(Will we ever do things normally? I hope not!)

Gwendolyn Joy arrived Monday night 27 October with typical Douglass flair. She was born in the back seat of our Mazda Tribute with about an hour notice. 6 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches of headstrong energy in the rare moments that she’s not sleeping…

Having brought Zoe and Matti into this world in the comfortable bedroom-like setting of a birth center in South Carolina, we weren’t particularly interested in spending much time absorbing the sterile hospital ambiance as we waited for Gwendi’s arrival. Hence I (Donna) wasn’t in a huge rush to depart the moment labor started. But I wasn’t trying for an out-of-hospital birth either!

We did arrive at the hospital in time, but only by a minute or two – just long enough for the staff to get in place once they realized Gwendi wouldn’t wait. I did try exit the car onto the gurney…but the little one trumped me on that, preferring to leave the car in Daddy’s arms instead. (For the record, the front seat’s headrest is a great handhold for dealing with labor pain! And while I still wouldn’t list it on a birth plan, it turns out a vehicle isn’t a bad place to deliver – at least in my opinion it tops a hospital room…)

Seriously we are very thankful to all of you who prayed and to the God who answered with such a perfect story that I can’t think of a single improvement even if I could change anything. What a blessing to be gifted with the desire of my heart1 which was truly beyond all I asked or imagined2. And all that in addition to happy, healthy mommy and baby – and a set of ecstatic daddy and sisters 🙂 God is good!

1Psalm 37:4

2Ephesians 3:20

12 hours old

All 6 of us enjoying the fall colors.