Eden's birth story

Eden was due February 5th, 2005.


February 1st I thought I might be in early labor when I got up. Called the doctor - an elder in our church - to let him know what was going on. He asked that I head to the hospital so he could check me before he headed to the clinic for the day, so he would know for sure.


When I was checked, I was just 2 cm. Whoop-dee-doo. We were told to walk. The hospital in Sturgis, South Dakota is small. Really, really small. We got to meet pretty much everyone who worked there. At noon, I was 4cm and they broke my water. At 2 pm, I begged for an epidural. Eden's labor was the only one I went into rather planning to get an epidural. The drugs are lovely, but getting them isn't so fun. First dose in my epidural: 2:22 pm. Went from 4 cm to 7 cm in the 20 minutes it took them to put it in. Unpleasant.


The doctor was called to deliver at 3:00 pm. He got there, told me I could push at 3:20 pm, and Eden was born at 3:32 pm. Surprise! A girl. Since we didn't have a boy's name beyond Blaine Jr. that was probably a good thing... :)


Eden Rayne, 8 lbs 3 oz.


So much faster (and easier) than Liberty's labor, it all seemed surreal for a long time. When Liberty was brought to the hospital by the friend who'd kept her for us, she took one look at her sister and announced she was "Sissy". Eden was "Sissy" for years after that. At 19 months old, when Eden was born, Liberty has had a playmate for as long as she can remember. Eden was just a few days old when I caught Liberty eating candy, colors drooling down her chin, in the living room. She saw me walk in, threw her fistful of M&M's at Eden and announced "Sissy got candy!". And so sisterhood, with all of it's intricacies, began.