Ruby

**DISCLAIMER*** I know this is a long post, but you are my family...and rather than tell you all (or at least most of you) individually, I thought it would be better to type it here! So if you get bored, just move on to the next post!:)

I know you are all aware that she is here...but I wanted to share some photos! This one of me....just hours before our little "gem" came into the world. I can't believe that I can actually say that I DID IT!! I had a baby in a foreign country-where I don't speak the language....wow. Just for reference-I don't recommend doing crazy things like that all the time!

We got up wed. the 13th and got everyone ready and headed out the door by 7:30 am to drop the kids off at my friends house. Myles was SO excited because not only was this the day he got to have a new sister, he was lucky enough to get to ride the bus to and from school! How fun is that!? We droped them both off at our friends house and headed off to the University of Munich hospital-but when you look for it when you are here, look for the Klinikum Gorssharden(it will be easier to find if you look for it by that name, just FYI).

We got to the hospital, found a great park-it really was our lucky day!, and waited. We had a few delays, but finally got going with the whole procedure around 10. I was taken to a delivery room-which would double as my pre-op room and also my recovery room. It was nice to have the delivery area of the hospital so bright...when you picture the hospital, just picture a massive cement building. Nothing much to look at, an old DARK, cement building. I'm sure Dallas could capture some photos of it that would look wonderful-but really, it kind looks scary from the outside (well, inside too!). Anyway, the delivery area was bright and happy. The woman that took me into the room and gave me my lovely gown told me was my midwife and would be with me until I was finished in the recovery area. She spoke great english(what a blessing!) and was really cool. She got me all situated, hooked up to monitors and such...and then we waited a little.

I was to receive my epidural next. The "chief of anethesia" came in and introduced himself and started the process and I'm so glad I don't do that often! It wasn't that bad, but those of you that have had one....it's so nice to be done with! And little did I know, but that the epidural would stay in place on my back, until the day before I came home. I had a little "pain button" that I could push every hour for pain, and the relief came from the epidural...interesting.

My dr. came and told me that we were ready, he took Ty with him to get him into scrubs and such...and then they wheeled me off to the or. I was laughing at the thought of me being any help to the people trying to get me on the operating table..after my epidural kicked in, you could be accurate in describing how I felt as dead weight. But miracles do happen, and they got me onto that little tiny table they use for c-sections. I was amazed at how quickly everything went from there. Tyler and the Dr. came in and when the Dr. told us it would be about 5 mintues I didn't really think he meant really 5 minutes! Before I could believe it, Ruby was in her daddy's arms and making noise!! Wow...I was really confident in the dr. He was super and really helped me have a good experience.

Tyler then took Ruby to be weighed and measured and cleaned up a little (a very little) and I was wheeled back to recovery. In came my little gem and oh, what a sweet one she is!! She is a dream. She is perfection in one little person. She's done everything wonderfully and really has been a wonderful baby! We learned that 3500 g is about 7 lbs and 11 oz (which is exactly what Myles weighed) and 54 cm is 21.2 inches long(just a hair smaller that Myles too!).

After a couple of hours in recovery, the wheeled us up to the 10th floor and took me to my room. I will have to tell you that one of the greatest things about my whole stay at the hospital was having a room of my own! It isn't common to have your own room...and I'm glad Tyler was ready to say, "whatever, just get her her own room"...He filled out some paperwork and that ensured me my own room...thank goodness. The next few days were pretty routine-eat, sleep, feed baby, and then do it all agian. I was really happy to be able to get up and walk around the next day...when I had my c-section with Lucy I wasn't able to get up for a couple of days due to loss of blood. I think that getting up and trying to get around the next day has really helped my recovery.

Not all nurses speak english, and it makes it so much easier to communicate when they do! They were all fine, but the ones that I could "talk" to and with were fantastic!! The food was fine. Typical European meals, breakfast= two slices of bread, a roll, plain yogurt(with honey is so delicious!), a couple slices of mild cheese, a little tub of spreadable cheese, and a little tub of jam. Lunch=the main meal of the day, hot soup like meal with spatzel (little noodles...so yummy!), or maybe some pasta, or chicken with mashed potatoes, way over cooked carrots... Dinner=breakfast minus the yogurt, with the addition of a couple slices of meat and a whole fruit or tomato.

I was thought to be "unusual" (me really, come on!), because I didn't want to stay in the hospital for the typcial amount of time after having a baby-7 days!! I wanted to come home as soon as possible and that was determined to be Sunday-but wow, that was "unusual"..."women like to stay over the weekend". After getting all the things done that we needed to have done to leave on Sunday am, the last Dr., that did my discarge exam told me I could go home Saturday night if I wanted...YIPPY! So, I calle Ty and told him that I'd be coming home in a few hours....oh what joy filled my heart!

I am so happy to be home! Just a little while after I got home I called mom...and cried and cried and cried..I can't wait for her to get here tomorrow! She arrives in munich at 7:55 am!!! I am so excited! My little gem, Ruby, is really just that. I'm getting a good amount of sleep-did I really say that, yes!! I'm really feeling good and am so thankful that the Lord is taking care of me!! I've had some sweet witnesses of His love for me lately...and I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father. My sweet husband has been so fantastic helping with all that needs to be done...he is a trooper! He's really excited for mom to get here too:).

I'm sorry if I took to much space...but wanted to share with you all...tell you how much I love you and that I am so thankful for the sealing power that binds us all together. I feel so thankful for our wonderful "goodly parents" and for their desires to help us all grow up unto the Lord. I know that with a new baby comes more responsibility...I feel it and hope to live up to the wonderful calling of being a righteous mother. Wow.

I love you all and hope you know it. Thanks for letting me share...and yes, I'll kiss little Ruby's neck, nose, cheeks, head, fingers, toes, and smell that sweet fresh from heaven smell....and enjoy it very much!!