Emily's Birth Story

On October 7th, I woke up at 4am and started getting ready for our trip to the hospital. I made sure we had everything packed, Chris helped me carry it to the car, and we arrived at the hospital at 5:30am. We walked up to the front doors and all the lights were off. Weird. I was scheduled to be checking into L&D on the 2nd floor at 5:30. The doors were locked so we tried to wave someone down that was inside. A nurse came and opened the door, she told us that they had been testing the emergency power generator that morning and it was taking longer than expected to get the power back on.

Awesome.

We had to take the staff elevator and get to L&D the back way because nothing else was working! They got us checked in and settled in our room [Seton SW has amazing rooms! We never had to move to another room- labor, delivery, recovery and post delivery were all in the same place]

I had Chris take a picture of me before we got started.


It was early, but we were both so excited to finally meet this baby! At 6:30 they had me hooked up to 2 monitors for Emily's heartbeat and my contractions (turns out I was already having very mild contractions that I couldn't feel), a blood pressure cuff and an IV with saline and pitocin drip. I hated having the IV in, I couldn't move my left wrist. I hated the monitors strapped to my belly. The one on top that monitored contractions wasn't flat on the bottom and it was so uncomfortable having it poke right into my uterus. I also hated the blood pressure cuff later on when I was lying on my side- it started squeezing way too tight, to the point that my arm would go numb and my hand would cramp up into a fist. I had Chris massage it to get the blood moving, but he couldn't unclamp my fingers until the cuff let some pressure off. Annoying.

The contractions started to get stronger over the next few hours. At 10:30 I decided to ask for the epidural. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer because it took the anesthesiologist forever to get to my room. I think he showed up around 11:30.

While I was waiting, they had me sit on the edge of the bed so I was ready when he got there. They had me lean forward a little and Chris was sitting in front of me. The contractions were horrible towards the end, I squeezed on his shoulders so hard he almost passed out. I think I was cutting off blood supply to his head, oops. He stayed there through the contractions and talked to me while I got the epi.

The epi was NOT bad. I thought it was going to be this huge painful needle, but it felt like the shots you get at the dentist. It hurt and stung a little, but it was nothing compared to the contractions.

It took a little while for it to completely work, but once it did I felt a million times better. My right side went numb pretty quickly and I was still feeling mild contractions on my left side. I finally got a couple of hours of pain free rest. Chris got a nap in and my mom stayed with me and talked to me for a while.

Initially I thought I would want only Chris and myself in the delivery room before, during and immediately after labor. My mom came and went all day and all I can say is thank goodness for my mother. It really helped to have her there for support. Chris did a great job, but I think my mom being there took a little pressure off of him feeling like he constantly had to be helping in some way. I'm glad he was able to rest, I'm sure it was stressful to watch me in pain and not be able to do anything about it.

Around 2:30 I started feeling contractions again on the left side. They started to get stronger and stronger and I asked if I could get more medicine for the pain. They checked me first and told me that Emily was ready! I was so relieved. The pain was her head pushing down in my hips.

They had me push twice to see if I made any progress and made me stop because she was coming out pretty quickly and my doctor wasn't on her way yet. They called her and she headed over from the office on Brodie. It was hard not to push while she was on her way, everything in me really wanted to.

They were afraid that Emily was going to come before the doctor got there so they had another doctor waiting outside of my room just in case we couldn't wait any longer. The nurses got ready (they looked like they were heading into a rainstorm, apparently my doctor is notorious for being a bit messy!) and Dr. Eduardo finally showed up at 3:35. She got ready, had me push, and asked if I wanted to feel Emily's head.

Craziest feeling ever. My eyes got huge and my mom and Chris started laughing at me. I knew there was a baby in there, but after feeling her head I KNEW there was a baby there! It was enough incentive to have me try my hardest to get her out. In between pushes, Dr. Eduardo rubbed Emily's head. It was the first thing she felt on the outside, and she still really likes her head to be rubbed. Washing her hair really calms her down :)

I pushed a couple more times (I only pushed for 10 minutes!), suddenly felt all the pain and pressure relieved, and they put her on my chest at 3:50pm.

