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 trial .  My husband and I went to sleep talking about ...
Continue reading ...

Kyra Lena is nine months old today.  She can walk when her Papa holds her hands.  She dances to acoustic jams and classic jazz.  She calls out "Mama" when I've been away too long.  She learns from the beat of a drum set to Shel Silverstein's poems.  She laughs when I tell her my dreams.  At bedtime, she pulls her blanket over her head and, with a coo, surrenders to the night.

Nine months ago, I relished the warm water soaking into my skin in a shower stall at the hospital.  My husband washed m...

Continue reading ...