KIMBER ANNE CLUFF has arrived!

This is definitely a short summary of what happened, but, I wanted to put up a couple of pictures so you could see our little Kimber! She is absolutely Perfect! I started having regular contractions (every 5 minutes) on Tuesday morning around 9:30. I didn't want them to stop so I vigorously played the Wii and ate a lot of ocra (a local friend brought me some to eat). So the contractions continued until about 3 when I called the midwife. They weren't too unbearable and didn't get any closer together, so I wanted to stay home as long as I could. She told me to come into her clinic so she could check and see how I was doing. Things were going well but she told me to go walk the boardwalk for an hour or so then meet her at the hospital. So here we are on the boardwalk :)

Well, we met her at the hospital and I'd dialated 2 more centimeters.... so she sent me to the "Labour Room." This is where you wait with the other women in labor to go into active labour.... I wasn't in there much because I was ordered to "keep walking."

I was at 5cm... when we went here. The walking kept my mind and body off the pain. She told me not to stop but to walk through the contractions. We walked (I might add we had mice running around by our feet and it was very dark everywhere since it is sort of outside/inside accommodations). I then called one of the many heroines of the day... Nurse Bell. She is my new island mother we know from church. She is a retired RN and was anxious to help us. So she came straight into the hospital.

I also want to add that they didn't have an ice machine. They just had a small (3 gallonish sized) cooler with a bag of crushed ice in for all of the women in labor to share. Ben had to run home just to get some water for himself to drink.... no drinking fountains nearby or anything! No cafeteria/soda machine etc etc. So he made a quick dash home to get some snacks and water.... while I walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. Oh also, no 24 hour gas station restraunts etc to grab food so home was pretty much our only option.

When Ben returned they checked me again and I was at 7cm. So they moved me to the Delivery Ward. Where I told to continue to walk and walk. So with Ben on one arm and Hilda Bell on the other we continued our laps. (Sorry no exciting photo's of this part :)

Well, the midwife then told me to take a show

er. I must say, it felt sooo nice to stand in the warm water... even though I was HOTTER than ever, the warmth helped my body relax and gave me a boost for the finally. When the shower finished, again, I was told to walk until I felt like I absolutely had to push. Well, we made about 3 more passes down the hall with many stops for contractions when it hit.... I had to push! No stopping her now!!

FINALLY, I got to climb into the bed :) I must say, however, that not having all the machines hooked up to you is quite nice. I was free the entire time. No monitors going on and off, no people coming in and out to check on things..... not that I was ever in one place more than a minute or two. It was pretty much all up to us and to just wait out the contractions.

Well, finally, I was able to push.... Kimber literally

popped out at 1:12 am Wed June 18. She was 7lbs 2 oz and 51 cm.

This is Nurse Hilda Bell.... our wonderful friend and island mother!!!Here she is...in our room under the mosquito netting... YES there were mosquito's attacking all night long! That is our story in a nutshell. It really went as well as we could of hoped for. There were lots of other exciting moments on the sides, but that is the main chunk. Oh, The midwife was awesome.... Ms. Janga, let Ben check me everytime she did so he could get practice. He was able to be very involved with the delivery and was soo excited about that! She taught him a lot of great tricks. Here she is at our 2 week appt. holding baby Kimber.

Anyway, I wouldn't have changed a thing... I went into labour at night... just like I'd hoped so it was a little cooler and everything went along great! I SURVIVED! I have been praying for a few months to make it through.... I was definitely blessed in many ways! It truly was a fantastic experience!!

Also, a HUGE THANKS to Rachel and Cody for watching our little Holdyn while we were at the hospital!!!