Our season of anticipation has changed into a season of change as we adjust to being a family of five!  We are so grateful to have Luke here, safe and healthy, flourishing in these sweet first days of life.  He was born on April 24 - the day I felt was his real due date, rather than the one our doctor used - and has been an amazing little bundle of sweetness - constantly humbling us before the Lord at the great gifts He bestows upon us and His incredible design for life!

Last Wednesday I had a feeling when I woke up that things were changing but didn't know if that would mean immediate progress, or still several days of preparation.  I went ahead and took the boys on a quick errand to the store and on the way asked then what they thought we should name the baby.  Caedmon didn't miss a beat but said "Fred!" right away.  I just laughed, never having heard that from him before.

As the morning went on I could feel more contractions than usual, and by lunchtime let Daniel know that he needed to be prepared to leave work that day.  I wanted to get the boys down for naps and see if allowing my body to rest would slow the contractions or if they were there to stay.

I laid down on the bed and started timing the contractions, and sure enough, they slowed a little bit as I rested, coming about every 8 or 9 minutes.  Caedmon couldn't sleep so he crawled up on the bed with me and we snuggled and read books, a precious time for both of us!  I could tell at this point that even though my contractions had slowed some, they were not going away, and prepared to call our parents and let them start getting ready to come our direction.  Even as these thoughts were going through my head, I was shocked to feel my water break - no doubt, time to start making phone calls!  I let Daniel and our doula know, then went ahead and called my parents.

I expected my body to respond quickly to my ruptured water, but was surprised that my contractions didn't seem to change much at first.  Daniel arrived and started packing last minute hospital things, and our doula also came and suggested that I start walking outside to help my contractions progress.  We walked and walked up and down the sidewalk, the boys accompanying most of the trips, and she timed my contractions.  We did this for a while, then Gramma Janet and Grandpa Dude came and took the boys to the park.  My doula predicted that my labor wouldn't really get going until the boys were in someone else's care, and she was right.

After going through another series of contractions, I decided I was ready to get to the hospital.  We grabbed our things and Daniel laid down the back seat of our car so that I could make the trip on my hands and knees, at our doula's suggestion.  We backed out of the driveway and made it around the corner before I realized that our little boy was ready to come.  Right away.  Knowing that it is usually a 20 minute drive to the hospital did not help my sense of panic, and I'm sure Daniel could tell from the volume and content of the sounds and desperate prayers for mercy from the back seat that it was time to drive as fast as possible.

Between contractions I called our doula, who was following us in her car, and she could also tell from what I told her that we were needing to make a decision - pull over and have a baby, or drive faster to the hospital.  We pressed on and swung into the ER drive thru where they procured a wheelchair for me.  The nurse who met us was quite calm - I'm sure they have moms who THINK they're about to have a baby, and moms who really are.  They got me upstairs to Labor and Delivery as quickly as a wheelchair and slow elevator could, and into a delivery room.  The same doctor who delivered both the other boys was there, and even though I felt like it should be as obvious to the nurses and staff who do this all day that it was to me that our boy was on his way, the nurse insisted that I get on the exam table so she could check my dilation.  She quickly said, "She's complete," as if that was new information to anyone else, and we got ready to meet our little one!

After pushing for 15 or so minutes, we were amazed at the miracle we got to witness as the doctor wrapped up our strong and healthy little boy and placed him on my chest.  Our little Luke Aaron was just beautiful, weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and measured 22 inches long, born at 6:08pm...just over 3 1/2 hours after my water broke.  We were overwhelmed!

We took some time to recover and meet our precious bundle, then had our parents bring the boys in to meet him.  They were excited and curious, mostly wanting to touch him and rub his soft little head.  As they left we encouraged them to tell Luke goodnight.  Isaac did, then waited with a look of expectancy...after several seconds, his face fell and he said to me, "Mama, he didn't say 'goodnight' to me!  He didn't say anything!"  And Caedmon just smiled and said, "Goodnight, Fred!"

Since coming home and settling in to being a family of five, we have marveled at the enormity of God's precious gift, at the number of tiny features - long toes, soft-as-silk hair, unconscious but oh-so-precious smiles, tiny squeaks and grunts, and sweet sweet baby breath.  We have been overwhelmed with the privilege of raising him, and our big boys, that God would entrust us with this little package who seems to come straight from heaven and the Father's creative and loving hands.

It has been wonderful to watch the big boys love their new brother in their own way.  Caedmon asked us one night if Luke would be able to crawl the following morning.  And he continues to call him, in as endearing a way as possible, "Fred."  That is now his little joke.  Isaac calls him "my baby" and wants to help feed him, pat him, love on him however he can.  If he doesn't refer to him as "my baby," he still tends to call him "Baby Jett," our nickname for him until he arrived.

The boys have very proudly helped push the stroller to take Luke for a walk, and brought toys and blankets whenever they feel like he might need one of those.  They accompanied Luke to his first checkup (at 5 days old) and watched him get weighed - 8 lb 8 oz!  We were thrilled that he already has gained back to his birth weight and that everything looks so healthy.

We are so looking forward to life with our three!