Introducing...

Our little baby girl, Erika Louise Thunell, joined our family on October 30th at 12:35 p.m. She weighed in at 7lb. 9oz. and measured 20 inches long. Like Savannah, she has a full head of black hair, and we're still trying to figure out who the rest of her features resemble. Everyone has been claiming something...Annie, "She definitely has my chin.", Kate, "Look at her nose and then look at mine--they're the same!" The jury is still out... Eventhough it is total chaos at our home(nothing new), somehow in her tiny, sweet, helpless body she brings a calming, peaceful spirit that is so powerful and strong I am left feeling amazed and in awe. I feel Heavenly Father's presence very near and I can't help but think that there are angels still surrounding her, bidding her farewell and good luck in this new, exciting journey ahead. It is especially in these moments that I am exponentially grateful that I am a mother and I am in close companionship with Heavenly Father in bringing another one of his beautiful children to the earth. It is a blessing that I have difficulty expressing in such feeble words, but I'm sure you can understand my feelings in spite of me... We arrived at her name as we were searching through our geneology. The original Erika Thunell joined the church in Sweden. She and her husband traveled over to the U.S. and joined the pioneers in Utah. Her husband, a master craftsman, was one of the ones who worked on the beautiful staircase in the Manti temple and helped hang the doors on the Salt Lake Temple. It is a beautiful heritage and I'm so glad and grateful to have a husband with such a legacy of faith and goodness to pass on to our little Erika Thunell. Louise has very special meaning to us, in that it is my Grandma Dorothy's middle name and my mom's middle name. These two women have been two of the most important women in my life and I love that Erika is named after both of them. They, also, are women of joy and goodness. On the day of delivery, I was hooked up to the pitocin and epidural by about 9-9:30 a.m. I had her at 12:35 p.m. It was, by far, my easiest delivery yet. I think Adam felt a little short-changed as he brought the DVD player for us to watch, books to read and games to play and we didn't end up doing any of it. Oh well, I think we both loved the way everything turned out. It's been rainy and overcast, which makes it even more cozy and is the perfect weather to sit and cuddle with a newborn baby. Everyone is doing well. Grandma Thunell has been amazing, holding the fort up with all these wild Indians, which is a feat in and of itself. All is well, all is well...actually, all is wonderful. I'll post more later. In the meantime, have a wonderful day.