Sophie's birth story (January - April 2004)

Sophia Grace was born January 4, 2004 in Davenport, Iowa. I was due on my birthday (12/29), but Sophie arrived 6 days late. My mom and dad and sister were in town for a week waiting for the birth. The day my sister had to fly home (1/4), we were hit with a blizzard and her flight was canceled. I went into labor that morning and Sophie was born at 12:36pm. Although the blizzard inconvenienced thousands of people, I was selfishly glad that it hit when it did because my sister was able to stay and meet Sophie. Now, for those of you that would rather not read more details about the birth, please scroll down to see more pictures.

I wanted to include Sophie's birth story because I had a beautiful experience with natural childbirth and I would encourage all women to consider this option. When I was pregnant, I attended The Bradley Method childbirth classes which emphasize the importance of a healthy baby, healthy mom, and healthy families through natural (spontaneous and unmedicated) births. If you are interested in more information, or to find a class, please visit http://www.bradleybirth.com/. I also had a midwife and a doula (labor coach) who were very dear and important people during Sophie's birth.

I woke up at 3:30am on January 4, 2004 with mild contractions...I went back to sleep. I woke up at 6:30am and still had the contractions so I called my doula. I told her that I was going to shower and eat something (you need lots of energy for labor) and then call her back later. By 8:00am, the contractions were much stronger and I was no longer able to stand. It was time to focus...I was in labor!! My doula arrived at our home around 9:00am and the contractions were 3 minutes apart. I was able to rest between the contractions and do the relaxation techniques that we practiced during our childbirth classes. Labor progressed very quickly and we headed to the hospital around 10:30am. When we arrived, I was almost fully dilated which shocked the triage nurse who said, "Don't push" to me and rushed to get me into a delivery room. My midwife arrived at 11:10am and everyone breathed a sigh of relief! After a few good pushes, Sophie was born at 12:36pm! For the record, Sophie weighed 7 lbs. and 8 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. My midwife immediately placed her on my chest after she was born and I cried. My doula said the expression on my face included relief, awe, disbelief, and pure joy all at once. That sounds about right. I remember thinking that I could not believe that I had just given birth, yet I knew that I had because it was a lot of hard work and I had the most beautiful, precious baby girl...awe and joy! She looked right into my eyes and we instantly bonded. Thank you God for the miracle of childbirth and the amazing and perfect gift of a child.

Sleeping beauty slept a lot during the first 4 weeks


At 5 weeks old, Sophie started smiling! I was lucky enough to capture one on camera!

Unfortunately, Sophie did more crying than smiling during her first few months of life.

April 2004 - Sophie's First Easter...I was much more excited about the adorable Easter outfit than she was!