A Retreat with Dominic Charles at Hotel Avera Hospital

I am quite proud of myself. It's my first photography, and design feat in quite sometime! Sir Charming (that's right, he is a prince) let me get some great shots of him this afternoon.

We are all doing well. Thank you all for the calls, emails, prayers, meals, and gifts (even before Dominic was even officially here...sorry if I didn't respond. I was a little grumpy). The morning of the 15th we knew something was going to happen because I had started to bleed. We got the boys settled with their sitter, a college student who is in my bible study, Sarah McCann. We headed to Sioux Falls, because the hospital asked us to eventually come in sometime that day since I had passed my due date on the 13th (Friday the 13th I might add...wasn't broken up on that one). We headed to to mall to get our walk on, and spend a little of Jeremy's birthday money (Jan. 17th). Around and around we went, window shopping, stopping every now and then to catch my breath. The contractions were coming, but not on a regular basis. We decided to head to the hospital around 2PM to see where we stood and what was coming next.

Well...I was 2. Not very exciting, of course! Story of my labors. I could work really hard to try and help the process along, and not progress. At 4PM we had my water broken to see if we could get the party started. By 7:30PM I was almost a 6 and with the pain kicking my hiney, I opted for an epidural. At about 9:45PM, I had progressed to an 8. We were starting to gear up, as we knew our little one would be here soon. I let my Mom and Dad know we were doing okay and that hopefully we would have a baby before midnight.

Then the action hit. At 10:05PM my nurse came in real quick to check me, and check on our little one because she had seen two quick drops in heart rate. The baby was crowning, but could barely feel it, because they gave me such a strong epidural (which I didn't like, but couldn't argue with at the time). In rushed my doc, and the several nurses to help my quickly coming baby. I gave it one quick push, and out came Dominic Charles who had descended so quickly that he had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. The Dr. gave it quick snip snip, and let me push one more time to finish the process at 10:08PM! Jeremy started to tear as he announced to me that it was another handsome little boy, and I started to giggle as I couldn't believe it. I am one of three girls, and now a mother of three boys. I love how our Lord works...I said I wanted boys, and boys I've received. Be careful what you pray for...:) I got to hold him for the first 30 minutes, skin to skin, before they officially weighed him in. He was just as calm then as he is now, hardly making a peep.

We had probably the most amazing birthing experience that we could have ever asked for. In this modern day in age, hospitals have to focus on meeting the bottom line. Avera McKennan Medical Center (a Catholic hospital) has an incredible facility that was truly focused on the family. I really couldn't believe it! From the very first step in the door, it seemed as if their staff had been trained in hospitality. It seemed like they were reaching out to us saying, "How can I make this experience a joy for you." And let me remind you, I wasn't going in for some measly stitches; I was birthing a baby! The nurses, doctors, volunteers, and even the cafeteria lady constantly were reaching out to our family to try to ease the discomfort that you feel during and after birth. We were so impressed!

It was the first time that the hospital has covered food for my husband. Not only did they feed Jeremy, they feed all children of the family birthing for free! But I do have to mention that the icing on the cake was the spa experience the day we left the hospital! They offer every mother a choice between a massage, a pedicure, or a manicure. I scooped up my massage, and we even paid just a little to get Jeremy a massage as well (of course the coach deserved to have some tension released!) On the way home, we were able to take a deep breath, and even though we had just received the newest addition to our family, we felt rested and over-joyed to welcome him to the rest of the Cassidy clan

The Cassidy Clan of men

"She's pregnant: She CRAZY!"

Over Christmas, Jeremy and I realized that we were a little bit at each others necks. A couple days before Christmas, after some good prayer, he approached me, and brought up a story from when I was pregnant with Joseph. At the time, he had taken some of his frustrations with me to his spiritual director, who is a great Spanish priest. Father gave him some of the best advice that he tries to live out today. He told him, "Jeremy, she's pregnant. She crazy. Just love her and serve her right now because that is what she needs." Once he said this to me I realized that once again that no matter how wonderful my husband is he can't read my mind. So when he asks me what's wrong, and I say "nothing," he doesn't know the internal dialogue that I am having with myself: that I wish I could just have this child, that it would stop stomping on my internal organs, giving me contractions that haven't lead to anything major, making by back ache, or making me go to the ladies room every half hour during the night.

So there it is. I know I am crazy. Here are the top 12 reasons of how I know this...

12. I hit hunger stage, but am in the middle of task and won't give up what I am doing. Jeremy recongizes this as he can see the trance state coming over my face and helps me finish my task, as he knows I will eat once I am done (stubborn...)
11. I have the irrational need to deep clean things I usually don't want to even think about. (like the inside of my fridge)
10. My favorite food group, chocolate is no longer appealing.
9. Much of my maternity wardrobe is getting almost too small.
8. Time is not of the essence (shouldn't it be the exact opposite?)
7. I feel like I can't remember anything unless I have written it down or it's in my phone. (It doesn't matter if I have asked the same question of Jeremy 4 times.)
6. I'm hungry, but sick of eatting.
5. Jeremy's charm and humor seems a little lack luster right now.
4. I wake up and I am irriated. (Please pray for my patience)
3. I would rather not acknolwledge my children when they are getting into mischeaf. (or I think their mischeaf is clever and funny, not naughty)
2. My beloved husband, who has done nothing but dote on me, is driving me nuts and I can't explain why...
1. I can acknowledge that I myself am indeed CRAZY.

P.S. I came up with this list while I was in the shower and was giggling out loud as I did it. I then told Jeremy, and he just shook his head and said (in his spanish imitation voice of Father) "she crazy, she's CRAZY!"

P.S.S. Thank you all for your concerns, prayers and happy thoughts. We'll be sure to let you know when our little blessing has arrived!