I can't explain how it felt to hold her for the first time. It was incredible. I was so happy to finally meet her, relieved that the delivery was over, and thrilled that I was no longer pregnant! They cleaned her off a bit, let me look at her, then took her across the room to examine her. She weighed in at 8 lb, .05 oz and 20 inches long. I can't believe I was carrying that around!

When she came out, she had swallowed a lot of fluid and had the cord around her neck. She was breathing, but grunting for air. They had to give her a bath to get her screaming so they could get all of the fluid out of her lungs. They cleaned her up, patted her back and she went from a really pale white to a healthy pink color pretty quickly. After half an hour, they handed her back to me so I could feed her. It's such an amazing feeling to know that I have everything needed to sustain her tiny little body.


After a while, Chris got to hold her. She looks just like him. She's a tiny, soft, pink, female version of her daddy. She's got his eyes, his nose, his long feet and his hairline. Good thing I married a handsome man, Emily is beautiful! Chris' mom and sister were waiting outside and finally were able to come in to visit. Like I said earlier, I thought I wasn't going to want any visitors, but I really enjoyed having them there and watching them meet Emily for the first time.

Overdue October

Happy October, friends! Fall is in the air and Emily is still in my belly.

I'm 4 days overdue today and having mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I'm happy that she wasn't a premie, I'm able to prepare for my trip to the hospital (instead of waking up in the middle of the night wondering if my water broke or my bladder gave up on me), and that I haven't had to deal with the contractions and labor part of this story. On the other hand, I cried for an hour yesterday afternoon because I felt like my body and my brain could not take one more second of being pregnant. It really is exhausting, I feel like my body knows it should not be pregnant anymore and is just shutting down on me. On top of that, I've been sick and the medicine I take (just Tylenol cold) makes me super drowsy.

I've given up on Emily coming on her own and I'm planning on seeing her sometime Thursday afternoon. I go to the hospital at 5:30am to be induced. My mom told me that she was induced as well, I guess the women in our family just have super comfy uteri and our children never want to leave. I've heard that contractions are stronger and more painful with induction, but I am trying not to think about that. I'm concentrating on the happy part at the end of those contractions.

Last night, I told Chris I planned on taking Wednesday off work. It's my last day to relax before I'm a mom and my entire life changes. He said he didn't know why I needed the day off since I was about to get 6 weeks off. I wish he wouldn't look at this as a 6 week vacation. I'm already physically and mentally exhausted. I think I deserve one day to rest. The next 6 weeks are going to be great, but they are probably going to be the hardest 6 weeks of my life. I've never had a baby before, this is all brand new to me and sort of a huge deal. I know I can do it, but I still have my moments and need to be reassured during those times.

Men just don't understand how hard it is, they never will! At the wedding I went to this weekend, I overheard the groom's brother in law tell someone "if men were the ones who had to be pregnant and give birth, the human species would be extinct." Amen.

I will give Chris some credit- he did go to the store last night to buy ice cream, he even shared it with me and scooped it for me. It's the small things. Sometimes he drives me crazy, but I love him more than anything and really would do anything to make him happy. I have already seen what a fantastic dad he is, and I know couldn't have chosen a more perfect person to raise my children with.

It's also really sweet to see how excited he is about Emily's arrival. He is taking off work Thursday and Friday, and maybe Monday to help out for those first few days. I'm sure I will need all the help I can get.

In baby development news, I believe she has completely run out of room. Some of her kicks and movements hurt and my belly button is almost an outie (I thought it would never happen!). The stretch marks have gotten worse but I really could care less about those at this point. I am happy knowing that she is fully grown and completely cute and fat by now.

I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon. I would say I'm hoping for some progress, but I really don't expect there to be any. I'm happy with Thursday. October 7th was my dad's birthday so it will be special to have Emily share that with him.

Happy due date to me!

Sing it with me!

Happy due date to meeee
but still no babyyy
How long will this go on?
We'll just wait and seeeeee!

I think I need some cake.

Still being pregnant on my due date is not quite as depressing as I thought it would be. I'm thankful that I have a healthy, full term baby in there. To be completely honest, as much as I hate being pregnant at times, I'm going to miss it a little. I will miss knowing where she is at all times. I'll miss knowing that she's completely safe, warm, and never hungry. I will miss the days of not changing any diapers, too.

