Anna's Red Hair

Just to prove to her Auntie Wendy that her hair is in fact red.

Anna's coming home outfit

Bringing Anna home

Well, Anna and I are home now, which makes the boys very happy. They are in love with their baby sister. They constantly ask if they can hold her and play with her, especially when her eyes are open. I forget how quiet but chaotic life feels when you first bring a new baby home. I feel great physically but still a little addled mentally. I look forward to the time when life has a pattern again.
Of course, mostly I'm looking forward to getting to know our new little girl who has filled this vacuum that I didn't even know was there!

We'll post more pictures of Anna soon. Joey is throwing a fit - he wants to go back to the hospital to see his little sister. gotta go!

Daddy delivered the baby. No joke! Here he is holding Ann Lea a few minutes after her arrival.

Suzanne did a great job. She looks great, feels great. She's happy to finally not be pregnant, but mostly happy that Anna has finally arrived.

Anna Lea Bates

The Bates Family welcomed the newest addition to our family, Anna Lea Bates, at 12:38 p.m., Tues, 17 June 2008. At birth, Anna weighs 6 lbs, 13 oz and is 20 1/2" tall. She's a darling little girl, and to our surprise, has beautiful RED hair.

Welcome to our family Anna Lea. We love you!!

It's a girl... tomorrow, hopefully

So, yesterday was a crazy day. I had some labor pains and ended up going into the hospital, only to find out I was not in fact in labor as I had hoped. In the meantime, they couldn't find the heartbeat in the right place, so they did an ultrasound and the baby is breech. Or, should I say, was breech, because this morning when I went to my appointment the baby was head down. Both positions were confirmed by ultrasound. This baby has been in a different position every time I go to the doctor's -- breech, head down, transverse, oblique... So tomorrow I go in at 7 a.m. for an induction, with the hope the baby stays head down. But who knows at this point!
The only good thing that came out of yesterday's hospital visit is that the ultrasound technician confirmed, with some confidence, that I am indeed carrying a baby girl! So I unpacked all the blue out of my baby bag. Here's a profile picture from yesterday's ultrasound. I'm sure we'll post pictures of the baby once she's officially here!