Happy 17 Kate Kate!!

Well, 17 years ago today Rick and I were eager to see what Dr. Crane would say. I was actually sort of hoping for a blood pressure spike so he'd say, "let's get this baby here." Mom and I went to the dr. that morning and Rick went to work. Dr. Crane said the words I wanted to hear. I called Rick, he came home, we packed everything in the car and we were at the hospital by noon. I wasn't induced with Lauren so I really didn't know what to expect. Rick and I got settled in the labor room, he had the tv on, I was lying there with the pit drip. Mom had taken Jayne to get her passport for her trip to France. It was warm and really breezy that day. By the time mom got to my room at maybe 3ish, I was really hurting. The nurse started the pit at 1. Dr. Crane popped in my room and took a look at me and said, "well, good it looks like youre in some pain." "thats a good thing." I was like, yes I'm in pain! Geez. Mom was surprised that I was in as much pain already. Usually these things take time. I know I couldn't look at the tv, it made me sick. I think the nurse finally checked me around 4:30 and she was amazed that it was time to get pushing. Dr. Crane had just left the hospital to work on something for his taxes. They called him back, I was moved to the delivery room and Kathryn Elizabeth Leventry was born at 5:04pm! She was born w/o any pain blockers. It was really an azmazing experience. I'm not one to go on and on about not using epidurals b/c I had planned on using one but she came too fast. One of the things that is so amazing about child birth is that it is so very painful and I really think stress adds a lot to it but it hurts something fierce and when baby is out, it's done. Bam, no more pain! Kate came out absolutely perfect! She weighed 6lbs5oz. Dr. Crane said she was small probably b/c of my blood pressure being high. I just looked at him and said, I dont' think Rick and I are going to have big babies. Look at us! Rick weighed 6lbs3oz and I weighed 6lbs15oz. No way were we going to pop out a big fat baby. I think I got to my room around 6, I had visitors that night. I remember just looking at her thinking, wow wow wow! When they were bringing her down the hall in her little strolling bed thingy, I heard her cry and I immediately knew it was her. Amazing how I had known her cry for three hours and I could already decipher her from all others. It truly was a great day. Rick's parents were in Ecuador in the middle of their peace corps committment. 17 years ago, that was before cell phones and texting and the every day use of email. It was a big deal to call Ecuador! They were pleased as punch to know Kathryn Elizabeth Leventry was here safe and sound. She is named for my great grandmother, Kathryn Miller. My mother is Cathy, who I'm sure is named for Kathryn too but she has her own version of her name. Elizabeth was rick's Grandma Leventry's name and my grandpa Maury's mothers name and also, rick's sister's middle name. I can't imagine Kate being named anything else. What is really crazy is Rick and I almost named her Lauren. I love the name Lauren but I worried that Lauren Leventry was a bit much. Little did I know God already had a Lauren for me.  I know Kate thinks her name is boring but I love it, I can't imagine her not being Kate!