A Beautiful Day To Be

Reality can not fit into words. It would take me years to share every detail of the last few days since Andrea started into labor at 2:00 on Friday afternoon. But it would never describe how amazing that day, and the day after and now the day after that have been. The hours and hours of exhaustion, strength, progress, frustration, emotional highs and lows, battles faught, battles lost, and victories won, could fill a hundred books. But after 41 and a half hours of labor (give or take an hour) it is finally over. Everything that God has had planned since the beginning for our family has been revealed. And it is more awesome than anything we could have ever put in a birth plan, or written into a script. Relationships have been strengthened, and created. God's wisdom and power in all situations have been made clear. And a new life has been brought out into the light of the world.

I know Andrea will be eager to share the details of the journey, but the conclusion is something from a dream.

Clara Joy Smith was born through the love and never ending determination of her mother's pushing, and through the limitless power of God, at 7:33 AM on February 8th, 2009, at Providence Hospital in Anchorage Alaska after 41 hour of patient labor and sacrifice. Present at the birth were elated father and mother James and Andrea, and their wonderful and invaluable midwife Susan, and Andrea's mother Carol who was infact celebrating her 50th birthday on the very day she became a grandmother, and James' sweet and magnificant parents Glenn and Sally, who waited all night in the waiting room so they could be there instantly to welcome their new grandaughter into the world. Granddaddy Robert arrived very soon after with gifts, flowers, Clara's first birthday card, and a proud granddaddy heart.

She was born perfectly healthy. The beautiful and determined little girl helped her mother push all the way through, even after so many hours of constant contractions and slow progress. She was a beautiful healthy purple color She was born 8 pounds 10 ounces, and 20 inches long, making her a very chubby little girl. Absolutely beautiful, and already changing lives.

There was a shift change for the nursing staff at 7:00, but none of them wanted to leave until they found out about the baby. So there was a wonderful gathering waiting for her when she finally arrived. A great cloud of oohing and ahhing nursing staff. And Clara had better get used to it, because I know there are already hundreds of people waiting to meet and love this precious little girl.

Thank you all for your support for us throughout this pregnancy. We love you.

Praise be to God, today as everyday, for all of his miracles.

~James, Andrea and Clara Smith