But geez louise am I looking forward to finally seeing her sweet little face! I can't decide if I'm more excited to meet her myself, or to see the look on Chris' face when he finally gets to meet her. Daddy's going to fall in love with this girl.


In other news, can I tell you how proud I am that I have only gained 31 pounds so far? I totally deserve that cake. Or banana bread.

Advice and Answers

Have you had that baby yet?

No, I have not. She's still cooking. I will let family know first, and I will announce it to the rest of the world (and facebook friends) after my family has all had a chance to enjoy the news. Asking me won't hurt anything, but I'm running out of things to say. "Nope, not yet" doesn't cut it. You guys are going to force me to get creative!

I appreciate that everyone is excited about her arrival and I promise that I will let you all know as soon as possible. It means a lot to Chris and I that everyone we know is anticipating this almost as much as we are, it is great to see how loved she is by everyone already. ♥♥♥


You should try: walking, getting in the shower, having sex, standing on your head, drinking lots of water, jumping up and down. It really helped move my labor along.

Thanks for the advice! (seriously) I do appreciate the advice, guys. I am trying walking, but last time my back hurt so bad I could barely walk the next day. I know, I'm out of shape, but what can I say. I'll keep walking, but really it's because I'm so out of shape, not because I think it will bring on labor. It is nice to feel like I'm doing something, I know that sitting on the couch isn't going to move things along.

As much as I do want the baby here, I don't want to do anything that will force labor or cause me to overexert myself (i.e. hurt myself or the baby). I know that she will come when she is ready.

I did schedule an induction for the 7th but I am very nervous about it. I want Emily to come when SHE is ready, and I may move the induction date back. Like I said, I don't want to force anything. It's quite a predicament, I feel like I'm in a hurry, but at the same time I want things to happen naturally.


Don't forget to tell me when she's here!

Okay, this is kind of like #1. I swear you will know. I am not going to be posting on facebook "on my way to the hospital," "3 cm dilated," "getting my epidural," "just saw the baby's head crown." I think most of you will appreciate that.

When she is here, Chris and I want to have some time with her, just the three of us. This is my first child and I'm already so emotional about her arrival, I want it to be a special moment for Chris and I. We will let family members know when we are en route to the hospital, and will invite them to visit us at the hospital after Emily has made her entrance.

You will know the baby is here because I will post something like "Emily Jean is here!" Something very clear, I promise. Chris says I sleep, breathe and eat facebook (I'm seeking therapy) so there is no way I wouldn't share this awesome news with all of you! I can't wait for all of our family and friends to meet this amazing little girl.


You must be miserable.

Some days I am! Thanks for being realistic, it's refreshing.


Don't worry, she'll be here before you know it.

Thank you, that is reassuring. I'm trying to be patient, but you know how I get.


Are you ready?

Yup!


You look like you're about to pop!

I feel like it!


You are so tiny, you don't look like you're 9 months pregnant.

Oh, don't make me blush.


If you think you're tired now, just wait.

I get it, babies don't sleep a lot. I was aware of this when we talked about having children. I know this is my first, but I'm prepared to take everything one day at a time. I honestly am taking your advice and I'm trying to rest when I can and stay relaxed this week. I am working from home so I can sleep more and don't have to deal with the stress of the commute. Chris helps a lot around the house so I don't feel like I am doing everything. I know I'm going to be exhausted.


As soon as you see her, your life will be changed forever. It may suck at times, it's going to be harder than you can ever imagine, but it will be worth it.

I sure hope so.

39 weeks. Or, "Yes, I'm still pregnant."

Here I am, one week away from my due date, and I'm still pregnant. At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was all about being pregnant until my due date. That's before I knew what it was like to be 37, 38, or 39 weeks pregnant. Now I just want her OUT.

She has dropped, so I'm eating and breathing better now. It's hard to find clothes to wear out in public because my belly hangs out of the bottom of most of my shirts now. I really don't leave the house anymore unless I'm going to the grocery store or over to my mom's to work. She lives closer to the hospital and it's nice to get a change of scenery every now and then. Roger and Charli enjoy their time together as well :)

In the next week, I have two weddings to attend. Yes, two weddings. The first one is tomorrow and it's at the Blanco courthouse so it's literally 2 minutes down the road. I think I'll survive that one. Chris' friend (who had the bachelor party in NOLA) is getting married.

