Happy Birth Day Ashlinn!

You might be the 8th (10th) child if it takes your parents over a week to download your birth pictures off the digital camera. Unlike the first child, where we'd gotten actual prints developed before we even left the hospital.

We had a c-section planned for Monday the 26th, but at my appointment on Thursday, things weren't going so well. Baby wasn't reacting the way the doctors wanted to the non-stress test and her fluid levels were right on the borderline of being too low. Add in the fact that my blood pressure had taken a huge jump upward again and the doctor decided to put us in the hospital overnight for fluids and monitoring and move the c-section up to Friday the 23rd.

The c-section itself went much better than last time. The only complications were trying to get functional lines into my apparently non-functional veins and arteries. Once they gave up on the arterial line (after 3 failed tries) and finally got one working and one partially working I.V. into me the rest of the surgery went off without a hitch. The standby trauma nurse never even had to come into the O.R.

Baby Ashlinn Sophia weighed 8lbs. 5.9 oz. and was 20 inches long, so not quite as big as the doctors were expecting although plenty big enough for being barely 37 weeks.

long skinny feet, just like all the other kids

Can you believe those cheeks?

Unfortunately, the younger kids all got sick and weren't able to come to the hospital for a visit. The older kids managed to kick their colds in time though.

Carlitos wasn't allowed to visit with his Mommy. Nieces and nephews have to be at least 12 even if they are the baby's nieces and nephews, not the Mommy's nieces and nephews.

Grandma's service dog, Barkley, was allowed to visit. He found the baby to be quite fascinating.

Ashlinn wasn't too excited about her carseat at first. She was much happier once the car started moving.

Her siblings were sure excited about her coming home! Even Owen who really wanted a brother, not a sister. It took him about an hour before he was telling us how much he loved THIS baby even if she was a girl.