We had a baby!

My last two pregnancies my amazing doctor in Utah (he's the best of the best) had me get induced at 39 weeks to help prevent preeclampsia since I'm at a high risk for it due to my history.  So with my new doc here in our rural town of Coos Bay I had talked with her about that same plan and she had agreed to it. So we had planned my parents trip here with my 39 week induction in mind. The Hospital changed it’s policy about a month ago though and firmly denied my doctors request to induce me at 39 weeks. My doctor was awesome and really wanted to help me as much as she could. She stripped my membranes at my 39 week appointment and told me that if I wanted to I could continue to come in every day that week until it put me into labor. Tuesday’s membrane sweep only resulted in Braxton Hicks that fizzled out by dinner time. I woke up during the night with intense back pain but that also went away. The next morning I had a really hard time getting out of bed. I was just so depressed. In the back of my head I knew it could possibly be that day but I felt like I couldn’t get my hopes up. I had a hard time feeling motivated to shower or anything. I however did try to read my scriptures and pray a lot that morning as I was trying to get out of bed and I had the thought to put the picture of the Savior as the screen on my phone. I think that really helped me. I helped me throughout the day and the coming days too.

 So I finally got up and showered and got ready. I went into my doctors office by myself and she stripped the membranes around 11:30. I walked over to Brent's office which is across the hall and was sitting down to write him a note since he was busy seeing patients and that’s when I felt my first REAL contraction. I left a note and went to get us some lunch from a taco place I’ve been wanting to try. I was somewhat confident in driving because I was just sure the contractions would fizzle out like yesterday and would be sporadic so I didn’t worry about driving too much. The pains were pretty far apart at the beginning there so I was able to get the food. Though I do wonder what the guy at the taco shop thought as I sat there with a pained look on my face as I waited for the food! Luckily Brent was able to come out and join me right then and we decided to drive over to Mingus Park to eat where the kids were playing with my parents. As I was sitting there scarfing my food down the contractions were getting closer together. And they were still just as painful as before. It was hurting so badly! Brent was trying to joke with me just like he normally does and was saying something about pushing the baby out. I turned and looked at him with extreme annoyance in my eyes and said “you’re really FUNNY today “. His eyes got real big and he said “woah! maybe you ARE in labor!” I guess there is a certain look on my face that he remembered from Sanna’s delivery. I decided it would be good for me to go with him back to work and go talk to Dr. V again since she’s across the hall from Brent's clinic. She let me right in because she had the afternoon free and told me to let her do a check on me again. She said let’s go ahead and have you go in to labor and delivery right now to monitor contractions and then I’ll come over in a few hours to break your water. She said don’t go straight over, walk around and give it some time so that there’s a difference between what I call to report to them and what they find when they check you. So I texted my mom and said I needed her.  I had originally thought, hey I’ll just walk from NBMC to the hospital.  That’ll for sure keep the contractions going.  But just standing around pacing at the front of the medical center waiting for my mom was so painful that I decided I’d just  let my mom drive me when she got there. (We decided for Brent to keep working so he could finish up seeing his patients for the day but would come over to the hospital as soon as possible) 

  I walked into labor and delivery and they put me in a triage room.  I kept pacing the room to make sure the labor wouldn’t go away while I waited.  They hooked me up to a monitor next and checked me.  When they checked me at labor and delivery they said it was around 3 to 3 1/2 cm. But the contractions were coming pretty regularly so they let me stay! Whenever I wasn’t hooked up to the monitors I continued to pace.  The labor was really strong in my back and luckily a nurse gave me a tip for easing back pain by bending over the bed and swaying.  After a couple hours in the triage room I’d moved to more like a four 4 1/2 so they moved me to a real room so I could get an epidural before Dr. V was to break my water. If I could go back in time this is the part I would change, I wouldn’t have had her break my water. It caused the labor to speed up too fast and it couldn’t keep up with my epidural pump which had been delayed a little bit due to a faulty pump machine. 

 I was having back labor and it hurt like crazy but I was able to practice some breathing techniques which helped but then I started getting the intense pressure which meant baby was in transition and it was almost time to start pushing but the epidural wasn't keeping up and I was still in a ton of pain, breathing techniques weren’t doing diddly squat at this point. We started pushing and after 15 minutes or so I think my mom suggested we see if we could press the epidural pump button again (you can only press it every 30 minutes). I had been thinking of it but was so delirious from pain that I hadn’t articulated it. So we tried it and the extra medicine came in! Within a few minutes I got a bit more relief which helped A TON! Seriously don’t know how I could have done it without the epidural relief. Back labor hurts and her head was just not wanting to come out!!!

 Back labor, why did it have to be back labor!?

 Brent was invited to help deliver her by Dr Vermaire. He was really excited to get to help deliver her. While he was getting his hospital gown on I didn’t push as hard so he’d have the opportunity to do it. Pushing was exhausting so it was nice to take a break every once in a while. That last 20 minutes was a little frustrating for me, everyone kept saying “she’s right there! You got this!” So I’d think “this is going to be the contraction, this is it!” And then she’d still be inside! After about a total of an hour of pushing I finally got her head out and the moment finally came that her shoulders cleared out of me it was such an amazing intense RELIEF, just indescribable. They put her straight on me and I couldn’t believe how big she was but still looked tiny at the same time. She was very healthy looking and it was of course love at first sight. 

 Words can't adequately describe the relief you feel once she's out of your body. Words also can't adequately describe the joy you feel seeing her for the first time and seeing her healthy and real and there with you!

 They waited a bit to weigh her so I could hold her and what not.  I could tell she was big but she still seemed just like a tiny little newborn to me so I was shocked when they finally weighed her and we found out she was 8 lbs 14 oz!!!  Another thing that shocked me was how HOT her body was when I was holding her straight after birth.  No wonder I've been dying of heat! 

She started rooting pretty early on and latched on SO easily. It was incredible.

Another incredible thing was seeing her awesome neck strength.  She pushed off my chest holding her head up and was looking around.  Brent caught it in this picture below.  She sure did not act like a brand newborn like we would have expected.

 We called my dad to bring the kids.  They got there pretty quickly, so excited to meet their new sister!!!!

 I just love the looks on their faces when they're meeting a new sibling. Brent captured it so well!

 They started begging to hold her and I realized I had been the only one holding her that whole time! I hadn't even let Brent or my mom hold her yet.  So we decided to let Daddy have the next turn before the kids got their turn.

In the past Brent and I wanted to have the birth just have him and I in it. This time around though we both felt like we wanted to have my mom there for it too.  So glad she was able to be there for it!

 Not sure what's up with Sanna's expression in this picture.  She really was happy to meet Izzy.

And I'm so glad we got Izzy here before my dad had to go home so he could meet her!

  As I’m taking care of her right now it amazes me how worth it, it all was. To have her here is so wonderful and worth the horrible 9 months and the pain of delivery and the pain I’m experiencing right now in my breasts. It’s all worth it, I just love her so much, she’s such a wonderful gift from God.

 The kids came and visited again before I stayed for another night. The doctor wanted her there two nights since she's a bigger baby.  

I realized we hadn't taken a family picture yet, my friends were visiting me so they took it for us.

The nurse offered to take this picture for us as we were getting discharged.  We won't talk about the temper tantrum I threw when there was a miscommunication between the doc and the nurses about whether we were going home that morning or not.  Luckily my ever-patient Brent got it resolved and no one was hurt in the process... ;)