Child number three. I was visiting IL (we lived in Tx at the time) and began to think I might be pregnant. My SIL Joyce and I go to the store and buy an at home test. I remember the directions said shake it for so long, then leave it for however long, and it would be readable. It showed positive while I was doing the initial mixing! Joyce said, “Set it down, it might change its mind.”
We sat there staring at it, but it didn’t change its mind.
I set there soaking in what it was going to mean having three babies in 2.5 years. I was also absolutely terrified I’d have another sick girl. When I got back to Fort Worth I called the SIDS foundation. They had been a tremendous support with Sarah, so I figured my contact would know how to find out the stats for it happening again. She called “the” top pediatric cardiologist in TX at Baylor. He called me and assured me the chances were so remote that he had never seen it happen twice in an immediate family.
All goes fine for the next nine months. Then her due date of Nov 24th passes. November passes, as does December, and still no baby. I was miserable!!! I had to sit on the couch with my arms up on the back of it to be able to breath for about the last two weeks of that pregnancy. By this time I’m having to go to the Dr every other day for the placenta to be monitored. The last visit Dr P thought it wasn’t sounding as good and therefor he was going to call the hospital and admit me for a c-section.
When he left the room, something started happening. I could not get a breath! I wasn’t sure what the kid was doing, but she was doing something. Dr P’s wife came into the room and I told her to go get him, he needed to check me again. He did and sure enough she had flipped head down and engaged!!! He told me to go home and drink some caster oil and he’d see me in a few hours. 
I drank the nasty stuff and sure enough it threw me into labor. A labor so fast we nearly didn’t make it. lol Four hours from start to finish and I had the fattest little baby in my arms I’d ever seen. She was 18 inches long and weighed 8# 14.5 oz. If you held her on her back you couldn’t see her ears for the cheeks. If you held her upright she was reminiscent of a bulldog. 
I still freaked out a bit when I realized I had a girl. Dr P told me, “Look at her Sherry. Nothing could be wrong with something that fat. I listened to her heart and it’s fine.” I wasn’t quite convinced so he went back and listened again for about 15 minutes. By that time I believed him.
I’m glad I didn’t use any drugs during labor with Chel or I would have come to suspect they had given me the wrong baby. Caleb and Sarah were a total blend of Ed and I. Bullheaded, stubborn, wild, independent. Chelsea never even went through “the terrible twos”. If she saw anyone get reprimanded for anything she’d ask, “Is that a rule Mama?” If I told her it was, I never had to worry about her doing it. Ever.
Now she’s grown with a son of her own. She is still the most patient person I know, but she can become fierce if she’s pushed long and hard enough. She has an inner strength I greatly admire. She’s also incredibly funny, artistic, and I’m blessed to have her.
