy mornings and crazy busy evenings with dinner & homework having to be done. I always worn Tommy not to call home between 4:00 and 6:00. It is very loud and I am usually being pulled in many directions.

Snuggling with our newest little one always made the end of the day peaceful.