Our daughter Sarah Lisette was born on August 23, just before 9 a.m. on a Tuesday morning.  Lisette was born at our home, with a doctor and a nurse-midwife in attendance.  Dr. Griffin, dressed in jeans and a wrinkled short sleeve shirt, slouched against the door frame of the bedroom and gave my husband Gregg instructions. So that Gregg could "catch" Lisette as she was born.

[caption id="attachment_457" align="aligncenter" width="479"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/LisetteBornAM1.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-457 " title="LisetteBornAM" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/LisetteBornAM1.jpg" alt="" width="479" height="335" /></a> The day Lisette was born. That's Andrew nose-to-nose with his new sister and Matthew peering over his shoulder.[/caption]

One of the joys of home birth is having older siblings included in the birth. Andrew and Matthew came into the room to greet their sister just minutes after Lisette was born.

Lisette was SUCH a happy baby. She enjoyed nursing. She gurgled and giggled and played and smiled. And smiled.

[caption id="attachment_1119" align="aligncenter" width="482"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Lisette6mo.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1119" title="Lisette6mo" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Lisette6mo.jpg" alt="" width="482" height="653" /></a> Lisette at 6 months old[/caption]

Lisette spent a lot of time watching and laughing at the antics of her two older brothers.

[caption id="attachment_173" align="aligncenter" width="499"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AML-L6months.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-173" title="Andrew, Matthew, Lisette" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AML-L6months.jpg" alt="Andrew, Matthew, Lisette" width="499" height="655" /></a> Matthew and Andrew playing with Lisette - our first three miracles[/caption]

The Shaw side of our family had four boys born in quick succession: Joey; Andrew; Joshua and Matthew. Then four girls: Amanda; Brannon; Lisette and Jessica. (Our son Benjamin was born between Lisette and Jessica.)

[caption id="attachment_1034" align="aligncenter" width="518"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/girlcousinsMexicoBeach.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1034" title="girlcousinsMexicoBeach" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/girlcousinsMexicoBeach.jpg" alt="" width="518" height="335" /></a> Lisette, Brannon, Amanda and Jessica, four girl cousins having fun at the family beach vacation[/caption]

So Lisette had close-in-age girl cousins to play with. Brannon was only 19 days older and lived in the same town.  And she had a brother only 19 months younger.

[caption id="attachment_178" align="aligncenter" width="500"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Lisette-at-3.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-178" title="Lisette at 3" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Lisette-at-3.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="659" /></a> Our Precious Lisette, at age 3[/caption]

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[caption id="attachment_198" align="aligncenter" width="363"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lisette-zipline.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-198" title="lisette zipline" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lisette-zipline.jpg" alt="" width="363" height="472" /></a> Lisette braved the zipline over the Hersey River, by herself. She was - and is - courageous and adventuresome.[/caption]

And she is a WONDERFUL sister! To the two brothers who are older and to the two brothers who are younger.

[caption id="attachment_620" align="aligncenter" width="432"]<a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/JBLPhilly7-yr.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-620" title="JB&amp;LPhilly7 yr" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/JBLPhilly7-yr.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="579" /></a> Benjamin (10), Jonathan (7) and Lisette (12) in Philadelphia, in front of Independence Hall[/caption]

Lisette spent two years as a missionary-teacher in Kenya, running a one-room school for the children of missionary doctors and nurses at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya. She plans to return to Kenya again next January. Check out her <a title="Third World Viewpoint" href="http://http://lisetteinkenya.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog here.</a>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/GlobalCafeLisette_21-e1321227694118.jpg"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-584" title="GlobalCafeLisette_2" src="http://motherhoodstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/GlobalCafeLisette_21-e1321227694118.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="199" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">She is amazing!</p>