Above: My daughter in her beautiful wildwood glory

This is the birth story of my daughter Kyra Lena.  On Christmas Day, I discovered that I'm pregnant with my second natural child, my third total counting my stepson.  In preparation for the new baby's arrival, I guess it's fitting to remember the first time I welcomed a new life to the world.

Two weeks before my due date, I interviewed a pediatrician, pre-registered at the hospital, and finished the paperwork regarding my stepson's custody ...