Introducing Anna Kelley Sims!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of the newest member of the Sims family! After roughtly 13 hours of labor, our beautiful baby girl Anna Kelley Sims entered the world yesterday morning, June 30, at 6:47am. She weighed in at 7lb. 8oz. and measured a sporty 20 inches! Her first few hours have been spent sleeping, pooping, and learning how to nurse. She's mastered the first two and is well on her way to mastering the third. She's pretty much a genius.

Here's the short version of the story: Gina was induced around 5pm on Friday afternoon, but her progress really took off between 1am-4am on Saturday night. By the time 6am rolled around, she was fully dilated and ready to go. It's hard to label Gina pushy, but she pushed like a champ in this case - 35 minutes from the time she began until Anna made her grand entrance. Very impressive if I do say so myself :) The only problem we encountered during delivery was that the umbilical cord got wrapped around the baby's neck. However, the doctor was quickly able to cut it and after some vigorous massage, our little one let out the sweetest cry I'll probably ever hear. We are grateful to God that both sets of grandparents were able to be here for the birth as well as one great-grandmother. Needless to say, baby Sims is getting lots of love! Definitely more than mommy and daddy are getting sleep.

This Sunday morning, the three of us worshipped God together for the first time and gave thanks for all that has happened in these past hours. Here's an excerpt from the Psalm we read to her:

For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! I try to count them - they are more than the sand; I come to the end - I am still with you. (Psalm 139:13-18)

Praise be to God!

P.S. - Debra Sanders brought this fun tidbit to our attention this morning -- "You've probably heard the phrase 'Once in a Blue Moon' your entire life. I heard on the radio this afternoon that the full moon right now is known as a Blue Moon because it's the second full moon in a one month period. Therefore, your little princess was born 'Once in a Blue Moon!' Just a little trivia for you."

P.S.S. - There is special significance behind our name selection. "Anna" was the name of Gina's late maternal grandmother, and "Kelley" was Greg's late mother's maiden name. Their memories live on.