At 3:34am on Wednesday, June 23rd, 1999, Ch'ree Elizabeth Kate was FINALLY born. Only 9 days overdue. I had been doing everything I could think of short of bungee jumping to get that child out (and believe me, I even thought of doing that!). We bounced around choppy waters on the lake for Memorial day, I mowed, I gardened, walked all day at an air show and still nothing. Finally it was helping Jeff haul hay that got her going. I was driving the pickup around the field while Jeff loaded the bales. By that evening, we sent Shelby home with Jeff's father and we went on to the hospital.
Getting admitted was an ordeal itself. Apparently the maternity wing didn't WANT anyone else back there and threw out every excuse NOT to let me back there. While the woman at the admissions desk gave every reason TO let me back there. And even as we got back to the maternity ward, they still didn't believe I was in labor. And as a result I didn't get the epidural I so badly wanted. 

I'll save you from the rest of the gorey details. Let's just say that Ch'ree arrived almost before the doctor did. All 8lb, 4oz of her. We had a great first day of getting to know her, but then developed a problem spitting up blood. On Thursday morning, she was airlifted to University Medical Center in Lubbock and admitted to the NICU. We called her a little unicorn with the IV tube in the middle of her head.
That was probably the most worried I have ever been. Having a child in the hospital and not knowing what was wrong was horrible. At first they were tossing around surgery. But eventually they discovered it was acid reflux and she was treated with meds. On Sunday we finally got to bring our baby girl home.
And now she is 10. And going into middle school (5th grade here). She's such a beautiful girl, and we are so lucky to have her in our family!!

Jeff, how does it feel to take the difficult way down a perfectly good building?

Look Ma, no hands!!! This was part of what they had to do. Tie a knot then hang upside down. This was later used in another scenario to rescue someone out of a window.
I'm sure nothing compared to having both feet on the ground!!