The one I'm worried about is next Saturday. I'll either be 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant or I'll have a newborn with me. I know it's only a week difference and a little further away, but I'm kind of dreading it. One of Chris' best friends, Brandon, is getting married. They've been friends for the longest time and I've never met the guy, so I've been looking forward to this wedding. Chris is the best man in the wedding so I feel like I have to go, but I don't know how I'm going to be feeling at that point. It's hard to explain to Chris that I may be happier sitting on the couch than going to the wedding. Not because I don't want to go or I'm lazy, but because I will most likely be over 40 weeks pregnant and that just sucks.

I don't really like to be around people at this point because I'm large, uncomfortable and awkward. I just don't know.

I'm still working full time and they still haven't gotten my temp! Imagine if I had stayed at the office until that happened, haha. They have a 3rd temp starting on Monday. We'll see if I make it long enough to train her. I'm not too worried about that anymore, it's not really my responsibility anymore. I am glad to be working because otherwise I'd be going crazy with boredom and time would be passing a whole lot slower.

Hopefully my next blog will be welcoming Emily to the world! I can dream, right?

38 weeks, 4 days

Well, I forgot to take pictures again. During the 2nd trimester I was all about the weekly pictures because I felt so darn cute every day. Now, not so much. Judging by the breakout on my face I'm sure some people think I'm a pregnant 15 year old. It's wonderful. I'm starting to swell, albeit not noticeably but I feel like everyone can tell. My rings still fit, but they're snug. I'm hoping they'll last the next 2 weeks!

That being said, when I look in the mirror in the morning with my camera in hand, I usually think "umm, I'll take these later."

Other news:

The nursery is complete! Everything is hung, the little details are in place, this mama is very happy. Chris helped me finish it this weekend and it looks fabulous. I'll post some pictures later today.

The doctor said that I was 1.5cm dilated as of last Monday. I go back tomorrow, hopefully I'll show more progress by then. I'm so ready for this baby to come out. I know a lot of the "labor inducers" are old wives tales but I'm willing to try anything at this point. We have: walking, sex, eggplant parmesan, spicy food, pineapple, foot massage, raspberry tea, cold showers. Lastly, castor oil. I won't be trying that one.

Last night Chris and I went to the Blanco HS football field and walked around the track a few times. He jogged, I waddled, Roger romped. Good family fun time. Before we left, I decided to sweep and mop the floors. Don't worry, I took my time and did not overexert myself or bend over too much or anything else painful. It was actually pretty relaxing. Kind of sad how happy clean floors make me these days. After I cleaned up, I went to HEB, came home and started baking cookies.

The cookies aren't really a nesting thing. I promised my sister I'd send a package to her dorm a few weeks ago. I made cookies and ended up eating them. This time I kept reminding myself that they're not for me, they're for my sister. I even made some extra to send to my brother as well. Then I made dinner. It was a lot of standing and walking around all afternoon, so by the time we got to the track my back was killing me.

I thought walking would make it better. I was sooo wrong. We got home and I laid down on the couch. I couldn't get back up. I physically could not get up. It hurt SO bad. I managed to slowly get to my feet, and stood there hunched over and waddled to bed. I got zero sleep last night because my back and hips hurt so much. It's better this morning, but I am a little tired.

Chris keeps telling me he's glad I'm awake all night because I'm going to have to get up every time the baby cries. Because babies cry a lot. In the middle of the night. Who knew? He also mentioned that "if I think I'm not sleeping now, just wait until the baby is here." I think all of the other mamas I know will agree, please don't say this to a pregnant woman. Believe it or not, we are aware of life after pregnancy and we know we'll be tired. I love you, but say something like that to me again and I'll punch you.

Oh, lastly: stretch marks. They've arrived. They're ugly, but I'm accepting them as a necessary part of pregnancy. Let's not talk about what will happen if you point those out to me again. :)

Mine.

Roger loves his baby sister.